After a while, Gu He gently patted Qing Lin's head and spoke softly, "If you wish to grow stronger, will you work hard and practice diligently under my guidance?"
Hearing his gentle voice, Qing Lin's emotions gradually settled. She nodded firmly, her emerald-green eyes filled with determination. "Yes, Teacher. I will."
Gu He's gaze lingered on the three faint green dots within her pupils.
With the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, it would not be difficult for Qing Lin to reach great heights in the future.
Then, Gu He began guiding her through the most fundamental process of absorbing dou qi from heaven and earth.
Truthfully, Gu He felt somewhat helpless in this situation.
Given his current cultivation level, if he were to impart teachings or empower her directly, the sheer force might endanger the little girl's life in an instant.
As for dou qi methods and dou techniques…
How could she possibly learn them when she isn't even a Dou Disciple?
Left with no choice, Gu He could only postpone rewards like dou qi methods transmission and empowerment for now.
For the time being, the priority was to help Qing Lin build a foundation of strength.
Under his guidance, Qing Lin sat cross-legged on the bed, closed her eyes, and formed a series of intricate hand seals. Slowly, wisps of dou qi from the world around her seeped into her body.
Seeing the girl's cultivation gradually stabilize, Gu He smiled faintly in satisfaction.
Afterward, he retrieved the sheepskin map given by Hai Bodong from his spatial ring. After carefully examining it, he muttered to himself, "It seems I'll have to take Qing Lin to the eastern outskirts of Stone Desert City tomorrow."
For the past two days, Gu He had spent most of his time searching for traces of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
According to the map, the location was marked in the eastern region of Stone Desert City. However, the area was vast, and the flame lay hidden deep underground.
Even with his soul power at the peak of the mortal realm, finding it in a short time was no easy task.
After two days of fruitless searching, impatience began to creep in. Thus, he decided to bring Qing Lin along the next day.
Given the current timeline, he wasn't sure whether the Green Lotus Core Flame had already fallen into Medusa's hands.
If she had already claimed it, Qing Lin would surely sense it tomorrow.
But Gu He remained unperturbed.
'So what if Queen Medusa took the flame?'
'If I want it, I will simply take it from her'.
A mere Nine-Star Dou Emperor like Medusa was nothing before his Three-Star Dou Ancestor strength.
The thought filled him with confidence.
…
The Next Day
Gu He called Xiao Qing Lin and showed her the sheepskin map, pointing to the eastern region of Stone Desert City.
"Qing Lin, have you sensed anything unusual in this area recently? Any peculiar activity?"
Qing Lin's eyes flickered with thought before she suddenly brightened and nodded. "Yes, Teacher! About a month ago, I felt an incredibly powerful aura outside the city. It… resonated strangely with the bloodline within me."
Gu He frowned.
If Queen Medusa had already appeared, then the Green Lotus Core Flame might have been taken.
'It seems we'll have to venture into the Snake-People's territory,' Gu He mused.
Seeing his solemn expression, Qing Lin grew anxious and gestured hurriedly. "Teacher, you mustn't take risks! That aura was so overwhelming—even the mercenary captains were like ants before it!"
Gu He couldn't help but chuckle at her concern. "Then tell me, compared to that aura… is your teacher weak or strong?"
Qing Lin blinked in surprise, then shook her head hesitantly. "I… I can't sense Teacher's aura at all…"
Gu He was momentarily speechless.
Of course she couldn't—she had never cultivated before, and he was a Dou Ancestor!
The only reason she could perceive Medusa's presence was due to their shared bloodline, which carried an instinctive racial pressure.
"Come, I'll take you somewhere."
Before Qing Lin could react, Gu He swept her up, and in a flash, they arrived at the eastern outskirts of Stone Desert City.
The sudden shift from indoors to the vast desert left Qing Lin stunned, her emerald eyes wide with shock.
"Teacher, this…?"
Gu He merely smiled mysteriously. "You'll get used to it."
Though still confused, Qing Lin now vaguely understood—her teacher was far more extraordinary than he appeared.
Gu He crouched to meet her gaze. "Qing Lin, can you pinpoint where that bloodline resonance occurred?"
Even if Medusa had taken the Green Lotus Core Flame, Gu He recalled two other treasures—the Core-Fire Lotus Seed and Green Colored Lotus Platform.
While useless to him, they would be invaluable for his future disciples.
With more disciples under his wing, he couldn't afford to overlook such treasures.
"I think so. Even after a month, the residual aura is still strong. With my bloodline… I should be able to find it."
A trace of sorrow flickered across her face at the mention of her bloodline, but she quickly forced a smile.
"If Teacher wants to go, Qing Lin will do her best to guide you!"
Closing her eyes, she focused intently on her surroundings. Moments later, her eyes snapped open, shining brightly as she pointed.
"Teacher, it's that way!"
Gu He nodded and swept her into his arms, flashing across the desert.
After several more adjustments, Qing Lin finally pinpointed the exact location.
Soon, they stood in a barren stretch of desert.
"Are you certain it's here?" Gu He scanned the featureless wasteland skeptically.
Qing Lin reconfirmed with a firm nod. "Yes, Teacher. This is the place."
The terrain was utterly ordinary—just one of countless identical patches of desert. It was hard to believe something as rare as a Heavenly Flame could be hidden beneath such an unremarkable spot.
But since Qing Lin insisted, Gu He didn't doubt her.
With a thought, his soul power surged outward, probing deep underground.
One meter… Two meters… Three meters…
After shifting positions seven times, he finally detected a scorching presence.
"Found it." A spark of excitement lit up his eyes.
…
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