Xiao Family, Rise!

Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan had never intended to hide from the family the fact that Xiao Yan had been taken on as a disciple by an alchemist.

Thus, the family members quickly learned the news. Upon learning that Xiao Yan would become an alchemist, the younger generation of the family fell into utter despair. From then on, they felt only awe and admiration toward Xiao Yan, and none of the ambitions they had once revealed remained.

Naturally, Xiao Yu had also heard that Xiao Yan had become an alchemist's disciple. While becoming somewhat more wary of the fellow, she had also pondered what Xiao Yan had meant when he told her to find him seven days later.

Yet even when Xiao Yan placed that Qi Gathering Pill before her, she still felt as though she were dreaming.

This was a Qi Gathering Pill. One pill was nearly worth the family's net profit for an entire year. Even the former Xiao Yan would have found it difficult to use one.

Yet now, Xiao Yan had casually handed this Qi Gathering Pill to her.

After hearing Xiao Yu's words, Xiao Yan could not help but freeze slightly. Then, catching her off guard, he suddenly slapped her thigh.

"What do you take this young master for?"

When Xiao Yan slapped her thigh, Xiao Yu was stunned at first. Then, irritation rose within her. Just as she was about to flare up, she heard Xiao Yan's voice.

"Let's put an end to the conflict between us. Sometimes, I really don't want to argue with you."

Rubbing his forehead with a slight headache, Xiao Yan said calmly, "There are only six months left until Jia Nan Academy begins its admissions. With this Qi Gathering Pill, your standing among the new students of Jia Nan Academy will definitely improve."

Those words struck right at Xiao Yu's heart. Although one could hope to enter Jia Nan Academy by reaching Dou Qi level 8 before the age of twenty, that sort of talent would undoubtedly rank at the bottom there.

But if she became a Dou Zhe at seventeen, then even in Jia Nan Academy, while she could not be called exceptionally talented, she would still be considered quite good and would certainly receive more resources for cultivation.

"So you do have a bit of a conscience!"

After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yu suddenly gave a soft snort. Though her pretty face still carried a trace of pride, her eyes had softened somewhat.

"For the next few days, adjust your condition properly. Don't rush to break through the moment you go back. If you waste my Qi Gathering Pill, I won't have another pill to make up for it."

Xiao Yan smiled and said a few words, then shut the door with a bang under Xiao Yu's hesitant gaze.

"You!"

Seeing Xiao Yan close the door so mercilessly, Xiao Yu could not help opening her mouth. In the end, she stomped her foot helplessly before returning to her residence on her long, slender legs.

Yet as she gazed at the exquisite jade box in her arms, Xiao Yu still felt excitement and warmth in her heart.

Thinking of Xiao Yan's delicate, handsome face, Xiao Yu's pretty face reddened slightly. At last, she murmured softly, "Little bastard, thank you."

Watching the tall figure gradually disappear beyond the window, Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile before turning his gaze toward the Third Grade Cauldron before him.

It seemed the family truly valued him greatly now. They had actually spent so much money to support his alchemy.

Clearly, they had gone all out, taking nearly all the family's liquid funds to buy a cauldron and medicinal ingredients for Xiao Yan, providing him with a sufficient environment for alchemy.

But they probably never imagined that Xiao Yan in this life had no need for vast quantities of medicinal ingredients to hone his alchemy.

Looking at the finely carved, four-spouted, three-legged cauldron before him, Xiao Yan could not help tilting his head slightly.

"The quality of this cauldron is truly too poor."

"Once I settle the family's affairs, it'll be time for me to venture into the Black-Corner Region. While I'm at it, I'll take the Ten Thousand Beasts Cauldron and Sea Heart Flame from Han Feng."

With the experience of his previous life, Xiao Yan had no need for any tempering at all. What he needed was to accumulate energy madly and restore his strength as quickly as possible.

Setting aside the distracting thoughts in his heart, Xiao Yan let out a soft breath. Looking at the three-legged cauldron before him, he flipped his palm, and a wisp of Senbai Flame emerged from his fingertips.

With a light flick of his finger, he shot the flame into the cauldron. As Dou Qi poured into it, pale white flames filled the cauldron in an instant.

What Xiao Yan had refined was, after all, only a wisp of the Bone Chilling Flame's origin, or rather, a wisp of its Sub-Flame.

Although he could use the Flame God Mantra to bring this Sub-Flame close to the Bone Chilling Flame's own power, his Three Star Dou Zhe Dou Qi could not sustain it for long.

Fortunately, with his level of control over flames, he could freely adjust the flame's output.

Once the flames spread, Xiao Yan began continuously tossing medicinal ingredients into the cauldron.

At this moment, Yao Lao, who had been concealed in the mountains cultivating his Soul Power, finally appeared.

With the Three Great Secret Techniques Xiao Yan had taught him, Yao Lao's Soul Power was still recovering rapidly even without any special Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. His body was clearly more solid than before.

Of course, no matter how good a secret technique was, it still had to be cultivated gradually. According to Xiao Yan and Yao Lao's calculations, Yao Lao's Soul Power would probably recover to the Dou Emperor level around the end of the year. As for recovering to the Dou Zong level, that would likely take nearly half a year.

Even so, Xiao Yan was quite satisfied. With the aid of the Bone Chilling Flame, if Yao Lao's Soul Power recovered to the Dou Zong level, it would be enough for the time being in the Northwest Continent.

Watching Xiao Yan calmly toss batch after batch of medicinal ingredients into the cauldron, the pale white Sub-Flame winding about as nimbly as dancing sprites, and finally seeing him calmly separate the refined medicinal liquid into jade bottles, Yao Lao could not help nodding.

By now, he completely believed Xiao Yan's words. Otherwise, how could a twelve-year-old child possibly possess alchemy techniques even more practiced and effortless than his own?

For several days in a row, Xiao Yan sat quietly in his small room, calmly refining pills.

Each time he refined pills, he continued until the Dou Qi in his body was exhausted, then vigorously absorbed the energy of heaven and earth to restore it.

Only when even his Soul Power was nearly depleted would Xiao Yan lie down on the bed to rest for a while.

Yet under this nearly day-and-night refinement, what he completed ahead of the vast quantity of medicinal ingredients was his breakthrough to the Four Star Dou Zhe level.

On the third day after breaking through to Four Star Dou Zhe, Xiao Yan finally refined all the medicinal ingredients into bottle after bottle of First Grade Pills.

Blood Coagulation Powder, Spring Return Powder, and Power Accumulation Pills.

They were three utterly ordinary First Grade Pills, but their sheer quantity made up for it. Xiao Yan had left behind nearly a thousand bottles of each.

Such an enormous quantity of pills would likely be enough for the Xiao Family to sell for quite some time.

Even so, he secretly stored nearly half of the finished pills in his Storage Ring.

It was not that Xiao Yan was stingy. It was simply too easy for a First Grade Alchemist to attract attention if he produced pills at such an astonishing rate.

He intended to have Ya Fei sell this portion of the finished pills in other cities.

As the year drew to a close, Wu Tan City finally welcomed a heavy snowfall. Yet amid that snow, Xiao Yan, Xiao Zhan, and several family elders sat smiling in a warm room, drinking steaming cups of Butter Tea.

"Tomorrow is New Year's Eve."

Gazing at the swirling snow beyond the window, Xiao Zhan revealed a smile tinged with ambition.

"After this snowfall, my Xiao Family will begin to rise at an unimaginable speed!"