Mists veiled the mountain peak. Atop it, a fierce and terrifying Blood Jade Spider perched, its body shining with a sinister red glow. In its pupils, there reflected a spirit pool, clear as a mirror, and a white-robed maiden sitting by its side, her hands wrapped around her knees. The girl had delicate features and an ethereal temperament, her black hair cascading loosely down her back, staring into the spirit pool at her own reflection, lost in tranquility. Your next read is at freewebnovel After a long while, the girl came back to herself with a slight sigh. With her hands, she gently stirred the water, causing ripples to dance across the calm surface of the pool. Then, the maiden slipped off her embroidered shoes and stockings, revealing a pair of delicate, round feet, white as uncarved jade. As her toes gently touched the water, the instant they met the surface, they playfully curled, casting tiny ripples. The sparkling water flowed, enveloping the girl’s fair and lustrous feet, covering her delicate and exquisite ankles, bringing a look of contentment to her face. Suddenly, the girl playfully wiggled her feet in the water, causing droplets to sprinkle out like round, glistening beads. Under the sunlight, her snow-white feet in the shimmering pool water looked like treasures agleam, crystal clear. "Xiao Chan." At that moment, not far away, a devastatingly beautiful woman with a seductive face, previously sitting with closed eyes, opened her eyes and stood up, calling out softly to the girl. She wore a gorgeous purple dress that draped over a figure sinuously seductive, with curves that were nothing short of stunning. Proud and supreme, her bosom was difficult to contain, and her waist was slender and willowy, barely a handful when grasped. Beneath that slender waist, the lines shifted dramatically, showcasing her round and voluptuous rear, explosively seductive. Though the woman bore a seductive allure throughout her being, her eyes held a commanding presence that was intimidating. She emitted an icy, overbearing elegance, a regal authority that made others feel shamed before her. "Master?" Meng Xiaochan, hearing her master’s voice, turned her head to look at Nangong Mili. Seeing her master’s proud bearing, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy. "Xiao Chan, it’s time to go," Nangong Mili released a breath, gazing towards the horizon, she spoke. Her slender phoenix eyes glimmered with an entrancing magic. "Master, have you recovered?" Meng Xiaochan pressed her lips together and inquired with concern upon hearing this. "I have recovered around seventy to eighty percent. Staying here for a full recovery would take too much time…" Nangong Mili took a deep breath, her chest rising proudly as she spoke softly. In her voice, her palm unconsciously stroked her flat belly. She knew that if she continued to recuperate, the child within her would eventually affect her strength. Should danger arise, it would be exceedingly troublesome. Moreover, she was acutely aware that the Lockheart Gu was subtly influencing her. Thus, she needed to return to the Five Poisons Cult in Jin Kingdom at the earliest. Only back at the cult could she give birth to the child in peace. Only then would she have the conditions to give her child an advantage even in the womb. Additionally, the Five Poisons Cult’s unique gu insect—the Phoenix Gu—possessed the effect of "rebirth from ashes, washing away all blemishes." It had the power to counter the effects of the Lockheart Gu. Thinking of how under the influence of the Lockheart Gu, she developed feelings for Lu Changsheng in spite of all his demeaning treatment and trampling, Nangong Mili couldn’t help but feel a surge of shame, anger, and murderous intent, wishing to flay and dismember Lu Changsheng. Even if Nangong Mili were to fall in love with someone, it would never be in such a manner! "That dog of a man must possess a certain peerless Taoist body," she mused. "Otherwise, with his mere Foundation Establishment Cultivation, he definitely shouldn’t have such ability…" Nangong Mili’s beautiful eyes narrowed, emitting a chilling clarity, as she recalled how Lu Changsheng healed her with the Yin Yang Energies. Her True Elixir, nourished by Lu Changsheng, had begun to manifest a trace of the Golden Core Charm. She resolved that once she had fully recovered and dealt with the Lockheart Gu, she would capture that dog of a man, Lu Changsheng, and bring him back to the Five Poisons Cult. To humiliate him in every possible way, compelling him to nourish her Golden Core! Not only would this be her revenge, but it would also elevate her True Elixir to the Immortal Golden Core! But as she thought about the process of nurturing the Golden Core, she recalled those times she wished to forget, and resentment tinged her slender phoenix eyes, her heart fluttering with indefinable agitation and her emotions churning. "Huff!" Nangong Mili steadied her tumultuous emotions. Looking at the Misty Sky Bead within her, her lovely lips pursed slightly, and her body surged with a glow. She transformed into a charming and graceful lady. But the seductive and bewitching temperament that pervaded her vanished without trace. "Let’s go," she said to her disciple Meng Xiaochan in a soft voice. Though she knew that her affliction with the Lockheart Gu was related to Meng Xiaochan, she understood that Meng Xiaochan was even more deeply affected by the gu. Her actions were understandable under those circumstances. Moreover, the fact that Meng Xiaochan managed to confess about the Lockheart Gu to her master indicated that her feelings for her master were not weaker than the gu’s effects. In such a situation, she naturally wouldn’t blame Meng Xiaochan too harshly. "Yes, Master," Meng Xiaochan, seeing her own master’s transformation, promptly gathered up the Formation. Then, she touched the purple bracelet on her wrist, causing her appearance and temperament to change. Soon after, the two of them rode a Cloud Veil, turned into a streak of light, and vanished from the mountaintop. ... Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. During this time, Lu Changsheng had his concubines bear his children and then began his seclusion to cultivate and forge the Ninety-Nine Mysterious True Strategy. This artifact was exceedingly complex, even more so than the ’Seven Luminaries Heart Lamp,’ which was his Life-bound Magic Treasure.