"I'll show Pill King the Heavenly Flame first!"
As Xiao Lei spoke, he waved a hand, and a Heavenly Flame appeared before him.
Gu He quickly focused his attention on it. He saw a blood-red Heavenly Flame.
"Its color is blood-red, and its flames leap like a thousand beasts. Might I ask if this is the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame?" Gu He asked excitedly. He hadn't expected it to really be a Heavenly Flame, much less one so suitable for him. After all, the stronger the Heavenly Flame, the greater the danger of absorbing it.
"Indeed, it's the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame!"
"Breathtakingly beautiful! Truly breathtaking!" Gu He gazed at the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame in Xiao Lei's hand, utterly entranced.
Xiao Lei was pleased by this reaction. The more you wanted something, the more you'd have to pay for it!
Before that, though, Xiao Lei would first have to get a little something from him for free.
[Target: The renowned Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire.]
[Cultivation: Seven-Star Dou Wang.]
[Alchemical Skill: Low-tier sixth grade.]
[Constitution: None.]
[Copy Time: Five minutes.]
[Copy?]
"Copy!"
This was the advantage of having a solid foundation. Aside from alchemical skill, all of Xiao Lei's other attributes far surpassed Gu He's, so the copying time was incredibly short.
"Ahem, I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei!"
Realizing he'd behaved improperly, Gu He hurriedly apologized.
"What would you like to trade for, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei?"
After finally laying eyes on the Heavenly Flame he'd been dreaming of, Gu He had already prepared himself to be fleeced.
Xiao Lei smiled inwardly and held up one finger. "First, I need a Spirit Gathering."
At this, Gu He, who had been tense, breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it wasn't anything outrageously valuable.
Although he didn't understand why a Dou Emperor like Xiao Lei couldn't obtain one himself and had to trade with him, Gu He readily took a Spirit Gathering from his Storage Ring and used his soul power to send it over.
"Besides that, I also need a suitable medicine cauldron!"
After speaking, Xiao Lei picked up the tea beside him and took a sip, leaving Gu He to guess what grade of cauldron he needed.
After his cultivation had improved, Xiao Lei's flames had grown much stronger. Ordinary medicine cauldrons couldn't withstand them; after a few uses, they would explode. And soon, Xiao Lei would have a Heavenly Flame of his own, too.
Gu He understood at once. Xiao Lei wanted the best medicine cauldron he had!
A medicine cauldron was of tremendous importance to an alchemist. If anyone else coveted his cauldron, Gu He would probably have turned against them on the spot. But right now, he was the one at a disadvantage.
It was painfully obvious how badly he wanted that Heavenly Flame!
"Once I have a Heavenly Flame and my alchemical skill improves, why worry about finding a suitable medicine cauldron?"
Clenching his teeth, Gu He decided to part with a treasured possession. He then promptly took out the medicine cauldron he carried with him.
"Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei, this cauldron is called the Volcano Flame Cauldron. I traded for it from a blacksmith years ago. It can greatly assist an alchemist during the pill-refining process and even improve the chances of successfully forming a pill!"
Xiao Lei looked over the cauldron. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but its surface was covered in volcano-shaped carvings that gave off a faint sense of heat.
Xiao Lei was very satisfied with Gu He's attitude. As for his claim that the cauldron improved the chances of successfully forming a pill, Xiao Lei paid little attention to it. There had to be some exaggeration in that.
"It's a decent item. Well, lastly, my magical beast is already on the verge of transforming. I wonder if Pill King has a Humanoid Transformation Pill? If not, a Transformation Grass will do!"
At this, Gu He suddenly froze. How does he know I have a Humanoid Transformation Pill?
After hearing that Medusa might possess a Heavenly Flame, Gu He had immediately traded for a Humanoid Transformation Pill, hoping to exchange it with Medusa for the flame. After all, Humanoid Transformation Pills had always held an enormous allure for magical beasts.
