CHAPTER 483: CHAPTER 468: BEAUTY’S SCHEMES! [REQUESTING SUBSCRIPTION, REQUESTING MONTHLY TICKETS]

Haoyang Immortal City.

Xiao Ying’s cave abode within the "Ten Thousand Woods Spiritual Land."

"Please hold your steps, Fellow Daoist Zhou. The matter I’ve entrusted to you, I’ll leave in your care. I’ll visit again another day."

Outside the cave abode, Zhouyang and his Dao companion Xiao Ying escorted a visiting Late-Stage Purple Mansion Cultivator out of the cave abode. As they watched the figure vanish into the distance, they exchanged a glance, each seeing a look of helplessness in the other’s eyes.

Since Zhouyang returned to Haoyang Immortal City, he had rested for less than half a month when some well-informed Purple Mansion Stage cultivators residing in Jinyang Country of Haoyang Immortal City took the initiative to visit him.

Their intentions and excuses for visiting were varied.

Some came after hearing of Zhouyang’s consecutive victories in three matches at the Death Arena, wishing to know and forge ties with him.

Others visited as intermediaries, trying to recruit Zhouyang to serve as their honored guest elder.

Moreover, these people somehow learned that both Zhouyang and his Dao companion were Tier Four Artifact Refiners and Alchemists. During their visits, they’d deliberately request assistance in artifact refining and alchemy as an excuse, making it difficult for Zhouyang to refuse.

In just a month, he entertained and received visits from over a dozen cultivators.

"This can’t continue. It seems we must leave Haoyang Immortal City for a while to avoid this situation. Otherwise, once they investigate our circumstances further, who knows how many more will come knocking!"

Zhouyang returned to the cave abode, filled with anxiety, and looked at his Dao companion Xiao Ying, shaking his head and sighing.

He anticipated that, having stood out on the battlefield, his future life wouldn’t remain as peaceful as before, but he hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly.

Currently, it’s just Purple Mansion Stage cultivators trying to recruit him; he could fend them off with excuses.

But once they figure out his situation and Golden Core Stage cultivators start recruiting him, outright refusal could offend them.

Offending one or two cultivators might be manageable, but offending many could easily lead to his demise.

Zhouyang hadn’t forgotten the example Han Xiao mentioned, knowing full well that it wasn’t a mere scare tactic.

If one can’t obtain him, they might destroy him. In the Cultivation Realm, many cultivators harbor such thoughts, and he must be vigilant.

Upon hearing his sigh, Xiao Ying softly suggested, "Let’s go to Cangyuan Immortal City; likely very few cultivators there recognize you, Zhou Lang."

"That’s the only option!"

Zhouyang glanced at his Dao companion, sighed, and nodded.

Swiftly, Zhouyang and Xiao Ying discreetly vacated the cave abode in the "Ten Thousand Woods Spiritual Land" and hid in the backyard of Cyan Yuan Pavilion, where they completed the artifact and spirit pill commissions from visiting cultivators, and entrusted Jin Qu at Cyan Yuan Pavilion to deliver them.

After finishing these tasks, Zhouyang prepared to leave Haoyang Immortal City with his Dao companion Xiao Ying, heading towards Cangyuan Immortal City in Yu Country.

However, when he was exiting the city, he was suddenly stopped by someone.

"Please hold your steps, Fellow Daoist Zhou. Our Elder Guo invites you!"

Within Jinyang Country, apart from Elder Guo Jinhong of Haoyang Sect, likely no other cultivators dare to claim the title "Elder Guo."

Seeing the Golden Core Stage cultivator wearing the Haoyang Sect elder’s attire, Zhouyang’s thoughts raced, but he swiftly replied, "Junior understands. Please wait a moment, while I inform my wife of a few things."

Upon hearing this, the Golden Core Stage cultivator frowned but then took a deep look at him and said, "Make it quick; if you keep Elder Guo waiting, neither of us can afford the consequences!"

"Rest assured, senior, it’s merely a few words, it won’t take long."

Speaking, Zhouyang quickly signaled to his Dao companion Xiao Ying, who was full of worry, whispering instructions through sound transmission.

A while later, having finished giving instructions, he took off a storage ring from his hand and handed it to Xiao Ying along with a Spiritual Treasure Token.

After completing these tasks, he gently stroked Xiao Ying’s fair cheek, nodded firmly, and then turned to the Golden Core Stage cultivator saying, "I’m ready, senior. Please, lead the way!"

"Follow me."

With that statement, the Golden Core Stage cultivator rose on a scarlet cloud beneath his feet, carrying Zhouyang out of Haoyang Immortal City, flying towards Haoyang Mountain where Haoyang Sect’s headquarters resides.

Haoyang Mountain is one of the notable Tier Six Spirit Mountains in the Land of the Far West, boasting a Spirit Vein Grade as high as Tier Six Middle Grade. Haoyang Sect has occupied this mountain for over six thousand years.

Guo Jinhong, being Haoyang Sect’s highest cultivation cultivator, naturally had his cave abode located in the place where Spiritual Qi was most abundant, and the scenery most captivating.

