The old, murky eyes of Gu He tightly locked onto the small jade bottle on the table. After a while, he licked his lips and carefully reached out to grab the bottle, placing it under his nose. He took a light sniff of the dense purple aura, and immediately, he felt that the fire attribute Dou Qi in his body, which had been moving as slowly as a turtle, became much more active.
“Wow, what a fine thing,” Gu He said with surprise, sensing the changes in his Dou Qi. He mumbled for a moment, then suddenly turned around, rummaging through a pile of garbage nearby. He finally pulled out a crystal dish and a hollow, thin needle.
Inserting the needle into the jade bottle, he gently squeezed, filling the syringe with a droplet of the purple liquid, then carefully dripped it into the crystal dish.
As the purple liquid dripped into the crystal dish, Xiao Yan and Gu He could both see that the droplet was filled with faintly flickering purple flames.
“This thing…” Furrowing his brows, Gu He pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned and retrieved a thick book from a hidden stone slab. He flipped through the pages, seemingly searching for something.
Seeing Gu He’s actions, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. Could this unremarkable old man actually recognize the companion Purple Crystal Source?
Glancing at the small jade bottle on the table, Xiao Yan’s face twitched with a sense of pain. If the Ice Spirit Cold Spring wasn’t so important to him, he would never have taken out the companion Purple Crystal Source. This was the best auxiliary tool for practicing fire attribute techniques, and with it, one could save a lot of hard training time!
Back in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yan had only obtained six bottles of companion Purple Crystal Source. He had used half a bottle during his training, so now he only had a little over five bottles left. But to get the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, he had to take them out. These five bottles of companion Purple Crystal Source were priceless treasures, and in terms of rarity, they were no less valuable than the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. After all, obtaining companion Purple Crystal Source was not easy, and just the Battle Emperor level Purple Crystal Winged Lion King was enough to make countless people feel helpless.
“Found it, found it!” As Xiao Yan felt the pain in his heart, he continued flipping through the ancient, worn book. He could vaguely see a huge creature, completely enveloped in purple crystals, roaring to the sky on the page. This beast was the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.
“Companion Purple Crystal Source, produced by the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, coexists with the young beasts, but the chances are extremely rare, making it an almost impossible find. It is an invaluable treasure for those practicing fire attribute techniques!”
“Wow, kid, I didn’t expect you to have such a rare item as the companion Purple Crystal Source…” Gu He read the information on the companion Purple Crystal Source and couldn’t help but be amazed.
“I got it by chance,” Xiao Yan smiled lightly, lifting his gaze to look at Gu He, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the small jade bottle. “So, Master Gu, are you satisfied with what I brought?”
Hearing this, Gu He’s eyes turned, and he laughed, tapping the crystal dish with the thin needle. “Little brother, I don’t even know your name yet.”
“Xiao Yan,” Xiao Yan smiled.
“Hehe, Xiao Little Brother… Well, since you’re looking for the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, you must know how rare it is, right?” Gu He smiled.
“Of course, I know. If I didn’t, why would I bring out such a rare item?” Xiao Yan smiled, but his heart sneered. Did this old man really think he was a child?
“Let me tell you, your companion Purple Crystal Source is indeed a rare item, but you also know that it’s only effective for those practicing fire attribute techniques, which limits its value,” Gu He said, glancing at Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan smiled lightly but slowly reached out to take the small jade bottle in front of Gu He, carefully capping it. Looking at Gu He, who was smiling dryly at him, he said, “Master Gu, don’t treat me like a fool. We both know how powerful the companion Purple Crystal Source is for practicing fire attribute techniques. Many alchemists would go to any lengths to get it, even to the point of bankruptcy. Don’t rush to argue; you know better than anyone the value of your decades-old treasure!”
“Your belittling of my companion Purple Crystal Source is obviously to raise the price, but let me be clear: I only have this one bottle. Whether you trade or not, this is all I can offer. It’s the most valuable thing I have. If you still think it’s not enough, though I need the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, I will have to give up…”
Xiao Yan shook his head, seeming a bit regretful.
“Ah…” Stunned, Gu He watched Xiao Yan, who had become so decisive. He had never met someone who was so straightforward before. His old, murky eyes stared at Xiao Yan’s smiling face, and after a while, he shook his head, equally helpless. “Since that’s the case, I’m sorry to say, but this deal might fail.”
