Zhou Sicheng cultivated beneath the Golden Tree for an entire day and night. Only after thoroughly stabilizing the sudden surge of power within him did he finally leave.
After erging from beneath the tree, he headed straight to the Inner Court to find Duguxianng and the others.
Duguxianng, Ling Luochén, Dai Yueheng, and the rest had returned to the academy several days ago.
Arriving at Duguxianng’s villa, Zhou Sicheng knocked on the door. Before long, it opened, and the graceful and elegant Xianng stood tall before him.
When she saw it was Zhou Sicheng, her face lit up with joy.
"Sicheng, you’re back!"
Seeing the delighted look on her face, Zhou Sicheng smiled as well. "Seems like your recovery’s gone well. You were at Rank 53 before the break, and now your soul power’s already at Rank 54."
Duguxianng gave a proud smile. "Of course. I can’t let you down, right? Co in, have a seat."
She grabbed Zhou Sicheng by the hand and pulled him inside. The two sat down in the living room, where she personally brewed a fragrant sweet nectar for him.
Zhou Sicheng accepted the cup she offered and took a small sip. "Too sweet."
Xianng giggled. "That’s how it should be!"
Zhou Sicheng set down the cup and looked at the beauty in front of him. He then pulled a delicate brocade box from his soul tool and placed it on the table.
Xianng’s eyes sparkled with surprise. "Wait, is this the immortal herb you gave to Big Sis and Ma Xiaotao?"
"You’re a clever one." Zhou Sicheng nodded. "Now that the toxins in your body have been completely purged, and you’ve mastered the use of a poison core to control them, this is the best ti to take an immortal herb."
Duguxianng nearly fainted from happiness.
Seeing how quickly Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao had improved, she had been jealous for a long ti. Now it was finally her turn!
Xianng smiled softly. "Hehe, I knew you wouldn’t forget . Just because Big Sis is back doesn’t an you’d ignore , right...?"
Zhou Sicheng let out a helpless laugh. "What are you even saying?"
Xianng leaned in close and said seriously, "Don’t think I don’t know. You and Big Sis aren’t really siblings. At first, I thought maybe you just had different family nas from your parents, and no one else dared to ask, so we all just went along with it."
"But I’ve spent more ti around you than anyone else, and I’m a girl. How could I not tell that your relationship with her isn’t just brother and sister?"
Zhou Sicheng didn’t deny it. After all, he hadn’t gone out of his way to hide it—no one had ever asked directly, so he’d just let them assu.
He chuckled. "And how do you know we’re not actually siblings? Both of us are good-looking—clearly from the sa family, right?"
Xianng snorted. "I asked Long Xiangyue in the Outer Court. He told ."
Zhou Sicheng raised an eyebrow. "Why didn’t you ask Ah Xuan?"
Xianng narrowed her eyes and lightly clenched her fist. "I did. But that little fox Cao Jinxuan just kept dodging the question and feeding nonsense!"
"Haha..." Zhou Sicheng couldn’t help but laugh. "Looks like Xiangyue’s still too green. A pretty girl shows up, and he just spills everything."
Hearing this, Xianng knew that Zhou Sicheng had basically confird it. Her face turned red with embarrassnt and frustration.
"So... those things I said to Big Sis before..." As she recalled what she’d told Ye Guyi, realizing their true relationship, she felt mortified.
Zhou Sicheng gently patted her hand. "Since you already know, I won’t hide it anymore. But with everything out in the open... you still...?"
Before he could finish, Xianng answered, "I still like you. Liking soone is just liking them. I might feel a little guilty toward Big Sis, but if she hasn’t rejected , then she’s already accepted . So I won’t give up."
Zhou Sicheng opened his mouth. "Aren’t you even curious what I think?"
Xianng gave a sly smile. "What you think doesn’t matter. Two beautiful won throwing themselves at you—how is that a bad thing?"
Though she said it casually, she already knew what his answer was. If he didn’t like her, he wouldn’t be giving her an immortal herb right now.
Zhou Sicheng could only roll his eyes. He had nothing to refute.
Xianng then asked, "Do you rember that bet we made?"
Zhou Sicheng nodded. "Of course. If I could get you red-grade delicacies every day within a year, you’d agree to one request from ."
Xianng looked at him earnestly. "Not only did you fulfill it, you far surpassed the goal. So now, think carefully—what’s your request?"
Zhou Sicheng smiled. Since the pretty girl asked so nicely, he couldn’t turn her down.
Seeing him smile, Xianng sat obediently, ears perked up.
"My request is simple: from now on, you listen to everything I say."
Xianng blinked. "That’s it?"
Zhou Sicheng gave a devilish grin. "Sounds easy, right? But it’s actually really hard. Think carefully before agreeing."
Xianng didn’t hesitate. "I agree. I’ll listen to whatever you say. I don’t believe you can really do anything to ."
Zhou Sicheng replied, "We’ll see soon enough."