It was a large independent valley on Haoyang Mountain, entirely his private domain, protected by a specialized array, prohibiting anyone from entering the valley without his permission.

The Golden Core Stage Cultivator who brought Zhouyang over sent him outside the valley, took out the Sound Transmission Talisman personally given by Guo Jinhong, spoke a few words to activate the Spirit Talisman, and waited for half an hour. Only then did a figure emerge from the misty white valley, revealing the graceful figure of a beautiful female cultivator.

The female cultivator’s cultivation was only at the Third Layer of the Purple Mansion. After she exited the valley, her beautiful eyes did not linger on the Golden Core Stage Cultivator but directly looked toward Zhouyang.

Upon seeing Zhouyang’s jade-like handsome face, her eyes lit up with amazement flashing within them.

But this change only lasted for a moment. Her expression soon returned to normal, and she looked calmly at the two outside the valley and said, "The Elder has commanded, only Zhouyang is to enter the valley to meet him."

After saying this, she didn’t even glance at the Golden Core Stage Cultivator who brought Zhouyang, but instead smiled slightly at Zhouyang and said, "I am Wang Qian. Please follow me, Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Zhouyang had long heard that Guo Jinhong kept many beautiful female cultivators as concubines in his cave residence. This Wang Qian was so beautiful and had come out of Guo Jinhong’s cave residence to deliver a message, she was undoubtedly one of Guo Jinhong’s harem, so how could he dare to neglect her.

Upon hearing this, he hurriedly cupped his hands in salute and said, "I trouble you, Fairy Wang."

Seeing this, Wang Qian nodded in satisfaction and then instructed, "This array in the Valley of Forgetfulness was personally set up by Elder Guo. Even I can only enter and leave with this token. Fellow Daoist Zhou, please keep close to me and do not stray more than three feet away, otherwise triggering the array means neither of us would survive!"

With that, she raised her jade hand, took a white jade token from her sleeve and infused it with magical power, causing it to emit a white spiritual light that covered both her and an area within three feet around her.

Zhouyang, upon seeing this, didn’t think much of it and just nodded solemnly, saying, "I understand."

Then, he moved to within a foot behind Wang Qian.

Only a foot apart, Zhouyang only need to take a light breath to catch the faint floral scent emanating from Wang Qian.

If this had been two hundred years ago, he might have had some fantasies because of it, but now he was long accustomed to the unique scent of pill fragrance mixed with herbal scent from his Dao companion Xiao Ying, and he had no reaction to it.

Wang Qian also seemed unaware of the odd proximity between them. When she saw him approach, she took the lead and headed into the misty white valley.

Following Wang Qian into the misty valley, Zhouyang’s vision could only see Wang Qian at close range, as he found it hard to see anything beyond three feet.

This feeling made him uncomfortable, unwittingly focusing all his attention on Wang Qian walking in front of him.

Since he walked behind Wang Qian, his view was limited to her graceful and charming back.

Zhouyang often heard people in a previous life talk about "back view beauties," meaning some women seen from behind could easily captivate men, leading them to think that the front view would also be like a goddess’s heavenly appearance.

However, when actually seeing the woman’s face from the front, the initial infatuation would instantly turn into the impulse to quickly leave.

He had already seen Wang Qian’s face; though not earth-shattering, she was certainly a beauty among thousands, absolutely stunning.

At this moment, watching her graceful back while moving forward, he felt a subtle appreciation, even wishing this path could be longer to admire this female beauty up close.

As if the heavens heard his thoughts, Zhouyang felt that half a quarter of an hour had passed, yet they still hadn’t truly walked out of the array’s range.

However, just as he began to feel something was amiss, Wang Qian suddenly let out a surprised "ah," like a startled kitten, quickly stumbling backward.

Given that they were less than a foot apart and Zhouyang in his absorbed state, instinctively reached out to steady Wang Qian, but the beauty was already leaning against his chest.

Thus, his outstretched hands seemingly intended to embrace, conveniently landed right on her chest.

Silence!

The atmosphere suddenly became inexplicably quiet.

Zhouyang’s mind buzzed, and he was utterly dumbfounded.

What had he done?

In the cave residence of a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he had embraced the man’s concubine in his arms, and furthermore, his hands were... were...

Zhouyang dared not think further.

He hurriedly withdrew his hands, pushing the beauty in his arms away, repeatedly saying, "Misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding. Fairy, please don’t read too much into it. I just, I just..."

He wanted to say it was a reflex but realized that might not be understood, and even if understood, she might not believe it, so he stopped.

"It’s alright, Fellow Daoist Zhou, there’s no need to worry. Elder Guo should be playing with other sisters in his cave residence and won’t know of this matter."

Wang Qian turned her head to look at Zhouyang, her pretty face flushed as she lightly shook her head, and then stealthily glanced at Zhouyang with a shy look, lowering her delicate head and said, "This matter only heaven and earth know, you and I know, no third person will ever know!"

Zhouyang was silent.

He looked at the shy and timid beauty in front of him and then glanced at the elusive white view ahead, his face suddenly turning stern as he shouted, "Why are you doing this? Why set Zhou up? What grudge do I have with you that you would do such a thing?"