In the alchemy room, only one furnace was burning.
A young man sat in front of the alchemy furnace, scratching his head, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning.
"Liu Ling".
Upon hearing her name called, Liu Ling turned around, paused slightly, and then quickly walked over.
"Sect Master."
He looked at Nie Yuan.
Where is your teacher?
Nie Yuan asked.
"The teacher was injured after returning from the desert and has been recuperating at his residence."
Liu Ling answered.
Nie Yuan nodded, "If you're really not in the right state of mind, you can go out for a walk to relax. Maybe that will increase your chances of successfully refining the pills."
Liu Ling was surprised that the sect leader would comfort her. Her face flushed slightly, but she still shook her head. "Sect leader, the Capital Alchemist Conference is about to begin. I want to win a championship for Yunlan Sect."
The Alchemist Conference is held every eight years and is considered one of the grandest events in the Gama Empire.
Each event attracts numerous alchemists, including those from the nearby Izumo Empire, Luoyan Empire, and Mulan Empire.
Nie Yuan smiled and encouraged him, "Good job, keep it up, but also remember to balance work and rest."
Standing still, Liu Ling didn't look away until Nie Yuan's figure was out of sight. She clenched her right fist tightly, "This year's Pill Competition champion is definitely mine!"
His eyes shone with confidence!
...
Guhe's residence was located not far from the alchemy room, near the edge of the cliff, where one could enjoy the distant scenery as soon as they stepped out.
Tables and chairs carved from giant stones are placed at the entrance.
When Guhe is not practicing alchemy, he usually sits here drinking tea and reading alchemical formulas.
Was he seriously injured? I wonder if he managed to obtain the strange fire?
Nie Yuan's gaze shifted to the tightly closed door, and he stepped forward to knock gently.
The room was quiet for several seconds before the sound of slippers scraping the floor could be heard.
Squeak.
The door opened, and Gu He appeared with a stubble beard, his face pale and somewhat haggard.
Seeing the figure outside the door, Gu He was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "Sect Master, you're back?"
"Yes, he fainted after blocking a bolt of lightning that day. Elder Gu, what happened afterward? Did you manage to obtain the strange fire?"
Nie Yuan understood the outcome from the aura emanating from the other party.
"It was stolen by another guy."
Gu He's expression darkened, a flash of anger crossed his eyes, and he coughed twice, covering his mouth.
"I heard from Liu Ling that you were injured? What happened? You took Medusa with you. With Yun Yun here, she should be able to stabilize the situation."
A hint of concern appeared between Nie Yuan's brows.
"The sect leader was worried about you, so she went after him."
Guhe looked bitter.
[Ding! Guhe has developed a melancholy mood, mood value +99]
He never expected that Nie Yuan would secretly find a way to break the seal.
If I had known earlier, I definitely would have asked Nie Yuan to help.
With two Dou Huangs presiding over the final battle, there's no way the Strange Flame could fall into the hands of another guy.
The two sat down facing each other across the table.
"Sect Master, what were you doing at the Serpent God Temple back then?"
Gu He poured two cups of tea and pushed one of them in front of Nie Yuan.
Nie Yuan sighed, "It's a long story."
Upon hearing this, Guhe pricked up his ears.
However, after waiting for a while, he saw that Nie Yuan showed no intention of continuing.
[Ding! Guhe is speechless. Emotion value +30]
"Does the sect leader have something to discuss with me by suddenly showing up here?"
Guhe took the initiative to ask.
"Hmm, nothing can be hidden from Elder Gu."
Nie Yuan looked up, feigning surprise.
[Ding! Guhe is speechless and restrained, emotion value +99]
Feeling an itch in his chest and wanting to cough, Guhe picked up his teacup and downed two large cups in one go.
"Elder Gu, do you have any insights or notes on alchemy, preferably those you learned when you first started learning?"
Nie Yuan spoke up.
Gu He looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Sect Master, what do you need this for?"
