Translator: AnubisTL
"Quiet Down!" Two simple words, yet they carried an undeniable tone of authority.
The fiery shadow sat there in a daze, its furrowed brow faintly visible.
At this moment, Gu Feng clung to the wall of the alchemy room like a gecko, his limbs tightly pressed against it, his mouth and nose covered. He dared not speak or make a sound, his eyes occasionally darting toward the pile of spirit herbs on the ground, his expression slightly bitter.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he pondered how to retrieve the spirit herbs and avoid greater losses.
Time passed, and after an unknown duration, the fiery shadow suddenly stood up. "I understand now! It must be my current state that's causing me to fail repeatedly. Don't you think so?"
Gu Feng, who was being asked for his opinion, was utterly speechless. A pill from the Body Tempering Realm required "normal performance" to be successfully refined? This senior seemed completely unreliable.
"You're absolutely right, Senior. Your alchemy skills are naturally exceptional, but your physical condition has caused these repeated failures. However, I've already learned invaluable lessons from your elegant alchemy techniques..."
Flattery was free, and Gu Feng piled it on, delighting the mysterious senior.
"I knew it! My alchemy skills are far beyond this. Boy, once I condense a physical body, I'll show you my truly extraordinary alchemy techniques," the fiery shadow said excitedly, looking at Gu Feng.
Hearing this, Gu Feng's heart sank. He tentatively asked, "Senior, you're not expecting me to help you condense a physical body, are you?"
When he received a positive reply, Gu Feng's expression turned grim. Condensing a physical body would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly. He was already dirt poor; how could he afford to carry such a burden?
"Senior, you overestimate me. To be honest, I possess the Myriad Tribulations Physique. You must know about this physique—it's only a matter of time before I'm struck down by a Thunder Tribulation. You've got the wrong person!"
"Young man, have some confidence. I chose you for a reason!" The fiery shadow smiled warmly.
"What's so special about me?" Gu Feng asked reluctantly, still unconvinced.
He'd rather keep his distance from such a powerful figure. Who knew if she had a history of blood feuds? Even if she didn't, being constantly watched by a mysterious person of unknown origin felt unsafe.
"To restore my strength, I must undergo the baptism of a Thunder Tribulation, because..."
Gu Feng suddenly understood. This mysterious senior was now only a wisp of a soul, barely sustained by possessing a Spirit Fire. Over the long span of five thousand years, she had spent most of her time in slumber. It was only after sensing the aura of a Thunder Tribulation that she had awakened.
Because her soul was extremely weak, once she left the Spirit Fire, she had to undergo the baptism of a Thunder Tribulation within twelve hours to prolong her existence. After observing Gu Feng during this time, she had decided to reveal her true form.
"Senior, you're not planning to possess me, are you?" Gu Feng asked nervously.
"Don't overthink it. How could I choose to possess a male body? Besides, your physique isn't compatible with mine. I am one in a million—a Thunder God Physique, most compatible with thunder-attributed cultivators.
Unfortunately, over the years, the Sunset Glow Sect hasn't produced a single female disciple with a thunder attribute. Of course, the main issue is the Thunder Tribulation. Without you, possessing someone else would be pointless," the fiery shadow said, pouting.
Hearing this, Gu Feng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't planning to possess him, he was fine.
"Of course, if there's an extraordinary individual, they don't necessarily have to be thunder-attributed. I could adapt my cultivation method to their physique!
This way, I could even avoid the baptism of the Thunder Tribulation, though restoring my cultivation would take much longer. Such a physique is exceedingly rare—it might not appear once in ten thousand years," the fiery shadow added.
At this, Gu Feng's hair stood on end, and he bolted toward the door.
"Come back! You're overestimating yourself. With your physique, where you're struck by lightning at every realm, only a madman would want to possess you!"
A large hand formed from flames grabbed Gu Feng like a chicken and pulled him back.
"Thank you for your lack of confidence, Senior!" Gu Feng smiled awkwardly but politely. "May I ask, in the past five thousand years, has the Sunset Glow Sect never produced someone who met your possession requirements?"
"There was one, but I didn't dare!" the fiery shadow said bluntly.
"Who?"
"A female disciple who woke me up not long ago. Her talent terrified me, and she possesses an extraordinary treasure within her body, making me too afraid to possess her!" As she spoke, a look of deep shock appeared on the fiery shadow's face, as if that female disciple had truly frightened her.
