Each With Their Own Schemes

With Yao Lao's promise secured, Xiao Yan cultivated for a while longer before leisurely returning to the clan. From afar, he spotted Xiao Ni's familiar face.

"Brother Ni." Seeing that his future master was actually standing outside his room, Xiao Yan hurried over at once.

To him, Xiao Ni was now his ultimate cheat. He might neglect his father, but he absolutely could not neglect Xiao Ni.

"You brat, you finally came back. I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour." Xiao Ni wore a friendly smile on the surface, but inwardly he thought, You little brat, making me wait this long? I'm definitely going to squeeze something good out of you!

"I thought Brother Ni was going to tell me what a coincidence it was again," Xiao Yan said awkwardly.

"Don't worry. You won't hear those three words again." Xiao Ni smiled and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, then said mysteriously, "I need to discuss something with Yao Lao. Let's talk in your room."

"Alright." Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, quickly leading Xiao Ni into the room and tightly locking the doors and windows.

Xiao Ni had waited so long just to see Yao Lao, so it had to be something important. Being cautious and preventing anyone from eavesdropping could never be wrong.

"What is it, little fellow? Don't tell me you've come around and want to take me as your master so I can teach you alchemy?" Upon learning that Xiao Ni wanted to see him, Yao Lao immediately floated out impatiently.

Whether it was Xiao Ni or Xiao Yan, both were well suited to become his disciples. Since Xiao Ni had taken the initiative to seek him out, he naturally had to seize this opportunity.

"Oh, this afternoon, I found an iron sheet at the market. It contained a Low Xuan Tier Dou Technique called Siphon Palm. I spent half an hour cultivating it and only barely managed to grasp it. I came tonight to ask Yao Lao for some guidance." Xiao Ni respectfully explained his purpose. Before Yao Lao could respond, he reached out and grabbed at the air.

He had spent a long time wandering through the market with Xiao Xun'er today because he wanted to see whether he would be lucky enough to come across Siphon Palm. Now that he had gotten his wish and made some progress in cultivating it, naturally he had come to coax Fire-Blowing Palm out of Yao Lao.

He had bought only that one iron sheet at the time, so the stall owner had charged him just fifteen gold coins. He had truly made a profit.

Whoosh!

Dense battle qi gathered in Xiao Ni's palm, quickly forming a powerful suction force. The wind howled through the room as a vase was yanked over in the blink of an eye. Xiao Ni caught it and effortlessly crushed it to pieces.

"Brother Ni, that Siphon Palm is so powerful. It would be great if I could learn it too. Brother Ni, are you sure you only barely grasped Siphon Palm?" Xiao Yan could not help swallowing, his heart surging with excitement.

Although Siphon Palm was far inferior to Eight Extremes Collapse and the Flame-Splitting Wave-Shattering Ruler, those two Dou Techniques consumed quite a lot of his strength. He really should cultivate a couple of Mysterious Tier Dou Techniques with lower consumption.

"Though this Siphon Palm is merely a Low Xuan Tier Dou Technique, this boy has only cultivated it for half an hour and can already easily pull over a vase from two meters away. His talent is clearly extraordinary." Yao Lao was somewhat surprised and delighted inside, though he remained calm on the surface.

"Yao Lao, what do you think I should pay attention to when using Siphon Palm?" Xiao Ni bowed slightly, looking every bit like someone humbly seeking instruction.

"You should be careful not to casually crush other people's vases," Yao Lao answered teasingly.

Hmph, this boy was as sly as Xiao Yan. He did not believe Xiao Ni had come merely to ask for guidance.

"It's fine. I have plenty of vases here. Brother Ni, you can crush as many as you want." Xiao Yan waved his hand generously. Yao Lao's mouth twitched slightly when he heard that, and he badly wanted to curse.

"I don't have that sort of hobby." Xiao Ni shook his head with a laugh, then said quite sincerely, "Yao Lao, although I am very satisfied with Siphon Palm, I feel that the technique is too one-dimensional. If it could be paired with another Dou Technique that complemented it, that would be ideal."

