Watching Yao Lao before him, Lin Yan came to a conclusion.
The Yao Lao before him had probably never met Xiao Yan.
Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to thank Lin Yan.
He was thanking Lin Yan because the system had saved his life in a moment of crisis. So, in a sense, Lin Yan could be considered his benefactor.
By now, Lin Yan had more or less formed a plan.
"No need to thank me, Senior Yao Lao."
"Although I wasn't on the Dou Qi Continent before, I'd heard tales of your legend back in my hometown."
"Venerable Yao, Yao Chen. I've long admired your reputation."
Lin Yan smiled and cupped his hands toward Yao Lao as he spoke.
Yao Lao was a little surprised to hear this. "So, according to what you just said, young friend, you're not from here either?"
Lin Yan nodded, then said, "The way I came here was much the same as Senior Yao Lao's, except that the system belongs to me."
Yao Lao gave Lin Yan a meaningful look. "I see. Young friend, you truly are blessed with extraordinary fortune."
He had no reason to doubt Lin Yan's words, much less harbor ill intentions toward him. In fact, Yao Lao was a man who valued loyalty and gratitude. Moreover, after the system had guided him to this world, he seemed to sense, deep down, that he must not become Lin Yan's enemy. Otherwise, some kind of punishment would befall him.
"Then what are your plans now, young friend?" Yao Lao asked Lin Yan. What he most wanted to know was what Lin Yan wanted him to do and how he would treat him in the future. Until he understood that, he wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace.
"I'd like to make a deal with you, Senior Yao Lao."
Lin Yan answered him directly.
"Although bringing you here wasn't my intention, things have turned out rather well."
"I know you still have a blood feud to settle back in your hometown, Senior Yao Lao, and that for now, you're only in a spirit state."
"So I'd like to make a deal with you, Senior Yao Lao."
"Once I've grown strong enough, I'll do everything I can to help you forge a new body and return to the Dou Qi Continent. In return, all you need to do before then is use your knowledge and strength to help me with my cultivation."
"Senior Yao Lao, what do you think of this deal?"
Lin Yan gazed intently at Yao Lao, waiting for his reply.
After hearing him out, Yao Lao fell silent for a while. Then he nodded to Lin Yan. "In that case, I'll be counting on you from now on, young friend."
Lin Yan smiled and shook his head. "I'm the one who'll have to rely on you, Senior Yao Lao!"
He quickly put away the ring, got dressed, and left the stone pool.
Along the way, he also told Yao Lao about Earth and the power system of the Martial Movement World.
Yao Lao was filled with emotion.
If he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he would never have believed such things.
When they discussed the power system here, Yao Lao stroked his beard and said, "So that's how it is."
"The cultivation levels here are rather similar to ours."
"Here, it's called Body Tempering; back home, we call it Dou Qi. It seems there's not much difference in essence."
As he spoke, Yao Lao glanced at Lin Yan.
"Young friend, your body really is weak."
"If I'm not mistaken, you're only at the second level of Body Tempering, right?"
Lin Yan awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"Can't be helped. I only just arrived here."
Yao Lao nodded, then smiled at him.
"In that case, would you like to try our methods?"
Lin Yan's eyes lit up at once.
"Could it be... pills?"
Yao Lao burst out laughing. "You certainly know me well, young friend."
"However, what we'll use this time isn't a pill, but a medicinal solution."
"Your body is still too weak. If you use medicine too powerful, you might not be able to withstand it."
Lin Yan nodded. He immediately knew what kind of medicine Yao Lao intended to use.
It was the medicinal solution that had helped Xiao Yan strengthen his body early on!
Who would've thought that one day I'd get to use it too?
He repeatedly cupped his hands toward Yao Lao. "Then I'll have to trouble you, Elder."
Yao Lao spread his hands and smiled. "It's nothing."
The two of them began searching for medicinal ingredients in the Lin Family Back Mountain.
Though it was called the back mountain, it was still a remote wilderness, so medicinal herbs often grew there. There were also some demonic beasts deeper in, and they would need a beast core to make the medicinal solution.
"Mm, found it. Purple Leaf Orchid. It might not be called that here, but this is the one."
After wandering around the Back Mountain with Yao Lao for quite a while, Lin Yan finally found the first ingredient they needed.
Following Yao Lao's instructions, Lin Yan stepped forward, picked it, and put it away. Along the way, whenever they came across other useful medicinal herbs, he gathered them all as well.
They searched for a while longer, and finally found the other ingredient they needed.
"Bone Cleansing Flower. Mm, once we get this, we'll have all the ingredients we need."
Yao Lao smiled when he saw the herb.
But they soon noticed a huge leopard circling nearby.
Yao Lao's eyes lit up. "We've searched high and low, only to find it without lifting a finger!"
"The last ingredient this medicinal solution needs is a first-tier wood-type Magic Core."
"There are demonic beasts like this one back in my hometown, too. It's a first-tier wood-type beast, perfect for refining medicine."
Lin Yan, however, was in a bit of a bind.
He had only just arrived in the Martial Movement World and wasn't used to fighting yet. Besides, he was weak, only at the second level of Body Tempering. He really wasn't confident he could deal with this demonic beast.
"Hahaha, don't worry, young friend."
"It's just a little beast. I'll take care of it."
Yao Lao saw Lin Yan's predicament at a glance and laughed heartily.
Then he flicked a finger, and a slender stream of cold, white flame shot straight toward the leopard.
The flame moved incredibly fast, and once it touched the leopard, it burned fiercely.
The leopard didn't even have time to react before Yao Lao's Bone Spirit Cold Flame burned it to death, leaving only the first-tier wood-type Magic Core that he had deliberately preserved.
Yao Lao stepped forward, picked up the core, and gathered the herb before returning to Lin Yan's ring.
"Come on, young friend."
"Let's find somewhere safe and start refining the medicine!"
Lin Yan nodded and headed toward home.
But as he made his way back, he couldn't suppress the excitement surging in his heart.
If he hadn't been mistaken, Yao Lao just now had been about as powerful as when he fought Yun Shan at the Misty Cloud Sect.
Doesn't that mean I have a Dou Zong-level powerhouse protecting me now?
This is way too awesome!
Before you continue