Chapter 155 | The Mahayana Cultivator Who Can’t Learn Magic

After coming clean, she actually felt a bit more relaxed.

To her surprise, Hui didn't immediately scold her, but simply waited quietly for her to continue.

Setis lowered her head and stared blankly at her bowl and chopsticks. She seemed to be recalling some amusing events from her past, or perhaps... she was simply missing her former life.

“This world makes me feel a bit... lonely?”

Setis wasn't quite sure if that was the right word, but she couldn't think of a better way to put it.

“Doing the same repetitive things day after day without any change... Although I know it's necessary, and you've said that every cultivator is like this, with no exceptions...”

She paused, her lips curving into a wry, somewhat bitter smile.

“It was fine at first, but as time went on... I started feeling a bit restless. I don't know why, but every time I practice, I can't help but think about all sorts of things.”

Hui looked at her, listening quietly. Setis continued:

“People, events, and familiar surroundings. In short, I just really want to go see those things...”

Saying this, she felt like she was complaining, so she immediately added:

“It's not that I don't want to cultivate, nor do I want to give up. It's just...”

She thought about it, then whispered:

“A bit tired.”

Hearing this, Hui wasn't particularly surprised by Setis's situation. In fact, she found it quite normal—after all, Setis wasn't some chosen one destined by fate, so she didn't have such a strong sense of mission.

Having stepped onto the path of cultivation overnight from being an ordinary person, her mindset was lagging behind the transition.

No one else could help her with this; she could only adapt to it slowly on her own.

Hui sighed softly and asked,

“So, what do you want to do?”

Setis hesitated for a moment, then tentatively replied:

“Could you let me go back and take a look?”

Hui looked up, but before she could speak, Setis immediately held up a finger.

“Just for one day. I promise I'll only go back for one day, see my family, talk to them, and then come back to continue cultivating.”

Her tone was extremely sincere—even more so than when she had made her choice before. Then, she said seriously:

“This isn't slacking off, just a reasonable break.”

Hui didn't hesitate at all, shaking her head decisively in flat refusal.

“No.”

The anticipation on Setis's face instantly turned into surprise. She seemed to have never expected Hui to refuse so resolutely.

Hui's tone was extremely firm, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

“The path of cultivation forbids giving up halfway above all else. You haven't even touched the threshold yet, and you already want to slack off? Before you cross the threshold, you cannot slack off for even a single day.”

Setis puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction and insisted,

“This isn't slacking off.”

Hui's eyes narrowed. Setis was startled, but she braced herself and continued:

“I just want to rest for one day. Back when I was at the academy, we also had God's Grace Days... You have to give people a breather, right?”

Hui's eyes darkened slightly. Before Setis could finish her sentence, she was glared into silence.

She pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly, but she was still defiant inside.

After a while, she gathered her courage again, raising her head stubbornly once more to ask,

“What about when Li Yuan first cultivated? Was he like this too?”

Hui's expression shifted, as if she recalled something that annoyed her. Seeing this, Setis felt as though she had finally found a breakthrough, and she spoke a bit faster.

“When he was cultivating, did he really never rest for even a single day? Did he also have to cross the threshold before he could get a break?”

After she finished speaking, Hui suddenly let out a laugh.

The laugh was rather bizarre, making Setis feel a bit uneasy.

“Of course.”

Hui replied slowly:

“That guy never stopped from the moment he stepped onto the path of cultivation until he reached the Mahayana stage. However, I can tell you this: from the start of his cultivation to crossing the threshold, it only took him a single day.”

Setis couldn't help but widen her eyes, looking at Hui in disbelief.

Crossing the threshold in one day? Was the gap between them really that massive?!

Hui leaned against the chair, her tone casual but carrying an unassailable weight:

“Unless you can truly stand at the peak of the world. Otherwise, resting for even a single day is a sin.”

Setis opened her mouth. She felt these words were far too exaggerated, likely meant to intimidate her.

“Is it really that exaggerated?”

Setis frowned, not quite believing Hui's claim.

“Why must one stand at the peak of the world? Isn't it fine to just cultivate normally? Learning some spells to protect yourself and then living happily—isn't that great too?”

Hui remained silent for a while. The small cottage fell into an oppressive silence. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh.

In this sigh, there was emotion, but more than that, a recollection of the past. She spoke slowly and earnestly:

“In the world of cultivators, there is no such thing as being ordinary.”

Setis also sensed the gravity and seriousness in her words and immediately sat up straight.

“The rules they follow in Kyushu are much more direct than yours here—the law of the jungle.”

“If you have no background, no backer, and insufficient strength, if someone kills you, you're just dead. No one will seek justice for you.”

“And of course, there is nowhere to appeal your grievances.”

“Even if the cultivator who killed you did so for no reason at all, no one would say much. At most, others would just think the victim had bad luck or lacked strength, and that's all.”

She looked up, her gaze turning cold as she stared at Setis.

“Killing for treasure is common, and silencing witnesses after snatching their goods is nothing unusual.”

“If a low-level cultivator finds something valuable outside, their first reaction is rarely joy, but rather wondering if they'll survive long enough to bring it back.”

Setis furrowed her brow. These things were somewhat beyond her scope of understanding.

Could it be that there were no laws in that world? Could cultivators just kill at will without facing any consequences?

“But that's too...”

Knowing what she was thinking, Hui continued:

“That's why in Kyushu, low-to-mid-level cultivators desperately cultivate every day. For every bit stronger you become, your chances of survival increase.”

“When someone punches you and you just barely manage to block it, that's a chance at survival.”

“When encountering danger, being able to run faster than the person next to you is also a chance at survival.”

Setis fell silent for a long while. Although she tried her best to put herself in their shoes, she still found it somewhat hard to accept.

In the end, she shook her head.

“That... that's highly unlikely, right?”

After all, even professionals here had to abide by the relevant laws. Although they enjoyed special treatment, they weren't allowed to do whatever they pleased.