Yao Chen's Speculation

"Ya Fei appeared to be attending our banquet, but she was actually there to promote her pills."

"Who knows where this new Alchemist came from? Especially that miraculous Spirit Gathering Pill Ya Fei mentioned—I'd never even heard of it before."

Thinking back to Ya Fei's earlier words, the elders all marveled at her business tactics. They had also become deeply interested in the Spirit Gathering Pill. If they could buy some, they could use them to boost their juniors' strength.

"Yan'er, take these three pills and study them. See what their quality is like."

At that moment, Xiao Zhan took out the three pills Ya Fei had given him and handed them to Xiao Yan, intending for the Teacher behind him to examine their effects. Although Ya Fei had praised these pills to the heavens, she was trying to sell them, after all.

"Alright, Father."

Xiao Yan accepted the three pills and immediately headed to the Back Mountain. He found a cave and prepared to have his Teacher examine them.

"This is a Wind Hành Pill. Its quality is excellent."

The instant Xiao Yan opened the Jade Box, Old Man Yao Chen was drawn to the pills.

"Hm! This Wind Hành Pill feels different from the ones I refined. How strange."

The next moment, Old Man Yao Chen could no longer remain calm.

"Teacher, is it really that exaggerated? Could the Alchemist behind Ye Tian be even more formidable than you?"

Seeing his Teacher's astonished expression, Xiao Yan could scarcely believe it.

"It is not a matter of whether they are more formidable. These pills differ from the ones I refine. I cannot quite put this feeling into words for the moment."

Old Man Yao Chen chuckled. Although he stood unrivaled on the path of alchemy, he did not dare claim he was the greatest.

"Teacher, take a look at these Foundation Establishment Pills for internal use. How are they different from the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid you refine?"

Xiao Yan handed the other two Foundation Establishment Pills to Old Man Yao Chen for him to study.

"Hm! These are Second-grade Pills. Their formula differs from my Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, but since these pills are taken internally, their effects should be better than my spirit liquid."

"That woman did not lie. These three pills truly are top-grade. They are among the finest I have ever seen and could be described as flawless. It seems Dou Qi Continent has produced an extraordinary Alchemist."

After carefully identifying the Foundation Establishment Pills, Old Man Yao Chen gave his judgment.

"Teacher, it is rare to hear you praise someone so highly!"

Thinking of how proud his Teacher had always been whenever he spoke of alchemy, Xiao Yan found it rather amusing to see this humble side of him.

"There are always greater people beyond people and greater heavens beyond the heavens. It is perfectly normal." Old Man Yao Chen chuckled.

"Something is not right! These three pills seem to contain some kind of profound charm. It feels extremely high-level, something I have never encountered before."

"I can say with certainty that even with my Bone Spirit Cold Flame, I would absolutely be unable to refine identical pills. Interesting, truly interesting."

After carefully inspecting the three top-grade Pills, Old Man Yao Chen discovered an unusual clue.

"Teacher, what sort of flame would be needed to refine pills like these?"

Xiao Yan was greatly shocked by this. If even his Teacher could not do it, then what kind of existence was the person behind Ye Tian?

"Xiao Yan, do you remember when I told you that Ye Tian possessed a Heavenly Flame? When I continued probing his Heavenly Flame with my soul, a powerful force suddenly sent me flying. My soul was nearly shattered."

"Most importantly, my Bone Spirit Cold Flame withered at that instant, as though it could go out at any time. It was likely suppressed by the Heavenly Flame within that Little Fellow's body."

Old Man Yao Chen was a well-traveled and knowledgeable man with a certain understanding of the Heavenly Flames of Dou Qi Continent. Yet when it came to the Heavenly Flame within Ye Tian, he could not see through it at all. It felt like an existence on an even higher level. It was far too strange.

"Th-that powerful?"

When he heard that his Teacher's Heavenly Flame had nearly been extinguished by Ye Tian's, Xiao Yan immediately sucked in a cold breath.

"In any case, just do not become enemies with him."

Old Man Yao Chen grew increasingly curious about the Heavenly Flame on Ye Tian. Once his disciple became acquainted with that Prodigy, he would find an opportunity to ask the kid about it and see what was going on.

"Teacher, it is not like there is something wrong with my head. Why would I become enemies with him?"

Xiao Yan bore no grudge against Ye Tian, nor did they have any conflict of interest. There was no way he would become the other party's enemy.

"Xiao Yan, the more I think about it, the stranger it feels. The profound charm radiating from these three pills feels similar to the Heavenly Flame Aura on that Little Fellow Ye Tian. I even suspect that he may very well have refined these three pills himself."

At that moment, Old Man Yao Chen thought of the mysterious Heavenly Flame on Ye Tian and concluded that the Little Fellow might already be an Alchemist.

If Ye Tian knew that Old Man Yao Chen could deduce things so well, he would definitely cry out, Good heavens, what kind of Alchemist are you? You are Sherlock Holmes, aren't you?

"Teacher, how could that be possible? He is about the same age as me. How could he refine Third-grade Pills?"

