Taking a Master

Xie Tianxiao watched the conversation between Xiao Yan and Yao Chen from the side, then shook his head and thought to himself:

With Xiao Yan's current knowledge, if he knew Medicine Elder's identity, he'd probably just think the man was a fraud.

The current Xiao Yan was not the Flame Emperor Xiao Yan, renowned across the entire continent.

He was merely Xiao Yan, an ordinary person with only four stages of Dou Qi who knew absolutely nothing about cultivation or alchemy.

It was precisely because Xiao Yan was like this that he had no conflict of interest with Xie Tianxiao, allowing Xie Tianxiao to refrain from interfering with Xiao Yan's series of attempts to take a master.

"Since you're willing, then perform the ceremony of becoming my disciple."

Medicine Elder crossed his legs atop a bluestone and beckoned Xiao Yan over. His meaning was obvious.

"I still have to perform a ceremony?"

Xiao Yan froze for a moment.

"Of course. You think one empty sentence is enough to make this old man teach you everything he knows? Keep dreaming."

Medicine Elder rolled his eyes. Clearly, this somewhat old-fashioned old man cared greatly about the relationship between master and disciple.

"Fine."

In order to become a respected alchemist, Xiao Yan hurriedly knelt down and respectfully said to Medicine Elder, "Master."

"Mm, get up."

Medicine Elder nodded with great satisfaction, then added, "I know you were unwilling to take me as your master because you feared I might mean you harm or force you to do something."

"And I do indeed have something I need you to do."

"Ah? There really is?"

Xiao Yan was stunned, then his face immediately crumpled.

"What are you panicking for? Let this old man finish!"

Medicine Elder glared at Xiao Yan and continued, "But don't worry. Since you've become my disciple, I definitely won't make you do anything beyond your abilities or anything that endangers your life."

"By the time you can do that, you'll at least be a Dou Emperor."

"So you don't need to worry that I'll harm you."

Seeing Xiao Yan's expression relax considerably, Medicine Elder smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Alright."

Xiao Yan shrugged and did not ask further. He would learn about it sooner or later, so there was no need to rush.

"By the way, Master, what rank alchemist are you?" Xiao Yan suddenly asked.

Alchemists on the Battle Qi Continent were divided into ranks one through nine, with rank one being the lowest and rank nine the highest. Dan King Gu He, whose name shook the Jia Ma Empire, was a rank six alchemist!

"What, would you disdain your master if my rank is too low?"

Medicine Elder stared at Xiao Yan with wide eyes.

"Uh, no, of course not. I was just curious."

"After all, I'm your disciple now, yet I don't even know what rank you are. Isn't that a little too pathetic?"

Xiao Yan scratched his head and hurriedly explained.

"I'm not telling you my rank yet, lest you become too proud and lose yourself in complacency."

Medicine Elder shook his head, then said blandly, "But you only need to know that trash who calls himself the Dan King is nothing more than garbage to me."

Good heavens, he had called even the Dan King garbage. What kind of master had he taken?

Xiao Yan swallowed and did not dare ask any more questions for the moment.

"Though I'm sorry to interrupt the conversation between master and disciple, Yao Chen, you haven't forgotten who used a stalk of Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva to help you recover, have you?"

At that moment, Xie Tianxiao's voice came from the side, carrying a hint of teasing.

That stalk of Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva had merely been found by Xie Tianxiao in the storage rings of those Dou Wangs in the Heavenshade Mountains. It was a free gain, but he could not let it go to waste for nothing. He still had business to conduct.

"Of course I remember."

"But what I don't understand is, how did you know this old man was residing within this ring?"

Yao Chen turned around, frowned slightly, and continued:

"Moreover, you are not an alchemist, yet you knew to use a Heavenly Flame to purify the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva and help me recover my soul strength. That makes me very curious. Just who are you?"

Yao Chen had never forgotten Xie Tianxiao. He had merely held back from asking about Xie Tianxiao's identity and intentions when he saw him quietly standing to the side and watching him converse with Xiao Yan.

There was another reason as well: he could not see through Xie Tianxiao.

Although he had only just awakened, after being nourished by the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva, his soul strength was already capable of displaying the level of a high-level Dou Emperor.

Yet he still could not determine Xie Tianxiao's strength. Coupled with the fact that the other party knew him, Yao Chen suspected that Xie Tianxiao was likely an expert from the Central Plains, and his cultivation was not low either!

That was also why, upon learning that Xie Tianxiao knew he was hidden in the ring, he had not dared to immediately suppress him with his strength.

"Yeah, how did you know that the reason my Dou Qi disappeared was because Master had absorbed it?"

Xiao Yan also looked at Xie Tianxiao with a face full of confusion.

"You master and disciple sure have a lot of questions."

Xie Tianxiao did not answer Yao Chen or Xiao Yan. Instead, he looked at Medicine Elder and said:

"Yao Chen, you should have realized that I bear you no ill will. Otherwise, I wouldn't have helped you recover beforehand. I would have simply killed you."

Hearing Xie Tianxiao's words, Yao Chen furrowed his brow tightly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Then what is your purpose? This old man does not believe you helped me out of kindness without seeking anything in return."

"Of course I have a purpose."

Xie Tianxiao did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "All you need to do is hand over the Bone Chilling Flame and refine some medicinal pills for me whenever I need them."

Bone Chilling Flame!

Hearing that condition, Yao Chen's expression changed. He narrowed his eyes and said, "So you're after this old man's Heavenly Flame."

He had not expected Xie Tianxiao to make such a demand.

"You may understand it that way."

Xie Tianxiao nodded without concealing it.

"Since you know this old man's name, you should also know how important this Heavenly Flame is to me. So forgive me, but this old man cannot agree."

"As for refining pills for you, that is not a problem. But it will have to wait for a while, because I must teach Xiao Yan cultivation and alchemy over the next two years."

Yao Chen pondered for a moment before refusing.

That Heavenly Flame was what he used to preserve his life and refine medicine. It was his foundation. How could he hand it over so easily?

If he had not been unable to see through Xie Tianxiao's strength, and if he were not worried that the other man might harm Xiao Yan, he would have long since made a move to test this person who wanted to seize his Heavenly Flame.

"Of course I know how important a Heavenly Flame is to an alchemist."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

The corner of Xie Tianxiao's mouth curled up as he calmly looked at Yao Chen.

"You're being completely unreasonable!"

Xiao Yan interjected from the side.

Although he was grateful to Xie Tianxiao for telling him why his Dou Qi had disappeared and for allowing him to take an alchemist as his master, he had not expected the man to be so overbearing and unreasonable.

"Reason? Xiao Yan, you're still too naive!"

"Reason requires equal strength. Fortunately, I happen to have it, while you do not—at least not yet!"

Xie Tianxiao glanced at Xiao Yan, raised a finger, and waved it back and forth before him.

"You're twisting logic! That's a bandit's way of thinking!"

Xiao Yan shouted furiously. Xie Tianxiao was actually so shameless—he truly had no shame at all.

"Think whatever you like."

Xie Tianxiao could not be bothered with Xiao Yan. He turned to Yao Chen instead and said calmly, "What do you think, Yao Chen?"