Chapter 390: Yun Yun: "Come with me into the room!"
"Here, Lu Bu, eat more!" Xiao Yi Xian held onto Lu Bu's arm, her delicate hand raising chopsticks to place a piece of meat into Lu Bu's bowl with a radiant smile.
"And this too!" Medusa, holding onto Lu Bu's other arm, beamed as she used her jade like fingers to place a pristine quail egg into his bowl.
"Uh… but I need to hold you two, so I can't eat," Lu Bu said with a helpless expression.
"It's fine, I'll feed you." Xiao Yi Xian chuckled softly, picking up a golden, fragrant piece of roasted meat with her chopsticks and bringing it to Lu Bu's mouth.
"Come on, open up!" Medusa urged, her tone insistent.
Lu Bu: "…"
This sounded familiar… like something he'd said before.
Medusa's rosy lips curved into a teasing smile as she glanced at Lu Bu. Wasn't this exactly what you said last night?
"Traitors, the both of you!" Across the table, Yun Yun gritted her teeth as her chopsticks scraped against her plate, producing an ear piercing sound.
Sitting nearby, Qing Lin shivered. Sister Yun Yun was so terrifying… She buried her head in her bowl, eating as quickly as possible, only daring to steal a glance or two when Yun Yun wasn't looking.
"I'm full!" Leaving this single sentence behind, Qing Lin bolted from the table.
Even though her cultivation was slightly stronger than Yun Yun's, fear was fear it couldn't be helped!
Quick witted as she was, Qing Lin knew why her sisters were acting this way: they were upset because Lu Bu had been away from home for so long. However, she was different. Over the past few years, she had stayed glued to Lu Bu's side almost the entire time.
With that thought, Qing Lin quickened her steps to escape even faster.
Perhaps feeling the intensity of Yun Yun's glare, both Xiao Yi Xian and Medusa toned down their playful actions slightly.
"Ahem… let's get down to business." Lu Bu clenched his fist and lightly coughed, straightening his expression as he tried to change the subject. "Xiao Yi Xian, this is for you."
As he spoke, he flipped his palm over, revealing a gray scroll in his hand.
The moment her eyes landed on the scroll, Xiao Yi Xian's expression changed. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she sensed a familiar aura emanating from it: the aura of her Woeful Poison Body.
"What is it?" Yun Yun raised an eyebrow in confusion. Was it a cultivation technique or a Dou Skill? But techniques and skills didn't seem like they would be of much help in controlling the Woeful Poison Body.
"It's a map," Lu Bu explained. "This is a map to the resting place of a senior who also had the Woeful Poison Body. She was the one who created the Poison Pill Method. However, the version you're using now isn't complete."
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian's snow white fingers brushed through her equally white hair as she lightly nodded. It was true. If she could fully control her body and contain all the poison within the poison pill, her hair wouldn't have turned white… though she did think it looked rather nice.
With that thought, Xiao Yi Xian shot Lu Bu a glare. Her hair might be white, but the rest of her… certainly wasn't!
"This ancient tomb contains the complete version of the Poison Pill Method," Lu Bu explained patiently, confused by her glare but continuing nonetheless. "I believe it can solve all the lingering problems of the Woeful Poison Body."
Nearby, Yun Yun and Medusa exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of urgency. Xiao Yi Xian's strength was already the highest among them. Now that she had another opportunity for advancement, her cultivation level was bound to skyrocket again.
"Hmph… so where's mine?" Medusa huffed in dissatisfaction. She had once been the strongest among their group, but now Xiao Yi Xian had surpassed her in strength, leaving her feeling a little bitter.
"Hmph… and what about me?" Yun Yun glared at Lu Bu. Though her cultivation speed wasn't slow, she was still the weakest among the group due to her lower starting point. Catching up would clearly be a challenge!
"Ahem, don't worry there's something for everyone!" Lu Bu quickly replied, producing the Dou Saint Energy Cores and explaining their effects.
"However, I don't think you should use them just yet…" Lu Bu said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "These energy cores do come with some resistance. Ideally, it's best to use them after stepping into the Transcendent Dou Venerate stage."
The three women nodded slightly, understanding the wisdom behind his words. Rushing progress would only lead to setbacks. Xiao Yi Xian's priority now was obtaining the complete Poison Pill Method, while Medusa was already a Nine Star Dou Venerate, just a step away from the Transcendent Dou Venerate stage.
As for Yun Yun… well, Qing Lin had already explained the situation to her the night before. The resistance from the energy cores wasn't as strong as that of medicinal pills. However, even if the resistance was minor, it was still there. To maximize their effectiveness, it would be best to wait until reaching the Transcendent Dou Venerate stage.
After all, the Nine Star Dou Venerate stage was essentially a transitional phase. The sooner one could surpass it, the better.
But… I'm only at the Four Star Dou Venerate stage. How long will I have to wait? Yun Yun bit her lip, determined to find a way to reach the Transcendent Dou Venerate stage as quickly as possible.
Her gaze softened, and a playful smile spread across her lips as she looked at Lu Bu. Perhaps there was a way after all, just look at Xiao Yi Xian and Medusa.
