Inside the room, Gu He carefully laid out all the medicinal herbs Hai Bodong had prepared, placing them one by one on the table.
His gaze swept slowly over the dozen or so snow-white jade boxes before him. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the fluctuations in his heart.
With a flick of his fingers, the massive Dragon Soul Cauldron materialized out of thin air before landing heavily on the ground, accompanied by a deep, resonant dragon's roar.
Narrowing his eyes, Gu He mentally reviewed the refinement method for the Breaking Adversity Pill and all the crucial details.
After a long moment, his eyes suddenly snapped open—within those dark pupils, purple flames surged to life.
Whoosh!
A wisp of purple flame sprang from between his fingers. With another flick, the flame transformed into a streak of light, shooting into the cauldron like lightning.
The moment the flame entered, its tiny form swelled violently. In an instant, the modest flicker erupted into a raging inferno, roaring wildly inside the cauldron.
As the purple flames rose, the dragon-shaped patterns etched on the Dragon Soul Cauldron seemed to awaken, radiating a dazzling golden light.
Boom!
Time passed, and Gu He methodically executed each refinement step with flawless precision.
In the quiet room, the Dragon Soul Cauldron hovered mid-air, rotating slowly as violent purple flames churned within.
With each rotation, faint dou qi ripples pulsed outward, spreading in concentric circles before dissipating silently upon touching the walls.
As the flames continued their work, a thumb-sized lavender pill prototype gradually took shape inside the cauldron. Then, at a certain moment—
A rich, dark purple medicinal fragrance burst forth, permeating the room and lingering in the air.
"Good. It's progressing smoothly."
Gu He smiled faintly as he inhaled the aromatic scent.
The emergence of such a potent fragrance was a clear sign—a high-tier pill was nearing completion.
"Though the Breaking Adversity Pill has unusual effects, refining it isn't particularly difficult. And with the Dragon Soul Cauldron's assistance, the process has been cut short by at least half."
Observing the floating purple pill, he gave a slight nod of approval.
After a brief pause, he waved his hand. The flames inside the cauldron surged violently, engulfing the pill in a final, intense blaze.
The violet flame flared for only an instant before vanishing just as quickly. In its wake, a lustrous lavender pill—smooth, round, and exuding a faint glow—twirled gently within the cauldron.
The moment the pill fully formed, a fierce surge of dou qi erupted from it.
Though the Dragon Soul Cauldron absorbed a portion of the shockwave, the remaining force still blasted outward, threatening to reduce the entire room to rubble.
Glancing at the rapidly expanding dou qi ripple, Gu He casually flicked his palm. In an instant, an invisible barrier of soul dou qi materialized, shielding the room.
When the violent ripple collided with the barrier, the two forces clashed—sending waves of distortion across the translucent shield, like ripples from a boulder dropped into a lake.
Gradually, the turbulence subsided, the ripples growing fainter until they vanished entirely.
Once the last remnants of dou qi dissipated, Gu He dispelled the barrier. With a beckoning motion, the lavender pill shot out from the cauldron and landed obediently in his palm.
Holding the pill between his fingers, he examined it closely before nodding in satisfaction.
The pill's surface was flawless—smooth, round, and gleaming with a lavender hue. Strangely, natural patterns swirled across it, twisting into intricate, almost mystical designs.
At such close range, Gu He could sense the peculiar dou qi contained within—the very power capable of breaking seals.
Pleased, he retrieved a high-quality jade vial from his ring and carefully stored the Breaking Adversity Pill inside.
With that done, his gaze shifted to the remaining pile of rare medicinal herbs. A faint smirk curled his lips as he unceremoniously swept them all into his storage ring.
"Heh. Consider this extra compensation for my services."
If auctioned, these herbs—some of which were priceless—would easily fetch over a million gold coins.
Gu He had no intention of returning them to Hai Bodong.
"Finally finished..."
After stowing away the Dragon Soul Cauldron, he tossed the jade vial in his hand, straightened his robes, and strode out of the room.
…
In the dimly lit corridor, Hai Bodong leaned against the wall. Though his aged face appeared calm, his fingers—tapping incessantly against the stone—betrayed the tension and anxiety churning within him.
Time crawled by. His gaze drifted back to the closed door at the corridor's end, and his brow furrowed.
'Sigh.'
The ingredients for the Breaking Adversity Pill hadn't been easy to gather. Years of effort. If Gu He failed now, his hopes of restoring his strength would be delayed yet again.
