Recruit demons to become heroes, hunt demons to become gods

Chapter 265 Two Reinforcements (Bonus content at the end of the chapter, like and share!)

Dou Eqing looked at the five people present and spoke:
"Esteemed seniors!"

His gaze swept across the entire room like lightning.
"If I wanted to force you to surround and kill that scoundrel Shi Hao, it would only be a matter of a word—but today, I'm going to make you understand!"

"Everyone witnessed Yu Yaoqin's death! You all know she was once my woman and even bore me a son."

I already felt guilty for failing to save Dou Wuyuan back then, and now she's died without knowing why. If I can't avenge her and find the person who killed her, I, Dou Eqing, will be unworthy of being a man.

I've now obtained some clues. However, that person is not only incredibly powerful, but their identity is also extremely sensitive…”

Dou Eqing explained his plans in detail.

"That Shi Hao prides himself on being a strongman, yet his actions are worse than those of a pig or a dog! The rules of the martial world dictate that one should not harm one's wife and children, yet this scoundrel dares to lay a hand on a woman!"

He suddenly raised his voice: "This battle is not only for my personal grudge against him, but also for the sake of this bright and clear world—" Suddenly, the White Tiger Demon-Slaying Blade appeared in his hand, bursting out with a trembling sound, "Teach this unruly mad dog a lesson!"

Several people present were infected by his emotions and echoed his sentiments:
"Without rules, there can be no order. Fight!"

"Let him know that there are always people more capable than him, and he'll have to keep a low profile from now on!"

……

Although he could directly order most of them to participate in the operation against Shi Hao, he still chose to explain the reasons for the operation.

Even if it doesn't unite them in hatred against a common enemy, it can at least make everyone understand why he's causing trouble for Shi Hao.

This move is solely intended to motivate everyone to fight.

Before ambushing Shi Hao, Dou Eqing led his men to attack a Void Refinement stage cultivator in the Blazing Flame Cave, just to find another Void Refinement stage expert to help them.

This person, named Luo Qian, was a target selected by Luo Xi at the hunting den on Dou Eqing's orders.

Naluo Qian was originally Luo Xi's half-sister. Although they were more than three thousand years apart in age, she was a gifted prodigy.

She possessed the rare Shallow Abyss Body, and her cultivation path was unstoppable. She entered the Refining Void Realm only ten years later than her sister.

This girl was born with exceptional spiritual roots and cultivated at an astonishing speed, naturally earning her parents' deep affection.

Mr. Luo poured almost all his affection into his youngest daughter, while ignoring Rosie, who was equally talented.

Over time, Luo Qian became increasingly arrogant and spoiled, and she found it increasingly difficult to stand her older sister.

The two sisters openly and secretly competed with each other, and their resentment gradually deepened.

From childhood, they harbored resentment because of their parents' favoritism, and now that they have grown up, the conflict has intensified.

A single glance between them could spark a conflagration, like sworn enemies locked in a bitter feud. At every family gathering, they would deliberately keep their distance, but their underlying hostility was ever-present, as if the air itself was thick with tension.

Whenever Luo Qian saw her sister, she would always sneer, her eyes full of contempt; she often talked about her sister's shortcomings behind her back, and even made up some absurd stories to slander her.

Although Rosie appeared calm on the surface, her delicate hand, hidden in her sleeve, always longed to draw a weapon and teach her a lesson. She had tried many times to resolve the dispute through proper channels, but each time it ended inconclusively due to Luo Qian's sophistry, which made her anger increasingly difficult to suppress.

This undercurrent of tension is even more terrifying than a direct confrontation with swords.

Whenever they meet, a tense atmosphere seems to fill the air, as if a conflict could break out at any moment.

Therefore, upon receiving Dou Eqing's orders, Luo Xi immediately set her sights on Luo Qian.

After all, she became Dou Eqing's woman before Luo Qian, which gave her a psychological advantage.

She knew that even if Luo Qian became Dou Eqing's woman in the future, it wouldn't stop her from humiliating Luo Qian.

