"Um..." The female disciple bit her lip, her face flushing red to the base of her neck. She whispered, "Senior Brother, you’ve worked so hard all day. Why don’t you let Qingniang serve you? I’m still a virgin..."

The gap between the Inner and Outer Sects of the Heling Sect was immense. Inner Sect Disciples only needed to focus on their cultivation and received a fixed amount of Merit each year. Outer Sect Disciples, however, were different. They had to take on numerous miscellaneous tasks just to earn cultivation resources, and all they got for neglecting their cultivation was a mere thirty to fifty Spirit Stones.

In fact, there were quite a few female cultivators like her who wished to offer themselves to an Inner Sect Disciple.

Most of the time, it was a mutually agreeable transaction.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong opened his eyes. ’How interesting,’ he thought.

’I can’t believe this kind of thing is actually happening to me!’

He sized up the female Outer Sect Disciple before him. Frankly, her figure was flat as a washboard, with no curves to speak of. Fortunately, her body was constantly nourished by Spiritual Qi, so her skin was supple enough to break at a touch, and her face was far more delicate than that of a mortal woman.

Unfortunately for her, simple carnal pleasure held little meaning for him.

The female disciple, sensing his gaze, began to undo her sash. Lü Zhong glanced over, then looked away. "Junior Sister, why must you debase yourself?" he said, shaking his head. "Consider this Jade Solidification Pill as payment for delivering the meal. Please take it and leave."

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and produced one of his leftover Jade Solidification Pills, placing it in her hand.

He formed a hand seal, chanted an incantation, and cast the Object Control Skill, manipulating a large, magical hand to dress her again in the clothes she had removed.

"Th-thank you, Senior Brother..." The female disciple’s face turned beet red as tears rolled down her cheeks.

She took the Pill, covered her face, and ran out as if fleeing for her life.

"Sigh..." Lü Zhong let out a breath. ’My mental fortitude really has reached a high level,’ he thought. ’To remain unmoved in the face of such temptation.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He glanced at the food box and, just in case, cast Malice Detection on it.

...

The next day, the team pushed onward.

After dealing with three waves of Yin Scythe Rats along the waterway and passing through a half-collapsed hall, Lü Zhong led his team to a grotto filled with stalactites.

Reaching this point meant they had entered the lower waterway.

Before proceeding into the lower waterway, there were still many preparations to be made.

That afternoon, a supply team arrived.

They brought a host of cold-resistance supplies: consumables like Warm Sun Talismans, Dharma Robe cloaks inscribed with a Warm Sun Array, a full stock of various Cold-removing Pills, and a large quantity of partially prepared food ingredients.

All these supplies were in preparation for tackling the lower waterway.

After all, Moon-Gazing Toads were not easy to deal with. If a Qi Refining cultivator was hit by their Innate Divine Technique, Moon-Gazing Ice Breath, without any protective items to ward off the cold, they would almost certainly be frozen into an ice sculpture on the spot.

The purpose of the Warm Sun Talismans and Warm Sun Cloaks was precisely to prevent such an instant kill.

Looking at the clearly brand-new Warm Sun Talisman in his hand, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but marvel at the sect’s deep reserves of talent. They even had people who knew how to create Warm Sun Talismans.

After all, Warm Sun Talismans were of no use in the Southern Barbarian region; they were only needed in the Northern Realm.

In addition, the reinforcements Lü Zhong had requested arrived with the supply team.

The majority of the newcomers were recruited Loose Cultivators, thirty in all, who were meant to serve as cannon fodder. Their pay was one Spirit Stone per day, plus a meal of Spiritual Food made from Yin Scythe Mouse Meat. Only those who landed the killing blow on a Demon Beast were entitled to a share of the spoils.

A smaller number were Outer Sect Disciples who had volunteered. Their compensation was better than the Loose Cultivators’: a daily stipend of five Lower-grade spirit stones, and as long as they participated in combat, they would receive a share of the rewards afterward.

The size of their reward depended on their specific contribution and usually exceeded their daily stipend.

As for Inner Sect Disciples, there were none among the reinforcements.

They were already considered elite cultivators. Their cultivation was generally in the mid-to-late Qi Refining Stage, and their combat experience was much richer than that of the Outer Sect Disciples, who were always bogged down by chores. As long as they weren’t trapped in a hopeless situation, their chances of dying were extremely low.

...

More than half a month passed, and the team was already halfway through the lower waterway.

Deep within the ancient city’s waterways, traces left by Ancient Cultivators were everywhere. It was an era with a fondness for statues, so even in this dark, sunless underground passage, one could see numerous sculptures covered in icy moss.

Some were shattered and broken, others severely corroded by the damp air, all of them buried in the dust of history along with the Ancient Cultivators.

As the team pushed deeper, they began to encounter one Moon-Gazing Toad after another.

As Tier One High-grade Demon Beasts, the Moon-Gazing Toads were undeniably powerful. Every time one fell, it took the lives of one or two Loose Cultivators with it. Sometimes, even Outer Sect Disciples fell prey to the terrifying Moon-Gazing Ice Breath, turning into ice sculptures on the spot.

As their supply of Warm Sun Talismans and Warm Sun Cloaks ran low, even the Inner Sect Disciples started to run into trouble.

While fighting a pair of Moon-Gazing Toads, Lü Zhong’s team suffered the death of its first Inner Sect Disciple.

Another battle ended.

The team members cheerfully carved up the Moon-Gazing Toad, skillfully removing and storing every useful spiritual material.

Not far away, two figures stood together.

Mi Qian, his second-in-command and now a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator, was reporting to Lü Zhong.

"Senior Brother Lü, we’ve nearly run out of Warm Sun Talismans. If this continues, I’m afraid our losses will..."

"I can figure out a way to solve part of the Warm Sun Talisman problem." Lü Zhong hadn’t been idle during this time. Relying on his solid foundation in Talisman Making, he had been analyzing the components of the Warm Sun Talisman and had already made significant progress.