On the Battle Qi Continent, in a patch of grass behind the Xiao Household.
"Just one more time greeting Xiao Yan, and I'll get the system's super beginner's gift pack." Xiao Ni stood straight, a lazy look on his face, though a hint of anticipation showed through.
Ten years ago, Xiao Ni had crossed over into the world of Battle Through the Heavens with the Meeting System. He'd become a young man with no parents and terrible aptitude. Since then, the system hadn't given him a single reward. Instead, it had him meet Xiao Yan three times every day in different places and say, "What a coincidence, Xiao Yan."
He'd never missed this task in ten years, because the system had said that if he stuck with it for a decade, it would give him an unexpected gift pack.
It wasn't that he didn't want to cultivate. It was just that his talent was mediocre, and after barely reaching Seventh Duan of Dou Qi three years ago, he'd made no further progress. So instead of cultivating himself to the bone, he'd rather live a carefree life. After all, he had the system on his side. There was no way he'd be a useless nobody forever.
"What a coincidence, Xiao Yan." After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ni saw Xiao Yan coming up the mountain and immediately smiled as he went to greet him.
"What a coincidence..." Xiao Yan forced a smile. He was just about to ask something when Xiao Ni walked right past him and headed down the mountain.
"Sigh, sure enough, he's just like before. He says hello and leaves. I'd wanted to ask how you broke through from Dou Qi Stage Four to Seventh Duan of Dou Qi in just three months back then. Oh well, I'll rely on myself." Xiao Yan shook his head with a bitter smile, watching Xiao Ni's retreating figure with complicated feelings.
He knew Xiao Ni wouldn't explain the breakthrough in detail, but he still held on to a little hope. The family's internal assessment was only two days away, and he really didn't want to disappoint his father again.
"Congratulations, host. You have completed the task of meeting Xiao Yan. Your level has risen directly to Four-Star Dou Zhe. Rewards: twenty-three Heavenly Flames, the Heaven-tier Low Grade Dou Technique Flame-Splitting Wave-Shattering Ruler, the High-grade Earth-tier Dou Technique Eight Extremes Collapse, the Low Earth Tier Cultivation Method Flame Mantra, two hundredfold-enhanced Black Heavy Rulers, and 1,000 Qi Gathering Powders." Xiao Ni had gone less than twenty meters down the mountain when the system's voice suddenly rang in his mind. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes blazing with excitement.
Good heavens! The system had actually given him twenty-three Heavenly Flames in one go. And the cultivation method, Dou Techniques, and Black Heavy Rulers had all evolved. On top of that, he'd received a thousand Qi Gathering Powders. This was incredible. He wondered if Yao Lao would be so furious he'd cough up blood if he learned about it.
"Congratulations, host. New task: In front of Yao Lao, hand over all the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques you've obtained to Xiao Yan, along with three Heavenly Flames and ten Qi Gathering Powders. Also, ask Yao Lao three times what he thinks." The system spoke again, and a strange glint flashed in Xiao Ni's eyes.
Yao Lao, don't blame him for this. The system's the one who thinks you've lived long enough.
After feeling sorry for Yao Lao for three seconds, Xiao Ni immediately turned around and headed back up the mountain.
"Xiao Yan, I have some good things to give you. In exchange, how about letting me take a look at the ring Aunt Lan left you?" Xiao Ni's voice held a hint of swagger. Hearing the familiar voice, Xiao Yan's expression grew excited for three seconds, then quickly settled back to normal.
Xiao Ni must have come to give him some miraculous pills. If he used them, he'd probably be able to reach Dou Qi Stage Seven within a year. Stay calm. Stay calm!
"Brother Ni, this is the only keepsake my mother left me. I usually won't even let other people touch it. What you're offering—"
"How about ten Qi Gathering Powders and an Earth Tier Cultivation Method and Dou Technique?" Xiao Ni cut Xiao Yan off and put on an inscrutable air.
After crossing over, he'd gradually unraveled some of the questions in his mind. For instance, Xiao Yan's mother was named Lan Suyin, and she'd died of poison when Xiao Yan was two. Xiao Ni had been six that year. He'd also learned that Pill King Gu He's master was Shen Mi, and that Xiao Zhan and Lan Suyin had once been to the Central Plains, among other things.
"Uh... Brother Ni, you're not messing with me, are you?" Xiao Yan gave Xiao Ni a sheepish once-over, showing a hundred-thousand percent disbelief in his words.
Qi Gathering Powder was a miraculous pill that could guarantee a Dou Qi practitioner at Dou Qi Stage Nine a breakthrough to the Dou Zhe level. It would be impressive if Xiao Ni could afford even one, let alone ten.