In addition, Rosie felt that since Dou Eqing was plotting to capture the Blazing Cave, Luo Qian would eventually become Dou Eqing's demon slave. Since she had already been enslaved by him, she would only feel at peace if she dragged Luo Qian down with her.

Rosie knew her sister inside and out, but left a letter saying that she had found a suitable husband for Luo Qian and that she should give him her personal belongings as a token of their commitment. Luo Qian took the bait and followed her.

Luo Qian followed them out of the west gate of Shiguan City and soon they were far away from Shiguan City. By then, it was getting dark.

As dusk settled, the mountain valley turned a bluish-gray. Withered vines entwined a broken stele, which lay askew in the mud. The words "Forbidden Land" were faintly visible on the mottled surface of the stele.

As Luo Qian's boots crunched over the gravel, she could hear her own heartbeat; every hair on her body seemed to be sensing the movement of the wind.

Several dark red vines hung from the eastern cliff face, like dried blood stains congealed in the crevices of the rocks.

With a slight movement of her sleeve, three hidden weapons slid into her palm.

The scent of decaying leaves mixed with a very faint smell of rot reminded her of a saltpeter mine in the Blazing Cave where corpses were buried.

The bluestone slabs underfoot were cracked into a spiderweb pattern, with tiny bone fragments embedded in the cracks, gleaming with a cold white light in the dim light.

As the west wind swept through the pine forest, she noticed unnatural wrinkles on the bark of the third pine tree.

It was a faded talisman, its edges charred black as if burned by lightning. As a chill ran down his spine, the sound of snapping branches rang out simultaneously from three directions, startling a flock of demonic birds that soared into the sky from the north slope, their flapping wings tearing through the deathly silence.

Cold sweat trickled down her spine and into her collar. Suddenly, she understood the key points of the formation disguised as jumbled rocks—three granite blocks on the left formed a trapping dragon formation, and five pebbles on the right formed a fire-removing formation.

The mountain shadows hung lower and lower, and the twilight carried the smell of rust, along with a thick, fishy odor, like the blood of a wild beast whose throat had been slit in a deep ravine.

As she clenched the copper coin between her knuckles, she heard her rapid breathing echoing against the stone wall.

Just as the last ray of sunlight was swallowed by the mountain ridge, a faint bell rang from the southeast corner, startling the fallen leaves that swirled around the edge of the formation.

From this, Luo Qian realized that she had fallen into an ambush.

A faint rustling sound came from the surrounding woods, indicating that someone was secretly watching.

She quickly looked around and discovered that the fallen leaves on the ground had been deliberately trampled, forming a hidden path.

Luo Qian felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that this was no ordinary ambush, but a meticulously planned trap.

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and looking for an opportunity to escape from her surroundings.

In fact, Dou Eqing and the others were just watching the show. Once Luo Qian entered this valley, the ending was already predetermined.

With Rosie as an inside man, everyone was well aware of Luo Qian's strength and methods, and they launched surprise attacks, ambushes, and encirclements.

Rosie was not only familiar with Luo Qian's fighting style, but also knew her weaknesses, making every attack incredibly precise.

In less than half an hour, Luo Qian was subdued by the crowd, like a sparrow with broken wings, at Dou Eqing's mercy.

Luo Qian looked at Luo Qian with a smug sneer and thought to herself, "You've finally met your match." Luo Qian, on the other hand, was full of resentment, her eyes flashing with anger and helplessness.

Dou Eqing ruthlessly and quickly implanted the Demon Slave Mark.

He originally intended to find a secluded place to quickly take Luo Qian into the Pure Slave Palace for proper "training" and complete taming, turning her into a demon slave who obeyed his every command, in preparation for the next action.

But then, something unexpected happened.

"Qianqian—" A worried cry pierced the air, "Qian'er, it's all your aunt's fault."

A disheveled, alluring woman stumbled towards the crowd, her nail-studded fingers gripping the hem of Rosie's plain white robe tightly. "She is still your blood-related sister. How could you let an enemy harm your own flesh and blood?"

