Yun Yun's Thoughts

Xiao Li began refining pills. When it came to alchemy, he was extremely confident in himself because he greatly enjoyed the process. Whether it was a Second Grade Pill or a Fourth Grade Pill, Xiao Li approached each one seriously.

Yun Yun watched Xiao Li refine pills, watching the purple flames in his hands continuously surge within the medicine cauldron.

"Yun'er, have you taken the Qi Nurturing Pill yet?" Xiao Li asked.

"Not yet."

"Then good, I'll refine a Qi Nurturing Pill for you." Xiao Li smiled, then immersed his mind in the medicine cauldron.

The Qi Nurturing Pill was a Third Grade Pill intended for Dou Zhes and Dou Masters. A Dou Zhe could raise their cultivation by two to three stars after taking it. At the Dou Master stage, it could be taken once more to raise one's cultivation by one star.

Most importantly, the Qi Nurturing Pill's medicinal properties were mild. Anyone above the Dou Qi stage could take it.

Xiao Li had refined quite a few Qi Nurturing Pills for the Xiao Clan back then. Refining one was practically effortless!

Time passed second by second, and Xiao Li soon finished refining a batch of Qi Returning Pills. In a dangerous place like the Magical Beast Mountain Range, the more Qi Returning Pills they had, the better.

"Um, Eldest Brother Xiao Li, Yun'er has a bold request. Once you become a Rank 6 Alchemist in the future, could you help Teacher refine a Breaking Ancestor Pill?"

After seeing Xiao Li finish refining, Yun Yun spoke up.

"Oh? A Breaking Ancestor Pill? You're asking for Sect Leader Yun? Why not ask for one for yourself?" Xiao Li asked.

"Because Teacher's obsession is breaking through to the Dou Zong realm. Only by becoming a Dou Zong can he wash away the Misty Cloud Sect's humiliation. Breaking through to Dou Zong is simply too difficult. I read the sect's ancient records.

"My Grandmaster suffered a backlash from forcibly attempting to break through to Dou Zong, and he passed away not long afterward. A Breaking Ancestor Pill can increase the chances of advancing to Dou Zong by ten percent. Even if the breakthrough fails, it can stabilize one's strength at the level before the breakthrough.

"With Teacher's temperament, once my cultivation rises, he will surely enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough. I don't want Teacher to end up the same way, so I beg you—if possible, please refine a Breaking Ancestor Pill for Teacher."

As Yun Yun spoke, she directly knelt before Xiao Li and pleaded for his help.

"Don't, don't, don't. We can talk this out. Why are you doing this? Fine, I agree, but you'll have to provide the ingredients yourself."

Xiao Li hurriedly helped Yun Yun to her feet.

"Was this really necessary?" Xiao Li muttered.

Yun Yun heard him and said seriously, "Everything I have was given to me by Teacher. Teacher picked me up and brought me back to the sect, raised me, and taught me cultivation. Yun Yun doesn't consider herself a good person, but as a Disciple, I must at least honor and respect my Teacher."

"Honor and respect one's Teacher? Very good! It seems Sect Leader Yun has an exceptionally outstanding Disciple." Xiao Li sighed.

A Teacher was like a father. Yun Yun had someone like that, and so did he. Old Wang, I will definitely cure you! Definitely!

On a mountain peak not far away,

Yun Shan and Wang Ming stood side by side. Yun Shan's nose was already starting to sting.

"Enough, stop holding it in. You have a good Disciple. There's no one here except this Old Man, so you can cry for a while." Old Wang handed Yun Shan a handkerchief.

"Get lost! At my age, do I look like someone who cries?" Yun Shan took a deep breath and snapped.

"Hehe, that Girl is truly not bad. She's very much to this Old Man's liking. Old Yun, this Old Man intends to refine another Rank 6 Profound Yuan Foundation Establishment Pill for her.

"We're currently short on the main ingredient, Purple Gold Profound Yuan Ginseng. Come with this Old Man and sweep through the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"Oh? Let's go, let's go!" The moment Yun Shan heard that the price had risen again, he was already impatient.

"No rush, no rush. Old fellow, look at this." Old Wang took out an ancient scroll.

