Second-Grade Alchemist (Seeking Favorites)

"Ahem... well..."

Xiao Ling gave a dry cough. He looked down at the little girl in his arms, his face turning serious despite his still-youthful features.

"Xun'er, I have to tell you that there is a noble Alchemist standing right in front of you."

"Do you believe me?"

In truth, he had his reasons for revealing his identity as an Alchemist to Xun'er.

He intended to use Xun'er's background to inform Xiao Zhan and the others of his status, which would save him the trouble of having to explain it himself.

Because he planned to refine a batch of healing pills to sell later, accumulating resources to help him break through to a fourth-grade Alchemist.

After all, he couldn't really rely on Xun'er to support him forever.

Although this little girl certainly wouldn't say anything about it, he couldn't get past that hurdle himself.

As for what he had been thinking just a moment ago, that was nothing more than a bit of wishful thinking.

After all, anyone would be the same if they had such a little rich woman by their side.

Hearing this, Xun'er tilted her little head. Her large, expressive eyes blinked as she stared at him, her willow-like brows arching slightly. She then broke into a bright smile, her voice crisp and clear.

"Xun'er believes everything Xiao Ling brother says. May I ask what grade of Alchemist Xiao Ling brother is?"

Looking at the small but exquisite little girl before him, Xiao Ling felt a warmth in his heart. He reached out to pinch her little cheek and smiled gently.

"A second-grade Alchemist, though I'm almost at the third grade."

Xun'er: "???"

"Xiao Ling brother, what grade are you?"

A look of shock appeared on Xun'er's porcelain-doll-like face, her small mouth hanging open in an 'O' shape as she stared at the boy within arm's reach.

"Second grade."

Xiao Ling repeated it once more, feeling a secret thrill inside; it wasn't easy to shock this little rich woman.

"Phew~"

Xun'er let out a soft breath, her beautiful eyes curving into crescent moons. She looked the boy in white up and down before giving a playful smile.

"Xiao Ling brother, then if Xun'er needs pills in the future, I'll be coming to you."

"Alright, no problem."

Xiao Ling replied with a smile.

At this moment, Ling Ying, who had been acting as a third wheel, finally snapped back to reality, a look of shock appearing on his face, which was as smooth as a baby's.

A ten-year-old Da Dou Shi who was also a second-grade Alchemist?

This combination could no longer be called a genius; even the word 'monster' wasn't enough to describe it.

This was simply too terrifying. It was only now that he recalled the words of the clan leader when he had left the clan...

As Xiao Ling chatted with Xun'er, a sudden thought stirred within him. A flash of insight flickered through his mind—it was so fast he couldn't quite grasp it, but it made him clearly realize that he was not far from becoming a Da Dou Shi.

With various thoughts racing through his mind, Xiao Ling decided to use alchemy to calm his heart, allowing him to accumulate his strength to the absolute limit so that his breakthrough to Da Dou Shi would come naturally. He smiled at the little girl and said softly.

"Xun'er, I need to go refine some pills now. Could you please guard me? Don't let anyone in, no matter who it is."

"I'll give you a surprise when I come out of seclusion."

With that, Xiao Ling picked up the little girl, placed her on a chair, and walked into the room.

"Don't worry, Xiao Ling brother. Xun'er will make sure no one disturbs you."

Xun'er turned her head to reply, her little face filled with solemnity.

Although she didn't know the specific reason, she could guess that he had experienced a flash of inspiration.

Such a situation was rare and precious for both Alchemists and cultivators alike. She turned to the old man beside her and said.

"Elder Ling, please help guard Xiao Ling brother. Do not let anyone enter the courtyard."

"As you wish, Miss," Ling Ying said.

As Ling Ying looked toward the room, a thoughtful expression appeared in his old eyes.

