Chapter 75: Cleansing Technique Client +1
"Senior Brother Gu, sit over here!"
After a brief moment of surprise, Wu Jinfeng gave up his seat to Gu Mo. Wu Jinfeng was sitting in the same spot that had previously belonged to Yao Shifeng.
He had assumed that after Yao Shifeng left, he would be the most accomplished member of their little group, so he naturally took that seat.
It wasn't until Hu Hai and Chu Feifei arrived that Wu Jinfeng learned Gu Mo had become an outer sect disciple. Wu Jinfeng was just an ordinary labor disciple at the Artifact Peak and usually paid little attention to sect news, thinking it irrelevant to someone of his status.
As a result, he had no idea that Gu Mo had advanced to an outer sect disciple.
But now that he knew, Wu Jinfeng wasn't ready to give up the chance to curry favor. Even if it was a bit late, better late than never.
"No need, I'll sit here."
Gu Mo waved him off and sat in his usual spot. Then he turned his attention to Hu Hai. "Hu Hai, how did it go?"
"Yeah," Hu Hai nodded.
After the pill poisoning incident, Hu Hai had survived thanks to Gu Mo's timely intervention. Gu Mo had managed to purge the pill toxins from Hu Hai's muscles, bones, and flesh, but he couldn't do anything about the contaminated spiritual energy within him. As a result, Hu Hai's body was now coursing with toxin-laden spiritual energy.
Hu Hai had the option to dissipate this poisoned energy and start over, but he ultimately chose to keep it, preserving his third-layer Qi Refining cultivation.
Though the price was stagnation in his cultivation, for a labor disciple with inferior spiritual roots, the third layer of Qi Refining was practically the ceiling anyway.
If Hu Hai had chosen to start over, there was no guarantee he could reach the third layer again.
Moreover, this toxin-infused spiritual energy wasn't without its advantages. When used against opponents, it could easily contaminate them, drastically weakening their strength. If it struck magical artifacts, it would diminish the user's control over them. It was no exaggeration to say that this toxic spiritual energy significantly boosted Hu Hai's combat prowess.
However, the flip side was that this toxicity rendered Hu Hai incapable of practicing any of the cultivation arts. After all, if he used this poisoned energy for alchemy, the pills produced would be guaranteed failures.
Unable to perform his duties as a labor disciple, Hu Hai no longer had any value staying in the sect. That said, the sect had no intention of expelling him, since he hadn't committed any wrongdoing and had even contributed significantly to the alchemy Peak's pill research.
Since remaining in the sect was meaningless, they decided to send Hu Hai on an external assignment. Qinglu Sect had many industries outside that needed supervision.
Given his toxic abilities, Hu Hai was far better suited for combat.
However, once he left, it would be difficult for him to return. Today marked the group's final gathering.
"Well, alright. But the outside world is dangerous, so be careful!" Gu Mo nodded after hearing Hu Hai's decision. In fact, many labor disciples nearing the end of their lifespans were often assigned outside tasks. Depending on their contributions to the sect, they would be granted relatively peaceful positions to live out their remaining years.
But Hu Hai was still young and possessed a formidable toxic skill. The place he was headed was unlikely to be peaceful.
With the farewell looming, Hu Hai didn't remain as silent as before. He spoke at length and finally glanced at Yao Shifeng's usual seat. Naturally, Hu Hai had informed Yao Shifeng as well, but it seemed the once-respected "Brother Yao" had no intention of showing up.
"Well then, everyone, until we meet again!"
Hu Hai rose, gave a slight bow to the group, and then left the private room. From there, he would head straight to his external assignment.
"Sigh…"
Watching Hu Hai walk away, Gu Mo couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Their original five-person team was now down to three—Yao Shifeng had completely cut ties, and now Hu Hai was leaving as well.
"Senior Brother Gu!"
After Hu Hai left, Wu Jinfeng approached Gu Mo, eager to ingratiate himself. But when he saw Chu Feifei heading their way too, he hesitated and ultimately chose to leave. After all, lingering would be impolite.
"Gu Mo! Congratulations on becoming an outer sect disciple—though I might be a bit late?"
Chu Feifei greeted him with a smile. Unlike Wu Jinfeng's sycophantic approach, Chu Feifei still treated Gu Mo casually. She was confident she would soon become an outer sect disciple herself. Since she believed she could keep up with Gu Mo, she naturally felt comfortable interacting with him on equal footing.
"If you'd been any later, we'd be congratulating each other on becoming outer sect disciples," Gu Mo joked.
Rolling her eyes at him, Chu Feifei opened her mouth to say something but hesitated at the last moment.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing her hesitation, Gu Mo asked. At this point, Chu Feifei was the only friend in their small group he truly trusted.
"Gu Mo, I want to try the perfected-level Cleansing Technique," Chu Feifei finally confessed, revealing the thought that had lingered in her mind ever since learning Gu Mo had mastered the perfected-level Cleansing Technique.
Her unique physique was closely tied to the Cleansing Technique. If she could purify herself using the perfected version, her body might undergo some significant changes.
Chu Feifei was confident she could keep pace with Gu Mo, and this confidence stemmed from her unique physique. If the perfected Cleansing Technique could unlock her body's potential, she might not just catch up to Gu Mo but even surpass him.
"Do you know the cost of having someone perform the perfected Cleansing Technique on you?" Gu Mo was momentarily stunned by her request but quickly asked in return.
"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of pain!"
Recalling how agonized Hu Hai looked when Gu Mo performed the perfected Cleansing Technique on him, Chu Feifei gritted her teeth in determination.
Hearing this, Gu Mo realized Chu Feifei didn't truly understand. It made sense—how could an ordinary labor disciple like her know the details about the perfected Cleansing Technique?
So, Gu Mo explained the cost involved in performing the perfected version. The moment she understood, Chu Feifei's face flushed bright red.
"Do you still want me to perform the perfected Cleansing Technique on you?" Gu Mo couldn't resist teasing her, amused by her rare display of embarrassment.
"Yes!"
Chu Feifei's expression suddenly turned resolute.
Exploring the secrets of her physique was crucial, and the perfected Cleansing Technique was undoubtedly a key factor. But she knew it was nearly impossible for her to cultivate the technique to that level herself.
Thus, her only option was to have someone else perform it. Rather than turning to strangers in the future, Chu Feifei naturally trusted Gu Mo more. Even if he discovered the secrets of her body, she believed Gu Mo wouldn't harm her.
This trust had been built over the years.
"Alright then."
Since Chu Feifei was willing to have her body's secrets exposed to him, Gu Mo saw no reason to refuse. Besides, he was curious to see how much her unique physique could be activated by the perfected Cleansing Technique.
Of course, this wasn't something Gu Mo could have suggested himself. But now that Chu Feifei had brought it up, he was eager to find out.
He carried Chu Feifei on his flying sword back to his spirit field cottage. Activating Chu Feifei's unique physique wasn't something they could do in a marketplace, nor was her place suitable.
So, Gu Mo brought her to his cottage. It was protected by formation arrays, guarded by pea shooters and potato mines—nothing short of Foundation Establishment cultivators could break in. The safety was beyond question.
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