This Secret of Yours Could Keep Me Fed for Life

Xiao Yan grew even more anxious and simply stopped hiding it, lowering his voice. "A Reclusive Master taught me! He said this could break the shackles inside my body and let my Dou Qi condense again!"

He did not mention Old Yao's existence. After all, that was his greatest secret.

Xiao Peng raised an eyebrow.

A Reclusive Master? It seemed Old Yao had already begun guiding him.

By this point, it was about time for Xiao Yan to rise to prominence.

But...

Xiao Peng decided to tease Xiao Yan a little.

Xiao Peng deliberately widened his eyes in surprise. He stepped closer and circled halfway around Xiao Yan, lightly tapping his chin with a finger. "A Reclusive Master? Cousin, don't tell me you got fooled by some wandering con artist?"

He deliberately raised his voice a little. "Whipping yourself with vines can condense Dou Qi? If that really worked, the Xiao Family disciples would have been whipping each other every day for fun. Why would you be the one keeping it such a secret?"

Xiao Yan's face turned even redder, and he was so anxious he nearly jumped up. "It's true! He even taught me alchemy! If you don't believe me, look—"

As he spoke, he reached for his Storage Ring, seemingly intending to take something out as proof. But his hand suddenly froze midway, and he realized he had nearly exposed Old Yao. He hurriedly withdrew it.

"Anyway... anyway, it's true! Don't tell anyone!" Xiao Yan scratched his head as he spoke to Xiao Peng.

He could not help blaming Old Yao a little for turning him into such a pervert.

Seeing Xiao Yan sweating with anxiety while desperately trying to cover things up, Xiao Peng could barely hide the amusement in his eyes. He deliberately drawled, "Alchemy? You?"

He looked Xiao Yan up and down as though inspecting some rare oddity. "You can't even tell medicinal herbs from poisonous herbs, and you want to refine pills? Don't tell me you blew up the cauldron and added a few new scars to your face?"

"I would never!" Xiao Yan stamped his feet anxiously. He wanted to argue, but he was afraid of giving too much away. After holding it in for a long while, he finally squeezed out, "I... I'm improving really fast! If you don't believe me... just wait a few days, and I'll refine a pill for you to see!"

"Oh? Then I'll be waiting." Xiao Peng patted his shoulder, neither too hard nor too softly. "If you can't refine one, I'll have to use the vines to 'help' clear your head—after all, that's the Reclusive Master's method. No reason not to use it, right?"

"You!" Xiao Yan was left speechless.

His face was as red as a ripe tomato. He turned to leave, only for Xiao Peng to grab him.

Xiao Peng patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. "All right, I'm done teasing you. Hurry and get dressed, then go back and apply some medicine."

Only then did Xiao Yan remember his clothes. He hurriedly picked them up and put them on.

"Cousin, this secret of yours could keep me fed for life." Once Xiao Yan was dressed, Xiao Peng said it with a grin.

Seeing Xiao Peng's smug, teasing smile, Xiao Yan could not help muttering, "Once I refine a pill, you'll be the first person I show it to. Then we'll see whether you can still laugh!"

Xiao Peng laughed even more happily and waved at Xiao Yan. "Sure, I'll wait. But take it easy. Don't actually blow up the pill furnace. Otherwise, not only will you fail to refine any pills, everyone else will laugh at you too."

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Peng. "When I refine my pills, I guarantee you'll be completely shocked."

Xiao Peng replied with a smile, "All right, I'll wait to be completely shocked! But if you botch it, you'll have to buy me a drink as an apology!"

Xiao Yan muttered, "Just you wait," then hurriedly turned and left, as though a Magical Beast were chasing him from behind.

Watching his nearly frantic retreat, Xiao Peng finally could not hold back his laughter.

The morning breeze swept through the mountains, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees as it sent his laughter far into the distance.

"The Reclusive Master's method..." Xiao Peng rubbed his chin.

He remembered that this method really did work, though not with that thing.

Under the stimulation of pain, Dou Qi became far more active than usual.

This was where Luolu Continent had to be mentioned. Both were mentors to the protagonist, yet one possessed genuine skill while the other was nothing but an empty name and a joke.

"Teacher, why didn't you warn me? That was so embarrassing."

As Xiao Yan descended the mountain, he complained to Old Yao inside the Storage Ring.

Old Yao's voice carried a hint of teasing from within the Storage Ring. "Warn you? Who was it that had his eyes shut and was groaning so enthusiastically that he couldn't even hear footsteps?"

Xiao Yan's cheeks burned. Remembering how he had gritted his teeth and endured the pain earlier, he wished he could crawl into a crack in the ground. "Th-that was because I was too focused! Besides, you could at least have said something beforehand. Then Xiao Peng wouldn't have caught me looking like that!"

Old Yao said helplessly, "I did warn you, but you didn't hear me."

Xiao Yan halted, his face alternating between red and pale. Thinking carefully, it seemed that really had happened.

He vaguely remembered hearing Old Yao say that someone was coming, but at the time the pain had left his mind muddled, and he had not taken it to heart at all.

"I... I just didn't hear you clearly!" Xiao Yan protested stiffly, but his feet moved faster, as though walking more quickly could leave that embarrassment behind. "It's all your fault, insisting on using such a strange method!"

Old Yao snorted softly from inside the Storage Ring. "Strange? Once you break through, you'll understand how good this method is. What ordinary cultivation method works this quickly? Pain can stimulate the circulation of Dou Qi. This was a shortcut I discovered through my own exploration back then."

Listening to Old Yao's words, Xiao Yan thought back carefully. Old Yao's method really was effective.

Its only drawback was that it hurt far too much—almost more than anyone could bear.

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and continued down the mountain. The bruises on his back still throbbed faintly, and every step felt as if tiny needles were pricking him.

He raised a hand to rub his waist, cursing Old Yao's shortcut a thousand times in his heart. But when he thought of how much more active his Dou Qi had become over the past half month, that resentment quietly faded away.

"It's worth the pain," Xiao Yan muttered softly, though his steps did not slow.

As long as he could break through sooner, he would be willing to endure more than being whipped by vines. Even if he had to fight Magical Beasts every day, he would do it.

Old Yao in the Storage Ring seemed to see through Xiao Yan's thoughts and said slowly, "Good that you know it's worth it. Only by enduring the bitterest hardships can one rise above others."

Xiao Yan paused and scratched his head, his tone softening. "Teacher, when can I start refining pills? I want to refine one soon and make that Xiao Peng guy envy me."

Old Yao laughed. "How could you possibly refine pills in your current condition? Wait until your strength improves and you properly study the necessary knowledge before you begin alchemy. Refining pills easily only exists in storybooks."

Xiao Yan pursed his lips, but he understood that Old Yao was right.

He lowered his head to look at his arm, which was still faintly aching, and sighed. "I understand... Then I'll cultivate properly first and strive to break through soon."

"Now that's more like it." Old Yao's voice held a smile. "Alchemy is not something accomplished overnight. Heat control, herb proportions, Dou Qi control—every one of them requires painstaking effort. What you need to do now is build a solid foundation. Stop always dreaming of becoming fat in one bite."