He didn't know if the boy was about to break through to the third-grade Alchemist realm. While a third-grade Alchemist wasn't much on the Dou Qi Continent, what if you added a prefix? A ten-year-old third-grade Alchemist—that was unheard of, not just in the Jia Ma Empire, but on the entire Dou Qi Continent.

If the three giants of the Pill Tower found out, they would absolutely fight over the chance to take him as a disciple.

Meanwhile, Xun'er rested her chin on her hand, swinging her jade-white feet as she lay lazily on the table.

She glanced toward the room from time to time, quickly looking away again, a seductive blush appearing on her exquisite, porcelain-doll-like cheeks.

Xun'er: "..."

Inside the room, Xiao Ling sat cross-legged on a cushion, a black pill cauldron with three legs and two handles placed before him.

One could tell it was extraordinary just by looking at the patterns on the cauldron, and this was exactly what he had traded for from the system.

Tier 5 pill cauldron: Anyou.

At this moment, he was gazing at the slowly burning flames inside the pill cauldron, picking up a Tier 2 wood-attribute monster core placed to the side and tossing it into the cauldron.

As the monster core entered, the flames that had been prepared long ago, like a giant abyss-like mouth, instantly swallowed the monster core into its body.

Seeing this, the soul power of Xiao Ling was like a giant net, thoroughly permeating every inch of the flames. Under his control, the deep yellow Dou Qi flames transformed into a fiery pill cauldron, thereby forming a cauldron within a cauldron.

If the master alchemists were to find out about this, they would surely be scared to death.

Because this level of control over flames was something they could never achieve even if they performed it themselves; after all, not everyone was Yao Lao.

One could only say that the world of a genius was simply beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Under the refining of the fiery pill cauldron, a hard monster core actually began to melt gradually in just a few short minutes. This speed was practically approaching that of the big shots who possessed Heavenly Flame.

Xiao Ling flicked his finger gently, and a drop of crystal-clear green liquid was spat out by the fiery pill cauldron. It spun around in mid-air, fell into a jade bottle that had been prepared in advance, and then a wisp of flame sealed the mouth of the bottle.

This entire set of movements was as smooth as flowing water, leaving absolutely no room for criticism.

Just as Xiao Ling was refining pills, in another small courtyard of the Xiao Clan, a youth in green robes ran in hurriedly, shouting as he ran.

"Sis... Brother-in-law is back... Sis... Brother-in-law is back..."

Good grief, this voice could be heard from far away. The youths of the Xiao Clan in the nearby courtyards shook their heads one after another, thinking to themselves.

"Why don't I have an older sister? Look at how smug that Xiao Ning is...

He shows off the stories of his sister and brother-in-law to them every single day... Their ears are almost calloused from listening."

At this moment, inside the small courtyard, Xiao Yu was originally practicing the coordination of Phantom Nine Steps and Sword Finger.

But upon hearing her younger brother's words, she pointed a Sword Finger at him in shame and anger.

"Holy crap... Sis, are you trying to murder your own brother?!"

Xiao Ning shrank his head in shock, like a turtle, then reached out to touch his free middle-part hairstyle, and roared with his neck stiffened.

"Hmph! Xiao Ning, you've grown some guts, haven't you? How dare you go out and talk nonsense to smear Brother Xiao Ling's reputation? I think I need to loosen your bones!"

Without another word, Xiao Yu stepped forward, actually using the Phantom Nine Steps. It was clear she wasn't holding back at all, scaring Xiao Ning into turning around and running, shouting as he fled.

"Brother-in-law, save me... My sister is trying to murder your brother-in-law..."

"Xiao Ning, if you shout again, I'll cripple you!!!"

Following this shout, the entire younger generation of the Xiao Clan was in an uproar.

Xiao Yu was so angry that she kicked out, causing Xiao Ning to fall face-first into the dirt.

She had been cultivating for the past few days and hadn't paid attention to those trivial matters, never expecting that her little brother would cause her such big trouble.

How could she not be angry? What if Brother Xiao Ling blamed her for it?