"I'll accompany Xiao Yi Xian to the ancient tomb first, then I'll refine some pills for you, Yun Yun," Lu Bu said with a smile. Neither Yun Yun nor Qing Lin had taken the Jie Li Pill yet. This trip would be the perfect opportunity to refine enough for both of them to gain another star in strength.
"There's no need. I'll go alone," Xiao Yi Xian said with a smile. "You should stay with Medusa and Yun Yun they've missed you terribly."
"Shut up!" Yun Yun and Medusa glared at Xiao Yi Xian, both snapping in unison, refusing to admit anything.
"Then I'll make you a puppet to keep you safe," Lu Bu offered thoughtfully, stroking his chin. After all, he still had the corpse of Earth Scorpion Demon that he had yet to destroy. The remains of an Eight or Nine Star Dou Venerate made excellent materials for crafting a puppet.
"Hm… that would work," Xiao Yi Xian agreed without hesitation.
"In that case… it's time to start refining!" Lu Bu said with a grin, rubbing his hands together.
…
While Lu Bu entertained his beloved companions, the outside world was descending into chaos.
The battle between the Starfall Pavilion and the Soul Hall had initially been evenly matched, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage. However, with the Soul Hall's alliance with the Sky Demon Sect, their combined strength slightly surpassed that of the Starfall Pavilion.
If the battle dragged on, it was certain the Starfall Pavilion would eventually face defeat. But no one could have anticipated that the Pill Tower would resolve their confrontation with the Soul Hall so quickly and launch a direct assault to support the Starfall Pavilion.
Caught between two forces, the Soul Hall and Sky Demon Sect coalition was instantly thrown into disarray. Furthermore, the Sky Demon Sect's Transcendent Dou Venerate level forces were limited, leaving them at a clear disadvantage.
In the midst of this critical moment, Soul Bone Ghost showed remarkable courage. Choosing to cover the retreat of the Soul Hall forces, he faced off against Yao Chen, Xuan Kong Zi, and Tian Lei Zi alone. This self sacrifice gave the others enough time to escape.
In the end, Bone Ghost was captured, his defeat inevitable against three peak masters. Though the Pill Tower leaders wished to grind the Soul Hall to dust, they tacitly agreed to spare Bone Ghost's life. Instead, they sealed his soul and Dou Qi, leaving him as a living dead man.
Naturally, the Soul Hall didn't take this lying down. The Great Heavenly Lord of the Soul Hall personally attempted to intervene by tearing through space to rescue Bone Ghost. But… did the Soul Hall think the Pill Tower had no Dou Saints of their own?
The Soul Hall's Great Heavenly Lord didn't even get a chance to speak before a massive flaming palm shot across the void and entered the Star Realm, obliterating him in a single strike.
According to Xuan Kong Zi, the attack likely came from an unassuming yet incredibly powerful Grand Elder of the Small Pill Tower.
The Soul Hall was utterly enraged but powerless, left to watch as Bone Ghost was taken alive back to the Pill Tower.
However, even for a faction as wealthy and resource rich as the Soul Hall, losing a Half Saint was no trivial matter. In desperation, they sent their Third Heavenly Lord to negotiate with the Pill Tower, expressing their willingness to agree to any terms to secure Bone Ghost's safe return.
The Pill Tower didn't outright refuse but also didn't immediately agree. Instead, they paraded Bone Ghost through every major city under their influence in the Pill Domain, allowing their allied factions and cities to witness the captured Second Heavenly Lord of the Soul Hall once shrouded in mystery. This act effectively crushed the Soul Hall's prestige underfoot.
This public humiliation left the Soul Hall seething with rage, their hatred for the Pill Tower reaching unprecedented levels. They wanted nothing more than to declare all out war, but with their forces stretched thin battling the Ancient Clan's Black Abyss Army in the Eastern Region, they simply couldn't spare additional manpower.
Without a Dou Saint to lead their forces, an all out war with the Pill Tower would be suicidal.
Let's not forget that, with the Pill Tower's influence, they could rally an army of Dou Venerates in no time.
Unfortunately for the Soul Hall, what they currently lacked most was precisely Dou Saint level combatants.
It took nearly one to two months before the Pill Tower even sat down to negotiate with the Third Heavenly Lord about Bone Ghost's fate.
The Third Heavenly Lord made their stance crystal clear: Bone Ghost must be returned unharmed. The Pill Tower could name its terms, but if anything happened to Bone Ghost, the Soul Hall would wage an unrelenting war with the Pill Tower.
Xuan Kong Zi and the others weren't intimidated in the slightest. Had the Soul Hall and Pill Tower ever truly been at peace before Bone Ghost's capture? Did the Pill Tower fear a "war to the death" with the Soul Hall? Certainly not.
Nevertheless, after consulting with the Small Pill Tower's elders, Xuan Kong Zi and his colleagues agreed to spare Bone Ghost's life. But this concession wouldn't come for free. The Soul Hall would need to compensate the Pill Tower for its losses and war expenses during this period.
In other words, war reparations!
