Another Investment

After recovering from his shock, Su Qian quickly came back to his senses and brought Wu Yan back to the office, where they chatted over tea.

"You really know how to endure loneliness, kid. Aside from causing quite a stir when you first went back, you've kept a low profile ever since."

"That's rare. Among geniuses who achieve fame at a young age, ninety-nine percent can't do this. After attaining such impressive accomplishments, they still can endure loneliness and cultivate bitterly year after year..."

After chatting briefly with Wu Yan and learning what the boy had been doing these past few years, Su Qian could not help but sigh.

Over the past four-plus years, Wu Yan had done nothing but cultivate. His actual downtime did not even add up to half a year.

No wonder this young man had broken through to Dou Zong at such an age. Not only was he talented, but he also had the patience to cultivate.

"This time, you've officially graduated from the academy. What are your plans next?"

Remembering something, Su Qian added, "Other than cultivation, that is."

Wu Yan set down his teacup and thought about it. There was probably nothing shameful about what he planned to do next.

"Other than cultivation, I intend to help expand my family's influence and develop toward the center of the continent."

"Oh? With your current strength, it really is time to expand your family's influence."

Su Qian nodded. He knew a little about the Mittel Clan's situation.

A merchant clan within a great empire, its strength had risen by more than one level now that it had a Dou Zong expert overseeing it. Expansion was only natural.

But Wu Yan had just said he wanted to develop toward the center of the continent?

"You just said you wanted to develop toward the center of the continent? That means passing through the Black-Corner Region, doesn't it?"

"Yes. I hope the Great Elder will look after things a little in the future. Cultivation will still remain my priority."

"This old man can't promise that. The Black-Corner Region is extremely chaotic, and even I have places where I'm powerless. There are several old fellows with deep foundations whom even I cannot defeat..."

"That's fine. I'll deter those wolves in the Black-Corner Region. As for the academy's side, I'll have to trouble the Great Elder."

"Oh?"

Su Qian gave Wu Yan a deep look, stroked his grizzled beard, and earnestly offered his advice. "The waters of the Black-Corner Region run deep. Even the Headmaster could not completely clean it up back then. However, if you merely wish to establish a foothold, displaying the strength of a Dou Zong expert should be enough."

"Thank you for the reminder, Great Elder. This student understands."

Wu Yan understood what Su Qian meant, and he did not argue. Only he himself knew exactly how strong he was now.

There was no need to explain too much. Wu Yan did not need to prove himself to anyone.

Su Qian nodded and said no more. As the academy's Great Elder, he had merely offered a reminder to one of the academy's outstanding graduates.

"Oh, right. This old man promised Cao Ping that I would tell him when you arrived. Well? Would you like to meet him?"

"Then... let's meet."

Wu Yan nodded. He had not expected that the "monkey" he had used to warn the chickens still had not let it go.

But considering his future cultivation and his family's development, he still decided to meet Cao Ping.

"Damn! You really are... a monster!"

The moment they met, those words burst from Cao Ping's mouth.

After all these years, he was still stuck at the peak of Dou King and had only just gained a little insight into the Dou Emperor realm, when he saw this guy appear before him while walking through the air.

Anyone would lose their composure in such a situation.

"I was lucky. You seem to have made considerable progress as well."

Wu Yan sized him up. Compared to several years ago, Cao Ping was now much more restrained.

The arrogance he once possessed was now almost nowhere to be seen.

It was not hidden. It had truly vanished.

"Hehe, naturally. I couldn't possibly remain stagnant while you kept making breakthroughs, could I?"

Cao Ping grinned proudly, took out a bottle of pills from his Storage Ring, and tossed it over.

Wu Yan caught the jade bottle, opened it, and took a look. He sensed an enormous amount of energy contained within those tiny pills. They were definitely high-grade pills of at least the sixth tier.

"What are these?"

"Instant Qi Pills, low-tier seventh-grade pills. After taking one, a Dou Zong expert can immediately recover roughly twenty to thirty percent of their Dou Qi."

"Low-tier seventh-grade pills? Then that means you can be considered a seventh-grade alchemist now."

"...Not really."

Cao Ping fell silent for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Instant Qi Pills are among the easiest seventh-grade pills to refine. They're not even as difficult as some high-tier sixth-grade pills. Even some sixth-grade alchemists with deep foundations can refine them easily."

"Only when I can refine a second kind of seventh-grade pill will I count as a true seventh-grade alchemist."

"I wish you success in your cultivation."

Wu Yan nodded, thought for a moment, and said that.

Cao Ping tugged at the corner of his mouth. That familiar feeling had returned again...

"I heard you wanted to see me. What is it?"

Hearing Wu Yan's question, Cao Ping immediately became serious.

"Yes. Before this, I wasn't sure whether my clan would support this decision, and I was prepared to bear it alone."

"But now that I've seen you, I believe that as long as those old fellows in the clan haven't gone senile, they definitely won't reject the friendship of a future powerhouse like you."

"Wu Yan, I now represent the Cao Clan, as well as myself. I want to invest in you, a future powerhouse. Will you consider it?"

A twenty-two-year-old Dou Zong expert who had not been built up by pills—such a genius was worth another investment even to the Cao Clan of the Central Plains, which stood backed by the Pill Tower.

Cao Ping had even thought it through. If those old fellows in the clan had become senile, then he would invest in this guy himself.

It was just that he was not sure whether he could satisfy this guy's appetite.

With such cultivation talent, his demand for resources was likely an astronomical figure as well.

Even more awkwardly, this guy was already a Dou Zong expert, while Cao Ping still did not have much confidence in refining Sect-Breaking Pills.

Fortunately, he was not alone. Behind him stood the Cao Clan, and there was more than one eighth-grade master alchemist in the family!

Although he had received more than one such hint before, this was the first time Wu Yan had heard Cao Ping state it so formally.

"If you're not afraid of your investment going down the drain, then naturally I won't refuse free pills."

Wu Yan did not hesitate much. This was not his first time encountering such a matter. Why refuse benefits when they were offered?

On the Dou Qi Continent, the strong were ultimately respected.

As long as he was powerful enough, no problem would be a problem.

If he were not powerful enough... that was impossible!