Time flew—two months had passed since the Inner Sect Grand Competition.
When the results of the top three were announced, the entire Misty Cloud Sect was naturally shocked.
For a time, the Little Fairy Doctor and Liu Ling shared the spotlight, becoming the center of heated discussions among Misty Cloud Sect disciples.
As their teacher, Gu He also received considerable attention.
Rumors spread outside that Pill King Gu He was not only a master of alchemy but also an exceptional mentor.
Soon after, many elders and deacons visited Gu He, hoping he would take their juniors under his wing.
Naturally, Gu He refused outright.
He wasn't like Yun Yun, who hesitated over every decision. If anyone dared to pester him, he wouldn't hesitate to slap them away.
As two months passed, the fervor over the Inner Sect Grand Competition finally died down.
At this moment, deep within the Nine-Colored Valley of the back mountain...
The Nine-Colored Valley was a name Gu He had given to this secluded place, inspired by the Nine-Colored Holy Lotus.
The valley was filled with dense, mist-like dou qi particles, shrouding the entire space in a vast expanse of white. Visibility was so poor that even a few steps ahead were obscured.
The sheer concentration of these dou qi particles proved that the valley had become a sacred cultivation ground, saturated with the essence of heaven and earth.
Standing beside the medicine garden, Gu He observed the newly added seventh-grade medicinal herbs, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Now, his garden boasted ten seventh-grade herbs.
If this continued, it wouldn't be long before he had enough to refine seventh-grade pills.
Over the past two months, Gu He had obtained ten sixth-grade herbs from Hai Bodong and requisitioned six more from the sect.
Currently, aside from the seventh-grade herbs, the garden still housed twenty sixth-grade plants.
Gu He was confident that the valley's rich energy would soon catalyze the remaining sixth-grade herbs into seventh-grade ones.
Once that happened, his envisioned medicine garden would truly take shape.
After inspecting the garden, Gu He summoned Cai'er once more and collected another Longevity Pearl.
He had never forgotten his daily collection over these two months.
Now, his storage ring held nearly a hundred Longevity Pearls.
For powerful experts nearing the end of their lifespans, these pearls—capable of extending life—were priceless treasures.
In the future, Gu He could trade them for immense profits.
Next, he released his soul power to survey the valley.
With his spiritual senses, the mist-like particles no longer obstructed his vision.
In the sky above, the massive Scarlet Flame Demon Python writhed, devouring vast amounts of dou qi with each breath.
Compared to two months ago, its aura had grown significantly stronger—it had broken through from mid-seventh rank to high-seventh rank, equivalent to a human high-level Dou Ancestor.
Gu He's gaze then shifted to the Golden Feather Giant Eagle, which was drinking directly from the cold pool. A trace of satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
In just two months, the eagle had shattered its sixth-rank barrier, ascending to the seventh rank.
Now, all three of Gu He's tamed beasts were seventh-rank existences.
His soul power then probed the depths of the cold pool.
The Nine-Colored Holy Lotus remained as radiant as ever, its nine-colored glow undiminished.
Invisible stellar energy poured into it, transforming into pure heaven and earth energy.
On the lotus leaves, Cai'er fluttered her wings, dancing joyously before suddenly pausing, her curious eyes fixed on the space above the lotus.
There, the silver figure of the Void Beast flickered past.
Gu He caught the movement—this little creature's strength was becoming increasingly fearsome.
A faint smile curved his lips. "Once it matures, its spatial abilities will make it an invaluable ally."
Next, he entered the cavern where the Bloodthirsty Poisonous Cicadas were kept.
Eighteen crimson cicadas clung to the cave walls, their fierce, bloodthirsty auras swirling around them.
For two months, Gu He had diligently fed them flesh and blood while the valley's dou qi nourished them. Their auras had grown terrifyingly potent.
It wouldn't be long before these eighteen cicadas reached maturity.
Once they did, they would begin reproducing, exponentially increasing their numbers.
Gu He was one step closer to his goal of commanding an army of thousands.
