An Old Acquaintance

[Name: Zhou Er]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Early Stage (53.97%)]

[Equipment Slot (1/3): Heart-Eating Pill.]

[Unsolidified Attributes: Hundred Poisons Immunity (Green).]

[Solidified Attributes: Cicada Concealment (Green), True Essence Flow (White)...]

Poison Cultivation is indeed rapid. In half a year, Zhou Er's cultivation progress has reached the halfway mark.

However, this comes at a cost. Zhou Er's lifespan has been greatly reduced due to cultivating Poison Cultivation.

Originally, after reaching Foundation Establishment, he would have lived at least a hundred more years. Now, it has directly plummeted to a few decades.

Of course, this is not an isolated case. Other disciples of the Poison Dragon Cave are also short-lived, even less than a Mortal's lifespan.

This is how Poison Cultivation works, trading the depletion of one's origin for rapid advancement.

But Zhou Er had no choice. Cultivating Poison Cultivation was his only path.

With the Hundred Poisons Immunity attribute, the side effects of cultivating Poison Cultivation are much less severe for Zhou Er than for others.

By cultivating Poison Cultivation, he might still live for a few more decades.

If he doesn't cultivate, by the time Zhu Yan emerges from seclusion, he won't have many days left to live.

Now, Zhou Er has reached the stage of choosing his Life-Bound Gu. After fusing with a Life-Bound Gu, he will obtain the minor Divine Ability that comes with it, and his cultivation speed can be further increased.

For example, Zhu Yan fused with a Blade Spider and can control spider silk as sharp as a blade.

It's a pity that Bashui City is not the Poison Dragon Cave's stronghold. There are no powerful poisonous insects here.

The Life-Bound Gu is crucial and cannot be chosen carelessly.

In the blink of an eye, another half a year passed. Before Zhou Er could find a suitable Life-Bound Gu, he heard that something had happened at Zhu Yan's place of seclusion.

Zhou Er went to check and saw Zhu Yan breaking out of her cocoon, holding a baby in her arms.

This baby is a little girl. Unlike Zhu Yan, she doesn't have a spider's lower body; she's just a normal child.

However, Zhou Er probed the child's spirit root with his Spiritual Sense, and it turned out to be a High-grade Wood Spirit Root.

"Baby, look, our child."

Zhu Yan looked at Zhou Er.

Zhou Er nervously moved closer. Seeing Zhu Yan's gentle expression, he didn't know what to say.

It seemed that Zhu Yan's seclusion was for this child.

"Isn't he cute?"

Zhu Yan said with a smile:

"We who cultivate the Witchcraft Gu Secret Art can hardly have offspring. I didn't expect you, baby, to give me such a great gift."

Afterward, Zhu Yan suddenly noticed the poisonous aura on Zhou Er, and her expression changed drastically:

"You actually cultivated the Witchcraft Gu Secret Art. Who told you to cultivate it?"

"I wanted to practice it myself."

Zhou Er said stubbornly.

Zhu Yan grabbed Zhou Er's neck with one hand and said fiercely:

"You dare to defy me. Who do you think you are?"

Zhou Er's face turned ashen as Zhu Yan choked him. He hesitated whether to use the Void Breaking attribute and escape first.

Just then, the child in Zhu Yan's arms started crying loudly.

Zhu Yan's angry expression immediately subsided. She released her grip on Zhou Er's neck and said:

"There, there, mommy was just playing with daddy. How could mommy kill your daddy."

Zhu Yan coaxed gently.

Seeing this, Zhou Er felt a sense of smugness, having gambled correctly. He hadn't expected this demoness to like children.

"Now that I'm in Bashui City, how can I not cultivate the Myriad Poison Heaven-Devouring Scripture?"

Zhou Er explained.

Zhu Yan ignored Zhou Er, flicking him away with a slap, and carefully took care of the little girl in her arms.

Only after coaxing the little girl to sleep did Zhu Yan place her on the spider web and come before Zhou Er, saying:

"You think I don't know what you're thinking? You just feel that since you've cultivated the Witchcraft Gu Secret Art, I can't do anything to you."

After speaking, Zhu Yan pulled Zhou Er into another room.

The spider web swayed all night, and Zhou Er lost some more cultivation.

However, fortunately, he could recover it all in a day now.

"If you behave and listen to me, I can spare your life. But as a price, your little wife won't be so lucky."

Zhu Yan touched Zhou Er's face and said threateningly.

Zhou Er was greatly alarmed and immediately said:

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt her, that's why I agreed to go with you."

"You also promised me you wouldn't practice the Witchcraft Gu Secret Art."

Zhu Yan said.

"I never said that."

Zhou Er said coldly.

Zhu Yan thought for a moment. Zhou Er indeed hadn't said that.

Even though she was wrong, she still showed no signs of backing down.

Zhou Er pondered for a long time, then pounced on Zhu Yan.

After a great battle, Zhu Yan was very satisfied and said:

"Alright, I promise you, I'll let her go first."

Afterward, Zhou Er received Zhu Yan's permission and went to see Gu Fan.

