Looking into Zhang Yuan's clear black-and-white eyes, Yao Chen was momentarily speechless.
Back then, others had begged him to accept them as disciples, waving techniques and cultivation methods before him, hoping only to befriend him or ask him to refine some pill.
But ever since encountering Zhang Yuan, he had been constantly giving things away.
He had merely secretly devoured Xiao Yan's Dou Qi for three years. Was the price really this high?
"You are not my disciple." Yao Chen put on the airs of an expert.
"Whether I am or not is just a matter of one word from you, Senior." Zhang Yuan took the initiative. "Although you cannot train me to become an Alchemist, you can still teach me cultivation. With the strength you had as a Dou Zun, I believe you can certainly teach me well."
Yao Chen:?
Did this old man need your belief?
Did this old man have to prove himself to you?
"Not just anyone can become this old man's disciple." Yao Chen continued to act lofty.
His meaning was simple: Be more proactive, kid. Say something nice, and perhaps this old man would agree.
But Zhang Yuan did not follow the usual path. Smiling, he said, "Even without the title of master and disciple, we can still have the reality of it. I will respect you just as Brother Yan does."
Yao Chen: "..."
Was that what this old man meant?
So you did not want to acknowledge a master. You just wanted to freeload.
"You little rascal." Yao Chen pointed at Zhang Yuan and laughed. "I thought you were merely clever. I did not expect you to be shameless as well. Combined with your talent, so long as you do not perish, you will surely achieve something great in the future."
Shameless was a derogatory word, but in certain situations, it was not necessarily so.
"Thank you for the praise, Senior." Zhang Yuan accepted the compliment calmly.
Yao Chen pondered for a moment, then took out two scrolls from his ring. "When others ask me to refine pills, I usually demand rare heavenly treasures and precious secret arts as payment. As for cultivation methods, I generally only accept ones related to fire and wood attributes, or some interesting attribute-less cultivation methods and Dou Techniques."
"You possess lightning-attribute Dou Qi. I only have one Mysterious Tier Mid-grade cultivation method, the Thunder Gang Formula, and one High-level Profound tier Dou Technique, the Sky Thunder Finger, that suit you."
After saying that, he tossed the two scrolls to Zhang Yuan.
"Thank you, Senior." Zhang Yuan put away the scrolls, clasped his fists deeply, and bowed.
He did not ask why Yao Chen was not giving him attribute-less cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. That would have been far too greedy.
"If there is ever anything you need from this junior, Senior, feel free to ask." Zhang Yuan's tone was solemn.
"Hahaha, interesting." Yao Chen threw back his head and laughed. "You are the first person to ask me for benefits first, then owe me a favor afterward."
"Because we are family." Xiao Yan, who had remained silent the entire time, smiled and spoke. Then he urged, "Teacher, can you refine the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill now?"
Yao Chen's smile froze.
He truly owed these two little fellows.
"Bring me the materials."
Yao Chen took out the Medicine Cauldron from his ring.
At his peak, he could refine any pill below Sixth-grade with effortless ease.
But in his current soul state, even with the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, he needed the Medicine Cauldron's assistance to refine pills.
"Little Yan, watch carefully."
After selecting the ingredients with his soul force, Old Yao began refining the pill.
One medicinal ingredient after another was placed into the Medicine Cauldron in a special sequence, refined into different states, then fused together with fire.
When the Fourth-tier Wind Elemental Core and two fourth-tier spiritual herbs were added, they stirred up powerful energy fluctuations that spread outward at once.
The Xiao Clan's Training Room was not enough to isolate such energy fluctuations, but the Xiao Clan was not the only force within the Xiao Clan.
"Miss, someone is refining a Fourth-grade Pill in the core area of the Xiao Clan." Ling Ying appeared outside Xun'er's room and reported respectfully.
Refining a Fourth-grade Pill?
Xun'er's beautiful eyes flashed as she stared blankly at the fire-attribute Magic Core bracelet.
So there truly was a Fourth-grade Alchemist, and he intended to take Xiao Yan as his disciple?
If that was the case, Brother Zhang Yuan would be able to grow much faster in the future.
"Isolate the energy fluctuations," Xun'er said to the room.
"Yes!" Ling Ying vanished.
A few breaths later, a special barrier appeared near the Training Room.
The entire process lasted roughly half an hour.
Inside the Training Room, Yao Chen not only did not feel exhausted, but became increasingly spirited. He raised a hand and released a strand of Bone Spirit Cold Fire.
