Companionship and Homecoming

Seeing Ya Fei somewhat frustrated, Su Heng secretly felt pleased. It was not that he lacked money, but being toyed with like this truly annoyed him.

Moreover, Su Heng had not expected Pill King Gu He to be willing to offer the formula for a Fifth Grade Dou Spirit Pill, along with a Mid-Profound Tier Dou Technique, just to buy Beast Flame.

It seemed losing the Heavenly Flame had dealt Gu He an enormous blow!

If Gu He knew that he had lost the Heavenly Flame because Yun Yun, whom he had loved obsessively for years, had fallen for someone else and given the Heavenly Flame she had obtained to her lover, he would probably vomit blood on the spot from anger.

Su Heng placed the last bottle of Snake Emperor's Mysterious Flame before Ya Fei, watching her disappointed expression with great interest.

Su Heng was not someone controlled by desire. They had only met by chance, and he would not throw all caution to the wind just because he saw a beauty.

As for Ya Fei, although she had gained nothing from this transaction, after a brief moment of disappointment, she adjusted herself back into a perfect state. There was no trace of anything unusual on her face.

An Alchemist like Su Heng was an important client of the Mite'er Family, so Ya Fei naturally would not offend him.

From the previous transaction, the Mittel Auction House had earned several hundred thousand gold coins from Su Heng. Now that it had additionally given up a fourth-grade pill formula, the two sides could be considered even.

"Miss Ya Fei, I am very satisfied with this purchase. If I need anything in the future, I will certainly visit again."

After repeatedly examining the Dou Technique and pill formula and confirming that there were no mistakes, Su Heng finally left the Mittel Auction House in satisfaction.

With this transaction, Su Heng had finally acquired everything he needed, saving himself a great deal of trouble.

"Brother Su Heng, when are we going back to Stone Desert City? There shouldn't... be anything else to take care of, right...?"

The moment they stepped outside, Qing Lin gently tugged at Su Heng's sleeve. Her little face was slightly red as she spoke softly.

When it came to homesickness, Qing Lin's feelings were only stronger than Su Heng's. Having been away for a year, she truly missed everyone in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. On top of that, the exhausting social obligations in Black Rock City had made her want even more to return to Stone Desert City and visit home.

Su Heng had previously promised her that they would return to Stone Desert City once they bought the Dou Technique and medicinal cauldron. Now that everything had been settled, Qing Lin naturally could not hold herself back any longer. Yet she did not dare directly make demands of Su Heng, so she could only quietly hint at it.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be in a few days. Brother Su still has one final matter to handle. Once it is done, we can go home!"

"Really!"

Upon hearing Su Heng's words, Qing Lin's jade-green eyes immediately shimmered with excitement and joy. It was the best news she had heard in a long time.

After settling Qing Lin at home, Su Heng wasted no time and headed straight for the Alchemist Guild in Black Rock City.

"Teacher, I have something very important to discuss with you!"

Su Heng directly pushed open the door to Otto's room, interrupting Otto's rare afternoon nap.

"Who is it!? Little Su... what did you just say?"

Otto's pleasant dream had been ruthlessly interrupted, and he was just about to lose his temper when he saw that it was Su Heng. He forcibly held it back, took a deep breath to compose himself, and quickly returned to his usual state.

"Teacher, I'm sorry for disturbing your afternoon rest."

Seeing Otto's changing expression, Su Heng knew that he had disturbed the man's sleep and annoyed him. He immediately bowed in apology.

"Forget it... You must have something to say if you're in such a hurry. I can always make up for the sleep afterward."

Otto waved for Su Heng not to worry, then shifted his plump body and changed into a more comfortable reclining position.

"Teacher, I plan to return home in a few days. I may be gone for two or three months. Before that, I have two matters to trouble you with. First, I want to take the Third-grade Alchemist assessment. Second..."

Before Su Heng could finish, Otto's round, meatball-like body sprang straight up from the chair. Su Heng was so startled that he swallowed the rest of his words, afraid Otto might fail to take it in and accidentally fall over.

"What did you say?! The Third-grade Alchemist assessment!"

Just over two months ago, Su Heng had only passed the Second-grade Alchemist assessment. Now he wanted to take the Third-grade Alchemist assessment?

Although Otto knew this day would come quickly, he had never expected it to come this quickly. Su Heng had only just turned eighteen!

"Yes, Teacher. I want to take the Third-grade Alchemist assessment."

There were still over three months until the Alchemist Competition in the Imperial Capital, while less than two months remained until Su Heng's agreement with City Lord Bo'er.

On this trip home, Su Heng had to secure Bo'er's support. Yet the status of a Second-grade Alchemist alone was not enough leverage to move Bo'er, the City Lord of Salt City, and persuade him to join Su Heng against the Mo Family.

Therefore, before leaving, Su Heng had to obtain a higher Alchemist grade.

The Fourth-grade Alchemist assessment was too complicated, and Su Heng was only sixty percent confident of passing it. Thus, he decided to first secure the title of Third-grade Alchemist.

