“An alchemist?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan shuddered, but then he frowned. “On the Dou Qi Continent, everyone wants to become an alchemist, but is it a profession just anyone can enter? Those harsh requirements...” His voice suddenly trailed off. Xiao Yan snapped his head up, his mouth agape. “I meet the requirements?”
Highly enjoying Xiao Yan’s chaotic expression of wild joy and anticipation, the old man stroked his beard as if in deep thought. After sizing him up once more, he sighed with a look of feigned difficulty, “Though you barely qualify, who told me to owe you a favor? Sigh, fine, consider this my compensation to you...”
Glancing at the old man’s reluctant expression, Xiao Yan felt that the old fellow’s claim of him “barely qualifying” was somewhat fake. However, he didn’t press the matter. Amidst his excitement, a trace of doubt remained. “Even if I meet the requirements, alchemists are usually taught hand-by-hand by a master. Are you... also an alchemist?”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s face full of doubt, the old man chuckled, puffing out his chest slightly. A hint of pride seeped into his voice. “Indeed, I am an alchemist!”
Blinking, the way Xiao Yan looked at the old man completely changed. An alchemist... they were practically rare creatures...
“Old gentleman, may I ask, what tier of alchemist were you before?” Xiao Yan licked his lips, his youthful voice carrying a touch more politeness.
On the Dou Qi Continent, although alchemists were rare, their noble status meant they had a clear ranking system. From lowest to highest, they were divided into nine tiers. The creator of the Qi Gathering Powder that Nalan Yanran had brought was Pill King Gu He, a tier-six alchemist, who could be considered the number one figure in the Jia Ma Empire’s alchemy world.
“What tier? Heh heh, I can’t remember... Sigh, kid, are you going to learn or not?” Shaking his head, the old man suddenly asked with a hint of impatience.
“I’ll learn, I’ll learn!”
Xiao Yan did not hesitate to nod vigorously. An alchemist was a highly revered and treasured figure, even to a powerful force like the Yun Lan Sect.
“Heh heh, you want to? If you want to, then quickly perform the discipleship bow.” The old man sat cross-legged on a boulder, smiling slyly.
“I still have to take you as my master?”
“Nonsense! If you don’t take me as your master, do you expect me to teach you everything without holding back? Are you dreaming?” The old man glared at Xiao Yan. Clearly, this old-fashioned senior cared deeply about the master-disciple relationship.
Helplessly, Xiao Yan licked his lips. For the sake of becoming a noble alchemist, he had no choice but to respectfully perform the discipleship ceremony for the old man.
Accepting Xiao Yan’s formal bows with a solemn face, the old man finally nodded in satisfaction, his voice carrying a bit more warmth. “My name is Yao Lao. It’s best not to tell you about my background for now, lest it distracts you. You only need to know that someone like that so-called Pill King... is actually nothing but a fart.”
His lips twitching, Xiao Yan looked at the old man’s nonchalant attitude and swallowed the words he was about to say. *Just what is this old man’s background?*
*The famous Pill King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire is a fart...? If anyone else heard this, they would probably laugh at him and call him a lunatic.*
Taking a soft breath to suppress the shock in his heart, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze and grinned. “I wonder what method Teacher plans to use to help me reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi in one year?”
"Although your Dou Qi has been regressing for the past three years, it is precisely because of this that your foundation is much firmer than that of ordinary people. In the cultivation of Dou Qi, the foundation is the most important! You will feel it in the future; these three years of regression have brought you many benefits!" Yao Lao's smile slowly faded as he spoke with a serious face.
Xiao Yan was slightly surprised. He truly did not know what kind of benefits a regression in strength could bring.
"Then when will you teach me alchemy?" Xiao Yan's eyes darted as he shifted his attention to the most important matter.
"To become an alchemist, one needs the support of fire-attribute Dou Qi. Therefore, before learning alchemy, you must at least become a Dou Zhe and cultivate a fire-attribute Dou Qi Qi Method!"
