Surviving in the Demonic Sect, one begins cultivation by retrieving corpses.

"Zhao-ge'er, who were you talking to just now?"

The stableman rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of the room, yawning.

"Brother Zhao, you've suddenly become so diligent lately, I'm not used to it."

Nighttime cultivation is inherently exhausting, and the stableman usually falls asleep after cultivating for a while, unlike Gu Zhao who has pure Yang Qi that automatically drives the "Corpse Water Azure Wave Scripture".

It requires almost no effort; even after cultivating all night, one remains refreshed and energetic.

Gu Zhao casually replied, "It's Junior Sister Pei."

Ma Fang looked on with envy: "Junior Sister Pei has it so easy. She can just focus on cultivation all day long, unlike us who have to work and can only squeeze out time to cultivate."

"After leaving the Yinshui River, we were exhausted and all we wanted to do was sleep soundly."

At this point, Ma Fang suddenly slapped his forehead, "Right, Zhao-ge'er, weren't you looking for a high-grade cultivation technique?"

"Isn't there a ready-made solution right in front of us?"

Gu Zhao immediately understood: "You mean...Junior Sister Pei?"

"Exactly."

The stable master nodded repeatedly, "Junior Sister Pei's family background must be extraordinary. She usually invites outer disciples to her classes and associates with the best among the servants. She must know those poor disciples who form societies."

Gu Zhao thought about it for a moment and felt that it made sense.

The stableman hesitated again: "However, Zhao-ge and I are not familiar with her. I'm afraid she looks down on us corpse retrievers. It might not be good to speak rashly."

Gu Zhao didn't seem to care much: "I think Junior Sister Pei has a gentle personality and isn't a mean-spirited person."

"Asking won't hurt; it's not like we'll lose a piece of meat anyway."

The stableman looked him up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Zhao-ge'er, your personality has really changed a lot."

After spending the last few days together, and especially after yesterday at Shuiyuanju, the two have grown much closer.

"In the past, you were so proud and arrogant, you wouldn't have thought like this."

Gu Zhao changed the subject: "Let's go, let's go. Cen Heilian has to be on duty early this morning, so don't be late."

The two then hurriedly went to the Yinshui River.

Looking down from above Qingmao Peak, it was just as dawn was breaking and the sky was beginning to brighten.

A dense throng of servants poured out from the various courtyards and communal sleeping quarters, rushing down the mountain path to the thirty-six rooms of the lower courtyard, like countless tiny ants climbing the branches of the towering trees.

Ma Fang and Gu Zhao were also among them, appearing exceptionally small.

Time flies like water, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Gu Zhao also began to adapt to the rhythm of the morgue.

Workers go to work and workers come home.

Just like going to work and getting off work.

For the past seven days, the Yinshui River in the Dingzi District, where Gu Zhao is located, has remained the same as it had been in the previous days.

The number of corpses retrieved by the body retrievers each day is less than half of what it used to be.

Cen Pan urged him every day, but fortunately, thanks to Gong Yuzhou's promise last time, he wasn't so anxious.

The officers on the other body-retrieval boats were extremely anxious, practically urging the body retrievers to work until the river was closed for the night.

The group of corpse retrievers were in dire straits.

Although the water monkeys have stopped causing trouble in the river these past few days, the cultivators from the Mountain Patrol Hall have been appearing more and more frequently along the banks of the Yin River.

The corpse retrieval boat where Gu Zhao was located.

Over the past ten days or so, everyone has gradually become familiar with the name Gu Zhao.

There is no other reason.

In the past ten days, Gu Zhao has only failed to pull the black zombie out of the river on one or two days.

Several times I was the first to catch the black zombie, getting a great start and receiving the reward.

The group of corpse retrievers were all surprised. They looked at Gu Zhao, who had a fair complexion and seemed like a pretty boy, yet he possessed such outstanding skills in retrieving corpses.

For a time, some people were jealous, some were indifferent, and some secretly kept an eye on him and silently remembered him.

