The Heavenly Demon Sect has tens of thousands of disciples.
Among them, there are eight thousand inner sect disciples.
Many of these are exceptionally talented female cultivators, some even half a step away from forming their Golden Core. Two of them are Chu Zixue's greatest rivals.
Although Ye Bufan's Yang Spirit Root is mediocre, it is an extremely rare attribute in the cultivation world and offers immense benefits to female cultivators.
There's no guarantee those two scheming women wouldn't try to snatch him away.
And if word got out, more than just those two would come knocking.
"By the way, during this time, you'll be responsible for monitoring his cultivation progress. If he dares to slack off, you know what to do."
"Yes, Senior Sister."
Lüluo lowered her head, only raising it again after the other woman had left.
She stared at the retreating figure of the senior sister, her delicate face twisted in conflict. Finally, she gritted her teeth and stealthily pulled out a yellow talisman from her storage pouch.
"Senior Sister, I don't want to betray you, but I've been stuck at the early Foundation Establishment stage for too long… and Senior Sister Qingyao offered too much."
She clenched the talisman, deciding to wait a while longer before sending the message to avoid suspicion.
The senior sister was the daughter of the Peak Master of the Demon Sword Peak. If not for desperation, Lüluo would never have considered betrayal.
Then she glanced at the small courtyard again, suppressing the flicker of pity in her eyes.
That old man was doomed either way. If his death could bring her some benefits, so be it.
Not a bad deal.
For the next while, Lüluo acted as Ye Bufan's caretaker.
She delivered cultivation pills and fasting pills on schedule, ensuring he stayed on track with his training.
She had expected the old man to slack off, avoid the grueling Blood Spirit Art cultivation—she was even prepared to threaten and intimidate him.
But to her surprise, he threw himself into it with fervor.
"Does he actually think being a furnace is a good thing?"
Lüluo watched Ye Bufan meditating diligently under the large tree in the courtyard, her pretty face twisting in bewilderment.
True, Senior Sister was stunningly beautiful, possessed a top-tier Water Spirit Root, and had reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment by the age of twenty-six.
Countless disciples in the Heavenly Demon Sect would kill for a chance to get close to her.
But… those men all wanted to be her dual cultivation partners, not furnaces.
"Stupidity works in my favor. Saves me trouble."
Lüluo sighed in relief, though she also reassessed her opinion of Ye Bufan.
They said old men were shrewd—but she didn't see any of that here.
Aside from supervision, Lüluo also had to ensure Ye Bufan didn't suddenly drop dead. After all, the Blood Spirit Art drained lifespan, and he didn't have much left to begin with.
What she didn't know was that the Blood Spirit Art, which even demonic cultivators avoided, not only caused Ye Bufan no harm but instead greatly benefited him.
His body was quietly transforming, his lifespan skyrocketing.
By the fifth day, while Lüluo was out fetching pills, Ye Bufan broke through yet again.
A vortex of spiritual energy swirled above his head, threads of qi pouring into his body.
The mist-like energy in his dantian expanded once more, doubling in size.
Qi Refining, Eleventh Layer!
Ye Bufan opened his eyes—no longer the murky gaze of an old man, but clear and bright, sharp as a blade.
"Thank goodness for this demonic art. Without it, reaching the eleventh layer would've taken over a decade."
He formed a hand seal and exhaled a blade of air, slicing a deep gash into the ground.
He couldn't help but marvel.
Then he pulled out a bronze mirror, examining his reflection.
The first five days had shown little change, but after this breakthrough, the roots of his once-white hair had turned completely black. His face no longer looked elderly but middle-aged, wrinkles fading, vitality surging.
"Five days of cultivation, twenty years of life gained."
"Heh! In my Qi Refining stage, I've lived a second life!"
Ye Bufan nearly laughed out loud.
Suppressing his excitement, he began forming another hand seal, activating a spell.
This technique, Divine Concealment Art, was something he had spent years searching for after entering the cultivation world.
It could alter appearance and suppress aura—even those a full realm above him wouldn't see through it.
Otherwise, if Chu Zixue discovered his rapid progress, she'd likely drain him dry immediately, turning him into a withered husk.
As for Lüluo…
Her cultivation was far beneath his now.
