Chapter 376: Who Wouldn't Be Tempted by This?

"Yes, yes?" Huo Yun was stunned by the question, secretly complaining to himself, *You are already a True Essence Realm Martial Artist, shouldn't you know this better than me? Why come and ask me? *

"Enough, continue." Lu Yu already understood a fair bit in his heart.

It seems his previous guess was indeed correct; when a Vein Refining Realm martial artist breaks through to the True Essence Realm, the proportion of True Essence in their Qi Sea is likely 1%.

Although it is 1% for everyone, the actual quantity of True Essence has a world of difference.

This is only at the True Essence Realm First Stage; if it reaches the second or third stage, that gap will only grow larger and larger.

"Yes, yes." Although Huo Yun was grumbling inside, on the surface, he still honestly continued to speak.

"Another reason I kept delaying my breakthrough was the worry that I wouldn't have enough True Qi Pills to take at that time.

Because once you reach the True Essence Realm, the difficulty of relying purely on cultivation to fill the Qi Sea is simply too great. If one can have a sufficient supply of True Qi Pills, the cultivation efficiency will be completely different.

Xiao Zhan was precisely counting on this point when he made me do this. I admit, I was indeed tempted. But when it comes to something like this, who wouldn't be tempted?"

As he spoke, he looked at Song Tian and said, "Chairman Song, you should still be an In-Jin Martial Artist, right? If a large amount of Top-grade Blood Qi Pills were placed in front of you, wouldn't you be tempted?"

"Hmph, don't think everyone is as sordid as you lot."

Song Tian gave a cold snort and said righteously, "If something is mine, I will naturally strive for it through proper channels. If it isn't mine, I will never harbor any crooked thoughts. Besides, thanks to Brother Lu, I currently have no shortage of Top-grade Blood Qi Pills to take."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yun was suddenly startled, and then a look of deep envy appeared in his eyes.

He glanced at Lu Yu again and said with a bitter smile, "That's right, you have the advantage of being close to the water to get the moonlight first; of course, you don't lack Top-grade Blood Qi Pills."

He thought to himself, if Song Tian were already a Vein Refining Realm martial artist at this time, he probably wouldn't lack True Qi Pills to take either.

"So, you don't know where that guy Xiao Zhan got this information from either?" Lu Yu pressed.

"This, I really don't know." Huo Yun answered tremblingly, "I did ask once at the time, but he didn't say, and I didn't dare to keep asking."

"Fine, I'll ask you one more time. Are you certain that this person named Xiao Zhan instigated you to do this?" Lu Yu stared sternly at Huo Yun.

"I'm certain! Absolutely certain!" Huo Yun nodded hurriedly.

In his heart, he had already greeted all eighteen generations of Xiao Zhan's ancestors.

He cursed inwardly, *Of all the people he could have found, why did he have to pick me? *

If it weren't for him saying that there were no experts guarding Lu Yu and that his own strength was only at the Vein Refining Initial Stage, he wouldn't have rushed over here in such a hurry, only to end up kicking an iron plate.

To put it bluntly, he might even lose his life here.

Since that's the case, why keep secrets for Xiao Zhan? Better to save his own life first!

"Good." Lu Yu nodded, "I will contact the Association headquarters in a moment, and then you will confront that Xiao Zhan face-to-face. If you dare to lie, you should know very well what your fate will be."

Hearing this, Huo Yun's face turned extremely ugly in an instant.

Contact the headquarters? And have a face-to-face confrontation with Xiao Zhan? If that happens, wouldn't this matter become known to everyone?

Even if Lu Yu were willing to let him go, that side with Xiao Zhan would likely not spare him easily!

This man surnamed Lu is clearly trying to force him into a dead end!!!

"Brother, Brother Lu, can we not do this?" He pleaded with a sobbing tone, "What happened today was indeed my fault. Whatever you want, as long as I have it, I am willing to give it to you. Even if you want me to work for you, that's fine too.

Look, you are currently lacking a Vein Refining Late Stage martial artist as a subordinate, aren't you? As long as you are willing to let me go, I swear, from now on, I, Huo Yun, am willing to follow your lead!"