After inspecting everything in the valley, he communicated with Cai'er before returning to his courtyard.
Seated in the pavilion, he poured himself a cup of hot tea and took a slow sip, his mood visibly content.
"System, open the status panel."
A translucent screen materialized before him:
[Host: Gu He]
[Age: 31]
[Disciples: Liu Ling, Little Fairy Doctor, Qing Lin, Nalan Yanran]
[Alchemist Rank: Seventh Tier]
[Cultivation: Peak Nine-Star Dou Ancestor]
[Dou Qi Method: Divine Flame Art (Heaven Rank Advanced)]
[Soul Cultivation Method: Soul Devouring Art (God Rank)]
[Soul Mysteries: Soul-Binding, Soul-Melting Techniques]
[Dou Techniques: Vermilion Bird Seal (Earth Rank Advanced), So Far Away (Earth Rank Advanced), Void-Splitting Sword Art (Earth Rank Advanced), Nether Claw (Earth Rank Advanced), Flame Palm (Mysterious Rank Advanced), Flame Eagle Claw (Mysterious Rank Advanced)…]
[Pets: Golden Feather Giant Eagle, Scarlet Flame Demon Python, Void Beast, Bloodthirsty Poisonous Cicada, Black-Scaled Cold Python]
[Superpower: Empowerment, Void Projection]
[Physique: Seven Orifice Exquisite Heart]
[Others: Nine-Star Dou Saint Experience Card, Green Lotus Core Flame, Dragon Soul Cauldron, Nine-Colored Holy Lotus, Black Dragon Armor, Divine Wind Sword, Space Heart…]
As Gu He scanned the dazzling array of attributes, satisfaction filled his heart.
This was the result of his efforts over the past two months.
Compared to before, his strength and arsenal had undergone earth-shaking transformations.
Now, his cultivation had reached the terrifying peak of Nine-Star Dou Ancestor—just one step away from Dou Venerable!
...
"If I want to break through to the Dou Venerable realm, relying on these disciples won't be enough."
Staring at the attribute panel before him, Gu He sighed with regret.
Though there was only a single step between the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ancestor and Dou Venerable, that tiny distance was akin to a chasm separating heaven and earth.
Crossing it required an immense amount of energy—far more than what his current disciples could provide through their cultivation feedback.
Over the past two months, Gu He had exhausted eight teaching sessions to barely accumulate enough dou qi to advance from Seven-Star Dou Ancestor to the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ancestor.
But if he hoped to gather the dou qi needed to break through from the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ancestor to Dou Venerable, it might take years—time he simply didn't have the patience to wait.
"It's time for me to leave for a while." Gu He made up his mind.
To break through, he would have to depart from the familiar grounds of the Misty Cloud Sect and seek out stronger disciples to teach and empower.
Only then could he swiftly gather the dou qi required to ascend to the Dou Venerable realm.
Before leaving, however, he would assign his disciples a trial mission—to descend the mountain and temper themselves in the outside world.
"Flowers raised in a greenhouse will never thrive."
It was time for them to face the dangers of the world.
Fortunately, over the past two months, their strength had undergone a dramatic transformation. Even if they ventured out now, they would at least have the means to protect themselves.
A gratified smile crossed Gu He's face.
Despite the short time, the combined efforts of his disciples—bolstered by his teachings and empowerment—had led to astonishing progress.
The most outstanding among them was naturally the Little Fairy Doctor, bearer of the Woeful Poison Body.
The unnatural growth speed of her constitution rivaled even self-inflicted empowerment. Now, she had reached the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Grandmaster, just one step away from breaking through to the Dou Spirit realm.
Gu He had already given her a bottle of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, cautioning her to use it wisely.
The pure dou qi contained within even a single drop would likely propel her straight into the Dou Spirit realm. Still, he advised her to stabilize her foundation at the Nine-Star Grandmaster before attempting the breakthrough.
