Working Hard to Live off a Woman

After spending a long-awaited day with Xun'er, Xiao Yan faced a dilemma for the first time, beginning to ponder what to do in the future.

Originally, he could have happily been a useless person, but now that his talent has returned and he even has the hope of becoming a superior Alchemist, Xiao Yan has started to have more ideas.

Perhaps it had been a long time since they last met, Xun'er's delicate face had matured, and her body had also developed. She had grown from a naive young girl into a charming woman, and she was quite close to Xiao Yan, making her hard to refuse.

Perhaps it was because he had been alone for a long time that he found every member of the opposite sex to be attractive. When he met Xun'er, whose appearance and temperament were absolutely stunning, and smelled the fragrance emanating from her body, Xiao Yan was somewhat distracted.

Or perhaps Xiao Yan had always felt unworthy of Xun'er and therefore always treated Xun'er as a younger sister. Now that he feels good about himself, he has developed inappropriate thoughts.

In short, Xiao Yan suddenly developed a strong romantic feeling for Xun'er.

With desire comes trouble.

After sitting alone in the room for a while, Xiao Yan finally couldn't contain himself any longer. He took out the Ancient Ring left by his mother and asked softly, "Teacher, Xiao Xun Er —the girl who was with me today—have you seen the cultivation technique she practices before?"

Xiao Xun Er is already One Star Dou Zhe, at which level she can cultivate techniques. The best fire-attribute technique in the Xiao Family is the Yellow Tier Advanced. Xiao Yan thought that Xun'er would not cultivate such a trash technique. It is very likely that she is cultivating the technique of her family.

"I haven't seen it before. It's a fairly ordinary Xuan Tier Advanced cultivation technique, but it's not bad for building a foundation," Old Yao replied.

Using Xuan Tier Advanced cultivation techniques as a foundation... It turns out that the cultivation techniques used by the younger generation of powerful forces in this world to build a foundation are all one level higher than the strongest cultivation technique of the Xiao Family.

Xiao Yan stroked his chin, not asking Old Yao why he was so certain that Xun'er's cultivation technique was only at the foundation level.

Even if Xiao Xun Er's parents were carefree, they would have arranged for strong people to protect her. Old Yao must have noticed the hidden strong person and had some guesses about the power behind her, right?

"So, teacher, what level do you think we should reach if we want to marry her?" Xiao Yan then asked.

After waiting for a while without any response from Old Yao, Xiao Yan roughly understood what was going on, so he changed the question, "If I wanted to live off her, what level would I need to reach?"

Old Yao still didn't respond, Xiao Yan, getting no answer, could only bow and say, "Teacher, please rest!"

Lying in bed, Xiao Yan was lost in thought.

The lack of an answer is itself an answer. Xiao Yan believed that his talent was not bad, at least much better than that of Nalan Yanran.

Nalan Yanran was personally accepted as a disciple by the Misty Cloud Sect Master, and it seems certain that she will become Dou Emperor in the future.

Xiao Yan felt confident that with Old Yao as his master, he could obtain a decent Earth Grade Cultivation Method, making it easy for him to break through to the Dou Zong realm in the future. If he was lucky enough to encounter a benefactor, even becoming Dou Zun was not out of the question.

In addition to his identity Alchemist, he might also be able to hold a high position at the Dou Zun level.

Is this not enough for him to live off Xun'er?

Xiao Yan grinned, somewhat questioning the meaning of life.

The Xiao Family is a Da Dou Shi, with only a handful of members. How could they possibly deserve such a young lady to condescend to them?

"These past few days I've also taught you some Alchemist knowledge. As you know, my Heavenly Flames is the eleventh ranked Bone Spirit Cold Flame, but in front of that little girl, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame only felt fear. That was a Heavenly Flames aura far surpassing the Bone Spirit Cold Flame."

"Although the Bone Spirit Cold Flame is ranked eleventh, even Dou Zun would take it seriously and couldn't help but step into the arena to compete for it."

Just as Xiao Yan was lost in thought, Old Yao suddenly offered a few words of explanation.

The Old Yao didn't elaborate, but he must have figured out Xiao Xun Er's identity. As Alchemist who pursued the Heavenly Flames, he should have thoroughly investigated the information about the Heavenly Flames back then. Now that he's speaking out, it's as if he sees through everything and is advising Xiao Yan to give up.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher." Xiao Yan replied weakly, lying on the bed. He was convinced that only Dou Sheng could live off a woman, and Xiao Xun Er was most likely from a Dou God Clan.

Mama Pi, I finally felt a spark, but you made me lose so completely.

If you can only reach the fourth level of Dou Qi in a year, then you probably need to reach the Dou Ling in a year to get people's attention.

By the time I break through to the Dou Sheng, it'll be too late!

Xiao Yan grumbled as he got out of bed, prepared a wooden bucket of water and Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, and entered a state of cultivation.

Sleep my ass, how can I possibly sleep? At my age, if I don't work hard to cultivate myself, how can I possibly sleep?

Old Yao emerged from the Ancient Ring at some unknown time and gazed silently at Xiao Yan.

