Chapter 975: Seduction, Passive Value, +1

A whoosh! Sword light parted the heavy water, and an illusory figure stopped its descent in the deep sea.

"Is this the bottom?" a murmur arose.

Gu Qingyi, the swordsman carrying the Lotus Sword, had used Swordless Art to make his figure invisible, ignoring the water pressure. After a long descent, he finally found the only tangible object beneath the deep sea:

—A door!

Before him lay a massive, heavy, and ancient door, over nine meters tall and remarkably thick. It stood without any visible support and was not bordered by water currents forming strange barriers. Gu Qingyi circled the door, both front and back, realizing that there was no other way to uncover the secret of this ancient deep-sea gate besides pushing it open.

"A door..."

"Where does it lead?" Gu Qingyi pondered, having discarded his physical form with Swordless Art.

Ever since he first found Solitary Sound Cliff, he had sensed a faint, almost imperceptible guiding force. It seemed as if someone wanted him to come to Solitary Sound Cliff and then discover the secret at the bottom of the cliff. After witnessing the residual sword intent of the Eighth Sword Immortal on Solitary Sound Cliff, Gu Qingyi became even more certain of his hypothesis. He had left Gu Qing’er on the cliff to provide support, descending alone to find the opportunity within.

"With the Eighth Sword Immortal's sword intent, the bottomless ocean beneath Solitary Sound Cliff, and the special guiding force and forbidden spell barrier... If nothing unexpected happens, this 'door' might be connected to Sky City?"

Gu Qingyi didn't know if his speculation would prove true, but he recalled that the Eighth Sword Immortal had cast the Sacred Power treasure onto the Sacred God Continent precisely to draw everyone to the Cloud Continent Mountains. And currently, there was only Sky City in the Cloud Continent Mountains that could be linked to the motives behind all these events. It seemed unlikely that this deep-sea door wouldn't also have some connection to Sky City.

"Should I try?"

Holding the wicked sword, Lotus, Gu Qingyi had a bold idea. After all, not much time had passed since he fell from the cliff into the water; his second junior brother should still be waiting for him on Solitary Sound Cliff. As long as he pushed open the door and clearly understood the opportunity, he could decide whether to proceed or retreat. If anything felt wrong, he would immediately withdraw, return to the cliff, and reunite with his second junior brother. If he wanted to explore further later... asking his master should provide an answer, right?

As he thought this, Gu Qingyi gazed at the massive door before him, his eyes burning with eagerness. He seemed to have completely forgotten his premonition of danger and discarded all possible contingencies. Without a second thought, he naturally placed his hand on the ancient deep-sea door.

"Open!"

He pushed with force. With a thud, the ancient door trembled slightly. However, under the immense pressure of the seawater, the door was not so easily pushed open. Instead, due to the external force, the edges of the ancient door glowed faintly, seemingly indicating its extraordinary nature. Normally, such strange activity would undoubtedly make Gu Qingyi wary, prompting him to carefully reconsider whether pushing the door was feasible. But now, failure didn't alert him; instead, it ignited his competitive spirit.

"Quite heavy, isn't it?" Gu Qingyi sneered, unceremoniously drew the wicked sword Lotus from his chest, and swung it forward.

"Path of Tremor: All Laws Opened!"

With a thunderous boom, the sword light struck the ancient door. The powerful recoil instantly sent the surrounding hundreds of miles of seawater surging outwards. Then, the ancient door trembled violently, caving inwards at the center; evidently, a crack had been shaken open by the sword light.

"Whoosh..."

A terrifying suction emanated, pulling seawater from miles around forcefully into the crack.

"Ugh!" Gu Qingyi grunted, his face filled with shock. Even his illusory form, created by Swordless Art, couldn't withstand the immense suction coming from the crack; his body was involuntarily pulled forward.

"Trying to pull me in?" Gu Qingyi's expression finally turned grim. Only in that instant when a sense of crisis washed over him did he acutely realize that all his previous thoughts had completely lacked the option of "retreating." Undeniably, this was certainly that strange guiding force at work again!

"Path of Shattering..." With another flick of the Lotus in his hand, Gu Qingyi tried to resist, to prevent his body from being dragged into the crack. But before he could finish speaking, a brilliant flash of light burst forth from the ancient door's crack, instantly engulfing all concrete and illusory existences both in front of and behind the door. This, naturally, included Gu Qingyi.

There were no screams. No other unexpected events occurred. After a "thud," the deep-sea ancient door closed again, leaving behind only the silence and stillness that seemed to stretch endlessly in this underwater world, continuing to spread.

"Damn it!"

"Why can't I break free!"

