The Grinding Begins

"Hey! What are you thinking about, brat? You're practically drooling. Don't tell me you're thinking about that little girl?"

Old Wang's voice came from nearby, interrupting Xiao Li's fantasy.

"Cough, cough, what are you talking about, Teacher?" Xiao Li said awkwardly after coughing. He had indeed zoned out just now, but he really hadn't been thinking about any girl.

But now that I'm lying flat, how can I do without girls? I can't stay a bachelor forever. I'll have to look carefully when the time comes.

"Zoning out again! Looks like Li'er really has grown up. Since you want a little girlfriend, I happen to think there's a suitable girl in the Jia Ma Empire.

A few years ago, that old fellow Yun Shan took in a disciple. She should be one or two years younger than you, with rather decent talent. Shall I take you to propose marriage?"

Old Wang stroked his beard, wearing a smile that said he understood everything.

"Cough, cough, we can talk about that later. Teacher, let's first see what's inside this wooden box."

Xiao Li looked around and changed the subject. But he really did have some thoughts about it. Yun Shan's disciple was Yun Yun, wasn't she? Yun Yun was one or two years younger than him. He thought she would be fine—provided she agreed.

She wouldn't come to my door to break off the engagement and set up some Three-Year Agreement, would she?

"The item in this wooden box is indeed a treasure, but it's of no use to us right now."

Old Wang rubbed the rough wooden box before opening it.

Inside was a silver fruit the size of a fist. It resembled an infant, lifelike enough to seem real. A faint fragrance wafted out, making even Xiao Li's soul tremble.

"This is... a Soul Infant Fruit! A Silver Soul Infant Fruit!" Xiao Li exclaimed. This really was a treasure.

"Hehe, it seems you've studied well. It is indeed a Soul Infant Fruit. Even I never expected to find one in a place like this.

"If this thing were placed in Central Continent, it would likely require a Grade 8 Pill to exchange for it. It repairs one's origin soul qi and strengthens the soul. But it is of little use to us at present.

"Our souls are intact. The Soul Infant Fruit could probably be used in alchemy to refine pills that enhance the soul, but I don't possess such a pill formula.

"So let's keep it for now. With branches from the Soul Infant Demon Tree serving as the box, the Soul Infant Fruit's spiritual qi won't dissipate."

Wang Ming closed the wooden box and put away the Soul Infant Fruit.

"Ah, Teacher, whenever there is a natural treasure, there is usually a strange beast guarding it. This Soul Infant Fruit is an exceptional treasure for tempering the soul and is extremely beneficial to some Magical Beasts as well. It should have a guardian beast, right?"

Xiao Li suddenly asked.

Old Wang said irritably, "Of course there was a Magical Beast—a Tier 7 Phantom Fire Lizard Dragon Beast. It nearly beat me to death. Fortunately, other Dou Zong experts were keeping that beast occupied.

"They didn't have my knowledge and assumed the Soul Infant Demon Tree was the treasure. I took advantage of the chaos and stole the Soul Infant Fruit. Hahahahaha! At least my efforts weren't wasted!"

Xiao Li gave him a thumbs-up. As expected of his teacher. He still had much to learn from this skill of picking up bargains.

"By the way, Teacher, with my current cultivation, I can try some real Life and Death Grinding now, right? I don't want to be a flower raised in a greenhouse, only to be defeated by someone stronger than me later."

Xiao Li spoke up. He truly wanted to temper himself. The opponents within the Xiao Clan no longer put any pressure on him. He had no rivals among Da Dou Shi, and even the Dou Spirit Elders could not defeat him.

The main reason was that Xiao Li was the Xiao Clan's precious treasure. Those Elders did not dare fight seriously at all, afraid of damaging their clan's prized child.

Moreover, Xiao Li's equipment was quite extravagant within the Jia Ma Empire: an Earth Grade Low-level Cultivation Method and its Matching Dou Techniques.

