Yao Chen

Xun'er had already figured it out. It might still be too early to make Xiao Jin realize his feelings.

But Xiao Jin was now a celebrity in the Xiao Clan, and quite a few girls in the family were eyeing him hungrily.

He was the only Dou Wang expert in the Xiao Clan. If they could latch onto this big tree, their status in the clan would naturally rise with the tide.

Although Xun'er had the advantage of being his childhood sweetheart, she still felt a sense of crisis.

Thus, from the moment Xiao Jin stepped down from the testing platform, she had already devised this plan.

She wanted Xiao Jin to personally promise that he would never leave her, no matter what happened in the future.

As long as she could stay by Brother Xiao Jin's side, she believed that with her own charm, she would eventually make Xiao Jin realize that she was an outstanding girl too.

Judging by the results, this little trick had worked quite well.

That was also thanks to the fact that Xiao Jin had barely interacted with girls in either of his two lifetimes. Otherwise, things really would not have gone so smoothly.

After soothing Xun'er, the girl finally left Xiao Jin's courtyard.

She knew that Xiao Yan would come to visit tonight. The two brothers would surely have plenty to talk about, and her presence would definitely be inconvenient.

It had to be said that this girl was quite considerate.

After dinner, Xiao Yan arrived at Xiao Jin's courtyard as promised.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw a scene that left him dumbfounded.

"Brother Jin, Brother Jin, there's a ghost next to you!" Xiao Yan panicked, and even stammered as he spoke.

Even so, he still intended to drag Xiao Jin away with him. Their brotherly affection was truly deep.

Xiao Jin could not help laughing, while the Pill Tower Ancestor rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"He actually compared this old man to a ghost. What an impolite brat."

Xiao Yan froze. "Ghosts can talk?"

"Brat, this old man isn't a ghost!" The Pill Tower Ancestor flew into a rage. If not for Xiao Jin, he would never have gotten involved in this mess.

Only then did Xiao Jin laugh and stop him. "Third Brother, this is my teacher, not some ghost."

He briefly explained the situation regarding soul forms. When Xiao Yan learned that this person was one of the strongest experts from a thousand years ago, his eyes lit up.

"Brother Jin, is your Dou Wang strength all thanks to this senior's guidance?"

"Only partly. This old man is pretty formidable when it comes to alchemy." Xiao Jin understood Xiao Yan's feelings. He patted his shoulder, signaling him to calm down, then continued, "Actually, there's also a soul form beside you. That soul form is the reason your strength regressed and stagnated for three years."

The smile on Xiao Yan's face gradually faded, then twisted into a ferocious expression.

"You're saying that all these problems happened because someone... no, because a ghost was messing with me?"

"More or less. He absorbed your battle qi for over three years. By now, he should have awakened."

The Pill Tower Ancestor cleared his throat and coughed twice, drawing the brothers' attention.

Only after seeing them look over did he say, with a slightly awkward expression, "Well, the soul form inside this boy seems to have some connection with this old man."

Xiao Jin: "???"

Xiao Yan: "???"

Neither of them had heard that Yao Chen and the Pill Tower Ancestor had any connection.

Seeing their confused looks, the Pill Tower Ancestor sighed softly. "Come out. I can sense the aura of the Pill Tower on you."

As soon as the Pill Tower Ancestor finished speaking, an equally illusory soul form slowly floated out of the Storage Ring on Xiao Yan's hand.

Xiao Yan was startled. If Xiao Jin had not stopped him in time, he would have nearly chopped off his own finger.

"Fuck, Brother Jin, who is this?"

Xiao Jin shook his head. He knew, but he could not say.

The Pill Tower Ancestor could only sense the aura of the Pill Tower on Yao Chen. He did not know Yao Chen's identity.

After all, by the time Yao Chen entered the Pill Tower, the Pill Tower Ancestor had already been dead for many years.

Even now, the Pill Tower Ancestor still did not understand why his own deceased soul had appeared inside Xiao Jin's Storage Ring.

Xiao Jin knew Yao Chen's identity, but he could not exactly tell everyone present that he had read the original novel, could he?

Yao Chen's soul gradually solidified, and he respectfully bowed to the Pill Tower Ancestor.

"This junior is Yao Chen. Greetings, senior."

"Yao Chen?" Xiao Jin deliberately put on an expression as if he had remembered something. "You're the Yao Chen who was once known throughout the Central Plains as the continent's number-one Alchemist?"

Yao Chen had never expected to be awakened in such a situation. He had once been the number-one Alchemist of the Central Plains, and wherever he went, he had always carried immense prestige.

Yet now, he could only bow without any dignity. "In front of senior, this junior would not dare call himself the number-one Alchemist."

After studying in the Pill Tower for many years, Yao Chen could naturally sense the unique Pill Tower aura emanating from the Pill Tower Ancestor.

"Junior, who is your teacher?"

"My teacher was Han Shanshan. I wonder if senior has ever heard of her?"

The Pill Tower Ancestor shook his head. Too much time had passed. Even the leaders of the Pill Tower had changed through countless generations, let alone its members.

"Forget it. Since you're a member of the Pill Tower, that means we're fated to meet." The Pill Tower Ancestor flicked a finger, and a vast surge of soul power flowed into Yao Chen's body, rapidly nourishing his weakened soul form.

In merely a moment, Yao Chen, who had originally been frail, had recovered to the strength of a Dou Emperor.

"Old man, don't force yourself. Otherwise, I'll have to replenish you again!" Xiao Jin panicked. You're a soul form yourself, yet you're replenishing someone else's soul power?

When you end up completely drained, won't I have to replenish your strength too?

"Look at you, getting anxious again."

After spending so much time with Xiao Jin, the Pill Tower Ancestor knew exactly how to make the little fellow lose his temper. "The soul power this old man gave him was absorbed and replenished by me personally. I don't need you to do anything."

He possessed an Emperor Realm Soul. A soul form like Yao Chen's could not possibly compare.

"Thank you, senior." Yao Chen bowed again, his heart surging with turbulent waves.

This senior's methods were simply heaven-defying. Souls could actually be used in such a marvelous way?

Before his death, Yao Chen's soul had already reached the Heaven Realm.

Even so, he did not believe he could possess such incredible abilities—to replenish someone else's soul power with a casual flick of his finger.

Could it be that this senior's soul had already reached the legendary Emperor Realm?

After they finished reminiscing, it was naturally time to settle the debt.

"Old man, you absorbed my battle qi for three years. Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" Xiao Yan's expression was unfriendly.

Was it your battle qi? And you're already reaching out for it!

Taking something without permission is stealing. With that attitude, you still call yourself the continent's number-one Alchemist?

Bah!

Yao Chen's face stiffened. "Little fellow, this matter was my fault. What compensation do you want?"

"Since you're an Alchemist, can you see whether I have the talent to become one?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up as he finally revealed his true intention.

This Map of Yan is awfully short.

Over the past three years, Yao Chen had not been constantly trapped in slumber.

He had also observed Xiao Yan's actions and tested his character.

Even if Xiao Yan had not brought it up today, he had already been considering taking him as a disciple.

But why was this boy so impatient? Could it be that he had been pretending all along?