Gu He's Lavish Reward, the Unconscious Yun Yun

A moment later, Lu Yu and Hai Bodong slowly walked out of Gute's strange residence.

Hai Bodong stroked his silvery-white beard and said unhurriedly, "Kid, in my opinion, you don't need to worry. That Ice Spirit Cold Spring falling into Gu He's hands is actually a good thing."

As he spoke, he stopped walking. A sharp glint flashed through his cloudy old eyes, and he went on, "Back when this old man traveled through the Jama Empire, I heard plenty about the Five Snake Poison Brake Seal. The trickiest parts of this seal amount to two things."

"First."

Hai Bodong raised one finger and said with a grave expression, "It's the sealing power formed from the lifelong Dou Qi of five Dou Wang experts. According to rumor, when this seal is at full strength, even a Dou Huang expert can be forcibly suppressed down to the Dou Ling realm."

"Second..."

He raised a second finger, his brows knitting slightly as he continued, "It's the mixed lethal poison hidden within the seal. If it isn't detoxified in time, the poisoned victim likely won't last more than a month..."

At this point, Hai Bodong suddenly patted Lu Yu on the shoulder, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But for you, kid, neither of those points is really a problem."

"For one," he said, pointing at Lu Yu's dantian, "the Strange Fire inside you is far stronger than those fifth-tier and sixth-tier Beast Fires. Dealing with a little snake venom naturally won't be an issue."

"And second..."

A look of reminiscence flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes, and he spoke slowly. "Even the Snake Seal Curse that Queen Medusa personally placed on this old man was broken by you. No matter how strong this Five Snake Poison Brake Seal is, could it really be stronger than that one's methods?"

"So," Hai Bodong said, clapping his hands with a laugh, "in this old man's view, Gu He's reward was practically made for you. If you make a move, I'm afraid the others won't even get a sip of soup."

Hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes flickered with a sharp light, but then he suddenly frowned and said, "Old Hai, this Gu He... can he be trusted?"

He subconsciously touched his dantian. "As a fellow alchemist, if I use Strange Fire to detoxify that Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, will he..."

"Hahaha!" Hai Bodong suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter carrying a hint of disdain. "You're a bit too cautious, kid."

He restrained his smile and said seriously, "That fellow Gu He may be pedantic, but when it comes to an alchemist's integrity, there's nothing to criticize. Besides..."

A sly glint flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes. "With this old man at your side, if he dares harbor any crooked thoughts..."

Before his words had fallen, a biting chill abruptly erupted from around him, and a thin layer of ice instantly formed on the ground.

Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded thoughtfully.

According to the memories of his previous life, he truly had never heard of Gu He doing anything like repaying kindness with enmity.

Besides, Old Hai had now recovered to Seven-star Dou Wang. As a veteran Dou Huang expert, his full strength was likely enough to rival a Nine-star Dou Wang. As long as a Dou Huang did not appear, ordinary people could do nothing to them.

The matter of detoxifying Yun Yun could be considered.

"But this matter still needs to be planned carefully. Old Hai, why don't we first inquire about the situation, then move after making a decision?"

Lu Yu pondered for a moment, then said this.

Hai Bodong nodded and said, "That is how it should be."

Not long after, inside a room at an inn.

Lu Yu was sitting quietly in the room when the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Young Lu, take a look at this."

Hai Bodong strode in and slapped a gilded reward notice onto the table. "The reward that fellow Gu He issued—even this old man was tempted after reading it. This Pill King of the Cloud Mist Sect certainly spends lavishly."

He stroked his beard, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. "It seems that Sect Master Yun's condition is even more troublesome than we imagined."

Lu Yu unfolded the reward notice, only to see the following written plainly on it:

Gu sincerely invites all experts under heaven to jointly resolve the Five Snake Poison Brake Seal. Anyone who lends the aid of a fifth-tier Beast Fire shall be rewarded with a Fifth-grade Pill;

Anyone capable of breaking the seal shall be gifted a Sixth-grade Pill; should an expert be able to break the seal and remove the lethal poison at the same time, Gu is willing to repay them with three promises of pill refinement.