Additionally, the Soul Hall would have to withdraw from several territories designated by the Pill Tower. Otherwise, the Pill Tower wouldn't hesitate to reignite hostilities.
In other words, ceding territory!
These terms left the Soul Hall fuming with rage. They were infuriated and humiliated when had they ever suffered such a loss?
But with Bone Ghost's life hanging in the balance, they had no choice but to begrudgingly accept these humiliating conditions.
When all was said and done, the Pill Tower emerged unscathed and even profited handsomely, while the Soul Hall lost on all fronts.
Of course, the Pill Tower wasn't foolish enough to return Bone Ghost completely unscathed. As masters of alchemy standing at the pinnacle of Central Plains, tampering with Bone Ghost in subtle ways was child's play for them.
By the time the Third Heavenly Lord returned to the Soul Hall with Bone Ghost, they discovered something peculiar: Bone Ghost's body was aging rapidly, and his Dou Qi was steadily diminishing. If the situation wasn't controlled, he would eventually fall from the Half Saint level.
The Soul Hall's upper echelons were furious, their hatred for the Pill Tower reaching a boiling point. They wished they could extract the souls of everyone in the Pill Tower and subject them to the torment of a Ten Thousand Soul Devouring Curse.
But lacking the strength to retaliate, they could only swallow their anger.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with Lu Bu. The benefits he wanted had already been obtained long before the Pill Tower and Soul Hall reached this stalemate.
That said, Lu Bu wasn't in a hurry to refine the fifteen massive clusters of Soul Essence he had acquired. The process would create quite the commotion, potentially attracting the attention of the Pill Tower's experts. Proceeding cautiously was his best course of action.
While the outside world was in turmoil, Lu Bu turned a deaf ear to it all. He focused on refining pills for Yun Yun and Qing Lin, as well as dual cultivating with Her Majesty the Queen. His days were... very fulfilling!
With Xiao Yi Xian away on a separate journey and Lu Bu's strength now far surpassing Medusa's, the former queen who once loved bossing him around now found herself... still on top of Lu Bu.
There was no helping it Lu Bu didn't mind.
Thanks to their consistent dual cultivation, Medusa's strength had increased visibly. In just two or three months, she had reached the peak of Nine Star Dou Venerate.
One day, however, Medusa's aura suddenly surged, her energy fluctuating violently. It was evident that Her Majesty was on the verge of breaking through to the Transcendent Dou Venerate level!
With a single kick, Medusa sent Lu Bu flying out of the room, locking herself in to undergo closed door training for her breakthrough.
This left Lu Bu speechless. With Qing Lin and Yun Yun also in seclusion after taking pills, the entire manor was left eerily empty just him alone.
Resigned, Lu Bu busied himself with refining pills and keeping watch over the three women. Given his current alchemical skills, creating Eight Tier pills with nine colored pill lightning was challenging but achievable. Anything below that was hardly a problem.
Squeak!
One day, the door to Yun Yun's room creaked open. She stepped out, her expression momentarily stunned as she took in the empty manor, save for Lu Bu.
"Yun Yun, have you broken through?" Lu Bu smiled gently, extinguishing the flames under his cauldron.
"Of course… I'm now a Five Star Dou Venerate," Yun Yun replied with a soft smile. "What about Medusa?"
"Her Majesty is in closed door training."
"Hmm?" Yun Yun's delicate brows arched, and a sly smile tugged at her lips. What a perfect opportunity!
With no one else around to interrupt, she could finally have Lu Bu all to herself.
"Uh… Yun Yun, what are you thinking?" Lu Bu noticed her unusual gaze and suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
Whoosh!
A soft breeze swept through the air. In an instant, a delicate, fragrant figure was nestled in his arms.
Sitting on Lu Bu's lap, Yun Yun smiled sweetly, wrapping her arms around his neck as she said softly, "Lu Bu, don't you think my cultivation level is a bit too low?"
"Uh… it's a little low. I've been thinking of ways to help you." Lu Bu nodded, earnestly agreeing.
"Hmph, aren't you the solution?" Yun Yun cupped his face in her hands, smiling mischievously.
"Ah, but… what about the bloodline imprint?" Lu Bu hesitated, finally understanding her intentions. However, Yun Yun hadn't yet engraved her bloodline imprint.
"That doesn't matter!" Yun Yun huffed softly. "The only reason we didn't dual cultivate before was because my bloodline hadn't stabilized. But now it's stable so what are we waiting for?"
"Besides, that imprint is just a secret method to temporarily boost strength. How could it be more important than dual cultivation with you?"
"In that case…"
"Enough talking! Come with me into the room!" Yun Yun huffed impatiently, pulling Lu Bu to his feet and dragging him toward her chamber.
Silken robes and passionate nights, love unending.
…
A few days later, Qing Lin emerged from her room, feeling refreshed. But as she looked around the empty manor, a sense of confusion washed over her.
"Uh… where is everyone? Where did Lu Bu and Medusa go?"
Scratching her head, Qing Lin suddenly felt like a child left behind by the adults. It was as if Lu Bu and her sisters were off having fun without her...
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