Achieving Second Rank

[Target: A moderately famous Tier 2 Alchemist.]

[Cultivation: Three-Star Dou Grandmaster.]

[Cultivation Method: Fire Expelling Mantra, Xuan-tier Intermediate.]

[Dou Technique: ...]

[Alchemy: Tier 2.]

[Constitution: None.]

[Copy Time: Twenty minutes.]

[Hint: Selecting Alchemy will also grant the target's soul power.]

[Confirm copy?]

"There's such a good deal! Copy!"

Xiao Lei had originally assumed he would need to copy twice to obtain both the alchemy skills and the soul power, but he hadn't expected one go to be enough.

"Twenty minutes. I hope you can hold out!"

Xiao Lei looked at Guni with a hint of sympathy, staring so intensely that Guni began to feel a prickle of unease.

"Senior, why don't we start by chatting about alchemy? I'm still not very familiar with it!"

Xiao Lei spoke respectfully, giving Guni plenty of face. Alchemists were all arrogant fellows; letting the other party show off would surely make the twenty minutes pass by in a flash.

"Then let us start from the grading of alchemists!" Guni fell for it, hook, line, and sinker, and began to boast. Xiao Lei chimed in from the side, and being praised by such a genius, Guni's vanity was immensely satisfied.

"..."

A long while later.

[Copy remaining: Two minutes.]

Guni began to feel that something was wrong. At first, he just felt uncomfortable because Xiao Lei kept staring at him, but later, his body began to itch and feel restless, which he initially thought he could endure.

That was until a surging sensation erupted within his body...

"Little Friend Xiao Lei, why don't we check your Dou Qi attribute first?" Guni braced his lower body, his voice even changing tone.

He couldn't wait to rush to the restroom to properly relieve himself!

"Don't be in such a rush, Master. We were just talking about pill formulas. Please, continue, I'm in no hurry!"

Xiao Lei looked at the countdown, which showed only two minutes remaining; there was no way he was letting Guni leave now.

If it were anyone else, Guni would have likely left immediately to dash to the restroom, but Xiao Lei was different. Whether out of consideration for Ya Fei or Xiao Lei's talent, Guni felt it wouldn't be appropriate to just walk away.

[Copy successful. Host has become a Tier 2 Alchemist and possesses soul power comparable to Guni.]

As the system's voice faded, a flood of information poured into his mind.

Although this wasn't his first time copying, Xiao Lei was still incredibly excited. This was just too satisfying—getting something for nothing, effortlessly acquiring alchemy skills that others had spent countless years cultivating.

"Is Senior Guni feeling unwell? If so, let's stop here for today and have a long talk another day!" Xiao Lei looked at Guni, whose complexion had changed due to his efforts to hold it in, and nearly laughed out loud.

Fortunately, Xiao Lei had undergone professional training...

Upon hearing this, Guni felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He didn't even see Xiao Lei out, heading straight for the restroom instead.

At a high vantage point in the Mittal Auction House, Ya Fei had found a secluded spot with a good view, her gaze locked firmly on the room where Xiao Lei and Guni were located.

Then, she witnessed Guni emerging while clutching his buttocks...

It wasn't that Guni wanted to clutch them, but if he didn't, something might have come out at any moment!

As the old saying goes: one who holds their urine walks like the wind, but one who holds their stool can barely take a step.

Although Guni wanted to fly to the restroom immediately, every time he took a slightly larger step, it felt as if something was about to drop out of his body.

In the end, Guni could only hobble toward the restroom, wiggling along.

However, to Ya Fei—especially with certain thoughts already lingering in her mind—this scene was packed with information.

"Why is Master Guni clutching his buttocks? Could it be..."

"Master Guni was actually willing to sacrifice himself to this extent for my sake! This..."

As the person involved, Xiao Lei, unable to find Ya Fei anywhere, could only leave a message for her to help him prepare a Storage Ring and a pill cauldron before taking his leave.

Having already broken away from the Xiao Clan, Xiao Lei naturally wasn't going to return to his dilapidated shack to live.

The Xiao Clan hadn't shown him any great kindness, and the clan was rife with trouble—whether it was the trouble of the three-year agreement in two years' time, or the Soul Clan's covetous eyes on the Tou She Ancient God Jade, both were extremely troublesome matters.

It wasn't that Xiao Lei was worried he couldn't resolve them when the time came; with the miraculous nature of the system, there seemed to be ways to solve everything. But as the saying went, Xiao Lei didn't owe the Xiao Clan anything.

Without a single cent to his name, Xiao Lei decided to go settle some scores first, and incidentally, find some money for lodging.

Xiao Lei had spent many years in Wutan City. After awakening the system, being beaten up by mercenaries could be understood as them feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, but even before awakening the system, Xiao Lei had often clashed with these mercenaries.

Xiao Lei being a member of the Xiao Clan was just a name; he had no strength and no elders to back him, so those mercenaries never held back when they laid hands on him.

And so, the mercenaries in Wutan City were met with their own personal disaster; a five-star Dou Grandmaster going all out against a bunch of mercenaries was something entirely beyond their expectations.

Even though Xiao Lei had yet to cultivate any technique, he was still making a group of mercenaries howl in agony, and as he unleashed the Sucking Palm, he could even draw the blood right out of those with lower cultivation levels.

By dusk, Xiao Lei returned from outside the city, looking quite leisurely, though his hands were now filled with a stack of cards used for storing gold coins.

Gold coins were incredibly heavy, and if mercenaries carried them on their persons, they wouldn't be able to go anywhere at all. However, these people lacked the qualifications to own storage rings, so these cards specifically designed for storing gold coins came into existence.

"Now that I have money, I can't refine pills without a medicine cauldron, so there's no need to buy medicinal herbs. Besides, this amount of money wouldn't buy much anyway. I'll just find an inn to rest for now."

Xiao Lei was temporarily at a loss regarding the money situation, which reminded him of that cave in Green Mountain Town.

According to the original records, it seemed to contain hundreds of thousands of gold coins, as well as Dou Techniques and maps.

"It seems there is still some time before Xiao Yan cultivates the Flame Mantra. Should I go and claim those resources first?"

The map fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was also extremely important. After all, it concerned the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, and since Xiao Lei had already decided to cultivate the Flame Mantra, he naturally had to get his hands on that map fragment.

As he walked, Xiao Lei suddenly spotted a figure in a simple white dress approaching him rapidly from the distance.

"Xiao Yu? What is this little girl looking for me for? Does she miss me? We only just met, didn't we!"

Could it be that my charm has already reached such a level!

Thinking of this, Xiao Lei couldn't help but narcissistically run a hand through his hair.

Regardless, his appearance in this life was no weaker than his previous one, and even the ragged clothes he wore couldn't stop this handsomeness from captivating others!

Watching Xiao Yu get closer and closer, Xiao Lei spread his arms, already prepared for her to rush into his embrace.

The result...

Xiao Yu rushed up to Xiao Lei, her right palm raised high above her head, before bringing it down swiftly, striking straight at Xiao Lei's chest.

"You heartless wretch--!"