Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 3: Beauty With a Sword

As morning arrived and Wu Long's eyes fluttered open, he reacquainted himself with the faintly sluggish sensation after a night's rest—a feeling long forgotten across dozens of millennia as an immortal.

After freshening up, he made his way directly to the sect's Treasure Hall. There, crowds queued before a dozen counters, yet he veered toward the corner's information desk.

Since visitors here typically knew exactly what they sought, the information counter stayed mostly unoccupied, allowing him to approach it without delay.

"How may I help you?"

The disciple behind the counter perked up at the sight of this striking young man nearing her station. Wu Long responded with a captivating smile.

"May I see the catalogue with prices?" he inquired.

"Certainly. Here-" Blushing from his charming grin, the female disciple shyly passed him a jade slip. Unlike his past self before regaining memories, who squandered his good looks, the present Wu Long wielded them masterfully—his poise and stare alone igniting warmth in these young women's bodies.

"Thank you," he replied, sending his spiritual sense into the jade to activate it.

A flood of data streamed into his mind, revealing every item in the Treasure Pavilion along with their costs: treasure weapons, spiritual treasures unrelated to weapons, pills, herbs, ores, and more. His attention zeroed in on pills and medicinal ingredients.

Yet he soon realized the pills available were not just low-grade but also poorly refined; even scanning the priciest ones yielded nothing noteworthy.

Turning to medicinal ingredients, he spotted barely a dozen worth a second glance, dismissing the rest as worthless.

Resigned to modest expectations—recalling that even at the outset of cultivation in his prior life, his resources fell short of his present ideals—the listed pills and herbs still lagged a level or two below what a basic mortal sect might offer.

This poor showing, alongside the thin Spiritual Qi in the air, disciples stuck mostly at Qi Gathering Realm (just above Body Transformation Realm), and elders at Revolving Qi Realm (three steps beyond Qi Gathering), revealed a cultivation level here far inferior to his early days in the previous life.

Though a vital assessment, he refocused on his purpose, identifying several useful ingredients. Topping them was Scarlet Fire Ginseng, among the list's costliest treasures.

'Scarlet Fire Ginseng - 25 000 points'

Menial missions yielded him at most 20 points apiece, rendering 25 000 points a near-impossible feat for him or nearly any sect disciple. Still, without it, cultivation stalled.

He thanked the disciple once more and handed back the jade.

Then, he strolled about, pondering his next steps.

Acquiring Scarlet Fire Ginseng outright lay beyond reach, especially in a timely manner, leaving missions to forage herbs beyond sect borders as the path to hunt it or a viable alternative.

While wandering, his gaze swept over nearby female disciples with cool detachment. Sword repairs aside, he required a cultivation partner—and though age gaps never fazed him before, his prior companions spanned at least a millennium.

Dual cultivating with teenage mortals felt off, yet he grasped his precarious position forbade choosiness; none in his favored age range would glance his way, let alone join in cultivation.

Even conceding that point, their meager cultivation bases and growth prospects promised dismal efficiency. He never judged by talent or realm usually, but urgency demanded better.

Quantity over quality remained an option, one he scorned.

Not that he shunned numerous partners, but his tight timeline and needs would demand cycling through them mechanically, devoid of true bond or fervor in his view.

In his younger days, he once cultivated in such a manner, yet he had long resolved never to revisit that chapter of his life.

He sought to ensure every partner—even those for just a one-night stand—felt like the sole, most treasured and adored woman during their cultivation. Such devotion demanded time and care.

Not that he shunned delighting several partners together, since certain women savored his presence in groups where he could offer them all balanced attention and warmth. Still, he favored keeping it under ten on the bed at once, hating to make any wait their turn. Yet efficient cultivation among these disciples would call for thousands.

Hence, he'd only take on so many partners when plenty of time was at hand, leisurely reveling in pleasing millions of women across thousands of years.

For swift breakthroughs, though, he'd pick a select few premium partners to reap maximum rewards. And that's exactly where he stood now.

Of course, he wouldn't deny a woman eager to cultivate with him even if she fell short of his ideals; he simply reserved such encounters for times when he could lavish her with the focus he felt every partner merited.

Urgent advancement stemmed from several pressing factors.

First off, his current weakness left him exposed, and knowing cultivation's ruthless nature all too well, he dared not prolong such frailty.

Second, he grasped almost nothing of his present plight—the time elapsed since that minor world's collapse, his whereabouts, the fate of his dear ones, or any threats they faced. Even armed with such details, he'd still need power to act rather than merely agonize.

Finally, his potential burned brightest right now, compelling him to advance enough to stretch this prime window by boosting his lifespan. Reaching any realm sooner was always superior.

As he passed the training grounds, a keen aura snagged his senses, pulling his eyes to a field where disciples clustered before a gorgeous woman, seemingly 25 to 27, her figure mesmerizing in sect elder attire. She gripped a sword, showcasing a technique to the group in her lecture.

Though Yin Yang Unity Palace focused on dual cultivation, it stayed a proper cultivation sect, complete with combat lessons.

At the sight of her, a tremor stirred deep in his soul. He paused his steps, silently taking in her refined features and fluid grace.

His striking looks, blended with a calm and polished aura, swiftly drew the eyes of passing female disciples.

"Who's that guy? How come I never heard of anyone like him in the sect?"

"I don't know either! Never seen him before, or I'd have gotten to know him much more intimately by now."

"He's so handsome! Where on earth has he been hiding?"

The female disciples began whispering among themselves in hushed tones.

"Hm? That's Wu Long—he gained fame, then infamy just months ago."

"Yeah, looks good, but don't get your hopes up. Cultivation's low, dragon's dead if you catch my drift, and mental issues too from what I recall."

"Yeah, I remember—the 'waste of a handsome face', right? Though he looks different somehow now. More... handsome and cool, maybe."

Some nearby female disciples knew him and hastily cautioned the overly curious ones. They too spotted subtle shifts in him.

Ignoring their chatter entirely, Wu Long fixed his gaze on the woman elegantly swinging her sword.

Entranced, he trailed her every motion with his eyes, an inexplicable nostalgia rising within him.