Gu He stepped slowly into the cave, carrying Yun Yun in his arms as he traversed the lengthy tunnel. After a while, two diverging paths appeared before him.
Sensing with his soul power, Gu He chose the left passage.
The path twisted and turned, and as he advanced, the temperature around him grew increasingly scorching.
Without hesitation, Gu He activated So Far Away, instantly bypassing the passage and arriving deep within the cavern.
The heat inside was even more intense.
His gaze immediately locked onto the center of the cave, where a square platform had formed from stacked amethyst stones, each over a meter tall.
Atop the amethyst platform rested a spherical purple object, roughly the size of a human head.
Gu He studied the purple sphere and realized—this was the source of the cave's oppressive heat.
A flash of surprise crossed Gu He's eyes.
"Is this the Amethyst Birth Essence? The dou qi it contains is truly terrifying."
Moving to a corner, Gu He gently laid Yun Yun down. Retrieving a jade vial from his spatial ring, he poured out a healing pill and placed it in her mouth.
Once that was done, he approached the amethyst platform.
As his fingers brushed against the Amethyst Birth Essence, another flicker of surprise passed through his gaze.
"The cave's heat radiates from this thing, yet it feels cold to the touch. How peculiar."
Such a rare treasure could only be born within the body of the Amethyst Winged Lion King—a beast of extraordinary talent, one capable of reaching the rank 6.
Whenever a beast of this caliber is born, there is a minuscule chance that it will also produce an Amethyst Birth Essence.
Having remained within the Amethyst Winged Lion king's body for an extended period, the essence contained an immense concentration of pure dou qi.
If a young Amethyst Winged Lion consumed it upon reaching the Rank 4, it could immediately advance to the Rank 5, its innate purple flames far surpassing those of its kin who lacked this advantage.
However, the cave's extreme heat was detrimental to Yun Yun's recovery.
Thus, Gu He decided to retrieve the Amethyst Birth Essence first.
Having read the original records, he knew that extracting the essence required locating a Purple Spirit Crystal.
With that in mind, he expanded his soul power, probing the other fork in the cave.
In the next instant, his figure vanished, reappearing on the opposite side of the cavern.
Before him lay a mountain of amethyst crystals.
His eyes swept across the cave before settling on the center, where a small Amethyst Winged Lion cub lay sound asleep.
Gu He had already sensed its presence with his soul power, so its existence came as no surprise.
The cub remained oblivious to his arrival, still lost in deep slumber.
In a flash, Gu He appeared beside it, silently transferring the young beast into his system space.
"This cub is a rank 6 magical beast's offspring—far more powerful than the Iron-Winged Eagle I gave to Little Fairy Doctor. And since it's a flying beast, gifting it to one of my disciples would grant me another formidable ally."
Kneeling beside where the cub had slept, Gu He lightly tapped the surrounding amethyst stones.
When his finger struck a particular crystal, a hollow echo resounded beneath it.
A flicker of surprise crossed his face as he pried open the stone slab with his right hand.
A burst of violet light erupted, forcing him to shut his eyes against the sudden glare.
Once the pain subsided, he cautiously reopened them, peering into the small cavity.
Inside lay an irregular, fist-sized Purple Spirit Crystal, its surface shimmering with mesmerizing radiance.
"Purple Spirit Crystal…" A faint smile touched Gu He's lips as he retrieved it.
The moment it touched his palm, an intense heat surged through his fingers, the crystal's immense dou qi palpable even through his skin.
Clutching the crystal, he flashed back to the other side of the cave.
Without hesitation, he raised the Purple Spirit Crystal and struck the Amethyst Birth Essence.
Crack
A split second of silence followed before fissures spiderwebbed across the sphere's surface. Then, with a sharp snap, it shattered.
Purple liquid spilled out, drenching half the stone platform.
Gu He swiftly collected the fluid in prepared jade vials.
Despite its searing appearance, the liquid was surprisingly cool.
Though the sphere had seemed large, its contents only filled six small vials.
Satisfied, Gu He stored them away.
With the Amethyst Birth Essence removed, the cave's temperature rapidly dropped.
Returning to Yun Yun's side, he studied her closely.
The healing pill had done its work—her complexion was no longer deathly pale.
His gaze drifted downward, pausing at the five gruesome claw marks marring her chest. Blood stained her robes a deep crimson.
Even in unconsciousness, her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, a faint grimace of pain on her lips.
Though it clashed with her usual dignified demeanor, the sight held a certain charm.
After a brief hesitation, Gu He retrieved another jade vial and set it aside.
His hands moved to unfasten her robes.
But just as his fingers neared her skin, Yun Yun's eyes snapped open.
A cold glint flashed in her gaze, but upon recognizing Gu He, it swiftly melted into astonishment.
"Elder Gu He? How… how is it you?"
Her sudden awakening startled Gu He, but his expression remained composed.
"Sect Master, your wounds require immediate treatment. If left unattended, they may scar. Since you're awake now, you may tend to them yourself." Picking up the jade vial, Gu He handed it to the bewildered Yun Yun.
As Yun Yun's eyes traced his elegant white robes, realization dawned.
"Elder Gu He… was it you who saved me earlier?"
The thought seemed almost impossible to believe.
Though her consciousness had been hazy, she had clearly witnessed the white-robed elder's overwhelming power—how he had suppressed the Amethyst Winged Lion King with a single gesture before reducing it to ashes.
Such strength undoubtedly surpassed the Dou Ancestor realm.
'Could he be… a Dou Ancestor?'
Yet how could Elder Gu He, at his age, have reached a level even her techaer had failed to attain after decades of seclusion?
But when she voiced her doubts, Gu He merely smiled and nodded.
"Indeed, it was I who saved you."
For a moment, Yun Yun's mind blanked. Then, shock crashed over her like a tidal wave.
"This… this can't be!" Yun Yun's disbelieving eyes locked onto him.
Gu He offered no further explanation. Instead, the next instant, an aura befitting a Dou Ancestor powerhouse erupted from him—brief but unmistakable.
Then, just as swiftly, it vanished.
Yet Yun Yun had sensed it clearly.
It was identical to the aura of the white-robed elder from before.
Retracting his presence, Gu He maintained his serene smile.
"Do you believe me now, Sect Master?"
Her pale face flickered with complex emotions.
The elder before her—the same Gu He she had known for years—was the white-robed savior.
After a long silence, she finally whispered, "Elder Gu He… may I ask your true cultivation level?" Though Yun Yun already suspected the answer, she needed confirmation.
Gu He paused briefly before replying, "I am at the Dou Ancestor realm."
Her pupils constricted.
Even with her prior deductions, the confirmation struck like a thunderbolt.
'Dou Ancestor!'
'Elder Gu He is truly a Dou Ancestor powerhouse!'
Staring at the familiar yet suddenly unfamiliar man before her, Yun Yun felt as though she were seeing him for the first time.
She had watched Gu He's rise within the Misty Cloud Sect since her youth, long before she inherited the position of sect master.
Yet in her memory, his strength had always remained at the Dou King level—after all, the title Pill King Gu He was deeply ingrained in everyone's minds.
But now, he stood before her as a Dou Ancestor.
The revelation was staggering.
'What kind of Dou Ancestor would willingly remain an honorary elder in the Misty Cloud Sect?' After a hesitant pause, she met his gaze squarely.
"Elder Gu He… what is your purpose in staying with the Misty Cloud Sect?"
Gu He blinked, then smiled faintly, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"You guess."
…
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