Gu He gazed at the eighteen bottles of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk floating before him. Unable to resist, he reached out and picked one up.
When he uncorked the bottle, a wisp of pure, concentrated energy wafted out. With a single sniff, he could already feel the dou qi within his body stirring in response.
Peering into the jade bottle, he saw a viscous, emerald-green liquid inside, shimmering like a living gem—a treasure of extraordinary fortune.
'Tsk…' Gu He clicked his tongue in amazement.
"This Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk is merely used to refine the Marrow Washing and Body Quenching Liquid."
As he held the precious liquid, fragments of knowledge surfaced in his mind.
Within the inheritance of the Ninth Grade Alchemist he had received, there existed a refinement method known as the Marrow Washing and Body Quenching Liquid—an incredibly profound technique.
What made this refinement method remarkable was its lack of a fixed formula.
The grade of the resulting liquid depended entirely on the main ingredient used. The higher the quality of the core material, the more potent the final product.
"Using the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk as the main ingredient… the resulting Marrow Washing Liquid should reach around the seventh grade." Gu He mused inwardly.
A seventh-grade Marrow Washing Liquid would significantly enhance his physical body.
The thought alone filled him with anticipation.
A stronger physique would make his future cultivation refinements far less grueling.
However, before refining the liquid, he needed to gather supplementary ingredients.
With that in mind, Gu He left the courtyard and headed for the Imperial Capital.
As an Honorary Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, he could request materials from the sect's reserves.
But the bureaucratic process was slow—it would take at least ten days for the ingredients to arrive.
Unwilling to wait, Gu He decided to purchase what he needed directly from the Miteer Auction House.
'I wonder if Hai Bodong has returned to the capital yet?'
Given the speed of a Two-Star Dou Emperor like Hai Bodong, it would likely take another day or two.
Gu He had returned on Xiao Jin, whose speed far surpassed that of a Dou Emperor.
Factoring in rest stops, Hai Bodong wouldn't arrive for a while.
After half a day of procurement, Gu He secured the necessary high-grade medicinal ingredients and returned to the Misty Cloud Sect without delay.
Back in his courtyard, Gu He informed the two young disciples of his impending seclusion before quietly departing the sect with Xiao Jin.
They arrived at the same mountain range where he had previously broken through.
After carving out a cave and making simple preparations, Gu He deemed it suitable for his refinement.
The dim interior brightened as he embedded several Moonstones into the walls.
With a thought, a wooden barrel filled with clear water materialized in the center of the cave.
Beside it, on a smooth stone platform, lay dozens of medicinal ingredients—all purchased from the Miteer Auction House.
At the cave's entrance, Xiao Jin stood guard, having shrunk to a modest two-foot size.
Approaching the barrel, Gu He summoned a mutton-fat jade bottle containing the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk.
He weighed it briefly before uncorking it.
A faint emerald mist curled upward, lingering at the bottle's mouth.
Gu He inhaled deeply, feeling a warm current flow through his soul.
"As expected of a spirit born from the earth's essence—so pure and potent. No wonder it's famed for marrow cleansing and bone refinement."
Carefully, he poured the jade-like liquid into the barrel.
The clear water instantly transformed into a rich emerald hue, its surface soon veiled in a strange, lingering mist.
Gu He watched intently, marveling at the sheer density of energy.
Even with his current strength, consuming the liquid raw would be reckless.
But by refining it with other ingredients, he could temper its overwhelming power.
Following the refinement method in his mind, he reached for a candle-shaped red herb from the table.
With a flick of his palm, purple flames surged forth, coiling like fireworks.
He tossed the herb into the fire, and within moments, it withered into a single drop of crimson liquid.
After further purification, he flicked it into the barrel, darkening the emerald water to a deep red.
Next came the Green Lotus Fruit, refined into a sapphire droplet that tinged the mixture blue.
One by one, he processed the remaining ingredients—Serpent Shedding Flower, Buddha Flame Root, and more—until dozens of multicolored essences merged into the liquid.
An hour later, the barrel shimmered with a kaleidoscopic glow—a fusion of countless medicinal energies.
"Success."
The resulting Marrow Washing and Body Quenching Liquid neared seventh-grade potency.
Without hesitation, Gu He stripped and plunged into the barrel.
The moment his skin touched the liquid, a searing sting shot through him, as if countless needles were forcing energy into his pores.
He instinctively wanted to resist with battle qi but held back, allowing the medicinal power to flood his body unimpeded.
An unbearable itch crawled over his skin, as though ants burrowed beneath.
Clenching his teeth, he endured.
He had suffered worse since his transmigration—this was nothing.
"Marrow cleansing is excruciating, but the rewards are worth it."
Sitting cross-legged, he formed a cultivation seal and steadied his breathing.
Gradually, the discomfort faded as he entered a meditative state.
Bubbles erupted across the liquid's surface, churning violently as if boiling.
Gu He's body trembled as torrents of energy invaded his pores, swelling his skin with unbearable pressure.
