BTTH: DISCIPLE CASHBACK SYSTEM

Chapter 132: Duplicating the Purple Spirit Pill!

Hai Bodong, who had his seal released, gleamed with sharpness in his eyes as he slowly looked at Gu He.

"Is this old guy unable to restrain himself?" Sensing the piercing gaze of Hai Bodong, Gu He's lips curled up slightly, and he raised his head, his face calm and composed as he stared back at him.

As their gazes locked onto each other, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely delicate.

Gu He leaned casually in his chair and thought, "Old man Hai, I hope you won't make a mistake."

Gu He had saved Hai Bodong this time, partly due to his own interests but more because of their past friendship. He couldn't bear to see the once domineering and spirited Ice Emperor continue to languish.

However, it seemed that this old guy wasn't very appreciative.

Hai Bodong's previous suspicions and attitudes had already annoyed Gu He, and their past friendship had been gradually eroded.

If Hai Bodong wanted to attack him now, Gu He wouldn't care about their past friendship.

Even though Hai Bodong had recovered most of his strength by now, Gu He was confident that he could easily deal with him if Hai Bodong wanted to fight.

As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, in mid-air, Hai Bodong's gaze toward Gu He became even more intense.

His murky eyes fixed firmly on Gu He below, and he suddenly released a faint chill from the palm of his hand.

After having his seal released and feeling the recovery of his strength, Hai Bodong's suppressed emotions from the past dozen years burst forth at this moment.

Thinking about the half-scroll relic that belonged to him in Gu He's hands, a cold gleam flashed in Hai Bodong's eyes.

The former Ice Emperor had been cold and overbearing, and no one had dared to take anything forcibly from his hands. Gu He taking the mysterious relic that Hai Bodong cherished so much undoubtedly broke his taboos.

In the past, due to his inability to regain his strength, Hai Bodong had not shown any hostility. However, now that the seal was broken and his strength had largely returned, he had some other thoughts.

Although Hai Bodong didn't know what the relic was for, based on Gu He's attitude toward it, there must be a tremendous secret hidden within it.

Otherwise, why would Gu He, a six-grade alchemist, risk his life to venture deep into the Tagore Desert to find the Desert Mandala?

Hai Bodong still remembered how, because of this relic, he had been pursued by the Queen Medusa for thousands of miles, leading to his ultimate sealing.

In other words, he was sealed because of this relic.

After experiencing so much suffering, it was difficult for Hai Bodong to simply hand over this relic to someone else.

Floating above the ground, Hai Bodong was surrounded by a cold aura, and his eyes remained fixed on the calm Gu He. Various thoughts raced through his mind.

He believed he had a good understanding of Gu He's strength. Gu He was known as the Pill King because his cultivation had remained at the Dou Wang level. Although his strength had not fully recovered, it was more than enough to deal with a Dou Wang.

Hai Bodong naturally tried to use his soul perception to sense Gu He's cultivation.

Strange! Following his perception, Hai Bodong couldn't sense Gu He's cultivation.

Weird! Was Gu He using some kind of method to conceal his aura?

Staring at the calm Gu He below, Hai Bodong felt a growing sense of unease.

Gu He's silence and enigmatic demeanor had made Hai Bodong apprehensive. If this powerful six-grade alchemist decided to take action against him, it wouldn't bode well for him.

After a moment of contemplation, Hai Bodong's overconfident attitude was gradually replaced by reason. He realized that something wasn't right.

He narrowed his eyes into tiny slits and thought about the figure above him. It had ventured deep into the Tagore Desert and returned unscathed.

Back then, because he had ventured deep into the Tagore Desert, Queen Medusa had sensed him, eventually leading to his sealing. Gu He had also ventured into the Tagore Desert but returned unharmed.

This made Hai Bodong quite suspicious.

Then, as he remembered the purple flames Gu He had displayed earlier, an ominous feeling suddenly rose within him.

He nearly forgot; Gu He possessed a unique flame!

Even though he wasn't an alchemist, he had some knowledge of legendary celestial flames like this.

Refining such celestial flames was a life-threatening process, even for Dou Huang-level experts.

Gu He's ability to refine celestial flames indicated his exceptional skill.

As the chill in his heart rose, Hai Bodong shivered slightly, and the coldness on his face gradually melted away, replaced by a seemingly gentle smile on his aged face.

After contemplating for a while, Hai Bodong felt a growing unease about the situation.

He began to recall the many misfortunes he had faced due to the relic, which had ultimately led to his sealing.

He realized that everything he had endured was because of this relic.