"I've suddenly become interested in alchemy and want to study it."
Nie Yuan said jokingly. Gu He also laughed and said, "Alchemy is not like combat skills. It is more about the details and also values talent."
"Of course, Elder Gu is afraid that I will take his position?"
Nie Yuan nodded at first, then suddenly changed the subject.
This sudden turn of events even startled Guhe.
"In terms of cultivation talent, I, Gu He, admit that I am inferior to the sect master, but in alchemy, at least in this Jia Ma Empire, I am the only Pill King."
With a proud expression, Gu He stroked the storage ring and took out a stack of books, placing them on the table.
That's not necessarily true.
Nie Yuan thought to himself, but still had a faint smile on his face. He put the things away and then stood up. "Elder Gu, please rest well. I won't disturb you any longer."
"Sect Leader, if you encounter anything you don't understand, you can come to me anytime."
Gu He called out as he watched Nie Yuan's retreating figure.
Nie Yuan did not turn around, but simply extended his arm and made a gesture in response.
Sitting back down on the stool, Gu He jumped up again, "Oh dear, I forgot to ask the sect leader what kind of flame it was when it burned Medusa."
He was about to take a step to catch up when he immediately stopped.
Strange flames are rare to begin with; without sufficient luck, one might not even encounter one.
Moreover, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame was right next to them at the time, so perhaps the flame used by the sect leader was some kind of beast fire.
Gu He figured he could see Nie Yuan again in the sect in the future, so there was no rush. Besides, if Nie Yuan really wanted to learn about alchemy, he would eventually come back to ask him for advice.
...
"We've finally arrived in Mo City."
At the city gate, Xiao Yan looked up at the name on the wall and exhaled, "Teacher, are we really going to refine pills for that guy?"
"What's wrong?"
The old man's voice echoed in Xiao Yan's heart.
Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with some worry, "Teacher has gone to great lengths to help me refine the strange fire this time. If you refine another pill, will you be able to hold on?"
Having never devoured a strange fire before, Xiao Yan thought that with thorough preparation, he could be completely safe.
However, he nearly died and was completely burned to nothingness by the strange fire.
Fortunately, the old doctor intervened in time, using the Bone Spirit Cold Fire to suppress the attack, and with his assistance, the attack was completed.
Afterwards, the old doctor found it strange that the ferocity of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame was comparable to that of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, yet its energy was extremely weak.
"Hehe..."
The old doctor chuckled softly, "You brat, it's precisely because my soul power is severely depleted that I need a Dou Huang by your side even more."
"Teacher, let's go to Blackrock City again later and ask Master Otto if we can find some medicine to replenish our soul power."
Xiao Yan suggested.
"We'll see."
The old doctor remained noncommittal, knowing all too well how rare medicines could help with the power of the soul.
At least in this barren northwest region, he didn't hold out much hope.
...
In the ancient drawing shop, Hai Bodong completely lost interest in drawing, and every day he stared at the door, longing for something.
At that moment, a boy's figure appeared; he seemed somewhat familiar.
"Young man, you're finally back, um..."
Like a gust of east wind, Hai Bo burst out from behind the counter, rushed to the door, and his words trailed off as a pale yellow plant appeared, "Sand Mandala..."
"Elder Hai, I have no problem with making medicine, but I have a condition that I hope you can agree to."
Xiao Yan curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Hai Bodong nodded. "Go on."
"Protect me for a while."
Xiao Yan said seriously.
Hai Bodong frowned slightly. "A period of time, how long is that?"
"Okay, wait until I come down from Yunlan Sect."
Xiao Yan thought for a moment and replied.
"Kill?" Hai Bodong probed with his eyes.
Xiao Yan shook his head, "I'll keep the appointment."
"Make a deal!" Hai Bodong immediately agreed.
A few days later, someone discovered that a shop in Mo City called "Gutu (Valley Map)" had not been open for several days.