Mysterious Incomplete Map

Watching Old Wang fall into a deep sleep, Xiao Li continued refining pills, completely immersed in the process and unable to pull himself away.

Strangely enough, Xiao Li especially enjoyed the process of pill refinement—burning medicinal ingredients with flames, removing their impurities, and refining a pile of ingredients into a pool of medicine liquid.

Finally, he used the flames to condense the medicine liquid into a full, round pill.

Xiao Li particularly loved the instant the pill condensation was complete. Seeing a smooth, plump pill appear before his eyes felt incredibly satisfying.

Who knew how much time had passed.

Xiao Li intermittently refined another two Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pills. One of them was of exceptional quality, and Xiao Li put it away to take when he broke through to the Seven Star Dou Grandmaster realm.

"Mm~ Li'er, your techniques are becoming more and more refined." Old Wang suddenly sat down beside Xiao Li and said with a chuckle.

"Teacher, have you rested well?" The fatigue on Xiao Li's face immediately gave way to alertness.

Old Wang said, "Mm! First, about pill refinement. Before condensing the pill, let the medicine liquid undergo warm nourishment for a little longer. Don't rush to condense it during this stage. Heat control is extremely important during the tempering and purification process.

"Let me give you an example. You know how to make soup, right? If you want to make a pot of delicious soup, controlling the heat is crucial. Being impatient will only make mistakes more likely.

"This was advice Master received from an old gentleman when Master was young. That old gentleman was a true great talent! Just a few pointers from him benefited Master immensely.

"That old gentleman said that refining medicine was like carving. Only by fully devoting oneself to meticulous carving could one create a grand masterpiece. This was also a matter of attitude.

"Master can tell that you truly enjoy refining medicine, but you are still young in the end—restless and impatient, unable to settle down, always wanting to be faster. Pill refinement cannot be rushed."

"Yes! Saying thank you feels a little too distant between us, Teacher, but I can't think of any better words. Thank you for your guidance, Teacher." Xiao Li listened very attentively.

"Mm~ As long as you took it to heart. Now, take a look at what this old man gained this time." Old Wang said with a faint smile.

"Could it be the gains from that Dou Zun Ruins, Teacher?" Xiao Li was also very curious. On the Northwest Continent, Dou Zuns were extremely rare. Jia Ma Empire did not even have a Dou Zong.

The Storage Ring on Old Wang's hand flashed, and several different items appeared on the ground.

Xiao Li examined them carefully. There was a colorful scroll, a black scroll, and a piece of parchment made from some unknown material.

The slightly yellowed parchment was covered in seemingly random patterns, with a finger pointing at one of the lines.

Besides the two scrolls and the strange parchment, there was also a crude Wooden Box.

"Li'er, these are this old man's gains from this trip." There was some displeasure in Old Wang's tone; he clearly felt these things were not very useful.

Xiao Li opened the colorful scroll and scanned it. He was immediately stunned. It was a poison scripture, and this colorful scroll was called the Seven Colored Poison Scripture.

Xiao Li looked at Old Wang with a strange expression, while Old Wang drank greedily straight from the teapot.

Sensing Xiao Li's gaze, Old Wang turned toward him. "What is it, Li'er?"

"Ah? N-Nothing. Cough, cough. Teacher, could this Dou Zun have been a Poison Master?" Xiao Li changed the subject.

"It really seems so. He appeared to be called Dark Poison Venerate or something. You can tell from the name that he was no good person. This Seven Colored Poison Scripture should be his work." Wang Ming said calmly.

Xiao Li seemed to have developed an unfortunate thought about his teacher. He then looked toward the second scroll.

After examining it, Xiao Li discovered, "Hm? This is a method for crafting a Flying Dou Technique? Heaven Rank High?"

Old Wang nodded. "This thing is somewhat useful. Once Master has the time, Master will make a trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, kill a Rank 5 Flying Magical Beast, and make you a pair of wings."

The corner of Xiao Li's mouth twitched. It all matched up. Everything matched up.

