Inside the guest hall of the Longevity Chamber of Commerce, Shen Lian sat calmly across from Gu Luoqing, gently waving his folding fan.
“Fellow Daoist Shen, how exactly do you wish to cooperate with the Longevity Chamber?”
Shen Lian replied directly, “Take back everything the Longevity Chamber has lost to the World Auction Chamber over the years. And what you need to do is simply fulfill all my demands—nothing more.”
Gu Luoqing frowned slightly and studied Shen Lian closely, as if meeting him for the first time.
Since a while ago, the familiar air of simpering subservience around him had vanished. In its place was an unprecedented confidence and composure.
Could it be… this simp had finally awakened?
“Fellow Daoist Shen, may I ask you something?”
“Spare me the nonsense. Idle chatter is a waste of time—think carefully before you speak.”
Seeing his arrogant attitude, Gu Luoqing took a deep breath and asked seriously, “Why have you suddenly turned against Su Yuheng?”
“What does that have to do with our cooperation?” Shen Lian retorted.
Gu Luoqing said, “Nothing, I’m just curious. Just a few days ago, you were still completely under her thumb… why the sudden change? If you’re just trying to make her jealous, using me to pressure her into remembering your worth, then fine—I can play along in this act with you…”
Shen Lian’s gaze grew cold. “I don’t have time to play your petty games. Between Su Yuheng and me, it’s already a battle to the death. The moment I slaughtered everyone in the World Auction Chamber in Wushuang City, there was no going back. Does that answer shut your tiresome mouth?”
Gu Luoqing was stunned. “You… killed everyone in the World Auction Chamber?”
A flash of displeasure crossed Shen Lian’s face. “Just a group of ants. Is it really worth your shock?”
Unable to believe it, Gu Luoqing immediately swept her Divine Sense across Wushuang City.
Sure enough, what reflected back was a scene of utter ruin—the World Auction Chamber had become a pile of rubble.
“You… you’ve truly made up your mind?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. And don’t test my patience!”
Gu Luoqing closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and clenched her pale fists.
After a long pause, she opened her eyes. “So you finally saw those seven Senior Sisters for what they are. I thought you’d keep sinking, letting them drain you dry until you were worthless.”
Shen Lian raised his teacup and took a slow sip.
“Everything those seven sluts have… was given to them by me. If I could raise them to the summit, I can drag them back down into the mud. The pathetic, weak Shen Lian you once knew is dead. The one sitting before you now is someone who has survived a brush with death and vowed to reach the peak of the Great Dao.
No one… no one can stop me from ascending. And before that, I’ll clean up all the worldly trash.”
“Well said.”
Gu Luoqing nodded in approval.
“As cultivators, we should strive for the pinnacle, not waste time on those who aren’t worth it. Fellow Daoist Shen, forgive my earlier offense.”
With that, she waved her sleeve. A pot of premium spiritual wine and some rare spirit fruits appeared on the table.
She filled both cups and raised hers. “This drink, to honor your rebirth through fire.”
Shen Lian also lifted his cup. “Then let it be for the success of our cooperation.”
After setting the cup down, Shen Lian placed a 6th-grade Vitalhorn Pill on the table.
“Do you have a pill furnace suitable for refining upper-grade pills?”
Gu Luoqing blinked. “Why do you need a pill furnace?”
“To refine pills.”
“You… know how to refine pills?”
Gu Luoqing was surprised. In her memory, Shen Lian had zero aptitude for pill refining.
“You ask too much. Just answer—do you have one or not?”
Glancing at the pill on the table, she hesitated, then asked quietly, “Are you poisoned?”
“Yes.” Shen Lian didn’t hide it.
“A slow-acting poison those seven sluts gave me. If not expelled soon, it’ll damage my foundation—or worse, take my life. I need to enhance this pill, and I need a quiet place to do it. I don’t want any interruptions for the next three days.”
“You’ll have it. I just happen to have a furnace available. Do you need any extra ingredients?”
“No need. Just take me to the furnace. I don’t want any disturbances for three days.”
“Understood. Follow me.”
Since they were now working together, Gu Luoqing did her best to accommodate. She immediately led him into the bamboo forest behind the estate, where the alchemy room was located.
…
Meanwhile, standing amidst the ruins of the World Auction Chamber, Su Yuheng unleashed her Divine Sense to search for Shen Lian.
But after stepping into the Void Refining Realm, Shen Lian had used a divine technique to conceal his presence. Unless he allowed it, no one could locate him.
After several failed sweeps, Su Yuheng flew into a rage.
“Impossible! That trash was only in the Spirit Transformation Realm—how could he escape my 3rd stage Primordial Unity Realm Divine Sense?”
“Damn it, Shen Lian! Why would you do this to me? How dare you, you worthless worm!”
“Don’t let me find you! This time, no more forgiveness!”
“I was going to spare your life out of gratitude for all the times you helped me… let you live as a worm in the mortal world. But now, I’ll drain your blood to nourish Ye Fan!”
“You won’t escape! You can’t escape!”
She stood there in a fit of helpless fury. With a single stomp, the entire ruin of the World Auction Chamber disintegrated into powder, scattering into the air like ashes.
Even then, she couldn’t quell the rage burning inside her.
Suddenly, her eyes shifted toward the Longevity Chamber of Commerce, ten streets away.
“Gu Luoqing… you must be pleased with yourself, right? So many died in the World Auction Chamber this time—the compensation in spirit stones alone will cost billions. You’re probably hiding somewhere, laughing smugly to yourself.
She pulled out a jade token and crushed it instantly.
Within seconds, two mist-shrouded figures descended from the sky.
“President, your orders?”
“Come with me. We’re going to the Longevity Chamber of Commerce. If I’m not having a good time, that bitch Gu Luoqing isn’t going to either!”
With that, she turned into a streak of green light and shot toward the Longevity Chamber of Commerce.
The two subordinates, also Void Refining Realm cultivators, immediately followed behind in mist form.
…
Inside the Longevity Chamber’s pill room—
“Fellow Daoist Shen, this is the alchemy room of our Longevity Chamber. There are six pill furnaces here—you may use any of them freely.”
Shen Lian listened to Gu Luoqing’s introduction while eyeing the six neatly arranged furnaces. He gently waved his fan and fell into deep thought.
These furnaces, by normal standards, were high-grade. But compared to the Fortune-grade furnaces Shen Lian had used before, they were utterly unimpressive.
“Nothing better than this?”
Hearing his question, Gu Luoqing’s expression became a bit odd.
“There was a better one, but…”
“But what?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “Back in the Alchemy Sage Secret Realm, the Imperial-grade Heaven and Earth Cauldron… was taken from the Longevity Chamber by you and Mu Yaoguang, together.”
Shen Lian was speechless. That memory surfaced in his mind.
It was truly karma. After all, his body had been possessed by a simp’s soul for centuries.
But what use was regret now?
“Forget it. Leave me. These will do for now.”
“Alright!”
Just as she replied, Gu Luoqing sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching from afar.
“Fellow Daoist Shen, I have something to take care of. You may use this place freely.”
With that, she flew off toward the end of the bamboo forest.
Shen Lian stared at the furnaces before him and frowned deeply.
“Damn it… I’ve gotten used to using the Human Emperor Cauldron with the Great Dao Alchemy Hand. Now just looking at this scrap metal makes me lose motivation!”
“Whatever. I’ll make do for now. Once I reach the Tribulation Crossing Realm, I can use the Human Emperor Cauldron again.”