People say that there are past lives, could it be that my past life was entwined with these women?
Gu Yuena withdrew her fingertip, and even with such contact, she did not show any of the shyness typical of young girls; her expression remained cool, but a longing and attachment flashed through her eyes.
But it was not yet time to recognize each other.
"Um... have we met before?" Luo Yu wanted to confirm the guess in his heart.
Gu Yuena countered, "What do you think?"
Luo Yu ventured his bold guess, "Did we meet in a previous life?"
Gu Yuena's red lips curved up, revealing an indescribably beautiful smile, "What past life?"
Zhu Zhuyun also called out from a distance, "You are just you, you've never changed one bit."
The words of both women completely baffled Luo Yu.
If it wasn't the past life, then what was it? His head started pounding without warning.
"Don't entertain wild guesses."
Seeing something was amiss, Gu Yuena immediately spoke up to stop him.
Even though she was the one who most wanted, most eagerly, to recognize Luo Yu, she didn't want to see him suffer because of the sealed memories.
She believed that the old monk must have had his own well-intentioned reasons for sealing Luo Yu's memories.
When a special aura surged within Luo Yu's body just before, Gu Yuena already had her suspicions.
It was a supreme power being nurtured, different from her own and distinct from the Divine Lineage System practiced by Amaterasu they had just slain, very unique.
After calming his mind, Luo Yu asked, "Can you tell me why you want to help me, why you want to get close to me?"
"Helping you is our choice," she said.
"Approaching you is also our choice."
Gu Yuena's words left Luo Yu speechless, as if she was posing a riddle.
"Amaterasu said resisting the suppression of the Power of Heaven and Earth and displaying power beyond one's limits come at a great cost. How are you feeling now? I hope I can be of help."
Luo Yu sincerely spoke those words, for they had acted out of concern for him, and he didn't want to see them suffer.
Although he hadn't figured out what their exact relationship was, even an idiot could see they were friends, not foes.
To date, he had not been hurt by these women; it had all been beneficial to him.
Indeed, during the ordeal with the Life God King, the Zhu Zhuqing Sisters had apparently been prepared to sacrifice themselves, unwilling to let him go and face certain death.
"It's of no concern, don't worry, she was deceiving you," said Gu Yuena nonchalantly.
Luo Yu's body shook, his spirit moved.
He was no fool.
He could certainly tell who was deceiving him.
Forcing oneself to act under the oppression of the Power of Heaven and Earth, how could there not be a cost?
She clearly didn't want him to worry.
Since the woman insisted on not telling, he couldn't force her to reveal it.
Gu Yuena gently touched Luo Yu's face, and Luo Yu found he couldn't move..
He was firmly sealed in place by a force of space.
He could forcibly break free if he really tried, but he didn't do so.
The woman before him inspired an inexplicable sense of trust, as if they had known each other for countless years.
"Don't talk, don't ask, just let me look at you a little longer."
Gu Yuena's purple pupils were intensely focused on Luo Yu's face, gazing at the familiar visage she could finally touch once more, her outward calm belying the torrent of emotions within.
Eighteen years.
You've waited for this man for eighteen long years, and finally, he has grown up.
The day for us to reunite as husband and wife should be coming soon, I believe.
The Zhu Zhuqing Sisters didn't crowd in on them.
Gu Yuena was not only the strongest among the sisters but also the one who had known Luo Yu the longest and had spent the most time with him.
Out of respect for such an elder sister, they were filled with deference.
And they gave the two plenty of space to be together.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself; just tell me if you're tired."
"I will definitely come to help you."
Gu Yuena's cool and distant voice, nevertheless, was laden with endless tenderness and care.
Luo Yu was startled.
What deep feelings it must be to utter such words.
Seeing that yearning gaze, his heart began to inexplicably ache.
Ache?
Why would I ache?
Luo Yu experienced a very subtle sensation, the emergence of emotions beyond his control.
Gu Yuena let out a muffled groan, but her expression quickly returned to normal.
"Let's go."
She brought her bright, moist red lips slowly closer, stood on her tiptoes, and gently kissed Luo Yu on the forehead.
Then she lifted her hand, and with a slash, space tore apart.