Gu Fan was still on Fanhua Island, but Fanhua Island was no longer full of flowers. Poisonous insects were raised everywhere, and poisonous grass was planted.

Gu Fan, who was originally the island master, had become an ordinary islander, toiling every day just to obtain the Heart-Eating Pill.

"Sister Fan."

Zhou Er called out when he saw Gu Fan feeding a poisonous scorpion with her own blood.

"Brother Er."

Gu Fan saw Zhou Er and thought she was hallucinating.

Zhou Er and Gu Fan talked a lot. Finally, he took out a Storage Bag and said:

"Sister Fan, this contains enough Heart-Eating Pills for the rest of your life. Take these and leave this place!"

Upon hearing Heart-Eating Pill, Gu Fan instinctively shivered. Hearing Zhou Er tell her to leave, Gu Fan felt infinite sadness.

"Brother Er, let's leave this cursed place together, okay?"

Gu Fan said, tears streaming down her face.

Zhou Er didn't speak, he just shook his head.

Gu Fan whispered a few words into Zhou Er's ear, then had Zhou Er leave.

After that, Zhou Er received news that Gu Fan had swallowed over a hundred Heart-Eating Pills in one go, was devoured by poisonous insects, and died in an explosion.

"Baby, who could have imagined she would do that? If you want to go down and accompany her, I'll send you right now!"

Seeing Zhou Er looking sad, Zhu Yan's emotions immediately got out of control. She had intended to comfort him, but ended up getting angry out of shame.

"I was thinking about what to fuse with my Life-Bound Gu."

Zhou Er said, looking into Zhu Yan's eyes.

"Baby, naturally you can fuse whatever you want with it."

Zhu Yan became gentle again.

Then, she looked at the little girl in her arms and said:

"Baby, what do you think our good girl should be named?"

"If you like calling her 'good girl', then call her 'good girl'."

Zhou Er said casually.

"That won't do, I must give her a good name."

Zhu Yan thought for a long time, and finally thought of the character Ying.

Thus, Zhou Er's first daughter was named Zhu Ying.

With Zhu Ying, Zhu Yan focused most of her energy on her, and paid less attention to Zhou Er.

Zhou Er also had opportunities to travel, and even got the chance to meet the Bone-Eating Devil Master.

After spending half a month, Zhou Er was brought to the Poison Dragon Cave's main camp.

To Zhou Er's surprise, the Bone-Eating Devil Master was an extremely beautiful female cultivator.

The Devil Master had a perfect figure, and was naked, with only her private parts covered by a centipede tattoo. Her temperament was quite languid.

"You are Zhu Yan's current beloved, indeed very handsome."

The Devil Master said, casting a charm spell on Zhou Er.

When he regained consciousness, his cultivation had returned to what it was when he first entered Foundation Establishment.

This Devil Master was too ruthless, but she did give Zhou Er compensation, which was an Azure Nether Poison Flood Dragon, which could become Zhou Er's new Life-Bound Gu.

Upon receiving the Azure Nether Poison Flood Dragon, Zhou Er did not delay for a moment. He found a secluded cave mansion in the Poison Dragon Cave and went into seclusion to refine it.

It took a month, and Zhou Er finally finished refining the Azure Nether Poison Flood Dragon. His cultivation increased greatly, and he visited the Devil Master Cave Mansion again.

His original intention was to express his gratitude, but in the end, he lost his cultivation.

The most crucial part was that Zhou Er had no recollection of it, completely losing the memory of that period.

Although he lost that memory, after this experience, Zhou Er completed the solidification progress for the Heart-Eating Pill.

[Hundred Poisons Immunity (Green): Immune to a small portion of poisons, poison resistance increased by 50%.]

[Solidification Condition: Endure one hundred types of poisons.]

The Devil Master was worthy of being called the Devil Master. He harbored countless poisons on his person. Zhou Er was poisoned severely with just a slight contact.

Fortunately, the Devil Master did not drain him dry.

After refining the Azure Nether Poison Flood Dragon, Zhou Er also gained two Divine Abilities.

One was Body Surface Adhering Scales, which could be used for self-defense, and the other was Azure Nether Poison, which had moderate power.

After refining his Life-Bound Gu, Zhou Er returned to Bashui City.

This was not because Zhou Er didn't want to escape, but because the disciples of the Poison Dragon Cave had all swallowed the Heart-Eating Pill and were controlled by the sect, making escape impossible.

After taking the Heart-Eating Pill, the Gu worm within the pill would firmly connect with the heart of the poison-taker, making it difficult to remove.

They also had to take another pill every month, otherwise, the heart Gu worm would erupt, leading to immediate death.

Moreover, Zhou Er was constantly monitored by people arranged by Zhu Yan, so he had no chance to escape.

Upon returning to Bashui City, Zhu Yan, holding Zhu Ying, greeted him with a smile.

Zhou Er was already numb. Returning to the City Lord Mansion, he was still treated as if under house arrest.

Most importantly, no matter how much Zhou Er cultivated, Zhu Yan would absorb it, attempting to control him indefinitely.

If this continued, Zhou Er would be completely at Zhu Yan's mercy.

