166: Chapter 166 This round, Yin and Yang complement each other.

The Cold Jade Bed let out a crisp, overloaded creak.

When the two bodies pressed together without a gap, the air in the entire secret chamber seemed to be instantly drained, immediately erupting into a visible shockwave.

Hiss—!

That was not a romantic sound, but the crackling of water and fire colliding.

Jiang Wanrou let out a muffled groan, her ten fingers digging deeply into Gu Yan's broad back muscles, her nails leaving several bloody marks.

The Blood Fiend Qi that had long been accumulating within Gu Yan found its outlet, rushing into her Meridians as violently as a flood from an opened sluice gate.

Pain.

It felt as if her entire body had been filled with molten iron.

But she did not retreat; instead, she bit the tip of her tongue, forcibly urging her inner Origin.

"Profound Yin, rotate!"

A stream of extremely cold blue Qi rose from her Dantian; it was the Profound Yin Qi she had cultivated for twenty years.

This cold current did not resist the invading heatwave, but instead, like a gentle stream of water, it actively coiled around it, wrapping, penetrating, and neutralizing that volatile Blood Fiend Qi layer by layer.

The moment this cooling sensation entered his body, Gu Yan's pupils, which had previously only held beastly instincts, regained a sliver of clarity.

But he could not stop.

His body's instincts craved more, desiring to completely melt the "ice cube" before him.

He lowered his head, kissing her neck as if biting, his movements wild and unrestrained.

This was not gentle intimacy; it was a life-or-death war, and a plunder where they served as Cauldron for one another.

Green Lotus Fire ignited around the two of them.

It was no longer as gentle as when he was performing Alchemy, but had transformed into a massive vortex, greedily devouring the Spiritual Qi leaking from them, then refining and feeding it back.

Red and blue, heat and cold, Yang and Yin.

Under the matchmaking of the Green Lotus Fire, these two completely different powers began a wondrous Fusion.

[Ding! High-purity Profound Yin Qi detected.]

[Blood Fiend Body Incineration state is being lifted...]

[Yin and Yang harmonization program initiated. Dual Cultivation mode: Perfect match.]

The System's notification sound exploded in Gu Yan's mind, but he had no time to spare for it at the moment.

As time passed, the intense heat that had tormented him for so long finally subsided, replaced by an unprecedented sense of comfort.

The restless blood river bead went completely quiet; the tamed energy transformed into pure True Essence, rushing madly into his Dantian like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

Crack.

It felt as if something inside his body had shattered.

The previously impregnable Foundation Establishment Level 5 Bottleneck was as fragile as a thin sheet of paper before this torrent of Yin and Yang embracing.

Boom!

His Aura climbed steadily.

Foundation Establishment Level 6!

And it wasn't just Early Stage; it surged directly to the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment Level 6 before it barely stopped.

As for Jiang Wanrou, who was on the receiving end, the benefits she gained were even greater than Gu Yan's.

Gu Yan's Pure Yang Essence, recast by the "Wild Tyrant Body" and Dragon Blood Grass, was the most nourishing Spirit Medicine in the world for her Profound Yin Physique.

The cultivation Bottleneck she had been stuck at in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment loosened instantly.

That massive Yang Qi washed through her Meridians, completely clearing out the corners that had previously been somewhat blocked by Yin coldness.

Her skin became even more translucent, and the Green Lotus Fire within her transformed from a pale cyan to a deep emerald green, its volume growing by a full fold.

Foundation Establishment Level 9!

Just one step away from Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.

...

I do not know how much time had passed.

The white mist in the secret chamber gradually dissipated, and the temperature on the Cold Jade Bed returned to being freezing cold.

Gu Yan opened his eyes.

The crimson in the depths of his eyes had completely faded, replaced by a deep, abyss-like black.

He felt every cell in his body cheering; it was a sense of fulfillment from overflowing power.

He lowered his head.

Jiang Wanrou was curled up in his arms, like an exhausted cat.

Her originally pristine face still retained a lingering flush, tear tracks hung at the corners of her eyes, and her body was covered in blue and purple marks—his masterpieces from when he had lost control.

Gu Yan reached out, his fingertips gently stroking a distinct fingerprint on her shoulder.

He felt no regret.

The Cultivation world was inherently about plundering and being plundered, it was just that this time, they had achieved each other.

Jiang Wanrou seemed to feel his touch, her eyelashes trembling as she slowly opened her eyes.

Their eyes met.

There was no shyness, nor was there any awkwardness.

All that remained was a tacit understanding called "symbiosis."

"Awake?"

Gu Yan's voice was a bit hoarse, yet it carried a laziness born of satisfaction.

He casually pulled over the tattered robe from the side and covered her with it.

"Mhm."

Jiang Wanrou moved her body, the soreness making her frown slightly, but upon feeling the surging Spiritual Qi within her, the exhaustion in her eyes was instantly replaced by surprise.

