Pill King Gu He

The environment here was beautiful, and the Dou Qi was abundant. Cultivating here could truly yield twice the result with half the effort.

No matter who came here, they likely would not be willing to leave such beautiful scenery behind.

Medusa Queen parted her cherry lips and said in a soft, bewitching voice, "Since my birth, this is also the first time I have seen such beautiful scenery."

All these years, she had remained among the Snake People Clan in the Tagor Desert. Forget peach blossom trees—even oases were pitifully scarce there. In the entire Snake People Clan settlement, there was only one oasis, likewise known among the Snake People Clan as the Sacred Pool.

Other than Medusa Queen of the Snake People Clan and a few elders, no one was permitted to enter it without authorization.

Lin Che raised his head and drank half a cup of wine, then nodded with a smile. "Impassable mountains and passes—who pities those lost upon the road? Strangers meeting by chance, all are travelers far from home."

The clear Peach Blossom Wine swayed in the cup, and a dreamlike melancholy appeared on Lin Che's face.

Medusa Queen gave Lin Che beside her a meaningful glance, then idly stirred the lake water.

Lin Che merely glanced at Medusa Queen before drinking beneath the moon. He wondered when Yun Yun would return.

At this moment, atop the back mountain of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Amid the clear snow and gentle breeze, a woman sat there, breathing in and circulating the Dou Qi energy around her.

She wore white robes and a white skirt. Her jet-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reaching her slender waist. Her peerless face was like that of a flower fairy deep in the mountains, untouched by worldly affairs, suffused with a captivating ethereal beauty. Her eyes shifted gently, holding only a calmness that seeped into one's bones, without the slightest trace of competitiveness.

This woman was none other than Yun Yun, Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes. A trace of longing flickered in her gemstone-like pupils as she gazed at the snow-covered mountains in the distance. A hint of sorrow crossed her exquisite face.

"Little fellow, have you been well these days?"

"Sect Master."

Just as Yun Yun was lost in longing, a robust voice sounded behind her.

An old man dressed in a white robe slowly approached from afar. He cupped his hands toward Yun Yun's back and said, "Sect Master, Pill King Gu He requests an audience."

Yun Yun put away her earlier expression, turned her face slightly, and said coldly, "Pill King Gu He? What is he here for?"

First Elder Yun Leng replied respectfully, "He has already delivered the pill for the Young Sect Master. At the same time, he wishes to discuss something with you."

Upon hearing this, Yun Yun let out a long breath, rose to her feet, brushed the snowflakes from her fragrant shoulders, and said lightly, "I understand. Have Elder Gu He come see me here."

First Elder Yun Leng nodded, but could not help asking, "Sect Master, this old man has felt that you seem troubled lately. Is it because you feel threatened by the Xiao Family?"

"The Young Sect Master's current strength has already reached the half-step Dou Master realm. After taking the pill refined by Pill King Gu He, she should be able to break through to Dou Master. Even with the Three-Year Pact approaching, that boy should have no chance of defeating the Young Sect Master, right?"

Yun Yun pressed her rosy lips together and said, "Yan Ran's strength is plain for all to see, and I believe in her. It is simply not what I have been thinking about."

"Ah?"

First Elder Yun Leng was stunned. Since it was not that, what was the Sect Master worried about? Could there be some unspeakable matter?

Yet Yun Yun did not say anything further. She merely told him to invite Pill King Gu He over and that he need not ask too much about anything else.

First Elder Yun Leng could only turn and leave. The Sect Master had indeed seemed somewhat unusual recently.

Yun Yun's delicate brows shifted, and her eyes held an emotion that could not be described with words.

About ten minutes later, a middle-aged man dressed in magnificent robes appeared. He looked refined and gentle, and a Rank 6 Alchemist badge hung from his chest.

He was the Jia Ma Empire's only Rank 6 Alchemist, Pill King Gu He, and also one of the Misty Cloud Sect's elders.

Even Yun Yun had to show him some measure of courtesy at times, mainly because he was a genuine Rank 6 Alchemist.

Even Dou Huang experts had to address him as Master Gu He upon meeting him.

Yun Yun was as breathtakingly beautiful as a celestial fairy from the ninth heavens, and she exuded the faint fragrance of rose petals. Her flawless white thighs were exposed, making Gu He beside her drool long ago.

In the original story, Pill King Gu He had always secretly loved Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect. Yet Yun Yun's heart was not with him. If not for Xiao Yan, she likely would never have sought her other half in her entire life.

Yun Yun nodded elegantly. "You have arrived."

Gu He cupped his hands politely and said, "Sect Master Yun, the pill you needed has been successfully refined. I have already handed it to a disciple to deliver to the Young Sect Master."

"Many thanks, Pill King."

Yun Yun smiled faintly, then asked in a voice as gentle as water, "May I ask what brings Pill King here this time?"

Gu He cleared his throat and got straight to the point. "Sect Master Yun should have heard of Heavenly Flames as well, correct?"

Yun Yun nodded. Naturally, she knew of such things. However, Heavenly Flames were born between heaven and earth, and for those without fate, wishing to obtain one was no different from a fool's dream.

To alchemists, Heavenly Flames were exceedingly precious, and the object of their deepest desires.

Many alchemists spent their entire lives searching for Heavenly Flames, only to have their wishes unfulfilled in the end. After all, to control a Heavenly Flame, one had to draw it into one's own body.

Yet every Heavenly Flame was a violent and destructive thing. Even some metals renowned for their sturdiness could not withstand the burning of a Heavenly Flame. A human's frail flesh was undoubtedly courting self-destruction by bringing fire upon oneself.

Therefore, only a very small number of lucky people could, through fortunate coincidence, refine a small cluster of Heavenly Flame and nurture it into their own flame seed. Without exception, these people were all outstanding figures in the alchemy world.

Yet the allure of Heavenly Flames to alchemists remained immense. Thus, the alchemy world of the Dou Qi Continent compiled the Heavenly Flames currently known to mankind into a "Heavenly Flame Ranking," which contained twenty-three types in total.

"What does Elder Gu He mean by this?" Yun Yun asked curiously.

"Yesterday, I heard that traces of a Heavenly Flame had appeared on the outskirts of the Tagor Desert. It so happened that an expert obtained it. As for who that person is, it is still unknown and requires investigation."

Yun Yun could not help frowning upon hearing this. "You mean to have disciples of the Misty Cloud Sect investigate?"

Pill King Gu He nodded. Because of his status, he could not mobilize the Misty Cloud Sect's disciples, so he hoped that Sect Master Yun could help him investigate. If he could learn that person's identity, he would have a target.

The temptation of a Heavenly Flame to an alchemist was easy to imagine. Once he missed this opportunity, he might never have another chance to obtain one in this lifetime.