Venerable Yao Takes a Disciple

More than a dozen alchemists suddenly grew excited. They had merely come over to Burning Flame Valley out of boredom after seeing the commotion, but who would have thought they would encounter the disciple of the legendary Venerable Yao?

This spectacle was worth it!

Master Huan and Master Xiao were just as excited. As Guest Elders of the Pill Tower, they were probably the people present who understood Venerable Yao best—and who knew most clearly just how formidable and terrifying he was.

The two led over a dozen alchemists as they crowded around Xiao Yan, scrutinizing him like he was a giant panda on display. Not only did Xiao Yan himself feel strange, even those of us standing nearby found it rather odd.

Well, with them here, there was no way we could keep eating!

I clapped my hands and had the maidservants and servants in the courtyard clear away the wine and dishes, replacing them with pastries, fruits, candied treats, and tea. A perfectly fine banquet had been forcibly turned into...

A tea party.

"Ah, so it is Xiao Yan. How disrespectful of us!"

"Xiao Yan truly looks like an exceptional talent. As expected of Venerable Yao's disciple—the young truly surpass the old!"

"May I ask what rank of alchemist Xiao Yan is? This old man recently encountered a problem in pill refinement. The medicinal properties of Dragon Vine Herb..."

More than a dozen alchemists sat down in the courtyard. Most were white-haired old men, while a small number were middle-aged men. They all spoke at once. Some fawned over him, some praised him, while others remained unconvinced, making veiled barbs as they tried to probe the mettle of this "Venerable Yao disciple" and see whether he was an unworthy student of a famous master.

Xiao Yan gave a