Zou Feng was rather disappointed that Luo Yingning hadn’t met him on the Dao Discussion Platform as promised.

’It looks like I’ll have to find another way to get that Celestial Corpse Bone.’

’Treasures like these must be acquired, no matter what.’

After all, Zou Feng’s goal was to establish a Celestial Tier Dao Foundation. How could he not start accumulating resources as early as possible?

As for why Luo Yingning didn’t show up...

Recently, a woman named Mu Wanrou had suddenly appeared on the List of Gods, which gave Zou Feng a pretty good idea of the reason.

He had, of course, long known about the relationship between Mu Wanrou and Luo Yingning.

So she must have been talked out of it by her.

Zou Feng later made some inquiries and learned that Mu Wanrou had failed in her breakthrough to the Dao Foundation Realm and had come out of seclusion early.

However, there were also rumors that she felt the time wasn’t right, so she had voluntarily given up on her breakthrough for the time being.

That was a huge difference from an actual failed attempt.

After all, failing during the Foundation Establishment process could very well cause irreparable damage.

The blow to one’s Heart Qi alone was not something one could recover from in a short time.

’Oh well. Since I can’t get my hands on Luo Yingning for now, I’ll just continue my Cultivation at my own pace.’

For the next year, Zou Feng didn’t plan on joining any expeditions to the Outer Realms.

He would refuse anyone who tried to recruit him, without exception.

Thinking back on the Insect Monster Outer Realm, although he had made a fortune, it had been incredibly perilous.

If he were to go through that again, he might not make it back in one piece.

And among the many Outer Realms, the Insect Monster Outer Realm wasn’t even considered one of the more dangerous ones.

So for the time being, Zou Feng was steering clear of any Outer Realm expeditions.

But in the end, it all came down to a lack of strength.

He didn’t necessarily need the strength of a True Inheritor, but he at least needed to be a Core Disciple in the Dao Foundation Realm to be reasonably safe.

After all, reaching the Dao Foundation Realm would not only grant a massive boost in strength, but it would also allow him to lead exploration teams and have much more autonomy.

’Alright then, the next step in my plan is to first cultivate the Silent Extinction Poison Flame to the Great Success realm.’

After the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill had advanced to the Extraordinary to Saint level, its progress had slowed considerably. He needed to cultivate another dual cultivation art and merge it into the Skill.

This way, Gongsun Jinghong and the other women could also continue to benefit.

And with his Five Poison Holy Lotus Skill having reached the Unity of Heaven and Man, the subsequent focus of his Cultivation would be the Great Universal Hand.

Zou Feng was contemplating whether he should cultivate a Poison Technique to merge into the Great Universal Hand, or merge the Great Universal Hand into an even more formidable Poison Technique.

He hadn’t been able to make a decision on this point. For the past few days, he had been browsing descriptions of suitable Poison Techniques, planning to weigh his options before proceeding.

That evening, as Zou Feng was once again using his Token to browse information on Poison Techniques, a pair of slender hands suddenly wrapped around him from behind.

He didn’t need to turn around. Just from her scent, Zou Feng knew Teng County was in heat.

"What is it?"

Teng County said, her voice full of affection, "Brother Feng, I’ve mastered the Heart Skill for the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill!"

Zou Feng paused. "So..."

Teng County nodded emphatically. "I can finally join you!"

From her tone, it was clear that Teng County was truly excited about this.

Every time he cultivated the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill, she could only watch helplessly from the sidelines.

She desperately wanted to join but couldn’t overcome her mental block.

Fortunately, the Taiyin Jade Marrow Body she had previously cultivated allowed her to be completely driven by instinct when aroused.

The mental block was thus easily overcome.

But to enhance the effects of their dual cultivation, Zou Feng had insisted Teng County master the Heart Skill for the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill first.

Now, the time had finally come to reap the rewards.

Zou Feng, for his part, was also filled with anticipation.

After all, among his current dao partners, Teng County was the only true Poison Cultivator.

Therefore, in theory, the effects of dual cultivating with her should be superior.

Not to mention, Teng County’s Taiyin Jade Marrow Body was inherently beneficial to her dao partner.

"Tonight, then?"

Teng County replied, "I can’t wait. Let’s do it now! Wait here for a moment, Brother Feng. I’m going to prepare the backyard!"

Before her voice had even faded, Teng County was already leaping swiftly toward the backyard.

’The backyard?’

Zou Feng hadn’t expected Teng County to prefer being so close to nature.

’In that case, we might as well find a stream or a waterfall outside.’

At this moment, Teng County must have given Gongsun Jinghong and Qiu Lan a heads-up, as the two of them had already gone out for a walk.

"Brother Feng!"

About the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Teng County’s call came from the backyard.

By this point, Zou Feng had already done three thousand push-ups on the spot as a warm-up. Hearing her call, he gladly strode forward.

The communion between Poison Cultivators wasn’t just about devouring one another.

It could also be about entering one another.

When he casually strolled into the backyard, Zou Feng was taken aback.

A giant "spiderweb" had appeared before his eyes.

Of course, this wasn’t because a Giant Spider had made its home in the backyard. Rather, Teng County had used her True Qi to weave a temporary web.

Teng County herself was splayed in the middle of the web, like a Giant Spider awaiting its prey.

Her eyes were filled with the determination to put everything she had learned into practice.

It had to be said that after observing for so long, Teng County’s theoretical knowledge was indeed quite extensive.

And she must have already activated her Taiyin Jade Marrow Body, for she had the primal look of someone who had almost lost all reason, left with only the instinct to hunt.

’Er... is she planning to do it on the web...’

Zou Feng had never tried anything like this before.

’So, am I supposed to pretend to be the ’prey’ caught in the web and wait for this ’Giant Spider’ to bite me?’

’Interesting...’

The next moment, a wicked grin spread across Zou Feng’s face. Like a moth to a flame, he dove headfirst onto the "spiderweb."

「One hour later.」

The spiderweb was in tatters. Lying spent on the grass, a look of astonishment had yet to fully fade from Zou Feng’s eyes.