Chapter 82...Didn't Senior Brother hate me? (24) "...

Fu Li never imagined that dual cultivation would be such a painful thing.

He lay prone on the bed, the man's muscular body pressing against him from behind, forcing him to open his sea of ​​consciousness and connect with his spirit, channeling spiritual energy into Fu Li's meridians to form a cycle with his own. The harmony of Yin and Yang, the interaction of the two polarities, is known as the "method of dual cultivation."

A burning pain shot through her dantian. Zhongli Qianye showed no regard for whether Fu Li's body could withstand the immense spiritual power of someone nearing the Nascent Soul stage, and had no compassion whatsoever.

When Fu Li was with Chongjingge, he had never tried anything like this before. Their relationship was based on the most primal love, desire and pleasure. Zhongli Qianye, on the other hand, only treated him as a tool for cultivation, a pure furnace.

Fu Li had no idea how long Zhongli Qianye had tormented him that night.

Even after he shouted until his voice was hoarse, even after he humbled himself and begged, the other party never felt any pity.

A very long time later, the shadow that had shrouded the body and the sea of ​​consciousness finally dissipated.

In his dazed state, he heard Zhongli Qianye tidying his clothes.

He fastened the jade belt around his waist, licked his lips with a satisfied look, and instructed the people outside:

"You guys tidy up inside. And that Nightmare outside, since it's disobedient, just throw it into the dungeon; it's useless anyway."

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Fu Li subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and gradually drifted into sleep.

When he woke up the next day, the house and everything inside and out had been cleaned up. Even his body had been covered with ointment, which felt cool and refreshing.

Fu Li knew it was most likely those two demon servants who did it. So when they brought him breakfast, he sat cross-legged on the bed and said, "From now on, I can apply medicine myself. You don't need to do it."

However, the demon servants simply set out the breakfast, bowed their heads, and stepped back without responding.

Fu Li asked them again about Xiao Yue's whereabouts, but the two demons still lowered their heads and did not answer.

When he tried to leave the courtyard for a stroll, they stopped him and said that he could not move within the celestial palace unless ordered by the Demon Lord.

Fu Li was almost laughing in anger. But he had no room to argue on someone else's turf. He could only turn and go back inside.

In the days that followed, Zhongli Qianye would come over every night.

However, Fu Li would wash herself clean, strip naked, and wait on the bed, while he would remain fully dressed. After the dual cultivation was over, he would simply put on his pants and fasten his jade belt, still looking as dignified and upright as ever.

The whole process was like a concubine in the mortal world serving a king in bed.

Fu Li had asked Zhongli Qianye about Xiao Yue's whereabouts, but only received a calm reply:

"You are nothing but my furnace, mind your own business."

He was merely a vessel, a tool for dual cultivation.

When dealing with a furnace, there is no need for gentle words or foreplay; only savage intrusion is required.

Soon, the demon servants of Dragon Crystal Palace discovered that their master did not actually like the new furnace cauldron. He never stayed overnight in his room and always came and went in a short time.

The servants initially thought that Fu Li, at the very least, was the Demon Lord's first favored servant. But they gradually realized that a furnace was just a furnace. Since their master didn't treat him like a human being, they didn't need him either.

From a certain day onward, the food delivered became increasingly perfunctory, and some even spoiled. The roof of the side room leaked, and no one came to fix it. Even the two demon servants in the courtyard began to neglect Fu Li, often giving him disdainful looks.

The pampered junior brother of Xiaoyao Peak had never suffered such humiliation. But living under someone else's roof, without the master's attitude, who would even give him a second glance?

He had mentioned it to Zhongli Qianye.

They complained about the leaky roof and the small, dilapidated yard.

"Giving you a separate courtyard as a place to live is already being lenient with you. You're just a furnace cauldron, don't push your luck. Do you think you're some kind of chosen one of Dragon's Gate Mountain, with everyone revolving around you?"

They complained about the food, saying it tasted sour.

"You're a cultivator now, can't you learn how to abstain from grains? Why do I have to make a kitchen just for you?"

I want to replace the servants because their attitude has worsened.

"Know your place. A furnace cauldron has no right to make these demands. If you continue to whine in front of me, I'll cut out your tongue!"

After that, Fu Li stopped talking.