Seeing his Teacher conclude that Ye Tian could refine Third-grade Pills, Xiao Yan went completely numb.

"Nonsense. He is already a Two-Star Dou Master, possesses a powerful Heavenly Flame, and has an exceptionally strong soul. If he has also studied alchemy, then refining Third-grade Pills with his current strength would be as easy as playing around."

"Once your strength reaches the Dou Master realm, you will also be able to refine Third-grade Pills."

"Of course, this is only my speculation. Whether he is an Alchemist now remains unclear. Did you not already get acquainted with him? Find an opportunity to verify it with him."

Seeing Xiao Yan's inexperienced expression, Old Man Yao Chen helplessly shook his head.

"Alright! I am the one lacking knowledge."

Xiao Yan smiled helplessly. It seemed he had to work even harder, or the gap between himself and Ye Tian would only grow wider.

"This Wind Hành Pill is of very high quality. Take it quickly and see how effective it is."

"A Wind Hành Pill can increase a cultivator's movement speed for a short period. When facing a powerful enemy, this pill can be used to escape with one's life."

Old Man Yao Chen reminded Xiao Yan to quickly improve his strength and not dwell on other matters.

"Alright!"

Xiao Yan immediately swallowed the Top-grade Wind Hành Pill in one gulp.

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

The pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, instantly transforming into powerful energy that surged through Xiao Yan's limbs and bones. Threads of wind energy even arose around his body.

"Whoosh..."

"Teacher, my speed has increased by at least tenfold! This feels incredible."

Xiao Yan immediately took off running, shooting out of the cave and racing through the mountains. Whirlwinds rose behind him, making him feel as though he were flying.

"Not bad! The Wind Hành Pills sold on the market definitely do not have effects this good."

"Xiao Yan, that is enough."

Old Man Yao Chen nodded approvingly and then told Xiao Yan to stop.

"These pills truly are top-grade. Earlier, Miss Ya Fei promoted them before everyone in our household. It seems they are preparing to make a fortune!"

Xiao Yan could imagine that once Ye Tian introduced such top-grade Pills, they would certainly sell for astronomical prices. It seemed that if he wanted his own pills to compete with theirs in the future, the pressure would be immense.

"Work hard. That kid Ye Tian is already a Two-Star Dou Master, and the gap between you is far too great. As for pills, wait until you can become an Alchemist before discussing that. You have not even entered the field yet!"

Yao Chen reminded Xiao Yan not to be discouraged.

"Teacher, I understand." Xiao Yan nodded.

However, when he heard his Teacher comparing him to Ye Tian, Xiao Yan had something he wanted to curse about but did not know whether to say. Isn't my strength this poor because you absorbed my Dou Qi for three years? Otherwise, I would be a Dou Master by now too.

But Xiao Yan could only complain about it inwardly. He did not dare say it aloud, lest he hurt his Teacher's feelings.

Afterward, Xiao Yan found his father and gave him the two top-grade Foundation Establishment Pills. He asked him to distribute them among the young people who had yet to break through to Dou Zhe, such as Xiao Mei and Xiao Ke. Although they had looked down on him when he had fallen into disgrace, they were still members of his clan. As someone with broad-mindedness, he could not be bothered to argue with those little brats.

"Yan'er, how is the quality of these pills?" Xiao Zhan asked curiously.

"Father, these pills are all top-grade and completely unique. I just took the Wind Hành Pill, and it instantly increased my speed more than tenfold. It felt incredible."

"I have already discussed things with Ye Tian. I plan to trade four Second-order Wind-attribute Demonic Cores and Spirit Gathering Grass for one Premium Spirit Gathering Pill to increase my strength."

Xiao Yan told his father what he knew and asked for his support. He desperately needed to improve his strength now and had to seize every opportunity.

"Do not worry, I will support you. Is it not just a few Second-order Wind-attribute Demonic Cores? We have them in our treasury."

Xiao Zhan naturally gave his full support to his son's request.

"Yan'er, you said you spoke with Ye Tian just now. Why not Ya Fei?"

Thinking back on Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Zhan sensed that Ye Tian was the one truly calling the shots.

"Father, because only Ye Tian can provide those pills. He is the real person in charge."

Xiao Yan explained. As for whether Ye Tian was currently an Alchemist, he would have to wait until he could verify it himself.

"So that is how it is!"

Only then did Xiao Zhan finally understand why Ya Fei treated Ye Tian so well. At the banquet earlier, that woman had gently attended to Ye Tian as if she were serving some young master from a wealthy family. It truly made others envious.

After obtaining the Wind-attribute Demonic Cores and a pile of Spirit Herbs, Xiao Yan was in high spirits. He decided to find Xiao Xun'er for a chat and cultivate their relationship.

Meanwhile, Xiao Xun'er was quietly listening as her bodyguard, Ling Ying, reported information about Ye Tian.