As for the title of Fourth-grade Alchemist, for Su Heng, who possessed four types of Beast Flame, it was merely a matter of time.

Seeing Su Heng's serious expression and resolute tone, Otto understood that Su Heng was not joking.

"Fine. Frank and I will arrange it as soon as possible."

Otto gave Su Heng a satisfactory answer. In truth, Otto himself had been hoping Su Heng would pass the Third-grade Alchemist assessment sooner. After all, with his disciple being a Third-grade Alchemist, he, as the teacher, would have honor wherever he went.

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Su Heng respectfully bowed to Otto, then paused before continuing.

"Teacher, aside from the assessment, there is another matter I would like to ask you and Master Frank to help with. It is even more important, and much harder to handle."

Su Heng took out an ice-blue scroll from his Storage Ring. It was the formula for the Fifth-grade Pill, Frostbone Blood-Coagulation Pill.

"This! This is a Fifth-grade Pill formula? You want us to help refine a Fifth-grade Pill?"

At the sight of the formula, Otto's whole body trembled several times in fright. He had not expected Su Heng to aim so high!

One had to know that refining a Fifth-grade Pill was extremely difficult. Even if two Fourth-grade Alchemists joined hands, the success rate was only around forty percent.

The higher the pill's grade, the greater the difficulty of refinement. For Fourth-grade Pills, some Third-grade Alchemists could still refine them beyond their level. But for Fifth-grade Pills, even Fourth-grade Alchemists had less than a twenty percent chance of successfully refining one beyond their level.

"Not just you and Master Frank. Me too! The three of us will refine this Fifth-grade Pill together."

Only after hearing Su Heng's words did Otto's expression ease somewhat. If the three of them refined it together, the success rate should be around seventy percent.

"Little Su, are you refining this Frostbone Blood-Coagulation Pill for that little girl Qing Lin? Isn't its potency a little too strong...?"

After reading the formula, Otto looked somewhat worried.

Although Qing Lin cultivated water-attributed Dou Qi and had already reached the level of a Two-Star Great Dou Master, Fifth-grade Pills were generally taken by Dou Wang experts. Giving one to a Da Dou Shi might cause a backlash from the medicinal effects, making the loss outweigh the gain.

"Rest assured, Teacher. Your disciple knows his limits. This pill is very important to me, so I will have to trouble you and Master Frank."

Seeing that Su Heng had his own plans, Otto did not ask further. Although Otto very much wanted to lie back down for another nap, he gave up on that thought.

Otto took the formula and Su Heng with him and immediately went to find Master Frank.

After discussing the matter, the three decided that Su Heng would be responsible for refining the medicinal ingredients, while Otto and Frank would join forces to fuse the pill. This would provide the highest chance of success.

Seven days later, after the three refined the pill without rest day or night, Su Heng obtained a top-quality Fifth-grade Frostbone Blood-Coagulation Pill. The badge on his chest was also officially replaced with a purple Third-grade Alchemist badge.

After resting for two days, Su Heng brought Qing Lin to formally bid farewell to everyone at the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild and boarded a Thick-Winged Bird bound for Stone Desert City.

Now that Su Heng was a Third-grade Alchemist, not only was riding a Thick-Winged Bird free, but even his route differed from that of ordinary people.

When Su Heng and Xiao Li had previously come to Black Rock City, they had first needed to cross the desert on foot to Desert City at the empire's border, then take a Thick-Winged Bird directly from Desert City to Black Rock City.

But now that Su Heng was an Alchemist, he could take a special route directly to Stone Desert City, and the journey would take only five days.

Such efficiency was truly astonishing!

Su Heng had originally planned to enter seclusion and study his Dou Techniques during the flight, but now it seemed that this little time would only be enough to refine the Beast Flame he had bought at the auction house.

Once he was fully prepared, Su Heng closed his eyes and sat in meditation. He swallowed the Peach Blossom Flame from the jade bottle in one gulp and began refining it.

Who knew how long passed? As the pale pink Peach Blossom Flame perfectly merged into the Dou Qi Whirlpool within his body, Su Heng slowly opened his eyes, preparing to rest for a while.

But the instant he opened them, Su Heng felt the world spin around him, frightening him out of his wits!

There was no one in the empty room. The open door swayed in the wind, creaking continuously, while Qing Lin, who had always remained by his side, had vanished without a trace.

"Qing Lin! Qing Lin?"

Su Heng hurriedly rose to his feet, rushed outside, and shouted loudly.

But Qing Lin was nowhere to be seen!

Overwhelming terror and panic surged into Su Heng's heart.

He looked as though he had gone mad, asking everyone he saw, like a parent who had lost a child.

Most of their fellow passengers were Alchemists. If Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, there were several Dou Ling experts among them. If a fight broke out, Qing Lin would not have much of an advantage.

