Xiao Zhan had just spoken, mentioning the words "distinguished guest."
Xiao Ze immediately realized that the plot was about to enter its main event: the breaking off of the engagement, the Three-Year Agreement.
According to the original plot, Xiao Yan would encounter Medicine Elder at this time, then rise against the odds with a cheat-like advantage.
But the problem was that both the Storage Ring and Medicine Elder had already been intercepted by him. The original course of events had changed.
Xiao Ze was also curious. He wondered which direction the plot would take next.
"Father, I understand." Xiao Ze nodded and agreed, then left the Xiao Family's Back Mountain with Xiao Zhan.
As they headed back to the Xiao Family's inner courtyard, Xiao Zhan seemed to want to speak several times along the way.
He wanted to ask where the Wind Attribute Cultivation Method Xiao Ze had given him had come from. This was an Earth-tier cultivation method, no trivial matter.
There was not a single Earth-tier cultivation method in all of Wutan City. Even high-level Mystic-tier cultivation methods and Dou Skills were extremely rare, let alone Earth-tier ones.
Even in the Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire, or in a place like the Misty Cloud Sect, cultivation methods and Dou Skills of this level were not something one could find everywhere.
They were still exceedingly rare.
Yet when the question reached his lips, Xiao Zhan forcibly swallowed it back. In the end, he did not voice the doubts in his heart.
After returning to his room, he passed Xiao Yan's bedroom and saw that the candlelight inside was still burning.
Clearly, Xiao Yan had not gone to sleep yet. Inside the room, Xiao Yan felt excited and exhilarated. He had not expected his younger brother Xiao Ze to be telling the truth—his cultivation talent had truly returned. The Dou Qi he cultivated this time had not leaked away. It had genuinely been absorbed into his body.
At this rate, he would surely reclaim his former glory and earn everyone's respect once more!
Xiao Ze returned to his own room. After three days of cultivation and completing System Panel tasks, his realm had risen to the strength of a nine-star Dou Zhe. He was only one final step away from the Dou Shi realm.
Today was the day three days later.
A distinguished guest had arrived at the Xiao Family.
With the famous engagement-breaking scene about to unfold, Xiao Ze was quite excited. He promptly tidied himself up and prepared to leave for the main hall.
Just then, Medicine Elder within the black ring on his hand floated out. Looking at Xiao Ze, he said, "Kid, I never expected that in merely a few days, you would reach the strength of a nine-star Dou Zhe. Your talent is indeed even more astonishing than I imagined!"
Yao Chen sighed again. He had roamed the continent for so many years and seen countless geniuses, yet someone with talent as astounding as Xiao Ze had never appeared before. He had never even heard of one!
Oh, no—that was not quite right. There had been one person whose cultivation talent was truly incredible.
Even Medicine Elder had felt inferior to him and admired him deeply.
His name was Xiao Xuan.
He was the ancestor of the Xiao Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans. Once, he had been a half-step Dou Di.
After a thousand years had passed on the Douqi Continent, this name might have been unfamiliar to many young people. But to many old monsters still alive in this world, it was anything but unfamiliar.
To the Soul Clan, he was even more of a nightmare.
Other than Xiao Xuan, Xiao Ze was undoubtedly the most monstrously talented person Yao Chen had ever seen.
Thus, the thought of taking him as a disciple arose on the spot.
Perhaps with this disciple, he might be able to revive in the future.
He still had far too many things left undone.
He did not want to continue existing in this world as a soul body, barely clinging to life.
He wanted to live again!
To revive, he needed a powerful soul body and the rank of an Alchemist.
With Xiao Ze's talent, coupled with his guidance, he could certainly train him into the continent's number one Alchemist. Yao Chen had absolute confidence in this.
"Kid, this old man wishes to take you as my disciple and teach you alchemy. Are you interested?"
"After observing you these past few days, your character, talent, and cultivation speed all far surpass Xiao Yan's."
"To be honest, even after roaming the continent for so many years in my prime, I have never seen anything like it."
