Fateful Meeting

Xiao Clan Back Mountain. A young man in black sat quietly on the mountaintop, Qingfeng breeze caressing his face, his eyes vacant.

"What's wrong, Yan Er? Are you still angry about what happened today?" Xiao Zhan calmly walked to Xiao Yan's side, while Xun Er, who had been following behind him, had already left obediently.

"Father, it is I who have disgraced the Xiao Clan," Xiao Yan said in a low voice, full of self-reproach.

"Oh, how have you embarrassed your father?" Xiao Zhan said, seemingly oblivious.

"I shouldn't have impulsively agreed to the Three-Year Agreement proposed by Nalan Yanran," Xiao Yan said guiltily.

Unlike the Original work, where the young master of the Xiao Clan was publicly jilted, causing the entire family to lose face, very few people actually knew that Nalan Yanran had come to annul the engagement this time.

In Xiao Yan's view, it was just a matter of breaking off the engagement; the two of them were complete strangers to begin with, so he wasn't that angry. However, Nalan Yanran's repeated calls of him being "useless" completely broke him down.

Although Xiao Yan has been able to accept the fact that his talent has disappeared, there is still a thorn in his heart. Nalan Yanran's behavior is like constantly tearing open Xiao Yan's wound and rubbing salt into it.

In a fit of anger, he readily agreed to the Three-Year Agreement proposed by the other party. Although he didn't know why, Xiao Zhan and the Elder didn't object at all, and he still attributed the mistake to himself.

In fact, Xiao Yan had no confidence that he could solve his physical problems and improve to the point of being able to contend with his opponent within three years.

Originally, it was just one person losing face, but once he ascends to the Yun Lan Sect three years later and is unable to defeat Nalan Yanran, the entire Xiao Clan will become a laughing stock in the Jia Ma Empire.

The news that the useless young master of the Xiao Clan is like a toad trying to eat swan meat, overestimating his abilities, will quickly spread throughout the Jia Ma Empire.

For the sake of his own pride, he risked the reputation of the Xiao Clan. Even if Xiao Yan was immature, he knew that he had done something wrong.

"Oh, Yan Er, do you think you acted impulsively and are worried that you won't be able to win that so-called Three-Year Agreement, thus implicating my Xiao Clan?"

Xiao Yan remained silent, which clearly indicated this.

"Then are you willing to bow down to that Nalan Yanran?" Xiao Zhan asked calmly.

"Absolutely impossible!" Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately denied it. There was no way he would bow down to the other Xiao Yan, not even if it meant death.

"That's it then." Xiao Zhan patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. "Your father believes in you. You will never bring shame to the Xiao Clan."

Then, an aura of domineering power emerged from the former. "You are my son, Xiao Zhan. So what if you lose in three years? Why should my Xiao Clan have to act according to other people's wishes?"

"Father..." Xiao Yan's face showed emotion. He never expected that his father would trust him so much, even though he had been a good-for-nothing for three whole years, he still believed that he could win.

A determined glint flashed in his eyes, "Father, I will definitely win."

"Very good, that's more like my son, Xiao Zhan." Xiao Zhan chuckled.

Having said his piece, Xiao Zhan naturally left. Watching his father's departing figure, Xiao Yan clenched his fists, preparing to continue his cultivation. He refused to believe that he would forever remain at the Three Stages of Dou Zhi Qi.

Just as Xiao Yan sat down cross-legged, preparing to cultivate, an aged voice rang in his ears. "Young man, you're quite good!"

"Who?" Xiao Yan jumped up abruptly, looking around with a cold expression. "Who's playing tricks?"

"Hey, stop looking, it's in the ring on your hand!" The aged voice appeared again.

"A ring?" Xiao Yan looked down and saw it was the gift his mother had given him when he was born. But now was not the time to think about that. Xiao Yan shouted, "Who are you? Show yourself!"

"Here it is!" The Xiao Yan voice rang out again. He looked up and saw a transparent figure floating in the air, stroking his beard and smiling at him.

