[The deployed avatar has died. Calculating the results of this deployment.] [Calculation complete.] [Evaluation: starting as an abandoned infant is no disgrace. A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. You were a prodigy among pills, a top expert at Seven-Star Dou Saint, and a Ninth Grade Golden Pill alchemist the likes of which had not appeared in hundreds or thousands of years. You established the Pill Tower with your friends, leaving a profound impact on later generations. Your name resounded across the continent, unrivaled throughout the ages. You were universally acknowledged as the continent's greatest alchemist. You were a true legend!] [Choose two of three rewards. Available rewards: Ninth Grade Golden Pill (Eight-Star Dou Sheng cultivation), Soul Origin Fruit, Fire Control Technique.]
"Ninth Grade Golden Pill, Soul Origin Fruit, Fire Control Technique... this generous?" Xiao Ce's mouth fell slightly open in delighted surprise, and even his hands trembled with excitement.
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill needed no explanation. It was the greatest masterpiece his avatar had refined, and the Eight-Star Dou Sheng cultivation noted after it said everything.
After all, even at his peak, his avatar had only been a Seven-Star Dou Saint.
A Ninth Grade Golden Pill with Eight-Star Dou Sheng cultivation did not need to be consumed. Simply serving as a bodyguard would let her fulfill her greatest purpose!
The remaining two rewards, the Soul Origin Fruit and the Fire Control Technique, paled somewhat in comparison.
The Soul Origin Fruit was a fruit he had obtained during his earlier travels. Its effect was simply to increase soul power. He had refined it into a Ninth-Grade Treasure Pill, raising his soul power from the Heaven Realm Middle Stage to the Heaven Realm Late Stage.
Even without being refined into a pill, this fruit could greatly increase soul power when consumed on its own.
As for the Fire Control Technique, it should have been the principles and techniques of fire control his avatar had compiled over his lifetime. He had already left these in his legacy, so there was no need to choose them again.
With that thought, Xiao Ce was about to select the first two options immediately.
But a trace of caution deep in his bones made him ask one more question. "System, is this Fire Control Technique the fire-control principles and Fire Control Art my avatar compiled?"
[These are not principles and formulas that require study. After choosing the Fire Control Technique, you will directly inherit your avatar's fire-control skills at his peak.]
The plain words appeared before his eyes, and Xiao Ce's heart gave a violent shudder.
Directly inherit my avatar's Fire Control Technique at its peak?
What kind of joke was this!
At his peak, my avatar was a Ninth Grade Golden Pill alchemist, and he had refined a Ninth Grade Golden Pill with Seven-Star Dou Saint cultivation and a Heaven Realm Great Perfection soul. Those qualifications were probably the lowest among all Ninth Grade Golden Pill alchemists.
What did that mean?
It meant his Fire Control Technique had already reached an utterly terrifying level!
If his Fire Control Technique were transferred to any alchemist, it would raise that alchemist's refining ability by two whole grades out of thin air.
Besides that, a powerful Fire Control Technique could bring out the full might of flames in actual combat, providing a considerable boost to fighting strength as well.
In Xiao Ce's mind, the Fire Control Technique option now carried the same weight as the Ninth Grade Golden Pill.
He settled on his choices, then cautiously asked another question about the Soul Origin Fruit's effects. Finding that it did nothing beyond what he had expected-increasing soul power-he discarded it outright.
He was far too weak now. Even if he really consumed this Soul Origin Fruit, excessively powerful soul power would instead burst his body apart. He would definitely have to wait until later to eat it.
An option that could not immediately be converted into fighting strength had greatly diminished value.
"System, I choose the rewards: Ninth Grade Golden Pill and Fire Control Technique!"
[Selection successful. You have received the rewards: Ninth Grade Golden Pill (Eight-Star Dou Sheng cultivation), Fire Control Technique.]
The panel before him changed. Just as Xiao Ce made out its contents, a torrent of information sent a swelling pain through his head.
His face contorted, and one hand clutched his head in a death grip, squeezing hard as though that could ease the pain a little.
His other hand desperately pounded the enormous boulder beneath him, sending cracks spreading across its surface.
Scenes flashed before his eyes: learning the Fire Control Technique from the One-Brow Old Man as a child, studying the Fire Control Technique on his own as a young man, discussing the Fire Control Technique with Dan Feng and Xuan Dan, obtaining alchemists' legacies and studying their Fire Control Art...
As Xiao Ce absorbed the vast sea of information in his mind, he did not notice the Emperor Flame within him quietly beginning to circulate, transforming into the emerald-green Flame of Life and the pure-white Yin-Yang Twin Flames Yang Flame.
The two flames, representing healing and vitality, burned simultaneously and surged into Xiao Ce's head.
Xiao Ce felt as though a pair of large, cool hands were stroking his brain, and the swelling pain rapidly subsided.
A short while later, the transfer was complete. Sensing the two-colored flames within him, Xiao Ce chuckled. "It even comes with automatic protection."
"Fa... Father?" a somewhat uncertain voice called out.
Xiao Ce stiffened and quickly looked up, seeing a girl of about fourteen or fifteen before him.
The girl was simply dressed in a pure-white robe dress without any embellishment or ornament.
Even so, it could not conceal her beauty and loveliness.
Her bright, large eyes blinked softly. Her cherry-red lips were small yet full, and her pert nose twitched slightly, its tip tinged pink. She looked like an exquisite doll, without the slightest flaw to be found.
At the sight of her, an irrepressible sense of closeness welled up inside Xiao Ce. "Are you Golden Pill?" he asked.
The girl looked delighted, as though she had confirmed something. "Father, it really is you!"
Tears slowly slipped from her eyes, and a look of grievance crossed her face. "Sob, sob... I never thought I'd see you again, Father.
"I've been hunted all this time by Hun Tiandi of the Hun Clan. He nearly caught me several times.
"I was so close... so close to never seeing you again, Father!"
Xiao Ce slowly clenched his fists.
In this world, only Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan had the ability to capture a Ninth Grade Golden Pill alive.
Gu Yuan had a laid-back disposition, but Hun Tiandi was an ambitious man.
The value of a Ninth Grade Golden Pill needed no explanation. It could be tremendously useful even to the Nihility Devouring Flame.
If a golden pill could increase the Nihility Devouring Flame's strength a little and add another measure of success to Hun Tiandi's future endeavor to become an emperor, Hun Tiandi would absolutely capture Golden Pill alive and feed her to the Nihility Devouring Flame without the slightest hesitation!
"Don't be afraid, Golden Pill. You're safe now." Xiao Ce took a deep breath and comforted her.
The girl stopped crying and nodded, then asked, "Father, what's happened to you now? You're... so weak now."
Xiao Ce felt wounded inside. His throat caught, and he could only bluff his way through. "I reincarnated to cultivate anew, so my cultivation is a little low."
The girl immediately nodded and patted her chest. "It's all right, Father. I'll protect you!
"As long as I don't reveal strength above Dou Sheng, Hun Tiandi won't be able to detect me!
"Even if I do reveal it, I can run away immediately. As long as I hide for a year or two, I'll be able to return to your side, Father!"
Xiao Ce automatically translated this in his head.
A bodyguard who could consistently display the greatest fighting strength below Dou Sheng, and unleash Eight-Star Dou Sheng strength at a critical moment, but would need a cooldown of a year or two.
"All right, then your father's safety is in your hands!" Xiao Ce patted the girl's shoulder, already slipping into the role of her father.
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