Although Zhou Zhixiu appeared tearful this week, a hint of gloom lingered in her brows.

As her wide sleeves fluttered, the pressure of her peak early-stage Void Refinement realm transformed into an invisible gale, shredding the surrounding paulownia leaves into dust.

Rosie coldly watched her stepmother, who was using seductive arts to bewitch people. Suddenly, she remembered what her mother had said to her ten years ago when she held her hand: "Don't trust Zhou Shi." A mocking sneer appeared on her lips.

Whether it was because Luo Xi's father, Luo Dayou, had the same good fortune with women as Dou Eqing, or for some other reason, both of Luo Xi's birth mother and Zhou Zhixiu, two stunningly beautiful "enchantresses," were far more powerful than Luo Dayou in cultivation, yet he captured both of them and each gave birth to a daughter with extraordinary talent in cultivation.

Rosie's birth mother, Luo Daling, had already broken through to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm.

However, ever since Luo Dayou and Zhou Zhixiu got together, Luo Daling has severed her relationship with her ex-husband.

This also affected her daughter Rosie, causing their relationship to become very strained.

When Rosie was selecting slave targets for Dou Eqing, she had considered Luo Daling and Zhou Zhixiu as targets.

Clearly, Rosie harbors considerable resentment towards both her biological mother and stepmother.

However, considering that Dou Eqing had limited the cultivation level of his demon slave targets to the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, and that Dou Eqing's method for quickly taming the demon slaves was through intimate dual cultivation, Rosie had a hurdle in her mind.

After all, monks also have a deep aversion to ethical discussions.

If it weren't for this concern, and if Luo Qian weren't an option, Luo Qian would have suggested to Dou Eqing that they implant the Demon Slave Seal on her biological mother, Luo Daling.

This was her way of getting revenge on her mother, and also a precautionary measure.

When Rosie was completely tamed into a demon slave by Dou Eqing, she became subservient to him like a believer, convinced that Dou Eqing would soon be able to control the Blazing Cave, and even become more powerful, until he became an immortal.

Influenced by this idea, Rosie naturally wanted to use Dou Eqing's help to achieve immortality.

However, when comparing herself to Zhou Yutong and Shi Liyuqiu, she didn't feel that she had much of an advantage.

Zhou Yutong is not only highly regarded by Dou Eqing and holds a pivotal position by his side, but she is also exceptionally capable, something Luo Xi feels she cannot compare to. Shi Liyuqiu's unique voluptuous charm is on a completely different level from Luo Xi's youthful innocence, and she feels that Dou Eqing prefers women like Shi Liyuqiu.

Moreover, Zhou Yutong and Shi Liyuqiu have a harmonious relationship, and the two women help and support each other.

Therefore, within Dou Eqing's power group, Rosie needed allies, and her mother was the perfect ally.

In addition, she wanted Luo Daling to know that she had become someone else's demon slave, and that it was all her fault, that her mother had failed to protect her daughter, and that she wanted her mother to know how difficult her life had been, so that she could make up for the past.

These two ideas led Rosie to try to drag Luo Daling into the mess and make her Dou Eqing's "subordinates".

Especially now, Zhou Zhixiu's act of standing up for her daughter Luo Xi makes Luo Xi realize that if her mother had stood up for her back then, she might not have become Dou Eqing's slave.

The reason she chose Luo Qian instead of Zhou Zhixiu was because she considered that Zhou Zhixiu's beauty was similar to Shi Liyuqiu's, and she was afraid that Dou Eqing would be captivated by her. Luo Qian, on the other hand, was not mature enough and lacked a bit of femininity.

Just like the Zhou Zhixiu that Dou Eqing saw at this moment, he couldn't help but admire her.

