"What?! I... I was only away for a little while. How... how did the Misty Cloud Sect change hands while I was gone?!"
At the foot of Misty Cloud Mountain!
Gu He had just returned from his travels. He stared at the large stone by the mountain gate in disbelief!
He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him!
Only after the Mu Clan guards explained it to him again did he finally react!
The Misty Cloud Sect really had changed hands!
He couldn't understand it. Yun Shan was a Peak Dou Emperor!
Who could have taken the Misty Cloud Sect from him?
"Grandmaster Gu He, to be honest, every prominent force in the Jia Ma Empire has joined the Xiao Family. With your alchemy skills, joining the Alchemy Hall of the Xiao Family would be no trouble..."
Mu Chen, dressed as a patrol captain, came out and earnestly tried to persuade him.
Yun Shan had joined of his own accord?
Gu He stared at Mu Chen with an expression that said, "I may not know much, but don't try to fool me."
This news was simply too shocking for him.
With Mu Chen leading the way, Gu He reached the mountaintop and met Yun Shan!
Gu He: "Sect Master Yun Shan..."
Yun Shan immediately waved him off. "Gu He, I'm just an ordinary elder of the Xiao Family. Don't call me Sect Master again."
Gu He: ...
He couldn't help wondering what kind of person could make Yun Shan so afraid!
He wouldn't even let anyone call him Sect Master!
Yun Shan clasped his hands behind his back. "Gu He, since we've known each other for so long, let me give you some advice: join the Xiao Family. Your future will be limitless!"
"Gu He, I have a feeling that if we follow the Xiao Family, the road ahead will be far more exciting than if we walked it alone!"
Fa Ma came over as well and urged him.
Earlier that year, Gu He had just advanced to become a sixth-tier alchemist!
He was the only sixth-tier alchemist in the entire Jia Ma Empire, and was even honored with the title of Pill King!
"If you're willing to join us, the position of Alchemy Hall master is yours!"
"I'm not interested in being a hall master. It's just... I've been living on Misty Cloud Mountain for several years, and I don't want to leave."
Gu He had originally planned to refuse, but when he saw Yun Yun, he promptly changed his mind.
Yun Shan had long known Gu He harbored fantasies about Yun Yun. He patted Gu He on the shoulder and said quietly, "Gu He, give up on Yun Yun. Find someone else!"
"?" Gu He stared at him, baffled.
Yun Shan continued, "Yun Yun isn't right for you. I've already given her to that great lord."
Gu He immediately bristled.
"What?! Yun Shan, how... how could you do that? Yun Yun is a living person, not some merchandise! How could you do that?!"
Yun Shan didn't want to explain at length.
"Heh, once you meet that great lord, you'll see how right my decision was!"
Several days later.
Xiao Xuan returned.
After taking a look at the Xiao Family, which had more or less gotten on track, Xiao Xuan was quite satisfied.
Yun Shan and the others also breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Next, let me introduce an alchemy grandmaster. From now on, he'll be in charge of our Alchemy Hall."
As soon as Xiao Xuan finished speaking,
Fa Ma's expression froze!
Yun Shan also looked rather uncomfortable.
Xiao Xuan frowned. "What? Do you two have a problem with my arrangement?"
Yun Shan hurriedly shook his head. "Yun Shan wouldn't dare."
Fa Ma forced himself to speak:
"My lord, Gu He, our Jia Ma Empire's only sixth-tier alchemist, has returned. I... I've already promised him the position of Alchemy Hall master."
"That was your promise, not mine! Besides, Gu He's abilities aren't enough to qualify him as master of our Alchemy Hall!"
Gu He was a sixth-tier alchemist!
And he still wasn't qualified?
Fa Ma looked somewhat awkward, but didn't dare say anything.
Just then, a figure appeared before Yun Shan and Fa Ma like a ghost.
Yun Shan could sense that the figure's owner was a powerful soul form whose strength made even him feel fear!
Fa Ma, meanwhile, stood frozen. A figure buried deep in his memories rose to the surface.
His eyes immediately blurred with tears.
"Y-You're... the great lord who... who guided me all those years ago?"
"Heh, after all these years, I didn't expect you'd still remember me."
Yao Chen chuckled.
Yun Shan was taken aback. "Fa Ma, you know him?"
Fa Ma nodded firmly. "I owe my achievements today to this old gentleman."
As he spoke, Fa Ma knelt directly before Yao Chen. "Thank you, my lord, for your guidance all those years ago."
"Not at all, not at all. Let's work hard together from now on. With this great lord leading us, we'll surely make a name for ourselves across the Dou Qi Continent!"
Yao Chen said with a broad smile.
Not long ago, one of his enemies, Mu Gu, had died, while the other, Zhaixing, had been injured. He had avenged half his grudge!
His mood was excellent.
"This cultivation manual for soul power was given to me by this great lord. Make good use of it. Don't just aim for the sixth tier—even the seventh and eighth tiers are within your reach!"
"Thank you, my lord. Thank you... thank you, Alliance Leader."
Fa Ma bowed respectfully to Xiao Xuan and Yao Chen.
"Good. From now on, assist Venerable Yao with alchemy. You'll naturally be rewarded. But if anyone dares betray us..."
Boom!
Xiao Xuan merely moved his hand slightly. The ground let out a thunderous crash, and then a palm print several yards wide and several yards deep appeared before them!
Yun Shan and Fa Ma shuddered.
If that landed on them, they'd become meat patties by the roadside!
They hurriedly declared that, for the future of the Xiao Family, they would gladly give their lives!
At the same time, it finally dawned on them that the soul-form elder before them was addressed as a Venerable. He had to be a Dou Venerable!
Even someone of such legendary stature was willing to serve beneath Xiao Xuan!
Just how terrifying was Xiao Xuan's strength?
Xiao Xuan was quite satisfied with their reaction. He was about to have Yao Chen take Fa Ma away and, while they were at it, make him refine more high-tier pills.
Just then, Gu He hurried over.
His expression was terrible.
Fa Ma and Yun Shan knew why he was there and hurried to stop him.
Fa Ma lowered his voice. "Gu He, what are you doing here?"
Gu He lifted his chin and stood tall, fearless. "Obviously, I'm here to get an explanation from him!"
Yun Shan pointed at the palm print nearby. "If you want to die, go right ahead!"
"I..." Gu He turned and saw the deep crater. His scalp prickled.
Fa Ma held out his palm.
"Didn't you want to become a higher-tier alchemist? See that? The great lord gave it to me—a soul cultivation manual!"
Gu He's eyes immediately blazed.
Entering the legendary Pill Tower was his lifelong dream!
To improve his alchemy, he had to strengthen his soul power!
And the soul cultivation manual before him was undoubtedly the greatest aid he could hope for!
"You're Gu He, right? Did you come here looking for me?" Xiao Xuan moved and appeared in front of Gu He, asking calmly.
Gu He's expression stiffened, then he hurriedly said, "I heard you'd returned, my lord, so I came to pay my respects. I also wanted to ask—boldly, of course—if there's anything I can do for you."
Fa Ma and Yun Shan breathed a sigh of relief.
Yao Chen also watched Gu He with a broad smile.
Xiao Xuan said coolly, "Didn't you come to settle the score with me?"
"Uh..."
Gu He broke into a cold sweat. "Actually, I did want to discuss something with you, my lord: how many pills we should refine each month."
"For that sort of thing, just follow Venerable Yao's arrangements."
"Yes, my lord."
Before you continue