"The Sunset Glow Sect has someone like that?" Gu Feng was astonished. From the fiery shadow's tone, it seemed this female disciple had appeared only in recent years.
"Who is she?" Gu Feng asked curiously.
"Qu Yanran!"
What?
Gu Feng shot to his feet. He never expected that the person who had shocked and even intimidated this mysterious senior was none other than Qu Yanran!
"Senior, are you sure you're not mistaken?" Gu Feng asked, his smile frozen on his face.
"How could I mistake a name?" the fiery shadow glared at Gu Feng. "This woman is terrifying. It's best not to provoke her. Don't think you're invincible in the same realm. With your current cultivation method and martial skills, you might not win against her in a fight at the same level."
"Senior, are you exaggerating to make me willingly help you condense a physical body?" Gu Feng said, disbelief written all over his face. He knew his own strength—he had yet to meet a cultivator of the same level who could pressure him, even when expanding the range to two minor realms above his own.
Gu Feng couldn't believe that Qu Yanran could match him in a fight at the same level.
"Believe it or not!" The fiery shadow was done with the topic and changed the subject. "With the Sunset Glow Sect's current cultivation methods, even if you've mastered the complete Sunset Glow Dao Scripture, it would be difficult for you to survive a Thunder Tribulation. Moreover, there are no powerful Body Refinement or Soul Refinement methods here...
I can provide you with cultivation methods and even guide you in your training.
In exchange, you'll help me recondense my physical body!"
This—
Gu Feng hesitated. The offer was tempting, but could he trust her?
"To ease your concerns, I can make a unilateral Heavenly Oath!" Through the crimson flames, Gu Feng saw the determination in her eyes.
"Aren't you afraid I'll break my promise after obtaining the cultivation methods?" Gu Feng asked with a smile.
"I don't care!" came the simple three-word reply.
"What do you need me to do?" Gu Feng asked seriously.
"Find a thunder-attributed female cultivator's body for me in advance. If you can't find one, a thunder-attributed demon beast will do. The purity of the bloodline doesn't matter, but it must be thunder-attributed!
I'll fuse with the body within twelve hours before your next tribulation, and then use your Thunder Tribulation to temper it. This will ensure I won't dissipate in the near future..."
Gu Feng listened carefully, nodding from time to time. Thunder-attributed female cultivators were hard to find, but thunder-attributed demon beasts weren't. The other conditions weren't excessive either and wouldn't interfere much with his money-making plans.
"Alright, I agree to this deal with you!" Gu Feng nodded seriously.
"I, Zhu Qingyan, swear by the ancestors of the Great Ming Dynasty... If I break this oath, may my soul dissipate!" The fiery shadow made a Heavenly Oath, removing all of Gu Feng's concerns.
"Zhu Qingyan? That's just one character off from our sect's founder, Luo Qingyan!
The Great Ming Divine Dynasty? I've never heard of it. Did you make it up?
If there's a Great Ming Dynasty, are there also Great Qin and Great Han Dynasties?" Gu Feng joked.
"You're so ignorant. Spend more time studying history. Not only were there Great Han and Great Qin, but there were also many others, like Great Shang, Great Xia, and Great Sui. These were all dominant powers in the Central Plains for hundreds of thousands of years!"
Perhaps feeling that Gu Feng was uneducated, Zhu Qingyan wanted to give him a knock on the head, but her outstretched arm quietly withdrew.
In the eyes formed by the flames, there was a sense of nostalgia and attachment. She pursed her lips and said softly, "Learn more in the future, so you won't be laughed at when you go out."
"There's no such thing as the Central Plains. This world only has four great continents, separated by endless seas. This is common knowledge. Has Senior Zhu been asleep for so long that her mind is confused?" Gu Feng thought to himself, but he said aloud, "I understand. I'll improve my knowledge in this area. Now, can you teach me those extraordinary cultivation methods?"
"First, I'll teach you a Body Refinement method."
"What about the cultivation method?"
"Go ask that woman with the surname Chu for it. That method has a significant background." As she spoke, Zhu Qingyan smirked.
"Really? The cultivation method taught by Chu Youhuan is that powerful?
I must get it!"
(End of the Chapter)
🔥 Read on Patreon.com/AnubisTL – Up to c148. [+4k Words]
☕ $5 Tier lets you Read Ahead of the pack!
📖 Translated 262,000+ Words and counting!