Xiao Yan Took a Master

"What? You, an old man hiding in the shadows, are more powerful than Pill King Gu He?" Xiao Yan said in disbelief.

"What do you mean hiding in the shadows? That was unintentional on my part," the old man continued to excuse himself. However, he hadn't forgotten about Xiao Yan; such a promising talent couldn't be let slip away!

"Why would I lie to you, young man? This continent is vast, and your horizons are not broad enough!" the old man said with a hint of disdain.

"Then what does this have to do with me getting stronger?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled. He looked Alchemist, whose combat strength was so weak.

"Young man, do you know what?" the old man said mysteriously, "You have the talent of Alchemist!" His tone was full of temptation, after all, Alchemist had a very high status on the continent, and he believed that the latter would definitely agree without hesitation.

"I know!" Xiao Yan's words left the old man speechless.

"How did you know?" the old man asked, puzzled. "And your reaction is wrong! Shouldn't you be overjoyed and bow down in reverence?"

How come it's so calm, like buying a scallion at the market?

"My family discovered my talent for Alchemist a long time ago, but before I could learn it, my Dou Qi disappeared." As he spoke, Xiao Yan glared at the old man, making the latter somewhat embarrassed.

"Ahem~"

The old man coughed dramatically, his thick skin, honed from years of traveling the country, finally coming in handy. "Then would you be willing to become my apprentice, learn alchemy from me, and become an Alchemist?"

To lure a disciple, the old man went all out, "Moreover, I possess a miraculous cultivation technique that can help you become a powerful expert!"

"A cultivation technique?" Xiao Yan was very excited, even changing his form of address. "Old sir, what level is this cultivation technique? Is Earth Rank Advanced or Heaven Rank?"

"Uh..." The old man blushed and said embarrassedly, "Yellow Rank."

"What the hell? Yellow Rank? Are you kidding me?" Xiao Yan immediately exploded. He had only cultivated Earth Rank Low-Level technique back then. Asking him to cultivate Yellow Rank technique? What a joke! Wasn't this taking him further and further away from his goal?

"Uncle, let me go down and send this old liar to his death," Xiao Zhan said unkindly. He no longer cared about being the Continent's Number One Alchemist; how could he let his precious son cultivate Yellow Tier Cultivation Technique? He'd skin the man alive.

"Wait a minute, let's keep looking." Xiao Han stopped Xiao Zhan, staring at the distance with a hint of excitement.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Zhan calmed down and looked at his uncle's unusual reaction with a puzzled expression.

At this point, the old man began to explain, "This cultivation technique can be improved."

Um?

Xiao Yan became interested. "What's going on?" A cultivation technique that allows one to grow stronger? He had never heard of such a miraculous technique before.

Xiao Zhan, who had been watching this place closely from a distance, exclaimed in surprise, "There's actually such a technique?"

"That's right." Xiao Han nodded and said, "It is said that the Medicine Venerable obtained an extremely strange cultivation technique in an Ancient Ruins, and this should be it."

"Old sir, could you explain in detail?" Xiao Yan asked with a grin.

"What, are you willing to become my apprentice? I am a famous Alchemist on the continent. The people who want to become my apprentices can stretch from the Central Plains to the Northwest Continent. If I had no other choice, why would I have chosen a kid like you?" the old man said arrogantly.

"Should I become his disciple?" Xiao Yan thought carefully. Seeing that the old man was in such a miserable state but still had such strength, and that he was extremely disdainful of the Pill King Gu He, he was probably indeed a powerful figure. Becoming his disciple wouldn't be a bad deal.

Seeing this, the old man added fuel to the fire for Xiao Yan, "Kid, you probably don't have much confidence in winning that so-called Three-Year Agreement, do you?"

"I was a genius who broke through to the Da Dou Shi at the age of twelve. Now my talent has been restored. It's just Three-Year Agreement, a piece of cake."

Xiao Yan did not follow the former's lead. Negotiation is about not getting caught up in the other party's rhythm.

"Hehe~" The old man chuckled inscrutably a few times and said, "I can help you break through to the Dou Zhe within a year."

"Are you serious?" Xiao Yan asked, his expression turning serious and somewhat excited.

Just as the mysterious old man said, he wasn't very confident about the Three-Year Agreement. Although Nalan Yanran was far inferior to him, with the strong support of the Yun Lan Sect, she could at least reach the Da Dou Shi in three years.

He still had to start cultivating from Dou Zhi Qi. No matter how fast he cultivated, he estimated that it would take at least two years to break through to Dou Zhe again. By the time of the Three-Year Agreement, he would be able to reach the low-level Dou Shi at most!

If this old man can really help him break through to the Dou Zhe within a year, then the chances of winning will be much greater!

"Of course it's true. So, would you like to become my apprentice?" the old man said with a smile.

Xiao Yan's expression shifted a few times before he suddenly asked, "What do you need me to do?"

He was tempted, but he hadn't lost his mind yet. This mysterious expert's sudden offer to take him as a disciple must have some ulterior motive.

He couldn't believe that his talent was so good that the other party would take him on as a disciple, especially since the other party had absorbed his Dou Qi for three years.

"Good lad, you can still remain so calm." The old man gave Xiao Yan an approving look. He did indeed need Xiao Yan's help, and if the conditions weren't limited, he wouldn't have made such a request so easily. That was understandable.

"What I need you to do, you don't have the ability yet, so... boy, cultivate well!" The old man was always very arrogant in front of Xiao Yan.

"Even my family can't help?" Xiao Yan asked, frowning. He wasn't stupid. Why would he leave his family's existing support unused? At least within the Jia Ma Empire, there were very few things the Xiao Clan couldn't do.

"Let me give you a piece of advice: it's best not to expose my secrets, or it will bring utter disaster to your family."

The old man said in a sinister tone. He wasn't threatening him. Although the Xiao Clan was quite powerful in this remote corner of the world, they were still far inferior to his enemies.

"Alright!" Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't delve into it further. He knew that if he wasn't strong enough, knowing things in advance would only lead to his death. Even some of the Xiao Clan's secrets were beyond his current authority to investigate.

"Old man, what should I call you?" Xiao Yan came to his senses, realizing that becoming a disciple was the priority.

"My name is Elder Yao. Of course, after you become my disciple, you should call me teacher," Elder Yao said, stroking his beard with a smile.

And so, following the proper etiquette, Xiao Yan carefully and respectfully completed the apprenticeship ceremony, addressing the student as "Teacher!"

After accepting Xiao Yan's apprenticeship, the old Elder Yao looked at the latter with much more affection. In the continent, sometimes the bond between master and disciple is more reliable than that of blood relatives.

(Han Feng: "Hehehe~ Teacher, long time no see!")

"Since you call me teacher, I will naturally keep my word. Now prepare some medicinal herbs: three Purple Leaf Orchid Grass, the older the better, two portions of Bone Cleansing Flower, and First Order Wood Magic Crystal..."

"Old man, how about I take you directly to the Medicine Hall? Just tell me, and I'll take it!" Xiao Yan's head was spinning from hearing the names of these medicinal herbs, so he said directly.

"That works too." The Elder Yao nodded. He was extremely fortunate that this little guy's family had some resources; otherwise, even he, the Continent's Number One Alchemist, would be powerless to make a meal without ingredients!

Just as he was about to say something, the Elder Yao apothecary's expression changed. "Someone's coming. I'll go back to my ring first!"

Before long, Xiao Yan saw a light, ethereal figure in purple appear in the mountains and rush towards him.

Let's go!

"Yes!" The two figures in the distance also disappeared silently.