If any righteous individuals do not require pills, they may exchange them for equivalent cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, or heavenly treasures, and Gu will do his utmost to satisfy them.

During the detoxification period, Gu guarantees everyone's safety in the name of a Sixth-grade Alchemist, and the Cloud Mist Sect shall fully protect all involved.

At the signature, the imprint of Gu He's Sixth-grade Alchemist badge shone brilliantly, displaying the weight of this promise.

"It really is generous..."

Lu Yu looked at the reward notice, then nodded. A thoughtful look flashed through his eyes as he said, "In that case, Old Hai, let's disguise ourselves and head to Qing Nang Zhai now."

"Heh heh, kid, this will count as the fifth matter."

Hearing this, a pleased look flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes, and he said it with a beaming smile.

Lu Yu was stunned at first, then shook his head and laughed despite himself. "So this is where you were waiting for me, old sir. I was wondering why you were so attentive today..."

Not long after, dusk deepened before an elegant medicine shop in the eastern district of Blackrock City.

The three gilded characters "Qing Nang Zhai" on the shop's lintel glowed with a warm luster in the twilight, and the front of the hall was brightly lit.

Inside the medicine hall, several dozen people dressed in alchemist robes were conversing in low voices, the silver-patterned badges on their chests gleaming under the lamplight. Every passerby stopped in their tracks and cast reverent gazes toward this group of noble alchemists.

Two black-robed figures passed through the crowd, their silver masks gleaming coldly beneath the lights. A green-clad attendant hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "Honored guests, are you here to seek medicine, or have you come for Master Gu He's reward?"

"The bounty," the black-robed figure on the left said in a low voice. "Where is the patient?"

The attendant's gaze shifted to the burly black-robed figure on the right, and he hesitated. "This person..."

"My guard," the black-robed figure on the left said calmly.

The attendant was just about to ask more when a warm, gentle voice suddenly came from the inner hall. "Since you are honored guests here to undo the Five Snake Poison Brake Seal, please come in."

They gently lifted the pearl curtain. Inside the inner hall, candlelight flickered, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

A slightly haggard-looking middle-aged man stood quietly before the medicine shelves, faint weariness showing between his brows. However, the Sixth-grade Alchemist badge pinned to his chest clearly declared his identity—he was none other than Pill King Gu He.

Seeing the two enter, Gu He's gaze lingered on the silver mask for a moment before finally landing on the chest of the black-robed figure on the left—where there was nothing at all.

"You dare come here to undo the Five Snake Poison Brake Seal without even wearing an alchemist badge? Could it be that you are making a fool of me?"

Gu He's voice cooled slightly, carrying a trace of doubt as he questioned him.

The black-robed figure merely chuckled. With a lift of his hand, a wisp of blue-red flame sprang cheerfully to life in his palm, giving off a terrifying heat that made the heart tremble.

"Strange Fire?"

Gu He's pupils contracted sharply, and his body unconsciously retreated half a step. He stared fixedly at that leaping wisp of blue-red flame, his Adam's apple bobbing as shock, envy, disbelief, and other complex emotions flashed through his eyes.

As a Sixth-grade Alchemist, he knew better than anyone how precious Strange Fire was—that was a supreme treasure he had pursued for half his life and never obtained!

But very soon, he took a deep breath, suppressed the tremor in his heart, and cupped his fists solemnly. "I was discourteous just now. Sect Master Yun is in the inner chamber. Please, both of you, follow me."

With that, the three passed through layers of curtains and arrived in the inner chamber. The fragrance of medicine filled the air, the rich scent lingering at their noses.

On the bed, Yun Yun slept quietly. Her dark hair spilled like a waterfall, her delicate brows touched with green, her pale skin like fine mutton-fat jade. Yet at the center of her brow, five strands of serpentine black qi writhed hideously, entangling endlessly like living things, adding a few shades of eerie fragility to that peerless face.

Beneath his mask, Lu Yu's pupils abruptly contracted—the toxicity of this Five Snake Poison Brake Seal was even three parts fiercer than he had expected!