Mo Qianqian froze. A deal? Wasn't he about to...
"Well, well, now that you're in the hands of Grandpa Ye," Ye Hao's eyes roved lecherously over Mo Qianqian's pretty face and enticing figure, "should I do this first, then that, or maybe that first, then this?" His gaze lingered on her ample chest.
Mo Qianqian's heart trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and her lips turned blue with fear.
Is she really that easily scared? Ye Hao mused. He felt like a villainous wolf, but considering she was a disciple of the prestigious Zixia Sect, at the sixth level of the Fetal Breath stage, she was a top young cultivator. Her mental fortitude, however, was disappointingly weak. Likely, her elders pampered her too much. Cultivation was inherently a defiance of heaven, fraught with dangers. Without an unbreakable Dao heart, how could one seek the elusive Dao and gain its acknowledgment?
Reflecting on his own journey in the Vast Heaven Secret Realm, from a novice to the eighth level of the Tribulation stage, his hands had been stained with blood, and his heart had been tempered through countless trials. Without a firm Dao heart, one might forcefully reach the Foundation stage but could never attain the Golden Core Dao.
"What... what kind of deal?" Mo Qianqian managed to ask, her voice still trembling, but her demeanor calmer than before. She had somewhat suppressed her inner fear.
Ye Hao smiled slightly. It seemed his scare had helped her a bit.
"You'll introduce me to the Yanxia Sect—no menial chores—and since the Yanxia Sect is famous for alchemy and cultivating spiritual herbs, you'll gather the sixty-six herbs I need," Ye Hao said. His plan was carefully thought out. To abolish his cultivation and rebuild his body veins, he needed a safe place with easy access to the required herbs. Entering the Yanxia Sect was the perfect solution.
"That's not difficult, but since it's a deal, what do you offer in return?" Mo Qianqian asked. Her voice lacked confidence, but she mustered the courage to speak.
"Ha! Not bad, negotiating with Grandpa Ye. Fine, I won't take advantage of you. If you agree, I'll help you stabilize your Dao foundation, cultivate your Dao heart, and ensure you reach the Foundation stage within a year," Ye Hao boasted arrogantly.
Mo Qianqian inwardly scoffed. Her parents had said it would take at least two years for her to reach the Foundation stage. She tried to hide her skepticism, but her lack of experience made her thoughts obvious to Ye Hao, who struggled not to laugh.
"Deal!" Mo Qianqian declared, lifting her chin."A deal? Ha! We'll see about that," Mo Qianqian thought to herself. "Once we get back to the Yanxia Sect, I'll have my parents capture you."
Ye Hao smacked his lips and grinned mischievously. "Alright, since we've struck a deal, Grandpa Ye will lift your restriction. But to prevent any funny business once we're back at the sect, I'm going to place another restriction on you. This one's my special technique—even your sect leader, Cui Xia Zhenren, won't detect it. But you'll feel it. If you try anything funny, your energy will reverse flow, making you act crazy. You'll strip naked, roll in the mud, tear out your hair, your skin will crack, your heart will burst, and your insides will explode out of your chest. Quite the spectacle, don't you think?"
Mo Qianqian turned pale at the thought, her stomach churning.
Ye Hao chuckled, extending his hand towards her chest. Seeing her tense expression, he said, "Relax, it's not about taking advantage of you—just part of the restriction technique. Besides, there's nothing much to take advantage of anyway."
Well, that was somewhat true. Ye Hao's current abilities didn't allow him to place restrictions from a distance.
Mo Qianqian's face flushed with anger. "Nothing to take advantage of? Who was it that grabbed my butt during the chaos...?"
Before she could finish the thought, Ye Hao's hands moved like lightning over her chest and abdomen, making her dizzy with his quick, precise movements.
"Ah!" Mo Qianqian yelped, jumping up and forming a hand seal to launch an attack.
But she paused, realizing the restriction was lifted. She could move again. However, she felt a strange sensation around her heart, like it was being gripped tightly. When she tried to probe with her energy, her heart felt like it was being squeezed painfully, making it hard to breathe.
This test convinced Mo Qianqian that Ye Hao had indeed placed a unique restriction on her, leaving her dejected. Was she really going to be controlled by this rogue? The thought of the terrifying scenario Ye Hao described sent chills down her spine—death would be preferable.
"How does it feel? You can have Cui Xia Zhenren check it when you return. If she discovers it, I'll admit defeat. If not, you know what to do." Ye Hao laughed heartily, like an old fox.
Mo Qianqian stomped her foot, grabbed her cold iron sword, and stored it in her pouch.
With nightfall approaching and no nearby town in sight, even with a flying artifact, they decided to find a cave to spend the night and head to the Yanxia Sect in the morning.
Mo Qianqian was tense, fearing Ye Hao might turn into a wolf and devour her, a tender lamb, in the night. After all, Ye Hao was infamous in the Shenzhou cultivation world, mainly for flirting with Xiao Qingluan, the beloved daughter of the Lotus Sect leader—a dream girl for many male cultivators.
Ignoring Mo Qianqian, Ye Hao sat cross-legged at the cave entrance, seemingly meditating. In truth, he had nothing to cultivate; he was pondering the Skyward Immortal Technique, which was crucial for his future.
The more he delved into it, the more profound it seemed. Every time he felt he had grasped something, he realized it was just the surface—deeper secrets awaited discovery.
"Following one's nature gives birth to the Dao. Act naturally, and everything becomes the Dao…" Ye Hao repeatedly recited. As an expert at the eighth level of the Tribulation stage, his understanding of the Dao was deep, but the Skyward Technique's Dao was elusive, like the night wind—tangible yet ungraspable.
After a night of contemplation, the eastern sky began to lighten.
Ye Hao stood up, and Mo Qianqian inside the cave instantly woke, alert.
"Hey, hand over those talismans you used to ambush me last time," Ye Hao said. The poor sap he possessed might have been weak, but his escape skills were decent. He was cornered by Mo Qianqian's talismans that scattered his energy and tracked his location.