I'll Help You Cripple Him

"You performed quite well this time." Murong's phoenix robe reappeared.

Zhou Hao lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air. He was utterly exhausted.

This woman was a "juicer," he really couldn't take it anymore, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't up to him.

Murong looked at his dispirited state and said, "It won't be this strenuous once your cultivation improves. Cultivate diligently, understand?"

Zhou Hao pouted, "Do I need you to tell me that?"

He sat up, thought for a moment, and then said to Murong, "Hey, can I have some clothes? I'm really embarrassed like this."

Murong glanced at him, smiled slightly, and spread her hands, "You look fine like this. It'll be convenient for your next visit too."

Zhou Hao rolled his eyes and retorted, "Convenient for what? You just rip them off me, don't you? Does it even take a second?"

"Heh heh~" Murong finally burst into laughter, looking at Zhou Hao with a smile, and asked, "I have women's clothes, do you want some?"

Zhou Hao paused, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "Yes."

It was better than nothing.

Murong spread her hands and said with a smile, "Sorry, I wasn't planning on giving them to you."

"Tch." Zhou Hao clicked his tongue and snorted coldly, "The most venomous heart belongs to a woman."

Seeing his face darken like the bottom of a pot, Murong covered her mouth and chuckled. Then, she tossed a Storage Ring to Zhou Hao.

"Here~ This is for you."

Zhou Hao caught the Storage Ring and was stunned. He asked, "What is this?"

"A Storage Ring. Don't you already have two on your hands?" Murong pointed to his middle and ring fingers on his right hand.

"Oh~" Zhou Hao immediately checked. The Storage Ring was unclaimed, so he could easily access it. When he saw the luxurious set of clothing inside, his eyes nearly popped out.

He looked up at Murong, completely bewildered, "That outfit is for me?"

"Mm." Murong nodded slightly. She had already regained her aloof demeanor, as if her smile just now was an illusion.

Zhou Hao speechlessly took out the luxurious and noble outfit.

The clothing resembled what ancient noble young masters wore. It was primarily dark purple, with gold stripes adorning details like the sleeves, collar, and hem. A jade-inlaid black belt cinched the waist, and a jade pendant hung from the left side of his waist.

Wearing this outfit out would definitely turn heads, but Zhou Hao felt that wearing something so flashy would make him an easy target for robbery.

Murong observed Zhou Hao's reluctant expression and said softly, "If you don't like it, you can return it to me."

"No." Zhou Hao immediately blurted out, flashing a fawning smile, "I like it."

What a joke! It was already difficult enough to get any clothes, how could he possibly return them to Murong?

Murong nodded and said, "There's also a cultivation technique and a martial skill inside. If you're interested, you can practice them."

Zhou Hao poured out the two jade slips 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, and when practiced to its peak, it can imitate any ordinary martial skill. It's a good martial skill," Murong introduced.

Zhou Hao opened and closed his mouth. Fine! To her, this kind of martial skill was just "good." What else could he say?

He thought for a moment and 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 you can go depends on your individual talent and comprehension."

"That's good." Zhou Hao beamed with the joy of finding a treasure.

Murong continued her introduction, "The other scripture is the Undying Divine Art. It's a very good cultivation technique with nine levels. Reaching the seventh level allows for regeneration from a drop of blood. It's quite suitable for..."

"Stop talking," Zhou Hao interrupted, raising his hand.

He had guessed this would happen, which was why he had directly asked about the martial skill from the beginning and not the cultivation technique. He felt that once he knew the true value of the cultivation technique, he would be unable to stop himself from cursing.

Indeed, he wanted to curse himself now. Why had he inexplicably practiced that "Metamorphosis Incantation" before?

Now, with a better cultivation technique presented before him, he couldn't cultivate it. Could there be anything more miserable than this?

Murong raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a smile, "Did you cultivate a technique passed down in this place?"

She didn't even need to think about it; she knew Zhou Hao must have cultivated it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have broken through so quickly.

Zhou Hao nodded, obstinately saying, "My cultivation technique is much more powerful than this Undying Divine Art."

Murong's eyes twinkled with amusement as she teased, "Really? Why does it sound like you're a little sour?"

Zhou Hao glared at her, as if saying, "Mind your own business."

Seeing this, the curve of Murong's lips widened, and she chuckled, "Your stubborn refusal to admit defeat is quite amusing."

Zhou Hao's face immediately darkened again upon hearing this.

Murong covered her mouth and giggled, "Actually, there's no need to dwell on it. I can cripple your cultivation, and you can re-cultivate."

Generally speaking, due to issues with power conflicts, each person could only cultivate one cultivation technique. Of course, there were also people who cultivated multiple techniques consecutively; they were either exceptionally talented or reckless individuals.

Zhou Hao rolled his eyes dramatically and pouted, "Thank you for your kindness, but no thank you."

Did they know how he had cultivated to the Spirit Profound Realm in such a short time? It was thanks to Du Tianhong's enlightenment, combined with the Metamorphosis Pill, the Metamorphosis Incantation, the Body-Reforming Pill, and the Supreme Rejuvenation Pill, that allowed him to reach this level in just one day.

If he were to re-cultivate, although there was another Storage Ring as a backup, that Storage Ring theoretically belonged to Murong, and he was still considering whether to keep it all for himself.

Especially seeing Murong's power, he hesitated even more. He had a vague feeling that if he tried to take it all for himself, his future outcome would likely be "miserable." Thus, he was conflicted and struggling.

"A wise choice." Murong nodded with satisfaction, praising, "Completely crippling your cultivation would inevitably damage your aptitude and potential. While you could slowly recover, the time it would take is unimaginable."

She paused, looking at Zhou Hao, and said, "Judging by this inheritance, the cultivation techniques you practice wouldn't be too bad. There's no need to pursue the absolute best; those who reach the pinnacle don't necessarily practice the best techniques."

Zhou Hao looked at Murong in surprise. It was the first time he'd seen what could be called a master's aura emanating from her. She indeed had a rather heroic and spirited bearing.

"It's about time. We'll meet again in three days."

Murong dropped this sentence and then vanished.

Her disappearance was so sudden that Zhou Hao hadn't even registered it. By the time he did, she was nowhere to be seen.

He felt no regret whatsoever. After Murong left, he was overjoyed. If the circumstances had allowed, he would have thrown a party to celebrate!