Beneath his flesh, visible streaks of energy darted like serpents, distorting his skin grotesquely.
Yet he remained focused, observing as the energy saturated his bones, dyeing them in radiant hues.
Within minutes, his skeleton gleamed like multicolored jade.
Then—agony.
A bone-deep inferno ignited, searing through his marrow.
His skin flushed crimson, sweat pouring like rain as his muscles convulsed.
He was being forged in flame.
The liquid bubbled furiously, its energy now visible as faint streaks shooting into his body.
Even diluted, the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Body Tempering Milk's power was terrifying.
Had he consumed it raw, death would've been certain.
Inside his body, his bones turned translucent, revealing the frenzied churning of his marrow.
The energy didn't stop at his skeleton—it invaded his organs, meridians, and muscles, painting his entire body in dazzling colors.
Then came the true trial.
A pain tenfold worse erupted—his flesh felt flayed alive, his cells scorched as if thrown into a furnace.
His skin blackened like charcoal, steam hissing from his pores.
Blood trickled from his clenched teeth, staining his chin.
Yet he endured.
For power, he would suffer anything.
...
Endless pain!
It was like being trapped in purgatory.
Every inch of Gu He's body screamed in agony, the sheer torment unbearable. Yet, there was nothing he could do but endure—no choice but to suffer through it.
The only solace was the unmistakable sensation of immense dou qi surging from the scorching heat within him.
As the searing pain spread, he could feel his bone marrow, bones, meridians, cells, and muscles undergoing a profound transformation—a rebirth.
This was the legendary Marrow Cleansing and Body Quenching, a process of extraordinary power.
"Hold on! I must hold on!"
Gu He repeated the words like a mantra, forcing himself to endure. Over time, the pain dulled, his mind slipping into a trance-like state. The agony, once unbearable, now felt distant, as if his body had adapted.
Time blurred. He drifted between wakefulness and unconsciousness, his awareness fading in and out.
The only thing he could perceive was the gradual strengthening of his bones, meridians, and cells under the relentless refining flames.
…
Meanwhile, in Gu He's Courtyard...
"Senior Sister Nalan, you're here!" The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes lit up at the sight of Nalan Yanran.
Hearing herself addressed as "Senior Sister," Nalan Yanran's expression turned awkward. After a brief hesitation, she shook her head.
"From now on, you should call me Junior Sister," she said firmly.
In her mind, since she was the latest to join Gu He's tutelage, she should rightfully be the junior disciple. But the thought of addressing the Little Fairy Doctor—once her Junior Sister Xian'er—as Senior Sister was strange enough.
And then there was Qing Lin, the little girl munching on cakes in the pavilion.
'Do I really have to call her Senior Sister too?'
The idea made Nalan Yanran's pride sting. As the direct disciple of the sect master, she had always been the one addressed as Senior Sister. Now, to call a child by that title...
The Little Fairy Doctor chuckled. "It's fine, Senior Sister Nalan. I'm used to calling you that. No need to change."
Nalan Yanran hesitated. "But wouldn't the teacher disapprove?"
She didn't know the rules of Gu He's school and feared overstepping.
The Little Fairy Doctor waved her hand. "Don't worry. Our teacher doesn't enforce strict hierarchies. As long as we remain loyal, he won't mind."
Relief washed over Nalan Yanran.
'No rigid rules?'
That meant she could keep her pride intact—no need to bow to a child.
Her gaze shifted toward the courtyard. "Junior Sister Xian'er, is the teacher here? I came to formally pay my respects."
Recalling yesterday's chaotic apprenticeship, she felt a pang of embarrassment. Today, she wanted to make amends.
The Little Fairy Doctor shook her head. "You just missed him. He's in seclusion."
"Seclusion?" Nalan Yanran's heart sank. "Did he say when he'd return?"
"Only that it'll be a few days. Don't worry—I'll notify you as soon as he emerges."
Nalan Yanran nodded. "Alright."
With that, she took her leave.
…
Deep in an Unknown Mountain, Within a Dark Cave...
The scorching agony that had wracked Gu He's body for so long had finally begun to fade.
When his consciousness fully awakened, he inspected himself in shock.
The once-colorful energies coating his body had vanished. Now, his bones and meridians shimmered with a faint jade-like glow, radiating immense hidden power.
The moment his mind sharpened, his body—like a precision machine—roared to life.
Boom!
A deep, resonant sound echoed within him as vast surges of dou qi erupted from every corner of his being.
Gu He stared in awe as the pure, unrefined dou qi flooded his meridians. Unlike before, his enhanced body absorbed it effortlessly—no pain, no resistance.
The dou qi cycled through his pathways before converging into his Dou Jing, the core of his power. Like a flood, it poured in, causing the pigeon egg-sized crystal to visibly expand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each muffled explosion, his aura skyrocketed.
A crushing pressure erupted, sweeping out of the cave.
Four-Star Dou Ancestor!
…
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