As dusk fell, Zhou Zhixiu's figure was voluptuous and her curves exquisite; a plain white Taoist robe could not conceal her graceful figure.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like autumn waters rippling across the surface, and her slightly upturned phoenix eyes held a subtle, alluring charm. Her skin was as smooth and delicate as mutton fat, and her lips were like a touch of vermilion. She possessed a captivating beauty even without makeup.

The Taoist robe was wide and flowing, but a silver sash was lightly tied around the waist, outlining a slender waist. The collar was slightly open, revealing a section of snow-white neck, with the collarbone faintly visible.

Seeing that Dou Eqing was admiring her beauty, she intentionally walked towards him.

As Zhou Zhixiu walked, her skirt swayed gently, her lotus-like steps graceful, exuding both an ethereal beauty and a captivating charm.

Her steps were as light as a swallow, each step seemingly walking on clouds, her skirt swaying in the wind like a blooming lotus flower, exuding a faint fragrance.

She held a round fan in front of her chest, her fingers long and slender like jade, and a jade bracelet on her wrist made her skin appear even more radiant.

The round fan, decorated with an exquisite pattern of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, trembled slightly with her movements, as if it had come to life, and a faint, crisp chirping sound emanated from it.

Her fingers were long and slender, with each finger bone clearly defined. The jade bracelet on her wrist shimmered with a warm luster in the sunlight, complementing her delicate skin perfectly.

Her hair was pulled up high, revealing her fair neck, and a simple and elegant wooden hairpin was inserted diagonally, with exquisite patterns carved on it.

A few strands of her dark hair fell casually to her ears, swaying gently in the breeze, adding a touch of languid charm and allure.

Zhou Zhixiu doesn't deliberately show off, yet she possesses a unique charm. Her eyes, as they move, seem both detached from worldly affairs and yet subtly alluring to the mundane world.

Her every move exudes a natural elegance that is captivating without any deliberate embellishment.

Her eyes, as they moved, possessed both a detached coolness and an irresistible allure, drawing people in and making it impossible to look away.

Suddenly, her gaze shifted from Dou Eqing to Luo Xi, who was three meters to Dou Eqing's right.

At this moment, Zhou Zhixiu looked at Luo Xi with a sharp gaze that also held a hint of pleading.

If it were only Dou Eqing and Luo Xi here, Zhou Zhixiu would have tried to snatch her daughter even if she were in their hands.

Because that's just how she does things.

Dou Eqing snapped out of his daze and quickly used telepathy to ask Luo Xi, trying to find out the general situation of the person who had come.

After he had a general understanding of Zhou Zhixiu, he immediately spoke to her warmly:
"Fairy Zhou, don't worry. Luo Qian is already one of us. Her joining my camp is definitely the best thing she's ever done."

If you're worried, you can come with us. We need Luo Qian to do something for you this time; she'll come back with you afterward.

Dou Eqing had two plans in mind. One was to try to get through it peacefully with words; if that didn't work, then he would have to take down Zhou Zhixiu as well.

He knew that Zhou Zhixiu's abilities far surpassed Luo Qian's, and her importance to her was self-evident.

In Dou Eqing's strategic plan, whether it's dealing with Shi Hao or plotting against the Blazing Cave, Luo Qian's role is not as important as Zhou Zhixiu's.

Zhou Zhixiu not only possesses formidable combat skills, but also outstanding intelligence and leadership abilities, which will enable her to play a crucial role in future battles and strategy formulation.

Furthermore, judging from Zhou Zhixiu's style of doing things, if Dou Eqing can successfully subdue her, then Luo Qian can be made to do something else, and may even be sent to carry out some minor tasks or used as bait, thereby further optimizing Dou Eqing's overall strategic deployment.

Furthermore, the arrangements for ambushing Shi Hao can be considered now.

Last time, Dou Eqing had no choice but to use Luo Qian's pure Yin body first, and he planned to keep Luo Qian's pure Yin essence for future use.

However, without breaking her body, even with the assistance of Chunnu Palace, he would find it difficult to completely tame Luo Qian, who had just been imprinted with the Demon Slave Seal, in less than two days.

