Keep your promise, senior sister!

She had never heard such blunt, explicit, frivolous words before. Her mind instantly fell into chaos, and even the Qi and Blood that had just calmed down in her body nearly ran wild again.

"You... shameless!"

She was both ashamed and indignant. Her pair of phoenix eyes widened, but because her mind was in turmoil, they lost their usual sharpness and instead held a hint of never-before-seen petulance.

"Hahaha... Look how scared you are. It was just a joke."

Seeing her rare, bashful appearance, Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh heartily. He took the opportunity to release the hand wrapped around her slender waist, adopting a nonchalant posture.

The laughter echoed in the valley, but Gu Zheng was stunned.

She looked at Lin Yuan's smiling face, and a sudden, strong feeling of loss and resentment surged in her heart.

She involuntarily recalled the time she had spent with Lin Yuan.

This man—overbearing, mysterious, and possessing endless methods—had long since carved an indelible mark onto her heart.

She had originally wanted to use her charm to make him fall beneath her spell, proving that she was no worse than anyone else.

But now, he actually claimed that all of it was just a joke?

Gu Zheng didn't speak. She just turned her head away, biting her red lip fiercely, her phoenix eyes flickering with stubbornness and grievance.

Lin Yuan's laughter gradually subsided.

He keenly caught the subtle change in the atmosphere. How could he not see that this high-mountain flower had already developed Mortal Affection?

The joke just now was merely the final straw that broke the camel's back.

He stopped talking, stepped forward, and spread his arms.

Amidst Gu Zheng's short cry of surprise, he had already lifted her up into a bridal carry, the action domineering and brooking no refusal.

"Ah..."

Gu Zheng's heart pounded wildly. Her hands instinctively pressed against his firm, warm chest, her voice trembling, "You... didn't you say... it was a joke? What are you trying to do?"

"The first half was a joke."

Lin Yuan lowered his head, his nose almost touching her cheek. His hot breath brushed her skin, and his voice was deep and magnetic.

"The second half... I was serious."

Holding her, he walked toward a sheltered corner deep in the valley, hidden by a large rock.

The light of the bonfire was blocked by the rock, leaving only the hazy moonlight to coat the two of them in a layer of pure silver radiance.

"Since Senior Sister said she could satisfy my every wish."

"Then now, fulfill your promise."

...More than an hour later.

The small golden text beneath Lin Yuan's eyes quietly refreshed.

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Middle Stage: 21680/100000 (addable points)]

[Fourth-Grade Alchemist: 1/600 (addable points); Sixth-Grade Artifact Refiner: 1/400 (addable points); Third-Grade Array Master: 0/700 (addable points)]

[Fifth-Level Fire Control Art: 0/500; Illusion Transformation Art (Perfection)]

[Available Attribute Points: 3788]

[special attribute points: 1]

Getting four hundred Attribute Points from one Late Core Formation Stage was truly profitable.

Gu Zheng nestled in Lin Yuan's arms, draped in his outer robe. On her cold, sharp face, only satisfaction and an unmelting tenderness remained.

"From now on... you must take responsibility for me..."

"Don't worry. From now on, you are mine."

Lin Yuan wrapped his arm around her smooth, fragrant shoulder and lightly kissed her forehead.

"You are my woman; I will naturally protect you for the rest of your life."

Four hundred points at a time—it wouldn't take ten times to raise the Alchemist Rank to First-Grade.

A First-Grade Alchemist, a Rank nonexistent in the entire Eastern Region.

By then, helping Gu Zheng step into the Nascent Soul stage would be no difficult task.

This deal was extremely profitable.

Gu Zheng felt sweet inside and rubbed her head against his chest. Suddenly, she remembered something: "Just now, when you destroyed that Golden Armored Corpse, you used a silver thunder bamboo leaf, right?"

Lin Yuan didn't hide it. He flipped his palm, and a silver-shimmering bamboo leaf appeared in his hand.

"Take this. It will be very useful when you form your Nascent Soul in the future."

Gu Zheng carefully took it, but instead of putting it into her Storage Pouch, she placed it close to her body, her voice soft: "I can't bear to use it. This... is the Token of our Love."

