Chapter 374

Chapter 374: Heartfelt Gu

This Second Level poison proved highly effective against this Foundation Establishment level cultivator skilled in concealment. Once contaminated, immense effort was required to purge it.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Luo intensified his attack.

All one could say was that the opponents’ choice to engage frontally was decidedly unwise.

In truth, the two assassins had exhausted every avenue to gather intelligence on the Foundation Establishment cultivators entering the ruins before initiating this strike.

Had Song Zhan and Shangguan Qianxue still been present, they would have absolutely avoided direct confrontation.

As for Zhou Luo…

Though he boasted the brilliant feat of killing two Foundation Establishment cultivators, one had just achieved the Foundation Establishment level, and the other, Qi Chuan, was on the verge of death. A true encounter with a warrior in the prime of Foundation Establishment power wouldn’t have been nearly so simple.

Furthermore, he was a second level Pill Master.

In the cultivation world, individuals usually skilled in specialized arts tended to possess relatively mediocre cultivation strength.

They devoted extensive time to honing their craft, leaving little for actual cultivation.

Thus, in the eyes of the two assassins, while Zhou Luo was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he wasn’t considered truly fearsome. It seemed highly likely his combat strength even fell short of theirs.

Had they witnessed Zhou Luo slaying Qi Chuan, they wouldn’t have entertained such thoughts.

Presently, however, they clearly hadn’t anticipated Zhou Luo possessing such diverse methods.

As the poisonous powder settled on him, the assassin no longer had time to remove it. Simultaneously, the opposing assault arrived with ferocious intensity.

Under these circumstances, he could only retreat step by step, desperate to find an opportunity for escape.

Yet Zhou Luo’s control over his techniques appeared seamlessly natural. He brandished his sword relentlessly, boundless sword intent surging forth. The keen sword light slashed through their robes, revealing large patches of bloodied flesh.

"You won’t escape."

Zhou Luo glanced over where Long Yunshuang was fiercely battling her opponent, and silently called forth Little White.

The moment Little White appeared, her alluring eyes, bright as gemstones, shimmered. Powerful Illusionary Power surged out, enveloping the assassin.

The scene before the killer distorted, causing his entire body to stiffen suddenly.

Zhou Luo seized the moment to strike. His Fu Yao magic sword descended with a thunderous force, severing the assassin’s head cleanly.

He had successfully eliminated this foe.

The other witness, shocked by the scene, immediately fled towards the side, not daring to linger any further.

Long Yunshuang, however, was determined not to let him escape. She swiftly pursued, and both vanished into a passageway, leaving the area behind.

Zhou Luo eyed the headless corpse before him and began searching its storage ring.

His most fervent desire was the dead man’s stealth technique manual. Acquiring such a skill would significantly bolster his own ability to conceal himself.

After completing the search, he lightly tapped his index finger. Flames descended, thoroughly incinerating the corpse to ashes.

Just as he prepared to find Long Yunshuang…

The spiritual symbol she had given him before they set out abruptly shattered.

Originally, this spiritual symbol had been entrusted to Zhou Luo by Long Yunshuang, intended for him to crush should he ever find himself in mortal peril.

Unexpectedly, it was him who shattered the spiritual symbol first.

Zhou Luo frowned. Logically, the opponent should have exhausted their ability to fight. Had they encountered another danger?

He swiftly moved down the passageway, wind seeming to stir beneath his feet.

As soon as he approached, he caught the smell of blood.

He gathered his magical power throughout his body and rushed forward. He then saw a graceful figure lying on the ground—it was Long Yunshuang.

At this moment, she leaned against the stone wall with a wound on her chest. Blood flowed over her fair skin, soaking her robe.

Her breath was weak, her face deathly pale, and her eyes tightly shut.

Zhou Luo approached. Long Yunshuang’s eyes suddenly flew open. Upon seeing it was Zhou Luo, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did this happen?" Zhou Luo crouched down and asked.

"The person used a secret method," Long Yunshuang answered weakly.

She had chased that person here, never expecting them to have another trump card. They managed to grievously wound her despite her using all her strength.

Of course, they had also suffered significant injuries. To survive, they chose not to linger and left immediately.

Zhou Luo understood instantly.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator wasn’t so easy to kill.

If Zhou Luo hadn’t possessed Little White as a hidden lethal move—twice catching the opponent in a momentary stupor—he probably wouldn’t have disposed of them so cleanly either.

Long Yunshuang was a glaring example of this.

Without other means to restrain the enemy, she had to endure every trick they employed, ending up in this state.

"Do you have any healing potion on you?" Long Yunshuang asked solemnly.

Although she had prepared potions, those had mostly been exhausted during her entry here.

The only remaining elixirs held little effect for her current condition.

She pinned her hopes on Zhou Luo, a second level Pill Master.

The contract existed, so she trusted him not to stand by and do nothing.

A glint flashed in Zhou Luo’s eyes.

He indeed possessed healing potions, but a different thought now arose in his mind.

"My potions are also mostly depleted. However, I obtained a Gu insect that can heal," Zhou Luo stated suddenly.

He naturally meant the Heartfelt Gu.

Though this Heartfelt Gu might not have a strong effect on her—certainly wouldn’t make her devoted to him—using it to possibly raise her regard could ease his future endeavors.

After all, he would supplement it with other potions later; healing her shouldn’t be an issue.

"Are you certain?" Long Yunshuang asked weakly.

Her injury flared again just then; the fierce energy lingering in her chest brought a tearing, intense pain.

At this moment, she had no choice but to trust him.

Besides, she knew he had indeed studied Gu techniques and assumed he must possess some skill.

"Yes. Leave it to me."

Zhou Luo took out a Gu insect, placed it on his palm, and moved it near her chest wound.

Under the guidance of his consciousness, the Gu crawled slowly towards the injury, its entire body emitting a faint glow.

"Hmm…"

As the Gu vanished into the wound, Long Yunshuang let out a soft sigh.

A white glow enveloped the wound site.

The Heartfelt Gu had already entered her body through her meridians.

Seizing the moment unnoticed, Zhou Luo quietly ingested the mother insect himself.

"Apologies, friend Long."

He then reached out and steadied her slender jade-like arm, positioning her upright. He began channeling magical power to mend her internal injuries, also feeding her a pill.

The process went quickly. Soon, warmth spread through Long Yunshuang’s body, and a peculiar sensation stirred within her heart.

Especially when gazing into his deep, penetrating eyes, an inexplicable feeling of vague, fluttering agitation arose unexpectedly.

This sensation came suddenly, catching her completely unprepared.

Consequently, she had no choice but to close her eyes.

Seeing this, Zhou Luo knew the Heartfelt Gu had taken effect.

He was in no hurry, continuing to heal her injuries.

This was merely groundwork for the future; building rapport with someone of royal background favored his own progress.

Yet he remained acutely aware: deep involvement was unwise.

Her recent assassination attempt clearly involved complex circumstances beneath the surface.

Maintaining a normal, companionable relationship would suffice.