The next moment, a green pill the size of a longan flew out. A white ring pattern shone steadily across the smooth surface of its Pill Body.
The pill landed before Zhang Yuan. As he pinched it between his fingers, he could clearly sense the surging energy contained within.
This was a One-pattern Green Spirit Pill. It could guarantee a Peak Dou Master's breakthrough into the Da Dou Shi realm.
"Should I continue refining the second one?" Yao Chen looked at Zhang Yuan, asking with lingering interest.
Zhang Yuan seriously suspected that this old fellow could absorb energy from pill refinement to restore his soul force.
"No rush." Zhang Yuan smiled. "Let me break through to Da Dou Shi first. Then I will assist you in refining the Two-pattern Green Spirit Pill."
"As you wish." Old Yao put away the Medicine Cauldron and looked toward Xiao Yan. "Little Yan, go fetch a bucket of water. I will refine Foundation Building Spirit Liquid for you."
Xiao Yan's eyes brightened, and he immediately ran off eagerly.
After he left, Old Yao said to Zhang Yuan, "Do you need this old man to stand guard for you?"
"No need. Senior, just take care of Brother Yan." Zhang Yuan thanked him, then took the pill to the neighboring Training Room.
After hanging a wooden sign reading "Do Not Disturb" outside the door and locking it, he walked to the center of the room and sat down on a cushion.
He did not immediately swallow the pill. Instead, he calmed his mind and used his soul to visualize the Thunder God Diagram in his mind.
An hour later, he felt that his soul force at the peak of the Mortal Realm had become somewhat fuller. Only then did he open his eyes and toss the One-pattern Green Spirit Pill into his mouth as though it were a candy bean.
The One-pattern Green Spirit Pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. Before he could react, it transformed into a surge of pure energy that rushed down his throat and spread toward his limbs and bones.
The instant that energy touched his meridians, Zhang Yuan felt a sensation that was both scorching and icy. The coldness brushed past the walls of his meridians, leaving behind a thin layer of frost.
However, the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire in his dantian surfaced on its own, refining that chill into energy that tempered his meridians.
I remember that the Green Spirit Pill absorbs the power of flames into its medicinal energy, then imitates that energy after the former before merging with it.
Zhang Yuan steadied his mind and activated the Mysterious Tier Low-grade cultivation method he was currently practicing. He controlled the vortex in his dantian to spin faster, drawing the pure white energy within his meridians toward it.
This energy seemed to possess a will of its own. It divided into countless tiny streams and charged forcefully into some of his smaller meridians.
Because he often tempered his body with lightning, each of these narrow meridians that ordinary people would never develop was extremely tough and capable of withstanding the rampaging energy.
But Zhang Yuan felt that this speed was still too slow. He directly mobilized the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire to devour the energy, then led it into his dantian and merged it with the nearly fully liquefied silver-purple vortex.
Under the infusion of the Green Spirit Pill's energy, the vortex representing his Dou Master cultivation grew increasingly solid. The liquid energy within it, already swollen to its limit, continued to increase and compress.
As time slowly passed, a silver-purple Dou Qi Gauze emerged over Zhang Yuan's body, constantly twisting and solidifying.
When thirty percent of the energy had been refined, Zhang Yuan felt that the vortex in his dantian had become completely saturated, reaching the limit of what it could contain, and had begun to compress on its own.
Gaseous energy could transform into higher-grade liquid energy. Naturally, liquid energy could advance further and be compressed into solid energy.
This so-called solid energy was precisely the secret behind Da Dou Shi experts being able to summon Dou Qi Armor that resembled a physical substance.
At this moment, a phantom formed at the very core of the vortex in Zhang Yuan's dantian. The liquid energy within the vortex flowed into it at a speed visible to the naked eye, transforming into solid cores brimming with immense energy.
Boom!
With the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire's support, the liquid energy gradually disappeared. In its place was a thumb-sized silver-purple crystal containing terrifying power, floating within his dantian.
A Dou Zhe could already look inward. Zhang Yuan naturally saw the silver-purple diamond-shaped crystal clearly and understood that his breakthrough had succeeded completely, because this crystal was the most crucial thing required to become a Da Dou Shi.
Dou Crystal!
Dear readers, tomorrow's follow-up reading is extremely important for this book's performance. This little author will upload two chapters at midnight, so please catch up to the latest chapter during the day if you have time. Many thanks!
(End of Chapter)
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