Since he cannot be completely controlled, there is a high probability that unexpected situations will arise when dealing with Shi Hao. Dou Eqing cannot accept that an accident that could have been avoided has actually happened.

After all, this is a matter of great importance, and if handled poorly, it could cause huge losses or even endanger lives.

Therefore, even if it were not for Zhou Zhixiu's appearance, Dou Eqing would not have hesitated to waste Luo Qian's pure Yin body.

Besides, although his cultivation had long since reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, absorbing Luo Qian's pure Yin essence still had an invisible boost to his cultivation.

Even if the main body's cultivation cannot be improved, the spiritual body's cultivation can still be improved by borrowing Luo Qian's primordial yin. Perhaps this special avatar of the spiritual body can break through to the Void Refining Realm first.

Now, things are much better. "Buy one get one free," Zhou Zhixiu personally delivered it to our door.

It can be said that Zhou Zhixiu's appearance was just in time, or rather, an unexpected surprise.

Dou Eqing's deception can be divided into two situations.

His greatest desire was to trick Zhou Zhixiu into planting the Demon Slave Mark on him; this was his most ideal fantasy.

He knew that if he succeeded, Zhou Zhixiu would become his strongest ally, not only enhancing their overall strength but also giving them an absolute advantage in the ambush of Shi Hao.

However, he also knew that Zhou Zhixiu was not someone who could be easily deceived. She had keen insight and rich experience, and he could easily expose his plans if he was not careful.

If we really can't fool them, we can just ask them to help us deal with Shi Hao, and then we'll see what happens.

He understood that even if he couldn't achieve his initial goal, as long as he could drag Zhou Zhixiu into the conflict with Shi Hao, he could greatly weaken Shi Hao's power and pave the way for his ultimate objective.

At the same time, he will flexibly adjust his strategies according to the situation to ensure that he is always in an advantageous position.

With a hostage in hand, even if Luo Qian wasn't completely subdued, the addition of Zhou Zhixiu, a powerful figure, would make it less likely for unexpected situations to arise when dealing with Shi Hao.

In this way, Dou Eqing could postpone using Luo Qian's pure Yin body, giving himself more time to prepare for breaking through to the Void Refinement stage.

This is the best course of action, to avoid unnecessary complications once a fight breaks out.

The worst course of action would be to use Luo Qian as a hostage, then use force to suppress Zhou Zhixiu and forcibly implant the Demon Slave Seal.

Therefore, before dealing with Shi Hao, he had no choice but to practice the dual cultivation method at Chunnu Palace to tame Zhou Zhixiu as soon as possible.

Whether it was the best course of action or the worst choice, Dou Eqing thought it was a good thing.

As Dou Eqing and Zhou Zhixiu pondered their next move, Zhou Zhixiu was also quickly making plans in her mind.

Zhou Zhixiu possessed extraordinary eyes that could discern truth from falsehood, and she was shocked the moment she activated them to look at Dou Eqing.

The legend of discerning the true nature of the phoenix eyes is inherited from the divine bird that discerns the true nature, a descendant of the phoenix mythical beast.

Legend has it that the ability to discern truth and discern the phoenix eye is often described as having a sharp and profound divine ability to see through all things in the world and even predict the future.

This ability makes the ability to discern the true nature of things and identify the phoenix eye an important element in many legends and stories, symbolizing wisdom, foresight, and a talent for exploration.

However, Zhou Zhixiu's ability to discern truth and distinguish truth through her phoenix eyes is a unique martial skill resulting from her bloodline and secret cultivation techniques.

First, Zhou Zhixiu noticed the extraordinary nature of Dou Eqing's physical body: the legendary and rare Fire Dragon Drill.

If a male cultivator discovered this item, he would only feel envious, but Zhou Zhixiu, as a female cultivator who was keen on dual cultivation, felt the Fire Dragon Drill much more strongly than others.

In addition, Dou Eqing subconsciously probed his age with his Fire Dragon Drill and found that his cultivation level was extremely inconsistent with his age.