Within a month, everyone in the Dragon Crystal Palace knew that the furnace cauldron living in the side courtyard was someone everyone could bully.

Some demon cultivators even came specifically to provoke Fu Li, laughing loudly at his restrained yet fearless expression.

The room was dimly lit, and the lamp oil had long since run out. Only when Zhongli Qianye came would a luminous pearl be placed in the room.

Fu Li sat on the peeling paint of the chair. He spoke with the system:

"Staying here any longer is just torture."

The system reassured him: "Don't worry, this kind of life won't last long. The male protagonist will soon climb out of the Thousand Miasma Cliff. Then you'll be free."

Fu Li suddenly asked, "System, let me ask you, what have you learned from your experiences in these small worlds?"

System: [Um...don't try to kill the male lead?]

Fu Li sneered, "Men are all animals that think with their lower bodies."

What do you want to do?

Fu Li took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "I don't want to die a miserable death as a furnace. In short, things can't go on like this."

He seemed to have already made up his mind.

That night, Zhongli Qianye came over as usual.

On the couch, Fu Li wore a lotus-colored gauze robe, her fair chest revealing two faintly visible crimson nipples. Her long, slender legs were hidden beneath the brocade quilt, inevitably stirring the imagination. Her beauty was so alluring, like a seductive enchantress.

The man didn't stop to admire her. He nimbly got into bed, removing only his boots and belt.

Expansion, spiritual communion, the circulation of spiritual energy—everything was so rigid and uninteresting.

Fu Li finally couldn't take it anymore and turned around to press her hand against the man's chest.

"Wait a minute, you can't do this. I feel unwell," he said, frowning.

Zhongli Qianye was about to use the excuse of "just a furnace cauldron, recognize your own identity" to mock him, but then he saw the boy turn around and sit on the man's lap.

Her fair and slender figure was shrouded in a soft glow under the light and shadow. Her delicate, picturesque eyebrows furrowed as she said, "What you're doing doesn't count as dual cultivation at all. Let me teach you."

......

She extended her fingertip and lightly touched the man's chest, panting softly, "Want to do it again?"

The man's eyes darkened slightly: "Come!"

The ambiguous sounds of water and moans rose again, continuing until dawn.

That night, everyone in Dragon Crystal Palace was surprised to find that their master had spent the entire night with Fu Li, the furnace vessel, for the first time. He didn't emerge from the courtyard until the next day, looking refreshed and radiant with the satisfaction of having tasted the sweetness of lovemaking.

I thought it was just an accident, but the same thing happened the second night.

After that, Zhongli Qianye spent every night with Fu Li. For a time, whether he was a furnace cauldron or a favored servant, all sorts of discussions and rumors spread like wildfire.

Half a month later, as Zhongli Qianye stepped into the house, Fu Li looked him in the eyes and made a request:

"Move me to a place. I heard from Hua Jing that the side hall of Dragon Crystal Palace has the best conditions, so I want to live there."

Zhongli Qianye laughed, using his usual cold sarcasm: "I told you, as a furnace cauldron, you have no right to make demands. Only by recognizing your own status can you survive in the palace. These days, I've only favored you because you've helped me with dual cultivation. Don't get too cocky."

Fu Li glanced at him indifferently, then turned her back and said nothing more.

However, Zhongli Qianye did not cut off his tongue as he had said before. He thought that this little guy had just lost his sense of self-awareness for a moment. It was enough to wake him up. He would not stoop to his level this time.

But when he took off his clothes and got into bed, Fu Li did not reach out to wrap her arms around his neck or hook her legs around his waist as she had the night before. Instead, she turned her head to the side and remained unmoved no matter what he did, responding to his advances with silence.

Even Zhongli Qianye, who was slow to understand, realized that he was sulking because his demands were not being met.

He immediately laughed angrily, "Yue Fuli, where do you think you are? Let me tell you, no one will grant your requests just because you throw a tantrum. Know your place, you are nothing more than my furnace, a plaything for my venting!"

To everyone's surprise, Fu Li replied in a nonchalant tone, "Then use it as the Demon Lord pleases. You don't need to care what I think."

Then she turned her head to one side, completely relaxed her limbs, and ignored the man on top of her.

