34: Chapter 0034 Improving Foundation Building

The moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

The lake was clear, its surface shimmering with light.

With a splashing sound, Hong Tao emerged from the lake with a smile, radiating charm.

Her wet red dress clung to her graceful body, revealing every alluring curve as she strode back to the nearby cave with her long legs.

Crackle!

Snap!

The campfire flickered, the flames rising high.

Gu Huan sat on the ground carefully checking the Storage Pouch; the harvest was staggering.

"Finished counting?"

Hong Tao asked softly, walking over to the campfire while still wet and wringing out her soaked hair.

Gu Huan turned to speak, but his pupils suddenly constricted, and he quickly averted his gaze from her upper body.

"Yes, the harvest is significant."

"Is that so? How big is it?"

Hong Tao's eyes curved into crescents as she chuckled secretly.

Following Gu Huan's previous gaze, she blushed slightly but made no move to adjust her open collar; sometimes, a little exposure didn't matter as long as it served a purpose.

"In Spirit Stones alone, there are three thousand."

"Three High Grade Magical Artifacts, several Medium Grade Magical Artifacts, as well as various Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and medicinal herbs."

Among these...

...were two leftover pieces of hehuan wood, obtained from the Storage Pouches of Li Ting and Sun Miaomiao respectively.

aphrodisiac pills, Virility Pills, blood sun pills, and basic Cultivation pills; everything was there, making for a rich harvest.

There were also surprises from the Blood Bat Cave.

The corpse of a Late Stage Qi Refining blood bat demon, along with twenty companion herbs called bloody grass.

What interested Gu Huan even more was the Blood Spirit Sect's demonic killing pill. This pill could cause a sudden surge in blood Qi and boost one's cultivation for a short time, though it only worked for Blood Spirit Sect Disciples.

While Hong Tao was playing in the water earlier...

...he had already verified the side effects.

[Analyzing...]

[demonic killing pill: Only effective for Qi Refining Cultivators who Cultivate the Blood Spirit Great Method. Bursts blood Qi to raise cultivation by one minor Realm for fifteen minutes. Side Effect 1: Consumes blood Qi and overdraws potential; long-term consumption is detrimental to subsequent Foundation Establishment.]

[Reversal: Positive Effect 1: Blood Qi remains vigorous and potential is undamaged upon consumption. Long-term consumption can increase the chance of Foundation Establishment by up to twenty percent.]

[Analysis complete. Host may consume with peace of mind.]

Increasing the chance of Foundation Establishment by twenty percent.

The effect was not much different from a foundation establishment pill, which was good news.

However, there were only a few demonic killing pills here, far from the amount needed for "long-term consumption."

Of course.

The so-called long-term consumption...

...was not a matter of time, but was defined by the quantity consumed.

Simply put, when you consume enough demonic killing pills, it counts as long-term consumption.

"A twenty percent chance for Foundation Establishment can't be easily given up. How can I get more demonic killing pills?"

Just as Gu Huan was lost in thought...

...the scent of peach blossoms wafted into his lungs.

He snapped back to reality and saw a red dress. Amidst the deep red pattern, a flash of snowy white was visible, and within that white, a hint of crimson—like winter plums blooming on a snowy mountain, exceptionally delicate and beautiful.

"So engrossed, what are you thinking about?"

She sat before him with her knees bent, leaning forward intentionally with a soft smile.

Gu Huan frowned and shifted his gaze slightly in embarrassment, following the principle of "see no evil."

"The demonic killing pill."

Hearing this...

...Hong Tao's expression froze.

She looked slightly uneasy.

"Why do you know how to use Blood Spirit Sect Spells?"

"Do you want to know?" Gu Huan looked back at her, radiating a strong aura of danger.

"No."

Hong Tao tactfully stopped asking.

At this moment, on a dark and windy night with just a man and a woman alone, who knew if he would kill her to keep his secrets?

"How do you want to split it? I don't need anything, after all, you were the one who killed them."

"It's better if you take some. I'm afraid of you stabbing me in the back."

In this world...

...free things are the most expensive.

Hong Tao was not a foolish woman; everything she did had a purpose.

Favors and debts of gratitude are the most troublesome; if they could be settled with material goods, all the better.

Immediately after...

