Wang Yue, in seclusion to advance, and Zhang Qianfeng, focusing on restoring health for the upcoming use of the "Continuation Limb Pill."
The city lord of Liu didn't remain idle. Despite Zhang Qianfeng not having taken the pill to heal yet, its value was substantial. Thus, she opened the private treasury, discussing with the stewards what to send. The stewards, unsure of the best choice, recognized the priceless significance of the gesture.
Observing her subordinates' dilemma, the city lord intervened, suggesting a gift of rare spirit herbs and stones. Additionally, she proposed allowing the alchemist Yao Danshi to choose items from the private treasury, where unidentified goods had accumulated from her expeditions.
The stewards, despite the potential exposure of their identities, agreed to this plan. They addressed each other using pseudonyms, maintaining the secrecy.
Furthermore, one of the stewards gathered a batch of spiritual materials useful for refining tools and formations. The steward mistakenly believed that the four individuals were extraordinary talents carefully cultivated for Changxianmen, fueling the misconception.
Presenting two fully packed storage rings, the steward expressed anticipation, hoping the newcomers would bring chaos to Changxianmen.
When facing Gu Yao and Chi Changye, the steward left the rings, indicating they were gifts from the city lord. Gu Yao, without inspecting the rings immediately, thanked the steward politely, acknowledging the generous gesture. The steward, seeing them accept, expressed sincere joy and conveyed the city lord's gratitude.
Feeling intrigued by the weight of the gifts, Gu Yao looked at Chi Changye for affirmation. With a nod from Chi Changye, Gu Yao responded, "In that case, I humbly accept. Please convey my gratitude to the city lord."
Qi Guanshi observed this interaction, laughing heartily. "Why not go now? It's better to finish the selection early and save me from keeping this matter on my mind. I also want to see Yao Danshi's discerning eye."
Gu Yao smiled and agreed, "Sure."
Tian Feirong and the chubby one stayed behind, while Gu Yao and Chi Changye accompanied Qi Guanshi on a trip to the city lord's private treasury. The treasury was heavily guarded with various formations, and without guidance, no one was allowed entry, not even a Yuanying cultivator.
After passing through layers of barriers and arriving at a massive gate, Qi Guanshi solemnly presented a token, placing it in a groove on the door. The token and the stone door emitted a glow, and the door rumbled open. Qi Guanshi led Gu Yao inside, leaving Chi Changye outside.
Entering the private treasury, Gu Yao was dazzled by the various spiritual lights. Xuchens joined him, explaining the treasures, occasionally informing Gu Yao about items not worthy of his attention.
Initially overwhelmed, Gu Yao calmly walked through the shelves, believing the best treasure was the Alchemy Pavilion and its space. What could be more attractive to an alchemist than the Alchemy Pavilion?
If anything else fascinated an alchemist, it would be the Spirit Fires. Obtaining a Spirit Fire was challenging but immensely helpful for alchemy. Gu Yao had Black Ming Flame from the kitten and Qingyan Flame from Tian Feirong, genuine Spirit Fires with promising future power.
Listening to Xuchens' explanations, Gu Yao compared them with the relevant information from his books, expanding his horizons. Qi Guanshi, observing Gu Yao, noticed no greed in his eyes, praising his good nature at such a young age, understanding his achievements.
Rather than impulsively selecting items, Gu Yao wanted to survey first. If there was nothing useful for him, he intended to choose something beneficial for Chi Changye, Chi Chanye's loyal companion, or Tian Feirong. While passing a corner, he suddenly stopped and looked at a pile of miscellaneous items that triggered his senses.
"What's going on? Found something good?" Xuchens asked curiously, considering the luck of this outsider who now possessed the Alchemy Pavilion.
Qi Guanshi, seeing Gu Yao pause, explained, "Items here are either unidentifiable or damaged. The city lord decided to keep them. If someone can repair them, it would be a significant achievement."
Seeing Gu Yao stop, Qi Guanshi grew curious. Had Gu Yao discovered something extraordinary?