In the deep sea, curses echoed not just from one location, but from various different water spheres. Jinfu, one of the five Gold Medal Hunter Order assassins, was currently inside a water sphere, making futile attempts to resist. She had tried every method, but still couldn't stop her body from falling deeper into the sea. As for the water sphere... with her ability, she felt she could blast through it. But Jinfu didn't dare to try at all. After all, within the forbidden spell barrier, with spiritual energy completely ineffective, she couldn't guarantee that if the water sphere broke, she, a Grand-Void Realm practitioner, wouldn't become the first person in the history of the Spirit Refining World to drown. Or be crushed into dust by the water pressure on the spot!

"My spiritual energy is almost gone..."

Looking inward at her Qi Sea, Jinfu's face showed deep worry. Even the vast spiritual energy of a Grand-Void Realm practitioner couldn't withstand constant depletion. While the surrounding water sphere certainly protected her safety, it was also gradually eroding her life force. And yet, Jinfu was powerless to do anything about it.

"If I hold on for another short while, I'll have to take a pill, but I didn't bring many spiritual energy recovery pills this time... I must find someone! I must capture another person falling through the water and drain them to sustain myself until a turning point arrives." Jinfu's face showed irritation; she licked her red lips, her eyes filled with anxiety.

After falling into the water, her simple disguise had already been washed away by the water pressure. Jinfu could no longer maintain the appearance of an ordinary woman. Instead, she now revealed her true form, and even her face, under the influence of her agitated emotions, possessed a strangely captivating allure.

Falling...

The water sphere continued its endless descent...

Soon, the powerful endurance of a Grand-Void Realm practitioner allowed Jinfu to find a turning point. In this vast deep sea, when another water sphere appeared in her field of vision, even with her spiritual senses suppressed and her eyesight blurred, she could still notice this clear change.

"Here it comes!" Jinfu's eyes instantly lit up. She didn't need to see; even in the deep sea, and even through the water sphere, she could already smell the person on the other side.

A man! A very strong masculine scent!

"Hehehe..." Jinfu's lips curled into a smile, and her delicate body began to tremble. She lowered her head and quickly tore her plain, unassuming clothes to shreds, leaving just enough to cover her body. Then, through the water sphere, facing the other side, she vigorously waved her hands.

"Help!"

"Little brother, save me!"

"Received a call, Passive Point, +1."

The info bar popped up, and Xu Xiaoshou paused slightly. This was the first time he had encountered someone actively calling out to him. After parting ways with Shounight, as he continued his descent into the deep sea, he had encountered others. But these people were either already dead or, fearing being taken advantage of, quickly urged their water spheres away, avoiding any interaction. Following the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble, Xu Xiaoshou had not contacted anyone else. Because he also feared being taken advantage of. After all, anyone who fell into this deep sea had a higher cultivation level than him, and who knew what hidden cards they might possess. Besides, after learning from the water ghost that he was a wanted criminal, Xu Xiaoshou no longer dared to cause trouble. But now, he truly hadn't expected that at this moment, a water sphere would call out to him for help.

Judging by the voice, it was a woman?

"Go over?" Xu Xiaoshou hesitated slightly. He had long since noticed a water sphere nearby and originally intended to avoid it, but the pleasant and soul-stirring voice from the other side made him fall into a dilemma.

"Save me!" The pathetic, helpless plea came again.

Xu Xiaoshou's heart trembled, and his body shivered. He immediately decided to go and see! He considered himself a righteous person, and helping a helpless woman within his capabilities was a very gentlemanly act. With a push of his foot, using the recoil force, Xu Xiaoshou quickly approached the water sphere. But just as quickly, his movements completely froze.

"This?" When his vision was no longer blurry and his "Perception" finally revealed the scene inside the opposite water sphere, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes widened, as if he had seen something incredible.

Inside the opposite water sphere, there was a woman so poor she couldn't afford clothes, only wrapped in a few simple strips of cloth, helplessly calling for help with an embarrassed posture. Every one of her movements perfectly concealed the crucial points while fully displaying her perfect, revealing figure.

Gulp. Xu Xiaoshou's Adam's apple bobbed, suddenly feeling as if the forbidden spell barrier had failed. Because his body was starting to heat up, this was definitely Ash-light White Flame acting mischievously.

"You..." After getting closer, Xu Xiaoshou asked with difficulty, "Do you... need any help?"

"I've been poisoned." The woman in the opposite water sphere clutched her chest, looking helpless and pitiful, easily stirring one's protective instincts.

"Received temptation, Passive Point, +1."

"Received seduction, Passive Point, +1."