The moment Old Yao encountered Xiao Xun Er, he sensed the domineering aura of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, which could burn anything, and thus realized that she was the young lady of a Gu Clan Ancient Race.

In order to maintain the purity of their bloodline, Ancient Race would never allow anyone below the rank of Dou Sheng to have any contact with their clan members—whether through marriage or by marrying into the family.

But Old Yao still decided to help Xiao Yan.

"You've already reached the Seven Stage Dou Qi, so the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid isn't as effective for you as it used to be."

Upon hearing Old Yao's voice, Xiao Yan opened his eyes.

"Don't look at me. The Foundation Building Spirit Liquid was just something I researched casually. There's no Pills specifically for high-level Dou Qi. After all, this level is mainly about tempering the meridians. Cultivating too fast might not be a good thing. You can be so relaxed because you've already gone through it once."

Xiao Yan was not discouraged, but said in a muffled voice, "What if I add another drop?"

The effect of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid is simple and direct: it artificially creates an environment rich in energy. The reduced effect on Seven Stage Dou Qi is also due to the fact that the energy is no longer as abundant.

"... With your physique, there shouldn't be a problem." Old Yao raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised by Xiao Yan's idea.

So, Xiao Yan added another drop of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid to the wooden bucket.

The effect is remarkable, but the cost has doubled. Fortunately, a single dose of Medicinal Herbs only costs a few thousand, and the Gold Coins I earned from selling the Absorbing Palm were enough to cover the expenses.

"I have two paths for you to choose from regarding the cultivation techniques for Dou Zhe."

"One option is to first cultivate a Di Tier Low cultivation technique. Once your cultivation level is higher, you can switch to a mid-level technique, and finally a high-level one. As for the Heavenly Tier technique, we can only make plans for that after you break through to the Dou Zun."

"The second is a cultivation technique that can evolve, called the Flame Mantra. It starts at Yellow Tier Low and evolves by devouring Heavenly Flames. However, that's not the most impressive thing. Its greatest strength is that it can fuse and evolve Exotic Flame Fusion that are incompatible with each other, with no upper limit."

"But I've never seen anyone cultivate the Flame Mantra before. I don't know if it's real or fake, how difficult it is, or whether it has any side effects. The only thing I'm sure of is that it's a technique found in the Dou Di Relic, and it's also one of the reasons for my death."

"Think carefully about which path you choose before you break through to the Dou Zhe!"

After saying that, the Old Yao returned to the Ancient Ring.

Only Xiao Yan remained, continuing his grueling cultivation.

Cultivation can, to some extent, replace eating and sleeping.

Abundant energy is the best supplement to the body and the best way to relieve physical fatigue. At the Da Dou Shi level, even a one- or two-month seclusion at a time will not cause any problems— Xiao Yan is not sure about higher levels because the Xiao Family does not have them.

With the consumption of double the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid, Xiao Yan's cultivation speed was quite impressive. He would successfully break through to the Nine Stage Dou Disciple every two and a half months, consuming four drops of Foundation Building Spirit Liquid.

I spent nearly 60,000 Gold Coins to buy a set of Medicinal Herbs for Qi Gathering Powder at the Miter Auction House.

Xiao Yan also realized for the first time the terrifying energy consumption of Alchemist.

No wonder the Pills are so expensive that it's despairing. The cost of Medicinal Herbs accounts for a large proportion of the price. Moreover, alchemy skills are basically honed through repeated attempts at refining pills. If Alchemist want to break through their grade, they have to spend money to buy higher-grade Medicinal Herbs to try.

Without some powerful connections, it's really difficult for a self- Alchemist to advance in their career.

Xiao Yan, who bought a whole dose of Qi Gathering Powder, thus came to the attention of the Miter Auction House.

Ya Fei, who made huge profits by skirting the law, did not really want to sell her body; otherwise, she would not have fled to Wutan City to escape Mu Zhan Ya Fei.

As a result, Mu Zhan lost interest in Ya Fei after she left and continued his debauchery in the Imperial Capital.

If Mu Zhan had been willing to chase Ya Fei out of the Imperial Capital back then, Ya Fei might have considered marrying him. But Mu Zhan made it clear that he was just playing around, which made Ya Fei give up completely.

If a reliable, devoted, powerful, and wealthy man were to pursue her, Ya Fei might consider it. Unfortunately, Mu Zhan is neither reliable nor devoted.

However, such men are relatively rare, and Ya Fei has not yet encountered one.

But Xiao Yan attracted Ya Fei's attention.

Ya Fei had heard of this young master of the Xiao Family before. He was once the strongest genius in Wutan City, but later became a laughing stock. Now he seems to be rising again and even bought the Medicinal Herbs for Qi Gathering Powder. He has most likely encountered a powerful Alchemist.

Alchemist can refine a Fourth Grade Pill from a single Medicinal Herbs must be at least Fifth Grade- grade alchemist, right?

With such a background, Xiao Yan is worth befriending. If they can develop feelings for each other, entrusting their lives to each other is not out of the question.