"Follow my lead?" Lu Yu repeated with disdain.

"That's right, that's right, I'll even be your beast of burden!" A glimmer of expectation appeared in Huo Yun's eyes.

He thought to himself, if he could stay by this expert's side, it wouldn't be a bad choice; at the very least, he wouldn't have to worry about True Qi Pills in the future.

"Be my beast of burden? You aren't worthy!" Lu Yu sneered, his eyes full of contempt.

Lu Yu's sharp, piercing words were like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into Huo Yun's heart.

His face instantly flushed red, shame and anger intertwined, making him wish he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into and hide from this embarrassing situation.

Huo Yun's status at the headquarters was not ordinary; apart from those high-and-mighty True Essence Realm martial artists, or those at the chairman level, he was considered a person of great importance in the eyes of everyone.

Usually, even fellow Vein Refining Realm martial artists had to be respectful when they saw him, calling him "Brother Huo" at every turn, and as for those with realms lower than the Vein Refining Realm, they were even more in awe of him.

But now, facing Lu Yu, he was like a plucked rooster—all posturing, but with no power to refute.

The gap in strength between the two sides was simply an uncrossable chasm, so large that he hadn't even noticed how Lu Yu had made his move before he was already subdued, completely losing the ability to resist.

"Brother Lu is absolutely right,"

Song Tian echoed with lingering fear, the look of terror on his face not yet fully faded.

"Someone like him has malicious intentions; if you keep him by your side, who knows when he might stab you in the back? It's better to just hand him over to the headquarters to deal with; that is the safest way."

"No, please, don't!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Yun's face turned as pale as paper in an instant, followed by a pitiful, begging expression, his voice filled with fear and despair.

"Brother Lu, I beg you, you are a magnanimous person, please don't take this matter to the headquarters. Once the headquarters finds out, my life will be completely over!"

"Who is calling you brother?" Song Tian couldn't help but retort with disdain, "Is 'Brother Lu' something someone like you can just call out?"

A flash of embarrassment and resentment crossed Huo Yun's face, and he hurriedly changed his words: "Then, Big Brother Lu, or I can call you Grandpa Lu, I beg you to have mercy and please don't spread this matter. As long as you agree, I'll be your beast of burden, I'll do anything you want!"

"Do you think that's possible?" Lu Yu's gaze was cold, looking at Huo Yun as if he were an incorrigible idiot, and he asked coldly, "If my strength were inferior to yours and I begged you to let me go, would you listen to me and spare me?"

"This..." Huo Yun was suddenly speechless, like a rooster with its throat caught. After holding his breath for a long time, he muttered in a low voice: "I admit, I might not have let you go, but I wouldn't have done anything to you either, right?"

"So, you wanted to use me as a tool for pill refining, and I'm supposed to be grateful to you?" Lu Yu was so angry he almost laughed out loud, the fire of rage in his heart burning even brighter.

"No, that's not it, I..." Huo Yun still wanted to quibble.

"Enough, I don't have the time to waste words with you here."

Lu Yu interrupted him impatiently, his brows tightly furrowed, and he said with a serious face: "In a moment, I will take you to see Chairman Kong, and you will tell him everything you just told me, exactly as it happened, from beginning to end."

"What! Chairman... Chairman Kong." Hearing this name, the color on Huo Yun's face vanished without a trace, and he looked as terrified as if he had seen a ghost.

"Grandpa Lu, Grandpa Lu, I beg you to let me go!" He cried out in a near-breakdown, "I really know I was wrong, I am thoroughly and completely wrong.

As long as you can pretend nothing ever happened, from now on, whatever you tell me to do, I will absolutely not have a single word of complaint, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Huo Yun knew better than anyone that once this matter was spread, people in the Association would definitely gossip, his reputation would be completely ruined, and how would he have the face to show himself in front of everyone in the future?

This was ten, a hundred times more painful than killing him!

Of course, he was also clear that the headquarters would likely not take his life over this matter; after all, he was the potential candidate with the most hope of breaking through to the True Essence Realm next.