"Cooperation?" Elder Gu appeared momentarily confused by Chen An's proposal.
"Elder Gu, you've been extracting the blood essence of servants, likely to extend your lifespan. Let me ask you this—wouldn't the blood essence of cultivators be far more effective than that of mere mortals?"
With just one sentence, Chen An managed to fully capture Elder Gu's attention.
"What do you mean by that?" Elder Gu stared intently at Chen An.
"It's simple," Chen An replied with a faint smile, deliberately slowing his speech for emphasis. "If I act as your insider and lure outer sect disciples—or even inner sect disciples—here, you could harvest their blood essence yourself. Wouldn't that yield much better results than extracting essence from dozens of servants?"
Elder Gu was stunned by the audacity of Chen An's suggestion.
For years, Elder Gu had quietly siphoned the blood essence of servants to sustain himself. He avoided causing too much commotion, fearing exposure. Even so, he often had to supplement his needs by secretly capturing ordinary mortals and dragging them up the mountain.
The thought of harvesting blood essence from outer or inner sect disciples had crossed Elder Gu's mind before. Such a method would undoubtedly enhance his survival prospects and spare him the agony of soaking in the blood pool every day.
But he didn't dare.
While stealing blood from mortals might be overlooked by the sect, targeting disciples was a line he couldn't cross. Discovery would mean certain death with no chance of escape.
This was why Elder Gu, despite being on the brink of death, had always refrained from taking such a risk.
Now, however, here stood Chen An—a mere novice in cultivation—making such a bold proposal. Was this naivety, or sheer audacity born of confidence?
At this moment, Chen An could see that Elder Gu was tempted.
For someone whose lifespan was dwindling and who faced death at any moment, any chance to survive was a lifeline worth seizing.
To cement Elder Gu's resolve, Chen An selectively revealed some of his secrets.
"I understand you're worried about being exposed. Let me assure you—Outer Sect Deacon Wei Ming, along with Inner Sect disciples Lu Yi and Han Juan, were all killed by me."
"Their deaths caused a stir within the sect, but it all blew over because I left no traceable evidence. You even suspected me back then, but without proof, you could do nothing."
"And that—" Chen An said confidently, "is my trump card."
Chen An's calm and assured demeanor spoke volumes. In just three months since joining the sect, he had pulled off numerous shocking feats, yet he was still standing here, negotiating with his sworn enemy. Such boldness was not something an ordinary person could muster.
"You do realize," Elder Gu muttered after a long pause, "that if we go through with this, many people might die because of you. Doesn't that bother you at all?"
"Does it bother me?" Chen An looked at Elder Gu as though he had heard a joke. "In the world of cultivators, isn't it always kill or be killed? My priority is my survival. Why would I care about others' lives?"
Chen An had always been quick to adapt to his environment. Despite only a few months of cultivation, he had already grasped the rules of the game.
And the foremost rule was simple: **Everyone but me can die.**
As long as he survived, even if it meant dragging the whole world into ruin, so be it.
Elder Gu couldn't help but marvel at Chen An's ruthless mindset—it even surpassed his own.
Eventually, Elder Gu gritted his teeth and agreed to the proposal. Chen An would bring cultivators for Elder Gu to harvest, and in return, Elder Gu would leave Chen An alone. Occasionally, he might even offer pointers on cultivation. A mutually beneficial deal, for now.
"Act quickly," Elder Gu demanded urgently. "I don't have much time left. Within three days, you must bring a cultivator here!"
"One more thing," Elder Gu warned, "don't try anything clever. If I'm doomed to die, I'll self-destruct and take you with me!"
"Don't worry," Chen An replied nonchalantly, waving his hand. "My life is far more valuable than yours. Trading it for yours? Not a chance."
"Wait for my word," he said as he left without looking back.
This temporary alliance was a significant step for Chen An. At least for now, his safety in the Outer Sect was secured.
But that didn't mean he could rest easy. Any alliance in this world was fragile and could crumble at any moment.
For now, Elder Gu was desperate to prolong his life and thus reliant on Chen An. However, if Elder Gu's cultivation advanced or his lifespan was replenished, Chen An would instantly become his greatest threat.
Chen An understood this well. Their cooperation was merely a stalling tactic. In the end, only one of them could survive.
Chen An returned to his quarters, wasting no time despite his injuries. He immediately began drawing talismans.
During his battle with Yunxiao, his supply of talismans had been completely depleted. Moreover, his business partnership with Li Muchen still required maintenance—selling talismans would remain his primary source of spirit stones for the foreseeable future.
Thankfully, after months of practice, he had mastered crafting basic first-tier talismans. Even with his eyes closed, his strokes were near-perfect. Only Spirit Gathering Talismans still posed some challenges, as they carried a higher failure rate.
After spending an entire night crafting a thick stack of talismans, Chen An was about to head to the market when his attention was drawn to the red ring coiled around his arm.
A thought struck him. Retrieving a jar of spirit wine from his storage pouch, Chen An smirked. This wine, gifted by Li Muchen to celebrate the competition, had remained unopened due to circumstances.
Now, Li Muchen would never get to taste it.
Using the ring, Chen An extracted its venom and let it drip into the wine jar, one drop at a time. The venom diluted into the wine, leaving no visible trace.
Chen An even sampled the wine himself. Satisfied that it tasted normal, he set the jar aside.
Though the venom was weak and further diluted by the spirit wine, it would accumulate slowly and insidiously in the drinker's body—precisely what Chen An intended.
The red ring, clearly exhausted, was rewarded with a few stalks of poisonous grass. Leaving it to rest at home, Chen An headed for the market alone.
In his mind, a devious plan was already taking shape—a plan to kill two birds with one stone.
And the key to it all was the red ring.