Thinking this through, Ya Fei immediately prepared a decent gift and went to visit the Xiao Family the next day.

So, Xiao Yan, Dou Zhe had just broken through to the Dou Zhe level and hadn't yet had time to switch to cultivating the Flame Mantra, was summoned to the hall by Xiao Zhan.

"Yan'er, you've broken through to the Dou Zhe?!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed in surprise. He quickly took a sip of tea to calm himself down and then said, "With your talent, breaking through to the Dou Zhe is easy."

Looking at Xiao Zhan, who suddenly seemed as lonely as snow, Ya Fei smiled charmingly and said, "Patriarch Xiao Zhan, I came here for Young Master Xiao Yan. A Second-Order Fire Attribute Magic Core will be very helpful for Young Master Xiao Yan's cultivation if he has it with him!"

After saying that, Ya Fei twisted her body and took out a rhombus-shaped crystal about the size of a thumb. It was fiery red and faintly revealed a scorching aura.

Xiao Yan glanced at the woman. Compared to Xun'er, she knew better how to arouse a man's desire. It was just a pity that his father, Xiao Zhan, was currently preoccupied with "My Yan'er broke through to Dou Zhe in just over ten months, that's amazing!" and had no interest in this woman whatsoever.

As for Xiao Yan, he had no worldly desires.

Xiao Zhan took another sip of tea, glanced at Ya Fei was being overly solicitous, and his joy subsided considerably. "One cannot accept a gift without merit. Yan'er has not done anything, so why should he send such a generous gift?"

"Hehe, Patriarch Xiao Zhan, you are unaware of this." Ya Fei seemed to feel unwell, shifting her posture. She gently raised one long, snow-white leg and crossed it over the other, her plump thighs pressing together, and her waist swayed slightly.

"Last time, Young Master Xiao Yan sold a Mysterious Grade Low Level Dou Skill to our Miter Auction House. It sold for a high price of 120,000 Gold Coins. As far as I know, it was a piece of junk that Young Master Xiao Yan bought casually. Its cost was probably only a few Gold Coins."

"I believe that Young Master Xiao Yan's eye for quality is quite remarkable. I hope to facilitate cooperation and have Young Master Xiao Yan appraise some of the items for our Miter Auction House."

Xiao Zhan's mind went blank for a moment, then he thought of that trashy Dou Technique, Absorbing Palm. But no matter how trashy it was, it was still Xuan Tier Low. His son had just sold it like that.

Isn't this a spendthrift?

"You want to hire me as an appraiser? Are you sure you don't want me to Alchemist?" Xiao Yan asked, taking a sip of tea, just like Xiao Zhan.

"You're Alchemist?!" Xiao Zhan's eyes widened even more. He instantly forgot about the Xuan Tier Dou Skill and was filled with existential doubt. The question slipped out, "Yan'er, when did you become Alchemist?"

Xiao Yan simply winked at Xiao Zhan without answering.

Ya Fei raised an eyebrow, revealing an expression of surprise mixed with interest.

Ultimately, she was still young and couldn't keep things to herself. Seeing Xiao Yan's peacock-like appearance, Ya Fei felt more confident in winning his favor.

Ya Fei rested one hand on the table, leaned forward slightly, her two proud breasts pressed together, and praised without reservation, "So, Young Master Xiao Yan, would you be willing to become an Alchemist at my Miter Auction House?"

"In the past, Pill King Gu He, had not yet risen to prominence, but he also received support from the Misty Cloud Sect. The two achieved success together. Now, Gu He also has a close relationship with the Misty Cloud Sect Master, which has become a beautiful story."

"Perhaps, Young Master Xiao Yan might even forge a beautiful bond with my Miter Auction House in the future?"

After speaking, Ya Fei stared intently at Xiao Yan with her fox-like eyes, wanting to see how this show-off young man would react to her explicit hint.

However, Xiao Yan was currently only thinking about how to live off Xun'er, so he wasn't interested in this woman. "I'll think about it."

"Alright then, if Young Master Xiao Yan is interested, you can come to the Miter Auction House to find me anytime." Ya Fei admired Xiao Yan's composure even more, but she didn't linger. She could only say goodbye to Xiao Zhan and then sway away.

After Ya Fei left, Xiao Zhan immediately grabbed Xiao Yan, then let go, and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder heavily. "Yan'er, I knew you would definitely become a great person. That Nalan Yanran is not good enough for you at all!"

"Dad, Alchemist is very expensive. I need a lot of Medicinal Herbs to practice, but I'm not sure I'll get much profit." Xiao Yan tried to pour cold water on Xiao Zhan's enthusiasm.

"I understand. Let's keep a low profile for now. You go and cultivate! Let me think about how to write a letter to Old Master Nalan Jie. What is the Miter Auction House in Wutan City? If you want to rival Gu He, we'll have to send you to the Imperial Capital and get in touch with the Imperial Family ..."

Looking at Xiao Yan, who seemed to have gone mad, Xiao Zhan felt that his father's ability to accept things needed improvement. He could only twitch his lips helplessly, slip out of the hall, and soon "coincidentally" ran into Xiao Xun Er.