He had suffered so much, and now he had to give it to someone else. He couldn't help but feel some reluctance.

Floating in the air, Hai Bodong exuded an icy aura, his eyes fixed on Gu He. His soul perception was also working, but this time, he was cautious and polite.

Inwardly, he thought, "I can't afford to offend this guy."

After this thought crossed his mind, Hai Bodong's elderly face softened, and he nodded at Gu He with a warm and friendly smile. The cold aura that surrounded him gradually receded into his body.

With a touch of playfulness in his gaze, Gu He looked at Hai Bodong, who had suddenly become less hostile and started to show goodwill. Gu He nonchalantly toyed with the ring on his finger and said without a hint of change in his tone, "Elder Hai, how is your strength after the seal was removed? I noticed that you seemed a bit off earlier. Did the seal not completely break?"

"Ah... Yes, I was at a crucial moment when breaking the seal just now, so it was difficult to control my aura, which is why I might have seemed a bit out of sorts," Hai Bodong replied quickly after hearing Gu He's words.

He didn't try to find more excuses. Gu He's strength was beyond his comprehension, and as a senior alchemist with the ability to create sixth-grade pills, he knew that offending someone like that was unwise. While he might have the ability to kill him on the spot, letting him escape would lead to continuous trouble in the future. Hai Bodong, with his broad experience, understood the influence and power of high-level alchemists.

Upon hearing Hai Bodong's explanation, Gu He slowly sat up from his chair. He extended his palm and gazed closely at Hai Bodong. He smiled and said, "Elder Hai, now that the seal has been removed, my mission is complete. About that half-scroll relic..."

As soon as the word "relic" reached Hai Bodong's ears, his dry skin twitched slightly. However, he didn't make any more excuses this time. He could sense that Gu He's mood had turned cold, and he was clearly dissatisfied.

If he pushed further, he might deeply offend this powerful sixth-grade alchemist with extraordinary means.

Hai Bodong sighed inwardly and reluctantly touched the ring on his finger. A small, extremely old-looking piece of parchment appeared in his palm. He gently stroked the ancient relic, saying, "This map is incredibly complex. I once attempted to duplicate it, but for some reason, the duplicates turned out to be completely different from the original. I eventually had to give up. I suspect this is due to the incomplete nature of the map itself."

Gu He kept his gaze fixed on the fragment as he looked at Hai Bodong's expression. Although he had a vague understanding of the reasons, he didn't explain them to Hai Bodong.

After obtaining his first half-scroll relic in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Gu He discovered that these relics contained significant hidden soul energy. This soul energy was very subtle and nearly impossible for anyone without the exceptional mental power of an alchemist to detect.

This soul energy wouldn't directly harm anyone, but if someone tried to replicate the map's path and patterns, the soul energy would gradually erode their consciousness, leading to a drawn map that was completely different from the original.

In the end, Gu He decided not to reveal these doubts.

Gu He couldn't explain everything to Hai Bodong, who didn't have alchemical knowledge and would find it hard to understand.

Hearing Hai Bodong's explanation, Gu He sighed. He realized that Hai Bodong's will had been worn down, and he reluctantly accepted this. The old man had spent many years researching the map, and it seemed that he was destined not to obtain its secrets.

With a rueful smile, Gu He replied, "It's a complicated relic, and my attempts at duplication were futile as well. I think it may have to do with the incomplete nature of the map itself."

As he stared at the fragment, Gu He could sense Hai Bodong's inner conflict and frustration. The Ice Emperor had once faced the same obstacles he did, and now he would have to hand over this mysterious relic.

Gu He then decided to break the tension with a warm smile.

In response, Hai Bodong also managed a friendly and sincere smile. The icy aura around him gradually dissipated, and he thought, "I can't afford to offend this guy."

After a few moments of contemplation, Hai Bodong's overwhelming self-confidence gradually subsided, and he reached a conclusion.

"I can't afford to provoke him."

He had spent so many years researching these relics, and if this relic was not meant for him, there was no point in keeping it.

As he sighed inwardly and reluctantly accepted the situation, Hai Bodong's trembling fingers touched the ring on his hand, revealing an ancient and yellowed piece of parchment. He gently stroked the relic, revealing his reluctance as he said, "This map is incredibly complex. I once attempted to duplicate it, but for some reason, my duplicates were vastly different from the original. In the end, I had to give up. Perhaps it has to do with the map's incomplete nature."

As Hai Bodong explained, Gu He continued to gaze at the relic. He sensed Hai Bodong's unease but chose not to reveal the true nature of the relic. Gu He had learned about the hidden soul energy within these relics and their impact on duplications, but explaining this to Hai Bodong would only create more confusion.