Xiao Yan’s expression didn’t change. He smiled, shrugged, and regretfully shook his head. With a flip of his hand, he put the small jade bottle back into his storage ring, stood up, and patted his buttocks. “Then I apologize for the disturbance. This is my last day in Black Rock City. Tomorrow, I may leave the Jia Ma Empire. I hope we can trade again in the future.”
With that, Xiao Yan turned and walked toward the door, quite coolly.
Upon hearing that Xiao Yan was about to leave the Jia Ma Empire, Gu He’s hand on his thigh trembled, but he didn’t speak immediately. His eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan’s back, his lips quivering.
The room was silent, except for the slight thud of Xiao Yan’s footsteps. Facing away from Gu He, Xiao Yan looked at the door, a smile on his face, but also some cold sweat. He really needed the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, but in this situation, if he showed any hesitation, the cunning old man Gu He wouldn’t miss the chance to squeeze him dry. Then, his precious five bottles of Purple Crystal Source would shrink, a result that would be extremely painful for Xiao Yan. To keep the terms of the trade favorable, he had to be resolute.
“Damn, this old bastard has strong willpower. Does the Purple Crystal Source have no attraction for him at all?” The door was within reach, but behind him, it was still quiet. Xiao Yan cursed nervously in his heart.
“Four steps, three steps… two steps…” Counting the steps to the door, when he reached the last step, Xiao Yan exhaled slowly. His hand, slightly trembling, touched the doorknob. Gripping the doorknob, Xiao Yan hesitated, then clenched his teeth, preparing to open the door and leave. But at that moment, the old, hoarse voice of Gu He finally came from behind, relieving Xiao Yan of his burden.
“Ah, kid, come back. You win… I’ve never seen the companion Purple Crystal Source in my life, so you are very lucky. If it were something else, you might have gone home empty-handed today.”
The old voice, like a thunderbolt, shattered the weight in Xiao Yan’s heart. At the same time, Xiao Yan was surprised to find that his back was soaked with cold sweat. If not for the well-made alchemist robe, Gu He might have noticed something.
Wiping the cold sweat from his face, Xiao Yan slowly turned around, taking much lighter steps. Under Gu He’s helpless gaze, he returned to the table and sat down.
Breathing heavily, Xiao Yan smiled at Gu He, took out the small jade bottle from his storage ring, and placed it on the table. “Master Gu, thank you for your understanding.”
“Ah…” Shaking his head helplessly, Gu He grabbed the small jade bottle and held it in his palm, inhaling deeply, lost in the scent. “I heard about the companion Purple Crystal Source from someone, but I’ve never seen it. Today, I am fortunate.”
Seeing Gu He’s infatuation, Xiao Yan felt a chill. This old man had no interest in anything, but he was obsessively fond of these strange items, like a tyrannical king fascinated by a beautiful woman.
“Cough, Master Gu, can you show me the Ice Spirit Cold Spring?” Xiao Yan coughed, reminding Gu He.
Interrupted, Gu He shot an annoyed glance at Xiao Yan. “Wait here, don’t touch anything.”
Seeing Xiao Yan nod, he took the Purple Crystal Source and turned to a wall, knocking on it randomly. A hole appeared behind the wall.
“Stay there and don’t move!” Barking the order, Gu He bent and entered the hole.
Sitting on the chair, Xiao Yan did not move, relying on the Pharmacist Elder’s soul perception to ensure the old man didn’t play any tricks. After a while, Gu He emerged with something in his hands.
Blocking the hole in the wall, Gu He placed a large white jade box on the table. The box was sealed, with no gaps except the opening. Through the white jade, Xiao Yan could still feel the chilling cold emanating from inside.
Tapping the box reluctantly, Gu He carefully opened the sealed lid. As the lid lifted, a cloud of icy mist rose, and the temperature in the room plummeted.
Ignoring the drop in temperature, Xiao Yan’s eyes quickly fell on the box. Inside, a layer of thick ice was neatly arranged, and in the center was a small rouge-colored jade bottle. Around the bottle, icy coldness lingered, freezing the heart.
Looking at the small jade bottle, Gu He sighed and pushed it toward Xiao Yan. “Take it. This is the Ice Spirit Cold Spring you want…”
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