His current state shouldn't allow him to fight, right?

Of course he could!

He could do it very well, in fact!

Xiao Yu thought to himself, but kept his expression calm. "Whether it works or not, we'll know once an alchemist takes a look."

"Where? Where is he?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan looked left and right.

Xiao Yu ran his hand across his neck and said slowly, "Brother, prepare yourself."

As he spoke, he opened a small gap in the object he had received from Xun Er.

The next second.

A gust of wind blew, and Xiao Yan felt a chill.

He looked around again, still seeing no one. Just as he was about to ask, he saw his younger brother point upward with his finger.

Xiao Yan looked up.

He froze in place!

His expression turned rigid!

A ghost?

He saw a somewhat transparent figure hovering above.

From the blurred outline, a human shape was vaguely discernible.

Gradually, the figure became clear, taking the form of an old man.

"Brother, his name is Yao Lao. He had been hiding in the ring Mother left behind. The reason my Dou Qi disappeared was because he was absorbing it," Xiao Yu explained.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression instantly recovered, turning into anger. He pointed at the figure and cursed, "You old geezer, you're so old, why don't you do anything decent?! Do you have any idea how much damage your actions have caused to my brother's young heart?!"

Thinking back, if Xiao Yu's Dou Qi hadn't mysteriously vanished.

Xiao Yan believed that with his brother's cultivation speed, while slightly inferior to his own, he certainly would have been able to enter Jia Nan Academy.

He never would have been reduced to a "trash" in the mouths of others, or become a joke discussed by all of Wutan City for years.

Putting himself in his brother's shoes, Xiao Yan couldn't imagine if he could have endured it if he had encountered such a thing!

One had to remember that while he appeared to be a youth, he was actually a grown man in his thirties.

But his brother was a true youth. All these years, Xiao Yu had appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, but who knew what his inner world was like?

It was precisely because of this that when Xiao Yan learned the old man was the culprit, his inner rage erupted.

"Brother, I haven't finished speaking yet..." Xiao Yu covered his forehead with one hand.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan turned his head and said, "Xiao Yu, continue."

"Brother, this Yao Lao has another title... Venerable Yao!" Xiao Yu's tone was somewhat heavy.

Ven... Venerable?!

Xiao Yan was dumbfounded. Was this an expert above the Dou Ancestor realm?

Such an expert was rarely seen even in Jia Nan Academy!

"Gulp..." Xiao Yan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he let out a dry laugh. "Brother, in his current state, he shouldn't be able to hit anyone, right?"

Thinking about how he had just cursed a Venerable, Xiao Yan felt a chill down his back.

My voice just now seemed a bit too loud...

Before Xiao Yu could speak, Yao Lao answered Xiao Yan with action.

A whip condensed from Dou Qi lashed against Xiao Yan again and again, sending him rolling on the ground, begging for mercy.

Whip you to death! Whip you to death! Yao Chen thought to himself while lashing out.

Although it was Xiao Yu who had imprisoned him, he dared not offend Xiao Yu—what if he got locked back in?

Therefore, he wanted to vent the anger of having been so subservient for the past year.

What to do?

Ah... here was a guy who looked just like Xiao Yu!

Good!

You're the one!

A twisted smile of release appeared on Yao Lao's face.

"That's enough!"

Finally, Xiao Yu spoke up.

He knew this old man wouldn't be reckless with his strength; teaching his brother a lesson might also keep him from getting too arrogant.

Over the past two years, his third brother had indeed become a bit conceited, relying on his own talent.

The farce ended.

The two brothers and the one soul sat down on the mountaintop.

After an examination by Yao Lao, it was determined that Xiao Yan's fire-attribute Dou Qi contained a trace of wood-attribute energy, and his soul strength was sufficiently potent, meeting the potential requirements to become an alchemist.

However, Yao Lao did not accept him as a disciple easily.

He wanted benefits, too!

Thus, Yao Lao and Xiao Yan began to negotiate terms.

Xiao Yan's stance was simple: he would accept the apprenticeship, but he absolutely refused to cultivate that so-called "evolvable" technique that was, in reality, only of low-tier Yellow rank.

