"Alright, it's nothing serious. Just go and practice," Gu He said, looking at the excited Liu Ling. He waved his hand and spoke solemnly, "Remember, while practicing, you must not neglect your alchemy."
"Disciple understands," Liu Ling replied cheerfully, then promptly left the courtyard, brimming with excitement.
He had already made up his mind. Upon returning, he would go into seclusion and push himself to break through to the six-star Dou Practitioner level. He was determined—either he would break through, or he wouldn't leave seclusion at all.
"That brat, he really won't act unless there's something in it for him," Gu He muttered, shaking his head helplessly. He then turned to the Little Fairy Doctor beside him and said softly, "Since you like this courtyard, feel free to choose a room for yourself. There are plenty of vacant ones here."
"En," the Little Fairy Doctor nodded, her beautiful eyes scanning the courtyard with a look of joy on her face.
"Go on, hurry up and practice. Don't tarnish my reputation as your teacher," Gu He said lightly before heading toward his own room.
"System, display the attributes panel." As Gu He focused his mind, a translucent screen appeared before his eyes.
[Host: Gu He]
[Age: Thirty]
[Alchemist Level: Seventh Grade Alchemist]
[Cultivation: One-Star Dou Emperor]
[Cultivation Method: Ziyang Jue (Earth-Level Intermediate)]
[Soul Cultivation Method: Wraith Art (Seventh-Rank Soul Power Cultivation Method), Soul Devouring Art (God Grade)]
[Combat Skills: Blazing Palm (Low Profound Rank), Flame Eagle Claw (Advanced Profound Rank), Ten Thousand Poison Sutra]
[Supernatural ability: Empowerment, Void Projection]
[Physique: Seven Orifice Exquisite Heart]
[Others: Dou Saint Experience Card, Nine Nether Flames, Red Snake Cauldron...]
Gu He stared at the attribute panel, lost in thought.
In less than a month since arriving in this world, he had transformed from a three-star Dou King to a one-star Dou Emperor. His cultivation had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Similarly, his alchemist level had risen from sixth to seventh-tier. It could be said that Gu He had achieved his initial goal: the power to protect himself.
A seventh-rank alchemist, coupled with Dou Emperor-level strength, was more than enough for him to move freely within the Jia Ma Empire. After all, with his status as a seventh-tier alchemist, no one in the empire would dare to offend him lightly.
But this wasn't enough. Gu He was never one to rest on his laurels. Moreover, there was a hidden force within the Jia Ma Empire that he feared—The Hall of Souls.
Having read the original story, Gu He knew that the Hall of Souls had likely already infiltrated the Jia Ma Empire. What remained unclear was whether Yunshan, the leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, had already colluded with them.
In the original story, Yunshan, nearing the end of his lifespan, had allied with the Hall of Souls in desperation. With their help, he had successfully broken through to the Dou Ancestor realm.
Later, many elders of the Misty Cloud Sect had also advanced to the Dou Emperor realm with the Hall of Souls assistance.
On the surface, the Misty Cloud Sect's strength had grown exponentially. However, unbeknownst to most, this was all part of the Hall of Souls scheme.
Their true goal was to harvest powerful soul bodies. In the end, the souls of the Misty Cloud Sect's elders, including Yunshan himself, were devoured by the Hall of Souls, strengthening their own forces.
Thinking of The Hall of Souls methods, Gu He's expression turned grave.
The Hall of Souls specialized in capturing powerful soul bodies, and in terms of soul strength, no one could compare to alchemists.
If word got out that he had broken through to the seventh-tier alchemist level, he would undoubtedly become a prime target for the Hall of Souls. With his current strength, a direct confrontation with them would be disastrous.
This realization made Gu He acutely aware of the danger he was in. He needed to grow stronger—fast. No matter the method, as long as it increased his strength, he would take it.
His gaze returned to the attribute panel as he pondered how to further enhance his power.
The best way, of course, was to recruit talented disciples. However, finding geniuses who met the system's requirements was no easy task.
Currently, the two disciples under him wouldn't triggered the system's reward mechanism right now. Therefore, he needed to find another path.
Gu He considered heading to the Tagore Desert to recruit Qing Lin, who possessed the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. However, the journey was too long, and venturing into the desert recklessly might lead to an encounter with Medusa.
According to the original story, Medusa had recently taken the Green Lotus Heart Flame. If he went to Rock Desert City now, he might run into her.
Medusa, a Nine-Star Dou Emperor, was far beyond his current strength. A direct confrontation would likely end in disaster, much like what happened to Hai Bodong.
After much deliberation, Gu He finally settled on a plan to enhance his strength: alchemy. Having inherited the knowledge of a ninth-tier alchemist, he had countless pill recipes stored in his mind. Among them were many suitable for the Dou Emperor realm. Soon, he selected one—the Emperor's Pill.
The Emperor's Pill was a sixth-grade elixir. For those in the Dou Emperor realm, taking it could directly raise their cultivation by one or two stars.
Its effects were nothing short of miraculous. However, each person could only take one Emperor's Pill in their lifetime.
The thought of the pill's effects sparked a glimmer of hope in Gu He's eyes. But then he frowned again.
The ingredients required to refine the Emperor's Pill were extremely rare. Gathering them all would take time, and spending that time searching for materials might not be worth it compared to recruiting more disciples.
"It seems I'll have to visit Yun Yun tomorrow," Gu He decided after some thought.
As night fell, Gu He glanced at the sky, put aside his thoughts, and sat cross-legged on his bed to begin his cultivation.
Not far from Gu He's room, in an elegantly decorated chamber, the Little Fairy Doctor lay on her bed, intently studying a scroll in her hands. It was the Seven-Colored Poison Sutra she had obtained from the cave that day.
As she examined the colorful scroll, her face was filled with curiosity.
Since childhood, her dream had been to become an alchemist. Yet, for some reason, she had always been fascinated by the art of poison and had shown extraordinary talent in it.
Over the years in Qingshan Town, many mercenaries had tried to take advantage of her, but she had always managed to turn the tables using the poisons she had concocted herself.
On the bed, the Little Fairy Doctor carefully turned the pages of the scroll, studying it with great focus. Suddenly, a particular description caught her attention.
"Woeful Poison Body? What kind of physique is this?"
The scroll described a unique constitution: 'Woeful Poison Body has a small seven-colored line hidden in the lower abdomen. This line grows as the toxicity within the body increases. When the line reaches the heart, the Woeful Poison Body reaches its peak strength. However, the bearer will also suffer the agony of ten thousand poisons...'
Reading this, the Little Fairy Doctor's face paled. She instinctively touched her lower abdomen, her expression growing increasingly uneasy.
…
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