"Friend, have you been here the whole time? I have a few questions for you."
The Dou Qi Wings behind Gu He beat steadily as he looked down at Lei Luo from above.
At the moment he turned around, Lei Luo had put on a mask, concealing his true face.
Better to be careful at a time like this.
Who knew whether this guy had brought any backup?
Looking at Lei Luo, Gu He knitted his brows. "I'm talking to you!"
As he spoke, the imposing pressure of a Dou Wang expert bore down on Lei Luo.
The fierce wind stung Lei Luo's cheeks, and his gaze turned cold.
His finger twitched almost imperceptibly, and a silver-white card appeared in his palm.
He slowly raised his head and asked Gu He a question that left him completely baffled.
"Are you alone?"
At that, Gu's brows drew together, and he began to look anxious.
Some time had already passed since the aura of the Heavenly Flame erupted. The thought that he might miss out on this supreme treasure made him irritable.
"Since you refuse to answer, I'll just have to capture you first!"
As he spoke, he reached out toward Lei Luo. A huge hand condensed from Battle Qi swept down on him.
Seeing this, Lei Luo clenched his hand around the card. It shattered, turning into motes of light that poured into his body.
In an instant, terrifying power surged through him. The indescribable strength left him momentarily dazed, but he quickly regained his clarity.
Lei Luo's eyes flashed coldly as he watched the Battle Qi hand come crashing down on him.
"I called you senior, but don't go thinking you're some great master!"
He raised a finger and lightly tapped. The energy hand, which had looked so imposing just moments before, shattered with a crash!
The sight made Gu He's eyes bulge with fury. His Dou Qi Wings beat wildly as he retreated.
Seeing this, Lei Luo's lips curled into a smile. "You think you can just leave after throwing your weight around? It doesn't work that way."
A pair of Dou Qi Wings appeared behind Lei Luo as well. He beat them once, and his body became a blur as he caught up with Gu He.
He clapped a hand on Gu He's shoulder and said with a half-smile, "Since you're already here, why not stay a little longer?"
Gu He's heart turned bitter. He quickly judged Lei Luo's strength from the aura behind him.
A Dou Huang!
He couldn't possibly mistake this aura. He had encountered it more than once before.
Sweat the size of soybeans rolled down Gu He's forehead. He couldn't help muttering inwardly:
Damn it, how did another Dou Huang expert suddenly appear in the empire? Could he have taken the Heavenly Flame?
Although Gu He had reached the Dou Wang Realm, in Lei Luo's hands—now wielding the strength of a Dou Huang—he was no more than a little chick.
Lei Luo dragged Gu He down to the ground and only then let go.
Gu He's face was gloomy. He could only brace himself and cup his hands toward Lei Luo. "Senior, I'm Gu He. May I ask why you suddenly attacked me?"
He put particular emphasis on the words "Gu He" and even straightened his back a little, apparently hoping Lei Luo would notice the badge on his chest.
"Heh. Of course I know the famous Pill King Gu He. You don't need to flaunt your identity in front of me."
Gu He's eyelid twitched, and his heart sank to the bottom.
The mysterious Dou Huang before him didn't care about his status at all. That made him panic.
After all, his own strength was only at the Dou Wang Realm.
Even setting aside his rank as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, that level of strength made him a formidable figure in the Jia Ma Empire.
But before a Dou Huang expert, he was still no more than an ant!
And when a Dou Huang expert didn't care about his special status, things became complicated.
Still, Gu He had weathered plenty of storms and wasn't about to lose his composure. He glanced inconspicuously into the distance, then respectfully addressed Lei Luo:
"Senior, please forgive my earlier rudeness. If you want compensation, just name it.
"As a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, I'm sure my apology gift will satisfy you."
Hearing Gu He's words, Lei Luo lowered his eyelids. "Compensation? Sure."
Seeing that he was interested, Gu He's eyes brightened.
But Lei Luo's next words made his face darken completely.
"Then hand over your Storage Ring!"
Gu He's eyes widened. He had always held a lofty status in the empire—when had anyone ever robbed him before?
Facing Lei Luo's bandit-like behavior, he took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth:
"Don't push me too far. My strength may be inferior to yours, but a Sixth-Rank Alchemist's influence is no small thing."
Hearing Gu He's threat, Lei Luo impatiently picked at his ear.
"Threatening me?"
As he spoke, Lei Luo strode toward Gu He.
"Then let me ask you a question, too."
"Do you know who I am? Have you seen what I look like?"
At Lei Luo's questions, Gu He shook his head blankly.
Just as he was about to speak, Lei Luo punched him in the left eye.
"You don't know a damn thing, so what are you acting tough for?"
Then he punched him in the right eye.
Two dull thuds in quick succession sent Gu He's tear ducts into overdrive. His nose stung, and tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
Lei Luo looked at Gu He, now sporting two black eyes, and clapped his hands in satisfaction. "Well? Hand it over or not? If you don't, I'll just keep beating you until you do!"
Suppressing his humiliation, Gu He's Battle Qi began to surge.
Seeing this, Lei Luo once again unleashed the aura of the Dou Huang Realm, crushing down on Gu He like a landslide.
Feeling as if he'd fallen into an icy cavern, Gu He was powerless to resist. He could only obediently remove his Storage Ring and toss it to Lei Luo.
Playing with the Storage Ring in his hand, Lei Luo glanced at the distant sky, beat his Dou Qi Wings, and disappeared over the horizon.
Back where he stood, Gu He's heart was filled with regret.
He hadn't actually come alone.
The Heavenly Flame was such an important treasure that he didn't believe he could protect it by himself, so he had notified Yun Yun and the others from the beginning.
But things had happened so suddenly, and he'd been so anxious that he'd rushed over on his own first.
That was precisely why he'd ended up isolated and helpless, with Lei Luo stealing his Storage Ring.
His heart full of frustration, he watched the figures speeding toward him in the distance and could only force a bitter smile before getting up to meet them.
Meanwhile, Lei Luo, who had already left, was also in a somewhat foul mood.
He'd forcibly taken Gu He's Storage Ring, but what he'd lost was a life-saving trump card!
And because his sign-in attempts hadn't refreshed yet, he'd also missed the chance to sign in with Queen Medusa.
All in all, he'd taken a huge loss!
Still, at least he'd gotten a little something out of Gu He, which was some consolation.
Without hurrying to inspect his spoils, Lei Luo changed into a different set of clothes and descended into nearby Rock Desert City.
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