With that, he opened the brocade box on the table. "This immortal herb is called the Scarlet Swan Kiss. It doesn’t directly enhance cultivation or increase soul power."
Seeing the vibrant herb inside, Xianng was puzzled. "Then what’s the point of eating it?"
Zhou Sicheng continued, "To others, this herb is not only useless—it’s actually harmful. But for you, it’s different."
Xianng stared at him blankly. "What’s different? Is it because I’m prettier? Will wearing it make even more charming?"
"I preferred the old you—the one who cared about saving face," Zhou Sicheng rolled his eyes. "The Scarlet Swan Kiss amplifies toxins. Any kind of poison, under its influence, can be multiplied by a hundred—or even a thousand tis."
"If it were the old you, this would be your death sentence. But now that you’ve mastered the poison core technique, you can use it to enhance and purify your toxins. If used properly, you might reach the realm of Ultimate Poison!"
Xianng was stunned. "Ultimate Poison? But my Biphosphorous Five Poisons are already strong. Wouldn’t this herb make my poison overload and explode my poison core?"
Zhou Sicheng gave her a light knock on the head. "What are you thinking? You control the poison core now. How much to amplify is up to you. You only need to refine a little at a ti. It’s not like I’m telling you to fuse the whole thing at once."
"The Scarlet Swan Kiss has nine leaves in total. Slowly integrate them into your poison core. Given the toxicity of your Biphosphorous Five Poisons, I estimate that just five leaves will be enough to cause a qualitative transformation."
Xianng’s eyes lit up. "If my poison really evolves into Ultimate Poison, then I’ll be able to absorb toxins to grow stronger! Ultimate Poison isn’t just overwhelmingly toxic—it’s considered the origin of all poisons! It can suppress every other toxin!"
She spoke with excitent. "My original goal with the Five Poisons was to break past my limits and see if I could reach that level. If I can attain the realm of Ultimate Poison, my toxicity issues will be completely resolved!"
Zhou Sicheng quietly listened, gently patting the back of her hand. This girl had endured so much on her own.
Now that she had the Scarlet Swan Kiss, her poison arts could evolve to an entirely new level. While it wouldn’t directly raise her soul power, the enhanced potency of her toxins would rapidly increase her combat strength.
At only Rank 54, her full-powered Biphosphorous Five Poisons were already potent enough that even Soul Emperors dared not co into contact with her lightly. Otherwise, they risked being infected with her deadly poison.
Her poisons inflicted damage on contact, with unprecedented potency. With the Scarlet Swan Kiss, her future achievents in the path of poison would be limitless.
Zhou Sicheng closed the box. "I won’t keep you any longer. The tournant is approaching. Use this ti to refine the Scarlet Swan Kiss—but don’t overdo it, understand?"
Xianng gave a light nod. "Got it."
She put the box away, and Zhou Sicheng stood up. "Let’s go to the training chamber. I have sothing else for you."
Du Gu Xianng didn’t ask any questions. She simply grabbed Zhou Sichen and led him down to the cultivation chamber beneath the villa. Once inside, Zhou Sichen cleared the space and retrieved a Black Ice Cold Jade Bed from his soul tool.
The mont she sensed the intense cold aura and the thick concentration of heaven and earth energy emanating from the bed, Du Gu Xianng’s eyes lit up.
Zhou Sichen explained, "This is a Black Ice Cold Jade Bed. It will help you cultivate and refine the Blood Swan Kiss. With its support, you can safely absorb it without risking any accidents."
Du Gu Xianng’s eyes grew moist with emotion. "Thank you, Sichen."
Zhou Sichen gently patted her smooth back. "Alright, you’ll have plenty of chances to thank properly later. For now, I’ll help you refine the Blood Swan Kiss. Once you’ve adapted and are familiar with the process, you can continue on your own based on your capacity."
She nodded firmly. "Mm!"
Without further words, Du Gu Xianng sat cross-legged atop the Black Ice Cold Jade Bed. She took out the ornate box, plucked a single leaf from the Blood Swan Kiss, coated it with venom, and began the delicate process of refining it.
A swirl of erald light gathered around her abdon as a Venom Core slowly began to form.
This core was not the sa as her ancestor Du Gu Bo’s Innate Venom Core, which had to be swallowed and refined internally. Instead, it was stored in the dantian and maintained through her martial soul—similar in nature to a Soul Core.
Once the core manifested, it began to slowly absorb and refine the power within the Blood Swan Kiss leaf.
Upon contact with the potent leaf, the venom reacted violently, as if ready to erupt at any mont.
Du Gu Xianng shut her eyes tightly, focusing all her energy on stabilizing the Venom Core just as she had when she first created it.
Zhou Sichen raised his hand, ready to intervene if necessary. Fortunately, after a few tense monts, Du Gu Xianng successfully suppressed the outburst and brought the venom under control.
Now that she had the Venom Core, her control over poison had reached an unprecedented level. Even if the toxicity surged a hundredfold in an instant, she could still forcibly suppress it and then slowly refine and absorb it.
