Chapter 148: Late-Night Tutoring! Cult Master, is this kind of Cultivation method proper?

Zhaixing Tower, top-floor bedchamber.

Tonight's moonlight was exceptionally bewitching, spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the mirror-smooth black jade floor.

Ye Hongzhuang did not fall asleep early like last night, but instead lazily reclined on the imperial couch, holding a volume of ancient texts in her hand, with a censer of calming dragon's saliva incense burning on the small table beside her.

She had changed into a dark purple silk sleep robe, her collar slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbones and a faint cleavage, her bare feet resting casually on the edge of the couch, her toes round and cute, painted with dark red couched, shimmering with a bewitching gloss under the candlelight.

"Subordinate Gu Lan greets the Exalted One."

Gu Lan stood at the doorway, took a deep breath, and tried his best to look a bit more energetic (although his stamina had already been drained dry by the Saintess).

"You're here?"

Ye Hongzhuang didn't even lift her eyelids, her fingers gently turning a page of the book.

"A body odor of sweat, and also a hint of… sourness."

She twitched her nose, the corners of her mouth curling into a teasing arc.

"What? That little girl didn't serve you well? Or could it be… she knocked over the vinegar jar and splashed it all over you?"

Gu Lan's heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head.

"Exalted One, please discern the truth. That was Saintess Ji Wushuang guiding this subordinate in Cultivation, and the physical exertion was… a bit large."

"Cultivation?"

Ye Hongzhuang chuckled softly and finally put down the book in her hand.

She sat up and crooked her finger at Gu Lan.

"Come here."

Gu Lan obediently walked over and stopped three steps away from her.

"Closer."

Gu Lan moved two steps closer.

"Even closer."

Until Gu Lan's knees were about to touch the edge of the imperial couch, Ye Hongzhuang nodded with satisfaction.

She stretched out a hand, gently resting it on Gu Lan's wrist, and a chilling yet tyrannical Devilish Qi instantly probed into his Meridians.

"Tsk tsk, your Meridians are a bit chaotic, and your Qi and blood are floating."

"That girl doesn't know her own strength; is she treating you like a sandbag for training?"

She withdrew her hand, a trace of disdain flashing in her eyes.

"If you train according to her method, let alone winning against Jiang Wanqing, whether you can step onto the stage alive is a question."

"Then… what does the Exalted One mean?" Gu Lan asked tentatively.

"Foolish."

Ye Hongzhuang stretched out her jade foot and gently kicked his thigh.

"Since you are my person, naturally I cannot watch you lose too miserably."

"Tonight, I will personally give you special tutoring."

"To tutor you in your… swordsmanship."

"Swordsmanship?" Gu Lan's eyes lit up.

Being able to receive guidance from the Demonic Path's number one person was an enormous Opportunity!

"Draw your sword," Ye Hongzhuang commanded.

Gu Lan dared not slack off, reversing his hand to draw the soul-devouring sword from his waist.

"Hum—"

The demonic sword left its sheath, purple radiance flashing.

"Too slow."

Ye Hongzhuang shook her head, a look of disgust on her face.

"Your posture for drawing the sword is wrong, and your point of force application is also wrong."

"This is swordsmanship of the Righteous Path, which emphasizes grand and open movements and vast righteous energy."

"But what you are holding in your hand is a demonic sword. Using Righteous Path Moves to wield a demonic sword is just like—"

Her gaze swept over Gu Lan, and she suddenly chuckled softly.

"Just like letting a proper scholar visit a brothel; he can't let go of his hands and feet."

Gu Lan: "…"

Exalted One, can your metaphor be a bit more elegant?

"Come, I will teach you."

Ye Hongzhuang stood up and walked behind Gu Lan.

Her body was almost pressed against Gu Lan's back, the softness of her chest faintly touching his back, both hands reaching out from behind to cover Gu Lan's hand holding the sword.

"Relax, don't be so stiff."

She whispered in Gu Lan's ear, her warm breath making Gu Lan's ear tickle.

"Feel the demonic nature within the sword; do not suppress it, but guide it…"

"Follow its desires, release the beast in your heart…"

Under her guidance, Gu Lan felt that the soul-devouring sword in his hand seemed to come alive.

No longer a cold weapon, it became an extension of a part of his body.

"Right, just like this."

Ye Hongzhuang held his hand, slowly raised it, and then fiercely thrust forward!

"Chi—"

There was no heaven-shaking sound, only an extremely subtle yet extremely dangerous black thread cutting through the air.

The space in front seemed to be split open by this sword, revealing a pitch-black Void Realm crack!

"This Move is called 'Faint Fragrance and Sparse Shadows'."

Ye Hongzhuang's voice remained lazy, but it exuded a heart-palpitating chill.

"Silent and traceless, killing people in an invisible way."

"This is the sword of the Demonic Path."

Gu Lan looked at that long-unhealed space crack, feeling incomparably shocked in his heart.

Is this the strength of the Demon Lord?

Just holding his hand and casually thrusting had such might!

"Have you learned it?"

Ye Hongzhuang let go of her hand, walked back to the edge of the couch, and sat down.

"I've… learned to be useless at it."

Gu Lan gave a bitter smile.