Su Heng ran wildly across the back of the Thick-Winged Bird. If not for the Third-grade Alchemist badge pinned to his chest, he would likely have been seized as a madman long ago.

From the tail end all the way to the front, Su Heng finally spotted that familiar green figure amid the crowd. He rushed over without a thought and pulled Qing Lin into his arms, terrified that she might disappear before him again.

"Why did you run off? You scared me to death, you know that!"

Su Heng held Qing Lin tightly in his embrace, his body trembling without stop.

At that moment, he suddenly understood how parents felt when their child ran away from home!

That panic was utterly beyond one's control, a fear that swallowed all reason. In a single instant, it robbed a person of all ability to think.

"Brother Su Heng... you're awake. I saw that you were in seclusion... and I was a little bored alone, so I thought I'd come out for a walk. They said... the sunrise on the Thick-Winged Bird is beautiful, so I wanted to see it..."

Like a child who had made a mistake, Qing Lin felt both frightened and touched when she saw Su Heng so worried. No one had ever cared for and protected her the way Su Heng did. She felt very happy.

But seeing Su Heng so anxious also made Qing Lin feel as though she had committed a grave mistake. She lowered her head fearfully and timidly apologized to him.

"Oh, it's fine... As long as you're all right. You scared me to death..."

Having found Qing Lin, the huge weight in Su Heng's heart finally fell away!

Just moments ago, countless terrible possibilities had flashed through Su Heng's mind. Any one of them would have been enough to make him completely collapse. Fortunately, it had all been a false alarm.

Only after confirming that Qing Lin truly had not suffered any mishap did Su Heng slowly rise. Only then did he realize that the deck on the Thick-Winged Bird's back was already full of passengers who had come to watch the sunrise.

At the edge of the heavy cloud cover, a streak of orange-red dawn gradually spread. Beneath the clouds, the rising warm sun was poised to emerge. When the first ray of morning light pierced the dense clouds, soft orange-red radiance poured across the sea of clouds like liquid gold.

The red sun rose in the east, dazzling and warm. As time passed, the enormous sun broke through the pink sea of clouds and leapt upward. A gentle warm breeze brushed over everyone present, making them feel refreshed and relaxed.

"Qing Lin, come with me."

Su Heng looked at Qing Lin fondly and led her to the very front of the deck. There stood a row of cone-shaped railings, and the sight of them suddenly reminded him of a classic scene that had endured through the ages.

"Close your eyes and follow what I do."

Su Heng gently helped Qing Lin up and had her stand on the railing. He stood protectively behind her and guided her to slowly spread her arms.

"All right, open your eyes now."

Golden light spread over the sea of clouds. Qing Lin slowly opened her eyes as the warm breeze caressed her cheeks. Before her eyes, the cloud sea churned, and Qing Lin and Su Heng were flying above this breathtaking sea of clouds.

"Wow! I'm flying, I'm flying!"

Qing Lin could not help flapping her arms a few times. The breeze swept past, and its warmth was intoxicating. Uncontainable delight bloomed across Qing Lin's face, as though she truly were soaring freely through the sky.

Su Heng gently held Qing Lin's arms from behind and rested his head beside her ear, sharing that beautiful moment with her.

A golden boy and jade girl, the envy of all around them!

That night, Su Heng did not continue refining the second type of Beast Flame. Instead, he quietly stayed by Qing Lin's side. During such rare leisure time, he should not spoil the mood and risk experiencing that terror of losing a loved one again.

As the sun set in the west, Su Heng specially cooked Qing Lin's favorite roasted rabbit. Just as the two enjoyed their private time together, an extremely discordant sound came from next door.

Someone's delighted "cheers" were deafening, rendering the room's soundproofing completely useless. Qing Lin's face instinctively flushed red, while even Su Heng frowned in embarrassment.

If Qing Lin had been three to five years older, Su Heng definitely would not have remained unmoved. But Qing Lin was only fifteen now, and Su Heng, who had lived two lives, would never do something so utterly depraved.

"Little Gold! Come out!"

With a low shout from Su Heng, the Rock-Scaled Rattlesnake listlessly darted out from the pouch at Qing Lin's waist, looking at Su Heng with obvious displeasure.

"Make two pairs of earplugs. Qing Lin and I need them, quickly!"

With a dark expression, Su Heng shot the increasingly unruly creature a glare. The noise next door was growing louder and louder, and Qing Lin's breathing had even become somewhat hurried. Su Heng was afraid she might lose control and do something rash.

When it concerned Qing Lin, Little Gold moved fairly quickly. It soon rubbed out four small stone balls.

The instant they put on the earplugs, the entire world became quiet. Those rock scales capable of resisting soundwave attacks were truly in a class of their own when it came to blocking noise.

Having learned from that incident, Su Heng did not dare let Qing Lin out of his sight for even a moment over the following days.

He stopped refining Beast Flame and stopped studying Dou Techniques. He simply stayed peacefully by Qing Lin's side until the Thick-Winged Bird arrived at Stone Desert City.