If a reward is too generous, it’s no longer a reward—it’s a death sentence.

But now that Zou Feng was in the True Qi Realm, the dose this time was quite substantial.

Seeing that Zou Feng was shaking so hard he was about to throw up, Su Qingyu withdrew her hand at the opportune moment.

Only then did Zou Feng let out a long sigh of relief, his expression slowly settling into the serene calm of a Buddha.

"Five Poison Holy Lotus Skill (Extraordinary to Saint), Progress: 7%"

"Great Universal Hand (Peak of Perfection), Progress: 51%"

"Black Tortoise Sea-Suppressing Force (Peak of Perfection), Progress: 46%"

"Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step (Peak of Perfection), Progress: 10%"

"Corpse Luo Heart Scripture (Refined Skill), Progress: 92%"

’Incredible!’

Refining the poison Su Qingyu had given him had caused the cultivation progress of five of his skills to jump significantly.

As expected of the Hundred Poison Sacred Body, it could draw some benefit from any poison.

But he feared that if he absorbed too much, the effects would gradually diminish.

’Unless...’

"Alright, you may leave now!" Su Qingyu dismissed them impatiently.

Zou Feng and Zhong Zhe bowed in unison and quickly exited the Five Poison Hall.

But just as he stepped out the main doors, Zou Feng caught a glimpse of Su Qingyu pulling Yuchi Jue’s corpse toward her through the air. It vanished into the poisonous smog.

The scene made it look as though Yuchi Jue’s corpse was being devoured by the poisonous smog.

’Is she really refining Yuchi Jue’s corpse?!’

’But I didn’t find anything on Yuchi Jue that was worth refining...’

’Could it be that Yuchi Jue was a Human Gu raised by Su Qingyu from the start?’

This was the most logical explanation. After all, Zou Feng himself had raised the Iron Blood Gu Poison Group.

A Poison Cultivator who hadn’t cultivated the Five Poison Skill wouldn’t see any value in refining the Iron Blood Gu Poison Group.

Cultivating Gu required a specific compatibility; otherwise, they were no different from useless trash.

As they walked down the steps, Zou Feng suddenly turned to Zhong Zhe beside him and said, "Master Zhong, I heard the Sect Leader of the Ten Directions Sect came to Biyou Palace. How come I haven’t seen him?"

Zhong Zhe chuckled. "We came back too late. I’m afraid you won’t be seeing him..."

Hearing this, how could Zou Feng not understand? The ’Licking Dog Sect Leader’ whom he had never met must have been refined by Su Qingyu long ago.

’The Sect Leader and Vice Sect Leader of the Ten Directions Sect were both Su Qingyu’s Human Gu!’

He had to admit, this top-tier Poison Cultivator of the current age was truly not to be underestimated.

Even though she had always seemed to keep a low profile, who knew how many pieces she had secretly placed on the board.

Therefore, for the upcoming duel between Su Qingyu and the Emperor of Great Yan at the Forbidden City Peak, Zou Feng was now very optimistic that Su Qingyu would be the one to win.

’I’m on Su Qingyu’s side, more or less. Her winning this duel should be a good thing for me, right?’

Next, Zou Feng chose not to remain at Biyou Palace, instead hurrying back to Qingchuan City once more.

Since Gongsun Jinghong could show up at any moment, he had to prioritize cultivating his Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill to the Refined Realm.

As for Teng County, whom he hadn’t seen in a while, she had reportedly received guidance from Su Qingyu and was in deep seclusion, attempting to break through to the True Qi Realm. Thus, they still couldn’t meet.

However, the last time Su Qingyu had been in Qingchuan City, she had casually remarked that Biyou Palace would soon have another master in the True Qi Realm. He figured she must be certain of Teng County’s successful breakthrough.

Upon his smooth return to Qingchuan City, Zou Feng immediately began cultivating the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill without a moment’s rest.

Of course, he used the rest of his free time to cultivate the Formless Divine Skill and to use Bliss Pills to assist his practice of the Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step.

It was worth mentioning that while the Bliss Pill was not alcohol, it was a rather sinister elixir.

After taking the pill, even someone like Zou Feng would immediately enter an Illusion Realm. He would feel like he was "flying," see little people dancing everywhere, and perceive everything in a kaleidoscope of colors.

This dazed, muddled, and euphoric state was perfect for practicing the Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step.

As for cultivating the Formless Divine Skill, Zou Feng chose a high-ranking master from the lists, someone he had never met, to bear the side effects.

