Yao Lao's Sigh: Times Have Changed

Xiao Yan's talent was simply too astonishing. Even as an eighth-tier alchemist, Yao Lao was left shaken after one shock piled atop another.

Whether it was Dou Qi cultivation or Dou Technique training, Xiao Yan possessed heaven-defying comprehension. In alchemy, he had been able to wield his own power as naturally as an arm on his very first attempt.

But Blood Burning was a fourth-tier medicinal liquid!

Yet Xiao Yan had actually resolved the severe pain caused by using Blood Burning.

Such terrifying comprehension became the final straw that crushed Yao Lao's ability to endure.

Although Xiao Yan knew the ingredients and had seen the finished product for some time—

To deduce the effects of the prescription from the materials and a light sniff, then devise a way to neutralize it in such a short time—

Did that not prove even more clearly that his comprehension was heaven-defying?

That was precisely why Yao Lao felt so utterly shocked.

The rapid improvement in his physical condition caused Xiao Yan's body to begin frantically absorbing the energy of heaven and earth.

His strength as a five-star Fighter began breaking through once again...

Watching more and more energy of heaven and earth gather around him, Chun Ying and the other three girls covered their cherry lips with their jade-like hands in surprise.

The four exchanged glances, set the empty jade bottles in their hands beside the bed, then lightly climbed down and left the bedroom.

Early the next morning, Xiao Yan was refreshed as he practiced Stellar Transformation and Reincarnation Tribulation in the small courtyard.

The completely different principles behind the two techniques made Xiao Yan feel that something was missing as he practiced them.

Stellar Transformation concentrated power into a single point. It was too rigid. After one strike, it would leave him in a period of weakness. If the attack failed to land, he could easily be defeated by a counterattack.

Reincarnation Tribulation entirely used an opponent's force against them. It was too yielding. It relied wholly on the opponent's strength. If the opponent's attack was too powerful or too fast, surpassing the limit of what could be redirected, it would also be restricted.

After pondering through the night, Yao Lao finally gained some insight.

He had once been extremely curious about Xiao Yan's physique, which cultivated automatically, and had never been able to figure out what sort of physique it was.

Now, although he still did not know what kind of physique Xiao Yan possessed, he had gained some understanding of its characteristics.

Comprehension—comprehension at a heaven-defying level!

Xiao Yan was talented to an indescribable degree, which was why he could perceive the whole from the smallest details.

Wanting Xiao Yan to suffer hardship was truly rather unrealistic.

Extending his soul perception from the ring and watching Xiao Yan enjoy the service of the little maids again, Yao Lao could not help sighing. Times... had changed.

Back when he and Feng Xian had cultivated to become Dou Venerate experts, their journey had been filled with countless hardships, and they had faced several life-and-death crises.

Although there had been quite a few geniuses of their generation, without the tempering that he and Feng Xian had experienced, they had either fallen or ultimately faded into obscurity.

"Six-star Fighter!" Xiao Yan clenched his fist, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes.

He had only officially begun cultivating a technique a few days ago, yet his progress had already been so swift.

Once he truly encountered the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame, fusing them would surely be as easy as turning his hand.

"This is all thanks to the effects of my Blood Burning."

After the maids left, Yao Lao's voice sounded in Xiao Yan's heart.

Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. "Teacher, you actually have the nerve to say that."

"If I had not noticed that the medicinal power of Blood Burning was extremely violent and used my years of Dou Qi cultivation methods to guide its medicinal power into tempering my body, the Xiao Clan would probably have been filled with pig-slaughtering screams all night long."

Damn it, he really had heaven-defying comprehension. He could even pull that off! Yao Lao could not help swearing inwardly.

"I was testing you." Yao Lao gave a light cough. "Without suffering a little, how could your strength surpass those of the same rank? And how would you fuse with strange flames in the future?"

Xiao Yan merely smiled without speaking. Fusing a strange flame at the Dou Master level was indeed a near-death experience, but what if he raised his strength to the Dou King or Dou Emperor level?

With a massive increase in strength, a body-tempering technique, the improved Flame Mantra, and upgraded auxiliary items, he refused to believe it would still be the same!

Yao Lao said seriously, "You have already used up the Blood Burning. If you wish to maintain this rate of cultivation, you will need to buy the ingredients again."

"With the Blood Coagulation Powder I refined yesterday, that will be easy. I was just about to make a trip to the Mittel Auction House." Xiao Yan smiled faintly.

Yao Lao asked doubtfully, "I recall that your Xiao Clan has its own marketplace. Why not let the Xiao Clan sell it?"

"If I let the Xiao Clan sell it, they can still help me search for Blood Burning ingredients for now. But things such as beast flames are beyond the Xiao Clan's ability." Xiao Yan shook his head.

Once he advanced to Dou Emperor, the effects of the Dou Emperor bloodline would elevate the strength of the entire Xiao Clan.

Rather than fighting desperately now, he might as well drink tea, nurture his health, and live peacefully for a few more years.

Moreover, Soul Hall had likely already extended its reach into the Jia Ma Empire. With one genius like him already drawing enough attention, there was no need to further provoke Soul Hall.

The Xiao Clan's tragedy would never be allowed to repeat itself.

Yao Lao said slowly, "You have a point. If you hand it over to the Xiao Clan, it will have to pass through several hands before eventually returning to the Mittel Auction House."

"After you leave the Mittel Auction House, I will take you to the Magical Beast Mountains. It is time to teach you the Dou Technique of the Black Heavy Ruler."

"So soon?" Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised.

He was only a six-star Fighter now. If he began learning Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler at this point, even if his cultivation technique advanced to the low Xuan rank, using that Earth-rank Dou Technique would still be somewhat difficult.

"Soon? Your breakthrough speed is what is truly fast. It has not even been ten days since you began cultivating a technique." Yao Lao was somewhat speechless.

According to the cultivation plan Yao Lao had made for Xiao Yan, it should not have progressed so quickly.

But given how things were developing, if he did not bring out Flame Splitting Tsunami Ruler now, in a few more days it would likely not amount to much in Xiao Yan's eyes.

Xiao Yan raised a hand and touched the flame mark hidden beneath his black hair. He was a genius to begin with.

After reaching the Fighter level, without any resource assistance and while cultivating a low Yellow-rank technique, he had risen to a four-star Fighter within a few months.

Now that he possessed heaven-defying comprehension, if there were no major changes, he might as well call it loser-tier comprehension.

After telling the maids to cultivate properly at home, Xiao Yan left the house and headed straight for the Mittel Auction House.

A short while later, at the reception hall of the Mittel Auction House.

The neat room was lined with jade bottles, each containing the Blood Coagulation Powder refined by Xiao Yan.

The medicinal paste was blood-red, and a rich, unusual fragrance drifted from it, refreshing the mind.

Looking at the medicinal paste inside the jade bottles, Gu Ni, a second-tier alchemist, could not help feeling surprised. What high-quality healing medicine.

Although its value was not particularly high even so, an entire roomful of Blood Coagulation Powder was still no small profit for the Mittel Auction House.

"Your alchemy skills are truly admirable, sir. You refined so much high-quality healing medicine in a single day. Your alchemy ability is likely comparable to that of some fifth-tier alchemists." After studying the jade bottle in his hand once more, Gu Ni praised him sincerely.