Moments later, Ye Bufan's aura was masked, his appearance restored to that of a frail old man, as if he might keel over any second.
"I need to reach Foundation Establishment soon. Right now, I can fool Lüluo, but not Chu Zixue."
Ye Bufan planned to control Lüluo once he reached Foundation Establishment, then seize the first chance to escape.
"The Heavenly Demon Sect has countless demonic arts. If I cultivate them, the side effects alone could skyrocket my progress."
"A shame. But survival comes first. This demonic sect kills on a whim—too dangerous to stay long."
The Heavenly Demon Sect operated like a pit of vipers—survival of the fittest. Aside from large-scale conflicts, individual killings were ignored by the higher-ups.
Ye Bufan was a man of caution.
He knew flamboyance led to short lives.
Avoiding danger, growing in silence—that was the true path.
When Lüluo returned, Ye Bufan calmly took the pills and resumed cultivation.
Back in the day, he would've needed a month's savings just to buy a handful of these pills.
Now? Unlimited supply.
Pure bliss.
Meanwhile, Lüluo frowned at Ye Bufan's increasingly decrepit appearance.
"At this rate, he'll drop dead any day now."
She was genuinely worried.
Just then, a voice called from outside.
"Lüluo, I know you're in there! Come out! I just forged a top-grade Bronze Armored Corpse—I'll give it to you as a servant!"
Lüluo's face soured. The pest outside was one of her many suitors in the inner sect, and while she found him insufferable, she couldn't risk him discovering Ye Bufan.
She had no choice but to step out and shoo him away.
Ye Bufan, as if deaf, remained immersed in cultivation.
Lüluo was beautiful and had no shortage of admirers. The man outside was just another persistent fly. Since this was her residence, Ye Bufan had long grown used to such interruptions.
After sending the nuisance away, Lüluo returned to her vigil over Ye Bufan.
Her concern only grew—how was this old man still alive?
Ten days later.
"This old freak's still kicking after half a month of Blood Spirit Art?!"
Lüluo was stunned. Day by day, Ye Bufan looked closer to death—yet he stubbornly clung to life.
It defied logic.
If not for his breakthrough to the twelfth layer of Qi Refining, she'd have suspected the Blood Spirit Art was a fake.
"Dead or not, I need to report to Senior Sister Qingyao."
Her eyes glinted as she left the courtyard, planning to crush the yellow talisman once she was far enough away.
Meanwhile, Ye Bufan—once Lüluo was gone—dispelled the Divine Concealment Art, unleashing his true aura.
What he had shown before was a facade. Now, the real power emerged.
Qi Refining, Thirteenth Layer—Peak Stage!
His appearance had transformed completely—jet-black hair, a robust middle-aged visage, brimming with vitality.
In ten days, he had smoothly reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
His lifespan had surged by another forty years.
He had shattered the known limits of Qi Refining longevity.
If this got out, it would shake half the cultivation world.
"Time to break through to Foundation Establishment. Once I do, I'll plan my escape!"
Foundation Establishment would cause noticeable disturbances. He had to act fast.
He pulled out a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Chu Zixue had prepared it long ago, hoping he'd reach Foundation Establishment—the optimal stage for a furnace.
In the past, Ye Bufan wouldn't have dared dream of such a pill. Even in the five great immortal sects of Zhao, Foundation Establishment Pills were rare and priceless.
"Foundation Establishment… With my trash-tier aptitude, can I even succeed? Even a low-grade Dao Foundation would be a miracle."
He hesitated, anxiety gnawing at him.
Foundation Establishment was a major hurdle. Over the years, he'd heard countless tales of Qi Refining cultivators failing this step.
Even with a Foundation Establishment Pill, success wasn't guaranteed.
The worse the aptitude, the lower the odds.
[Ding! Detected Demonic Foundation Establishment Pill!]
[Demonic Foundation Establishment Pill: 60% chance of breakthrough. Side effects: Contains 200% pill toxicity, severely damages foundation. Only permits the lowest-grade Dao Foundation. Post-breakthrough cultivation speed drastically reduced.]
[Reverse Side Effects: Zero pill toxicity. Foundation will be supremely solid. Guarantees the highest-grade Dao Foundation. Post-breakthrough cultivation speed greatly accelerated.]