"Zhao Qingluo, you're still so arrogant, even when death is looming, you haven't changed at all..."
"But I like you this way."
"I hope that when you're lying beneath me, you'll still be this proud."
Geng Wen laughed wildly for several moments.
As his voice fell,
Wei Tu immediately saw that the blue protective shield Zhao Qingluo had raised seemed to be weakening, swaying precariously, on the verge of collapsing.
Then, he could hear Zhao Qingluo's soft panting and the seductive sounds that only occurred during intimate moments.
"What is happening to Zhao Qingluo now?"
Wei Tu felt a bit anxious in his heart. If Zhao Qingluo still had the strength to retaliate, he could communicate with her secretly and possibly work together to escape from the Blood Demon Elder and Geng Wen's pursuit.
But seeing Zhao Qingluo in this state, if they tried to escape together, she would only be a burden and offer no help.
—If it were possible, he still wanted to save Zhao Qingluo. After all, besides her "sharp tongue," she wasn't too bad to be around.
Moreover, if he saved her life, he might be able to secure the other piece of Foundation Establishment spiritual material.
It seemed that Geng Wen heard Wei Tu's thoughts, as he directly answered Wei Tu's doubts.
He said, "Zhao Qingluo, stop struggling. When the Qingye Snake bit you, not only did it inject snake venom, but also a potion I painstakingly made—an aphrodisiac."
After Geng Wen finished saying this, he felt quite pleased, laughing loudly several times.
He wasn't particularly fond of matters between men and women, but since the other party was... Zhao Qingluo, the noble woman who had once humiliated him...
"You…" Zhao Qingluo in the cave could hardly speak in her fury.
"Zhao Qingluo, there's no need to look at me like that. Are you wondering how I dared to take action against you?"
Geng Wen sneered coldly, spilling out his resentments, "Helian Xiong and you have both humiliated me, thinking I was old and had no hope of Foundation Establishment."
"Thinking that I, this old man, am easy to bully?"
"I tell you, although I'm old, the advantage of age is that I don't need to care about anything. Anyway, if I don't make a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, my lifespan is already short."
Wei Tu listened to this and couldn't help but sigh inwardly—if only Zhao Qingluo had been more careful when she humiliated Geng Wen back then, maybe Geng Wen wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to trap her.
After all, Geng Wen had slowly been scheming to seize the Foundation Establishment spiritual material from Gong Shulan, without taking such a drastic approach.
Now, Gong Shulan was still alive and well in Danqiu Mountain.
"Geng Wen is probably over two decades past his prime, and his chances of making a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment are slim. A few years ago, Zhao Qingluo forced him to refine pills for the Qiyue Zhao family for ten years. How could he not hate her!"
"This is a huge grudge that has severed his path to immortality!"
Wei Tu thought for a moment and quickly analyzed Geng Wen's reasons for taking such a risk.
"But based on Geng Wen's current situation…"
"Just the hatred of Zhao Qingluo stopping his Foundation Establishment shouldn't have been enough for Geng Wen to go as far as to kill her, unless... it was the Foundation Establishment Pill!"
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, suddenly realizing.
—As a prodigy of the Qiyue Zhao family, Zhao Qingluo could obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill with ease. Now that she had reached the late stage of Qi Refining, it was very likely she carried a Foundation Establishment Pill with her.
And this, perhaps, was the real reason that pushed Geng Wen to make the decision to kill Zhao Qingluo.
"Zhao Qingluo is still too young," Wei Tu shook his head.
If it were him,
He would either avoid offending others,
Or take decisive action to prevent the enemy from striking back.
He would never, like Zhao Qingluo, be tempted by small gains and set up future dangers for himself.
"But doesn't Geng Wen fear that Zhao Qingluo will destroy the Foundation Establishment Pill before she dies?"
Wei Tu suddenly thought of this.
But the next moment,
His doubts were resolved.
He saw a woman's storage bag with the "Zhao" character embroidered on it hanging from the golden eagle's talon.