Zhongli Qianye thrust into her fiercely for a while, but found that Fu Li remained lifeless and lay there the whole time, occasionally letting out a few insignificant groans, as if she had no interest in him whatsoever.

This kind of thing requires cooperation from both sides, but Fu Li was so angry with him that she didn't react at all, no matter how he moved.

Gradually, Zhongli Qianye lost interest.

A surge of anger welled up inside him. Enraged, he grabbed Fu Li by the hair and slapped him across the face, snarling viciously:

"Don't think you can control me! You're nothing but a vessel, I can't just make you do whatever I want! If you keep giving me that attitude, believe me, I'll stop your antidote, and when it takes effect, you'll wish you were dead!"

Fu Li's head was turned to the side by the slap, a red handprint appearing on his fair cheek, burning with pain. Yet he stubbornly insisted, "If the Demon Lord wants me dead, then I have no choice but to die. Just like you said, I'm nothing but a furnace, what can I do?"

Then, his gaze swept indifferently to the side, like a doll that could be manipulated at will.

Zhongli Qianye was furious, and his desire was still burning. He thought that Fu Li, who was so afraid of death, would surely give in after hearing that the medication would be stopped, but he was unexpectedly stubborn this time, refusing to compromise no matter how Zhongli Qianye struggled.

That night, Zhongli Qianye arrived full of excitement but left disappointed.

The next day, Fu Li was still acting the same way.

Everything seemed to have returned to the beginning.

Zhongli Qianye originally intended to simply use the furnace and cauldron without actually engaging in intimate relations with him.

But after fiddling with it for a while, he found that he had no interest at all.

He threatened Fu Li with all sorts of vicious words all night, but still couldn't get the boy to back down.

After he left at dawn, the system said to Fu Li with some concern: [Host, what if the villain really stops taking the antidote? Aren't you afraid of dying at his hands?]

Fu Li said calmly, "Men are all creatures who think with their lower bodies. Have you ever heard of the saying 'dragons are inherently lustful'? Zhongli Qianye is especially like that. Now that he has experienced the pleasure of being aroused, how could he possibly hold back? He's such a fastidious person, who else but me could satisfy him?"

Sure enough, Zhongli Qianye came again on the third night. This time, he was filled with murderous aura, and the oppressive force emanating from him could be felt from a great distance.

Seeing that Fu Li's attitude was still the same as it had been two days ago, he finally gritted his teeth and said:

"You just want to move somewhere else, don't you? Fine, I grant your wish. Now you've got what you wanted!"

Upon hearing this, the boy who had been gazing at the sky from the couch turned his head, his clear eyes looking at him with a suspicious expression: "Is this true? You agreed to let me live in the side hall?"

"Really, really, really. These past two days have been agonizing for me." Zhongli Qianye muttered to himself as he quickly took off his outer robe, got into bed, and forcefully ripped off Fu Li's clothes. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked extremely agitated.

Fu Li smiled and stretched out her slender white arm to meet the man's shoulder and back.

That night, the two made love passionately, their lovemaking lasting until dawn.

In the afternoon, a sweaty wrist peeked out from under the bed curtains, its red marks crisscrossing and gleaming white in the sunlight.

Soon, a large hand reached out and grabbed it, its fingers interlocking.

Light and shadow danced on the curtains, and sounds, sometimes low and sometimes soft, echoed in the room, lingering for a long time.

Fu Li underestimated the dragon demon's lust. It wasn't until nightfall that Zhongli Qianye finally got off him, barely satisfied.

The scene on the bed was utterly unbearable. He called for water, then turned and squinted at Fu Li with a cold and fierce expression, saying:

"Don't think you can manipulate me with something like this. This is just a reward for your service. You are a furnace vessel; you should know your place!"

The boy leaned against the pillow, his collarbone covered in clear hickeys. His eyes were red-rimmed, his lips slightly swollen, and he smiled, saying, "Yes, you decide, my lord."

The next day, Fu Li moved from the remote and dilapidated courtyard to a luxurious and magnificent side hall.

Although he was not a man who had never seen the world, he was still shocked by the luxurious and extravagant furnishings and the magnificent decorations inside the palace.

Of course, this is not the most luxurious part of the Dragon Crystal Palace; the main hall where Zhongli Qianye lives next door is even more extravagant.

