11: Chapter 0011 The Gap is Huge

"Run!"

Only one thought remained in her mind.

Gu Huan was far too insidious; being ensnared by him meant almost certain death.

"Heh! Rise!" The woman neared the cave entrance, holding the advantage for escape. She formed a hand seal and cast a spell, erecting an earthen wall between them, then quickly slapped a Talisman onto it to reinforce it.

The reinforced earthen wall completely separated the two sides, allowing the woman to breathe a small sigh of relief.

"This should stall him for a while."

Time was precious.

She turned and sprinted toward the cave entrance, as if the light of dawn was right before her eyes.

The next moment, a thunderous boom echoed from behind, and the shattered wall turned into a hail of rocks crashing toward the exit.

"What?"

"It couldn't even hold for a second?"

Looking back, the woman was filled with despair, her face incredibly pale.

Two Purple Flood Dragons joined forces to smash through the earthen wall, roaring and baring their claws as they pursued her. Sensing the cultivation aura they emitted, her heart sank into an abyss of despair.

"Qi Refining level eight and Qi Refining level seven."

"He actually brought such powerful helpers; how truly despicable and shameless."

It was over.

The Young Master's intelligence was completely wrong.

What she was facing was no Cauldron for dual cultivation; he was an unbelievable monster.

"Fellow Daoist, it's a misunderstanding! I was only following orders and had no choice. Make them go away!"

The woman screamed desperately. Pincer-attacked by the two Demonic Forms, she was truly powerless.

The two Purple Flood Dragons were the result of Gu Huan's months of secluded cultivation. One had completely caught up to his cultivation level, while the other had been conceived slightly later and was currently one minor Realm behind.

Gu Huan didn't even need to lift a finger.

With these two troublesome Demonic Forms, he could wear her down to death.

Inside the stone cave, Gu Huan caught up to the woman with a leisurely pace, his expression as calm as a deep well.

"If you want to live, tell me who is the master behind you and why they want me dead."

"I didn't want to kill you; I just took things a bit too far."

"I have no patience for your nonsense. One last warning: will you talk or not?"

The situation was clear.

The woman indeed only had a Qi Refining level seven cultivation, and her combat power was limited.

Even with a Medium Grade Magical Artifact in hand, she couldn't change the final outcome. If Gu Huan joined the fray, she would only die faster.

"Fine, I'll talk."

After struggling to hold on for a moment, the woman finally yielded.

But in the brief gap when the Purple Flood Dragons stopped their attack, she suddenly turned and charged at Gu Huan, radiating killing intent.

"Only by killing you can I survive."

Only a desperate struggle offered a chance at life.

The woman's judgment was quite accurate.

One-on-one, there might be a way out; one-against-three would only end in a regretful death.

However, charging at an enemy with a higher cultivation was a last resort when no other options remained.

Gu Huan remained calm and composed. Demonic flames rose from his palms as he struck out with both hands, the flames crashing toward the woman like cannonballs.

The first blast was blocked by the Medium Grade Magical Artifact, but the second wasn't so lucky, striking her squarely in the chest.

The Ultimate Demonic Qi was powerful and overbearing.

It possessed incredibly staggering destructive power.

The woman felt as if she had been hit by a heavy blow and was sent flying backward.

Her back slammed into the rock wall, shattering part of it before she bounced off. Her face made intimate contact with the ground, her internal organs in agonizing pain. A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips, and her aura quickly withered.

"Ha... hu! Ha... hu!"

Just then, the two Purple Flood Dragons moved in.

One on the left and one on the right, they coiled around the woman's arms, restricting her movements. They lifted her and brought her before Gu Huan, looking like two guards escorting a prisoner.

"Can you talk now?"

The woman's aura grew even weaker. Her lips twitched, but in the end, she said nothing.

Her consciousness gradually faded, and after a few breaths, she breathed her last.

He hadn't managed to find out who the mastermind was; it was a pity.

Gu Huan said nothing more.

He casually took the Storage Pouch from the woman's waist and wiped away the Restriction.

He found a few Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, a fan, and a large amount of women's clothing. Most were normal outfits, but a few pieces of fabric were so revealing they would make anyone blush at a glance.

Truly a temptress of the Hehuan Sect; her boldness and lack of inhibition were shocking.

Boom!

Purple Demonic Fire flared up.

Gu Huan kept only the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills, incinerating everything else.

However, when he was about to burn the fan, he subconsciously opened it to take a look. What he saw took him by surprise.

The fan had two sides.

