Dual Cultivation

After Fire Elder had Xiao Yan put away the medicinal cauldron before him, he barely managed to conceal the shock on his face. He seemed to be trying to put on a friendly expression, but he was too used to keeping a stern face, making it look rather comical:

"Cough, cough. You kid do have some talent. If you work hard, becoming a high-grade alchemist isn't impossible... How about this? Go back and tell your mentor. From now on, report to my Alchemy Department and focus on learning alchemy."

Cultivating Dou Qi and learning alchemy were both extremely time-consuming pursuits, making them difficult to balance. Thus, alchemists often chose to take pills instead of cultivating. Though that made their Dou Qi unstable and weakened their combat ability, an alchemist's natural talent was calling in help. Why fight personally? Wasn't it better to use pills to get others to fight for you?

Xiao Yan was taken aback upon hearing this and hesitated:

Xiao Yan did not care about Fire Elder saying he had "some talent." He was not blind. Fire Elder's shocked expression had been so obvious just now that Xiao Yan could tell his soul talent was definitely exceptional!

What concerned him was something else. Although he knew alchemists had the weakness of poor combat ability, Xiao Yan had always aimed to become strong. He wanted to become strong himself rather than accept a strong person's protection, so he cautiously spoke:

"Um... Fire Elder, could I... cultivate both Dou Qi and alchemy?"

Fire Elder immediately frowned. When ordinary people got the chance to become alchemists, they could not wait to devote themselves completely to it, dreaming of the day they truly became alchemists. Yet this kid before him...

Fire Elder was about to carefully explain the pros and cons to Xiao Yan when a knock sounded behind him, interrupting him. Xiao Yan then saw the door to the pill chamber shoved open forcefully, and an old man even taller and rounder than Fire Elder walked in with a beaming smile:

"Haha, you really made this old man search hard. So you were here with old Fire, Xiao Yan. I never expected you to qualify as an alchemist too. Not bad, not bad..."

Hearing the old man speak so familiarly, Xiao Yan was utterly confused. Aside from guessing from the man's clothing, identical to Fire Elder's, that he was also an elder, Xiao Yan did not know him at all. "Elder, what is this about?"

The newcomer walked over as if nothing was amiss and placed a hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder. Xiao Yan only felt a strand of Dou Qi flash through his body before the old man laughed again and patted his shoulder.

"Not bad, not bad. No problem at all. You kid are truly impressive, hahaha..."

Xiao Yan still could not figure out exactly what the elder meant by all those repeated "not bad"s, so he could only laugh awkwardly along with him. Fire Elder, on the other hand, seemed accustomed to the man's manner and asked flatly:

"Old Hu, why are you here looking for a student from my Alchemy Department?"

"What do you mean, a student from your Alchemy Department? Old Fire, Xiao Yan can't be given to you people. He's a student with Super S-rank aptitude!"

Hu Gan's tone was entirely matter-of-fact. Having the qualifications to become an alchemist did not mean one necessarily had to become one. After all, alchemists were judged by grade as well. For example, if someone possessed the strength of a Dou Emperor but could only refine first- or second-grade pills, why waste time cultivating alchemy?

Still, Hu Gan understood Fire Elder. As an alchemist, old Fire probably did not pay much attention to students' Dou Qi aptitude, so it was normal that he did not recognize Xiao Yan. Hu Gan thought that once he brought up the "Super S-rank" evaluation, old Fire would understand what he meant.

"Super S-rank! So that's why you're so young—you're the one!" Fire Elder looked at Xiao Yan and felt that the steady state of mind he had developed through alchemy was difficult to maintain before this little fellow.

Fire Elder had indeed only recognized Xiao Yan as the Super S-rank new student who had recently caused such a stir because of what Hu Gan said. However, unlike what Hu Gan expected, old Fire had no intention of backing down. He knew exactly how astonishing Xiao Yan's alchemy talent was. This matter required a higher authority to decide, so he grabbed Hu Gan by the wrist and dragged him toward the door. "Come, we're going to see the Grand Elder!"

Hu Gan was completely baffled. This was not how his script was supposed to go!

"Fire, let go, let go! I'm the vice principal, at least. What kind of behavior is this... Slower, slower! Don't think I won't beat you just because you're an alchemist!"

Fire Elder forcibly dragged Hu Gan away. Before disappearing through the door, he only tossed Xiao Yan a sentence telling him to wait here.

Xiao Yan had roughly understood the situation from the two men's conversation and sighed. He had not expected that nowhere he went would ever be peaceful. Is this the suffering of a genius? I'm still just a child!

Still, he had made up his mind. Regardless of what the two of them and the Grand Elder they mentioned decided in the end, he definitely would not give up either Dou Qi cultivation or alchemy.

I want them both!

Not knowing when Fire Elder and Vice Principal Hu would return, Xiao Yan left the pill chamber and wandered around Spirit Pill Pavilion by himself...

Though the pavilion was quite large, there were not many people around. Xiao Yan wandered aimlessly for a long time without seeing anyone. At last, on the third floor, he heard voices coming from a room. He walked over and peered through the door, only to discover a group of children not much older than himself attending a lesson.

The elder teaching the class also noticed Xiao Yan, but merely glanced at him twice without saying anything and continued his lecture. Seeing this, Xiao Yan adopted the spirit of "since I'm already here," quietly slipped in through the back door, and found an empty seat.

The lesson covered various medicinal herbs and spiritual fruits, including their appearances, growth habits, medicinal properties, and more. Though it was Xiao Yan's first time learning such things, he quickly became engrossed in it. The entire afternoon passed before he realized it...

