High in the sky, the raging energy storm finally began to dissipate after several minutes. As the storm cleared, the shattered space gradually repaired itself, and the warm sunlight once again bathed the mountain peak.
With the storm's end, all eyes instantly turned towards the sky. There, a young figure stood firmly in midair, completely unharmed by the terrifying energy storm that had just raged.
"Daddy is so amazing!" Xian Yue clapped her hands excitedly as she looked at the figure that captured everyone's attention.
Seeing his sister so happy, Wushuang also began to laugh, his chubby cheeks making him look even more adorable.
"Wushuang, your daddy just crafted a ninth-tier treasure pill. Let's go congratulate him!"
"Mommy, what is a ninth-tier treasure pill? Is it tasty?"
"Of course it's tasty, but you can't eat it yet. It would upset your stomach!" Cai Lin and Xiao Yi Xian smiled at each other, and after a brief conversation, they flew towards the mountain peak with their children.
Watching this heartwarming scene, Xun'er felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She, too, wanted to go up and congratulate him, but what position did she have to do so?
"No, if I can't take this step, how can I ever hope to reconcile with Brother Gu Fei in the future…" After a brief internal struggle, Xun'er finally mustered up the courage to move forward, even though she knew that she might be ignored or become the object of ridicule.
…
"So, this is the power of the Black Demon Lightning…" In the sky, Gu Fei sensed the storm dissipating and slowly relaxed his tense body. Clenching his fist, he felt a numbing sensation spread from it. The overwhelming power of the Black Demon Lightning had caught him by surprise.
If not for his formidable physique, comparable to that of rank nine magical beasts, even the residual thunder that had been blocked by his dou techniques could have severely injured him. If there had been more strikes, his only option would have been to flee.
After all, he hadn't yet acquired the ability to directly consume lightning. What he had done just now was a difficult process of using his robust body and heavenly flames to gradually refine the lightning. If Gu Fei's heavenly flames had the devouring power of the Nihility Devouring Flame, he might consider visiting the Void Lightning Pool, a place filled with countless Black Demon Lightning, comparable to the lightning demon pools of the Lei Clan.
"Trying to escape?" Below, the cauldron's lid flew off, and a stream of light shot into the distance. Seeing this, Gu Fei's figure flickered, appearing like a ghost in front of the stream of light, reaching out to grab it.
"Roar!" The stream of light rapidly expanded, transforming into a massive, fierce beast. The pill beast swung its giant claws with a sharp wind-breaking sound, slashing at Gu Fei.
"Boom!" When fist met claw, the fierce beast let out a miserable howl and was sent flying. Seeing the beast shooting away, Gu Fei smiled and chased after it again. When Gu Fei caught up, the beast's body emitted a bright light, shrinking rapidly until it transformed into a humanoid figure.
As the light faded, Gu Fei was momentarily stunned, for standing in the sky was another "Gu Fei."
"Interesting, so this is a ninth-tier treasure pill. It can even take on a human form," Gu Fei remarked, shaking his head with a smile as he watched the pill transform into his likeness.
"Roar!" The ninth-tier treasure pill, now in the form of "Gu Fei," clearly did not understand human speech and could only emit unintelligible roars at Gu Fei.
"A ninth-tier treasure pill is that amazing? It can even take on a human form- has it become sentient?" The unexpected transformation drew curious gazes from all around. Even among the Gu Clan members present, a ninth-tier treasure pill was a rare sight, so seeing it take on a human form left everyone in awe.
"Mommy, why are there two…"
"Wushuang, that one's a fake!"
Wushuang began to speak in surprise but was quickly hushed by Cai Lin, who didn't want the pill to take advantage of the situation.
In the sky, Gu Fei did not waste much time with the ninth-tier treasure pill. Seizing an opportunity, he captured it, sealing it and then quickly moving forward, pressing a finger against its forehead.
Under attack, the pill's body began to tremble violently before rapidly shrinking into a round, emerald-green pill about the size of a longan, suspended in Gu Fei's palm. Layers of pill mist emanated from the pill, swirling around it and creating a magical aura.
"Gu Fei, congratulations!"
"At such a young age, you've crafted a ninth-tier treasure pill. Your name will surely be renowned in the continent's alchemy world…" After Gu Fei put away the pill, an elder of the Gu Clan appeared to congratulate him. After him, several others also emerged, offering their congratulations. All of them were Gu Clan elders at the Dou Saint level.
Before, Gu Fei might have been valued for his talent. But now, with the skill to craft ninth-tier treasure pills, he had earned the respect and attention of even these Dou Saint powerhouses. After all, even Dou Saints might find themselves in need of a treasure pill grandmaster like Gu Fei someday.
When Gu Fei eventually becomes a Grandmaster of Mysterious Pills, everyone in the clan, except for Gu Yuan and Gu Lie, might compete to curry favor with him.
"Esteemed elders, I was just lucky!" Gu Fei responded modestly, showing no sign of arrogance.
"Husband, congratulations!"
"Brother Gu Fei, you're amazing! Next time, can you craft a ninth-tier treasure pill for me too? Don't worry, I'll provide the ingredients- I won't let you suffer a loss!" Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, Zi Yan, and others also came over to congratulate him.
"Brother Gu Fei, Xun'er also congratulates you on advancing your alchemy skills!" In the crowd, a clear voice rang out, drawing many eyes to the speaker.
The speaker was none other than Xun'er, Gu Fei's ex-wife. Her presence created an awkward atmosphere, as everyone in the Gu Clan knew that Gu Fei and Xun'er had been married without ever truly being husband and wife. Moreover, rumors circulated that during their marriage, Xun'er had shown special concern and care for another man, leading to their eventual separation.