After he finished moving the items, Zhongli Qianye came over and arrogantly said, "This is what you deserve for serving me for so long. Don't push your luck in the future."

Fu Li nodded.

But after only two days, they started to "go further" again.

"I want to go out for a stroll during the day; I'm getting so bored staying in the palace."

Zhongli Qianye scoffed, "You were born a righteous cultivator, and you are ultimately an outsider to my demon race. Who knows if you'll find an opportunity to cause trouble? Let me tell you, don't try anything funny."

Then Fu Li lay on the bed and pretended to be dead.

Zhongli Qianye was furious: "Just a furnace cauldron, does he really think he's someone important?!"

Fu Li remained silent and simply lay down, pretending to be dead.

The next morning, an imperial decree was issued, granting Fu Li the freedom to move about within the Dragon Crystal Palace, but only during the day and forbidding him from leaving the island. Ordinary demon servants were forbidden from showing him any disrespect.

Thus, Fu Li rose from being a furnace cauldron to becoming a favored servant of the Demon Lord.

Those who had bullied him in the past became terrified upon hearing this, fearing that he might one day whisper in the Demon Lord's ear and punish them. So they secretly sent jewels and toys into the side hall, hoping to win his favor and persuade Fu Li to spare them.

After some time, Fu Li said to Zhongli Qianye, "The clothes I brought are no longer wearable. Have someone order some new ones for me. I need at least three outfits for each season."

Hearing his matter-of-fact tone, Zhongli Qianye was so angry that the veins on his temples throbbed.

Then, in a fit of anger, he held back this time.

Soon, the best tailor of the Merfolk was summoned to the Dragon Crystal Palace, where he spent half a month creating brand-new clothes for Fu Li. Each piece was glittering with gold, and the surface of the clothes was as dazzling and brilliant as the sun.

The demons of the Four Seas Immortal Palace are all saying that the Demon Lord has been spoiling the furnace he brought with him, and there's nothing he can do about it.

Zhongli Qianye had also heard the rumors, but he was quite dismissive of them.

His indulgence of Fu Li was only because Fu Li was still useful. He was in the crucial stage of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage and condensing the Dragon Pearl, so he naturally needed a furnace. Once he successfully entered the Nascent Soul stage, Fu Li would be useless, and he would naturally discard him like trash.

Until one day, Fu Li pointed to Hua Jing, who was standing outside the palace with a gentle smile, and said in a flat tone, "I don't like her. Replace her."

Hua Jing's expression froze instantly. However, after Zhongli Qianye pondered for a few moments, he said, "Hua Jing, you will be the manager of the Floating Pavilion from now on. We will find someone else to be the manager of the Dragon Crystal Palace."

Hua Jing almost ground her teeth to powder. She had followed the Four Seas Demon Lord since before she took human form, remaining loyal and devoted, and had become his confidante before becoming the steward of the Dragon Crystal Palace.

Dragon Crystal Palace is the center of the entire Four Seas Immortal Palace. Leaving here will result in a demotion no matter where you go.

But Zhongli Qianye had already spoken, and given his personality of being suicidal when it came to haggling, Hua Jing dared not disobey.

She never imagined that simply instigating a few demon servants to find Fu Licha would earn her such resentment. But now, all she could do was leave with bitterness in her heart.

After Hua Jing left, Zhongli Qianye seemed to realize something and looked thoughtfully at the boy who was looking down at a storybook.

"Am I being too nice to you?"

Fu Li put down the storybook that the man had specially collected for him from the cultivation world, leaned over and put her arm around his shoulder, and kissed him on the lips.

"The Demon Lord has indeed been very good to me."

He returned to his seat and opened the storybook.

Zhongli Qianye stroked the lips that Fu Li had kissed, and said nothing more.

The next day, a new steward arrived at Dragon Crystal Palace. He was a young water demon who was extremely obedient and respectful to Fu Li.

After this battle, no demon in the entire Four Seas Immortal Palace dared to treat Fu Li with disrespect, and everyone bowed their heads and addressed him as "Young Master".

Fu Li gradually gained a foothold in the Four Seas Immortal Palace.

Next, he should think about how to get Xiao Yue out of the dungeon.

----

At the same time, Longque Mountain.