Only after the elder finished did he come over to ask Xiao Yan a few questions. Once he confirmed that Xiao Yan was a new student brought in by Fire Elder, he left. However, their conversation drew the attention of the other children in the class toward Xiao Yan.

Seeing an unfamiliar face, the dozen or so students all regarded Xiao Yan with curious yet cautious eyes. But one person alone rushed over to Xiao Yan in a single stride. He was completely unreserved, firing off greetings one after another as though they cost nothing:

"Hello, Senior Brother! You're the one who passed the test today and entered our Alchemy Department, right? Where's Fire Elder, who recruited you? Why did he have Senior Brother attend class with us?"

"Senior Brother, the moment I saw you, I felt so happy inside. The two of us must be destined! How about we become sworn brothers another day?"

"Senior Brother, since you just arrived today, let me introduce this place to you. Oh, please don't stand on ceremony with me..."

Xiao Yan was speechless. He quickly stopped the fellow before him, who looked two or three years older than himself. "Classmate, you've got it wrong. I'm a new student, not some senior brother."

Who would have thought that the other fellow would become even more excited? "No mistake, no mistake! You're truly my dear Senior Brother!"

After listening to the boy before him, named Lu Mu, Xiao Yan roughly understood what was going on:

These people were all children Canaan Academy had discovered to possess alchemy talent. However, even refining the simplest first-grade pill required one to first reach the level of a Dou Practitioner, so children like Lu Mu, who were still at the Dou Qi stage, were naturally not yet alchemists.

Canaan Academy required them to successfully refine at least a first-grade pill before they could officially become academy students. Thus, they were currently considered "reserves." From that perspective, Lu Mu calling Xiao Yan "Senior Brother" was not really wrong.

Then Lu Mu leaned close to Xiao Yan's ear and said:

"Senior Brother, you're the legendary Xiao Yan with Super S-rank aptitude, right? They might not recognize you, but I do. This little brother is known throughout Canaan Academy as an 'information broker.' If there's anything you want to know around here later, just ask me. I'll be relying on you from now on!"

Lu Mu really was an interesting fellow. Ordinary alchemists were the proudest and most overbearing sort. Even these "apprentice alchemists" were no exception; one could tell from the self-important looks in the other children's eyes.

Yet Lu Mu had no airs at all. He came over with a playful grin to make friends with Xiao Yan, calling him "Senior Brother" with great familiarity. Although he clearly had some intention of deliberately currying favor, at least he was open and straightforward about it.

Since he could directly identify Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan believed that his title of "information broker" was not empty. Moreover, Xiao Yan did not dislike this sort of person. Thus, under the scrutinizing gazes of the students in the room, he began chatting with Lu Mu.

"Why are you still here after class?" A slightly shrill voice interrupted Xiao Yan and Lu Mu's conversation. Everyone turned and saw a man in a Canaan Academy uniform standing at the door. He looked around twenty years old. There was an extra badge on his uniform's chest, its background a perfectly round bead, while the most eye-catching part was the two rippling lines atop it that glowed azure-blue.

Everyone present except Xiao Yan hurriedly lowered their heads and greeted him in unison:

"Greetings, Senior Brother Han!"

After the man casually responded with a hum, Lu Mu hurriedly explained with a flattering smile, "Senior Brother Han, a new classmate arrived today, so we were here getting acquainted."

Then he quickly tugged Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, this is Senior Brother Han Xian from our Alchemy Department. He's one grade above you. Senior Brother Han is a genius of the Alchemy Department and is already a second-grade alchemist. All the Alchemy Department students recognize him as their leader."

Taking in everyone's nervous expressions and Lu Mu's pointed hints, Xiao Yan immediately understood. Xiao Yan was also the young master of a clan; he might not understand other things, but the situation before him was obvious—Han Xian simply had some talent and had cultivated for a few extra years, so he had gathered followers among the Alchemy Department students and acted like a tyrant.

Xiao Yan chuckled. He had seen enough scenes of his father and the clan elders tearing into each other at home. This little matter before him was nothing more than children playing house.

After giving Han Xian a nod and greeting him with "Hello, Senior Brother," Xiao Yan said nothing more. He wanted to see what Han Xian intended to do.

Seeing Xiao Yan offer only a simple greeting, Han Xian, who was used to throwing his weight around in the Alchemy Department, became somewhat displeased. Combined with Xiao Yan's academy uniform and Lu Mu's words, he quickly realized that Xiao Yan was a student whose alchemy talent had been discovered after enrollment. This gave Han Xian a sense of crisis:

Xiao Yan had become a Dou Practitioner at such a young age, which meant he would become an alchemist very soon. That would threaten Han Xian's position in the Alchemy Department!

And that was something Han Xian absolutely could not tolerate. After all, his reason for establishing authority in the Alchemy Department was not merely to show off. It concerned his future plans in the Inner Academy!

I have to suppress this kid. I can't let him ruin my plans!

He made up his mind to keep this newcomer down and not let him interfere with his position.

"You must be the new junior brother. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to come find me. In this Alchemy Department, my words still carry some weight."

"Then thank you, Senior Brother. I've only just arrived and don't understand the rules. If I offend you in any way in the future, I hope Senior Brother will be forgiving."

"Easy enough, easy enough..."

The two talked back and forth as though they were getting along wonderfully. If someone could not understand the veiled barbs hidden in their words, they might truly think the two had a close relationship.

Neither showed anything on his face, but one inwardly cursed, This kid doesn't know his place. He doesn't respect me at all! while the other silently mocked, He's just a student, yet he says his words carry weight. Who is he trying to impress?

This meeting allowed both sides to fully exchange their views and express their intention to cooperate in friendly relations. In the end, this exchange concluded amid an atmosphere of harmony.