"This Green Colored Lotus Platform is perfect for Qing Lin."
The purpose of the Green Colored Lotus Platform flashed through his mind, and Gu He thought of that little girl—Qing Lin.
This Green Colored Lotus Platform could enhance cultivation speed, making it ideal for accelerating Qing Lin's progress.
Gu He had already made up his mind—he would give the Green Colored Lotus Platform to Qing Lin as a gift upon his return.
Then, his gaze shifted to the lotus seeds nestled within the green lotus.
These were the legendary Core-Fire Lotus Seed, the very essence of fire-attribute dou qi. It took a full century to condense even a single seed, each containing the purest essence of heaven and earth.
Consuming them could either restore dou qi or aid in breakthroughs, proving immensely effective—even for a Dou Emperor powerhouse.
Next, Gu He turned his attention to the Green Colored Lotus Platform itself. He intended to take the entire thing.
According to the original text, this Green Colored Lotus Platform was a natural wonder of the world. Any metal that touched it would melt instantly. To harvest it, one had to use pure jade to avoid contamination.
With this in mind, Gu He retrieved over a dozen high-quality rouge jade bottles from his storage ring. Purple flames flickered in his palm, melting the jade into a pale green liquid that solidified into a slender jade blade.
He meticulously purified the blade until it gleamed, as pristine as the lotus leaves themselves.
Gripping the jade blade, he marveled at its cool, smooth texture—comfortable to the touch. Smacking his lips in satisfaction, he carefully swam toward the Green Colored Lotus Platform and made a precise cut at the base where it connected to the stem.
Instantly, the lotus—a flawless work of art—detached.
Gu He swiftly extended his hand, summoning it toward him with a burst of dou qi. The Green Colored Lotus Platform hovered before him, rotating gently as he admired it with reverence.
With a thought, he stored the entire Green Colored Lotus Platform within his system space.
Having accomplished this, he turned his attention to the fire-attribute roots below, which were still voraciously devouring the surrounding magma. A glint of curiosity flickered in his eyes.
'This root can absorb dou qi so wildly—it must be a rare treasure in itself.'
Yet, after a moment of hesitation, Gu He dismissed the idea.
For spiritual treasures that took millennia to form, it was best to leave a thread of life—a gesture of respect for nature's balance.
Though he had taken the Green Colored Lotus Platform, given another thousand years, a new one could grow again. But if he uprooted the stems entirely, it might vanish forever, never to regenerate.
Gu He stared at the swaying roots, a twinge of regret in his heart. In the world of alchemist, destroying the roots while harvesting spiritual treasures was considered the most deplorable act—after all, the conditions for their birth were far too demanding.
As he scanned his surroundings, he noticed that the blue light enveloping the area had begun to dim since the Green Colored Lotus Platform was taken.
Exhaling softly, Gu He cast one last glance at the green lotus roots, licked his lips, and kicked off the ground, swiftly swimming back toward the blue light.
"Let's go!"
Once outside the blue barrier, he waved at the distant Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent, then followed closely behind it, retracing their path through the magma.
Moments later, Gu He's figure burst forth from the molten sea, emerging above the fiery expanse.
He gazed down at the churning magma below, pondering—'How did such a vast underground magma world come to be?'
He resolved to return one day when his strength had grown enough to withstand the extreme heat. Perhaps there would be unexpected discoveries.
Then, his expression turned cold as he called out to the depths: "Big guy, if you don't come up now, you never will."
The magma world remained still for a moment—before the massive form of the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent emerged.
"ROAR!"
The beast let out a thunderous cry, its eyes pleading as it looked at Gu He, silently begging for mercy.
Gu He shook his head, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"I will give you two choices—serve me or die."
Seeing his refusal, despair flickered in the serpent's eyes. After a brief hesitation, it twisted its colossal body, tearing itself free from the magma before obediently floating beside Gu He.
Satisfied, Gu He nodded.
"Good. Congratulations—you've earned the right to live."
With that, Gu He reached out, touching the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent and storing it within his system space.
His task complete, Gu He shot upward, reappearing on the desert surface.
Glancing back at the passage leading to the magma below, he pondered briefly before retrieving iron from his ring, smelting it into a thick plate to seal the entrance.
After burying it under layers of sand, Gu He vanished in a flash.
When he reappeared, he stood within the Desert Iron Mercenary Regiment's residence.
His gaze swept the room before settling on Qing Lin, who sat cross-legged on her bed, deep in cultivation.
"This girl is diligent," Gu He mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Not wishing to disturb her, he quietly poured himself tea and waited.
Half an hour later, the little girl finally stirred.
"Teacher, you're back?" Qing Lin eyes brightened at the sight of him, her voice tinged with excitement.
Gu He nodded and beckoned her over.
"Come. I have a gift for you."
"A gift?" Qing Lin blinked in surprise before skipping over curiously.
"What is it, Teacher?"
Without a word, Gu He retrieved the Green Colored Lotus Platform from his ring.
"This is for you. From now on, meditating atop it will enhance your cultivation speed."
Gu He handed it to her—the lotus seeds had already been removed.
Qing Lin's eyes sparkled as she accepted it, marveling at its beauty.
"It's so pretty!"
The moment she took hold of it, a system notification echoed in Gu He's mind:
[Ding! Detected host granting the Green Colored Lotus Platform to the third disciple, Qing Lin.]
[Congratulations! Host has received a 7,657 reward—the Qinglian Holy Platform!]
[The Qinglian Holy Platform has been stored into the system space. Host, please check!]
…
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