Lin Yuan stroked her soft, beautiful hair: "When you form your Nascent Soul, I will give you something even better."

The two shared a moment of tenderness before getting up, dressing properly, and beginning to clean up the battlefield.

From the hole in You Hun's chest, which Bai Yixuan had pierced in his dying counterattack, wisps of Corpse Qi were still emerging.

If it wasn't repaired promptly, this Silver Armored Corpse, which had been refined with great difficulty, would likely be ruined.

Lin Yuan felt a bit helpless. This was You Hun's first official appearance, and it was actually used as a shield.

He also collected the ruined Golden Armored Corpse belonging to Bai Yixuan.

Although the core of this Refined Corpse was destroyed by the silver thunder bamboo leaf, the corpse itself was still incredibly powerful. It could be used perfectly to execute the Ten Thousand Corpses Return to One Secret Technique from the Three Yin Corpse Dissection True Scripture, integrating all its essence into You Hun's body.

Not only could this repair You Hun's injuries, but it might also allow it to advance further, directly evolving into a Golden Armored Corpse.

Moreover, he still possessed a mass of Undying Flesh and Blood obtained from an immortals remains. If this were also integrated, You Hun's potential would be immeasurable.

"You killed him, so the spoils of war naturally belong to you."

Gu Zheng tossed over a Storage Pouch, which was Bai Yixuan's relic.

"Although he was a Spy for the Misty Immortal Sect, he was still officially a Genius Disciple of our Yin Corpse Sect. There should be quite a few good things inside his Storage Pouch."

Lin Yuan accepted it unceremoniously, probed it with his Divine Sense, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

Leaving aside the Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Magical Artifacts, there was actually a Fragmented Map drawn on Animal Hide, seemingly pointing toward an Immortal Cave belonging to some Ancient Cultivator.

"Should we... go support Black Stone City now?"

Gu Zheng's injuries were fully healed, and her Cultivation had recovered by seventy to eighty percent. She was determined to go back and take revenge.

Hearing this, Lin Yuan's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.

Going to support Black Stone City meant there was a high probability of running into that crazy woman, Yue Qingyao, again.

"Is something wrong?"

Seeing his hesitation, Gu Zheng asked.

Lin Yuan gave a wry smile: "The reason I ended up here is because Yue Qingyao chased me all the way. Going back now... would probably be walking right into a trap."

Only then did Gu Zheng recall Lin Yuan's previous words, and she couldn't help but feel worried.

"Black Stone City has Senior Ye Youmeng presiding over it; they don't lack the two of us. Both of us are injured, so we wouldn't be much help if we went."

Lin Yuan analyzed.

"Why don't we go to Tianyuan City first? I imagine that if things go badly at Black Stone City, they will eventually retreat to Tianyuan City and rendezvous with us."

Gu Zheng pondered for a moment, found his reasoning sound, and nodded... Meanwhile, several hundred miles away from the valley, a white-robed figure was circling in the night sky.

Yue Qingyao had been searching for a long time, repeatedly sweeping her Divine Sense over every inch of land, yet still couldn't find any trace of Lin Yuan.

"That Little Thief definitely won't run around aimlessly; he must be heading back to Tianyuan City! I will wait along the necessary route back to the city and ambush him!"

A fierce look flashed in her eyes. Just as she was about to move, her expression suddenly changed.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of black, Poisonous Blood sprayed out uncontrollably, and her aura instantly withered.

She looked down at the wound on her shoulder. It had completely turned scorched black, rotting flesh emitted a foul odor, and a bone-chillingly sinister Poisonous Force was rapidly eroding her Magic Power and Vitality along her Meridians.

"Ye Youmeng... your poison truly is vicious!"

She clenched her teeth, forcefully suppressing her turbulent injuries.

"Forget it. I'll find a place to heal first. Once my injuries stabilize, it won't be too late to intercept that Little Thief!"

With that, her Escape Light shifted, and she descended toward a hidden mountain forest below, the murderous intent in her eyes colder than the frigid night.