Yun Yun's Thoughts

Xiao Li began refining pills in the cauldron. When it came to alchemy, he was extremely confident in himself because he thoroughly enjoyed the process. Whether it was a Second Grade Pill or a Fourth Grade Pill, Xiao Li treated every refinement with utmost seriousness.

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

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

"No, I haven't."

"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 effective for Dou Zhe and Dou Master cultivators. A Dou Zhe could raise their cultivation by two to three stars after taking one. At the Dou Master stage, taking it once more could raise one's cultivation by another star.

Most importantly, the Qi Nurturing Pill had mild medicinal properties. 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, Brother Xiao Li, Yun'er humbly asks: when you become a Rank 6 Alchemist in the future, could you help my 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 my 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 records.

My Grandmaster suffered backlash from forcibly attempting to break through to Dou Zong and passed away not long afterward. A Breaking Ancestor Pill can increase the chance of advancing to Dou Zong by ten percent, and even if the breakthrough fails, it can stabilize one's strength at its pre-breakthrough level.

With my teacher's temperament, once my cultivation rises, he will definitely enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough. I don't want my teacher to end up like that either, so I beg you—if possible, please refine a Breaking Ancestor Pill for him."

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

"No, no, no. We can talk this out properly. Why are you doing this? Fine, I agree—but you'll have to provide the ingredients yourselves."

Xiao Li hurriedly helped Yun Yun back to her feet.

"Was that really necessary?" Xiao Li muttered.

Yun Yun heard him and said seriously, "Everything I have was given to me by my teacher. He brought me back to the sect, raised me, and taught me to cultivate. Yun Yun does not consider herself a particularly good person, but as his 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 mountaintop not far away,

Yun Shan and Wang Ming stood side by side. Yun Shan's nose had turned a little sour.

"All right, stop holding it in. You have a good disciple. There's no one here besides me, so you can cry for a while." Old Wang handed Yun Shan a handkerchief.

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

"Hehe, this girl is truly not bad. She's very much to my liking. Old Yun, I'm planning to refine another Grade 6 Profound Yuan Foundation Establishment Pill for her.

We're still missing the main ingredient, Purple Gold Profound Yuan Ginseng. Come with me and let's sweep through the Magical Beast Mountain Range." Old Wang said as he stroked his beard.

"Oh? Let's go, let's go!" The moment Yun Shan heard that the stakes had risen again, he could barely wait.

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

Yun Shan asked doubtfully, "What's this?"

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 I'll need you to put in the work. Rank 5 flying Magical Beasts are too fast, and I'm not skilled in speed. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, you're the fastest. Leave the flying Magical Beasts to you."

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

Old Wang pondered for a moment. "That won't be a problem. Li'er is about to break through to Dou Ling, and he'll likely break through to Dou King within a few years. By then, a Flying Dou Technique won't be all that useful to him."

Inside the cave, Xiao Li continued preparing pills, while also refining some that would aid Yun Yun's cultivation as a Dou Zhe.

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

In the future, he would break through to Dou Zong and become the most impressive Dou Zong around. Unfortunately, the things Soul Hall gave him were likely mixed with something, causing Yun Shan's personality to change drastically. Later, he was defeated by a peak Dou King despite being a Dou Zong, earning himself the mocking title of Water Goods Dou Ancestor.

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

"Um, Brother Xiao Li, would you be willing to become an Elder of our Misty Cloud Sect?" Yun Yun had taken quite a few pills from Xiao Li over the past few days, and her cultivation had risen from a Five Star Dou Practitioner to an Eight Star Dou Practitioner.

She would probably be able to break through to Dou Master after another month or two of cultivation.

"Oh? Tell me, then. What benefits can your Misty Cloud Sect offer me? We Alchemists talk in terms of profit. Your Misty Cloud Sect may be decent, but it specializes in Wind Attribute Dou Qi and sword techniques, 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 charged clearly stated prices whenever he refined pills for others.

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

Though Yun Yun was still young, she had always stayed by Yun Shan's side and could understand such bargaining talk.

"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 possesses abundant financial resources.

Furthermore, the sect has quite a few pill formulas. Brother Xiao Li definitely won't lose out by coming to our Misty Cloud Sect! With our sect's support, Brother Xiao Li's alchemy will surely advance by leaps and bounds."

Yun Yun spoke somewhat excitedly. In her view, the benefits the Misty Cloud Sect would gain by recruiting a genius Alchemist were too great to even imagine.

"Tsk, so you want me to work for your sect for the rest of my life? You're thinking pretty highly of yourself." Xiao Li could naturally see through Yun Yun's thoughts.

The two of them had only just met. Their friendship was merely that of strangers brought together by chance. On that basis, discussing benefits was the proper thing to do.

"Hehe." Yun Yun awkwardly pinched the hem of her skirt. Having her thoughts exposed was rather embarrassing.

"Very well. Let me see whether the Misty Cloud Sect truly has the treasures you spoke of." Xiao Li said with a smile.

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

"Brother Xiao Li, take this. Once you finish your training and wish to come to the Misty Cloud Sect, simply use this to enter the sect."

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