On the front, the character "Lu" was written with strokes that seemed to penetrate the paper.

On the back was a lifelike painting. In the painting was a room, and in the room was a couch. On the couch was a couple, as intimate and joyful as lovers in the throes of passion.

The woman's appearance was identical to the one who had just died. The man's face was obscured by the woman's long hair, making it impossible to see clearly.

"Heh."

"Quite the romantic interest, knowing how to paint this for later appreciation."

Gu Huan closed the fan with a cold sneer and decided not to burn it for now, keeping it to help find the mastermind.

Once the Magical Artifact and Storage Pouch were destroyed and the woman had been turned to ash, he finally felt at ease leaving the stone cave.

...

The next day.

After spending a night outside to calm down, Gu Huan decided to return to the Hehuan Sect.

After all, he had awakened the reversal system; staying in a Demonic Path Sect would yield the highest benefits.

Of course.

The distinction between the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path...

...was a distinction of the stances held by the powerful Cultivators behind them.

In essence, a pawn of the Demonic Path and a pawn of the Righteous Path were both still pawns.

It was just that Righteous Path Sects were better at using principles of benevolence and righteousness to coerce these pawns, making them willingly serve the powerful Righteous Path Cultivators and view those of the Demonic Path as heinous villains.

While the Demonic Path emphasized following one's whims, which indeed led to many insane evil Cultivators, painting everyone with the same brush was an unwise move.

Therefore, in Gu Huan's view...

...whether it was the Righteous Path or the Demonic Path, the Dao that allowed him to increase his cultivation was a good Dao.

Returning to Hehuan Peak.

Qin Yao's Immortal Cave had already been temporarily sealed off by the people from the Enforcement Hall.

Having been gone for three consecutive months, the possibility of her having fallen was extremely high. However, other possibilities couldn't be ruled out, so it was only a temporary seal; the interior remained intact.

Gu Huan was different.

As a Cauldron, his essence was equivalent to firewood.

It was enough for him to provide warmth and light for the Hehuan Sect; it didn't matter whom he served.

Therefore.

Gu Huan was soon taken to the Auction Hall, prepared to be auctioned off once again.

In an antique pavilion, Hall Master Su Hongyun stared at Gu Huan in stunned silence. The Extreme Concealment Technique was ineffective before her, so she could clearly see his cultivation.

"A month has passed, and you're already at Qi Refining level eight?"

"Reporting to Hall Master Su, it's thanks to my master's absence that I could Cultivate without any distractions." Gu Huan knew he couldn't hide it from Hall Master Su Hongyun, so he simply spoke the truth.

But in reality, if Qin Yao were still at Hehuan Peak, his cultivation would have only increased faster.

Hearing this.

Hall Master Su Hongyun couldn't help but roll her eyes.

She had never heard of a Cauldron entering the Hehuan Sect and having their cultivation advance instead of regressing.

Yet she had encountered it today. Seeing was believing; she had no choice but to believe it.

"Isn't this a good thing? Why go out of your way to hide your cultivation?" Hall Master Su Hongyun asked, puzzled. The higher the cultivation, the more respect one earned, whether they were a Disciple or a Cauldron; everyone was treated equally in that regard.

To this.

Gu Huan had already prepared his explanation.

"Reporting to Hall Master Su, my status is that of a Cauldron. Having a cultivation that is too high is actually a burden."

"Then why did you refuse my proposal that day? I wanted to give you a hand out of the kindness of my heart, but you repeatedly rejected my goodwill, preferring to wallow in self-degradation as a Cauldron. Now you're afraid of being targeted by thieves—isn't that a contradiction?"

Gu Huan shook his head.

Calm and unhurried.

"It's not a contradiction."

"I was only willing to be Qin Yao's Cauldron. Now that her fate is unknown, I can only accept your arrangements once more."

Hall Master Su Hongyun pursed her lips in a smile, resting her chin on her hand as she stared at him with interest.

"Then I'll give you one more chance. Are you willing to work for us?"

Gu Huan gave Hall Master Su Hongyun plenty of face.

He pretended to think for a moment before declining.

"Reporting to Hall Master Su, ever since I arrived at the Hehuan Sect, I've been labeled as a Cauldron. This identity is something I can never escape. Working for you would only give your enemies something to gossip about; the damage to your reputation would far outweigh any benefit I could provide."

Hall Master Su Hongyun nodded.

She felt that his reasoning was sound.

"Very well then! You may go back."

"Go back? Where?" Gu Huan was bewildered. Wasn't he supposed to be re-auctioned?

...