This was Gu Qingqiu's first time experiencing the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage. She wasn't originally from this world, nor had she ever truly started cultivating from a young age, so she was still somewhat worried.
Fortunately, the system had reassured her beforehand, saying that most people succeed on their first attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and even if they fail the first time, the damage to their body will not be significant, so she didn't need to worry too much.
Furthermore, the system repeatedly emphasized that it would issue an early warning if her life was in danger, which reassured Gu Qingqiu somewhat.
The process of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage was somewhat boring. Although Gu Qingqiu did not open her eyes, she seemed to see her internal energy flowing between her meridians. While guiding her internal energy, she unconsciously spaced out. In a flash, she seemed to have entered a new space.
Where is this?
Gu Qingqiu was somewhat bewildered; all around her was pitch black.
Suddenly, someone hugged Gu Qingqiu from behind.
Gu Qingqiu was startled and was about to break free when she felt a familiar voice close to her ear, calling her "Baby".
...Yan Shengxiao? ??
Gu Qingqiu froze. "What are you doing here?"
Yan Shengxiao chuckled softly, "Baby, I thought you were dead."
"I...I..." Gu Qingqiu didn't know how to explain.
Yan Shengxiao hugged Gu Qingqiu tighter and tighter, chuckling softly, "It's okay, wherever you run, I'll find you. We'll never be separated, didn't we?"
Gu Qingqiu hesitated and said, "But..."
"But what!" Yan Shengxiao's expression suddenly turned ferocious. He gripped Gu Qingqiu's neck tightly. "You liar! You promised to love me forever! And you just ran away like that! Did you never love me at all? Who is that man? Do you have a new lover? How far have things progressed between you two? Did you even sleep together?"
Gu Qingqiu felt a wave of suffocation and tried to pry Yan Shengxiao's hands off her neck, "...cough... Sheng... Shengxiao... listen to me..."
Yan Shengxiao's eyes were bloodshot, and he kept exerting force with both hands. Just when Gu Qingqiu thought she was really going to be strangled to death, she heard an anxious voice calling out in her ear.
"Thirteen? Thirteen! What's wrong with you? Wake up!"
Gu Qingqiu felt the pressure on her neck loosen, and she felt like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, freed from all restraints. Then she spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Chen was extremely anxious. Gu Qingqiu's breathing sounded strange just now, and then she seemed to fall into a state of nightmare, making struggling sounds.
The iron chains binding his limbs rattled incessantly as Jiang Chenxin shook them, even chafing his skin raw, but he was oblivious, shouting "Thirteen" loudly in an attempt to wake Gu Qingqiu.
After being called more than a dozen times, Gu Qingqiu finally woke up.
Smelling the blood in the air, Jiang Chen asked anxiously, "Are you alright?"
"Cough...no, it's nothing..." Gu Qingqiu cleared the blood from her throat and slowly patted her chest. She had successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.
Jiang Chenxin also realized that she seemed to have overreacted, so she pretended to be calm and said, "I always said that you Deng Le Sect members are all idle and do nothing but rely on crooked methods to increase your power. Your foundation is really bad. Even advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage is a big deal. I didn't have as many difficulties as you when I advanced to the Golden Core stage."
"Mmm." Gu Qingqiu's mind was still filled with the scene from earlier, and she had no intention of listening to what Jiang Chenxin was saying. She just gave a perfunctory reply.
Jiang Chenxin also noticed Gu Qingqiu's perfunctory attitude, and immediately stopped talking, just staying to the side and sulking.
Gu Qingqiu thought about it more and more and felt that something was definitely wrong, so she had to call out the system to confirm.
Gu Qingqiu: [System, I think I just saw Yan Shengxiao.]
Male Protagonist System: [Just now? Host, I didn't detect Yan Shengxiao's presence in this world. When and under what circumstances did you see him?]
Gu Qingqiu: [This was when I had just advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.]
Male Protagonist System: [That might be the host's inner demon. This is a common occurrence when advancing in cultivation levels. The host doesn't need to worry too much. Since the host has successfully advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, it means they have overcome their inner demon.]
Gu Qingqiu: [...An inner demon? That's so real. But strictly speaking, I haven't completely overcome it either. I only woke up when Jiang Chenxin called me.]
Male Protagonist System: [In that case, the host had better adjust his mindset, otherwise he would encounter even more intense inner demon attacks when advancing to the Golden Core stage.]
Gu Qingqiu: 【…I'll try my best.】
In fact, ever since she used the Forget-Me-Not Grass, she no longer felt any emotion when she thought of Yan Shengxiao. After arriving in this world, she had never even thought of Yan Shengxiao again.
However, the inner demon's questioning just now struck her heart so hard that she felt completely at a loss. She even felt a little afraid to get close to Jiang Chenxin now, and she felt a sense of panic. She even began to question the efficacy of the Forget-Me-Not Grass.
Every world has its own worldview, and the existence of inner demons is unavoidable in the world of cultivation. That's why she thought of Yan Shengxiao. Gu Qingqiu could only comfort herself with this thought for now.
After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, Gu Qingqiu's physical strength and internal energy did indeed improve significantly. If she performed well, she could extend the duration of each dual cultivation session to nearly two hours.
Jiang Chenxin has become much quieter lately, and she no longer says sarcastic things. During dual cultivation, she is like a dead fish with almost no reaction, which makes Gu Qingqiu a little uncomfortable, but she does not intend to delve into Jiang Chenxin's emotions.
Ultimately, they were just temporary allies, so she didn't need to appease Jiang Chenxin.
That day, Gu Qingqiu had just finished dual cultivation and was preparing to circulate her internal energy to absorb it when she suddenly heard the sound of the cave door being opened. After a while, she heard footsteps getting closer and closer.
Gu Qingqiu stood up warily, assuming an attack stance, but then heard a somewhat familiar, dry, hoarse voice.
"Haha, it seems you two have been getting along quite well these past few days. This vixen actually managed to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage in less than a month. You deserve a lot of credit, kid! It seems men always think with their lower bodies. They may say they don't want to, but they still find it hard to refuse women who throw themselves at them."
...It's the old man in black robes!
Jiang Chenxin chuckled, "Yeah, I'm having a great time, but one woman isn't enough for me. This vixen is too green, not exciting enough. Next time you come, why don't you bring a few more experienced women?"
Although she knew Jiang Chenxin was deliberately being sarcastic, Gu Qingqiu still felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
The old man in black robes wasn't angry at all. He chuckled and said, "I thought I was here to collect this demoness's corpse. Since you two are getting along so well, I'm relieved. I believe that when I come next time, this demoness will be able to control the Chilong Flame, right?"
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