"What? The sect master is back?" In the courtyard, Gu He was enjoying his afternoon tea when the Little Fairy Doctor's words caught him off guard, causing a flicker of surprise to cross his face.
He had been planning to leave in a couple of days, but now that Yun Yun had returned, it seemed fate had other plans. If he had left just two days later, they would have missed each other entirely.
After a moment of reflection, a hint of joy appeared on Gu He's face. Yun Yun's return meant that the medicinal herbs needed to refine the Emperor's Pill had likely been gathered.
"Well, I might as well stay a little longer. There's no rush anyway," Gu He thought to himself.
With his increased strength, even if the heavenly flame had been taken by Queen Medusa, Gu He was confident he could reclaim it.
The Little Fairy Doctor added some boiling water to the teapot and refilled Gu He's cup, nodding slightly as she spoke. "When I returned, the sect master happened to be at Senior Sister Yanran's place."
Gu He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and savored the flavor with evident enjoyment.
"Little Fairy Doctor, how has your progress in alchemy been lately?" Gu He asked, turning his gaze to the Little Fairy Doctor.
The Little Fairy Doctor smiled and replied, "Teacher, I can now refine second-grade pills."
Gu He nodded in approval.
With the inheritance of a sixth-grade alchemist that he had bestowed upon her, the Little Fairy Doctor would face few bottlenecks before reaching the sixth-grade herself.
Breaking through to the realm of a second-grade alchemist in just one month was an astonishing feat. Such speed would be hard for anyone to believe.
Gu He waved his hand, and dozens of jade bottles appeared on the table.
"This is the Jade Muscle Powder you'll need for the next month. You must persist in using it daily to temper your body," Gu He said, pointing to the bottles.
Seeing the array of jade bottles, the Little Fairy Doctor was momentarily stunned. Then, a realization dawned on her, and she asked in surprise, "Teacher, are you planning to go away?"
Gu He nodded. "After refining the Emperor's Pill for the sect master, I'll be embarking on a long journey. While I'm gone, you must not slack in your cultivation."
Though reluctant, the Little Fairy Doctor obediently nodded. "Teacher, I will definitely practice diligently every day."
After speaking, she reached out and stored the jade bottles into her spatial ring.
Then, as if remembering something, she took out an egg—the Iron-Winged Giant Eagle egg.
"Teacher, my Iron-Winged Giant Eagle is about to hatch," she said, holding the egg with anticipation.
"Oh?" Gu He was slightly surprised. He noticed tiny cracks on the egg's surface. "It's hatching so soon?"
He sighed inwardly. The gap between fifth-tier and eighth-tier magical beasts was indeed vast.
His own Xiao Jin had hatched only after absorbing over a dozen fifth-tier magic cores. Yet, this Iron-Winged Giant Eagle was hatching after just three.
"It seems the Iron-Winged Giant Eagle will hatch within a few days," Gu He said to the eager Little Fairy Doctor.
Hearing this, a sweet smile spread across her face as she eagerly anticipated the hatching.
"Shu!"
At that moment, a sharp sound accompanied a flash of golden light that landed on the table. As the light dissipated, a golden bird appeared.
The Little Fairy Doctor was startled by the sudden appearance. When she saw the golden bird, her face lit up with surprise. "What a beautiful bird!"
She instinctively reached out to touch it, but the bird flashed with golden light and leaped onto Gu He's shoulder.
The Little Fairy Doctor's hand fell short, and a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. She looked at Gu He curiously. "Teacher, is this golden bird your pet?"
Gu He glanced at Xiao Jin on his shoulder and nodded with a smile. "Yes, his name is Xiao Jin."
The Little Fairy Doctor admired Xiao Jin's golden feathers, thinking the name suited him perfectly.
Curiosity sparkled in her eyes. "Teacher, can I touch him?"
Gu He chuckled. "That depends on whether he's willing."
The Little Fairy Doctor looked at Xiao Jin expectantly, but the bird stood proudly on Gu He's shoulder, ignoring her completely. As an eighth-tier magical beast, Xiao Jin had his own pride and didn't care for being touched by others.
Seeing this, the Little Fairy Doctor pouted slightly and looked down at the beast egg in her hands.
"Hmph! If he doesn't want to be touched, fine! When my Iron-Winged Giant Eagle hatches, it'll be just as impressive," she muttered under her breath.
At that moment, Xiao Jin suddenly spoke. "Master, I'm hungry."
The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? Teacher, it... it can talk?"
