"Little Gu Fei, this old man is heading back first. You should bring your new wife home soon! And remember, stay safe!"
Gu Xiong smiled as he patted Gu Fei's shoulder. With a gentle wave of his hand in the air, a spatial rift appeared beside him.
"Don't worry, I will. I'll head back in a while."
Gu Fei responded lightly as he watched Gu Xiong step into the spatial rift. The rift quickly healed itself, leaving no trace behind.
"Little friend Gu Fei, now that the Three Thousand Burning Flame has been taken away, let's leave this star realm."
Xuan Kong Zi spoke to Gu Fei with even more respect than before.
"Alright."
Gu Fei nodded, following Xuan Kongzi and Qiu Ling out of the star field.
The star realm looked different now compared to when they first entered. The sky was filled with twinkling stars, as if the disappearance of the Three Thousand Flame had allowed this space to truly shine.
Outside, on the vast square, a crowd had gathered, most of them wearing alchemist robes. They were there because they had heard that someone was attempting to tame the Three Thousand Burning Flame and were eager to know the outcome.
Soon, a silver spatial gate in the sky above the Pill Tower began to ripple. Xuan Kong Zi, Qiu Ling, and Gu Fei emerged one after the other.
"So quick? It looks like he failed. I knew it! That kid was overestimating himself. Only I, Song Qing, can truly tame the Three Thousand Burning Flame…"
Amidst the crowd, a young man who had previously envied Gu Fei's chat with Cao Ying spoke smugly to those around him.
"Indeed, only Brother Song Qing can tame the Three Thousand Burning Flame!"
Another man flattered him.
Most of the people who were unaware of what had happened inside the star realm assumed that Gu Fei had failed. To them, it was impossible for anyone to refine the fierce Three Thousand Burning Flame in such a short time.
"Young Master Gu Fei, although you failed this time, I believe that in a few years, you will surely succeed in taming it!"
Cao Ying, unlike Song Qing who was gloating, approached Gu Fei with genuine encouragement.
'Hmph, what's so special about him? Just because he reached the Spirit Realm earlier, doesn't mean I won't get there eventually…'
Song Qing clenched his fists, his face contorting in jealousy as he watched the woman he secretly admired showing such affection towards Gu Fei.
But then, Xuan Kong Zi's next words made everyone's expression change.
Xuan Kongzi cleared his throat and spoke solemnly, stepping forward to address the crowd, "Everyone, the Three Thousand Burning Flame within the star realm has been taken away. From now on, the reward for winning the Pill Gathering will no longer include taming the Three Thousand Burning Flame!"
Xuan Kong Zi did not explicitly reveal the fate of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, as these ancient clans preferred to keep their affairs private.
"Taken away?"
Cao Ying looked at Gu Fei in astonishment, her eyes filled with awe and admiration. Without knowing what had transpired in the star realm, she naturally assumed that Gu Fei had refined and tamed the Heavenly Flame.
"How is that possible?"
Not far away, Song Qing's face darkened, as if he had just swallowed something bitter.
Seeing the crowd growing restless, Gu Fei didn't linger. He politely bowed to Xuan Kong Zi and, ignoring Cao Ying who was trying to approach and congratulate him, left immediately.
Cao Ying feels embarrassed and slightly disappointed, Emotional Value +60
"Gu Fei…"
Cao Ying's hand froze in mid-air, her smile fading as she watched Gu Fei's departing figure, confused by her own emotions and not wanting him to leave.
"No matter what, as long as you're not married yet, I still have a chance…"
After a moment, determination returned to Cao Ying's eyes.
Meanwhile, Gu Fei, after leaving the Pill Tower, headed straight for the outer regions. Along the way, he picked up some desserts for Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin.
"Brother Gu Fei, you're back so soon!"
Qing Lin was surprised to see Gu Fei return, as he had mentioned earlier that he might be gone for a long time.
"There were some changes, so I came back early... Where's Xiao Yi Xian? Still not up yet?"
Gu Fei asked as he pushed open the door to Xiao Yi Xian's room.
Inside, the room was filled with poisonous mist. In the center was a bathtub where Xiao Yi Xian was soaking.
At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian's expression was slightly pained, her face covered in crystalline sweat.
Seeing her condition, Gu Fei realized that she had overused poisons. Even with the Poison Pill absorbing and converting the toxic energy, she was still struggling.
"Brother Gu Fei, please wait a little longer. I'll be done soon!"
Xiao Yi Xian was surprised by Gu Fei's early return.
"No rush, take your time to transform the toxins."
Gu Fei waved his hand, signaling her to continue, as he approached the bathtub.
He knew that Xiao Yi Xian was eager to improve her cultivation, which is why she risked injecting a large amount of poison at once, making it difficult to transform in time.
---
North-western region of the Continent, Tager Desert
"Teacher, it seems the Heavenly Flame might have already been taken by that guy riding the Rank Six Magical Beast, the Amethyst Winged Lion King!"
Xiao Yan, hiding behind a sand dune, communicated with Yao Lao's soul within his ring.
At this moment, he had already ventured deep into the Snake People's territory and had gathered information about recent events in their holy city.
Earlier, when Xiao Yan passed through the Rock Desert City where his older brothers were, he even discovered the passage leading to the underground magma lake.
"That seems likely. The one who took the Heavenly Flame might be Gu Fei that girl mentioned. You may not have met him, but you've indirectly dealt with him quite a bit!"
Yao Lao nodded in agreement.
"What should I do then? The Heavenly Flame here is gone. I can't just go and snatch it from him, can I?"
Xiao Yan said helplessly, "That would be suicidal!"
He had personally heard an elder of the Gu Clan say that Gu Fei was a Dou Venerate expert.
"Don't worry. Although the Heavenly Flame here is gone, I know another place where one is hidden. That flame will be extremely helpful for your cultivation!"
Seeing Xiao Yan's frustration over losing the Heavenly Flame, Yao Lao encouraged him. His plan was to aim for the Fallen Heart Flame, ranked 14th on the Heavenly Flame list.
"Where is it?"
"The Jia Nan Academy!"
"Isn't that the place I took a year's leave from? It's been more than two years now. I wonder if the academy will still accept me!"
Xiao Yan felt a bit nervous when he heard the location Yao Lao mentioned.
"Don't worry…"
"With your progress in cultivation, Jia Nan Academy won't turn you away!"
Yao Lao reassured him confidently, "When the time is right, I'll take you to retrieve that Heavenly Flame!"