Zhou Hong soon returned to Tai Gu Academy.
Upon arriving at Tai Gu Academy, the first thing Zhou Hong did was go to the Supreme Protectorate Circle to find Senior Long Xuan. Zhou Hong had now broken through to the early stage of Nascent Soul, so of course, he wanted to share his joy with her.
As he approached the periphery of the Supreme Elder Circle, Zhou Hong felt a barrier separating the inside from the outside.
Zhou Hong immediately took out the token Long Xuan had given him. The next second, the barrier turned into transparent water, and Zhou Hong easily entered.
Zhou Hong headed straight for Long Xuan's residence.
This cultivation area for Supreme Protectors was an oval-shaped valley. On both sides were stone walls, and carved into each wall were numerous caves, each housing a Supreme Protector.
Zhou Hong's gaze immediately fell upon Long Xuan's cave dwelling, carved into the cliff face at the very front of the valley.
Just as Zhou Hong was about to rush forward, a middle-aged man suddenly emerged and instantly blocked his path.
This man was none other than Hu Lu Rong, whom Zhou Hong had met before.
"It's you again, what are you doing here?" Hu Lu Rong said coldly.
"I was about to say the same thing, why is it you again? I'm looking for Senior Long Xuan," Zhou Hong said, feeling a bit annoyed by how much this guy interfered.
"Hmph, as I suspected. What are you looking for Long Xuan for?"
"I have some cultivation questions to ask her. This is the token she gave me last time; she said I could come and ask her if I had any questions," Zhou Hong said, showing the token.
"Hand it over." The next second, the token in Zhou Hong's hand was snatched away by Hu Lu Rong.
"You...!" Zhou Hong was furious. He had only taken out the token to prove himself, and he hadn't expected this shameless fellow to actually steal it.
"What 'you'? Get out of here now. If I see you coming to find Long Xuan again, don't blame me for killing you. Look at yourself, you toad trying to eat swan meat."
Zhou Hong didn't argue further. After all, killing him would be as easy as blinking an eye for Hu Lu Rong.
"Scram." Hu Lu Rong roared, and Zhou Hong immediately felt a powerful force pushing him out of the Supreme Protectorate Circle.
"Damn it." After being pushed out, Zhou Hong was filled with rage and cursed fiercely.
Now that he no longer had the token, it was impossible for him to get back in unless his strength reached the Integration stage. Currently, Zhou Hong was only in the Nascent Soul stage, the next stage being Separation, and then Integration.
"Hu Lu Rong, you cur, just you wait. If I don't kill you, I'm not Zhou Hong," Zhou Hong vowed inwardly. There was nothing he could do now.
Helpless, Zhou Hong had no choice but to leave the Supreme Protectorate Circle and return to his own dormitory.
However, the more Zhou Hong thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to cultivate in his dormitory, but found he couldn't concentrate at all.
"Damn it, I can't cultivate if I don't kill him." Zhou Hong opened his eyes. Without dealing with Hu Lu Rong, Zhou Hong had no appetite for cultivation.
But killing Hu Lu Rong was easier said than done. He was in the middle stage of Integration, and judging by his appearance, he wasn't very old, and his talent was likely not weak.
"Even if I can't kill him, I have to try," Zhou Hong vowed inwardly. For Zhou Hong, enduring humiliation and seeking revenge after becoming stronger was out of the question.
"Before, in the Zhang family, I used that poisonous pill to kill a cultivator in the early stage of Integration. This indicates that my poisonous pill is effective against Integration stage cultivators. Now, I'll enter my sub-world and capture that spider-like creature directly, refining it into a poisonous pill. Its power will likely be stronger than when I used its secreted liquid. Killing a mid-Integration stage cultivator might not be impossible."
"But how can I get Hu Lu Rong to eat my poisonous pill?"
Zhou Hong entered his sub-world again and stood before the cliff from last time. Now, on the stone wall of the cliff, several poisonous spider-like creatures were crawling around. They seemed to possess some kind of magic, burrowing into the smooth, flat stones without leaving any cracks, as if they were not drilling into stone but into water.
Without further ado, Zhou Hong grabbed one and refined it into a poisonous pill.
Zhou Hong's mind was already filled with a plan. He shaped the poisonous pill into the form of a pastry and intended to find a way to enter the Supreme Protectorate Circle. Then, he would pretend that the pastry was made by Long Xuan and given to Zhou Hong.
Hu Lu Rong, upon seeing it, would undoubtedly snatch it from Zhou Hong and eat it himself.
At that time, he wouldn't even know how he died.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Hong immediately went to the restaurant at Tai Gu Academy and made the pastry using the poisonous pill.
Then, he came to the outside of the Supreme Protectorate Circle, but without the token, he didn't know how to get in.
Zhou Hong could only wait here, hoping someone would come out, and then ask them to relay a message to Long Xuan.
Unfortunately, Zhou Hong waited for five days and five nights, but no one came out.
Just as Zhou Hong was about to leave in despair, a sudden thought struck him about the spider-like creatures in his sub-world, burrowing through hard stone as if it were nothing.
"Eh!" Zhou Hong had an inspiration for a spatial exchange formation.
Thus, Zhou Hong immediately began to set it up. In less than a day, Zhou Hong succeeded in his research. He let out a laugh and immediately went to the outer perimeter of the Supreme Protectorate Circle.
Indeed, using the method of spatial exchange, Zhou Hong successfully breached the protection of the Supreme Protectorate Circle and entered.
"I can't believe I actually got in."
After entering, Zhou Hong did not fly in the air as before, but instead moved stealthily on the ground. The objective was to avoid being seen by Hu Lu Rong. If Hu Lu Rong saw Zhou Hong take out pastries as soon as he entered, he would surely suspect they were not made by Long Xuan.
Soon, Zhou Hong bypassed Hu Lu Rong's sight and reached the vicinity of Senior Long Xuan's residence. Only then did Zhou Hong take to the air, feigning an intention to leave.
As Zhou Hong ascended into the sky, he hadn't flown more than a few dozen meters when Hu Lu Rong suddenly rushed out and blocked his path.
"Why is it you again? When did you get in?" Hu Lu Rong was furious.
"Senior, I came in this morning. I had something to ask Senior Long Xuan about, and now I'm leaving," Zhou Hong said calmly.
"How did you get in? Didn't I confiscate your token?" Hu Lu Rong asked, full of confusion. He hadn't noticed Zhou Hong entering this morning.
"Oh, a senior happened to be leaving, so I asked him to let me in. I'm sorry, this is the last time. I won't come in again," Zhou Hong said, preparing to leave with the plate in his hand.
"Wait."
"Is there anything else, Senior? I already said I won't come in again."
"What are you holding in your hand?" Hu Lu Rong asked suspiciously.