But she firmly believed that she had not misjudged, and understood that it was truly rare for Dou Eqing to have cultivated to his current level in less than a thousand years.

Then, Zhou Zhixiu activated her ultimate ability to discern truth and phoenix, discovering that Dou Eqing possessed the immense fortune that only immortals could have, but it was temporarily suppressed by some mysterious force, with only a small amount of fortune influencing Dou Eqing.

Finally, Zhou Zhixiu used the medium of "determining cause and effect" to empower her to identify the true phoenix, thereby stimulating her sixth sense to discover the treasure.

"A celestial treasure? This kid has a celestial treasure by his side. No wonder he has such abundant luck. It is said that celestial treasures are rare in the entire Kunlun Realm. This kid possesses a celestial treasure, no wonder he has accumulated such profound luck. The existence of the celestial treasure gives him wings on his path of cultivation, and his future is limitless."

After investigating Dou Eqing, Zhou Zhixiu inexplicably compared her to her own Daoist partner, and suddenly the image of Luo Dayou engaging in sexual relations with other female cultivators flashed through her mind.

In fact, it is perfectly normal for demonic cultivators to use furnaces for cultivation.

This cultivation method can not only rapidly improve one's cultivation level, but also save a lot of cultivation resources.

Zhou Zhixiu was well aware of this, but she could not ignore the knot and dissatisfaction deep in her heart.

She recalled the tacit understanding and trust between herself and her Daoist partner, and couldn't help but feel a little lost.

Although borrowing a furnace is common practice among demonic cultivators, each person's mindset and choices are different.

Zhou Zhixiu had previously turned a blind eye to Luo Dayou's actions.

However, after Luo Daling broke through to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement Realm three hundred years ago, his status in the sect was firmly above Luo Dayou's. Since then, Luo Dayou has been obsessed with improving his cultivation. Not only did he increase the frequency of dual cultivation with the furnace, but he also rarely had dual cultivation with Zhou Zhixiu.

Luo Dayou was single-mindedly pursuing a higher realm, devoting almost all his time and energy to cultivation, even at the cost of sacrificing his relationship with Zhou Zhixiu.

His behavior caused quite a stir within the sect. Some people thought he was too focused on his personal cultivation and had let down such a beautiful woman as Zhou Zhixiu.

However, regardless of how others evaluate him, Luo Dayou has always remained steadfast on his path of spiritual practice and has never wavered.

The reason why Luo Dayou tried to avoid dual cultivation with Zhou Zhixiu in order to improve his cultivation level was very simple.

He himself was only at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage, while Zhou Zhixiu was a whole realm higher than him, already a Void Refining Realm expert.

After all, Luo Dayou was the one who gave in the dual cultivation with Zhou Zhixiu. The cultivation he painstakingly gained from cultivating several cauldrons would be easily absorbed by his partner, while Zhou Zhixiu did not benefit much.

At the same time, due to the difference in cultivation level, and Zhou Zhixiu's very strong personality, it was difficult for him to achieve harmony with the furnace cauldron during dual cultivation.

Therefore, a variety of factors led to a gradual estrangement between the two.

"He abandoned Luo Daling back then only because he valued my pure Yin body, hoping it could help him break through his bottleneck. Now that he hasn't succeeded, if he encounters another pure Yin body with the Void Refinement Realm, wouldn't Luo Daling become a cautionary tale for me?"

Zhou Zhixiu thought of a Daoist partner from Dou Eqing, never imagining that such a thought would arise.

Then, after thinking about the cause and effect, she realized that the cause seemed to lie with Dou Eqing.

"Zhou Zhixiu, Zhou Zhixiu, are you perhaps planning to have an affair? Or are you trying to seduce a young girl? Have you no shame?"

She quickly reminded herself.

However, she forgot that in order to investigate Dou Eqing, she had hastily used "determining cause and effect," which is a somewhat taboo method that generally needs to be used with caution and is prone to backlash.

