"Father, how are you? Did everything go smoothly?" Kuang Hu asked anxiously.

"All is well. Heh heh…" Kuang Nie chuckled before bringing over a package. "Master Chen Zheng, here are fifty pieces of Luohuangdi, all at least twenty years old!"

"Thank you!" Chen Zheng took the package and expressed his gratitude.

"Master Chen Zheng, there's no need for such courtesy. It's what I ought to do!" Kuang Nie replied, flattered.

"Let us leave quietly, so we don't disturb Master Chen Zheng's contemplation," Kuang Nie whispered to Kuang Hu, and they carefully moved a good distance away.

Although they couldn't comprehend the mysterious ritual Chen Zheng was undertaking, the terrifying energy emanating from the depths of the courtyard made their hearts pound. They speculated that Chen Zheng must be performing some momentous task, but the specifics were a mystery they could not possibly unveil.

"Father, did we get away safely this time?" Kuang Hu couldn't help but ask.

Kuang Nie pondered for a moment before answering, "They didn't detect our tracks."

"Phew…" Kuang Hu sighed in relief. "That's good. But Father, from now on, we should only move under the cover of night. We can't afford any carelessness."

"Of course, I will," Kuang Nie replied, his gaze firm and bright.

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

Chen Zheng was still trying to refine the Luohuangdi. He always felt he was just missing something, but he believed this feeling meant success was not far off. However, fate seemed unkind to him, as he exhausted his stock of Luohuangdi once again.

With no other option, Chen Zheng had to seek Kuang Nie's help once more.

This time, Kuang Nie didn't hesitate, immediately providing thirty pieces of Luohuangdi. He told Chen Zheng he would enter the mountains again as soon as possible to gather more herbs.

Chen Zheng took the Luohuangdi, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Late that night, Kuang Hu looked at his father anxiously. "Father, you have to tell Master Chen Zheng the truth! You've been discovered. It'll be too dangerous if you go again!"

Kuang Nie looked at his son and let out a deep sigh. "I know, but we promised Master Chen Zheng we would supply him with herbs. We can't go back on our word."

"That damn Chi Mu! Yuan Qian Mountain was our paradise! What right does he have to monopolize it!" Kuang Hu's voice was like a winter gale, filled with icy hatred.

Yuan Qian Mountain was a mysterious range rich in medicinal herbs, a veritable treasure trove of nature. This mountain range was secluded and enigmatic. The only way in was through Shanhuang Stockade, which had a perilous natural chokepoint and an iron-chain bridge. Other points of entry were nearly inaccessible. Of course, if one could fly, they could simply fly in.

However, this was clearly impossible. Flight was an ability exclusive to the Heaven Merging Realm. Below that realm, even a peak Grandmaster could only manage to fly for a few brief moments.

Long ago, Nanhai Stockade, Shanhuang Stockade, and other nearby stockades would all enter Yuan Qian Mountain to gather herbs, so long as they gave a portion of their harvest to Shanhuang Stockade upon their return. However, one day, Shanhuang Stockade suddenly forbade anyone else from entering the mountains.

After Kuang Nie and his team investigated deeper, they discovered a shocking truth: Shanhuang Stockade's leader, Qiu Fu, was being controlled by an evil Gu Master through sorcery. This Gu Master was like a demon in the darkness, having mastered the most terrifying Gu arts of the Southern Borderlands. Although the other stockades had their own legacies, they didn't dare act rashly.

Therefore, the major stockades could only sneak into Yuan Qian Mountain to gather a few specialties, like the Luohuangdi. They collected only a minuscule amount each time, fearing that staying too long would attract the attention of Qiu Fu or Shanhuang Stockade. If they angered the Gu Master, he might slaughter an entire stockade just to feed his Gu.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Kuang Nie said firmly. "Next time, I'll lay my cards on the table with Grandmaster Chen Zheng."

With that, he left Nanhai Stockade, ignoring Kuang Hu's protests.

However, a full night passed, and Kuang Nie still hadn't returned. Kuang Hu waited anxiously, his heart fraught with worry.

Heavens! Why is processing this Luohuangdi so troublesome!

Chen Zheng had once again used up all the Luohuangdi, and he couldn't contain his frustration. Helpless, he once again sank into deep thought. Every time, he failed at the most critical moment. His control over the heat when refining the Luohuangdi clearly still had major issues.

Perhaps the key isn't controlling the heat, but that my Fire Control Technique itself hasn't reached the necessary level!

A spark of inspiration flashed through his mind. With this realization, he immediately immersed himself in practicing his Fire Control Technique. Under his command, the flames condensed, morphed, and changed temperature.

After nearly two hours of arduous practice, Chen Zheng finally felt a sliver of satisfaction, feeling as though his control over the flames was becoming second nature. Just as he was about to attempt the refinement again, he was dismayed to find that his supply of Luohuangdi was gone. Having no other choice, he could only leave his small courtyard to look for more.

Meanwhile, Kuang Hu was still anxiously keeping watch at the entrance. The sun hung high in the sky, yet Kuang Nie had not returned. The weight on Kuang Hu's heart was suffocating.

"Brother, has Father not returned yet?" Huang Hua and Kuang Yuanyuan appeared, asking with concern.

"No," Kuang Hu said, his voice laced with anxiety. "I'm afraid something's happened. I told him not to go… aigh, what are we going to do now?"

Huang Hua and Kuang Yuanyuan's hearts sank to the pit of their stomachs.

Just then, Huang Hua shouted, "He's here!"

The siblings' gazes instantly snapped in that direction. They saw Kuang Nie rushing toward them like a gust of wind, but his hands were empty.

"Blood! Father's injured!" Kuang Hu's sharp eyes spotted a trace of blood at the corner of Kuang Nie's mouth. He cried out in alarm and rushed forward, with Huang Hua and Kuang Yuanyuan following close behind. In an instant, the three youths were at his side.

"Father!"

"Father!"

"Uncle!"

They cried out in unison.

Kuang Nie managed a sigh of relief before his body suddenly gave out and he collapsed.

"AH!" Kuang Yuanyuan screamed in terror.

Fortunately, Kuang Hu moved like lightning, catching his father before he hit the ground. Only then did they get a clear look at him. Kuang Nie's complexion was ashen, and the blood at the corner of his mouth was an eerie black. Even more horrifying was the foul stench wafting from it.

"Gu poison! Father's been hit with Gu poison!"

Kuang Hu's face turned ghastly pale. He hefted Kuang Nie onto his back and sprinted toward the stockade like a cheetah. Tears welled in Kuang Yuanyuan's eyes; she knew all too well the terror of Gu poison.

Those afflicted by it would die in excruciating agony, a fate thousands of times worse than the backlash from her own venomous body. Kuang Yuanyuan's backlash felt like being sliced by a thousand knives, but Gu poison was to endure that same pain while honey was smeared on the wounds, letting countless ants bite them.

The group raced back to Nanhai Stockade and ran right into a passing Chen Zheng.

"What has caused such a panic?" Chen Zheng's brow furrowed.

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