He had obtained the pill specifically to trade for a Heavenly Flame, but now that Xiao Lei had called it out, Gu He couldn't help hesitating.
"Judging by your expression, it seems you really do have one!"
Xiao Lei feigned surprise, then poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.
"Whew! The tea tastes a little bitter at first, but if you savor it, there's a sweet aftertaste."
"Pill King, do you understand what I mean?"
Gu He clenched his hands inside his sleeves. They trembled faintly from the force.
He'd already lost his medicine cauldron, and now he'd have to hand over the Humanoid Transformation Pill he'd paid dearly to acquire. At this rate, he'd lose all the savings he'd built up over the years.
Xiao Lei said nothing and simply sipped his tea. He trusted Gu He to persuade himself.
After a long while, Gu He finally let out a long breath, as though every last bit of his strength had been drained away.
"I..."
For the last time, he took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring and tossed it to Xiao Lei. Gu He collapsed into his chair.
At the same time, good news came from the system: the copying was complete.
The five minutes of copying had caused little disturbance. Gu He was too excited to notice, and Xiao Lei promptly selected the alchemical skill option.
The alchemical knowledge Gu He had spent decades studying and refining quickly appeared in Xiao Lei's mind.
"Very good. Take it!"
Having obtained everything he wanted, Xiao Lei readily handed the Heavenly Flame to Gu He.
Gu He stared at the Heavenly Flame before him, his eyes nearly filling with tears. Just how much had he sacrificed to obtain this flame!
"Absorbing a Heavenly Flame is always extremely dangerous. Since you've been so straightforward, I'll give you some advice."
It was in Xiao Lei's interest for Gu He to absorb the Heavenly Flame, so he didn't mind helping him out.
"Oh! Please, go ahead, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei!"
Overcome with excitement at having obtained the Heavenly Flame, Gu He barely heard what Xiao Lei was saying.
"You already know about the Spirit Gathering, so I won't repeat myself. Besides that, you'll need to prepare a large amount of ice-attribute natural treasures. They can protect your meridians when you swallow the Heavenly Flame. Also, your cultivation is too weak. You could be injured if you approach the flame's source, so you can refine and take a Blood Lotus Pill!"
"Besides that, try absorbing the Heavenly Flame here. On the day you absorb it, I'll find a way to weaken its energy. The rest will depend on your own luck!"
There was no way Xiao Lei would let Gu He return to the Misty Cloud Sect to absorb the Heavenly Flame. He still needed to copy the flame!
Gu He fell silent for a long while. In truth, he would have preferred to return to the Misty Cloud Sect to absorb the Heavenly Flame, but Xiao Lei was willing to help weaken it!
"There's no need to think it over. Though Yun Yun is also a Dou Emperor, her wind attribute isn't suited to helping you weaken the Heavenly Flame. Here, Xiang Liu and I are both Dou Emperors, and we'll protect you. You won't find better protection anywhere in the Jia Ma Empire."
"And as for the rest, if I wanted to harm you, why bother with a Heavenly Flame? Don't tell me you think those two Dou Wangs beside you could stop me!"
Hearing this, Feng Li sighed helplessly inwardly, while Yan Shi hurriedly lowered his head, afraid Xiao Lei might attack him again.
Gu He fell silent once more. That was true—Feng Li and Yan Shi couldn't stop Xiao Lei. In other words, his life was in Xiao Lei's hands now!
Gu He had no idea whether Xiao Lei would attack if he asked to leave.
Judging by Xiao Lei's unhesitating attitude when he attacked Yan Shi earlier, it was entirely possible!
Xiao Lei's earlier attack on Yan Shi had clearly served its purpose. Throughout the exchange, Gu He had been wary of Xiao Lei's strength, leaving him at a disadvantage the whole time.
"Why, of course, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei. Having you protect me would be best!"
"I'll give you a month to prepare everything. After that, you'll begin absorbing the Heavenly Flame."
Before you continue