"Establishing cause and effect" means clearing obstacles for exploration by increasing the intimacy between the two parties.

Just like if someone wants to find out another person's secrets, it's naturally difficult to find out their secrets when they first meet. But once the two people establish a close relationship and spend a lot of time together, many of the other person's secrets may be left unguarded and unknowingly discovered.

Although using this technique can skip the process of cultivating a close relationship and directly remove obstacles to exploration, because "determining cause and effect" involves the law of cause and effect, it cannot be easily used unless one has some understanding of the way of cause and effect and has mastered the law of cause and effect, otherwise there will be unpredictable backlash.

The backlash Zhou Zhixiu suffered was that it deepened her karmic entanglement with Dou Eqing, just like Yu Fengxian had done before, creating a karmic relationship of love and tribulation between herself and Dou Eqing.

Therefore, without Zhou Zhixiu's own knowledge, she seemed to instinctively want to get close to Dou Eqing. It wasn't just a romantic attraction between a man and a woman, but rather a strange feeling that a relationship had developed between them, giving rise to an inexplicable entanglement.

On one hand, there is the betrayal of her Daoist partner, and on the other hand, there is the alluring charm of Dou Eqing's peach blossom eyes. Coupled with the backlash of "fixing cause and effect", this brings about unexpected events.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Zhou Zhixiu didn't even ask what Dou Eqing and his group were going to do before she readily agreed.

As a result, Dou Eqing didn't even have a chance to say the excuse he had prepared.

To an onlooker, however, the scene appears quite different.

"Vixen!"

Rosie thought to herself.

From her perspective, Zhou Zhixiu was captivated by Dou Eqing's charm and fell in love with him. She believed that Zhou Zhixiu's every move was an attempt to seduce Dou Eqing, and the proof of this was that she agreed to ambush Shi Hao without even inquiring about their plans.

Because both the Blazing Cave and the Demon Hunter Sect are sixth-tier forces, and their overall strength is comparable, it is very easy for Void Refinement Realm experts to attack each other, which could easily lead to hostility between the two sects as a whole.

As a high-ranking member of the Blazing Cave, Zhou Zhixiu had to be extremely cautious about such matters.

Of course, this is also because Luo Xi only sees Zhou Zhixiu from her own perspective and ignores the fact that Zhou Zhixiu does not know that the person they are going to deal with is Shi Hao.

Others believe that Dou Eqing has "conquered" Zhou Zhixiu, a "resentful woman," with his charm, and think that the two have a future together.

After all, Zhou Yutong and Shi Liyuqiu both knew that Dou Eqing's luck with women was exceptionally strong, so they naturally assumed that Zhou Zhixiu was just another one of Dou Eqing's romantic interests.

The most awkward one was Luo Qian.

She also noticed her mother's abnormality and realized that Zhou Zhixiu and Dou Eqing seemed to have a very ambiguous relationship.

Although Luo Qian sometimes looked down on him because he had already broken through to the Refinement of Void Realm while his father was still at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm.

In particular, Luo Dayou's practice of dual cultivation with a furnace and cauldron made Luo Qian, who had never experienced the pleasures of love between men and women, feel that her father was too promiscuous and had wronged her mother.

Because of her belief that her father betrayed her mother first, she felt that her mother's ambiguous relationship with Dou Eqing was probably an act of revenge against her father.

Therefore, Luo Qian felt particularly bad at this moment, especially since she had been marked with the Demon Slave Mark by Dou Eqing and desperately needed her mother to rescue her.

"Should I ask my mother to sacrifice herself for me? How will I ever live after that!"

Luo Qian felt extremely tormented, as if she couldn't see a way out.

She was stuck in a mental dead end; every time she tried to think about a problem, it was like going around in circles, and she couldn't find a breakthrough.

Her thoughts were like being trapped in a maze, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt she was heading into endless darkness.

Zhou Zhixiu agreed so readily that Dou Eqing was caught off guard and hesitated for a moment before responding.

