Several days passed.

Zhou Yuantong still hadn’t returned.

Zhu Ju had expected this.

’It seems that Senior Princess Consort Yuann is very displeased with Yuann Tong’s cultivation progress, so she’s taking this opportunity to discipline us both.’

’Makes sense!’

’Let’s see, Yuann Tong and I have been married for several months, indulging in storytelling and tales all day, and we haven’t been taking our cultivation very seriously.’

’It’s only normal for her, as a master, to be displeased.’

Zhu Ju mused thoughtfully:

’A few months is nothing to a Dao Foundation Cultivator with a lifespan of three or four hundred years.’

’Her inability to even wait that long proves the rumors are true.’

’That Senior Princess Consort Yuann is, in all likelihood, severely injured, to the point that her lifespan has been damaged. She doesn’t have long to live.’

When it came to cultivation, Zhu Ju and Zhou Yuantong had a mutual, unspoken understanding.

They were in no rush.

Although they were practicing the Yin Yang Harmony Righteous Method, the fate of a Joyful Sect Furnace Tripod was plain for all to see.

Once their cultivation was complete, Zhu Ju’s fate would be uncertain.

But while the two of them were not in a hurry, someone else couldn’t wait.

’Qii Yao showed me the Furnace Tripods of the Inner Sect Disciples as a threat. If I continue to drag down Yuann Tong’s cultivation, I’m afraid... ’

’I might really anger that woman!’

If Princess Consort Yuann became truly enraged, no one could guarantee what she might do.

This time it was just a warning, a light rap on the knuckles, but no one knew what would happen next.

And whatever a Dao Foundation Cultivator wanted to do, they, as mere Innate Qi Refiners, could only endure it.

DING...

The Copper Bell hanging on the wall swayed, letting out a crisp sound, which meant someone was visiting.

Zhu Ju got up and opened the stone door of his Cave Mansion.

"Zhu Ju."

Standing outside, Qii Yao shot him a meaningful look.

"Senior Sister Foo is looking for Senior Sister Zhou."

’Senior Sister Foo?’

Zhu Ju looked behind her and saw a tall, strikingly beautiful woman standing with her hands clasped behind her back.

She was much taller than an average woman, nearly on par with Zhu Ju, and her joints were broad and powerful.

This type of physique shouldn’t have been favored by the Joyful Sect.

But Foo Qiuyue had not only joined the Joyful Sect, she was also a Core True Disciple with a cultivation of Breaking Nine Acupoints.

’Demon Body Transformation!’

A bizarre Method flashed through Zhu Ju’s mind.

This technique required a special constitution to practice, and upon mastery, one could be male or female, capable of being both the aggressor and the receptor.

The Dao Foundation Cultivator who had captured Zhu Ju back then, whose voice was androgynous, must have practiced this very Cultivation Technique.

Beside Foo Qiuyue was a familiar face: Muk Zi, the one who had tried to buy Zhu Ju before.

Muk Zi clung to Foo Qiuyue like an ornament, and their relationship seemed far from ordinary.

"I’m sorry."

Zhu Ju cupped his hands.

"Yuann Tong has gone to see Senior Princess Consort Yuann. She isn’t in the Cave Mansion."

"That’s right," Qii Yao chimed in.

"Senior Sister went to see Master and hasn’t returned yet."

"Did I say you could speak?" Muk Zi frowned, glaring at Qii Yao before turning to Zhu Ju with a coquettish laugh.

"I heard you and Senior Sister Zhou were married. Such a shame... You were supposed to be mine."

"Miss Muk," Zhu Ju said, his expression unchanging.

"Please have some self-respect."

"Tsk, tsk..." Muk Zi clicked her tongue, her beautiful eyes teasing.

"So heartless?"

"And after I’ve been thinking about you all this time. With this body, this physique... can that block of wood, Senior Sister Zhou, even handle you?"

"How about..."

She leaned forward, her graceful body pressing close, her red lips trembling as she whispered next to Zhu Ju’s ear:

"This Senior Sister can help you practice?"

Mind Enchantment Technique!

A mesmerizing light flickered in Muk Zi’s beautiful eyes, and her voice carried an alluring quality that stirred one’s deepest desires.

"Senior Sister Muk."

Qii Yao’s expression changed drastically.

"Zhu Ju is..."

"Hmm?" Before Muk Zi could speak, Foo Qiuyue’s brow furrowed, and her ice-cold eyes shot over.

"It’s just a little joke. Why are you so nervous?"

A chill ran through Qii Yao’s heart.

She had long heard of Foo Qiuyue’s cruel methods; anyone, male or female, who fell into her hands would wish for death.

Even if a Core True Disciple killed an Inner Sect Disciple, it wasn’t a major crime in the Joyful Sect. At most, they’d face a few years of confinement.

And Foo Qiuyue,

was someone who would actually kill!

"No, I wouldn’t dare." Qii Yao’s face turned pale as she retreated a step in embarrassment.

