Chapter 745 Narrate the old story - I Became the Rich Second-Generation Villain

"Matters concerning the Emperor are paramount; Su Xuan and I can handle the search for the Essence of Extreme Fire," Gu Hong Yi stated. Wang Hao Ran nodded, handing a jade slip to Gu Hong Yi, saying, "If you encounter any trouble that you can't solve, crush the jade slip to send me a message, and I will come to assist immediately." Gu Hong Yi accepted the jade slip, remaining silent, as if lost in thought. [Notification: Gu Hong Yi's affection towards the host has increased to 90 (Unwavering Devotion).] [Notification: The host has influenced the plot progression, gaining 12,000 villain points, reducing Su Xuan's protagonist halo by 600, and increasing the host's villain halo by 600!] Upon receiving the notification, Wang Hao Ran felt a surge of joy but maintained an outward appearance of ignorance, asking Gu Hong Yi, "What's the matter?" "No one has ever treated me so well before. The Emperor is so kind to me, I truly don't know how to repay you," Gu Hong Yi said, moved. "You are my consort; it is only right for me to be good to you," Wang Hao Ran replied warmly. "Though that may be true, I feel guilty if I do nothing in return," Gu Hong Yi confessed. "What would you do?" Wang Hao Ran was curious. "Though I am a divine soul, I can still do some things to repay the Emperor," Gu Hong Yi said, her head bowed in shyness. "Such as?" Wang Hao Ran asked, even more intrigued. Gu Hong Yi was too embarrassed to speak plainly. "Close your eyes and rest, my Emperor, and you'll see soon enough." Wang Hao Ran obliged, closing his eyes. With Gu Hong Yi's affection level at ninety, it was inconceivable that she would harm him. In the Tower of Creation, there were no disturbances. As Wang Hao Ran lay down to rest, he quickly realized what Gu Hong Yi intended to do. Though Gu Hong Yi lacked a physical form and existed as a divine soul, she could merge her divine soul with Wang Hao Ran's, providing him with a novel and exhilarating experience. This pleasure was akin to that of certain other acts and when it ended, Wang Hao Ran felt his divine soul had significantly strengthened. This change was undoubtedly brought about by Gu Hong Yi. Wang Hao Ran's divine soul's power had now reached the consummate level of the Golden Core stage. The enhancement of the divine soul brought numerous benefits, the most immediate being improved perceptive abilities. Such perception played a crucial role in combat. It was, after all, Ye Fan's superior soul perception that contributed significantly to his victory over Chu Tian. Delighted, Wang Hao Ran momentarily wished to continue cultivating with Gu Hong Yi in such a manner. However, he soon recalled from Ye Fan’s memories that continuous cultivation with Gu Hong Yi like this wouldn't result in such substantial improvements anymore. The significant boost was attributed to it being Gu Hong Yi's first time. "Why are you staring at me like that?" Gu Hong Yi, noticing Wang Hao Ran's gaze upon opening his eyes, felt too shy to face him. Wang Hao Ran didn't answer immediately, only smiling at her, which made Gu Hong Yi feel incredibly embarrassed. "My Emperor, I must be leaving," Gu Hong Yi said, flustered. Wang Hao Ran wiped the smile off his face and advised, "Be careful in all things." Seeing this, Gu Hong Yi's embarrassment subsided, and she replied with deep reluctance, "I will, and the Emperor must also take care of himself." "By the way, Su Xuan extorted a lot of resources from the three major forces. I need certain items to refine alchemical pills," Wang Hao Ran suddenly recalled. "What does the Emperor need? Just let me know, and I will retrieve them for you," Gu Hong Yi offered. Wang Hao Ran listed the needed items to Gu Hong Yi, then departed with her from the Tower of Creation. Gu Hong Yi lingered a while, looking back at Wang Hao Ran before transforming into a streak of red light and soaring away. Su Xuan's ring, which housed Gu Hong Yi's soul, bore her divine soul imprint. Following the ring’s guidance, Gu Hong Yi quickly located Su Xuan in the territory of one of Qingzhou's four major factions, in Tianhuo City. "Master, where have you been these past few days?!" Su Xuan hastily inquired upon seeing Gu Hong Yi. "I ran into an old acquaintance and took some time to catch up," Gu Hong Yi replied casually. Aware of Su Xuan's prejudice against Wang Hao Ran, she avoided discussing the matter further to dodge conflict with Su Xuan. Gu Hong Yi planned to formally introduce Wang Hao Ran to Su Xuan after she would regain a physical form. By then, if Su Xuan still adopted a hostile stance towards Wang Hao Ran, Gu Hong Yi intended to assert her authority as his master. Regardless of Su Xuan's biases against Wang Hao Ran, out of respect for her husband, she expected Su Xuan to show respect too. "Master's acquaintance must be quite powerful, then?" Su Xuan asked, intrigued. "Indeed, very powerful," Gu Hong Yi briefly acknowledged and tossed a small jade bottle to Su Xuan, saying, "This is a top-tier Foundation Building Pill, a gift from that acquaintance for you. It will significantly boost your cultivation when consumed." "Such a thing exists?" Su Xuan exclaimed in delight, immediately opening the jade bottle to take a whiff, feeling his spirits lift immensely. After a moment of joy, Su Xuan's smile faded away. "Master, during your absence, a lot happened. That Wang Hao Ran rudely took Qing Kui away from me," Su Xuan complained. "Is that true?" Gu Hong Yi showed a hint of surprise. "How could I deceive you, Master? It’s the absolute truth," Su Xuan said, his eyes filled with resentment. "Wang Hao Ran has repeatedly taken loved ones from me. I have an undying enmity against him!" "If it is truly yours, it will remain yours. If it's not, you can't keep it, no matter what," Gu Hong Yi sighed philosophically. With past events involving Xu Qing Tong and Hua Jie Yu, Gu Hong Yi speculated that Jiang Qing Kui was likely another of the Emperor’s consorts from his previous life. Naturally, she held no blame towards Wang Hao Ran and instead counseled Su Xuan to let go of his grievances. Su Xuan, hoping for his master to see Wang Hao Ran in a negative light, felt disappointed by Gu Hong Yi's response. However, looking at the jade bottle containing the Foundation Building Pill, his gratitude towards his master outweighed his desire to argue. Su Xuan temporarily set aside these thoughts and informed Gu Hong Yi of the materials he extorted from the three major forces. Gu Hong Yi already knew but pretended to be surprised, then added smoothly, "Now, only the Essence of Extreme Fire is missing. This item is exceedingly rare, but I learned some information from that acquaintance, suggesting that the Golden Flame Prefecture, one of the nine prefectures, might possess it." "Master, let's hurry to the Golden Flame Prefecture then!" Su Xuan urged impatiently. "Eager to meet your fiery-tempered young lady, aren’t you? Aren't you afraid of getting scolded?" Observing Su Xuan's eagerness, Gu Hong Yi seemed to see right through him. "Heh, there’s nothing I can hide from Master. But finding materials to help you regain your physical form is equally important. Once you regain even a fraction of your former strength, I won’t fear anyone in this Sacred Realm," Su Xuan mused with anticipation. As he spoke, a vivid image of a feisty female face flashed in Su Xuan’s mind. (End of chapter)