Yun Shan asked in confusion, "This is?"

Old Wang said, "This is a scroll for refining Flying Dou Techniques. We'll go hunt Rank 5 to Rank 6 Flying Magical Beasts, take their wings, and refine Flying Dou Techniques for the two children."

"Hiss—you have something this good?"

Old Wang said, "Hehe, of course. But you'll need to put in the work. Rank 5 Flying Magical Beasts are too fast, and this Old Man isn't skilled in speed. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, you're the fastest. The Flying Magical Beasts are up to you."

Yun Shan nodded. "No problem, but can Yun'er have the better pair?"

Old Wang considered it for a moment. "That's no problem. Li'er is about to break through to Dou Ling, and he should reach Dou Wang within a few years. By then, Flying Dou Techniques won't be of much use to him."

Inside the cave, Xiao Li continued preparing pills while also refining some pills that would help Yun Yun cultivate as a Dou Zhe.

As for Yun Yun taking pills without paying, come on—if Yun Yun had no money, she could just ask Yun Shan for it. They could keep a tab for now. Yun Shan was, after all, the strongest Dou Emperor in the Jia Ma Empire.

Once he broke through to Dou Zong in the future, he would become the most impressive Dou Zong around. Unfortunately, the things given by Soul Hall likely had something mixed into them, causing Yun Shan's personality to change drastically. Later, he was defeated by a peak Dou Wang while fighting above his level and was mockingly called a Water Goods Dou Ancestor.

Xiao Li felt that once he became a Rank 6 Alchemist in the future, he could give Yun Shan a Breaking Ancestor Pill and use him as muscle. At the very least, in the early stages, a Dou Ancestor Expert would be more than enough!

"Um, Eldest Brother Xiao Li, would you be willing to come to our Misty Cloud Sect and become an Elder?" Yun Yun had eaten quite a few of Xiao Li's pills these past few days, and her cultivation had risen from a Five Star Dou Practitioner to an Eight Star Dou Zhe.

With another month or two of cultivation, she would likely be able to break through to Dou Master.

"Oh? Tell me, then. What benefits can your Misty Cloud Sect offer me? We Alchemists deal in profit. Your Misty Cloud Sect is quite good, but you mainly cultivate Wind Attribute Dou Qi and swordsmanship, neither of which suits me."

Xiao Li spoke with a smile. As an Alchemist, he naturally had to follow an Alchemist's rules. He was not some fool who would casually refine pills for others.

Aside from his family and relatives, Xiao Li always charged clear prices when refining pills for others.

Xiao Li did not reject her outright. Instead, he spoke of an Alchemist's interests. If she wanted to persuade him, she would need to offer benefits that moved him.

Though Yun Yun was still young, she had always stayed by Yun Shan's side, so she could understand such tactics.

"Although the Misty Cloud Sect is not considered a top sect on the Northwest Continent, it still carries considerable weight in the Jia Ma Empire. Our Misty Cloud Sect has abundant financial resources.

"Furthermore, there are many Pill Recipes within the sect. Eldest Brother Xiao Li definitely won't lose out by joining our Misty Cloud Sect! With the Misty Cloud Sect's support, Eldest Brother Xiao Li's Alchemy will surely advance by leaps and bounds."

Yun Yun spoke somewhat excitedly. In her view, the benefits of winning over a genius Alchemist for the Misty Cloud Sect were something she hardly dared imagine.

"Tsk, are you planning to make me work for your sect for the rest of my life? You sure have a nice dream." Xiao Li could naturally see through Yun Yun's thoughts.

They had only just met. Their friendship was merely a chance encounter, so discussing benefits on that basis was the proper thing to do.

"Hehe." Yun Yun awkwardly pinched the hem of her dress. Having her thoughts seen through was rather embarrassing.

"Very well, then let me see whether the Misty Cloud Sect truly has the treasures you claim it does." Xiao Li smiled.

Hearing that there was a chance, Yun Yun quickly took out a green jade token from her Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Li.

"Eldest Brother Xiao Li, take this. Once you finish your travels and wish to come to the Misty Cloud Sect, you may enter the sect with this."

Xiao Li accepted the jade token and placed it in his Storage Ring.