Plucking Gu He Bald

"Let me show the Pill King this Heavenly Flame first!"

As Xiao Lei spoke, he waved his hand, and a Heavenly Flame manifested before him.

Gu He hurriedly focused his gaze, only to see a Heavenly Flame that shimmered with a blood-red hue.

"Its color is blood-red, and as the flames rise, it appears as if ten thousand beasts are leaping within. Might I ask, is this the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame?" Gu He's tone was filled with excitement. He had not expected it to truly be a Heavenly Flame, and such a suitable one at that—after all, the stronger the Heavenly Flame, the greater the danger he would face while absorbing it.

"It is indeed the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame!"

"Exquisite, truly exquisite!" Gu He stared at the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame in Xiao Lei's hand with an expression of obsession.

This reaction left Xiao Lei very satisfied; the more you desire something, the higher the price you must pay!

Before that, however, Xiao Lei intended to fleece the man for one more thing.

[Target: The renowned Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire.]
[Cultivation: Seven-star Dou King.]
[Alchemy: Tier 6 Low-grade.]
[Constitution: None.]
[Copy Time: Five minutes.]
[Confirm copy?]

"Copy!"

This was the benefit of having a deep foundation. Aside from alchemy, all of Xiao Lei's other options were far superior to Gu He's, which meant the copying process was incredibly fast.

"Cough, cough. Please forgive this one's lack of composure, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei!"

Realizing his own rudeness, Gu He hurriedly spoke.

"I wonder what Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei wishes to trade for?"

Seeing the Heavenly Flame he had been longing for, Gu He had already mentally prepared himself to be extorted by Xiao Lei.

Xiao Lei smiled inwardly and held up a finger. "First, I require a Spirit Gathering."

Hearing this, the previously tense Gu He felt a wave of relief, thinking it was nothing of outrageous value.

Although he could not understand how a Dou Emperor like Xiao Lei could fail to obtain such an item and had to trade for it from him, Gu He still readily retrieved a Spirit Gathering from his Storage Ring and used his soul power to slide it toward Xiao Lei.

"Furthermore, I am currently in need of a suitable medicine cauldron!"

After saying this, Xiao Lei nonchalantly picked up the tea beside him and took a sip, offering no explanation as to what quality of cauldron he required.

Since his cultivation had improved, Xiao Lei's flames had grown much stronger. Ordinary cauldrons could hardly withstand them and would explode after a few uses, not to mention that Xiao Lei would soon possess a Heavenly Flame himself.

Gu He quickly caught on; Xiao Lei was after the best medicine cauldron he possessed!

A medicine cauldron was of immense significance to an alchemist. If anyone else had coveted his cauldron, Gu He would likely have turned hostile immediately, but he was currently the weaker party.

His need for the Heavenly Flame was simply too obvious!

Once I have the Heavenly Flame and my alchemy improves, why worry about not having a suitable cauldron!

Gritting his teeth, Gu He decided to part with his treasure, and he decisively took out the medicine cauldron he carried with him.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei, this cauldron is named the Volcano Flame Cauldron. I obtained it from a blacksmith back in the day. It provides excellent support to the alchemist during the pill-refining process and can even increase the success rate of pill formation to a certain extent!"

Xiao Lei glanced at the cauldron. He saw that the seemingly ordinary vessel was covered in volcano-shaped carvings, which faintly emitted a sense of scorching heat.

Xiao Lei was quite satisfied with Gu He's attitude. As for the claim about increasing the success rate of pill formation, Xiao Lei did not pay it much mind; it was safe to say there was some exaggeration involved.

"The item is decent. Hmm, lastly, my magical beast is on the verge of transformation. I wonder if the Pill King has a Humanoid Transformation Pill? If not, a stalk of Transformation Grass will also suffice!"

Hearing this, Gu He suddenly paused. How does he know I have a Humanoid Transformation Pill?!

After receiving news that Medusa might possess a Heavenly Flame, Gu He had immediately traded for a Humanoid Transformation Pill, hoping to use it to trade for the flame with Medusa, as the allure of such a pill to a magical beast was always immense.

