Right, Zhang Yuan and Xiao Yan were fellow townsmen, and also transmigrators hailing from Earth.
Fifteen years ago, the Xiao Clan suffered heavy losses after encountering some mishaps, forcing them to move from the Imperial Capital to settle in this relatively remote ancestral land of the Xiao Clan in Wutan City, but on the way back to Wutan City, the Xiao Clan was ambushed by a group of unknown identities, resulting in the demise of all Dou Ling powerhouses within the clan, with only a handful of Da Dou Shi remaining.
Furthermore, Zhang Yuan's parents also died in this battle, and Xiao Yan's mother, in order to protect Zhang Yuan who had just turned one, forcefully mobilized her Dou Qi, thereby disturbing her prenatal condition, and she passed away from a severe illness a few years after giving birth to Xiao Yan.
Zhang Yuan had been excited for a long time after realizing he had transmigrated into the world of Battle Through the Heavens and shared a blood relation with Xiao Yan.
As the saying goes, better to be Xiao Yan's underling than Tang San's sworn brother.
In the Endless Fire Domain stands Old Yao, while in the God Realm Yu Xiaogang is nowhere to be seen.
Being Xiao Yan's cousin, having the same grandparents and maternal grandparents, as long as he showed care during those years when Xiao Yan was good-for-nothing, he would definitely be etched into the other's heart.
Once Xiao Yan began to rise, he would find a place to hide away in advance to avoid being caught in the crossfire when the Soul Hall targeted the Xiao Clan, and then wait until Xiao Yan became emperor and activated the Dou Emperor Bloodline to emerge again. By then, Xiao Yan would surely have pills in abundance, and following him to the Endless Fire Domain would guarantee becoming a Dou Emperor (Supreme).
He was also well aware of the fortuitous encounters in the Great Thousand World, and could intercept them before the Child of Destiny Mu Chen was even born, achieving the status of Ruler in advance!
Yet such thoughts did not linger in his mind for very long.
Having lost his parents, he could be said to have been brought up single-handedly by Xiao Zhan, and this biological uncle treated him just as well as his own biological son Xiao Yan, while Xiao Ding and Xiao Li also treated him exceptionally well.
In the Xiao Clan, his food, lodging, travel, and cultivation treatment were all up to the standard of a direct-line young master of the Xiao Clan, especially after he displayed his cultivation talent, which prompted Xiao Zhan to persuade the higher-ups of the Xiao Clan to allocate a large amount of resources to nurture him.
Perhaps the Xiao Clan had the idea of investing in him, but in all matters, judge by actions rather than intent, for without intent there are no perfectionists in this world.
He genuinely received the grace of the Xiao Clan and felt the familial warmth of Xiao Zhan and the others; this kindness had to be repaid, otherwise how would he be any different from a certain San?
Thinking of the Xiao Clan's later fate, he began to work hard at cultivation, hoping to have sufficiently powerful strength by then.
During this period, it was not as if he had never plotted against the ring on Xiao Yan's hand.
People were selfish by nature; knowing full well there was a broad and smooth path leading to a Dou Emperor, who could refuse?
Yet perhaps due to the fact that they were fellow Earthlings, Xiao Yan, who had been precocious since childhood, had an exceptionally good relationship with him. Even when he was stopped from using Xun Er to experiment with Dou Qi, and when he was interrupted while shamelessly peeping behind the mountain, no rift ever grew between them.
He had struggled internally all along, until he became a Dou Zhe at age twelve, learned that his Dou Qi attribute was lightning, the same as Xiao Li (with the setup that he possessed the Zhang family's inherited Dou Qi attribute), and activated his own cheat.
He had no use for Xiao Yan's cheat, and having acquired one of his own, he finally faced Xiao Yan with a clear conscience.
As for accidentally flirting with Xun Er and the other young ladies.
He could only say first come, first served, as matters of the heart could not be forced.
However, this secret and the matter of his transmigration were things Zhang Yuan would forever hide in the deepest recesses of his heart.
"Little Yan, what are you still standing there stupidly for?"
Zhang Yuan suddenly turned around and pushed Xiao Yan forward.
Xiao Yan was a bit dazed at first, but quickly reacted, dropping gracefully onto one knee and saying, "Master is above, please accept this disciple's bow."
Zhang Yuan had already said the other party was the continent's number one alchemist (Advanced Eighth Grade), whereas the strongest alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire, Pill King Gu He, was only sixth-grade yet enjoyed a resounding reputation.
Across the entire continent, one could hardly find a few golden thighs thicker than Old Yao. Now that the other party both owed him a favor and said he had alchemist talent, how could he not apprentice immediately?
Yao Chen: ""
Respected as Venerable Yao, he had seen countless people in his time and had only misjudged Han Feng.
Yet to encounter such shamelessly fresh and refined fellows as Zhang Yuan and Xiao Yan, it was a first.
"Fine, who am I to owe you a favor? I shall temporarily take you as an unregistered disciple, and if your performance in the future catches my eye, you may formally apprentice." Yao Chen put on airs.
Xiao Yan did not have any particular complaints either; after all, the old man before him was a Dou Zun plus an Eighth-Grade Nine-Colored Alchemist at his peak, so serving as an unregistered disciple was no loss.
"Teacher, is there a welcoming gift?" Xiao Yan extended his hand.
Yao Chen was speechless for a moment, suddenly doubting his own judgment.
Had he truly understood Xiao Yan after three years of observation?
Seeing that he did not speak, Xiao Yan added, "You absorbed your disciple's Dou Qi for three years; let that count as the disciple's apprenticeship gift. No problem, right?"
Yao Chen: ""
Back when he was backstabbed by Han Feng, he had never been as speechless as he was now.
