"Cultivated later in life?" Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "How can one achieve that?"
Wei Haolong looked at Shu Han strangely, "Although I like dressing as a woman, you can't really treat me like a female cultivator! How would I know how to cultivate a Bewitching Body? Even if you asked other female cultivators, they probably wouldn't know!"
Taking a sip of his wine, Shu Han remarked, "True, seeing you complain about not having enough alluring qualities every day if you knew how to cultivate a Bewitching Body, you would've started long ago."
Wei Haolong huffed, "Nonsense! Stop making baseless assumptions!"
Shu Han continued, "What are the advantages of having a Bewitching Body?"
"Advantages?" Wei Haolong paused, "If you're talking about cultivation benefits, there probably aren't any. After all, the primary ability of the Bewitching Body is to attract male cultivators. From what I remember, Bewitching Bodies that come into the world don't end well. They often cause male cultivators to fight over them, especially in this male-dominated world. This physique seems more like a curse, destined to be toys for powerful male cultivators."
Shu Han frowned, "Then why would the Gu sisters want to cultivate such a physique?"
"Perhaps they wanted to attach themselves to a Core Formation cultivator, saving decades of hard cultivation. After all, the only apparent benefit of cultivating the Bewitching Body seems to be this."
Shu Han contemplated. He had a brief encounter with the Gu sisters before and felt they possessed a fearless attitude, not appearing as the kind of women who'd rely on Core Formation cultivators. But why then, would they cultivate the Bewitching Body?
Wei Haolong interjected, breaking Shu Han's contemplation, "Brother Shu, seeing that you've already broken through to the later stages, you must've been in closed-door cultivation?"
Shu Han gave a wry smile and shared how Elder Lu wanted to capture him for alchemical purposes. Hearing this, Wei Haolong was so shocked his jaw almost dropped.
He exclaimed, "A year ago, the Sect Leader suddenly announced Elder Lu's demise and held a grand funeral for him. Everyone thought that old man had reached the end of his life, turns out you were behind his death!"
Shu Han laughed, "He was gravely injured by the mad elder only then could I finish him off. How could I possibly defeat a Core Formation cultivator on my own?"
Wei Haolong clicked his tongue in amazement, "Still, you managed to survive in that old man's alchemical furnace! How did you do it?"
Speaking of this, Shu Han expressed gratitude, "I have to thank you for that."
Stretching out his hand, a mysterious array appeared in his palm. Wei Haolong frowned deeply upon seeing it, "This formation seems so familiar... It looks like the Pure Ice Formation of the Feiry Cloud Onsen!"
Shu Han nodded, "It was fortunate that you introduced me to the Pure Ice Formation. During a life-and-death situation, I grasped the essence of the Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation. Otherwise, I would have become a lost soul in Elder Lu's furnace!"
Shu Han then stood up, toasted Wei Haolong, and placed a dozen bottles of Clear Bright Spiritual Eye elixir on the table.
"This is a five-year supply of the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye elixir. I'm giving it all to you now as a token of my gratitude!"
Wei Haolong, looking at the row of elixirs, commented, "You're truly extraordinary, Shu Han. To comprehend such a formation under those dire circumstances is commendable! Since you're so sincere, I won't hold back either. I'll give you the entire invisibility technique!"
With that, he slapped a thin silver booklet onto the table in front of Shu Han and returned the toast.
Picking up the booklet, Shu Han read the bold title: "Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique."
Recalling the transparent figure he saw in the Fiery Cloud Heavenly Tomb, he asked, "Does anyone else from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect know this Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique?"
Wei Haolong shook his head, "No. I acquired this technique by sheer luck during my travels. Aside from you, I've taught no one else."
Furrowing his brows, Shu Han said, "That's odd. In the Fiery Cloud Heavenly Tomb, I saw a transparent figure. It felt very similar to your Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique. But this person was even more formidable; even my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique couldn't see through them!"
"Such an occurrence?" Wei Haolong pondered, "The Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique isn't as wondrous as your Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique. If that person truly mastered the technique, they must've perfected it; otherwise, they wouldn't have escaped your gaze."
After speculating for a while and coming up with no conclusions, Shu Han decided not to dwell on it. He changed the topic, "Brother Wei, there are two more hours until midnight. Can you take me to the Fiery Cloud Onsen again?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
Wei Haolong shook his head.
Shu Han asked with surprise, "Why?"
Wei Haolong explained, "As you know, the Pure Ice Formation leads directly to the heavenly-level spring. Strangely enough, this heavenly onsen, which used to be mostly deserted, is now occupied by a group led by Meng Shuran. Going in now would create too much commotion, and we risk being discovered. Even though those girls wouldn't be able to catch either of us, if we keep intruding like this, the elders of the sect would eventually take notice. Once they seal this entrance, we'll lose more than we gain."