"Ah! A ghost!" Xiao Yan was shocked. Although Fierce Qi Continent was a Mysterious Fantasy World, he had never seen such a bizarre scene before.

"What the hell? This old man is Soul Body!" the white-haired old man said irritably.

"Soul Body?" Xiao Yan muttered to himself, but quickly stopped worrying about it. He would find out by checking the Xiao Clan's records later.

He quickly grasped the key point. "Who are you? Why are you in my ring?"

"Well..." The old man seemed a little embarrassed, after all, this matter was a bit difficult to talk about. "You don't need to know who I am, you just need to know that I won't harm you! After all, I've accepted your offerings for three years, so naturally I have to repay you."

"Three years of offerings?" Xiao Yan was stunned, then suddenly realized what he meant and was furious. "You've absorbed all my Dou Qi for three years!"

Immediately, he suddenly erupted and threw a punch. The speed of the punch made the latter's eyes narrow. Although he had seen it many times before, he was still willing to call Xiao Yan a genius.

However, this was child's play for him; although he didn't make a move, but...

"What's going on? I can't move at all?" Xiao Yan was shocked.

"Little one, listen to me carefully. I had no choice but to absorb your Dou Qi, and I will repay you in the future," the old man earnestly advised.

"Let me go." Xiao Yan looked at the former calmly. Facing the culprit who had caused him three years of humiliation, he was clearly unable to remain calm, and his tone was extremely unfriendly.

"Then don't be impulsive!" Seeing Xiao Yan calm down, the old man released his grip.

Once he regained his freedom, Xiao Yan stretched his limbs a bit and prepared to leave. "Old man, I won't hold you accountable for absorbing my Dou Qi for three years. Don't follow me anymore. Let's go our separate ways and never see each other again."

Xiao Yan realized that this old man was probably not a simple character, and he didn't need to fight him to the death; in the end, he would only suffer the loss.

Now that he has found the culprit behind his vanished Dou Qi and his talent has been restored, the right thing to do is to focus on cultivation and prepare for the Three-Year Agreement. Time is of the essence for him, and he has no time to waste.

"Hey kid, wait a minute. Don't you want to get stronger?" the old man called out to him.

Xiao Yan stopped and turned around, asking with some doubt, "You can make me stronger?"

"Of course!" the old man said proudly. With his abilities, guiding a little brat was a piece of cake.

"What proof do you have?" Xiao Yan asked. He wasn't going to be foolish enough to believe a guy of unknown origin. He wouldn't waste his breath arguing with this strange old man unless he was forced to.

Great, the opportunity to show off in front of everyone has arrived!

The latter's expression turned serious, and he said proudly, "Kid, you should know Alchemist, right?"

"Nonsense, my family has plenty of Alchemist, do you think I need you to tell me that!" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and said disdainfully. Did this old man really think he was some country bumpkin who had never seen anything before?

"Hmph~" The old man was not surprised at all. Having observed in secret for so long, he naturally knew the basic situation of the Xiao Clan. They were just some Alchemist were at most Fifth Rank. How could they be compared with him?

Thinking this, he prepared to drop a bombshell on the other party, "What are those Alchemists in your family? Even the so-called Pill King Gu He is nothing but a nobody in my eyes." The old man said proudly.

"Uncle, is what that old man said true?" In the distance, two figures were watching Xiao Yan's conversation with the old man. Xiao Zhan asked curiously.

Although the Xiao Clan's deepest foundation has not been revealed, Fifth Grade Alchemist is second only to the Pill King Gu He in the Jia Ma Empire, yet this old man looks down on him.

"That's right, this old man is no ordinary person. He was once the Continent's Number One Alchemist — the Medicine Venerable." Xiao Han revealed the old man's true identity in just a few words.

"Everyone thought he had disappeared, but no one expected that he would end up in such a small place and even run into Little Yanzi." Xiao Han looked surprised, expressing his astonishment quite well.

"It's time for the fledgling eagle to spread its wings!" Xiao Han thought with satisfaction.