Ren pondered this, but Ruthless seemed to see through his thoughts. She said quietly, "Ren... let things take their course. Don't force anything. Time may seem all-powerful, but in the end, it cannot compare to destiny. Some choices made by destiny are hard to change."
A glint flashed in Ren's eyes. "Destiny? I remember the Shen Ni Phantom mentioning the River of Destiny. It sounded like something extraordinary."
Ren did not understand destiny, though he had felt its presence before. What it truly was, however, he still could not say.
Ruthless fell into deep thought as well. "I'm not sure what destiny is, either. Perhaps only someone who reaches Shen Ni's realm can understand it. For now, all you need to do is focus on growing stronger."
"Don't worry. I know I need to grow stronger. But Ruthless, Dijun and the others are suppressing their cultivation while they prepare to raise their Life Levels. What about me? Should I start thinking about how to raise mine before I reach that realm? And have you decided how to raise yours?" Ren asked, steering the conversation back to Dijun and the others.
Ruthless sipped her tea and considered the question. "There's nothing wrong with preparing early. But how you improve depends on the path you choose and the plans you make. This concerns you, after all, so you should choose the path that suits you best. As for me, I haven't decided yet. Perhaps I'll use the Heaven Devouring Demonic Art to refine Origin essence and raise my Life Level. But whatever you decide, don't lose sight of what comes first. You need to reach the realm before you can put such plans into action."
Ren nodded seriously. "I understand. I'll focus on raising my cultivation for now. The rest can wait."