After some inquiries, he learned that this master was a True Qi Realm expert from the Celestial Essence Sword Sect.

So, before long, he would probably cause a Sword Cultivator similar to Yue Buqun to emerge within the Celestial Essence Sword Sect...

「In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.」

At dawn, despite a long night of fierce battle, Zou Feng was still full of vigor, a pleased look on his face.

"Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill (Refined Skill), Progress: 1%"

’Finally... I can see who comes out on top with Gongsun Jinghong...’

In truth, Zou Feng was also greatly looking forward to his "battle" with Gongsun Jinghong.

After all, the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill truly did bring immense benefits.

Not only would he benefit, but Tian Yun and Bian Yixia would also make rapid progress along with him.

Zou Feng even had a premonition that with this battle, he could likely shorten the time needed to break through to the Second Grade by a large margin.

He stepped outside to wash his face and was about to make breakfast himself when he suddenly sensed something, causing him to whip his head around and look toward the city gate.

The next moment, without a word to Tian Yun or Bian Yixia, he leaped into the air and shot toward the city gate.

His speed was incredible; in just over ten breaths, he was standing atop the city wall.

Not far away, a woman in a palace gown stood with her back to him, gazing into the distance. Her sleeves fluttered in the wind, cutting a heroic and dashing figure.

As for the guards stationed on the wall, they were all in a daze, their minds seemingly bewitched, acting as if Zou Feng and the woman in the palace gown didn’t even exist.

"You’ve come?"

The woman in the palace gown slowly turned her head and grinned at Zou Feng, her expression tinged with a hint of madness.

Who else could this woman be but Gongsun Jinghong?

Compared to the last time they had met, Zou Feng quickly noticed a difference.

At this moment, the True Qi surged around Gongsun Jinghong’s body in powerful waves, pulsing with a strange rhythm.

Her aura, which felt like it could erupt at any moment, made her seem less like a human and more like a massive Demon Beast wearing human skin.

"Commandery Princess... you’ve advanced to the Second Grade?"

Zou Feng asked, remaining secretly on guard.

Although he wasn’t particularly intimidated by the Second Grade, Gongsun Jinghong’s ability to advance so quickly had still caught him by surprise.

Originally, Zou Feng had been confident that he could take the lead in their dual cultivation. Now, he wasn’t so sure...

Gongsun Jinghong didn’t answer his question directly. Instead, she stared at Zou Feng with an approving gaze and said, "You’ve practiced the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill quite well in this time!"

She could tell the degree of his mastery over the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill with a single glance.

Even though Gongsun Jinghong had likely advanced to the Second Grade, Zou Feng had no intention of backing down now that she was here.

A man couldn’t say he wasn’t up to the task when it came to this.

"Commandery Princess, have you come here to personally test my Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill?"

As he spoke, Zou Feng was already prepared to start the battle right then and there and bring Gongsun Jinghong to justice on the spot.

In any case, the "overbearing aura" Gongsun Jinghong was releasing had already dazed everyone nearby, essentially clearing the field for them.

Once the "battle" began, he could also fill the air with a poisonous mist to further block the view of any Martial Artists in Qingchuan who might risk death for a peek.

Unexpectedly, just as Zou Feng was ready to drop his pants, Gongsun Jinghong shook her head.

"Now is not the day for us to conduct our business!"

’Uh, do we need to pick an auspicious day for this?’

Before Zou Feng could ask when, Gongsun Jinghong looked into the distance again and declared, "When Su Qingyu and my Emperor of Great Yan have their decisive battle at the Forbidden City Peak, the two of us will borrow their momentum and achieve our own consummation nearby!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’That’s... intense.’

Two top-tier First Grade masters would be fighting to the death nearby, while he and Gongsun Jinghong would be creating life.

But clearly, this wasn’t just about Gongsun Jinghong seeking a thrill.

One could benefit immensely just by observing a duel between top-tier First Grade masters from a distance.

By borrowing this "momentum"—or, to put it another way, using the duel to spice things up—it was indeed more likely that the "dragon and tiger would merge," allowing their dual cultivation to achieve optimal results.

After a moment’s thought, Zou Feng mused, "Who knows how many masters will be present at that duel. Aren’t you worried, Commandery Princess, that someone might cause trouble and disturb us?"

Zou Feng carried a Demon Slaying Order. There was no guarantee that the Righteous Dao masters in attendance wouldn’t suddenly and recklessly insist on "vanquishing demons."

Gongsun Jinghong snorted. "It doesn’t matter. We’ll just kill anyone who tries to cause trouble!"