Scheming Against Yao Chen

As sword and claw collided, heaven and earth suddenly fell still. A blinding flash filled the sky, briefly eclipsing even the light of the sun as it began to set westward. Terrifying energy ripples spread from the point of impact, leaving streaks of white marks across the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's crystalline surface.

With a pained beastly roar, the sword shadow pierced through the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's claw, while the remaining energy was blocked by its other claw.

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King came to a halt, looking exceptionally miserable. White marks covered the crystals on its body, and purple blood even seeped from some places. Its right claw had been torn open with a massive hole, blood pouring out through it, while its left claw bore a wound deep enough to expose bone. Yet its aura had undoubtedly become even more savage and terrifying. Without roaring or howling, its blood-red beast eyes swept across the sky, determined to find the human who had wounded it.

Gu He had already taken advantage of the time the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King was locked in a stalemate with the Cloud Tearing Sword Qi to leave its territory. Hearing the furious roar echoing from afar, Gu He smiled pleasantly. At last, he had vented the frustration he had felt upon first meeting the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

Before his cultivation surpassed the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King or he found a way to deal with the Purple Crystal Seal, Gu He decided not to seek it out again. Otherwise, the next time they met, the Lion King might stop wasting words with him and directly use the Purple Crystal Seal. That seal was not only powerful, but damn fast as well. If he was struck and his strength was sealed, Gu He would be helpless. After all, he still could not refine the Calamity Breaking Pill!

Gu He circled around the Monster Mountain Range a few times. After confirming that no one was following him, he returned to the Small Valley.

Having determined that he would not be leaving anytime soon and intended to avoid the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King for a while, Gu He returned to the life of a homebound alchemist. He diligently refined pills and cultivated every day, occasionally teasing his adorable disciple, and time passed peacefully.

Three months went by like this. Gu He refined all the sixth-grade medicinal ingredients he had obtained from the Imperial Capital, producing nine Imperial Pills, twenty-two Spirit Dou Pills, three Spirit Melting Pills, two Soul Clearing Pills, and three Primal Bone-Shaping Pills. After subtracting the eight Spirit Dou Pills he had used to advance to a Six-star Dou Emperor, his Ring contained thirty-one additional Sixth-grade pills. After deducting two pills for the Misty Cloud Sect and one each for the Imperial Capital's royal family, the Mu Family, and the Mittel Family, Gu He could still keep twenty-six pills. These pills would be enough for him for a long time.

Through such frequent refinement of Sixth-grade pills, Gu He gained excellent control over the soul power that had surged after absorbing Spiritual Energy. His soul power was already comparable to that of a Seventh-grade Alchemist, and he could advance to the seventh grade at any time. However, fearing that refining a Seventh-grade pill would attract terrifying heavenly phenomena, he did not attempt it.

After three months of diligent cultivation, aided by the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk and a high-grade Xuan-rank cultivation method, Xiao Yi Xian successfully broke through to Seven-star Dou Zhe. She could now use the Water Mandala proficiently, and her Water Dragon Palm had become quite impressive. Her combat strength was enough to rival an ordinary peak Dou Zhe. With the aid of medicinal pills, Xiao Lan had successfully advanced to a Second-rank Magical Beast not long ago. Thanks to the natural gifts of a magical beast's body, its combat strength was comparable to a Four-star Dou Master.

After Xiao Yi Xian's breakthrough, Gu He left the Small Valley for a time and secretly returned to Qingshan Town to investigate Yao Chen's situation. He discovered that Yao Chen had made no breakthrough in the past three months and was still an Eight-star Dou Zhe. Although Gu He knocking him unconscious had made him wary, causing him to hire several guards afterward, his status and wealth meant that the guards he could hire were merely Dou Zhes. The strongest among them was only a Fighter Nine Stars.

After returning to the Small Valley and waiting several days for Xiao Yi Xian's realm to fully stabilize, Gu He went to find her. Looking at the radiant young girl, he felt the satisfaction of watching a fledgling eagle prepare to spread its wings. Still, he felt somewhat regretful that he had ultimately failed to persuade her to return to the Imperial Capital during these three months.

Shaking his head lightly to cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind, Gu He said to Xiao Yi Xian, "Xian'er, you are now a Seven-star Dou Zhe. Although you are still one star behind Yao Chen's Eight-star Dou Zhe realm, with your cultivation method and Dou techniques, your combat strength is equivalent to that of a peak Dou Zhe. What you lack is only experience and courage. I think you can now settle this grudge with Yao Chen. During this process, I will only give you a little help and do my best to create an opportunity for you to face Yao Chen one-on-one. But you will have to rely on yourself to defeat him."

Hearing this so suddenly, Xiao Yi Xian was somewhat surprised, though not shocked. After all, they had left Qing Shan Town several months ago, and now that she was a Seven-star Dou Zhe and had the strength to take revenge, she naturally had to return. However, she was curious about the help Gu He had mentioned, so she directly asked, "Master, what kind of help is it that you consider important enough to mention so solemnly? Are you planning to personally defeat all of Yao Chen's guards?"

"Of course not. When I first came to Qingshan Town, I met someone named Sun Yi. He offended me when I entered the Monster Mountain Range, so I gave him a small punishment. Later, he helped me find this Small Valley, so I helped him break through to Dou Master. He should still remember me. Take my token and find him. Tell him that you are my disciple, then have him defeat Yao Chen's guards at an appropriate time. The reward will be one Qi Gathering Powder. He will gladly help you." Gu He answered, teaching Xiao Yi Xian what she should do.

"The reward is a Qi Gathering Powder. I think any Dou Master would be happy to do it. Why do you need to specifically point out that I am your disciple?" Xiao Yi Xian found this particularly difficult to understand, so she asked in confusion.

"This is also for safety. Think about it: a young girl of unknown identity suddenly asks him to do something and offers an astonishing reward afterward. Setting aside whether he would believe you, even if he did, how could you be sure he would not become greedy and think that you had even more pills? If he developed evil intentions, you would not be able to defeat a Dou Master with your strength. You would likely be defeated by him and could only escape back with the Purple Cloud Wings." Since Xiao Yi Xian was about to venture out, Gu He felt that she needed to understand that the outside world was far less simple than it appeared. He began carefully explaining the dangers and treachery in people's hearts, making her understand that relationships between people were not so pure.

Xiao Yi Xian frowned and muttered, "The outside world is so dangerous! It seems that once I am out there, I will need to observe more and think more in order to adapt quickly!"

"That is the right way to think. Since you understand, leave with Xiao Lan. However, Xiao Lan cannot enter Qingshan Town, or it may easily alert those mercenaries and make them join forces against it. After all, Xiao Lan is a Second-rank Magical Beast. In a town where the strongest people are only Dou Masters, it is enough to make them treat it like a formidable enemy." Having explained nearly everything, Gu He gave his final instructions.

"Mm, I understand, Master. I will return as soon as I have dealt with Yao Chen." Xiao Yi Xian blew the Bamboo Whistle, calling back Xiao Lan, which had been hunting outside. Then, as light as a willow catkin, she floated onto Xiao Lan's back and rode the Blue Eagle out of the valley.