The key was that Zhu Yan was not very generous to him. He had no Spirit Stones, and Zhu Yan would not give him any Magic Treasures or Magic Artifacts.

She was merely keeping him like a canary.

In this way, Zhou Er had no way to collect Attributes, and his Equipment Slot remained empty.

Furthermore, to avoid being drained dry, he needed to cultivate continuously.

Fortunately, there was always a way out.

One day, Zhou Er was wandering in the City Lord Mansion and saw a strange weed growing in the courtyard.

[Silver Moon Grass: A spiritual herb that absorbs Moonlight to grow.]

[Equipped Attributes: Moon Absorption (White)]

[Moon Absorption (White): Accommodates Moonlight, tempers the soul, refines the physical body, and sublimates spiritual sense.]

[Solidification Condition: Cultivate for one thousand hours under moonlight.]

[Equip?]

Although Zhou Er didn't know why this Silver Moon Grass grew here, having an extra attribute was naturally a good thing for him.

Especially since the effect of the Moon Absorption attribute looked very good.

Therefore, Zhou Er unhesitatingly pulled out the grass and placed it in his equipment slot.

After that, every time the moon rose, Zhou Er would come to the courtyard and cultivate under the moonlight.

As Zhu Ying grew, Zhu Yan's energy was absorbed by Zhu Ying, and her control over Zhou Er gradually weakened.

Two years later, although Zhou Er's physical body cultivation had hardly progressed under Zhu Yan's exploitation, his divine soul had continuously grown. Its coverage area had increased by nearly 50%, and the increase in soul strength was similar.

With such accumulation, even if his physical body died, his divine soul could roam freely, becoming a Ghost Cultivator.

Of course, there might not be a way to break free.

As Zhu Ying grew, Zhu Yan gradually relaxed her grip on him and treated him better and better.

At least on the surface, they truly looked like a harmonious couple.

But Zhou Er always remembered the humiliation of these years, waiting for the day he could turn the tables and let Zhu Yan know what it felt like to be a canary.

In the past two years, the disciples of Poison Dragon Cave had fought everywhere and had managed to establish a foothold in Chu State.

However, nearly half of the people in Bashui City had died. Some were sent to the battlefield, and some died inexplicably.

In comparison, Zhou Er, who could still live like a canary, was already considered quite lucky.

Although he didn't know when this kind of life would end, Zhou Er could cultivate using Moon Absorption in addition to his Poison Cultivation. He was making progress every day. If he could endure it slowly, perhaps he could escape through Zhu Ying once she was sensible.

On Zhu Ying's Third Birthday, Zhu Yan invited many fellow Daoists to Bashui City to celebrate Zhu Ying.

Among them were demonic persons from the Hehuan Sect.

Zhou Er saw a very beautiful Hehuan Sect cultivator from afar, who looked very familiar.

'Jiang Rui!'

Zhou Er remembered that extremely sinister Senior Brother from the Xiayun Sect.

Just as Zhou Er was wondering, the Hehuan Sect cultivator who looked very much like Jiang Rui arrived here hand in hand with his Dao Companion.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist."

'Jiang Rui's' Dao Companion congratulated him.

When they got closer, Zhou Er finally confirmed that this person was most likely Jiang Rui.

When Jiang Rui defected from the sect, he most likely went to the Hehuan Sect.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist."

Zhu Yan said with a chuckle.

The protagonist of this banquet was Zhu Ying. Zhou Er stood to the side, saying nothing.

Jiang Rui also seemed to notice Zhou Er and found an opportunity to approach him.

"Fellow Daoist, you look very much like one of my junior brothers."

Jiang Rui said softly.

His voice had become extremely effeminate, as if his Demonic Cultivation Method had achieved minor success.

"Senior Sister Jiang, I am Zhou Er."

Zhou Er communicated with Jiang Rui secretly using his Spiritual Sense.

"Junior Brother Zhou, it really is you."

Jiang Rui was very happy to reunite with Zhou Er.

"Senior Sister Jiang, your dream has come true. Congratulations."

Zhou Er congratulated him.

"No, I should be congratulating you, Junior Brother. You have such a beautiful Dao Companion and a lovely daughter. I heard your daughter has a High-grade Spirit Root. Truly enviable!"

Jiang Rui congratulated him using his Spiritual Sense.

"Senior Sister Jiang, I am currently being used as a Cauldron by Zhu Yan, and my cultivation has not advanced an inch in three years. Do you have any way to save me?"

Zhou Er knew that Jiang Rui was now mingling with the Hehuan Sect and seemed to hold a not-low position. Perhaps he could save him from his predicament.

"Junior Brother, how could this be? I thought Fellow Daoist Zhu treated you well?"

Jiang Rui said with some surprise.

"These are all illusions. To her, I am nothing more than a tool."

Zhou Er said helplessly.

"Junior Brother, my Dao Companion is only at the mid Golden Core stage, no match for your Dao Companion. Even if he were to appear, he might not be able to save you. However, I have an item that might be able to help you a little."

As Jiang Rui spoke, he took out a small ring from his Storage Ring.

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