Shu Han exclaimed, "The entrance fee to the heavenly onsen is three hundred contributions a day. Can they even afford it?"
Wei Haolong replied, "Not only can they afford it, but they're practically renting out the entire place! It must be a perk from the higher-ups in the sect."
Shu Han was left speechless.
Wei Haolong grumbled, "Taking in these enchantresses must be for the personal pleasure of those elders. Otherwise, why would they get to monopolize the heavenly onsen? These old geezers, after achieving Core Formation, just become complacent. Relying on their extended lifespans, they spend their days indulging in luxuries, surrounding themselves with delicate female cultivators and lacking ambition. Damn, why haven't I reached Core Formation yet?”
Shu Han replied sarcastically, "I bet you also want to spend your days in pleasure and frivolity." He then continued, "No worries, I actually don't want to visit the Fiery Cloud Onsen. I want to study the Pure Ice Formation again. I believe my understanding of the formation is still superficial. I need to study it further to perfect it."
"Alright then," Wei Haolong stood up. "Come with me."
Shu Han stood as well and teasingly said, "Brother Wei, we never concluded our battle the other day. How about another round?"
Seeing Shu Han's eagerness, Wei Haolong stepped back in alarm, hastily waving his hands, "No way! Fighting you was tough enough when you were at the mid-stage. Now that you've progressed, I doubt I could win. Besides, with your strong comprehension skills, what if you learn my family's Heavenly Fire Dominating Break during our fight? My father would kill me!"
Watching Wei Haolong's apprehensive demeanor, Shu Han sighed, "Why the fear? Given that you're ranked in the top three of the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard, we're bound to face each other in the Heavenly Fire Arena eventually."
Hearing this, Wei Haolong sighed deeply, "I nearly forgot about the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard contest two years later. I barely secured third place last time. With you in the mix now, it's even tougher. Oh my god! If I don't make the cut, how am I going to face my father?"
Shu Han mocked, "With such a cowardly mindset, it's no wonder you fear not making the cut. To become stronger, besides improving your cultivation, you need to hone your skills in battle."
Unable to retort, Wei Haolong simply sighed, "I'm not in the mood today. Next time for sure. Let's go!"
"Cultivated later in life?" Shu Han couldn't help but ask, "How can one achieve that?"
Wei Haolong looked at Shu Han strangely, "Although I like dressing as a woman, you can't really treat me like a female cultivator! How would I know how to cultivate a Bewitching Body? Even if you asked other female cultivators, they probably wouldn't know!"
Taking a sip of his wine, Shu Han remarked, "True, seeing you complain about not having enough alluring qualities every day if you knew how to cultivate a Bewitching Body, you would've started long ago."
Wei Haolong huffed, "Nonsense! Stop making baseless assumptions!"
Shu Han continued, "What are the advantages of having a Bewitching Body?"
"Advantages?" Wei Haolong paused, "If you're talking about cultivation benefits, there probably aren't any. After all, the primary ability of the Bewitching Body is to attract male cultivators. From what I remember, Bewitching Bodies that come into the world don't end well. They often cause male cultivators to fight over them, especially in this male-dominated world. This physique seems more like a curse, destined to be toys for powerful male cultivators."
Shu Han frowned, "Then why would the Gu sisters want to cultivate such a physique?"
"Perhaps they wanted to attach themselves to a Core Formation cultivator, saving decades of hard cultivation. After all, the only apparent benefit of cultivating the Bewitching Body seems to be this."
Shu Han contemplated. He had a brief encounter with the Gu sisters before and felt they possessed a fearless attitude, not appearing as the kind of women who'd rely on Core Formation cultivators. But why then, would they cultivate the Bewitching Body?
Wei Haolong interjected, breaking Shu Han's contemplation, "Brother Shu, seeing that you've already broken through to the later stages, you must've been in closed-door cultivation?"
Shu Han gave a wry smile and shared how Elder Lu wanted to capture him for alchemical purposes. Hearing this, Wei Haolong was so shocked his jaw almost dropped.
He exclaimed, "A year ago, the Sect Leader suddenly announced Elder Lu's demise and held a grand funeral for him. Everyone thought that old man had reached the end of his life, turns out you were behind his death!"
Shu Han laughed, "He was gravely injured by the mad elder only then could I finish him off. How could I possibly defeat a Core Formation cultivator on my own?"
Wei Haolong clicked his tongue in amazement, "Still, you managed to survive in that old man's alchemical furnace! How did you do it?"
Speaking of this, Shu Han expressed gratitude, "I have to thank you for that."