"Take it." Yao Chen retrieved a scroll from the Bone Flame Ring.
"What is this, a Heaven Tier Dou Technique?" Xiao Yan eagerly opened the scroll.
Even Zhang Yuan could not listen any further at this point, delivering a punch to his head and saying speechlessly, "You think Heaven Tier cultivation methods grow on cabbages? Besides, you are not even a Dou Zhe yet; even if I gave you the cultivation method, you couldn't practice it."
Yao Chen nodded slightly, feeling that Zhang Yuan was more reliable, though unfortunately not suited to be his disciple.
"This is the Foundation Building Spirit Liquid Refinement Method. The Foundation Building Spirit Liquid is a special potion personally developed by me, which can assist cultivators below the Dou Zhe stage in rapidly refining Dou Qi," Yao Chen explained.
Xiao Yan's pupils shrank slightly, and Zhang Yuan also cooperated by saying in shock, "There is actually a potion that helps cultivation below the Dou Zhe stage!?"
The cultivation of Dou Qi could be called the Body Tempering Realm, primarily focusing on expanding meridians and tempering the body, strengthening the vascular channels to lay a foundation for condensing Dou Qi within the body in the future.
This cultivation procedure had to proceed step by step, without employing the slightest external force, otherwise when the Dou Qi within the body grew stronger in the future, the meridians would snap under the impact of the stronger Dou Qi.
Moreover, any kind of pill was filled with energy, and even the lowest-grade Qi Gathering Powder required someone at the nine-stage Dou Qi level to dare attempt using it.
"Heh heh~" Yao Chen stroked his beard with the demeanor of an expert.
Zhang Yuan took a deep breath, cupped his fists toward Yao Chen, and said, "On behalf of the Xiao Clan, Zhang Yuan thanks Senior."
Xiao Yan:?
"You are truly smart." Yao Chen narrowed his eyes.
"It is Senior who acts in an open and aboveboard manner," Zhang Yuan said.
"If I did not show sincerity, you probably wouldn't easily trust me," Yao Chen said meaningfully.
Zhang Yuan did not speak, while Xiao Yan, having lived two lives, had already caught on.
Yao Chen giving the "Foundation Building Spirit Liquid"—a potion capable of helping cultivators in the Body Tempering Realm—right in front of Zhang Yuan would inevitably benefit the entire Xiao Clan, which was why Zhang Yuan expressed his thanks.
And by doing so, Yao Chen was demonstrating his sincerity in having no ill intentions toward Xiao Yan.
The two sides were building preliminary trust.
Zhang Yuan was clashing with Yao Chen on behalf of himself and the Xiao Clan!
A surge of emotion welled up in Xiao Yan's heart again.
My cousin is truly so good to me; I don't even know how to repay him in the future.
Speaking of which, Cousin seems to like beauties. How about finding him a few more cousins-in-law in the future?
Zhang Yuan had no inkling of Xiao Yan's wild imagination, or else he would have split his sides laughing.
"I'll go prepare the things required on here, and I'll have to trouble Senior to make a move when the time comes." Zhang Yuan took the scroll from Xiao Yan's hand and cupped his fists at Yao Chen once more.
Yao Chen nodded slightly, simultaneously exhorting, "Junior, my existence only needs to be known by you and this makeshift disciple; it must not be told to a third person, including your closest kin."
Zhang Yuan nodded. "Senior, rest assured, I know my own limitations."
With that, Zhang Yuan grasped the scroll and left the secret chamber.
Watching his figure go, Yao Chen sighed, "Overly brilliant youths are prone to breaking."
Xiao Yan subconsciously frowned and asked, "Teacher, what do you mean by that?"
Yao Chen looked at him and said indifferently, "You're just too dimwitted; figure it out yourself."
This time it was Xiao Yan's turn to be speechless.
He knew he was a bit slower than Zhang Yuan, but that still had nothing to do with being dimwitted.
Figure it out himself then; Old Yao said not to expose his existence, while Zhang Yuan said he knew his limitations rather than understood.
Limitations!
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up as he said, "Teacher, you have a formidable enemy?"
Right. The continent's number one alchemist, as well as a formidable Dou Zun, had been reduced to the state he saw before him—that definitely didn't happen for no reason. That meant he had enemies, and those enemies were not weak either.
"Still not completely hopeless," Yao Chen said.
Xiao Yan let out a soft huff, then said, "Teacher, rest assured, once this disciple has sufficient strength in the future, I will definitely go avenge you."
The words sounded naive, yet they warmed Yao Chen's heart somewhat.
He had originally thought that once Xiao Yan figured it out, he would hesitate and feel fear, after all, that was an enemy who was both a Dou Zun and the number one alchemist, surely not someone easy to provoke—which was one of the reasons he hadn't wanted to reveal his identity at the very beginning.
Yet Xiao Yan, much like Zhang Yuan, showed not the slightest hesitation or fear.
"Heh heh, fine ambition, but a surge of hot-blooded passion alone won't suffice."
Old Yao was very satisfied with Xiao Yan's attitude, and coupled with the observations of the past three years, he decided to take a gamble.
If he won the gamble, he could be reborn and perhaps even rise to greater heights.
If he lost the gamble, it would amount to nothing more than vanishing into thin air, which was still better than lingering on in a degraded state for decades.
"If you want to avenge me, taking the conventional path simply won't work," Yao Chen said. "I happen to have a cultivation method here that is even more bizarre and special than a Heaven Tier cultivation method. I wonder if you have the ambition to practice it."
"How is it bizarre and special?" Xiao Yan's gaze heated up.
Yao Chen looked at him and said indifferently, "This cultivation method is called the Flame Mantra, and it can evolve."
(End of chapter)
[Please lift a finger and share this website to Facebook so that we can keep it running]
Before you continue