Facing the oncoming Muk Zi, Zhu Ju calmly retreated into the Cave Mansion, seemingly unaffected by her Mind Enchantment Technique.

He spoke again:

"Miss Muk, please have some self-respect."

"Hee hee..." Muk Zi, as beautiful as a flower, let out a flirtatious laugh, her seductive figure slithering closer like a snake.

Her hands reached for Zhu Ju’s cheeks, a captivated smile on her face.

"Beauty, your senior sister isn’t here. If we just have a little fun, no one will tell her."

"Come!"

"Let me teach you how to..."

Before she could finish, a cold gleam suddenly flashed before her eyes.

"Watch out!"

Foo Qiuyue, who had been watching the show, had a sudden change of expression.

SHING!

Ghost God Limit!

They were inches apart. The Cross and Vertical Saber emerged from its sheath without warning, flashing like lightning toward Muk Zi’s throat.

Even though Zhu Ju’s current cultivation was only at Breaking One Acupoint while Muk Zi was an Innate at Breaking Four Acupoints, she had no time to dodge.

The distance between them was too short, and the draw of the blade was too fast.

Besides, no one would have imagined that a Furnace Tripod would dare attack an Inner Sect Disciple—and with a Killing Move, no less.

PENG!

A flash of Spiritual Light appeared on Muk Zi’s body.

A Protective Spirit Talisman!

The Spirit Talisman only held for an instant before shattering with a loud crack. But that brief respite gave Muk Zi a chance to finally react.

"Ah!"

She let out a sharp cry, terror in her eyes, as her body blurred into a phantom image and shot backward.

After landing, she reached up to touch her neck. A trickle of fresh blood stained her palm, the sharp pain arriving a moment later.

That last strike had nearly decapitated her; it could be said that it had missed taking her life by a hair’s breadth.

"You..."

Fear and fury surged through her. Muk Zi shrieked and lunged forward.

"You’re courting death!"

With a light wave of her delicate hand, the Innate True Qi of a Breaking Four Acupoints cultivator gathered into a giant, invisible hand and slammed down viciously toward Zhu Ju.

"Heh..."

Facing the incoming attack, Zhu Ju didn’t dodge or evade. He even showed a sneer as he flashed forward to meet it.

Ghost God Limit—One Slash Void!

"Don’t!"

"You mustn’t!"

Qii Yao screamed, flicking her wrist to summon a Magical Artifact to strike at Muk Zi’s giant hand of True Qi.

Foo Qiuyue also made a move.

Unexpectedly, she didn’t attack Zhu Ju either, but instead threw a palm strike toward Muk Zi from a distance.

PENG!

BOOM!

Powerful Qi roared.

The two figures shot backward.

Zhu Ju’s posture was unchanged, his long hair flying in the wind, while Muk Zi was a disheveled mess, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Senior Sister!"

Muk Zi looked at Foo Qiuyue, her face a mixture of confusion and grievance, her large eyes welling with tears.

"Why?"

"Why did you help him?"

If Foo Qiuyue hadn’t intervened, Muk Zi was certain she wouldn’t have ended up in such a sorry state. Despite the vast difference in their cultivation, she was still the one who got injured.

She was the one who had almost been killed!

"Foolish."

Zhu Ju snorted coldly and turned to walk back to his Cave Mansion.

"Yuann Tong isn’t here today. If you have business, come back another day."

Qii Yao’s beautiful eyes darted around before she quickly followed him into the Cave Mansion. The stone door closed slowly behind them with a low rumble.

"He is Zhou Yuantong’s Furnace Tripod." Foo Qiuyue stood with her hands behind her back, her expression dark as she narrowed her eyes at the closed stone door.

"Killing him is tantamount to ruining Zhou Yuantong’s Dao path. And if you ruin her Dao path, Senior Princess Consort Yuann will never let either of us go."

"Zhu Ju was acting so fearlessly because he knew I wouldn’t let him get hurt. That’s why he didn’t dodge your attack."

"This man..."

"How interesting!"

"Senior Sister," Muk Zi said, coming to her senses. Although she understood, her face was still full of grievance. She touched her neck, a wave of fear washing over her.

"I almost died just now..."

"Are we just going to let him go?"

Foo Qiuyue narrowed her eyes. More than anyone, she didn’t want Zhou Yuantong to achieve a state of Perfection, but sabotaging someone’s Dao path couldn’t be done so blatantly.

Otherwise.

Not even the Sect elders could protect her.

"We’ll talk back at our place."

*

*

*

Just after Foo Qiuyue and the other left, Zhou Yuantong returned to the Cave Mansion. One couldn’t help but connect the two events.

That Princess Consort Yuann...

had likely been observing Zhu Ju’s every move.

It was even possible she had secretly orchestrated the arrival of these Evil Guests today, or at the very least, deliberately allowed it to happen.

"Muk Zi and Foo Qiuyue. Their visit definitely meant trouble."