"If you are interested, I will impart all my Dou Skills, cultivation methods, and alchemy knowledge to you without holding anything back."
Xiao Ze believed every word Yao Chen said.
Compared to Tang San's teacher Yu Xiaogang from Douluo, Medicine Elder was the kind of teacher who would never hesitate to give good things to his disciple.
And even after being betrayed by his treacherous disciple Han Feng, he had still retained the ability to trust disciples. That was truly rare.
Had he not been betrayed, Yao Chen might have entered the Half-Saint realm long ago.
He would not have fallen into his current miserable state, neither human nor ghost, hiding within a Storage Ring and surviving by absorbing faint traces of Dou Qi.
As for Medicine Elder's proposal to take him as a disciple,
Xiao Ze was not especially interested.
He was bound to Xiao Ze's panel, so there was naturally no need to worry about his cultivation speed. No one could surpass him.
But then again, when it came to talent in alchemy, Medicine Elder was absolutely leagues ahead of anyone else on the continent.
Just then, a new task appeared on the System Panel.
[Current Task: Yao Chen has developed appreciation and recognition for the host. Establish a master-disciple relationship and obtain the opportunity of the fated protagonist.] [Task Reward: Breakthrough to the Dou Shi realm.] [Accept task? Please choose.]
Seeing the newly released task on the System Panel, Xiao Ze immediately accepted it. "System, I choose to accept the task."
After making his choice, he looked at Medicine Elder before him and said,
"Teacher, I am willing to learn alchemy from you."
"Hahaha, good! I never thought that I, Yao Chen, would be able to accept a disciple of such astonishing talent in my lifetime. Good, good, good! My life has not been in vain!"
Yao Chen had taken Xiao Ze as his disciple partly because he cherished talent. Xiao Ze's aptitude far surpassed that of Xiao Yan and even his eldest disciple, Han Feng.
The other reason was selfishness. To revive, he needed someone with absolute ability to help refine a body for him and bring him back to life.
He believed Xiao Ze was the best possible choice.
Yao Chen said excitedly, "Good disciple, from this day onward, our fates are bound together. You are my, Yao Chen's, final disciple!"
"As your teacher, I will now refine a medicinal pill for you to help you break through the barrier of Dou Zhe and enter the Dou Shi realm!"
Yao Chen was searching through his memories, wondering which medicinal pill would be best for helping Xiao Ze break through to Dou Shi. Yet at that moment, his expression froze. He stood there dumbfounded, thinking he had seen wrongly.
[Current Task: Establish a master-disciple relationship with Yao Chen.] [Task Reward: Breakthrough to the Dou Shi realm.] [Reward successfully issued.] [The host's current strength has entered the Dou Shi realm.]
At the System Panel's prompt, Xiao Ze immediately checked himself. Sure enough, his strength had entered the Dou Shi realm. He had just broken through the barrier of Dou Zhe.
Medicine Elder's expression immediately froze. He suddenly sensed something.
Xiao Ze's aura had abruptly surged by a tremendous amount. He wondered, What is going on? Why has Xiao Ze's strength suddenly risen so sharply?
To his astonishment, Xiao Ze had already reached the Dou Shi realm.
"What?!"
Yao Chen's expression changed dramatically. He had not expected this disciple's talent to be even greater than he had imagined. He had just been planning to refine a medicinal pill to help Xiao Ze break through, but Xiao Ze had already broken through? In that brief moment just now? It was utterly unbelievable! Such terrifying talent!
"Hahaha, as expected of my, Yao Chen's, disciple. His talent is actually this strong!" Yao Chen said excitedly.
After Xiao Ze reached the Dou Shi realm, he steadied himself before leaving his room and heading outside.
He found Xiao Xun'er waiting for him at the door.
"Brother Xiao Ze, are you ready? Let's go. Everyone in the family has already gone to the main hall. I heard today's distinguished guest is Nalan Yanran, who has had a marriage agreement with Xiao Yan since childhood."
Before you continue