"Foundation Establishment Level 9..."

She looked at her palm, a sprout of emerald green flame igniting at her fingertip, its temperature several times higher than before: "My Green Lotus Fire has advanced."

"I haven't lost out either."

Gu Yan sat up, his naked upper body revealing smooth muscle lines, exuding a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

He clenched his fist, and the air crackled in his palm.

"The hidden danger of the blood river bead has been completely eliminated, and..."

He looked at Jiang Wanrou, his gaze holding a hint of warmth that hadn't been there before—it was the recognition of "one of his own."

"From today on, you are not just my Alchemist."

Gu Yan reached out to lift her chin, his thumb wiping away a spot of blood from the corner of her mouth: "You are also my Dao Companion. As long as I am alive, no one in this Yunlan Sect will dare to touch a single hair on your head."

This was not a sweet nothing.

This was a promise. It was also another circle he had drawn in this cruel world.

Jiang Wanrou looked at him and suddenly smiled.

She didn't speak, just took the initiative to lean in and peck him lightly on the lips.

"Deal."

...

When Gu Yan walked out of the secret chamber, dressed and ready, it was already noon the next day.

Elder Su Ming was guarding outside the hall, and seeing Gu Yan come out, a look of extreme lewdness appeared on his old face, his gaze scanning up and down over him.

"Tsk tsk tsk, a whole day and night."

Elder Su Ming shook his wine gourd: "Young man, good health is your capital, but you must also practice moderation. Look at this red glow all over the mountain; those who don't know might think you were refining some peerless evil Medicinal Pill in there."

"If Elder Su Ming is envious, you could also find a Dao Companion."

Gu Yan was refreshed and simply ignored his teasing: "But at your age, I'm afraid you'll need to stock up on that Tiger Bone Wine I gave you a while ago."

"Go, go, go! This old man practices the Virgin's Technique!"

Elder Su Ming laughed and scolded him, then his expression straightened: "Let's talk business. During the days you were in seclusion, news came from Baifeng City."

Gu Yan's eyes narrowed, the lazy Aura around him instantly turning sharp.

"Jin Feiyan?"

"Yes."

Elder Su Ming took out a sound-transmission Jade Slip and handed it to him: "This girl is a business Genius. It hasn't even been five days since the Lin family fell, and not only has she annexed all the shops the Lin family had around Baifeng City, but she has also extended her reach to two neighboring market towns."

Gu Yan took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

Jin Feiyan's voice carried unconcealable excitement:

"...Gu Trading Firm has completed its initial expansion, and this month's net profit has tripled. Also, that crazy woman Leng Yuechan... ahem, Sister Leng has used the corpses of the Lin family's death soldiers to refine a batch of 'Blood Corpse Puppets,' and now the defenses of Baifeng City are as solid as a golden fortress. Even if an Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator were to force their way in, they would still lose a layer of skin."

"It's just..."

Her voice paused, becoming somewhat grave.

"Recently, a group of unidentified Cultivators have been wandering on the outskirts of Baifeng City. They don't look like people from the Yunlan Sect; they look more like... Demonic Path Cultivators."

Demonic Path Cultivators?

Gu Yan frowned slightly.

The Lin family colluding with the Demonic Path was a cover, a black pot he had pinned on Lin Canghai. But now, have real Demonic Path Cultivators arrived?

[Ding! Hidden plot clue triggered.]

[Special energy fluctuation detected approaching.]

[Source analysis: Remnants of the Blood River Sect.]

[Hint: The host has swallowed the blood river bead, which is a giant GPS tracker. Although the System has shielded most of the signals, to Demonic Path Cultivators with the same source Cultivation Technique, you are as conspicuous as a firefly in the night.]

"It seems I beat the small ones, and now the old ones have come."

Gu Yan crushed the Jade Slip, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

Blood River Sect.

That true titan of the Demonic Path, an existence that Lin Canghai had always wanted to curry favor with but never managed to reach the threshold of.

"Tell Jin Feiyan and Leng Yuechan to guard the house well."

Gu Yan turned to Elder Su Ming and said: "Also, trouble Elder Su Ming to help me send a batch of things back."

"What things?"

"Trash."

Gu Yan casually tossed out a storage ring.

It was filled with the "scraps" left over from his refining in the furnace—low-level Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pills that were useless to him now, as well as those dozen or so drops of "secondary blood marrow" that had negligible effect on him, but were miraculous medicines for ordinary Cultivators to undergo rebirth.

"Have Leng Yuechan select a batch of loyal clansmen to use these."

Gu Yan looked toward the direction of Baifeng City, his tone chilling:

"Since someone wants to come and find trouble, then sharpen your teeth."

"In my Gu Family's territory, apart from Spirit Stones, we only collect corpses."