Within the valley, Gu He slowly stepped out of the cave, looking radiant.
Having stepped into the Dou Emperor realm, he now counted among the top experts in the Jia Ma Empire.
At last, he possessed a measure of strength to protect himself.
With a thought, a pair of crimson wings unfolded behind Gu He.
With a light step, Gu He rose directly into the air and flew toward the valley's exit.
"Eh!"
"Why is that girl here?"
Just then, Gu He caught sight of a figure in white slowly approaching the valley from outside.
It was Xiao Yi Xian.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as Gu He slowly descended toward Xiao Yi Xian.
"It's already been ten days..."
"I wonder when Teacher will finally come out of seclusion."
Outside the valley, Xiao Yi Xian was slowly making her way inside.
After Gu He entered seclusion, she had come to this valley once every two days.
Including today, this was already her fifth visit.
"Nothing unexpected should have happened, right?" Looking toward the valley, a trace of worry appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes.
She had heard plenty of rumors about powerful cultivators suffering qi deviation after failing to break through while in seclusion.
That was why, seeing that her teacher still had not emerged after so long, she could not help but let her imagination run wild.
"Teacher, you mustn't suffer qi deviation... You still owe me a meeting gift." Xiao Yi Xian murmured to herself.
"My good disciple, what kind of meeting gift do you still want?"
At that moment, a gentle voice suddenly rang out.
"Ah!"
The sudden voice startled Xiao Yi Xian, but when she saw the white-clad figure beside her, delight immediately filled her pretty face.
"Teacher, you've come out of seclusion?"
As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian hurried over to Gu He, wrapped her arm around his, and said sweetly, "Teacher, why were you in seclusion for so long? Your disciple was so worried about you..."
"Hehe."
With an elegant smile, Gu He rubbed Xiao Yi Xian's little head and chuckled. "This time, your teacher broke through to the Dou Emperor realm. Taking only ten days already counts as rather fast."
Gu He remembered that in the original story, Xiao Yan had spent an entire year in this valley before successfully breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm.
That was only because he was the protagonist and had protagonist luck, allowing him to break through within a year.
For an ordinary person, even several years of secluded cultivation might not guarantee a successful breakthrough.
"Dou Emperor?"
"Teacher, you entered seclusion this time to break through to the Dou Emperor realm?"
Hearing Gu He's words, Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widened as she looked at him in astonishment.
"Yes. Your teacher is now a Dou Emperor. From now on, you can swagger through the Jia Ma Empire as you please." Gu He rubbed Xiao Yi Xian's long hair and said with a soft chuckle.
With his strength as a Sixth-Grade Alchemist and a Dou Emperor, no one in the Jia Ma Empire would dare offend Gu He in the future.
Perhaps his title in the Jia Ma Empire would also have to change from Dan Emperor Gu He to Pill Emperor Gu He.
"Dou Emperor... Teacher is actually a Dou Emperor..." Excitement shimmered in Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes.
Naturally, she was delighted that Gu He had managed to break through to the Dou Emperor realm.
As Gu He's personal disciple, the stronger Gu He became, the higher her own status and position would rise as well.
"My good disciple, have you been slacking off lately? Have you seriously practiced what your teacher taught you?" Gu He recalled something and asked Xiao Yi Xian with a smile.
Before entering seclusion, he and Xiao Yi Xian had agreed that he would test her after he came out.
"Teacher, I don't even have an alchemy cauldron. How am I supposed to practice..." Xiao Yi Xian immediately said with a wronged expression.
"Uh..."
Hearing that, Gu He froze for a moment before revealing an embarrassed look.
"You see, your teacher's memory is terrible. I forgot to leave an alchemy cauldron for you."
"Still, the cauldron your teacher uses would not suit you either."
The Crimson Snake Cauldron used by Gu He was a four-mouthed cauldron, and with Xiao Yi Xian's current strength, she could not yet operate it.
Moreover, there was not even a single alchemist in Qingshan Town, so naturally no alchemy cauldrons were available for sale.
Thinking of this, Gu He softly said to Xiao Yi Xian, "My good disciple, come back to the Misty Cloud Sect with me tomorrow. There, whatever you want, your teacher will get it for you."
"Return to the Misty Cloud Sect..." Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian's expression changed slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly nodded.
Though she was somewhat reluctant to leave Qingshan Town, she could not help but follow Gu He to the Misty Cloud Sect for the sake of the alchemy she loved.
After all, she was now Gu He's disciple, and Gu He was an honorary elder of the Misty Cloud Sect.
By that reckoning, Xiao Yi Xian could also be considered a disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian nod, a smile appeared on Gu He's lips. "Then let's go back and pack our things first. We'll leave Qingshan Town early tomorrow morning."
As he spoke, Gu He held Xiao Yi Xian's petite body and flew straight into the sky.
"Um, Teacher, before leaving Qingshan Town, I want to go somewhere." As they flew through the air on the outskirts of the Monster Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly recalled something and said to Gu He.
"Where?" Gu He asked casually.
"It's a cave dwelling left behind by a senior. There should be some treasure hidden inside."
Excitement appeared in Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes. "Teacher, let's go treasure hunting."
"Exploring a cave dwelling for treasure?" Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's words, a thought immediately flashed through Gu He's mind.
Could it be the cave from the original story that Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan had visited?
Gu He remembered that there seemed to be a fragment of a map to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame hidden within that cave.
That was a good thing indeed!
"Alright." With that in mind, Gu He nodded at Xiao Yi Xian in his arms. "Where is that cave dwelling?"
"Over there." Xiao Yi Xian extended her jade-like hand and pointed in a direction.
Following the direction Xiao Yi Xian indicated, Gu He lightly beat his wings, then accelerated and flew straight toward it.
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