His brain had learned it, but his hands seemed not to have learned it yet.

The Concept of that sword just now was too profound; right now he only felt dizzy, and the True Essence within his body had also been hollowed out by more than half.

"Useless."

Ye Hongzhuang gave him an eye-roll, picking up a purple-glowing grape from the plate beside her.

"Come here, open your mouth."

Gu Lan subconsciously opened his mouth.

Ye Hongzhuang flicked her finger, and the grape accurately fell into his mouth.

"Mph!"

The grape was bitten open, and an explosion of rich spiritual liquid instantly filled his oral cavity.

"This is… Purple Jade Dragon Saliva Fruit?!"

Gu Lan widened his eyes.

This single fruit was worth a month of his bitter Cultivation!

"Since you are my person, naturally I cannot be too shabby."

Ye Hongzhuang wiped her hands and patted the spot beside her.

"The training is just about done, it's time to do proper business."

"Proper business?" Gu Lan was stunned, looking at the sky outside, "Are we going to sleep so early?"

"Who said we're sleeping?"

Ye Hongzhuang's mouth hooked into a mysterious smile.

"I have recently been cultivating a Dual Cultivation… oh no, it is a supplementary Cultivation Technique."

"I need to borrow your Pure Yang Qi for use."

"Rest assured, we won't take off our clothes."

She pointed to the carpet in front of her.

"Sit cross-legged properly, sink your Qi into your Dantian, and guard your primordial Yang."

Although Gu Lan was drumming in his heart, he still obediently followed suit.

Ye Hongzhuang also sat cross-legged opposite him.

Their palms met.

"Close your eyes, concentrate your mind."

As Ye Hongzhuang's voice fell, a chilling Devilish Qi surged into Gu Lan's body along his palms.

But this Devilish Qi did not attack him; instead, it circulated a circle within his body, fully repairing the remaining Impurities and hidden injuries in his Meridians.

Immediately after, this Devilish Qi wrapped around a wisp of Gu Lan's Pure Yang Qi, slowly flowing back into Ye Hongzhuang's body.

A wondrous cycle formed between the two.

Yin and Yang harmonized, endless and unceasing.

Gu Lan only felt his whole body warm, feeling so comfortable he wanted to hum.

He secretly opened one eye.

He saw Ye Hongzhuang opposite him currently closing her eyes, her long eyelashes slightly trembling, her peerless face flushing with a faint blush, her expression focused and holy.

"This Female Demon Lord… when she gets serious, she's quite pretty."

Gu Lan muttered inwardly.

Just at this moment.

Ye Hongzhuang suddenly opened her eyes.

Their four eyes met.

Gu Lan was caught red-handed and awkwardly wanted to shift his gaze away.

"Is it pretty?"

Ye Hongzhuang was not angry; instead, she leaned forward, their noses almost touching.

"Pre… pretty." Gu Lan nodded honestly.

"Since it's pretty, then look a bit longer."

Ye Hongzhuang smiled, smiling like a little girl who had obtained candy.

"After all…"

"In this world, you are the first man who dares to stare straight at me like this and still remain alive."

She withdrew her hand, stretched lazily, and ended the Cultivation.

"Alright, tonight's tutoring ends here."

"You can go to sleep."

She pointed to that familiar floor bed beside the bed.

Gu Lan felt immensely relieved, quickly lying down and wrapping himself up like a silkworm baby.

"Good night, Exalted One."

"Good night, little undercover agent."

The lights went out.

In the darkness, Ye Hongzhuang lay on the bed, turned sideways, looking at Gu Lan on the floor, a faint smile always hanging on the corners of her mouth.

"Pure Yang Body… truly is a miraculous medicine for healing injuries."

She stroked her lower abdomen; the cold poison that had been stagnating there for a hundred years had unexpectedly dissipated quite a bit at this moment.

"It seems I have to watch him a bit tighter."

"Such a good medicinal primer must not be snatched away by others."

Over the next half month.

Gu Lan lived a "dual life" that was painful yet happy.

During the day in the Saintess Palace, he accepted Saintess Ji Wushuang's "Hell special training," getting beaten until his nose was bruised and face was swollen, but he also learned various sinister and ruthless Moves of the Demonic Cult.

At night in Zhaixing Tower, he enjoyed Ye Hongzhuang's "late-night tutoring." Although he had to endure the temptation of beauty and mental torment, his Cultivation and swordsmanship progressed by leaps and bounds daily.

Finally.

The day of the Righteous-Demonic Grand Competition arrived.

On this day, demonic clouds rolled across the sky above the Heavenly Demon Palace.

Several huge black battle-ships were fully equipped and ready to go.

Gu Lan wore a black-and-gold robe of a Sword-Wielding Envoy, holding a demonic sword, standing by Ye Hongzhuang's side, full of high spirits.

"Set out!"

With Ye Hongzhuang's command.

The Demonic Cult army set out in mighty waves, flying towards the grand competition's location—Sunset Plain.

And there.

The various major Schools of the Righteous Path, having waited for a long time, had also lined up their formations.

At the lead was precisely that Senior Sister of the Qingyun Sect, dressed in white with a cold gaze—

Jiang Wanqing!

A great battle concerning "snatching people" and "restoring honor" was about to unfold!