"A fire-attribute Qi Method? Hehe, Teacher, since I am already your disciple, shouldn't you take out a few Heaven class fire-attribute Qi Methods for me to cultivate?" Xiao Yan stretched out his hand and said with a grin.
"Nonsense! Do you think Heaven class Qi Methods are like weeds on the ground? You sure talk big!" Hearing this, Yao Lao's face twitched, and he scolded, caught between laughter and tears.
"Old man, since I've already joined your sect, are you still going to make me look for a Qi Method in my clan? The highest fire-attribute Qi Method in my clan, if I remember correctly, is only High Huang class. Isn't this a bit too stingy of you?" Xiao Yan's face was filled with depression.
"You little brat, it's 'Teacher', not 'old man'!"
Angered by Xiao Yan's form of address, Yao Lao glared with wide eyes. He had not expected this little fellow to revert to his old way of addressing him right after performing the discipleship bow.
"Humph, since you have joined my sect, I naturally won't be stingy with you. A Heaven class Qi Method, I do not have! However, I have a Qi Method that is even more bizarre than a Heaven class one. Do you want to learn it?" Snorting softly, Yao Lao's eyes suddenly filled with a scheming look.
"Even more bizarre than a Heaven class Qi Method?"
His heart leaping, Xiao Yan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his dark eyes quietly burning with heat. "What class of Qi Method is it?"
"Low Huang class." Yao Lao smiled, causing Xiao Yan's face to instantly freeze.
"Old man, are you playing me?"
A moment later, the furious roar of a youth echoed from the mountaintop.
Looking at the little fellow in front of him whose face was contorted with anger, Yao Lao smiled triumphantly. To be able to anger Xiao Yan, who was usually as calm as a little monster, to this extent gave him a great sense of achievement.
"What is so bizarre about that Qi Method?" Glaring at Yao Lao's teasing face, Xiao Yan suddenly fell silent and asked with a frown.
"It can evolve!" After a brief silence, Yao Lao said with a smile.
His pupils shrinking, Xiao Yan stared unblinkingly at Yao Lao in front of him. After a long while, he shook his head. "Impossible! I have never heard of any Qi Method that can evolve!"
"Tch, what do you know, kid? The Dou Qi Continent is vast beyond measure, and there are countless extraordinary people and bizarre events. In the eyes of a little fellow like you who has never even left the Jia Ma Empire, things that seem impossible are as vast as the sea." Yao Lao sneered disdainfully.
Xiao Yan choked on his words, but immediately retorted defiantly, "Then have you ever heard of a Qi Method that can evolve?"
Yao Lao's smile stiffened. After a moment, he shook his head with a chuckle and said, "Precisely because there isn't, it shows how unique it is!"
"Can it really evolve?" Looking at Yao Lao, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask again.
"It really can evolve!" Yao Lao nodded with absolute certainty.
“Have you ever cultivated it?” Xiao Yan asked again.
“Uh… never,” Yao Lao gave a dry laugh and shook his head.
“Then has anyone else ever cultivated it?”
“Uh… no.”
Blue veins popped out on Xiao Yan's forehead. Clenching his fists tightly, he suppressed the urge to throw a punch and spoke in a voice thick with suppressed anger, “If no one has ever cultivated it, how do you know it can evolve?”
“Because that’s what the description of the Qi Method says,” Yao Lao gave an embarrassed laugh.
“Does such a Qi Method really exist?” His brows furrowing tightly, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before turning his dark eyes toward him and asking, “Can I have a look?”
“Heh heh…” Yao Lao let out a strange laugh as he glanced at Xiao Yan's curious expression. The corners of his mouth curled up, and he suddenly changed the subject. “On second thought, there’s no point in you looking at it now. It’s better to wait until you become a Dou Zhe, then I’ll give it to you.”
His outstretched hand froze, and the corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched violently. Squeezing the words out from between his teeth, he muttered, “You’re ruthless!”