On the Thousand Miasma Cliff, a dozen elders and outstanding inner disciples looked solemnly at the miasma-filled abyss below, as if waiting for something.

Half an hour later, the rope tied to the tree trunk moved, and the elder in charge of the Disciplinary Hall quickly ordered people to pull it up. A moment later, the figure of a young man emerged from the miasma.

Li Weiyan jumped up, loosened the rope around his waist, and presented his only possession—a bloodstained robe, the pattern of which belonged to a Nascent Soul cultivator within the sect.

“I searched the valley floor for ages and this was all I found. It should belong to my senior brother. But there are no other clues.” His eyes were deep and somber.

Zhu Mingying, standing nearby, hurriedly asked, "What about Junior Brother? Did you see his things?"

Li Weiyan shook his head heavily.

After discovering that the two were missing, they searched the entire Longque Mountain, almost a carpet search, but to no avail.

There was no trace of the two people entering or leaving the photo stone at the mountain gate. The only possible place was the area below the Thousand Miasma Cliff, which was swallowed by miasma.

The blood-stained garment that Li Weiyan found proves that Chongjing Pavilion did indeed fall below. However, there is no trace of Fu Li.

The valley floor is shrouded in miasma, making it impossible for ordinary creatures to survive. Chongjing Pavilion has not yet emerged after so many days; his fate is likely grim.

Li Weiyan and Zhu Mingying both understood this principle, and they both lowered their heads, pursing their lips, unwilling to think about it.

In just over a month, Xiaoyao Peak lost three disciples, two of whom were Nascent Soul stage cultivators. This was also a major blow to Longque Mountain.

Xiao Yue escaped after falling into demonic possession, but how were the eldest and junior brothers, who stayed in the mountains, persecuted?

Whether it was an inside job or a case of being murdered by villains, the answer can only be found by locating the perpetrator.

The elder in charge of the seal slammed his staff on the ground and said sternly, "No matter what, we must find Jingge, and bring back even its remains!"

Unbeknownst to them, as they gathered on the Cliff of Thousand Miasma to discuss their next move, somewhere in the abyss below, a tall figure was crawling forward on the ground.

His eyes were empty, and dark bloodstains clung to the corners of his mouth. He could neither see nor make a sound. He could only crawl forward inch by inch with his hands, a trail of blood stretching behind him into the distance.

They finally reached a spot where a ray of sunlight shone, though it was only a few feet long and wide. The miasma here wasn't as dense, and the light struggled to penetrate the dust and fog, illuminating the ground with its limited rays.

Chongjing Pavilion felt the warmth of the sun and climbed over with all its might.

Reaching this point had exhausted all his strength. Finally, he collapsed backward into the sunlight, and before losing consciousness, he mustered all his remaining strength to open his mouth and mouth a name—

“Ah...Li…”

Then it became completely still and lifeless.

Deep within the shattered sea of ​​consciousness, a small golden blade of grass sensed the sunlight and its leaves trembled slightly. Its roots began to spread outwards...

----

Two months later, a sudden storm arose in the main hall of Dragon Crystal Palace, and lightning slowly gathered, almost enveloping the entire island.

As eighty-one golden bolts of lightning struck, the shadow of a flying dragon appeared in the clouds. All the demons looked up and knelt on the ground, congratulating the only dragon on successfully transcending its tribulation and entering the Nascent Soul stage.

Zhongli Qianye walked out of the secret room.

His entire body had been tempered by lightning and fire, and the lightning he generated was golden yellow rather than dark purple. His divine sense could reach the other side of the world.

This is the strongest stage before becoming a half-immortal—the Nascent Soul stage.

But the moment he opened his divine sense, he entered a side hall not far away and saw his little pet sitting on a coral chair, resting his chin on his hand and looking solemnly at a jade throne with a phoenix holding a cloud and a hollowed-out Xuanbing lamp on the table.

Zhongli Qianye didn't think much of it and instantly appeared behind him.

What are you thinking about?

The boy turned his head and saw the demonic dragon, who had just successfully transcended its tribulation, staring intently at him with its purple eyes.

He pointed to the two ornaments on the table and said, "These are the ones you had delivered this morning for me to choose from. But they are both so beautiful, I don't know which one to choose."