"I knew you brat had ulterior motives. Let me think." Yao Lao shot Xiao Ni a sidelong glance. After pondering for a full twenty breaths, he suddenly said, "Right. I happen to have another Low Xuan Tier Dou Technique here, called Fire-Blowing Palm. It was inexplicably created by a blacksmith. Since its rank is too low, it has been sitting around for so long that I couldn't recall it for a moment. If you want it, I can give it to you."

"Thank you, Yao Lao!" Xiao Ni said excitedly, not expecting Yao Lao to hand over Fire-Blowing Palm so easily.

"Don't thank me yet. There is a condition for giving you this Fire-Blowing Palm."

"Please speak, Yao Lao," Xiao Ni said respectfully.

In truth, he could completely guess what Yao Lao was thinking. Yao Lao wanted nothing more than to take him as a disciple, or have him help refine a physical body someday. After all, Yao Lao did not want to remain in soul form on Battle Qi Continent forever.

No matter what Yao Lao's condition was, and regardless of whether he would raise any other conditions later, Xiao Ni would promise to help him refine a body. In that case, let alone a trivial Fire-Blowing Palm, even asking Yao Lao for one or two high-grade pill formulas would not be excessive.

"I want you to use the power of Heavenly Flames to help me refine a perfect physical body within three years. Are you willing to agree?" Yao Lao asked lightly, his hands clasped behind his back.

He knew that the requirement of three years was too demanding. If Xiao Ni wanted to bargain, he could make concessions, but to preserve his dignity, he absolutely could not directly offer Xiao Ni ten years.

As for taking Xiao Ni as a disciple, that matter could not be rushed. It had to be done step by step.

"This junior will certainly do everything in his power to refine a body for Yao Lao." Xiao Ni agreed without hesitation. Although he was currently only a Six-Star Dou Practitioner, he possessed twenty-three enhanced Heavenly Flames. Helping Yao Lao refine a body would not be difficult.

Besides, Yao Lao had given him three years. If he could refine a body for Yao Lao before Xiao Yan went to fulfill the Three-Year Pact, then even a hundred Yun Shans would not be enough for Yao Lao to beat up.

"Decisive enough. Take it." Yao Lao casually tossed the scroll to Xiao Ni. When he saw that Xiao Ni still had not left half a breath later, he asked again, "Is there anything else?"

Honestly, he had not expected Xiao Ni to agree so readily. Thus, when he saw Xiao Ni's somewhat troubled expression, his first thought was that Xiao Ni wanted him to extend the deadline for refining the body.

"Oh, what comes next has nothing to do with Yao Lao." Xiao Ni smiled faintly, turned to Xiao Yan, and took out the portrait of Lan Suyin. "Xiao Yan, I found this painting at the market too. The woman in it is Aunt Lan."

"My mother?" Xiao Yan swiftly took the painting. After only one glance, his eyes reddened uncontrollably.

In both of his lives, he had never experienced a mother's love. He did not even know what his mother looked like. Now that Xiao Ni had brought back a portrait of her, the missing piece of motherly love in his heart was instantly filled by a large portion.

"Thank you, Brother Ni. I will definitely preserve this painting carefully." With a sore nose, Xiao Yan thanked him before hanging the portrait somewhere highly visible.

"Does Brother Ni have anything else to say?" Xiao Yan turned around and saw Xiao Ni looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, so he asked in surprise.

"Oh, I have a bottle of Foundation Elixir here. Pour it into water and soak in it for two hours every day. Anyone below Eight-Star Dou Practitioner can increase their cultivation speed." Xiao Ni looked sympathetically at Yao Lao. After hesitating for a moment, he finally took out a bottle of Foundation Elixir.

If Xun Er had not asked him to, he would never have been willing to give Foundation Elixir to Xiao Yan. Sigh, now he could only go to the Mittel Auction House and auction off another bottle of Foundation Elixir.

"Foundation Elixir?!" Yao Lao snatched the jade bottle before anyone else could. The moment he opened its cap, his face instantly turned livid.