Stretching out his hand, a mysterious array appeared in his palm. Wei Haolong frowned deeply upon seeing it, "This formation seems so familiar... It looks like the Pure Ice Formation of the Feiry Cloud Onsen!"
Shu Han nodded, "It was fortunate that you introduced me to the Pure Ice Formation. During a life-and-death situation, I grasped the essence of the Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation. Otherwise, I would have become a lost soul in Elder Lu's furnace!"
Shu Han then stood up, toasted Wei Haolong, and placed a dozen bottles of Clear Bright Spiritual Eye elixir on the table.
"This is a five-year supply of the Clear Bright Spiritual Eye elixir. I'm giving it all to you now as a token of my gratitude!"
Wei Haolong, looking at the row of elixirs, commented, "You're truly extraordinary, Shu Han. To comprehend such a formation under those dire circumstances is commendable! Since you're so sincere, I won't hold back either. I'll give you the entire invisibility technique!"
With that, he slapped a thin silver booklet onto the table in front of Shu Han and returned the toast.
Picking up the booklet, Shu Han read the bold title: "Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique."
Recalling the transparent figure he saw in the Fiery Cloud Heavenly Tomb, he asked, "Does anyone else from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect know this Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique?"
Wei Haolong shook his head, "No. I acquired this technique by sheer luck during my travels. Aside from you, I've taught no one else."
Furrowing his brows, Shu Han said, "That's odd. In the Fiery Cloud Heavenly Tomb, I saw a transparent figure. It felt very similar to your Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique. But this person was even more formidable; even my Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique couldn't see through them!"
"Such an occurrence?" Wei Haolong pondered, "The Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique isn't as wondrous as your Clear Bright Spiritual Eye technique. If that person truly mastered the technique, they must've perfected it; otherwise, they wouldn't have escaped your gaze."
After speculating for a while and coming up with no conclusions, Shu Han decided not to dwell on it. He changed the topic, "Brother Wei, there are two more hours until midnight. Can you take me to the Fiery Cloud Onsen again?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
Wei Haolong shook his head.
Shu Han asked with surprise, "Why?"
Wei Haolong explained, "As you know, the Pure Ice Formation leads directly to the heavenly-level spring. Strangely enough, this heavenly onsen, which used to be mostly deserted, is now occupied by a group led by Meng Shuran. Going in now would create too much commotion, and we risk being discovered. Even though those girls wouldn't be able to catch either of us, if we keep intruding like this, the elders of the sect would eventually take notice. Once they seal this entrance, we'll lose more than we gain."
Shu Han exclaimed, "The entrance fee to the heavenly onsen is three hundred contributions a day. Can they even afford it?"
Wei Haolong replied, "Not only can they afford it, but they're practically renting out the entire place! It must be a perk from the higher-ups in the sect."
Shu Han was left speechless.
Wei Haolong grumbled, "Taking in these enchantresses must be for the personal pleasure of those elders. Otherwise, why would they get to monopolize the heavenly onsen? These old geezers, after achieving Core Formation, just become complacent. Relying on their extended lifespans, they spend their days indulging in luxuries, surrounding themselves with delicate female cultivators and lacking ambition. Damn, why haven't I reached Core Formation yet?”
Shu Han replied sarcastically, "I bet you also want to spend your days in pleasure and frivolity." He then continued, "No worries, I actually don't want to visit the Fiery Cloud Onsen. I want to study the Pure Ice Formation again. I believe my understanding of the formation is still superficial. I need to study it further to perfect it."
"Alright then," Wei Haolong stood up. "Come with me."
Shu Han stood as well and teasingly said, "Brother Wei, we never concluded our battle the other day. How about another round?"
Seeing Shu Han's eagerness, Wei Haolong stepped back in alarm, hastily waving his hands, "No way! Fighting you was tough enough when you were at the mid-stage. Now that you've progressed, I doubt I could win. Besides, with your strong comprehension skills, what if you learn my family's Heavenly Fire Dominating Break during our fight? My father would kill me!"
Watching Wei Haolong's apprehensive demeanor, Shu Han sighed, "Why the fear? Given that you're ranked in the top three of the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard, we're bound to face each other in the Heavenly Fire Arena eventually."
Hearing this, Wei Haolong sighed deeply, "I nearly forgot about the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard contest two years later. I barely secured third place last time. With you in the mix now, it's even tougher. Oh my god! If I don't make the cut, how am I going to face my father?"
Shu Han mocked, "With such a cowardly mindset, it's no wonder you fear not making the cut. To become stronger, besides improving your cultivation, you need to hone your skills in battle."
Unable to retort, Wei Haolong simply sighed, "I'm not in the mood today. Next time for sure. Let's go!"