Next was Liu Ling, Gu He's first disciple. Though he lacked a special physique, the body-tempering pills had refined his constitution, and his relentless efforts had brought him to the Six-Star Dou Grandmaster realm.
The memory of Liu Ling's indignant expression upon learning that the Little Fairy Doctor was about to surpass him still amused Gu He.
Given the terrifying growth rate of the Woeful Poison Body, it wouldn't be long before his junior sister left him in the dust—perhaps even trampling him underfoot for life.
The third in cultivation was Nalan Yanran, whose talent and pride matched Liu Ling's stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
With the Seven-Colored Holy Lotus amplifying her cultivation speed and Gu He's guidance, she had reached the Eight-Star Dou Master realm.
Gu He had long prepared a Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill for her. Once she consumed it, she would swiftly advance to the Dou Grandmaster realm.
After that, the Purple Crystal Pill left by Yun Yun would allow her to leap three stars directly to the Three-Star Grandmaster level.
At this rate, Nalan Yanran might soon overtake Liu Ling—leaving him crushed beneath the heels of not one, but two junior sisters.
Gu He could almost picture the despair on Liu Ling's face.
Finally, there was Qing Lin, the youngest and latest to join. Though her innate talent was average, her diligence was unmatched.
With the aid of the Green Coloured Lotus Platform and frequent cultivation sessions in the Nine Coloured Valley, she had broken through to the Nine-Star Practitioner realm.
After mastering the Heavenly Snake Art, Qing Lin fully awakened the power of her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, unlocking the spatial dimension within her eyes.
Gu He had gifted her a fifth-tier Blue-Scaled Python and a twin-headed fire serpent, both bound by contract.
Now, these two beasts constantly supplied her with energy, ensuring her cultivation would continue to rise even without his direct empowerment.
Compared to his disciples' meteoric progress, Gu He's own advancement—merely two stars in two months—seemed modest. However, his gains in dou techniques and treasures had been immense.
By imparting those two secret dou techniques obtained from Protector Wu to Liu Ling, he received a 10,000x return—Soul-Binding and Soul-Melting Techniques.
Soul-Binding Technique: Instantly seizes the soul of any opponent with weaker soul power. Even those of equal strength risk having their souls ripped away with a single lapse in focus.
Soul-Melting Technique: Condenses a Soul Palace within the body, allowing the fusion of captured souls to inherit their abilities and memories. However, Gu He's current Peak Mortal Sou* limits him to only three Soul Palaces.
Bestowing the Five Poison Claws, a high-tier Black-level skill and a Storage Ring upon the Little Fairy Doctor yielded the Earth-tier high-level Nether Claw and the Space Heart.
Space Heart: Creates an expandable inner dimension within the body.
Teaching Nalan Yanran the Sky-Splitting Sword Art and Wind Chant rewarded him with the Void-Splitting Sword Art (an Earth-tier high-level skill) and the Divine Wind Sword which was an eighth-tier wind-attributed magic core weapon.
Void-Splitting Sword Art: At its peak, it can split the void itself.
Divine Wind Sword: Embedded with multiple eighth-tier wind-attribute magic cores, it greatly enhances wind-based cultivation.
Giving Qing Lin the Blue-Scaled Python and Earth Profound Armor returned an eighth-tier Black-Scaled Cold Python and Black Dragon Armor.
Additionally, numerous pills were bestowed and multiplied, including:
Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill (7th-tier): Grants a chance at rebirth when near death, potentially breaking past limitations.
Life-Returning Pill (7th-tier): Saves a life unless the head or heart is destroyed.
Spirit-Restoring Pill (8th-tier): Recovers 2-3 stars of degraded Dou Venerable-level strength.
Bodhi Pill (8th-tier): Increases the chance of becoming a Dou Saint by 2%.
Though his cultivation progress had been slow, the treasures he amassed were enough to shake the world. This gave him the confidence to finally leave the Misty Cloud Sect and venture beyond.
"However, before I depart, there are matters to settle."
Gu He closed the attribute panel, his eyes gleaming with resolve as he prepared for his journey.
…
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