Although this Humanoid Transformation Pill was originally intended to be traded for the Heavenly Flame, Xiao Lei had pointed it out so directly that Gu He could not help but hesitate.

"Looking at the Pill King's expression, it seems you really do have one!"

Xiao Lei feigned surprise, and after speaking, he poured himself another cup of tea and took a sip.

"Ah! This tea tastes slightly bitter upon entering the mouth, but upon careful tasting, it leaves a lingering sweetness!"

"Does the Pill King understand what I mean?"

Gu He's hands clenched tightly within his sleeves, trembling slightly from the force.

His cauldron was gone, and now this Humanoid Transformation Pill, which had cost him countless resources to obtain, had to be given away as well. In this way, all the savings he had accumulated over the years would be wiped out.

Xiao Lei remained silent, simply sipping his tea. He believed Gu He would find a way to convince himself.

After a long while, Gu He let out a long, weary sigh, as if all his strength had been drained away.

"I..."

Taking out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring for the last time and tossing it to Xiao Lei, Gu He slumped into his chair.

At the same time, the system sent good news: the copying was complete.

The five-minute copy had not caused any disturbance, and given Gu He's extreme agitation, he had noticed nothing at all. Xiao Lei, for his part, decisively chose the alchemy option.

The alchemy knowledge that Gu He had spent decades studying and researching surfaced rapidly in Xiao Lei's mind.

"Very well, take it!"

Having obtained everything he wanted, Xiao Lei handed the Heavenly Flame to Gu He without hesitation.

Looking at the Heavenly Flame before him, Gu He was nearly moved to tears; he had paid such a heavy price to finally acquire this flame!

"Absorbing a Heavenly Flame is always an extremely dangerous endeavor. Given how straightforward you've been, I'll offer you some advice."

It was in Xiao Lei's best interest for Gu He to absorb the Heavenly Flame, so he did not mind lending a hand.

"Oh, please, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei, do speak!"

Overwhelmed with excitement upon receiving the Heavenly Flame, Gu He barely registered Xiao Lei's words.

"You are already aware of the Spirit Gathering, so I won't repeat it. Beyond that, you need to prepare a large quantity of ice-attribute treasures; these will protect your meridians when you swallow the Heavenly Flame. Furthermore, your cultivation is too weak, and you are prone to injury when approaching the source fire. You should refine a Blood Lotus Pill to consume!"

"Other than that, you shall attempt to absorb the Heavenly Flame right here. On the day of absorption, I will find a way to help you weaken the energy of the flame. The rest will depend on your own fortune!"

Xiao Lei could not possibly allow Gu He to return to the Misty Cloud Sect to absorb the Heavenly Flame, as he still needed to replicate it!

Hearing this, Gu He fell silent for a long time. In his heart, he naturally wanted to return to the Misty Cloud Sect to absorb the flame, but Xiao Lei was offering to help him weaken it!

"There is no need to deliberate. Although Yun Yun is also a Dou Emperor, her wind attribute is not suitable for helping you weaken the Heavenly Flame. With myself and Xiang Liu, two Dou Emperors, here to guard you, you won't find a higher standard of protection in the entire Jia Ma Empire."

"As for the rest, if I wanted to harm you, why would I need to use the Heavenly Flame? You don't truly believe those two Dou Kings beside you could stop me, do you?"

Feng Li sighed helplessly in his heart upon hearing this, while Yan Shi hurriedly lowered his head, terrified that Xiao Lei might strike him again.

Gu He fell silent once more. It was true; Feng Li and Yan Shi could not stop Xiao Lei at all. In other words, his life was currently in Xiao Lei's hands!

Gu He was not at all certain whether Xiao Lei would strike if he insisted on leaving!

Judging by the unhesitating attitude Xiao Lei had shown when he attacked Yan Shi earlier, such a thing was entirely possible!

At this moment, the significance of Xiao Lei's earlier suppression of Yan Shi became clear; throughout the entire process, Gu He had been wary of his strength, causing him to remain at a disadvantage.

"What are you saying, Fellow Daoist Xiao Lei? Having you guard me is naturally for the best!"

"I will give you one month to prepare everything you need. We shall begin the absorption of the Heavenly Flame in one month's time."