Following his intuition, Gu Yao reached out and picked up an ordinary-looking stone ball. Despite its simplicity, he felt something inside it attracting him, even causing the spiritual energy in his dantian to stir.
Qi Guanshi raised an eyebrow. When was this stone ball placed here? He knocked his head, recalling that the city lord brought it back from outside. Unable to crack the external stone, the city lord believed it was extraordinary and stored it in the treasury, sparking initial interest. However, no one succeeded in unlocking its secrets, leaving it to gather dust in a corner.
"Yao Danshi, what is this... thing?" Qi Guanshi asked, eager to know the mystery that eluded everyone.
"Gu Yao, quickly infuse spiritual energy into the stone," Xuchens reminded from the spatial realm.
Gu Yao, without hesitation, followed Xuchens' advice. As he infused spiritual energy, he replied to Qi Guanshi, "I don't know, but I feel something inside attracting me. Maybe we'll find out soon."
Gu Yao's face reddened as the spiritual energy flowed continuously. The stone seemed like a voracious eater, absorbing his energy without pause. Gradually, the stone ball revealed a mix of green and red spiritual energy. Qi Guanshi was astounded, activating the nearby restrictions to prevent any energy eruption.
As Gu Yao infused spiritual energy, he asked Xu Chen, "Senior, what exactly is inside this? How much spiritual energy does it need to stop?"
Xu Chen couldn't help but envy Gu Yao's luck and sarcastically said, "If I'm not mistaken, there might be a Spirit Fire hidden inside. Have you heard of the name Lianxin Fire?"
Shocked, Gu Yao almost dropped the stone ball. However, the reality was that the stone ball was now sticking to his hand, and escaping the grip of Lianxin Fire seemed impossible. This wood attribute flame was probably the Spirit Fire that every alchemist with a wood and fire dual attribute hoped to possess. Of course, not all alchemists had dual attributes, and some could compensate for it later.
Gu Yao quickly took a cushion, sat down, and focused on infusing spiritual energy, preparing medicinal pills to replenish it, staying cautious.
Xu Chen became even more sarcastic, saying, "It's just a dead Lianxin Fire. Even if you can activate it with your spiritual energy, this Lianxin Fire is extremely weak. It's not easy to nurture it to maturity. Lianxin Fire is very picky; it only chooses the best."
Gu Yao smirked. Good things are never obtained without a cost. "Senior, we still don't know if City Lord Liu is willing to part with it once she realizes it's Lianxin Fire."
Xu Chen dismissed it with a sound, "After consuming your spiritual energy, it's not like it can leave you and go with someone else."
Gu Yao felt embarrassed. Indeed, Lianxin Fire was a heavy responsibility. Even if it was considered a dead Spirit Fire, it seemed not entirely extinguished, or how could it be activated?
He looked up at Qi Guanshi and said, "I might have guessed what this is. Qi Guanshi, do you regret giving it to me?"
Qi Guanshi, curious, asked, "What is it exactly?"
Gu Yao multitasked, "Have you heard of Lianxin Fire? This one is semi-dormant. Qi Guanshi, it's best to find a cultivator with wood and fire dual attributes to come and subdue and activate this Spirit Fire, or else it might be too late."
Qi Guanshi's heart pounded rapidly upon hearing this. Anyone familiar with Spirit Fires knew about Lianxin Fire, especially alchemists with wood and fire dual attributes, who would greatly benefit from it. Unfortunately, the stone ball had been kept in the private treasury for so long without anyone revealing its true nature, and now Yao Danshi stumbled upon it.
He felt it would be better if Gu Yao obtained this Spirit Fire. None of the alchemists in the city lord's mansion could compare to Gu Yao, and his potential was even greater. If Gu Yao acquired this Spirit Fire, he wouldn't forget the kindness of the city lord's mansion.
However, he needed to consult with the city lord first. Thus, he began by apologizing and then left the private treasury. As the treasury had layers of defenses, he needed to get outside to communicate. He explained the situation to Chi Changye, who showed a clear expression of joy.