Letting out a hearty laugh, Yao Lao ignored Xiao Yan's furious glare and smiled. “Your current task is to raise your Dou Qi to the seventh Duan within a year.”
“Do you have a way?” Xiao Yan forcefully suppressed his curiosity about that mysterious Qi Method and asked through gritted teeth.
“The cultivation of early-stage Dou Qi is mainly about expanding the meridians, tempering the body, and strengthening the pathways to build a foundation for condensing Dou Qi later on. Because the body at this age is at its most fragile and malleable, this stage of cultivation must progress step by step. You cannot rely on external forces to boost it. Otherwise, when your Dou Qi becomes powerful in the future, your meridians won't be able to withstand the impact of that powerful Dou Qi, and they will rupture, resulting in death!” Yao Lao said with a solemn expression.
Xiao Yan understood this well. During the three years he had been a useless person, his father, out of desperation, had wanted to forcefully infuse Dou Qi into his body. However, it had failed every time at the critical juncture. Therefore,
Xiao Yan was well aware of the stakes involved.
Yao Lao glanced at Xiao Yan's calm face, nodded with satisfaction, and smiled. “For anyone else, that would be the case, but you are different. Your body's foundation was already extremely solid three years ago. Moreover, you have been incredibly diligent over these past three years, never missing a single day of cultivation. Therefore, your master can say without hesitation that your current foundation is exceptionally good!”
“Are you planning to use external forces to raise my strength? Like taking medicinal pills?” Xiao Yan's eyes darted.
“Something like that. However, even with the toughness of your meridians, you still cannot withstand the impact of any medicinal pill—not even the lowest-grade Qi Gathering Powder!” Yao Lao said with a faint smile.
“The lowest grade is Qi Gathering Powder…” His fingers trembling, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. A miraculous medicine that could fetch an astronomical price in the Jia Ma Empire was dismissed as the lowest-grade item by his mysterious master. The sheer contrast left Xiao Yan utterly speechless.
“Then what is your plan?” Taking a quiet breath, Xiao Yan regained his composure, furrowed his brows, and asked in a low voice.
"Ah, the effects of medicinal pills are too potent and can easily damage your meridians, so we must use a gentler method!" Yao Lao said with a smile. "Tomorrow, prepare three stalks of Violet Leaf Grass—the older, the better. Also, two Bone Cleansing Flowers; their age doesn't matter. Oh, right, you'll also need a Tier 1 wood-attribute Monster Core. These are all low-level materials, so you should be able to get them... Someone is coming up, I'm heading back into the ring first! Furthermore, do not let anyone know of my existence, not even those closest to you." Having said this, Yao Lao ignored Xiao Yan's widening mouth and instantly vanished into the black ring. The ring trembled slightly before settling snugly back onto Xiao Yan's finger.
"Three intact stalks of Violet Leaf Grass? Two Bone Cleansing Flowers? A Tier 1 wood-attribute Monster Core? Old man, do you think I'm an imperial prince? All of this combined will cost at least a thousand gold coins! My savings from all these years only amount to four hundred gold coins, which is barely enough to buy a single Tier 1 Monster Core!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in disbelief as he yelled at the ring.
"That is your problem, hehe. My only responsibility is to refine the Nourishing Spiritual Liquid. Others couldn't buy it even if they wanted to, yet you're making such a fuss over spending a little money on materials..." Yao Lao's teasing voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind.
"...Damn it, things made by Alchemists really are only meant for the rich." Xiao Yan let out a helpless, bitter laugh. His monthly allowance from the Xiao clan was actually quite generous—twenty gold coins each time. With this amount, an ordinary family could feed themselves for a whole year, but using it to buy the materials Yao Lao mentioned was truly like a drop in the bucket. It was practically negligible. This was the sheer disparity!
"Sigh, I guess I can only borrow from someone..." With a frustrated sigh, Xiao Yan slowly composed himself, his face returning to its usual calm. He turned his head to look down the mountain path, where a purple figure was gracefully approaching like a sprite.