Gu He couldn't expect Hai Bodong to comprehend the complexities of alchemical knowledge. He simply nodded and replied, "It seems we both faced the same difficulties. These maps are truly enigmatic."

The two men maintained a calm and polite conversation, but beneath the surface, tensions ran high. The relic remained the focal point of their discussion.

On Hai Bodong's side, he reluctantly touched the incomplete map and sighed after a long while, saying, "Sigh, take it. I guess this map has been divided into several parts, and I only have this one part in my hand. It's not very useful, and moreover, it's almost impossible to find the other missing pieces."

Smiling, Gu He reached out to receive this somewhat smooth fragment, examining it closely. A faint sense of age and ancient charm emanated from it.

The years that this fragment had endured were extremely ancient, naturally exuding an old-world charm.

Holding this small piece of the fragment, Gu He took out the other part that he had taken from Hai Bodong's hand the last time from his spatial ring. He gently combined the two pieces, and after finding that there was no seam where they joined, he nodded slightly.

"Hai, now that you have recovered your strength, I assume you won't continue to be the shopkeeper here, right?" Hai Bodong inquired, rubbing his hands. He was still quite curious and asked with a somewhat restrained smile, "What do you need?"

"Ah, well, I have a few things I need you to help with," Gu He replied with a sly smile.

Hai Bodong laughed and replied, "I do owe you a favor for helping me get out of that predicament. If I assist you, we'll be even."

"I believe, in the future, Mr. Hai may owe me even more favors, not for any other reason but because I'm an alchemist, especially a sixth-grade alchemist capable of creating sixth-grade pills," Gu He responded with a faint smile.

While he sounded arrogant, his statement was not far from the truth. A sixth-grade alchemist was highly sought after, even by Dou Huang-level experts. Hai Bodong nodded in agreement, understanding that alchemists, especially high-level ones, were always sought after by powerful individuals on the continent.

"Let me hear what you need. As long as it's within my capabilities, I won't refuse," Hai Bodong said, stroking his short beard as he spoke.

Gu He slowly rose from his seat, still wearing a faint smile. "Hai, rest assured, what I need you to do is well within your capabilities."

"Oh?" Hai Bodong raised an eyebrow. "Let me hear what you have in mind."

Gu He didn't beat around the bush. He directly handed Hai Bodong a list. "All you need to do is gather the medicinal ingredients listed here."

"Medicinal ingredients?" Hai Bodong looked surprised as he accepted the list from Gu He.

The list included items such as Cold Marrow Leaves, Linglong Fruits, Bloodsoul Grass...

Hai Bodong's eyes scanned the list, and his eyebrows twitched. The medicinal ingredients listed were all rare and precious. In fact, many of them he had never even heard of.

As he reached the end of the list, Hai

Bodong's lips twitched slightly. His expression became somewhat unsightly as he looked at Gu He and said with a cold tone, "Gu He, you must think highly of me. These ingredients are all extremely valuable, and I don't have the ability to gather them."

Gu He smiled and responded, "Hai, don't underestimate yourself. You managed to gather the materials for the Heavenly Flame Pill, so you are more capable than you think."

"Moreover, Hai, don't forget your identity. You are the Grand Elder of the Mittel family, one of the richest families in the Gamma Empire, and the Mittel Auction House has branches all over the empire. If you set your mind to it, these ingredients should not be too difficult for you to acquire."

Hai Bodong frowned, displeased with Gu He's seemingly casual request. "You're being too light-hearted. Do you know how much time and effort it took me to gather the materials for the Heavenly Flame Pill? And these ingredients on your list are even rarer and more difficult to find."

He continued, "You should consider a different condition. I can't fulfill this one."

Faced with Hai Bodong's refusal, Gu He remained calm, indicating that he had anticipated this outcome. He had a response ready, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Hai, I might be able to help you completely recover the strength you lost due to the seal breaking. Without too many side effects."

Hai Bodong's expression changed slightly, showing a glimmer of surprise, but it quickly disappeared. After a brief moment, he regained his composure and stared at Gu He with a guarded look, asking, "How? What method are you talking about?"

"Have you heard of the 'Purple Spirit Pill'?" Gu He asked, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Upon hearing the words "Purple Spirit Pill," Hai Bodong's face revealed a mixture of delight and astonishment. However, he quickly regained his usual expression and fixed a wary gaze on Gu He, hesitating for a moment before asking, "You've been waiting for me for this moment, haven't you?"

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