His palms rubbed together. The veneer of calm finally cracked, revealing the worry beneath. "Did it fail?" he muttered. "Perhaps I was too reckless..."
The Breaking Adversity Pill was no ordinary pill—even among sixth-grade pills, its refinement was notoriously difficult. And Gu He? A newly ascended sixth-grade alchemist. The odds had never been high.
He clenched his fist.
Hai Bodong's expression twisted through shades of frustration before settling into resigned bitterness. "Now, all I can do is hope Gu He pulls off a miracle. After all… he does possess that terrifying flame."
The air grew heavier with each passing second. Impatience gnawed at him. His fingers drummed harder, until—crack—a surge of vindictive dou qi gouged a hole in the wall.
"Enough waiting."
He spun around, intent on storming the room—only to freeze.
There, leaning against the wall with an infuriatingly casual smile, stood Gu He.
Hai Bodong's jaw slackened. A beat of stunned silence, then a frantic lurch forward. "Well? Did you succeed?"
Gu He shrugged. A lazy wave of his hand, and a jade vial arced toward Hai Bodong. "Barely. Luck was on my side."
The vial might as well have held his very soul. Hai Bodong fumbled, nearly dropping it in his haste before cradling it like a fragile treasure.
His eyes locked onto the purple pill inside. Ecstasy and disbelief warred on his face.
Ecstasy—because the Breaking Adversity Pill was finally his.
Disbelief—because Gu He had done the impossible in half a day.
'His alchemy has grown terrifying…' The old rumors rang true.
A chuckle drew his attention back.
Gu He's smile was razor-thin. "The pill's yours, old friend. Now—the remnant map?"
Hai Bodong stiffened. His lips pursed; his fingers tightened around the vial. "Ah. About that…"
"Cough!"
"Gu He, don't take this the wrong way. It's not that I distrust you, but… well, I've never actually seen a Breaking Adversity Pill."
"The recipe mentioned—" His voice turned wheedling. "How about I test it first? If the seal breaks, I'll hand over the map and apologize. Fair?"
The unspoken truth hung between them:
He'd heard the stories. Gu He's rise to sixth-grade was recent. The Breaking Adversity Pill should have been beyond him. Yet here it was, conjured in half a day.
This pill was his lifeline. He couldn't afford blind faith.
Gu He's expression iced over. "You're stalling. Not very becoming of one of the Jia Ma Empire's top ten powerhouses." A flick of his sleeve, disdainful. "The Hai Bodong I knew didn't scheme like a cornered merchant."
The words were a lash. "I risked Queen Medusa's anger in the desert for your Sand Mandala. Spent days refining this. And your gratitude is… doubt?"
Hai Bodong's grin was all teeth. "We had a deal—the map for the pill. But surely you understand? If I don't verify it, and you've slipped me some counterfeit—"
"Counterfeit?" Gu He's fingers stilled. His voice dropped to a whisper. "You gave me the recipe. I followed it to the letter. If the pill fails because your precious formula was flawed, that's your misfortune—not my deception."
"Do you truly believe," Gu He hissed, "that braving a Snake-Human Queen's territory, scavenging rare herbs, and bending a sixth-rank alchemist's skill to your whim—all for a scrap of map and a Dou Emperor's promise—was profitable for me?"
His fingers interlaced. The smile vanished.
"Or do you simply take me for a fool?"
"Hmm..." Hearing this, Hai Bodong's expression turned slightly awkward.
After a moment of silence, he gave a dry chuckle. "I'm well aware that my request is rather excessive, but rest assured—I would never dare to act so ungratefully."
"How about this? Even if the Breaking Adversity Pill shows the slightest effect, I'll honor my promise without fail. Moreover, this pill was refined by the esteemed Alchemy King Gu He himself. Surely you have confidence in it, no? Hehe."
"Tch..." Gu He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as he studied Hai Bodong's forced smile.
His brows knitted tightly before he finally waved a hand in displeasure and replied coolly, "Do as you wish. But remember, Old Hai—this is the last concession I'll make."
Gu He had already pieced together Hai Bodong's underlying suspicions. While he understood the reasoning, the man's lack of trust still irked him.
"Hehe, thank you for understanding my predicament."
Relief washed over Hai Bodong's face as he carefully tucked the jade vial into his storage ring.
Turning to Gu He, he gestured politely. "Pill King Gu He, if you would accompany me to the basement—should the seal truly break, the enclosed space will prevent any dou qi leaks and avoid unnecessary complications."
Gu He gave a curt nod. "Wait a moment."