He was on the verge of breaking through to the Dou Shi realm; there was no way Xiao Yan would cripple his cultivation to start over for the sake of a vague, ethereal technique.

Xiao Yu had not expected his third brother to be so unwilling to practice the Mantra of Burning.

Yet, upon careful reflection, he found he could understand.

Why had Xiao Yan wanted to practice the Mantra of Burning in the original timeline?

It was because of the three-year agreement with Nalan Yanran, which required him to grow stronger, and because of his special feelings for Xun Er, wanting to gain the recognition of her clan!

Now, neither of those things had come to pass.

"Old man, if it won't work, don't force it. Isn't your goal just to help refine a body? I'll help you with that later; just focus on teaching my big brother alchemy," Xiao Yu stepped forward to mediate.

Yao Lao glanced at him and said, "You brat, I don't believe a single word you say."

"No room for negotiation?" Xiao Yu's fingers toyed with the object in his palm.

In the end, it was Yao Lao who softened his stance; he chose to concede.

There was no other way.

Right now, he was like fish on a chopping block; to disagree meant being locked away by Xiao Yu once more.

Even though he could technically detach his soul state, his true power remained within the ring. With a single thought from Xiao Yu, he would be imprisoned again.

If he were to remain in a deep slumber, Yao Chen might have accepted it.

But the current situation was that he had already awakened, and he could not endure the loneliness of staying in the confined space of the ring.

Under Xiao Yu's coercion and enticement, Xiao Yan performed a simple apprenticeship ceremony. Yao Chen, having no choice, produced a low-tier Earth rank fire-attribute cultivation technique and gifted it to Xiao Yan.

While it was presented as an apprenticeship gift, it was, in reality, the condition Xiao Yu had negotiated the day before.

Nominally, Yao Lao was now Xiao Yu's master as well.

In the days that followed, the two brothers remained on the mountain.

With Yao Chen's guidance, Xiao Yan did not take long to switch techniques and master the new one completely.

Afterward, Xiao Yan began learning alchemy under Yao Chen.

During this period, even though Xiao Yu only listened from the sidelines without much focus, to his surprise, he still unlocked the Alchemist profession.

Host: Xiao Yu

Age: 16

Strength: Three-Star Dou Practitioner

Profession: Dou Practitioner

Sub-profession: Alchemist Lv1 (10/1000)

Available EXP: 1450

If Xiao Yu were willing, the experience points he had gained from Li Qian during this time would be enough to let him quickly master the basics and become a second-grade alchemist.

However, Xiao Yu was not interested.

While Xiao Yan was studying diligently, the preparations for the Xiao Clan's new marketplace were nearing completion.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

At the Jia Lie Clan.

Clan Leader Jia Lie Bi and the clan elders stood respectfully at the entrance.

A moment later, a young man in white walked in. The youth was somewhat handsome, but his eyes were sunken with dark circles, and the lecherous glint that flashed across his face as he scanned the Jia Lie Clan's maids ruined his appearance.

"Welcome, Master Liu." Jia Lie Bi cupped his hands, his expression deferential.

Liu Xi nodded faintly.

This arrogant demeanor caused Jia Lie Nu, the elder standing behind Jia Lie Bi, to feel a surge of anger.

A mere first-grade alchemist was far too haughty!

Jia Lie Bi, however, showed no surprise, his expression remaining unchanged as he said, "Master Liu, the medicinal herbs have all been prepared, waiting only for your arrival."

"I understand the terms you made with my master, but have you prepared the things I requested?" A lewd smile curled the corners of Liu Xi's mouth.

Jia Lie Bi nodded and said softly, "Master Liu will see once you enter the room."

The expression on Liu Xi's face softened slightly.

At this moment, Jia Lie Bi leaned in and lowered his voice, "If we can successfully suppress the Xiao Clan's marketplace, Master Liu, I will send you two more beauties from the Snake-Person Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xi's spirits lifted. He couldn't help but lick his lips, his attitude instantly becoming warm. "Clan Leader Jia Lie, where are the herbs? I want to start refining immediately!"

"Master Liu, please, this way!" Jia Lie Bi laughed and gestured with his hand.