The Shock of Pill King Gu He!

Behind the Mittal Auction House.

Miteer Tengshan handed the violet-gold card to Xiao Chen, his face wreathed in smiles.

"My lord, there are seventy million gold coins on this card, not a single coin short."

Xiao Chen accepted the violet-gold card and glanced at him.

Miteer Tengshan hurriedly explained, "I have personally decided to waive the auction house's handling fee for you."

"Your presence at our Mittal Auction House already honors us beyond measure. If we still charged you a handling fee, we would truly be behaving improperly."

He spoke with utter sincerity, his eyes filled with the desire to befriend him.

A Tier 7 Medicinal Pill had never appeared in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Anyone capable of producing such a pill undoubtedly had an extraordinary force behind them.

Miteer Tengshan had spent many years within the clan, and he possessed at least this much discernment.

The handling fee was merely a few million gold coins. It was well worth it to befriend such a promising young man.

Fa Ma also stepped forward and cupped his hands.

"My lord, this old man has an unwelcome request."

Xiao Chen looked at him. "Speak."

Fa Ma took a deep breath. "I wish to invite you to join the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild."

"With your pill-refining abilities, if you are willing to join the guild, I am willing to relinquish the president's position."

"Even if you do not wish to become president, you may serve as chief elder. A nominal position would be enough."

Fa Ma's eyes were full of expectation.

There was not a single Tier 7 Alchemist in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

If this young man were willing to join the Alchemist Guild, the guild's standing would rise by countless levels.

Forget Pill King Gu He—even the Alchemist Guilds of neighboring empires—

would have to regard the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild with greater respect.

Xiao Chen said indifferently, "Not interested."

Fa Ma's expression stiffened. He wanted to say something more, but upon seeing Xiao Chen's calm expression, he swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Jia Xingtian also walked over and said with a smile, "My lord, if you have the time, why not visit the imperial family?"

Jia Xingtian lowered his attitude considerably.

As the imperial family's old ancestor of the Jia Ma Empire and a Dou Emperor-class expert, everyone normally treated him with great respect.

Yet before this young man, he did not dare put on the slightest air.

A Tier 7 Medicinal Pill. Dou Qi Transformation Wings.

This young man's strength and background were unfathomable.

If they befriended him, the imperial family would no longer need to fear the Misty Cloud Sect.

Over the years, the Misty Cloud Sect had grown increasingly powerful, while Yun Yun was also a Dou Emperor expert. The imperial family's pressure had mounted by the day.

If they could gain such a powerful ally, the imperial family's position would be secure.

Xiao Chen glanced at Jia Xingtian and said blandly, "We'll talk later."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of the back room.

Miteer Tengshan, Fa Ma, and Jia Xingtian remained where they were, watching Xiao Chen's retreating back in silence.

The three exchanged glances, each seeing astonishment in the others' eyes.

"Just who is this young man?"

Miteer Tengshan spoke first, his voice full of confusion.

"At only a dozen or so years old, he can use Dou Qi Transformation Wings. He is at least a Dou Wang expert."

"And he can even produce a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill. The teacher behind him is likely a true powerhouse of the continent."

Fa Ma nodded, his eyes full of emotion.

"This old man has lived for so many years, yet I have never seen such a genius."

"Pill King Gu He is already considered among the very best in the Jia Ma Empire, but compared with this young man, they are not even on the same level."

Jia Xingtian said nothing. He merely stared in the direction Xiao Chen had vanished, a thoughtful glint flashing through his eyes.

"We must find a way to uncover his identity."

Miteer Tengshan and Fa Ma both nodded.

After leaving the Mittal Auction House, Xiao Chen activated the dou qi within him, and a pair of dou qi wings unfurled from his back.

With a tap of his toes, his figure shot into the sky and flew toward Wutan City.

The Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire grew smaller and smaller beneath him before quickly being left far behind.

Not long after Xiao Chen left, Jia Xingtian, Miteer Tengshan, and Fa Ma still had not dispersed outside the Mittal Auction House.

They watched the direction Xiao Chen had flown, their gazes lingering for a long time.

That very night, news of a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill appearing in the Jia Ma Empire spread throughout the Imperial Capital.

Overnight, the news reached every corner of the Jia Ma Empire.

Everyone was talking about it.

"Did you hear? The Mittal Auction House auctioned off a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill today!"

"Tier 7? Are you joking? How could the Jia Ma Empire have a Tier 7 Alchemist?"

"It's absolutely true! Pill King Gu He can only refine Tier 6 pills, but that pill today was Tier 7!"

"Who brought it out? What kind of person was it?"

"No idea. I heard it was a young man who looked no more than a teenager."

"A teenager? How is that possible?"

"Believe it or not."

Gu He's residence.

Gu He sat in his study, holding a letter in his hand, his expression shifting constantly.

Liu Ling stood to one side, his expression equally complicated.

"Teacher, is the news true?"

Gu He set down the letter and drew a deep breath.

"It is."

"The Mittal Auction House did indeed auction off a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill today—the Instant Pill."

"It sold for seventy million gold coins and was purchased by the imperial family."

Liu Ling's expression changed. "A Tier 7 Medicinal Pill... How could someone in the Jia Ma Empire refine a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill?"

Gu He shook his head, his eyes full of bewilderment.

"I don't know."

"I just went to the Mittal Auction House and asked Teng Shan."

"He said the person who brought out the pill was a young man who looked no more than a teenager. He could use Dou Qi Transformation Wings and was at least a Dou Wang expert."

Liu Ling's eyes widened. "A teenage Dou Wang who can also produce a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill?"

"How is that possible?"

Gu He stood and paced back and forth through the study, his brows tightly furrowed.

He was the strongest alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire, a Tier 6 Alchemist.

He had occupied this position for many years, yet he had never been able to break through to Tier 7.

But now, a Tier 7 Medicinal Pill had actually appeared in the Jia Ma Empire.

That meant someone could refine Tier 7 Medicinal Pills.

If he could find that person and seek them as his teacher, perhaps he could break through his bottleneck.

Gu He stopped and looked at Liu Ling, saying in a deep voice, "Find a way to investigate that person's identity."

"You must find him."

Liu Ling hurriedly nodded. "Yes, disciple will handle it at once."

He turned to leave, but Gu He called out to him again.

"Remember, once you find him, do not offend him."

"We cannot afford to offend someone like that."

Liu Ling acknowledged him and quickly left the study.

Gu He stood before the window, looking at the night outside, his eyes filled with longing.

The gap between Tier 6 and Tier 7 was an enormous threshold.

He had been stuck at that threshold for far too long.

If he could seize this opportunity, perhaps he could finally cross it.

By the time Xiao Chen returned to Wutan City, the sky had already darkened.

He did not return directly to the Xiao Clan. Instead, he made a detour toward the Wutan City branch of the Mittal Auction House.

At the auction house entrance, two guards saw Xiao Chen and hurriedly stepped aside.

Xiao Chen walked inside and immediately saw that familiar figure.