Stepping outside the shop, he spotted Qing Lin meditating atop the Green Colored Lotus Platform. Satisfied, he quietly retreated without disturbing her cultivation.
"Let's go."
His tone was icy as he motioned for Hai Bodong to lead the way, clearly in no mood for further conversation.
"Ah, yes..."
Recognizing Gu He's irritation, Hai Bodong could only offer an awkward laugh before obediently guiding him forward.
As they walked, Gu He observed the once-formidable Ice Emperor now moving with an almost eager lightness. A silent sigh escaped him.
'Years of being sealed have worn away his edge. The proud, free-spirited Ice Emperor is long gone.'
Yet it was hardly surprising. Anyone who suffered such a crushing blow at their peak would falter.
His thoughts drifted to Xiao Yan.
In the original timeline, Xiao Yan had plummeted from genius to "trash," enduring three years of scorn. But unlike Hai Bodong, he never surrendered to despair.
Had their fates not been at odds, Gu He might have even taken him as a disciple.
'Pity.'
Shaking off the distraction, Gu He followed Hai Bodong deeper into the corridor.
His lips thinned as he studied the old man's back, eyes narrowing.
'Hai Bodong… Don't disappoint me. Or our past ties won't spare you from consequences.'
…
The Basement
The corridor twisted unexpectedly, its dim lighting casting eerie shadows. Faint lanterns spaced every ten meters barely pierced the gloom, their weak glow stretching their footsteps into ghostly echoes.
Though the path appeared straight, Gu He sensed a gradual descent. After ten stifling minutes, Hai Bodong halted.
"We're here."
Ahead loomed a massive iron gate, its dark surface exuding weighty solemnity.
Hai Bodong quickened his steps, twisting the head of a black iron lion statue beside it. With a low groan, the door slid open, revealing blinding light.
"After you."
Gu He swept his gaze around the threshold before stepping inside.
Cold stabbed through him instantly. The basement was a cavern of ice—stalactites daggered down from the ceiling, while frost-coated walls shimmered under a perpetual mist.
The sheer scale of it spoke volumes of Hai Bodong's effort.
"My cultivation leans toward Yin-cold attributes. This environment enhances it," Hai Bodong explained.
"The earth and ice also mask dou qi fluctuations, hiding it from prying senses."
Gu He acknowledged with a grunt, striding to a central chair. "Make it quick. This place doesn't suit me."
"Haha, of course."
Retrieving the Breaking Adversity Pill, Hai Bodong leaped onto an icy platform, cross-legged. He swallowed the pill in one gulp.
As silence settled, Gu He withdrew a scroll—Serpent Spirit Art, Queen Medusa's cultivation method. Though unranked by human standards, its power rivaled Earth-tier techniques.
'Once Qing Lin becomes a Dou Master, I'll train her properly'
With the green lotus platform and his pills, her breakthrough wouldn't take long.
Half an hour later, violent dou qi erupted.
Hai Bodong's body convulsed as ripples of power shattered icicles and furniture.
Gu He shielded himself with purple flames, incinerating the stray dou qi.
On the platform, Hai Bodong's face contorted. A blue serpentine mark materialized on his forehead, locking his battle dou qi. But violet dou qi soon clashed against it, the collision painting his features in alternating hues of green and purple.
Gu He watched intently. 'Queen Medusa's seal is vicious. Without the pill, he'd never break free.'
The stalemate lasted thirty minutes before the serpent mark finally flickered—proof the pill was working.
'This Breaking Adversity Pill is potent. I should stockpile some—just in case.'
Watching the serpentine mark grow fainter under the violet glow, a faint smile tugged at Gu He's lips.
With the Breaking Adversity Pill's suppression in full effect, the violet dou qi steadily reclaimed territory from the encroaching seal.
As it forced the snake mark down from Hai Bodong's forehead, the dou qi suddenly surged—a violent, decisive thrust—and expelled the curse entirely.
The moment the mark left his body, it convulsed wildly before dissolving into azure smoke.
And then—Hai Bodong's eyes snapped open.
A light like tangible force erupted from his pupils as decades of pent-up power roared to life.
The sheer pressure of his awakening shattered the icy walls around them, sending fractures spiderwebbing through the cavern.
"Hahaha—! That damned seal is finally GONE!"
Lightning-fast, he launched into the air, hovering above the platform with unbridled triumph. His laughter shook the chamber, the voice of a man reborn.
"I—AM ONCE AGAIN A DOU EMPEROR!"
…
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