"This golden eagle shouldn't be underestimated. It must have stolen Zhao Qingluo's storage bag from her waist, which is why Zhao Qingluo is so helpless."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
Although storage bags were very convenient for cultivators, in battle, if someone easily took away a cultivator's storage bag, it was like taking away most of their means of defense, rendering them helpless.
Seeing this,
Wei Tu activated another "Earth Escape Talisman," preparing to flee and not care about Zhao Qingluo's fate.
If he had come a couple of days earlier, he could have gone to the Qiyue Zhao family and brought reinforcements.
But now, with Zhao Qingluo under the effects of the aphrodisiac, it wouldn't be long before the blue spiritual shield would collapse.
Going to the Qiyue Zhao family now would not only fail to save Zhao Qingluo, but would also cause trouble for himself.
However,
At this moment,
The situation took an unexpected turn that Wei Tu hadn't anticipated.
Seeing the scene, Wei Tu hesitated for a moment before boldly deciding to stay.
If the next turn of events unfolded the way he thought, this would be a significant opportunity for him.
It could determine his entire path to immortality.
...
After mocking Zhao Qingluo, Geng Wen turned his gaze to the Blood Demon Elder and spoke in a calm tone, "Blood Daoist, now that Zhao Qingluo has been captured by both of us, the... storage bag should be given to me, right?"
The moment the word "storage bag" was mentioned, a tense atmosphere suddenly filled the air between the two men.
They faced each other from a distance.
At this moment, the Blood Demon Elder chuckled and pointed to the storage bag hanging from the golden eagle's talon, saying, "This storage bag has been with the golden eagle since it was taken, and I haven't touched it. I was just waiting to give it to you, Geng Daoist…"
"We've been working together for so many years, and I wouldn't risk offending you over such a small matter."
"Small matter?" Geng Wen sneered inwardly. If the Foundation Establishment Pill was considered a small matter, then what could possibly be a big deal to them, the Qi Refining cultivators?
Though he thought this, Geng Wen still played it cool, nodding slightly with a smile, "Then please, Blood Daoist, use your spiritual power to send the storage bag to me…"
"Alright." The Blood Demon Elder nodded and used his spiritual power to gently lift the storage bag from the golden eagle's talon, slowly sending it toward Geng Wen.
"Could there be a trick here?" When the storage bag was about to land in his hands, Geng Wen suddenly became suspicious.
He pretended to reach for the storage bag, then seized the opportunity to observe the Blood Demon Elder's expression.
Just as the storage bag was about to fall into his hands, Geng Wen immediately retreated, creating distance between himself and the Blood Demon Elder.
Soon enough,
The storage bag hit the ground.
From beneath it, several blood-red poisonous snakes slithered out, flicking their tongues and pouncing towards Geng Wen.
"As expected, making a deal with a tiger's skin is never a good idea." Geng Wen cursed, not hesitating for a moment. He immediately summoned a small blue shield and blocked the poisonous snakes' attack.
On the other side, seeing Geng Wen retreat, the Blood Demon Elder chanted a spell, commanding the two spirit beasts on him to launch a fierce attack.
Above was the golden eagle.
Below was the Qingye Snake.
For a moment,
Geng Wen's situation became precarious.
"Blood Demon Elder, do you think that when I worked with you, I didn't foresee this situation?"
Hiding behind the blue shield, Geng Wen sneered. He slapped his storage bag and took out a black pill bottle.
Without hesitation, Geng Wen poured a handful of black pills from the bottle and threw them to the ground.
As the pills hit the ground, they immediately attracted the golden eagle hovering in the air and the Qingye Snake slithering on the ground.
Both spirit beasts greedily devoured the black pills, ceasing their attacks on Geng Wen and ignoring even the Blood Demon Elder's commands.
Even though the Blood Demon Elder became enraged, chanting several more incantations and using his essence blood, the two spirit beasts still refused to listen.
"Enough, I have other ways to deal with you." The Blood Demon Elder stopped controlling the spirit beasts. His face turned cold as he summoned a blood-red sickle, spitting several mouthfuls of fresh blood onto it.
The fresh blood fell onto the sickle, and the weapon ignited in a blood-red flame, swinging toward Geng Wen's direction.