"Miss, this subordinate has investigated him. Ye Tian is not from any great family. He is merely the child of a mercenary family from Qingshan Town. His father is named Ye Hai, and his mother is Liu Mengli. Ye Hai joined the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City many years ago and worked as a Guard. According to the information this subordinate gathered, Ye Tian's parents have now died in the Monster Mountain Range, and the Little Fellow is currently an orphan."

"However, that Little Fellow had been a genius since childhood. According to the Villagers, he entered the Dou Zhe realm at eleven. More than half a year ago, his strength was only at the Six-star Dou Practitioner level, but after returning from the Monster Mountain Range, he had already become a One-star Dou Master."

"That little girl is also an orphan from Qingshan Town. Her name is Xiao Yi Xian, and she grew up together with Ye Tian."

"There are currently rumors in Qingshan Town that Ye Tian possesses an Earth-tier cultivation technique. Countless mercenaries are frantically searching for him, intending to kill and loot. This subordinate believes that the Little Fellow likely possesses an Earth-tier cultivation technique."

After investigating through many channels, Ling Ying had finally uncovered Ye Tian's true identity.

"I did not expect him to truly be such a genius. It seems he came to rely on that woman Ya Fei in order to escape the pursuit of those mercenaries."

"To rise from a Six-star Dou Practitioner to a One-star Dou Master in half a year, he must have obtained some kind of fortuitous encounter. The rumors that he possesses an Earth-tier cultivation technique must also be true. Otherwise, he could not have killed Jia Lie Ao and the others so easily. Especially his movement technique and Lightning Attribute Dou Technique—they must be extremely high-level."

Upon hearing that Ye Tian was truly just a Country Kid, Xiao Xun'er felt somewhat surprised. The talent that Little Fellow had displayed was not something an ordinary Country Kid could possess.

"Miss, should we...?"

Ling Ying was naturally very interested in the opportunity Ye Tian possessed.

"There is no need to concern ourselves with it. It is merely an Earth-tier cultivation technique. It is not as though we do not have any."

"Once word spreads through Wutan City that Ye Tian possesses an Earth-tier cultivation technique, many people will certainly set their sights on him. I would like to see how he handles this crisis."

Xiao Xun'er came from the Ancient Clan of Middle Continent and did not lack Earth-tier cultivation techniques at all. There was no need for her to target a young genius unrelated to her goals.

"As you command, Miss!"

"Xiao Yan is here. This subordinate will withdraw first."

Since his master had spoken, Ling Ying could not act on his own.

"Go on!"

Xiao Xun'er hurriedly pretended to read, quietly waiting for Xiao Yan to arrive.

"Xun'er, reading?"

Arriving at the pavilion, Xiao Yan greeted the Little Girl with a grin.

"Brother Xiao Yan, what has made you so happy?"

"What did you discuss with Ye Tian just now?"

Seeing Xiao Yan looking so delighted, Xiao Xun'er was rather curious.

"It was only about the Spirit Gathering Pill. I plan to exchange four Wind-attribute Demonic Cores and several Spirit Herbs with Ye Tian for one Spirit Gathering Pill."

"Xun'er, do you need a Spirit Gathering Pill? If you do, I can go talk to Ye Tian."

Xiao Yan quickly shared the matter with Xiao Xun'er.

"Brother Xiao Yan, will you not be losing out by trading so many Spirit Herbs to Ye Tian? Besides, the Spirit Gathering Pill has not even been proven. Who knows if it is real or fake?"

Hearing that Xiao Yan was willing to pay such a huge price just to exchange for a Third-order Pill, Xiao Xun'er felt that there was something wrong with his head. He was simply a spendthrift.

"Xun'er, I know what I am doing. As for the effects of the Spirit Gathering Pill, they must be real. Ye Tian has no reason to deceive me."

Seeing Xiao Xun'er worried about his Spirit Herbs, Xiao Yan felt somewhat touched and explained things to the Little Girl.

"Even so, there is no need to give him so many Spirit Herbs! You could simply spend money to buy it."

Xiao Xun'er felt a little unhappy, as though Xiao Yan were deliberately trying to curry favor with Ye Tian. No matter what, Ye Tian was only a Country Kid. There was no need for Brother Xiao Yan to treat him this way.

"Xun'er, I urgently need to improve my strength now. You understand."

Xiao Yan gave a bitter smile. He had a Three-Year Agreement with Na Lan Yan Ran and had to seize every chance to grow stronger. Even if he suffered a small loss, it would be worth it.

"Is it not just that you want to defeat Na Lan Yan Ran? What is so difficult about that? If you want to improve your strength, I can give you a Cultivation Method."

Xiao Xun'er smiled irritably, intending to directly give Xiao Yan a Black-tier High-grade Cultivation Method to cultivate.

"Xun'er, there is no need. Some things must be done by me personally."

Xiao Yan had already resolved to cultivate the Burning Art. Moreover, his pride was too strong for him to accept Xiao Xun'er's support.

"Alright!"

Xiao Xun'er smiled faintly and stopped trying to persuade Xiao Yan.

At that moment, Xiao Xun'er was also very curious about Ye Tian. For him to make Brother Xiao Yan treat him this way, that guy surely had some unknown secret.