After hearing Miss You's words, Wang Mu began to doubt whether he had really wronged Ao Qing.

He actually felt there was some truth to it.

"This…"

Wang Mu thought for a moment. "Before, at the Dongling Sea Dragon Palace, there was an incident, and I went through some things, but it's all settled now."

"All settled?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Tell me about it."

Wang Mu's eyelids twitched. However, feeling guilt-free, he recounted the time he sought the Five-Colored Divine Gold at the Dongling Sea Dragon Palace.

"You see, it wasn't anything serious, right?" Wang Mu took a couple of steps back. "I received her Reversed Scale, but I compensated her with a piece of Mystic Water Essence. She also said we were even, that neither of us owed the other anything."

After listening, Miss You stepped lightly on the floor that resembled the sea's surface, each step creating a faint ripple.

Yet, the ground itself remained undisturbed by waves.

Inside the Bi You Palace, it seemed like another world entirely, with only the sea and the sky present.

As she walked, Miss You paused and smiled. "If that's the case, then it's just fine. Brother Mu, you shouldn't harbor any other thoughts towards Ao Qing."

"What have you been through these years, Brother Mu? Tell me about it."

Wang Mu's eyelids twitched again.

Most of his experiences were closely related to several others. If he disclosed them...

"Don't feel like talking?" Miss You said. "If you don't want to, then don't."

Wang Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just as well. Your Demon Skill is newly formed, and you need to go into secluded cultivation," Miss You said. "From now on, cultivate here in the Bi You Palace. Don't go elsewhere. Brother Mu, you're too weak. We wouldn't want those bad women luring you away."

Wang Mu was speechless.

"So, when my cultivation bears fruit..."

"Then we shall fly together as a pair."

So, she wasn't going to let him leave.

Wang Mu fell silent.

"What's the matter? Could it be Brother Mu is unwilling?" Miss You asked.

"No," Wang Mu shook his head. "It's not that I'm unwilling. If I can truly cultivate the Great Taoist like this, then of course I'm willing."

"What do you mean?"

Wang Mu extended his hand. Mixed Element energy sprang forth, five different energies converging into a slowly rotating sphere of light. The Immortal Infant emitted a powerful and pure aura, which, though seemingly incompatible with his current Infinite Demon Body, carried a faint hint of the Great Taoist.

"If I can cultivate the Great Taoist in the Bi You Palace..." Wang Mu sighed. "Even if it takes a hundred years of arduous cultivation, I would be willing. But Miss You, do you think that's realistic?"

Miss You gave a light snort.

"The path to Ascension is one that an individual must explore on their own," Wang Mu replied. "Look at the Skill I'm cultivating, the Primordial Spirit I've formed, and my experiences over the past ten-plus years—they're so fragile and superficial. How could it be easy to comprehend my own Great Taoist?"

"You've cultivated for a thousand years, overcoming all kinds of hardships to gain your current strength."

"And for me to discover the Great Taoist and achieve Ascension in my remaining time... how could that be easy?"

"What remaining time?" Miss You asked. "You've only been cultivating for a little over ten years. What Great Taoist are you thinking of? You haven't even reached the stage where you should be exploring it."

"But I've already figured some of it out," Wang Mu stated earnestly. "Following this path, I should be able to achieve Ascension rather quickly. But it's definitely not possible in the Bi You Palace."

Miss You was slightly taken aback. "What have you figured out? The Sword Dao?"

Wang Mu shook his head. "You must have sensed something to come out of seclusion. You probably can't stay out for too long, right?"

"With the Emperor Spirit Pearl, has the pressure from the curse eased a bit?"

Miss You remained silent for a moment, then hummed in affirmation.

"Then revert to your original form so I can see," Wang Mu said. "If the curse has eased, I should be able to tell."

Miss You didn't reply, only saying, "I'm not showing you."

"Since you don't want to stay in the Bi You Palace, then Brother Mu, you can leave."

After she spoke, the main door swung open.

Wang Mu didn't leave.

The door had just opened when Little Jiao Huo's small head popped out, followed by Ao Qing's dragon head.

"Are they arguing?" Little Jiao Huo whispered. "Wang Mu seems to be alright..."

Ao Qing quickly withdrew. It was purely this little fellow who had dragged her to eavesdrop at the door, even though she knew that once the door of the Bi You Palace was closed, it was completely sealed. Not even sounds, let alone Primordial Spirits, could detect any activity from within.

Still, she had foolishly come over to listen...

Unexpectedly, just as they arrived and before they had heard anything, the door opened by itself.

Wang Mu was the first to walk out.

Her seclusion was merely to suppress the curse.

But Miss You's curse deepened with time; the Emperor Spirit Pearl only alleviated it.

Her unwillingness to change back could only mean the curse had become more troublesome.

Watching Wang Mu walk out, Miss You stamped her foot and, with a flick of her hand, swung the door of the Bi You Palace closed.

Even after stepping out, Wang Mu didn't leave the vicinity of the Bi You Palace. Instead, he turned to look at the Sea beast beside Little Jiao Huo.

The Infinite Demon Body stirred restlessly.

This Sea Soul Beast bore some resemblance to the Immortal Cloud Kun Mr. Lee spoke of.

Wasn't it a bit too small, though?

"This Sea beast…" Wang Mu glanced at Little Jiao Huo.

"This is the Immortal Cloud Kun…" Ao Qing replied. "The one you said you were looking for. After I left the Sea Prison, she brought back this mysterious Sea beast…"

Wang Mu was taken aback.

Mr. Lee had mentioned this Sea beast snuck down to the Lower Realm out of curiosity, and that it was quite benign, with pure thoughts...

But was it also this naïve?

Could it really have been tricked by Little Jiao Huo?

"This is a Sea beast from the Ascension Realm…" Ao Qing whispered. "I suspect the Great Immortal came out of seclusion not just because she sensed... that earlier fight, but more so because she sensed this Sea beast's presence, even though it's been with Little Xi for several months already..."