He pondered to himself, "This woman seems to be a cautious person, so why is she so decisive? Is there some hidden reason?"
Dou Eqing was considering whether he should observe and verify the situation first before making a decision.

He raised an eyebrow, and a meaningful, cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Zhou Xianzi is quite straightforward; she didn't even ask us what we wanted to do."

Zhou Zhixiu's expression remained unchanged, but her eyes flashed with flirtatious intent as she asked in return:
"You have my daughter firmly in your grasp, do you think I'd ruin your plans?"

After saying that, she actually took out her own jade sword and threw it to Dou Eqing, "Now you can rest assured, right?"

This jade sword was her personal possession, and she would never have so casually handed it over to a stranger like Dou Eqing.

This jade sword was her personal possession, and she always kept it close to her body.

It would have been impossible for her to hand over the jade sword to a stranger like Dou Eqing so casually, because the jade sword was not only her natal weapon, but also a symbol of her family's honor, and contained her father's dying wish that she protect it at all times to prevent it from falling into the hands of outsiders.

The jade sword was pure white, like snow, and its blade shimmered with a moonlit glow.

The naturally formed blue-green patterns along the spine of the sword resemble swirling smoke and clouds, and shimmer with a faint turquoise halo under the sunlight.

The sword guard is carved with a double lotus pattern, and two vermilion-colored spirit stones are inlaid at the stamen, just like the tear moles of a beautiful woman with affection.

The most peculiar thing is that the blade is not forged from cold iron, but polished from millennia-old ice jade from the Kunlun Mountains. When it is swung, it does not produce sword energy, but rather a clear, melodious sound like jade pendants clashing together.

The sword tassel is adorned with a seven-jeweled necklace, each jade bead containing a spiritual aura like morning dew. As it sways gently with each step, it casts tiny, iridescent spots of light on the ground.

When it hung around Zhou Zhixiu's waist, the warm jade light reflected off her plain white silk dress, resembling a weeping crabapple tree covered in frost and snow.

Occasionally, the sword's blade would reflect the owner's tender, piercing eyes, and the blue patterns would subtly shift, transforming into gentle ripples spreading across the gaze.

Dou Eqing took the jade sword and gently stroked its blade, as if he were stroking Zhou Zhixiu's face.

He said with a beaming smile, "What a fine sword! It complements Fairy Zhou's temperament and cultivation perfectly; it's a match made in heaven. How could I possibly take such a precious sword from someone else? It's best to keep it by your side so that its true power and value can be fully realized."

As he spoke, he slowly walked towards Zhou Zhixiu, each step appearing light and graceful.

When he came to her side, the air was filled with the faint, unidentified fragrance of flowers emanating from her, which was refreshing and delightful.

He took a deep breath, savoring the refreshing fragrance, and then carefully handed over the jade sword in his hand. The blade gleamed with a warm luster in the twilight.

"I trust Fairy Zhou; maybe we'll be on the same side from now on."

He thought to himself: This woman's strategy of retreating to advance is incredibly clever; she's worth winning over and using for my purposes. It's a pity he didn't place the Demon Slave Mark on her. Perhaps… he really doesn't need to be so wary of her; after all, this isn't about making her his enemy, but merely borrowing her abilities.

Thinking this, a smug glint flashed in Dou Eqing's eyes, and he waved his large, burly hand: "In that case, Fairy Zhou, please follow me."

So Dou Eqing led his group to the Dragon Valley, where they planned to ambush Shi Hao. They would make some preparations there and wait for Shi Hao to be captured.

They carefully selected the most secluded area in the Dragon Valley, and took advantage of the terrain to set up numerous traps, magic arrays, and ambushes.

Dou Eqing personally directed the operation, ensuring that every detail was flawless, striving to capture Shi Hao in one fell swoop.

They also dispatched spies from the Demon Hunter Sect to closely monitor Shi Hao's movements so they could adjust their strategies accordingly.

The entire plan was meticulous and thorough, demonstrating Dou Eqing's high regard for Shi Hao.

(End of this chapter)