She also used the cold energy radiating from the Black Ice Cold Jade Bed beneath her to suppress the surging venom, achieving a perfect balance.
Ti passed quickly. Three hours later, the leaf of the Blood Swan Kiss was completely refined into the core. The originally erald green Venom Core beca more condensed and its hue deepened.
At this point, Du Gu Xianng’s face was deathly pale, as if all her strength had been drained. However, her spirit and aura were noticeably uplifted—like a rebirth.
The paleness was a result of manipulating massive amounts of cold energy, while her refreshed state ca from the trendous enhancent to her Bi Lin Five Poisons.
Though just a single leaf, it more than doubled the potency of her toxins. Of course, it wasn’t a hundredfold increase like refining the entire plant would be, but the improvent was already significant.
As she continued refining leaf by leaf in the future, her poison would beco stronger step by step.
Only once she completely refined the entire Blood Swan Kiss would she reach a true qualitative transformation.
Still, given the sheer strength of her poison, that transformation might occur after just five leaves.
Du Gu Xianng retracted her Venom Core, her face filled with excitent. "Sichen, I did it! But before refining the next leaf, I need so ti to fully grasp the sudden increase in the Venom Core’s power."
Zhou Sichen smiled slightly. "No rush. There are still several months before the tournant. If there’s one thing you have right now, it’s ti."
Du Gu Xianng nodded seriously. "Mm!"
Zhou Sichen gave her a bottle of Hundred-Treasure Detoxification Pills, chatted with her for a while, then went with her to the cafeteria for dinner before parting ways.
After leaving Du Gu Xianng, Zhou Sichen casually made his way to Ling Luocheng’s villa.
It was already nightfall. When Ling Luocheng saw Zhou Sichen arrive, a barely noticeable hint of joy flashed across her face.
She didn’t dare show too much emotion and simply welcod him in. "Captain, what brings you here? Is there so training?"
Zhou Sichen replied, "We just registered. Training doesn’t start for another week. I ca to check in on you."
Ling Luocheng’s expression subtly changed. Who visits the opposite sex’s ho this late at night just to ’check in’?
Zhou Sichen imdiately noticed her awkward reaction. With a flicker of light from his soul tool, a porcelain bottle appeared in his hand.
He handed it to her. Ling Luocheng was briefly stunned but accepted it with a slight blush. "What is this?"
"Extre Cold Ice Marrow," Zhou Sichen replied naturally.
Ling Luocheng paused, her face showing surprise. "Extre Cold Ice Marrow?!"
Zhou Sichen explained, "I went to the Extre North during the holiday. This was an unexpected harvest. In the Inner Court, your control over the ice elent is the strongest. I figured this would be as valuable to you as any top-tier natural treasure."
Ling Luocheng nodded, falling silent as she looked at the bottle in her hand.
Extre Cold Ice Marrow was indeed a treasure for cultivation, but the small amount in this bottle would at most help her consolidate her foundation—it wouldn’t push her to a major breakthrough.
Still, she understood how rare this item was. The fact that Zhou Sichen went out of his way to gift her sothing so precious moved her deeply.
After nearly a year of being around him, she had developed feelings for Zhou Sichen.
Especially after he selected her as a core mber of the Shrek team and regularly trained her, often using Ultimate Ice to help temper her abilities.
He could even channel Ah Da’s Ultimate Ice, temporarily enhancing her ice elent to the level of Ultimate Ice itself—greatly boosting her cultivation.
Zhou Sichen had undeniably brought her imnse benefit.
Now, with him bringing her such a gift late at night, Ling Luocheng felt completely at a loss.
She looked at him, wanting to speak, but the words wouldn’t co.
With a gentle smile, Zhou Sichen continued, "Your soul power must be close to breaking through to Rank 55. This Extre Cold Ice Marrow should help you advance."
Ling Luocheng nodded softly. "This stuff is useful even for ordinary Soul Masters... If you gave it all to , what about you?"
Zhou Sichen didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out a second porcelain bottle. "But your ice elent is especially powerful. I don’t think one bottle is enough to push you to Rank 55. At most, it’ll help solidify your foundation."
Ling Luocheng stared at him blankly, stunned as she took the second bottle from his hands.
Only then did Zhou Sichen respond, "What did you just say?"
Holding a bottle in each hand, Ling Luocheng murmured, "I said... you gave it all to ... what about you?"
Zhou Sichen pretended to think. "Hmm... two bottles might still not be enough. Over the past few months, with Ah Da’s power, I helped your ice elent temporarily reach the Ultimate level. You’ve already adapted to that power. So even two bottles may be lacking..."
As he spoke, he pulled out a third porcelain bottle and placed it into Ling Luocheng’s hand.
Ling Luocheng: "..."
She didn’t say anything. She wasn’t stupid. It was obvious now—Zhou Sichen was flirting with her.
But using sothing as precious as Extre Cold Ice Marrow to flirt with her? The aning behind it was clear.
Neither of them said it aloud, but the ssage was already understood.
****
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