On top of that, he possessed the beast flame Purple Tiger Flame, which gave him considerable intimidation in battle. Unfortunately, Xiao Li lacked experience. Although Old Wang occasionally brought him into the Magical Beast Mountain Range to fight Magical Beasts and see some blood, Xiao Li still felt that he was lacking.

Although Xiao Li had his Lying Flat Cause, lying flat did not mean truly giving up and rotting away. He needed strength to ensure he could lie flat comfortably. Whoever refused to let him lie flat would have their head twisted off.

Old Wang looked Xiao Li over from head to toe, then nodded. "It is time for you to see more of the world. We'll set off in a month. I'll devise a training plan for you.

"Remember, unless your life is truly in danger during this trial, I will not intervene. Li'er, remember that a qualified Alchemist must not only possess excellent alchemy, but also formidable methods!

"That senior was exactly like that. He possessed incredibly powerful alchemy as well as tremendous strength!"

Xiao Li asked, "Teacher, who was this senior you admire so much?"

A trace of reminiscence flashed through Wang Ming's eyes: that cold White Flame, that kindly old man with white hair and beard.

"That old gentleman's surname was Yao. In my homeland of Central Continent, he was known as Venerable Yao!"

Half a year later, in the Magical Beast Mountain Range,

Rumble—

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Xiao Li, his clothes tattered and looking like a beggar, fled madly in a certain direction. Three Magical Beasts of different sizes chased behind him.

A closer look revealed that the three Magical Beasts looked quite similar. They clearly belonged to the same species.

These three Magical Beasts were called Green Eyed Lions. They were Rank 2 Magical Beasts at birth and grew into Rank 4 Magical Beasts as adults.

The ones chasing Xiao Li were two Rank 4 Green Eyed Lions and one Rank 3 Green Eyed Lion. Clearly, Xiao Li had offended an entire pride of lions.

"I only picked some of your herbs and played with your little cub for a while. Is that really worth chasing me like this?"

Roar—

The larger Green Eyed Lion immediately flew into a rage. Though he could not yet speak, he likely understood Xiao Li's words. This Green Eyed Lion had reached Peak Fourth Tier, equivalent to a human at Peak Dou Ling.

His next step would be becoming a Rank 5 Magical Beast at the Dou King Level. Some Rank 5 Magical Beasts could even speak human language, and even those that could not possessed intelligence equal to that of humans.

This Green Eyed Lion was so enraged because if he had returned a little later, his son would have nearly been killed. Xiao Li had not only picked the Ice Spirit Flame Grass they guarded, but had nearly slain their son. How could he possibly endure that?

Xiao Li was currently at the Peak Nine Star Dou Grandmaster level. Before entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had broken through to Seven Star Dou Grandmaster, then taken a Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pill he refined himself to reach Eight Star.

After digesting it for two months, he took another Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pill and reached Nine Star Dou Grandmaster. Xiao Li could now begin preparing to break through to Dou Ling.

Then Xiao Li wandered through the Magical Beast Mountain Range and spotted an Ice Spirit Flame Grass. It was one of the main ingredients for refining the Blood Lotus Pill. It would be extremely important when he swallowed Heavenly Flames in the future.

Heavenly Flames were the supreme treasures of Alchemists. As far as Xiao Li knew, this Northwest Continent had one wild Green Lotus Core Flame, one Fallen Heart Flame raised in captivity, one Bone Spirit Cold Fire with an owner, and the Sea Heart Flame was probably still on its way.

What Xiao Li wanted most was the Fallen Heart Flame at Jia Nan Academy. That thing was known as a Cultivation Cheat Device, making it perfect for someone like him who wanted to lie flat.

Thus, Xiao Li had been preparing to absorb Heavenly Flames. He already had Ice Spirit Cold Spring, acquired through an auction at the Mittel Auction House. His family happened to have Spirit Absorption, and now all he lacked was the pill needed to swallow a Heavenly Flame.

Now that he had spotted Ice Spirit Flame Grass, Xiao Li could not wait to take it, and thus provoked the Green Eyed Lion family.