Crack!
The blood-red sickle struck the blue shield with a resounding crash, dimming the shield's spiritual light and causing it to fall to the ground.
Next, the blood-red sickle, undeterred, swung toward Geng Wen's neck, aiming for a fatal blow.
Just as Wei Tu thought the battle was decided, Geng Wen suddenly activated a golden protective shield, blocking the blood-red sickle's assault.
"Golden Light Talisman?"
Wei Tu was alarmed, silently admiring Geng Wen's wealth. He had the funds to buy such a top-tier first-grade talisman.
The Golden Light Talisman was a premium item within first-grade high-quality talismans.
Such talismans weren't particularly cost-effective.
Each one cost around three to four hundred spirit stones.
It was comparable to a mid-tier magic weapon.
While talismans weren't consumed after a single use, most could only be used two or three times.
It could be said that by using a top-tier first-grade "Golden Light Talisman," Geng Wen was essentially burning money.
"Blood Demon Elder, don't be in a rush to kill me, take a look at your own condition first…"
After dodging the blood-red sickle's strike, Geng Wen retreated several hundred steps, then shouted back at the Blood Demon Elder from a distance.
"What?" The Blood Demon Elder was momentarily stunned. He instinctively activated his spiritual power to check his condition.
Upon channeling his spiritual power,
He immediately spat out several mouthfuls of foul-smelling black blood, stumbling backward several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
"Blood Demon Elder, for someone from the Demon Path, didn't you ever think… a pill master might poison their pills?"
From a thousand steps away,
Geng Wen said smugly.
He had been working with the Blood Demon Elder for over forty years. By now, the Blood Demon Elder had unknowingly consumed countless pills made by Geng Wen, each free of poison, but they contained a special "mysterious medicine."
These "mysterious medicines" had accumulated over time, and when combined with the colorless, odorless powder Geng Wen had scattered in the valley, they would turn into a deadly poison.
Earlier, when he mocked Zhao Qingluo, although it was to vent his frustration, he was actually waiting for the poison to take effect.
Once the poison entered the Blood Demon Elder's body, if he received timely treatment, he wouldn't die immediately.
But the Blood Demon Elder had attacked him at this moment and used all of his spiritual power.
"You won't have a good death..." The Blood Demon Elder glared at Geng Wen, furious, but helpless. At this point, the poison had begun to attack his heart, and he could hardly move.
Though he could still make one final strike with his life on the line,
Geng Wen, being as sly as he was, didn't give him that chance and stayed far away in the valley.
Time slowly passed.
Half an hour later,
The Blood Demon Elder's body began to rot, turning into a pile of bones and a pool of blood.
"Fool!"
"To think you dared to fight me?"
Seeing the Blood Demon Elder was dead, Geng Wen sneered and walked over. He rummaged through the Blood Demon Elder's robes and took a storage bag and two jade tokens.
"The effect of the Purple Swallowing Pill lasts for three hours. There's no rush. After I deal with Zhao Qingluo, I'll come back to refine the Beastmaster Token and control you all."
Geng Wen walked over to the golden eagle and Qingye Snake. He looked at the two spirit beasts, who were now "half asleep," and chuckled to himself.
Geng Wen swallowed several times, unable to resist rubbing his palms together. He was eager to see Zhao Qingluo, the highborn beauty, under the influence of the aphrodisiac powder. He couldn't wait to see what seductive form she would take.
He approached the cave, casually striking with his palm to disperse the shaky blue protective shield blocking the entrance.
With a single strike, the blue shield shattered.
Geng Wen immediately saw Zhao Qingluo's current state inside the cave.
At that moment, Zhao Qingluo had a dazed expression, her clothes half undone, her white, tender skin partially exposed, and her jade-like legs slightly parted…
"Truly a temptress!" Geng Wen licked his lips, starting to unbutton his clothes and preparing to approach Zhao Qingluo for a night of indulgence.
However, at that moment, the ground of the cave suddenly rose with massive spikes.
An ash-colored wooden cage descended from above, directly falling towards Geng Wen.
