Next, Li Guanqi, Ye Feng, and the others witnessed a quantity of alchemists they would never forget for the rest of their lives...
With nearly every stretch of path they walked, they could see several alchemists.
Some were frowning in deep thought, while others were teleporting hurriedly in the direction of the volcanoes.
These people took no notice of Gu Changsheng's presence at all. Gu Li seemed accustomed to this and saw nothing unusual about it.
Li Guanqi leaned close to Meng Wanshu and murmured softly, "Does it feel uncomfortable?"
Meng Wanshu's small hand was ice-cold. She shook her head slightly and said softly, "I'm fine."
Li Guanqi used primal energy to form a protective barrier around Meng Wanshu.
Xiao Chen and the others looked around at everything with great interest; after all, such a domain realm was a rare sight.
Only Cao Yan felt completely at ease here, having never experienced a moment so comfortable.
Back at the Great Xia Sword Sect, Cao Yan had spent nearly all his days inside the Pill Peak, so he had a very good relationship with Sun Miao.
At this moment, Sun Miao was muttering like a sheltered child who had never seen the world.
"Grade-six, grade-six... That one is... grade-seven? Hiss..."
"Grade-six, peak grade-five, grade-five..."
"Cough, cough, finally a grade-four... Uh... nineteen years old?!"
Despite his advanced age, tears of excitement were practically welling in Sun Miao's eyes.
It was hard to imagine just how complex the emotions were for an old man who had spent his entire life delving into the Dao of alchemy.
He looked toward Li Guanqi with eyes full of gratitude, his heart surging with emotion.
Back then, had he not listened to Gu Yan and become an alchemist for the Great Xia Sword Sect, he might have missed out on this immense fortune.
In truth, he was already thoroughly satisfied to have obtained the companion flame of the Purple Dragon Thunder Flame.
Though it could not compare to renowned earth flames, compared to ordinary beast flames, the companion flame of a heavenly flame was far more powerful.
Soon, the group saw the majestic clan hall standing at the center of the surrounding mountains, along with an endless stretch of pavilions and towers.
The hall surrounded by volcanoes held a distinct, magnificent presence; framed by dozens of fire pillars soaring into the sky, it appeared exceptionally solemn.
Though it was merely a single structure, it gave people an inexplicable sense of pressure.
Moreover, Li Guanqi could sense the numerous hidden powerhouses within the Gu clan realm.
The auras of some did not even seem to belong to the Gu clan.
Noticing Li Guanqi's thoughts, Gu Li explained, "The flames in our clan are of superb quality, so many alchemists love coming to our place as guests."
Of course, "being a guest" meant borrowing the power of the flames, and the cost was certainly not small.
However, these alchemists were exceedingly wealthy and cared nothing for such expenditures; rather, the quality and nature of the flames were what mattered most to them.
The fiery-red stone pillars of the grand hall were densely inscribed with talisman runes, though these runes had no real significance.
Gu Li scratched his head in mild embarrassment. "These were just random scribbles I made for fun back when I was still running around in split pants."
Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. He certainly had never heard of anyone who could inscribe talisman spirit runes endowed with spirituality while still a toddler.
The hall doors opened, and a medicinal fragrance washed over them, a crisp, cooling aura sweeping through everyone.
Just taking a single breath, Li Guanqi could feel the primal energy within his body noticeably increase by a sliver!
Inside the grand hall, there were no candle lanterns or illuminating stones of any kind.
Because...
Hovering overhead were ninety-nine grade-eight pills!
Each pill radiated a soft shimmer; their surfaces were either mirror-smooth or densely patterned with pill markings.
Yet without exception, the quality of these pills was extraordinary.
The soft glow from many of the pills even morphed into the shapes of various rare and exotic beasts, brimming with spirituality.
Sun Miao's jaw dropped, his eyes filled with shock. The concoction technique behind any one of these pills far exceeded his comprehension.
Gu Changsheng laughed softly. "This is a tradition of our Gu clan. Whenever any grade-eight alchemist refines a qualifying pill, it is replaced."
"These ninety-nine grade-eight pills are also something for outsiders to see, haha."
The group took their seats in order. Seated in the place of honor, Gu Changsheng smiled and said, "Everyone, to tell you the truth..."
"The grade-eight pill formula Little Friend Li gave me this time is precious! Truly precious!"
"Therefore, I have decided that I, Gu, will cover all the pills you young friends need to break through to the Body Integration Realm. You don't have to worry about resources in the slightest."
Hearing this, Ye Feng and the others promptly stood up and bowed. "Many thanks, Senior Gu."
Gu Changsheng waved his hand. It was evident he was overjoyed and didn't care about such trifles at all.
Perhaps for ordinary Void Refining Realm cultivators, obtaining a Body Integration Pill might take a thousand years of accumulated savings and still not guarantee a purchase.
Yet Gu Changsheng lacked many things, but pills were the one thing he had in abundance.
Body Integration Pills were so precious that they easily cost tens of millions, or might even be unattainable for a hundred million spirit stones.
Then Gu Changsheng looked at Sun Miao with a smile. "Later on, this Fellow Daoist may study and exchange pointers alongside my Gu clan disciples."
Sun Miao rose abruptly and fell to his knees before Gu Changsheng.
Li Guanqi did not stop the old man. This was a stroke of fortune bestowed by Gu Changsheng out of respect for Li Guanqi, and Sun Miao had to receive it himself.
"This old man, Sun Miao, thanks Senior Gu for his immense grace and benevolence. I will surely devote myself wholeheartedly to my studies."
Yet to Li Guanqi's surprise, Gu Changsheng did not mention the matter regarding Cao Yan.
Gu Li winked at Li Guanqi, gesturing for him not to worry.
"Don't worry, my dad is as crafty as a ghost. He definitely has other plans."
"If I had to guess, next my dad will probably take Cao Yan on a tour of the various peaks."
Li Guanqi found this somewhat amusing, but Gu Changsheng spoke right after: "How about this: rest for a while, and I'll have someone arrange cultivation chambers for each of you."
"Cao Yan, was it? Would you like to tour our Gu clan's thirty Pill Peaks and experience these flames up close?"
The kindly look on Gu Changsheng's face seemed to glow, and his voice was impossibly gentle.
Ye Feng's mouth twitched, and he sent a voice transmission to Li Guanqi: "Boss... aren't his ulterior motives a little too obvious?"
Li Guanqi smiled. "No matter. This is also Old Third's good fortune."
Cao Yan naturally wouldn't refuse such a request. He stood, bowed, and smiled. "I shall follow Senior Gu's arrangements."
Everyone stood up, and Xiao Chen trotted eagerly behind Ye Feng.
Possessing mutated wind and fire dual spiritual roots, Xiao Chen took to the Gu clan realm like a fish to water; just like Cao Yan, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.
Ye Feng shook off his hand and sneered, "Get lost, you fence-sitter!"
Xiao Chen brazenly sidled up, not feeling the least bit embarrassed, and wheedled, "Aiya, Second Brother, why be like that? Look... your little brother prepared fine wine for you, all from my private collection!"
Ye Feng's nostrils flared, and he smacked his lips.
Meng Wanshu smiled. "Seeing the few of you together now is truly amusing. Ye Feng has really changed quite a bit."
Chapter 859