As he spoke, a troubled look appeared on his face.

The man scoffed and sat down beside him. "I've just successfully transcended my tribulation and reached the Nascent Soul stage. The Dragon Pearl has also been successfully formed. As your furnace, you'll be useless from now on. Don't you feel any sense of crisis?"

Fu Li turned to look at him and asked, "You have a Dragon Ball? What kind is it?"

Zhongli Qianye's eyes curved slightly, his eyebrows and eyes smiling, with a hint of pride: "Naturally, it is the most top-tier. I can say that even the dragon ancestors who ascended back then cannot compare to my dragon pearl."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes and concentrated. A ray of light emerged from his forehead, gradually transforming into a bead the size of a peach or apricot, its entire body gleaming with golden light and shimmering with iridescent brilliance, quietly floating in mid-air.

Fu Li nodded in agreement, "It really is beautiful." She reached out and touched it, and Zhong Li Qianye saw this but did not stop her.

The surface of the Dragon Ball is smooth and warm, and it feels like jade.

Fu Li touched it with her fingertips and then withdrew her hand.

The Dragon Balls returned to his body, and Zhongli Qianye asked again, "Aren't you afraid I'll throw you out?"

Fu Li didn't answer, but held the phoenix jade throne and the Xuanbing lamp, blinking as she looked at him: "Can I have both of these?"

The man's cold, vertical pupils stared intently at him for a long time before finally speaking:

"Can."

After that day, the demon servants, who had originally planned to discard the useless furnace after the demon lord broke through, saw that Fu Li's favor had increased rather than decreased, growing stronger day by day.

The news of the Four Seas Demon Lord's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage quickly spread throughout the Five Continents. Demon cultivators from all over flocked to offer their congratulations.

In an instant, everyone in the Four Seas Immortal Palace was busy, and the only person who was still free was Fu Li.

That day, Zhongli Qianye was discussing matters with the leader of the White Sparrow Clan of the Eastern Continent when he heard a demon servant report:

"Master, the young master has taken a fancy to the peach tree that the Tengshe Demon Lord of Kunlun Mountain sent over. He wants to plant it in the courtyard and wait for it to bear fruit so he can eat it himself."

Zhongli Qianye frowned: "If he wants it, give it to him. There's no need to report this to me."

The demon servant responded and left, but this was only the beginning.

Zhongli Qianye received the Shadow Demon.

"Master, the young master wants to raise a white wolf."

Zhongli Qianye: "If he wants to raise it, let him raise it."

"But that's the youngest son of the White Wolf Clan Chief. He hasn't even taken human form yet. Yet the young master is holding him tightly and insists on raising him!"

Zhongli Qianye's brow twitched: "Tell the White Wolf Clan Chief to let your son stay in the Dragon Crystal Palace to cultivate. After he transforms into human form, I will personally send him back."

The demon servant replied "Yes," and turned to leave.

Zhongli Qianye hosted a banquet for guests in the flower hall.

“Master, the young master accidentally broke your Thousand Machine Lamp while practicing his sword.”

The Thousand Machine Lamp is Zhongli Qianye's favorite ornament, which has been on his desk for over a hundred years. Even when cleaning it, he handles it with utmost care and gentleness. Could it be that Yue Fuli is practicing swordsmanship in the main hall?!

The veins on his forehead throbbed, but the demon servant who came to report continued:

"Young master said he has no place to practice martial arts and needs your training space."

The man nearly crushed the teacup in his hand, but said, "Give it to him, give it to him! Can't you just talk to him for a minute?!"

Inside the main hall of the Dragon Crystal Palace, Fu Li, dressed in Hu clothing that accentuated his slender waist, sheathed his sword and placed it on a weapon rack to the side.

Upon hearing the demon servant's whispered report of Zhongli Qianye's instructions, the young man nodded calmly and reached out to take the white wolf cub.

Having seen the system from beginning to end, I am speechless.

He exclaimed in surprise: "Host, I didn't know you were a dragon tamer!"

Fu Li, however, remained unconcerned and replied casually, "Training dragons? It's taming dogs."

Author's Note: I originally intended to split this into two chapters, but the writing logic seems better suited to one. So, it's still a long and tedious piece. Enjoy! [Sprinkling flowers][Facepalm peeking]

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