The info bar popped up repeatedly, seemingly reminding Xu Xiaoshou of the unusual nature of the situation. At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou wished this annoying info bar had a one-click mute button. He calmly asked, "Poisoned? How can one get poisoned in the deep sea?" After all, with the info bar's reminder, he had calmed down before lust clouded his mind, and simultaneously, many thoughts came to him:

"I haven't seen this person before; there shouldn't be anyone like this on Solitary Sound Cliff, right? But no matter what, anyone who can fall into the water is a powerful figure, starting from the Sovereign Dao Realm, potentially reaching the Grand-Void Realm, or even higher, because it's impossible to know if anyone was originally trapped at the bottom of Solitary Sound Cliff. She's so beautiful... Pah! What am I thinking? So, is it a disguise? I haven't seen such a beautiful girl on Solitary Sound Cliff! Is this her true appearance, or is it her disguised appearance now? I hope this is all real... What a grand water sphere..."

As Xu Xiaoshou's thoughts raced chaotically, the woman opposite, so poor she couldn't afford clothes, bit her lower lip and spoke pitifully, "This water sphere drains my spiritual energy, and I couldn't endure it, so I took a pill, but, but..."

"But what?" Xu Xiaoshou couldn't help but press.

The scantily clad woman's face suddenly flushed red. Overcome with embarrassment, she buried her face in her chest: "I originally intended to take a spiritual energy recovery pill, but in my panic, I grabbed the wrong one, and so, I took another kind..."

"Another kind?" Xu Xiaoshou's Adam's apple bobbed again, and he repeated, "What pill?"

"Spring Heart Pill!"

"Received temptation, Passive Point, +1."

"Received seduction, Passive Point, +1."

As soon as the words fell, the info bar instantly popped up. Xu Xiaoshou exhaled through his nose, feeling the heat radiating from his body was almost enough to evaporate the water sphere. He was nearly stripped of his rationality by the three words "Spring Heart Pill." This pill was an aphrodisiac, suitable for both men and women, for indescribable scenarios. As a dignified Sovereign-level alchemist, how could Xu Xiaoshou not understand what the other party meant?

The other party needed someone to help her "detoxify" from the Spring Heart Pill!

He gasped for breath. Without the info bar's reminder, Xu Xiaoshou felt he would have already fallen prey. Yet, with such obvious temptation and seduction from the other side, he was still causing him to nearly succumb, he couldn't help but start fantasizing:

"This enchantress, her cultivation technique is far from simple! In the unseen, perhaps what she cultivates perfectly aligns with that 'guiding' force. If I go over, won't I be completely devoured? What a white water sphere..."

"Pah!" Shaking his head to clear his chaotic thoughts, Xu Xiaoshou spoke with a hint of seriousness: "Madam, there is likely only one way to cure the Spring Heart Pill's poison under the heavens!"

On the other side of the water sphere, the woman, hearing this, immediately lowered her head even further, responding in a voice like a mosquito: "Mm, so, can... can you help me?"

"Received enchantment, Passive Point, +1."

Xu Xiaoshou almost lost his rationality again. Fortunately, whenever this happened, that cursed "Spiritual Awakening" accompanying "Finger of Illusion Annihilation" would pop out to disrupt things. He took a deep breath and said, "It's a good thing you met me. With my expertise, I can certainly help you."

"Then, can you come over?" The woman raised her head, her eyes full of affection, her cheeks flushed like blood.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned by her incredibly enchanting face, but he quickly regained his composure, realizing this was due to her cultivation technique. He immediately shook his head and said:

"No need to come over; I can help you even from here. The Spring Heart Pill is an eighth-grade pill. While its aphrodisiac potency is strong, its grade is simply too low. I don't currently have the corresponding antidote pill, but if you take 'Flower Union Grass' as the main ingredient, supplemented by 'Clear Heart Fruit,' 'Cool Tide Bud,' and 'Yang Extreme Wood,' in a seven-to-one-to-one-to-one ratio, it should be able to alleviate the aphrodisiac effects."

Xu Xiaoshou spoke eloquently. After speaking, he pulled out the corresponding herbs from his ring and added, "My apologies, but under the deep sea and with the forbidden spell barrier, I can't refine a pill to help you. I can only ask you to consume the spiritual herbs raw."

Jinfu: ??? For a moment, she was dumbfounded: "What did you say?"

A smile appeared on Xu Xiaoshou's face as he said, "Madam, you are very lucky to have encountered me while poisoned. Coincidentally, I am very familiar with pharmacology!" He paused, then puffed out his chest, stating with great confidence, "I am precisely a Sovereign-level alchemist, capable of resolving your pill's poison!"