Mo Ye looked at the huge spiritual tree in his spiritual platform, his expression shifting from shock to heartache.

He never expected that the seed of spiritual power he left behind would grow so large in such a short time.

This is definitely not a normal cultivation speed, but rather an explosive growth caused by some kind of opportunity.

This kind of growth is extremely painful.

Mo Ye couldn't imagine what Kui Kui had gone through to force the Spirit Tree to grow to such an astonishing extent.

He felt heartbroken and regretful.

If he hadn't left back then, would Kuikui have had to endure so much?

Even if he can't share her burden, at least he can be by her side when she's in pain, instead of leaving her to suffer alone.

He gently stroked the spirit tree, his eyes stinging with tears.

Mo Ye raised his head, his vertical pupils widened suddenly, and his expression became very serious.

When Xiaobai saw him open his eyes, she hurriedly asked, "How is Kui?"

Mo Ye did not answer, but said, "Tell me everything that happened to Kui Kui after I left."

After gathering his thoughts, Xiao Bai began to recount his experience, making no attempt to conceal his impulsive actions that had led to his demonic possession.

Mo Ye's face grew increasingly gloomy.

So that's how Kui Kui became like this, he deserves a lot of credit.

He took a deep breath and said, "KuiKui's spiritual tree blossomed, but the flowers have withered."

Xiao Bai couldn't understand, but judging from Mo Ye's expression, she instinctively felt that something was wrong.

"Is it bad?"

Mo Ye shook his head and explained, "The blossoming of the Spirit Tree signifies the initial formation of spiritual power, while the falling of the flower signifies that Kui Kui has entered the Path of Ruthlessness. It's not necessarily a bad thing."

Xiao Bai frowned, looked Mo Ye up and down, and said, "If you had even a hint of a smile on your face, I would have believed you."

Mo Ye gave a wry smile and said, "Have you ever heard of the Great Dao, which is formless yet gives birth to heaven and earth? The Great Dao is without emotion yet governs the sun and moon? The Great Dao is nameless yet nurtures all life?"

Xiao Bai frowned, nodded, and then shook his head.

When his maternal grandmother was alive, he listened to many Buddhist and Taoist scriptures with Kui Kui, but he would always fall asleep after listening to only a few sentences.

This phrase seems familiar, yet it also seems unfamiliar.

Mo Ye sighed helplessly and said, "When one can maintain tranquility, all things in heaven and earth will return to their proper place. Being ruthless doesn't mean being heartless. If being affectionate is positive and being heartless is negative, then being ruthless is a state of zero."

"When there is no stillness, desire cannot arise. Since desire does not arise, that is true stillness." ② After reaching the state of silence, extinction, and tranquility, one is not attached to anything, and desire cannot arise. Since desire cannot arise, that is true purity and tranquility.

Xiao Bai frowned, scratched his face, and said awkwardly, "Can you speak human language?"

Mo Ye's face fell. So all he said was gibberish?

"Could you read more books?"

"Alright, alright, let me put it more bluntly. The Great Way is ruthless, which means that it will neither deliberately favor anyone nor deliberately blame anyone."

"To Kui Kui, you and I are no longer special. In Kui Kui's eyes, you are no different from a stray cat on the street. If you cause trouble again and end up half-dead, she might not even save you. Do you understand now?"

Mo Ye's words were like a sharp blade, piercing Xiao Bai's heart and spinning twice around it.

"Then what should we do?"

“What else can we do? For cultivators, the state of being utterly still is something that can only be encountered by chance. This is not a bad thing for Kui Kui. It's just that for us…” Mo Ye shook his head and didn’t continue, but his eyes became incredibly firm.

Loving someone who will never love you back is painful, but if that person is Kui Kui, Mo Ye feels he can manage it.

Perhaps sensing his burning gaze, the person in his arms stirred, their long eyelashes trembled, and they opened their eyes.

"I fell asleep?" Kui Kui sat up from Mo Ye's arms, subconsciously rubbing her neck, and looked at Mo Ye suspiciously.

"Did you just hit me?" She raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone completely flat and devoid of any emotion.

But both the Little White and the Kadar brothers couldn't help but shudder.

Xiao Bai nodded, and almost simultaneously, Kadar and Badam shook their heads.

Note:

①The Great Dao is formless, yet it gives birth to Heaven and Earth. The Great Dao is without emotion, yet it governs the sun and moon. The Great Dao is nameless, yet it nourishes all life. —From *The Classic of Purity and Tranquility Spoken by Laozi*

②When there is stillness without stillness, how can desire arise? When desire does not arise, that is true stillness. —From *The Classic of Constant Purity and Tranquility Spoken by Lao Tzu*