Gu He abruptly stepped forward, fixing the Snake-People Elder with a burning gaze:
"And so I have taken the liberty of coming here, seeking only to trade with Her Majesty for this flame!"
The Snake-People Elder's expression grew increasingly dark and grim as Gu He spoke.
She slowly turned toward the Divine Temple shrouded in the purplish-red pillar of light. Sensing the chaotic, frenzied aura within, she could not help letting out a faint sigh.
That aura... she knew it all too well.
Her Majesty was undergoing the evolution ritual, one that offered only a single chance of survival out of ten!
And that violent flame energy...
"Pill King..."
The elder spoke slowly, her voice hoarse and weary. Compared with its earlier cold venom, it now held a measure of age and helplessness:
"Your terms are indeed very tempting..."
She paused, a complicated look flashing through her triangular, slit-pupiled eyes. "But this flame... our tribe cannot trade it."
"Why?!"
Gu He's normally refined expression changed abruptly, his voice rising sharply.
"I am willing to stake my life on ensuring your tribe suffers no loss! If that is not enough, I can offer more..."
"It is not a matter of pills."
The elder shook her head, her hunched figure looking particularly forlorn in the night wind:
"This flame concerns the very life and death of our queen. I... have no authority to decide."
"Her Majesty is now at a critical stage of her secluded cultivation. No one may disturb her. Pill King... please leave."
Though she still refused, her tone had softened considerably, even carrying a trace of apology.
Clearly, the words "Sect Breaking Pill" had stirred ripples in her heart after all.
Gu He's face darkened like still water, his fists clenched beneath his sleeves until his knuckles cracked.