As for an Earth Tier Cultivation Method and Dou Technique, that was even more far-fetched. The strongest Dou Technique in the Xiao Household, Wild Lion Rage, was only Mid Xuan Tier. Earth Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques were rare across the entire Battle Qi Continent. How could Xiao Ni possibly have any?
"Take a look." With a thought, a jade bottle appeared out of nowhere in his sleeve and slowly rolled into his palm.
"It really is Qi Gathering Powder!!!" Xiao Yan took the bottle, half-believing and half-doubting. The moment he opened it, a rich fragrance spread across the entire mountaintop. He only needed one look at the ten jade-green pills lying inside to be utterly shaken. Without hesitation, he handed Xiao Ni the black ring with its blurred markings.
"There seems to be something off about your ring." Xiao Ni furrowed his brow. Before Xiao Yan could react, he flung the ring away.
"Brother Ni, what are you doing?!" Xiao Yan roared, his face turning grim in an instant.
"Kid, your spiritual perception is pretty impressive. How about becoming my disciple and learning alchemy with me?" An old voice reached their ears. Then Yao Lao, holding the ring, floated back up the mountain.
"Y-you... Who are you? How are you inside my ring?" Seeing a transparent old man hiding in his ring, Xiao Yan's eyes widened. He dropped onto his butt.
What was going on? Had he run into a ghost?
"My name is Yao Lao. As for where I come from, I won't tell you just yet, lest you lose focus. You only need to know that someone like that so-called Pill King is actually... actually nothing but a fart." Yao Lao's voice was warm and friendly, but Xiao Yan thought he had to be crazy. Otherwise, why would he call Gu He, the renowned Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire, a fart?
"Xiao Yan's Dou Qi has been disappearing because of you, hasn't it?" Xiao Ni gave Yao Lao a roguish look.
"Well... though I absorbed his Dou Qi for three years, he grew quite a bit during those three years, didn't he?"
"So it was you, you rotten old geezer, who made my level fall!" Once he learned the truth, Xiao Yan leaped to his feet and cursed furiously.
"Kid, don't get so worked up. So what if I absorbed your Dou Qi for three years? You can both become my disciples. I'll help you break through to Dou Qi Stage Seven within a year. How about that?"
"You can really do that?" A little flame kindled in Xiao Yan's heart.
"I can help you break through to Dou Zhe within a year. You'd be better off asking me than him," Xiao Ni cut in.
"Kid, don't brag so much. Breaking through three stages of Dou Qi in a year is already quite impressive." Yao Lao couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"Xiao Yan, I have a Low Earth Tier Cultivation Method called Flame Mantra. I'll pass it on to you now. In the future, you'll be able to rely on it to devour Heavenly Flames." Ignoring Yao Lao's lecture, Xiao Ni continued.
"Kid, your bragging just keeps getting bigger. Flame Mantra is clearly only Yellow Tier Low Grade. How can you say it's Low Earth Tier?"
"Whoosh~"
As soon as Yao Lao finished speaking, Xiao Ni pressed a finger to Xiao Yan's brow. A profound energy surged into Xiao Yan's body, and at the same time, both of them were enveloped in a layer of golden-red light.
"It really evolved to Low Earth Tier?! No, that's impossible! Flame Mantra hasn't devoured a single Heavenly Flame. How could it be Low Earth Tier?" Yao Lao's mind reeled, and doubts swirled in his heart. "How could the Flame Mantra this kid got be so powerful? Could my Flame Mantra be fake? Also, can Flame Mantra really be taught to someone else as an inheritance? I've never cultivated it, so don't try to fool me."
"All right, now you can devour Heavenly Flames. Hmm... let me think which three I should give you." Xiao Ni rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Yao Lao, "I got this Flame Mantra by having someone kneel and beg me to accept it. What do you think, Yao Lao?"
"Ahem. Weren't you going to give Xiao Yan three Heavenly Flames? Bring them out and let us see." Yao Lao gave an awkward little cough, then spoke in a strange tone.
Kid, he'd like to see how much longer you could keep showing off. Back then, he'd nearly lost half his life to obtain Bone Spirit Cold Flame, which ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. And you were saying you'd give Xiao Yan three Heavenly Flames—on top of looking like you had plenty more. Did you really think Heavenly Flames were that easy to come by?
"I've decided. I'll give you Fallen Heart Flame, ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking; Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth; and Bone Spirit Cold Flame, ranked eleventh." As Xiao Ni finished speaking, three flames of different shapes drifted out of his body.
The system's Heavenly Flames were easy to control and grew quickly. As long as Xiao Ni willingly gave one to someone, it wouldn't harm them, even if they were only at Dou Qi Stage One. That was all the more true when he'd only separated off a portion of each flame for Xiao Yan.
Before you continue