...Gu Huan set aside one thousand Spirit Stones and a High Grade Magical Artifact. For her contribution, this reward was more than enough.

"It's too much."

"Take it, then I can be at ease. Otherwise, you know what the consequences will be."

Hong Tao gazed at Gu Huan with a soft expression and replied, "If the higher-ups of Jile Peak investigate, I would rather die than betray you."

Gu Huan remained silent.

He put away the Cultivation resources and burned the remaining junk to ashes with demonic flames.

Hong Tao took her share, bit her red lip, and summoned the courage to press herself against his back.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Gu Huan sat cross-legged on the ground, appearing composed as he burned the junk while feeling the extreme softness and roundness pressing against his back.

Ever since Hong Tao went to play in the lake...

...he felt she was up to something.

Later, she even deliberately used her wet body to seduce him.

"Don't be nervous, I have no ill intentions. I just feel that as the night deepens, it's time for this humble one to serve the Young Master and help him rest."

Hong Tao said in a flirtatious voice.

Her heart was beating faster than ever before.

"I am not Li Yunlu; you don't need to give me special treatment."

"Young Master misinterprets me. Hong Tao is not giving special treatment; I truly want to serve you, even if it's only for one night. Once we return to the Hehuan Sect, there won't be another chance."

Hehuan Disciples...

...did not have many morals or boundaries.

Gu Huan's prowess in slaughtering everyone in his path was already etched deep in her heart.

Admiring the strong is the nature of Cultivators, and even more so for a Hehuan Enchantress. Hong Tao saw staggering potential in him.

Naturally...

...if she could be possessed by Gu Huan even for a moment, it would be a great honor for her.

"Forget it! I'm not interested."

Gu Huan stood up.

He rejected her offer.

Since his indestructible body and immunity to all poisons were not yet successfully Cultivated, he didn't dare to casually touch women who had already lost their chastity, especially Hehuan female Disciples.

"Liar!"

"You are Qin Yao's Cauldron, so your bodily functions are surely normal. How could you not be interested?"

"I see. You must look down on me because I was his maidservant and my body is no longer clean, right?"

Seeing him remain silent...

...Hong Tao felt even more miserable.

She never expected that Gu Huan would actually care about such details.

This was definitely an anomaly in the Hehuan Sect; you wouldn't find another like him among ten thousand male Disciples.

"In that case, I won't disturb you."

"By the way, you must be extremely careful of Li Yunlu. He has a very high cultivation level and is extremely vengeful. He is the strongest Outer Sect Disciple of Jile Peak, and is only one step away from Foundation Establishment."

This step...

...is the upcoming Sect Competition. With his cultivation, he is steadily ranked in the top thirty-two.

Once he succeeds in Foundation Establishment, no matter how Gu Huan dominates the Qi Refining Realm, he is destined to be no match for Li Yunlu.

"Thanks for the warning."

"You're welcome. I'm going to sleep now."

Hong Tao looked disappointed and lay down across from the campfire to sleep.

Gu Huan stared at the campfire, his gaze occasionally drifting over her graceful figure. Hong Tao's beauty could certainly rank highly on Hehuan Peak; it was a pity she was no longer pure.

The night passed in silence.

Early the next morning...

...the two of them continued their journey.

Two days later, they successfully returned to the Hehuan Sect.

...

The underground secret chamber of the Auction Hall.

Hong Tao gave a brief report of the mission to Su Hongyun, intentionally concealing the details of Gu Huan's battle.

"Six people from the Blood Spirit Sect were eliminated, and four from Jile Peak were lost. You've done very well."

Su Hongyun beamed with joy, making no effort to hide her delight.

She looked at Gu Huan...

...and then at Hong Tao.

"Take this, Hong Tao. This is your reward."

"Thank you, Hall Master Su."

Hong Tao was overjoyed as she took the Storage Pouch. The gains from this trip were immense, and she hoped to further her cultivation before the Sect Competition.

"Return to Jile Peak first, so as not to arouse Li Yunlu's suspicion."

"Yes, Hall Master Su."

Hong Tao stopped smiling and looked at Gu Huan as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

After she left, Su Hongyun smiled with interest.

"Hong Tao not only has outstanding beauty but is also a Disciple with certain principles and integrity. You didn't touch her?"

"How do you know?"

"Hehe, because I am also a woman, and I can tell what she is thinking."