Gu He hadn't expected Xiao Jin to speak up either. Seeing the Little Fairy Doctor's stunned expression, he explained with a helpless smile, "Xiao Jin is different from ordinary magical beasts. He's naturally intelligent and has been able to speak since hatching."
After saying this, Gu He took out a fourth-grade pill from his spatial ring and tossed it to Xiao Jin.
The golden bird transformed into a streak of light, caught the pill in mid-air, and swallowed it in one gulp.
Gu He sighed inwardly. A single meal required a fourth-grade pill—Xiao Jin's appetite was something only a select few could sustain.
Fortunately, as long as Xiao Jin wasn't engaged in battle, he could go several days without eating.
The Little Fairy Doctor watched as Xiao Jin disappeared in a flash of golden light after eating the pill, a look of disappointment in her eyes.
Seeing her expression, Gu He comforted her, "If you want to get close to him, work hard on your alchemy skills. This little guy loves pills. When the time comes, you can use them to win him over."
The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Hmph! When he eats my pills, I'll make sure to pet him thoroughly," she thought, still a bit miffed by Xiao Jin's earlier haughtiness.
Then, she looked down at the beast egg in her hands, her heart filled with excitement.
"Little one, hurry up and hatch. Your master can't wait to hold you," she thought, a smile unconsciously forming on her lips.
Suddenly, she looked up at Gu He.
"Teacher, could you give it a name?" she asked, pointing to the blue egg.
"Me? Choose a name?" Gu He was slightly taken aback. Did he seem like someone skilled at naming things?
But seeing the Little Fairy Doctor's expectant gaze, he couldn't refuse. "Alright, I'll give it a name."
The Little Fairy Doctor nodded eagerly.
After a moment of thought, Gu He said, "How about... Little Iron?"
The Little Fairy Doctor's smile froze.
...
The next day, as Gu He had anticipated, Yun Yun arrived early in the morning with Nalan Yanran.
"Sect master, you've been away for over a month. Your return must mean you've gained something," Gu He said with his usual elegant smile.
Yun Yun smiled in return. "Elder Gu He, I've gathered all the medicinal materials needed to refine the Emperor's Pill—two sets of them."
Though he had expected this, Gu He couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. "Excellent!"
Yun Yun couldn't contain her eagerness. "Elder Gu He, when can you begin refining the Emperor's Pill?"
Gu He smiled faintly. "I've already made the necessary preparations. Now that the materials are here, we can start today."
Yun Yun was slightly taken aback. "Elder Gu He, don't you need more time to prepare?"
Among sixth-grade pills, the Emperor's Pill was considered one of the most challenging to refine. Even some sixth-grade alchemists hesitated to attempt it due to its high failure rate.
Although Gu He had previously claimed a 70% success rate, Yun Yun couldn't help but feel anxious.
'What if it failed?'
She had expended considerable effort and favors to gather these two sets of materials. If the refinement failed, it would be nearly impossible to gather another set in a short time.
This was a common concern in the world of alchemy. The one seeking the pill often worried more about its success than the alchemist themselves.
For the alchemist, failure meant a slight blow to their reputation. But for the seeker, it meant the loss of precious, hard-earned materials—materials that might have been gathered through life-and-death struggles and immense effort.
Yun Yun was no exception to this mindset.
Gu He understood her concerns perfectly. In the past, he would have spent days preparing before refining a sixth-grade pill, ensuring his state was optimal. After all, failure would tarnish his reputation as the Pill King.
But now, things were different.
Not only had he reached the realm of a seventh-grade alchemist, but he also had the Dragon Soul Cauldron and his natal divine flame, both of which significantly increased his success rate.
With these advantages, Gu He was confident his chances of success were well over 70%.
Facing Yun Yun's questioning gaze, Gu He shook his head, his expression radiating confidence. "Sect master, I've made up my mind. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you'll have your Emperor's Pill by today."
A confident man exuded a unique charm.
Seeing Gu He's unwavering assurance, Yun Yun felt a strange sense of trust well up within her.
She handed him the spatial ring containing the materials and said with a light smile, "Since Elder Gu He is so confident, I'll await for good news."
Gu He smiled. "If the sect master is concerned, you're welcome to wait in the pavilion."
Yun Yun nodded. "Then I will wait here."
Gu He then turned to the Little Fairy Doctor, who had just stepped out of the room. "Disciple, serve the sect master some tea."
With that, Gu He turned and made his way to the alchemy room.
…
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