Li Fufeng (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Follow-ups)

Following Xu Tianlong, Xu Haoyu arrived at Li Fufeng's residence, a secluded courtyard that Li Fufeng had personally requested.

Whether studying Pill Recipes or refining pills, he needed an extremely quiet environment. Any noise or clamor could unsettle his mind and lead to an accident.

Upon reaching the courtyard entrance, Xu Tianlong did not barge in. However, the two alchemy apprentices who spotted him at the gate hurried forward and respectfully bowed.

"Greetings, Grand Elder! Greetings, Young Master Haoyu!"

Xu Tianlong remained calm. He looked into the courtyard, raised his chin slightly, and asked, "Is Mister Li awake?"

One of the two apprentices carefully replied in a low voice, "Grand Elder, our teacher has not slept all night. He has been so engrossed in studying a Pill Recipe that he has neglected food and rest. Should we go inform him now?"

Xu Tianlong was not surprised. Li Fufeng was deeply obsessed with alchemy; perhaps it was precisely this temperament that had allowed him to achieve such accomplishments in the art. He nodded and said, "Take us in. Also, inform your teacher to spare some time to meet us."

The two apprentices respectfully answered, "Yes!"

Led by them, Xu Tianlong and Xu Haoyu entered through the gates and made their way to the main hall. The two sat down and waited briefly.

Before long, an elderly man dressed in fine robes strode in. Traces of his youthful handsomeness could still be seen in his features, but now his face was covered in stubble, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was a complete mess. He truly looked rather dreadful.

After being informed by the apprentices of Xu Tianlong's arrival, Li Fufeng had taken some time out to meet him.

Upon entering the hall, he dropped onto a chair, picked up the tea on the table, and drained it in one gulp. After letting out a long breath, Li Fufeng looked at Xu Tianlong and asked, "Grand Elder, you never come to the temple without a cause. What pill do you want refined this time? Or does your grandson want a pill refined?"

Xu Tianlong laughed heartily. After glancing at his grandson once more, he withdrew his gaze and said, "Brother Fufeng, we did not come to have any pills refined. My grandson wants to study alchemy under you for a while, and I hope you can grant him this wish."

Li Fufeng paused at those words. Alchemy was the foundation of an alchemist and could not be taught lightly. But if it was the Grand Elder's grandson, that was naturally a different matter.

However, Li Fufeng had no time lately. He frowned and spoke honestly. "Grand Elder, you know that I have spent the past few years trying to break through to Rank 7 Alchemist. Studying Pill Recipes and researching medicinal properties has taken up a great deal of my time. I have no time to carefully nurture another disciple."

Xu Tianlong lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, a faint smile on his face as he casually said, "No matter. I never intended for my grandson to devote himself entirely to alchemy. Brother Fufeng only needs to teach him whenever you have spare time."

Li Fufeng thought for a moment, then nodded. He turned his gaze toward Xu Haoyu, smiled, and beckoned him over. "Little Haoyu, come over and let me take a look!"

Xu Haoyu immediately stood and walked over, fully taking advantage of his young age as he called out with a smile, "Grandpa Li."

Li Fufeng chuckled in response. Then, with a flash from his Storage Ring, a crystal ball for testing Dou Qi appeared in his hand. "Little Haoyu, place your hand on it and channel in your Dou Qi. Let me see your Dou Qi attributes."

Xu Haoyu immediately did as instructed. He placed his hand on the crystal ball, closed his eyes, and sank his awareness into his dantian. From the dazzling seven-colored qi vortex, he drew out two streams of Dou Qi, circulated them through his Meridians to his hand, and channeled them into the crystal ball.

In an instant, red and green light burst from the crystal ball, each taking up half its surface, dazzlingly bright.

Now that Xu Haoyu had begun cultivating a technique, as long as he channeled the corresponding Dou Qi outward, the lights would no longer constantly shift through different colors as they had before.

