"This time, you did pretty well." Murong's phoenix robe appeared around her once more.
Zhou Hao lay sprawled on the ground, gulping down breaths. He was utterly exhausted.
This woman was a "juicer." He really could not endure it, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was not his call.
Seeing how wilted he looked, Murong said, "Once your cultivation rises, it won't be this tiring. Cultivate properly, understand?"
Zhou Hao curled his lip. "Do you really need to tell me that?"
He sat up, thought for a moment, then said to Murong, "Hey, give me something to wear! It's pretty awkward for me to be like this."
Murong glanced at him, smiling faintly as she spread her hands. "You look quite good like this. It'll be more convenient when you come next time."
Zhou Hao rolled his eyes and grumbled, "What's convenient about it? One tug from you and my clothes explode, right? Would that even take a second?"
"Hehe~" Murong finally laughed aloud. Looking at Zhou Hao with a smile, she asked, "I have women's clothes. Do you want them?"
Zhou Hao paused, pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I do."
Anything was better than nothing.
Murong spread her hands and smiled. "Sorry, I wasn't planning to give them to you."
"Tch." Zhou Hao smacked his lips and snorted. "A woman's heart is the most venomous."
Seeing his face turn black as the bottom of a pot, Murong covered her mouth and chuckled, then tossed a Ring of Holding to Zhou Hao.
"Here~ This is for you."
Zhou Hao caught the Ring of Holding, stunned for a moment. "What is this?"
"A Ring of Holding. Don't you already have two on your hand?" Murong pointed at the middle and ring fingers of his right hand.
"Oh~" Zhou Hao immediately examined it. This Ring of Holding had no owner, so he could inspect it with ease. When he saw the set of gorgeous clothes inside, his eyes nearly popped out.
He looked up at Murong with a dazed expression. "That outfit is for me?"
"Mhm." Murong nodded slightly. She had already returned to her cold and aloof bearing, as though her earlier smile had merely been an illusion.
Speechless, Zhou Hao took out the gorgeous, noble outfit.
It resembled the attire worn by noble Young Masters in ancient times, with dark purple as its main color. Golden patterns adorned details such as the sleeves, collar, and hem. A black belt inlaid with jade was fastened around the waist, while an emerald pendant hung at the left side of it.
If he wore this outfit outside, it would absolutely draw countless glances. But Zhou Hao felt that dressing so extravagantly would make him an easy target for robbers.
Noticing his unwilling expression, Murong said softly, "If you don't like it, you can return it to me."
"No." The word "no" instantly leaped from Zhou Hao's mouth. He flashed a fawning smile. "I like it."
What a joke. It was already hard enough to get something to wear. How could he possibly give it back to Murong?
Murong nodded and said, "There's also a cultivation method and a martial skill inside. If you're interested, you can practice them."
Zhou Hao poured out the two Jade Slips from inside and asked, "Which one is the martial skill?"
"The one on the left. The martial skill is called the 'Myriad Transformations Divine Ability.' It has three levels. Once cultivated to its utmost limit, it can imitate any ordinary martial skill. It's a fairly decent martial skill," Murong explained.
Zhou Hao opened his mouth, then closed it again. Fine. To her, this kind of martial skill was merely fairly decent. What else could he say?
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Are there any cultivation requirements? Can someone like me cultivate it?"
Murong sized him up. "No problem. Anyone can cultivate it, but how far one can take it depends on their talent and comprehension."
"That's good." Zhou Hao smiled as though he had found treasure.
Murong continued, "As for the other cultivation method, the 'Undying Divine Art,' it's an excellent cultivation method. It has nine levels. As long as you reach the seventh level, you can regenerate from a single drop of blood. It's quite suitable for—"
"Don't say any more." Zhou Hao raised a hand to interrupt her.
He had guessed it would be like this. That was why he had asked about the martial skill first instead of the cultivation method. He had felt that once he learned how precious the cultivation method was, he would not be able to stop himself from cursing his own stupidity.
Sure enough, he wanted to curse himself now. Why had he, as if possessed by ghosts and led by spirits, cultivated that whatever "Metamorphosis Incantation" before?
Now, a better cultivation method was right before him, yet he could not cultivate it. Was there anything more miserable than this?
Murong raised her brows slightly and asked with a smile, "Did you cultivate the cultivation method passed down here?"
She did not even need to think about it to know that Zhou Hao had definitely cultivated it. Otherwise, there was no way he could have broken through so quickly.
Zhou Hao nodded, stubbornly saying, "My cultivation method is far more powerful than this 'Undying Divine Art.'"
Amusement flickered in Murong's eyes as she teased, "Really? Why do I hear a little sourness in your words?"
Zhou Hao glared at her, as if saying, What's it to you?
Seeing that, the curve of Murong's lips widened. She chuckled softly. "You're quite amusing when you act like a dead duck with a hard beak."
The moment Zhou Hao heard that, his face darkened again.
Murong covered her mouth and giggled. "Actually, there's no need to struggle over it. I can help you cripple your cultivation, then you can start over."
Generally speaking, because of the issue of conflicting powers, everyone could only cultivate one cultivation method. Of course, there were also people who cultivated several methods in succession. Those people were either exceptionally gifted or simply did not value their lives.
Zhou Hao rolled his eyes dramatically and curled his lip. "Thanks for the kind offer, but there's no need."
Did she know how he had reached the Spirit Profound Realm in such a short time? It was Du Tianhong's enlightenment, combined with the Metamorphosis Pill and the "Metamorphosis Incantation," then the Body-Reforming Pill and the Supreme Rejuvenation Pill, that had allowed him to reach this level in a single day.
If he started over, he would still have another Ring of Holding as a fallback. But that Ring of Holding theoretically belonged to Murong, and he was still considering whether to keep it all for himself.
Especially after seeing Murong's strength, he became even more hesitant. He faintly felt that if he kept it all for himself, his future fate would likely be "miserable," so he was deeply conflicted and struggling.
"A wise choice." Murong nodded in satisfaction and praised, "To completely cripple your cultivation, your aptitude and potential would inevitably be damaged. Although you could slowly nurse them back, the time required would be beyond your imagination."
She paused, then looked at Zhou Hao. "Judging from this inheritance, the cultivation method you practice actually shouldn't be bad. There's no need to pursue the very best cultivation method. Those who stand at the pinnacle do not necessarily cultivate the best cultivation methods."
Zhou Hao looked at Murong in surprise. It was the first time he had seen what could be called the bearing of an expert on her. She truly had a valiant and dashing air about her.
"Time's about up. We'll meet again in three days."
Murong left those words behind, then vanished.
She disappeared so suddenly that Zhou Hao had not even reacted. By the time he did, she was already gone.
He did not feel the slightest regret. After Murong left, he was so happy he could have flown into the sky. If circumstances had allowed, he would have wanted to throw a party to celebrate.
Before you continue