In the room, Nalan Su and his daughter looked at Gu He with deep gratitude.
Gu He ignored Nalan Su's grand gesture of thanks and merely said indifferently, "Yanran is my disciple. Since she has a request, I will naturally fulfill it."
His words made his stance clear—everything he did was solely for Nalan Yanran's sake.
Nalan Su understood this well. If not for Nalan Yanran, their Nalan family would never have been able to invite such a renowned Pill King. Still, understanding didn't negate the need for gratitude.
After speaking, Gu He fell silent. He turned to Nalan Jie and asked, "Old man, shall we continue?"
Having taken the Longevity Pearl, Nalan Jie had already recovered more than half of his vitality. Hearing this, he immediately responded with a hearty laugh, "Please proceed, Your Excellency. These old bones can still endure."
Without further hesitation, Gu He resumed channeling his divine flame to expel the Poison from Nalan Jie's body.
Half an hour later, the poison was finally eradicated.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the lingering purple flames around Nalan Jie's bones slowly receded, eventually retracting completely into Gu He's body.
As the last wisp of flame vanished, Gu He let out a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.
'This detoxification process was even more exhausting than refining a seventh-grade pill!'
It wasn't that the Branding Poison posed any real challenge to Gu He—after all, with his divine flame, such a toxin was insignificant.
His current divine flame was a fusion of two heavenly flames, making the poison's eradication effortless.
The real difficulty lay in ensuring Nalan Jie's survival.
The sheer destructive power of Gu He's flame was terrifying—even an Eight-Star Dou Ancestor expert like Protector could only flee before it.
And Nalan Jie?
A mere Dou King.
The slightest misstep, and even a wisp of the divine flame would reduce him to ashes.
Thus, throughout the process, Gu He had to exercise extreme caution, focusing intently to prevent the flame from spiraling out of control.
That was the true reason for his exhaustion.
Fortunately, the detoxification was a success.
"Your Excellency, is everything alright?"
Seeing Gu He pause, Nalan Su hurried forward to inquire.
Glancing at Nalan Jie, whose complexion had visibly improved, Gu He nodded. "The poison has been completely removed. With a few days of rest, he'll fully recover."
"Truly?"
Nalan Su's heart, burdened with worry, finally eased. "The Nalan family will never forget this kindness, Your Excellency. From this day forth, if you ever have need of us, we will spare no effort!"
Nalan Jie was the pillar of the Nalan family—his loss would have left them at a severe disadvantage against the other two great families.
Gu He remained silent. His actions were solely for Nalan Yanran's sake.
If anything happened to Nalan Jie, she would never be able to leave for her training with peace of mind.
Thus, Gu He had resolved her worries—even at the cost of a Longevity Pearl.
Glancing at the sky outside, he turned to Nalan Yanran. "Yanran, I have matters to attend to and must take my leave. You may return to the sect later."
Nalan Yanran nodded. "Then let me see you off, Teacher."
Gu He shook his head. "No need. Stay and tend to your grandfather."
With that, he departed from the Nalan residence.
…
Half an Hour Later – Mittel Auction House (VIP Room)
"Gu He, why are you here again?"
Hai Bodong frowned, his tone laced with displeasure. "It hasn't even been half a month since the last delivery. Do you think sixth-grade medicinal herbs grow on trees?"
The delivery he referred to was their agreement—twenty sixth-grade herbs in exchange for one Longevity Pearl.
Despite the Miteer family's full efforts to gather the herbs, they had yet to amass the required twenty in two months.
"Old Hai, don't misunderstand. I'm not here to collect payment this time."
Gu He sipped his tea calmly.
"Then why are you here?" Hai Bodong huffed. "I have plenty of work to do—no time to waste with you."
After several transactions, their relationship had grown familiar enough for such bluntness.
Gu He chuckled. "Old Hai, is that any way to greet me?"
Hai Bodong's face twisted in annoyance. Every visit from Gu He meant parting with precious herbs—naturally, he wasn't thrilled.
"This time, I've come to deliver something in advance." Gu He's lips curled in amusement.
"Advance delivery?"
Hai Bodong blinked in confusion. "What could you possibly be delivering?"
Gu He didn't explain. Instead, he retrieved a jade vial from his ring and tossed it over.
"The Longevity Pearl."
Hai Bodong nearly leapt from his seat, scrambling to catch the vial. "Careful, you brat! What if it breaks?"
He carefully uncorked the vial, revealing a vibrant green bead—the Longevity Pearl.
The moment the seal was broken, a surge of life energy erupted, leaving Hai Bodong momentarily stunned.
"As expected of the Longevity Pearl… This vitality is extraordinary!" he marveled inwardly.
"Old Hai, stop dawdling," Gu He reminded. "The longer it's exposed, the more its energy dissipates. Take it now for the best effect."
Hai Bodong's expression tightened. Without hesitation, he swallowed the pearl in one gulp.
…
Enjoying the story? Get early access to 70+ advanced chapters.
👉 Join me on Patreon: patreon.com/DarkLord621