Looking at the red and green light, Li Fufeng nodded with a somewhat awkward expression. "Fire and Wood Dual Attributes. Your Wood Attribute is not inferior to your Fire Attribute at all. Still, as long as they are properly controlled, they can form alchemical flame. It simply places considerable demands on Soul Perception."

So-called alchemical flame was actually Fire Attribute Dou Qi mixed with a small amount of Wood Attribute Dou Qi. The gentleness of the Wood Attribute Dou Qi suppressed the violent nature of the Fire Attribute Dou Qi, allowing it to be used to extract the essence of medicinal ingredients.

Li Fufeng then put away the crystal ball and took out over a dozen black steel beads the size of fists from his Storage Ring. He introduced them, saying, "These are called Soul Beads, also known as Soul Testing Beads. They are made from a special kind of Soul Steel. They are as light as nothing when held in the hand, yet to Soul Perception, they are as heavy as a thousand jun."

"Little Haoyu, do not pick them up with your hands. Release your Soul Perception instead. Let me see how many Soul Testing Beads you can lift."

Xu Haoyu nodded. With a thought, surging Soul Perception poured out. Though invisible and intangible, it stirred up a whirlwind in the air.

A sharp glint flashed through Li Fufeng's eyes. He then tossed a Soul Testing Bead into the swirling vortex in the air.

Boom!

That small movement alone made Xu Haoyu grit his teeth. To Soul Perception, the Soul Testing Bead truly was as heavy as a thousand jun.

Li Fufeng nodded at the sight, then continued tossing out Soul Testing Beads at an unhurried pace—two, three, four... all the way to eleven.

The weight of eleven Soul Testing Beads left Xu Haoyu struggling to breathe. Bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes as his Soul Strength reached its limit.

Li Fufeng then threw out the twelfth Soul Testing Bead. Xu Haoyu could no longer hold on. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! All the Soul Testing Beads fell to the ground.

Rather than being disappointed, Li Fufeng was immensely delighted. He praised, "A genius! A boy not even ten years old can hold up eleven Soul Testing Beads. Your Soul Strength is no weaker than an adult's. Little Haoyu, you possess the aptitude to become an alchemist."

"I will give you all these Soul Testing Beads. Not only can they test the strength of your soul, but they also have a certain training effect on it. When you have free time in the future, use your Soul Strength to hold them aloft for practice."

Xu Haoyu acknowledged him, then bent down to pick up the Soul Testing Beads from the ground and store them in his Storage Ring. Techniques for cultivating the soul were rare even across the continent. Since Soul Testing Beads could train Soul Strength, he naturally accepted them gladly.

At this moment, Li Fufeng said to Xu Tianlong:

"Grand Elder, if this had been a few years ago, I would definitely have taken your grandson as a direct disciple and trained him carefully. But now, I have already taken on quite a few disciples, and I still need to work toward becoming a Rank 7 Alchemist."

"How about this? I'll take little Haoyu as a registered disciple and make time to teach him as best I can. But how much he learns will depend on himself."

Xu Tianlong nodded in agreement. He had also intended for his grandson to treat alchemy as a secondary pursuit, while he himself planned to train the boy into a strong cultivator. Smiling, he said:

"That would be excellent!"

Then, Li Fufeng brushed a hand over his Storage Ring and pulled out two books. One was titled Compendium of Herbs, and the other Detailed Explanation of Herbal Interactions. He handed them to Xu Haoyu and said gently:

"Little Haoyu, read these books first. If there's anything you don't understand, write it down. I'll answer every question one by one."

Xu Haoyu accepted the two books, letting out a great sigh of relief inwardly. He smiled and said:

"Alright, Teacher. This doesn't look like much. I'll finish reading them soon."

A mischievous smile tugged at Li Fufeng's lips.

"These two books are only the table of contents. The complete versions are all in my study—enough to fill half the room. Start with the basics. Once you have a certain foundation, I'll be able to teach you Basic Alchemy."

Xu Haoyu stood dumbfounded. He suddenly recalled a saying from his previous life: persuade someone to study medicine, and you'll be struck by lightning. Half a room full of books and materials—this was practically enough to drive someone insane.