Xiao Li looked at the yellowed parchment. In one corner of it was something shaped like a lotus flower.

Seeing Xiao Li pick up the parchment, Old Wang said, "This should be an incomplete map. I don't know what it records, but based on this old man's experience, it should point to a Heavenly Treasure."

Xiao Li was somewhat speechless. His teacher was indeed inferior to Old Man Yao in terms of knowledge. Though he had encountered many fortunate opportunities, he was ultimately only a Dou Emperor and a Rank 6 Alchemist. He had never seen the scenery from the heights.

Xiao Li knew what this incomplete map was! It was the Mysterious Incomplete Map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame!

Xiao Li looked at Old Wang, a rough plan already forming in his heart. *Teacher should be the dried skeleton Xiao Yan discovers in a cave several decades later. When Teacher is approaching death, he will imitate those before him and leave behind an inheritance. That was Teacher's plan as well.

Since I am here, Teacher, I will definitely help you become a Dou Zong. I want you to keep living!

Xiao Li set this goal for himself. Old Wang likely had somewhere between ten and twenty years of lifespan left. After all, he had been too seriously injured when he was young, and the injury had damaged his life essence.

Old Wang had far less lifespan than an ordinary Dou Emperor.

*Pills that prolong life... the Azure Void Longevity Pill can let someone live nearly ten more years. A Grade 6 Pill. Becoming a Rank 6 Alchemist within ten years should not be a problem. Then I can add some years to Teacher's life, and Grandfather's as well.

Grandfather is also nearing the end of his lifespan, but if he breaks through to the Dou Emperor realm, his lifespan can increase further. He does not need the Azure Void Longevity Pill. What Grandfather needs more is a Dou Spirit Pill.

Xiao Li was already considering how to save his teacher and his clan. The Xiao Clan would face a great disaster in the future, so he had to prepare in advance.

The Xiao Clan's future enemies were the Misty Cloud Sect and the Soul Hall.

However, the current Misty Cloud Sect was different from the one in Xiao Li's memories. At this time, the Misty Cloud Sect was the Jia Ma Empire's number one sect and a Holy Land for cultivation.

The current Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, was a Seven Star Dou Emperor with considerable strength.

Furthermore, according to Old Wang, among the Dou Emperor Experts in the Jia Ma Empire, Yun Shan's temperament suited him best. Jia Xingtian of the Royal Family loved scheming about this and that, which Old Wang disliked. Hai Bodong of the Mite'er Family was too cold in temperament, just like his Ice Attribute Dou Qi. Old Wang and he were merely acquaintances who exchanged nods.

Old Wang's assessment of Yun Shan was that he was naturally free-spirited and enjoyed quiet cultivation. He cared little for power. As for Jia Xingtian's wariness toward the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan simply turned a blind eye.

Because Yun Shan understood that internal strife was meaningless. The Jia Ma Empire was already weak, while the Chu Yun Empire, Golden Vulture Empire, Mu Lan Empire, and Serpent-People Tribe watched it covetously from all around.

The Jia Ma Empire could not afford internal conflict.

Xiao Li roughly guessed it as well. Yun Shan's personality had originally been quite good. Most likely, Vulture Protector of the Soul Hall had tampered with him when he broke through to the Dou Zong realm. After all, in terms of soul-related methods, the Soul Hall was far ahead of everyone else.

What a disaster-filled world. In roughly fifty or sixty years, Hun Tiandi would even blood-sacrifice the continent to break through to Dou God. What a headache.

Fortunately, there is still Xiao Yan! With Xiao Yan as my safety net, things are not at their worst. As long as I do not court death and endure until Xiao Yan becomes a Dou God, once the Dou God Bloodline activates, I can directly lie flat all the way to Dou Sheng. Then, after going to the Greater Thousand World, being a second Eldest Uncle in the Endless Flame Domain would not be bad either.

Xiao Li had already planned out his great Lying Flat Cause. Risking his life? What a joke! He would never risk his life in this lifetime. He would just secretly develop himself and barely maintain his life like this.

Let Xiao Yan risk his life instead.