Some people even roughly calculated that Gu Zhao had received as much as 2,100 coins in rewards over the past few days.

The stables also looked at Gu Zhao with new respect.

After all, everyone likes a capable person.

The second floor of the corpse retrieval boat.

Cen Pan, dressed in a black cloak, quietly watched the young man who was recuperating in Class A, a hint of sinister intent flashing deep in his eyes.

He was secretly surprised and suspicious. Several days had passed, and Gu Zhao, who had been hit by the water monkey, was still completely unharmed and showed no signs of abnormality.

Could it be that he really obtained some kind of opportunity?

The bottom of the Yinshui River is never a place lacking in opportunities.

What kind of opportunity did Gu Zhao obtain?

Cen Pan felt that it was not worth taking action for the time being.

After all, if that opportunity is just a pipe dream, even if he is only destined to be a lowly servant, he will die and that is that, so it is not worth regretting.

You should know how much work is required to work in a morgue every day.

In the past few days, he had secretly investigated and found out that Gu Zhao's senior sister, who was on a sect mission outside, had not been heard from for a long time and was probably in grave danger.

In the southern border region, the death of a Qi Refining disciple is not a big deal.

The only thing that made Cen Pan hesitate was the scene when Gu Zhao received the jade pendant from Gong Yuzhou last time, which showed that he had won Gong Yuzhou's favor!

Cen Pan was originally just a menial disciple, but he was able to reach the Qi Refining Realm and was exceptionally promoted to a steward.

His strength lies in his cautious approach and careful planning before taking action.

Moreover, the forces of the Mountain Patrol Hall and the River Suppression Division have been watching this area on the Yinshui River recently, so now is definitely not a good time to make a move.

Cen Pan crunched the two steel balls in his hand, and looked away from Gu Zhao.

On the first shift of the body retrieval boat.

Gu Zhao raised his eyes slightly and looked at the figure on the second floor.

This deacon seems to be paying more attention to me lately.

It's definitely not a good thing that a deacon at the Qi Refining Realm has his eye on me.

Gu Zhao silently reminded himself that he was in the Demonic Sect and that people's hearts were treacherous.

After much thought, there was only one reason that could make Cen Pan pay so much attention.

He was hit by the water monkey but was unharmed.

This matter could not be hidden in the end and would be noticed by those with ulterior motives.

Gu Zhao composed himself and focused his mind inward.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, a massive black gold cauldron slowly emerged, its surface shrouded in flowing runes, revealing the characters:

[Master of the Cauldron: Gu Zhao]

[Cultivation Level: Fourth Level of Fetal Movement (36% complete)]

Gu Zhao nodded secretly.

Over the past seven days, without the slightest slackening, his cultivation level has steadily progressed from 21% of the fourth level of the fetal movement stage to 36% of the final stage.

This is partly due to the assistance of pure Yang Qi.

Gu Zhao slowly regained his composure and looked once more at the Yinshui River, which was shrouded in cold, misty clouds.

Over the course of seven days, despite working every day, he still hadn't found a single sacred object to offer as a sacrifice.

It seems that this magical object is not easily obtained.

At the same time, he also saved up a sum of money for religious purposes.

Relying on his pure Yang Qi, which allows him to see five zhang (approximately 10 meters) underwater, Gu Zhao is usually the first to retrieve the black zombie, earning an extra reward.

With this month's wages and next month's living expenses, I should be able to scrape together most of it.

He stood up, and after catching his breath, he leaped back into the Yinshui River.

"Splash—"

The rippling blue waters of the Yin River parted, and he swam through them, slowly parting the current.

An internal energy surged through his feet, propelling him more than ten feet forward. He then channeled pure Yang Qi into his eyes, making the scenery before him even clearer.

He swam slowly and steadily, without haste or impatience.

Just then!

Gu Zhao suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold rise from the water.

A dark blue shadow suddenly burst out from the bottom of the river and rushed straight towards him!

"Water monkey!"