As Xuan Yi's hands moved continuously, the room grew exceptionally quiet. Xuan Yi focused on teaching Xiao Yan, while Xiao Yan immersed himself completely in absorbing the knowledge of alchemy.
No matter how extraordinarily gifted a genius might be, on the path of an alchemist, they could never bypass the wisdom accumulated by countless predecessors. Every powerful alchemist had learned broadly from many schools. Xiao Yan had taken many fewer detours because he had Yao Lao as his teacher, but beyond the eighth tier, Xiao Yan could not simply follow Yao Lao's rules completely. Yao Lao had made this clear to him long ago. Xiao Yan could only be Xiao Yan; he could not become a second Yao Chen.
During Xiao Yan's time with Yao Lao, he had occasionally heard Yao Lao mention fragments of his own experiences learning alchemy. Yao Lao's path had not been as smooth as Xiao Yan's, and he had suffered greatly while studying alchemy. Yet whenever he recalled learning at his teacher's side, Yao Lao still felt happy.
Yao Lao had also mentioned that he had a junior brother, though their relationship was like fire and water. He had told Xiao Yan that if he encountered him, he could strike without hesitation. Yet for all this time, Xiao Yan had never encountered anyone who could be called Venerable Yao's junior brother.
In truth, Yao Lao's identity had always been shrouded in mystery. Most people in the Central Plains knew only of Venerable Yao's legend; few ever investigated what had happened before that legend began. Xiao Yan had a feeling that his teacher's background was a thorn in his heart, one that could not easily be pulled out.
As for Tang Huo'er, though she was suffering terribly from the torment of thunder and fire energy, she