'Why didn't I notice before that Elder Gu He is so handsome...' Yun Yun stared blankly at Gu He, who was focused on refining pills, when this thought suddenly crossed her mind.
'Oh, Yun Yun, what are you thinking?' But the realization made her feel a little shy, and a faint blush spread across her delicate face.
Glancing at him, she noticed he was completely absorbed in his alchemy and hadn't noticed her momentary distraction. Relieved, she let out a soft sigh.
'How embarrassing. As the sect master, I'm actually acting like a lovesick girl...' Shaking off her thoughts, Yun Yun tightened her grip on the golden cattail fan in her hand and focused on fanning Gu He.
In the quiet alchemy room, purple flames danced enchantingly. As time passed, a faint medicinal fragrance began to permeate the air.
The crimson medicine cauldron rotated slowly in mid-air, with the purple flames churning violently inside.
As the cauldron turned, the space around it emitted continuous waves of tiny energy ripples.
These ripples radiated outward from the cauldron, forming concentric circles that gradually spread in all directions.
Inside the flaming cauldron, a thumb-sized, light-blue pill prototype was slowly taking shape amidst the burning flames.
At a certain moment, a deep purple medicinal aroma suddenly emanated from the cauldron, filling the room and lingering for a long time. The purple flames flared up for a brief moment before vanishing completely.
With the disappearance of the flames, a thumb-sized, lavender pill exuding a faint luster appeared in the cauldron, twirling gently.
"Is it about to become a pill?" Yun Yun's beautiful eyes lit up as she inhaled the light-blue medicinal fragrance.
Gu He tapped the Red Snake Cauldron lightly, and the light-blue pill inside was ejected, landing firmly in his palm. He then retrieved a jade bottle from his spatial ring and carefully placed the Qi Gathering Pill inside.
After completing the task, Gu He turned to Yun Yun.
"Sect Master, I am fortunate to have fulfilled my duty. The Qi Gathering Pill has been successfully refined." With that, he handed the jade bottle to Yun Yun.
"Huh?" Noticing the rosy hue on Yun Yun's cheeks, Gu He was momentarily surprised.
"Sect Master, why is your face so red?" Without thinking, he reached out to touch Yun Yun's smooth forehead.
"You don't seem to have a fever..."
The moment Gu He's hand made contact with her forehead, Yun Yun froze.
The cool touch seemed to send a shiver through her entire body, causing her heartbeat to suddenly quicken.
"Sect Master, are you alright?" Seeing Yun Yun's face grow even redder, Gu He asked with concern.
Hearing his voice, Yun Yun snapped out of her daze. She shook her head hurriedly and replied softly, "I'm fine. Perhaps it's just a bit too hot in the alchemy room. Let's step outside for now."
Without daring to meet Gu He's gaze, Yun Yun quickly left the alchemy room.
As a cool breeze brushed against her face, the strange emotions in her heart gradually settled.
'Why does the Yun Yun seem a little off today...' Gu He murmured to himself as he watched Yun Yun's retreating figure.
Shaking his head, he picked up the jade bottle and followed her out of the alchemy room.
"Sect Master, here you go." Approaching Yun Yun, Gu He handed her the jade bottle.
"Elder Gu He, thank you for your efforts this time." Yun Yun extended her jade-like hand and accepted the bottle with a gentle smile.
"It's my duty as an elder of the Yunlan Sect. There's no need for thanks," Gu He replied with a light smile.
Hearing this, Yun Yun nodded slightly. "Then, Elder Gu He, I'll take my leave now."
"Sect Master, take care. I won't see you off," Gu He said with a nod.
After Yun Yun left, a thoughtful expression crossed Gu He's face.
'From the looks of it, Xiao Yan will soon face the annulment of his engagement, and the main plot will officially begin. In three years, Xiao Yan will visit the Misty Cloud Sect. That means I don't have much time left.'
'In these three years, I must improve my strength as quickly as possible. And for someone with the apprenticeship system, the fastest way to grow stronger is naturally by taking in disciples.'
However, according to the system's requirements, the disciples Gu He accepted had to meet an eight-point talent threshold. This forced him to seek out geniuses.
'But where can I find so many geniuses?' Gu He began to recall the original story's plot.
'First, there's the protagonist, Xiao Yan. He's undoubtedly a genius, but...'
Gu He dismissed the thought without hesitation.
'No way! Given what Xiao Yan did to Gu He in the original story, there's no way I'd accept him as my disciple.'
Next, he thought of the Little Fairy Doctor from Qingshan Town.
'With her Woeful Poison Body and mastery of poison, her talent is unquestionable. She definitely meets the system's eight-point requirement.'
Then, he considered Qing Lin, who carried the bloodline of the Snake-People.
'With her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, Qing Lin has immense potential. She's also a perfect candidate.'
'In the original story, these two were the only geniuses who appeared in the Jia Ma Empire. But are there others?'
After a moment of contemplation, Gu He made up his mind.
'I need to leave the sect and search for disciples! If I want to grow stronger quickly, this is the only way. Perhaps I'll even encounter other geniuses along the journey.'
With this decision, Gu He began preparing for his departure.
…
The next morning, a thick white mist enveloped the Misty Cloud Sect, giving it the appearance of a celestial paradise.
Suddenly, a white figure shot out from the sect's gates. Gu He unfurled a pair of fiery red wings from his back and soared toward the Warcraft Mountains.
Deep within the Yunlan Sect, atop a high pavilion, Yun Yun watched the departing figure with a trace of confusion in her beautiful eyes.
"Why has Elder Gu He left the sect?"
…
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