Zhou Yuantong looked at him with a worried expression.

"Husband, are you hurt?"

"I’m fine," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

"They don’t dare to hurt me."

"...Right." Zhou Yuantong came back to her senses and said with a sigh of relief:

"With Master’s protection, the disciples of the Joyful Sect have never dared to harm me. It’s been like this for years."

"Husband."

Her expression was complicated.

"Master scolded me. She said that if my cultivation doesn’t progress, she’ll have us move into her palace."

"At that point, she’ll be watching our every move."

"Progress?" Zhu Ju asked.

"What do we have to do to meet Senior Princess Consort Yuann’s requirements?"

"Ten years," Zhou Yuantong sighed.

"For the next ten years, Master will give me whatever I want, but I must reach Nine Acupoints Perfection within that time."

"She’s even prepared a Foundation Establishment Pill for me."

"..." Zhu Ju’s expression was odd.

"As expected of a Sect’s True Inheritance. It’s truly... enviable."

Going from Breaking Six Acupoints to Nine Acupoints Perfection in a mere ten years was something that not even a Bright Void Sect disciple would dare to dream of, let alone a Loose Cultivator.

Perhaps someone with a special Dao Body could achieve it, but that was only a possibility.

And on top of that, there was the Foundation Establishment Pill, something countless Qi Refiners could only dream of obtaining.

"The Joyful Sect is a Demon Sect, after all, different from the Righteous Dao. Demonic Methods are easy to master quickly, so ten years isn’t that shocking," Zhou Yuantong explained.

"Besides..."

"These days, the one thing the Joyful Sect doesn’t lack is resources."

Zhu Ju nodded slowly.

It was said that during the Bright Void Sect’s golden age, its Inner Sect and True Disciples also had no shortage of Elixirs.

As one of the Great Demonic Sects, even the Bright Void Sect in its prime couldn’t compare to the Joyful Sect.

"You wait here."

Zhou Yuantong’s beautiful eyes gleamed.

"I’m going to see Master!"

Without waiting for Zhu Ju to speak, she summoned her Magical Artifact, which enveloped her and flew out of the Cave Mansion.

...

The Palace.

Zhou Yuantong knelt on one knee.

Princess Consort Yuann rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

"I did promise to give you the cultivation resources you need, but the things you’re asking for are all for Zhu Ju, aren’t they?"

"Master," Zhou Yuantong began.

"Zhu Ju is my Furnace Tripod. The higher his cultivation, the more it helps my own. Giving things to him is the same as helping me. There’s no difference."

"Heh..." Princess Consort Yuann gave a non-committal smile.

"The things you’re asking for are quite valuable. Even for a Dao Foundation Cultivator like me, I’d have to swallow my pride and beg around for them. When the time comes, I might find my pockets empty and unable to support you."

"If you give all the good stuff to your Furnace Tripod, what will you do when your own cultivation gets delayed?"

"Rest assured, Master!" Zhou Yuantong said, gritting her teeth.

"I will absolutely not let my cultivation progress fall behind."

"Tsk, tsk..." Princess Consort Yuann clicked her tongue.

"My dear disciple, the one thing we Joyful Sect disciples must avoid is developing feelings. Behaving like this makes your master very worried!"

Although her words conveyed worry, her face was full of smiles, as if she were extremely pleased by this development.

"Very well!"

She slowly sat up straight, her beautiful eyes gleaming as she said:

"I can give you everything you ask for. I can even help you obtain the latter half of the Ghost God Limit technique."

"But you must remember, do not neglect your cultivation."

"Yes," Zhou Yuantong said, her heart leaping with joy.

"Rest assured, Master, I won’t."

"One more thing." Princess Consort Yuann’s expression turned stern.

"I can’t possibly give him a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, but doesn’t he know Artifact Refining? I can give him the materials."

"Materials?" Zhou Yuantong frowned.

"With Zhu Ju’s current cultivation, the success rate of refining a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact is practically zero."

"Disciple!" Princess Consort Yuann sighed softly.

"Your master has your best interests at heart. Your Cultivation Method is special. If your Furnace Tripod’s cultivation surpasses your own, he might turn the tables on you. We must guard against this."

"Having Zhu Ju focus his mind on Artifact Refining is good for both you and him."

"But..." Zhou Yuantong looked up, opening her mouth to speak.

"Enough!"

Before Zhou Yuantong could refute, she waved her large sleeve, and a powerful gust of wind sent her directly out of the main hall.

"Good disciple!"

"Worthy of your master’s years of care. I didn’t let you pick up the bad habits of those other disciples. You still have the heart of an innocent child."

In the vast, empty hall, Princess Consort Yuann pursed her lips into a light smile, a faint glow radiating from her beautiful eyes.

"Good!"

"Very good!"

"The deeper the feelings, the better. Cherish love when you have it, forget it when it hurts you. I hope you understand this principle soon. Your master is waiting for you to accomplish something great."

"Cough, cough!"