Yun Yun's Excitement

"Elder Gu He, rest assured. At the three-year agreement, I will definitely crush Xiao Yan and never bring disgrace upon the Misty Cloud Sect."

Nalan Yanran did not notice the change in their expressions and made her promise in a resolute tone.

"Yes. With your talent, Yan Ran, what could a mere Xiao Yan amount to?" Though Gu He voiced his agreement with Nalan Yanran, he did not think much of it inwardly.

If things followed the original plot, three years later, Nalan Yanran would surely suffer a crushing defeat at Xiao Yan's hands, utterly disgracing the Misty Cloud Sect.

To change all that, he would have to follow his own plan.

First, he needed to win over Yun Yun!

"Please have some tea."

At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian slowly arrived at the pavilion carrying a tea tray. She placed the fragrant tea before the three of them and spoke softly.

"Elder Gu He, could this young lady be the new disciple you have taken in?" Looking at the beautiful Xiao Yi Xian, whose features were delicate and whose temperament was ethereal, Yun Yun's eyes brightened slightly as she asked Gu He.

"Yes." Gu He nodded slightly, then introduced her to Xiao Yi Xian. "Disciple, this is the Sect Leader of our Misty Cloud Sect. Come and pay your respects."

"Xiao Yi Xian pays her respects to the Sect Leader!" Xiao Yi Xian smiled faintly, then obediently stepped before Yun Yun and bowed.

"Xiao Yi Xian? What a lovely name. It suits your temperament very well." A smile appeared on Yun Yun's pretty face as she praised her.

"Thank you for your praise, Sect Leader." Xiao Yi Xian was delighted inwardly, though she remained neither servile nor overbearing on the surface.

"Disciple, this is Nalan Yanran. She is also your senior sister." Gu He then looked toward Nalan Yanran and introduced her to Xiao Yi Xian.

"Xiao Yi Xian greets Senior Sister Nalan." Xiao Yi Xian stepped before Nalan Yanran and gave a graceful bow.

"You are too polite, Junior Sister." As Nalan Yanran looked at the stunning girl before her, who was about the same age as herself, she too felt a trace of fondness.

At that moment, Yun Yun suddenly took out a piece of silver inner armor from her Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Yi Xian. "Since this is our first meeting, I should give you a gift as an elder."

"This soft armor is called the Wind Spirit Armor. Consider it a meeting gift from this Sect Leader." Yun Yun said with a smile.

Looking at the silver inner armor Yun Yun offered her, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively glanced at Gu He. Seeing him nod slightly, she accepted it with a smile and said gratefully, "Thank you, Sect Leader."

Yun Yun naturally noticed this, and inwardly praised her. What an obedient little girl.

Xiao Yi Xian's obedience also made Yun Yun feel a trace of fondness toward her.

Gu He raised the fragrant tea on the table and took a sip. Then, looking at Yun Yun, he asked meaningfully, "Has the Sect Leader's cultivation been going smoothly lately?"

Hearing Gu He suddenly mention her cultivation, Yun Yun's eyes flashed with surprise. But when she thought of her recent situation, she could not help sighing.

"To be honest, Elder Gu He, my cultivation has remained at the three-star Dou Emperor realm for a full year, and I have been unable to make a breakthrough."

At this point, Yun Yun said with some frustration, "I think I have encountered a bottleneck."

A bottleneck?

Hearing Yun Yun's words, Gu He was briefly stunned, then secretly delighted.

Encountering a bottleneck was a good thing!

After pondering for a moment, Gu He savored the fragrant tea in his cup and looked at Yun Yun. "Perhaps Gu can help the Sect Leader break through in cultivation."

Yun Yun instinctively looked at Gu He, surprise on her face. "Is Elder Gu He truly serious?"

A refined smile appeared on Gu He's face as he said calmly, "Has the Sect Leader ever heard of the Imperial Pill?"

"The Imperial Pill!"

Yun Yun froze, then shock appeared on her pretty face. "Elder Gu He, could it be that you can refine the Imperial Pill?"

As the Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Yun had naturally heard of the Imperial Pill, an extremely famous pill among Sixth-Grade Pills.

After a Dou Emperor consumed an Imperial Pill, their cultivation could directly rise by one or two levels. Its effects were extraordinarily heaven-defying.

It could be said that the Imperial Pill was a pill every Dou Emperor dreamed of obtaining.

However, although the Imperial Pill was also a Sixth-Grade Pill, it was considered one of the finest among Sixth-Grade Pills.

Though Gu He was now a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, Yun Yun believed that he should not yet possess the ability to refine an Imperial Pill.

Moreover, the pill formula for the Imperial Pill was exceedingly rare.

At the very least, the Misty Cloud Sect had never found any trace of its formula.

"Correct." Gu He wore a confident smile.

After a brief pause, Gu He continued, "And Gu has already obtained the formula for the Imperial Pill."

"Elder Gu He has even acquired the Imperial Pill formula?"

Yun Yun's pretty face was filled with shock. Gu He's words stirred up towering waves in her heart.

But after her shock faded, Yun Yun realized that since all the necessary conditions had been met, Gu He would be able to refine an Imperial Pill as long as they gathered the ingredients.

"If the Sect Leader cannot break through her current bottleneck, Gu can personally refine an Imperial Pill for you."

Gu He spoke at that moment, confirming Yun Yun's thoughts.

After receiving Gu He's confirmation, Yun Yun thought of the Imperial Pill's effects. Her pretty face could no longer remain calm, and a hint of excitement appeared.

"I wonder how confident Elder Gu He is that you can refine an Imperial Pill?" After pondering for a moment, Yun Yun gradually calmed down and looked at Gu He as she asked.

The Imperial Pill was a Sixth-Grade Pill, so the medicinal ingredients needed to refine it were naturally extremely precious.

With the Misty Cloud Sect's foundation, they could gather the ingredients required for a Sixth-Grade Pill.

But if the quantity required was too great, even the Misty Cloud Sect would struggle to bear the cost.

Yun Yun feared that Gu He merely intended to forcefully attempt the refinement of an Imperial Pill. In that case, the success rate would be extremely low, and a great deal of precious medicinal ingredients would be wasted.

Gu He's gaze swept across Yun Yun's flawless face, and he instantly understood her concerns. A confident smile immediately appeared on his face as he slowly said, "Rest assured, Sect Leader. Gu has a fifty percent chance of refining the Imperial Pill successfully."

"Fifty percent!"

Hearing Gu He's answer, Yun Yun's eyes lit up, and her pretty face filled with delight.

In the world of alchemy, failed pill refinement was as commonplace as eating and drinking.

Even if an alchemist was highly skilled in alchemy, it was impossible to guarantee a one-hundred-percent success rate for every pill they refined.

Usually, when considering the success rate of pill refinement, those seeking pills would prepare at least two sets of ingredients, or even more, to ensure that the alchemist could successfully refine the pill they sought.

And a fifty-percent success rate was already an extremely high figure, regardless of the pill.

"Sect Leader, here is the list of ingredients required to refine the Imperial Pill. If you are willing, you may gather them." Gu He took out a list and handed it to Yun Yun.