Gu Yuena stepped in and disappeared, and the Zhu Zhuqing Sisters were taken away as well.
After space healed itself, Luo Yu regained his freedom and was slightly dazed.
He raised his hand to touch his forehead.
The warm sensation was still there.
With a helpless wry smile, he said, "Who can tell me what on earth is going on?"
Luo Yu was eager for an answer.
However, it seemed as if a voice inside him was telling him that enhancing his power could solve all his problems.
He shook his head, pushing all his concerns aside.
This incident had been a close call for him, but he had gained a lot from it.
Surprisingly, he had developed a small world inside his Dantian, which was barren and void except for a single green plant and Shi Lian, but it was a qualitative leap.
Luo Yu had never heard of anyone having a small world within their Dantian.
The normal cultivation process was to first condense a Domain, then to fully comprehend the Dao within that Domain.
And eventually, to condense it into a Dao Ze World.
With a thought, the Dao Ze World would descend, and the more immense it was, the stronger the power.
Luo Yu was now quite abnormal, only able to deploy domain-based techniques, with bizarrely strong combat abilities, but he had always been unable to condense a Dao Ze World.
Instead, he had developed a small world in his Dantian.
Since he couldn't materialize it in the outside world, he couldn't use it as a weapon.
Nevertheless, Luo Yu was not discouraged; on the contrary, he felt it might be a good thing.
He had long tasted the benefits of the Secret Technique of Myriad Transformations and was full of anticipation for this anomaly.
The green plant had condensed ninety-nine buds, and he was waiting for them to bloom.
This World Competition could be a turning point, perhaps becoming a gluttonous feast for him.
Luo Yu clenched his fist, feeling his current strength; probably, he wouldn't need to use divine powers.
He could likely crush someone like Qin Qi with a single punch.
But facing people like Cao Potian still required a bit of respect.
At the very least, he would need to summon an Ancient Spirit.
After thinking it over, he flew towards The Capital Base City, returning to the Luo Family Manor to continue his seclusion.
There was just over a month left until the World Competition, and the recent event had given him a great sense of crisis; he dared not waste any time, God knows if other deities from outside would suddenly appear to mess with him.
To be honest, he didn't want the silver-haired beauty to make a move; the cost of her doing so must be significant.
It couldn't be as easy as the other side had implied.
Elsewhere, inside a luxurious villa in the Great Capital Base, space abruptly shattered.
A silver-haired figure with a pale face stumbled out, her delicate feet faltering.
Crimson blood spilled from her mouth.
Her breath was incredibly weak.
Following her from the space, the Zhu Zhuqing Sisters and other beautiful figures from within the villa rushed out, looking at Gu Yuena with concern and care.
"How... How are you?" they asked.
Gu Yuena wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said, "It's nothing serious, just backlash from the Power of Heaven and Earth."
"I can still hold on."
"Saving Brother Yu was worth it."
Zhu Zhuqing sighed and said, "Gu Yue Sister, wasn't that old man supposed to have given us a protective measure? Why put yourself through this? It hurts us to see you suffer."
Just as Gu Yuena tried to speak, she began to cough violently, her breath growing weaker.
At that moment, a lifegiving, vibrant green light enveloped her.
The Life God King with her green hair approached, her exquisite face filled with concern.
"You've pushed yourself too hard."
With the Life God King's healing, Gu Yuena gradually began to recover.
She said to Zhu Zhuqing, "That old man's strength is unfathomable; the protective measure he left us is far from simple."
"It would be a waste to use it on that trash."
"Brother Yu is bound to face numerous crises in the future; we should keep our lifesaving measures for his troubles."
The women around her trembled at her words, unable to say much as they looked at Gu Yuena.
"Gu Yue Sister, why did you just bring us back like that?" Zhu Zhuyun tried to hold back tears, "We've lost a chance to forcefully take Brother Yu."
"Late at night, when I think of Brother Yu, I can only recall the taste he gave me eighteen years ago."
Gu Yuena smiled, not explaining.
The other women could let longing sickness lower their pride and deeply interact with Luo Yu.
But she would never do that.
She had her own pride, and she despised such actions; the kiss was already her limit.