Corporate Culture

Children were still children. Give them a little sweetness and care, and they would treat you as someone to rely on.

Little did they know that the only person in this world they could rely on was themselves.

Hun Xuzi's heart remained cold, unchanged in the slightest by Yao Yan's words. Having broken through to Seven Star Dou Sheng in just a few hundred years, he had long seen through the truth of this world. Everything was fake; only one's own strength was real. In fact, only when your strength was high enough could even your words become true.

He looked at the "naive and ignorant" Yao Yan and smiled, his tone growing even gentler. "With your current strength, you are already capable of going back for revenge. But after taking revenge, have you considered what path you should take next?"

"Didn't Teacher say... that I should return to the Soul Clan?"

Yao Yan asked in surprise.

A strange gleam flashed through Hun Xuzi's eyes as he slowly said, "Among the enemies you wish to kill is one with a Rank 6 Bloodline. You should have heard his name as well—Yao Ding, the genius who rose to prominence in Pill Cauldron City a few years ago. He was the one who consumed that Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng that should have belonged to you. If your father had not been intercepted and killed back then, and had brought it back for you, perhaps that title of genius would have fallen upon you."

"..."

Yao Yan fell silent at those words. His gaze gradually turned dark and furious, his fists clenched tight. His body even began to tremble slightly from the intensity of his emotions.

Hatred was always the best weapon.

Hun Xuzi narrowed his eyes and continued, "Once you kill him, the entire Yao Clan will certainly be alerted. If the Soul Clan receives you back at that time, it will inevitably provoke conflict between the two clans. That does not serve the Soul Clan's interests, nor will the Soul Clan go to war with the Yao Clan for one person. But you need not worry. I have already arranged everything to help you escape."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, using Nihility Devouring Flame to distort space and retrieve a small jade token from within. Silver light flowed across its surface, flickering unsteadily like breathing.

"This is a Teleportation Jade Token that only a Dou Zun can create. I added a little something extra to it, enough to interfere with those old fellows from the Yao Clan tracking your whereabouts. Weren't you interested in the Black-Corner Region? Once you have taken your revenge, crush it, and it will teleport you there."

"You can train in the Black-Corner Region for a few years. Once the storm surrounding this matter has settled, I will bring you back to the Soul Clan."

Yao Yan raised a hand to catch the jade token, then clasped his fists and bowed deeply to Hun Xuzi. "Thank you, Teacher."

"Since you call me Teacher, it is only natural that I make some plans for you."

Hun Xuzi raised a hand to help Yao Yan up, wearing the air of a proper teacher. Yet in his current Soul Body state, he looked eerie and terrifying, entirely lacking the bearing of a venerable elder.

After saying this, he looked over the pills and medicinal ingredients around them and smiled.

"Enough of that. Since I happen to be free today, I will teach you some advanced Alchemy Techniques. Watch carefully. Even if you do not understand them, commit them to memory for now. Once your soul has completely absorbed the Spirit Crystal and entered the Spiritual Realm, you will naturally understand the purpose of these techniques. Refining high-grade pills is not about rigidly following a formula. You need to grasp the spirituality of every medicinal ingredient..."

With a wave of his hand, he gathered medicinal ingredients from all around and tossed them all into the medicine cauldron. As black flames burned, the essences of several hundred ingredients were extracted in an instant.

Compared to Yao Yan's restrained style, Hun Xuzi carried himself entirely like an Alchemist Grandmaster, grand and unrestrained.

As the sub-flame of Nihility Devouring Flame surged, one Fifth Grade Elk Essence Stabilizing Pill after another flew out from the medicine cauldron as though they were being produced wholesale. A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, while the Energy Ripples produced during the refinement of the Fifth Grade Pills were all devoured by the sub-flame of Nihility Devouring Flame.

To Hun Xuzi, Fifth Grade Pills were no different from low-grade pills, like an adult solving elementary school problems.

Yao Yan watched in fascination. Only an alchemist could understand just how high Hun Xuzi's alchemy had reached. Setting aside his character, Solely Discuss his alchemy, Hun Xuzi was unquestionably one of the greatest figures on the entire Dou Qi Continent.

As expected of a genius alchemist taught by the Pill Tower Master.

At that moment, Yao Yan was like a sponge clinging to Hun Xuzi, absorbing every bit of nourishment he could.

This teaching and learning continued for more than half a month.

Only then did Hun Xuzi withdraw this Soul Body, seemingly having nothing left to teach. Anything beyond this was already beyond Yao Yan's realm of comprehension. What he had force-fed Yao Yan were the foundational alchemy methods and advanced techniques the Pill Tower Master had taught him back then. These were enough to carry Yao Yan all the way to Rank 8 Alchemist. Beyond that, it would depend on Yao Yan himself.

A Rank 9 Alchemist could never be taught into existence. Different alchemists had different paths.

Yao Yan respectfully saw Hun Xuzi off, then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, sorting through the gains of the past half month. Solely Discuss his teaching ability, Hun Xuzi was absolutely terrible. Fortunately, Yao Yan had considerable talent in alchemy and could withstand Hun Xuzi's force-feeding style. If an ordinary dull-witted person had tried to learn from him, they would probably have gone stupid on the spot.

He spent half a day meditating and adjusting, organizing all the knowledge he had absorbed. His Soul Power was quite good; otherwise, he truly would not have been able to remember it all.

"Ying ying~"

Ling Er, who had been huddled in a corner for nearly half a month, was now curled up in Yao Yan's arms. Blinking her emerald eyes, she let out a soft cry, as if saying: Do you know how I've spent the past half month?

Before Hun Xuzi's Soul Body, she had practically played dead.

"You little glutton."

Yao Yan took out a Flora Essence pill and stuffed it into her mouth, silencing her complaints. At the same time, he stroked her smooth skin as he considered the road ahead.

Revenge was certain. Whether or not Yao Ding truly had this enmity with him, he had to die!

If he did not kill him, Hun Xuzi would surely grow suspicious and think something was wrong with him.

At the same time,

killing Yao Ding would also completely sever his ties with the Yao Clan and might even make him wanted by them. However, to Yao Yan, who had the Soul Clan behind him, these were all minor problems. Afterward, he would flee far away to the Black-Corner Region. By the time he returned, perhaps many years would have passed, and the Yao Clan likely would not have many people who still remembered him.

Still, Hun Xuzi caring about his wishes came as something of a surprise. It seemed that letting him know he was interested in the Black-Corner Region had been the right choice.

The only thing Yao Yan had not expected was that Hun Xuzi did not intend to send him to the Soul Clan first.

That was a little hard to understand.

After all, Hun Xuzi had previously been obsessed with making him fuse with the Soul Clan's Dou Di Essence Blood, even the Dou Di Essence Blood of every clan. Now, something unexpected seemed to have happened. Yet this was clearly more beneficial to Yao Yan. Compared with the Soul Clan, the Black-Corner Region was better suited to his current circumstances.

He could even use his status as Hun Xuzi's eldest disciple to try and take control of the Soul Hall in the Northwest Region.

"Heh heh~"

A playful gleam flashed through Yao Yan's eyes as he imitated Hun Xuzi and let out a strange laugh. He would inevitably have dealings with the Soul Hall in the future, so it was necessary to learn in advance.

This was the Soul Hall's corporate culture!

However, that strange laugh frightened Ling Er badly, making her ears stand straight up.

PS: Thanks to Dark Night Ghost for the generous tip. Many thanks.