In addition to that, a silver hairpin shot through the air, aiming for Geng Wen's heart.
"Who is it?" Seeing this, Geng Wen was immediately stunned. He quickly activated the "Golden Light Talisman" that he hadn't used earlier, pressing it to his body.
In the next instant,
Multiple attacks arrived at once.
The golden shield formed by the Golden Light Talisman flickered briefly, successfully blocking all of the incoming attacks.
Geng Wen secretly sighed in relief, his gaze sharp as he looked at the figure standing in front of Zhao Qingluo—Wei Tu.
"You brat, it's you?"
Geng Wen immediately recognized Wei Tu. He sneered and said, "With your mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivation, you think you can deal with me?"
Wei Tu didn't respond. He held several spirit talismans in his fingers, muttering an incantation and launching a series of identical attacks toward Geng Wen.
This time, with several attacks,
The golden shield created by the Golden Light Talisman flickered even more faintly, as if it would break in the next moment.
"I won't waste time fighting you!" Geng Wen glared at Wei Tu in frustration, shaking his sleeve and retreating out of the cave.
He had already obtained Zhao Qingluo's storage bag. With the Foundation Establishment pill in hand, there was no need to pursue Zhao Qingluo's body any further.
Seeing this, Wei Tu secretly sighed in relief.
He took out a "Earth Escape Talisman" and buried Zhao Qingluo three meters underground, then activated his Heavenly Fragrance Silk Technique, chasing after Geng Wen.
Earlier, he had planned to ambush Geng Wen and strike a fatal blow, but Geng Wen's "Golden Light Talisman" proved more troublesome than expected.
Even with six first-grade attack talismans, they couldn't break through Geng Wen's golden shield.
"You brat, you can fly?"
As Geng Wen sped away from the valley, thinking he had escaped safely after running dozens of miles, he looked ahead and immediately froze in shock.
He saw that Wei Tu, who he thought was far behind, was now blocking his path and hovering in midair.
Wei Tu paid no attention to Geng Wen's shock. With his left hand, he held a mid-tier spirit stone to replenish his spiritual power, while his right hand released several talismans, throwing them toward the ground below Geng Wen.
"How am I supposed to fight this?" Geng Wen furrowed his brow, holding up his blue shield to block Wei Tu's various attack talismans while pondering a way to escape.
But no matter how he thought, he couldn't come up with a way to defeat Wei Tu.
"I should have refined the Beastmaster Token for the golden eagle first."
Geng Wen regretted it deeply.
If he had the golden eagle by his side, facing a flying cultivator like Wei Tu would have been much easier to handle.
Time passed.
An hour later,
With a crack, the blue shield in front of Geng Wen shattered. Hiding behind it, Geng Wen shouted, "You brat, I regret not listening to Chu Yin's advice, I should have killed you earlier!" He was then struck and killed by Wei Tu's "Demonic Wood Talisman."
"It's a shame." Wei Tu walked up to Geng Wen's corpse and took three storage bags.
He glanced at Geng Wen's own storage bag, shook his head, and sighed quietly.
Because he didn't have a lethal move for Geng Wen, the latter had destroyed most of the items in his storage bag before dying.
"Fortunately, Zhao Qingluo's and the Blood Demon Elder's storage bags were not destroyed."
Wei Tu's face lit up with joy.
Compared to Geng Wen's belongings, he valued the "Foundation Establishment Pill" hidden in Zhao Qingluo's storage bag.
After slightly recovering his spiritual power, Wei Tu activated his Geomagnetic Yuan Light and flew back to the valley.
"The old man said the Purple Swallowing Pill lasts for three hours. It took me over an hour to kill him, and there's the hour he spent fighting the Blood Demon Elder…"
Wei Tu stood in front of the cave, cautiously glancing at the "Qingye Snake" and "Golden Eagle" lying on the ground.
After a moment's thought, he made a decision, taking out a silver hairpin magic tool, piercing the Qingye Snake's head, then sitting cross-legged to refine the Beastmaster Token for the Golden Eagle with his spiritual sense.