Lei Le?

After passing through the Soul Membrane Yao Lao had set up, Xiao Yan stared dumbstruck at Yao Lao, whose eyes flickered faintly with Senbai Flame.

Before him, Liu Panlong wore a bitter expression, looking as helpless as an elementary school student.

As if sensing Xiao Yan's arrival, Yao Lao took a deep breath before finally regaining his composure. He glanced at Xiao Yan, then at Liu Panlong, the disdain in his eyes almost undisguised.

"You're truly stupid. I explained it in such detail, yet you still couldn't understand. No wonder you're this old and only a Third Grade Alchemist."

Seeing Yao Lao's helpless look, Xiao Yan suddenly shrugged and shook his head with some embarrassment.

In his previous life, he had merely thought that his cultivation talent was decent and that his comprehension was naturally a little better.

But only after reaching the Great Thousand World, and even breaking through to become a Dominator and traveling beyond the Great Thousand World, did he understand that he truly was a genius.

Cultivation talent had its limits, but the talent of comprehension had no limits.

When he learned alchemy in his previous life, Yao Lao occasionally scolded him, but not often. He had even created a heaven-defying Dou Skill like the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame back when he was still a Dou Master.

As for someone like Liu Panlong, who could anger Yao Lao into cursing outright, this was Xiao Yan's first time seeing such a thing. That was the gap in comprehension.

At the beginning of cultivation, those with better cultivation talent might hold a greater advantage and progress extremely quickly. But in the later stages, comprehension became increasingly important instead.

Cultivation, soul, and physique could all be improved through pills, Cultivation Methods, and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. But comprehension was nearly impossible to improve. Perhaps only an unparalleled spiritual root like the Bodhi Ancient Tree, something rarely seen even in an entire plane, could offer such an opportunity.

Beginning from the Dou Sheng realm, comprehension would truly surpass every other kind of talent and become the core of one's cultivation path. Especially after reaching the Heavenly Sovereign and even Dominator realms, comprehension was the key to understanding the rules of heaven and earth and advancing further in cultivation.

Take Liu Panlong before him. His comprehension was simply too poor. Yao Lao only needed to explain the same alchemical principle once for Xiao Yan to understand it easily, even drawing inferences from it.

But even after Yao Lao taught Liu Panlong three times, the fellow was still completely lost. That was the difference in comprehension.

It was precisely because of this that Xiao Yan felt Sixth Grade Alchemist was likely Liu Panlong's limit.

Even with guidance from Yao Lao and himself, it would be extremely difficult for him to become a Seventh Grade Alchemist.

For a person, being rewarded for hard work was already an immense blessing. Only after living for countless years and seeing innumerable living beings struggle at death's door yet fail to break through their bottlenecks did Xiao Yan understand how fortunate he was.

"Teacher, there's no need to be so angry. This guy's comprehension is simply like this. You can't change it, so don't damage your soul with anger."

Xiao Yan comforted Yao Lao before nodding amid Liu Panlong's grateful gaze.

"Master, this month's pills have all been refined. I've placed them all in the Storage Ring."

With gratitude on his face, Liu Panlong obediently handed a Storage Ring to Xiao Yan.

Although Yao Lao's guidance rapidly improved his alchemy every time, being cursed so thoroughly was indeed not a pleasant feeling.

"Mm."

Xiao Yan clasped the Storage Ring in his hand and nodded lightly.

"You two continue!"

Xiao Yan waved his hand and walked out of Liu Panlong's small courtyard. Not long afterward, Yao Lao's sigh rang out from within once more. "Sigh, why are you so stupid?!"

Idly playing with the Storage Ring in his hand, Xiao Yan strolled leisurely down the street. The setting sun shone everywhere, stretching his shadow long across the slightly golden road.

Perhaps due to his constant bitter cultivation and his use of various Spiritual Medicines to stimulate his body's potential, Xiao Yan had begun growing about a year earlier than in his previous life.

At this age, boys often shot up in height with lightning speed over just half a year, so quickly that ordinary people scarcely noticed it.

And Xiao Yan, in these short two or three months, had unknowingly grown another half a head taller.

Of course, it was not only his height that had increased so rapidly. His cultivation had also advanced by leaps and bounds over the past two months. He was now a genuine Seven-star Dou Practitioner, and even Eight-star was no longer far away.

"Last month, Ya Fei had already sold the surplus pills to the Imperial Capital and other major cities. I wonder how effective that has been."

Humming a little tune, Xiao Yan walked toward Ya Fei's office under the respectful gazes of several Mittel Auction House guards, only to notice that the expressions of the two guards outside were somewhat off.

Before Xiao Yan could ask, faint sounds of an argument drifted from within the office.

Although the door was well soundproofed and the voices coming through were extremely faint, Xiao Yan's terrifying soul perception allowed him to hear everything inside clearly.

"Lei Le, the auction house in Wu Tan City is something I painstakingly built over the past year. Do you think that just because you have a few elders supporting you, you can seize this auction house?

"You have elders backing you, Lei Le. Do you think I, Ya Fei, don't have elders backing me as well?"

Ya Fei's voice carried anger, but if one listened carefully, there was still a trace of unease within it.

Xiao Yan could easily tell that she did not have much confidence.

"Hahaha, Ya Fei, what's the use of telling me all that? If you really think it's unfair, then have those old fogies behind you come out and speak for you."

The arrogant laughter, tinged with a hint of lechery, sounded from across from Ya Fei. Without lingering any longer, Xiao Yan directly pushed open the office door.

The two guards at the entrance made no move to stop him. Clearly, they were already quite familiar with, and even in awe of, this young master of the Xiao Family.

In Wu Tan City, who did not know the reputation of this young master of the Xiao Family? The upheavals in Wu Tan City over the past few months had been stirred up precisely by this Young Clan Leader of the Xiao Family.

The instant Xiao Yan pushed open the door, three pairs of different eyes turned toward him at once.

And Xiao Yan quietly observed the three people before him.

Ya Fei, who usually exuded mature and seductive charm, now wore a rare look of irritation and disgust on her enchanting, pretty face. Only when she saw Xiao Yan did a flicker of delight appear in her beautiful eyes, along with a deeply hidden trace of worry.

Opposite Ya Fei sat a young man in white with a slightly pale complexion. He looked almost no different from Liu Xi, to the point where one could tell at a glance that he was a lustful degenerate.

Looking at the young man's face, seemingly hollowed out by drink and women, Xiao Yan struggled to recall his identity.

In his previous life, this fellow named Lei Le seemed to have been dealt with quite miserably by Hai Bodong alongside his grandfather. Unexpectedly, in this life, he had come knocking early, just like Liu Xi.

Beside Lei Le stood a somewhat burly man, looking every bit like a guard.

Although this burly man did not wear his lust as openly as Lei Le, whenever his eyes turned toward Ya Fei, they inevitably revealed a hint of burning desire.

Not only was Ya Fei accustomed to such gazes, but Xiao Yan was used to them as well.

It could not be helped. This woman was simply too enchanting and seductive, practically a natural aphrodisiac to men.

But accustomed or not, Xiao Yan had already decided that Ya Fei was his. He would not allow any other man to lay a hand on his woman.

His gaze rested on the burly man for a moment. After determining that the other party was roughly at the Dou Master level, Xiao Yan turned to Ya Fei and asked with a gentle smile.

"What happened?"