Yao Lao returned to his peak, cultivating the Flame Mantra

Having witnessed Xiao Yan's earlier display of abilities, Yao Lao already felt that the boy's words carried some credibility.

After all, he had personally watched Xiao Yan treat his mother. Those inconceivable methods had seemed bizarre even to him.

"Of course." Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. He had always been confident in the Horse Talisman's power.

With Xiao Yan's confirmation, Yao Lao immediately grew excited.

Less than one percent of his Soul Power remained, and his soul origin had suffered considerable damage as well. Without the offerings from Xiao Yan's mother sustaining him over the past few years, he might not have lasted this long.

He had already considered taking Xiao Yan as his disciple. If he could restore his Soul Power in the process, why not?

"Ahem. In that case, I suppose I can reluctantly accept you as my disciple." Yao Lao reined in his excitement and resumed the dignified air of a master.

"You sound a little too reluctant. I think I'd better give it some more thought." Xiao Yan turned his head away, unmoved.

"Hey! Taking you as my disciple doesn't just mean teaching you to cultivate Dou Qi and practice alchemy. Didn't you just become a Dou Zhe? I also have a cultivation method more unusual than a Heaven Tier Cultivation Method!" Yao Lao took out a black scroll, coaxing him patiently.

"How unusual? Low Yellow Tier?" Before Yao Lao could finish, Xiao Yan beat him to it.

"Well..." Yao Lao was momentarily speechless, his expression turning awkward. At this point, he finally believed that Xiao Yan could glimpse the future.

"I also have an Earth Tier cultivation method..." Yao Lao produced a red scroll and placed it beside the Flame Mantra, letting Xiao Yan choose.

"Only children choose. I'll take them both." With an innocent smile, Xiao Yan pocketed both the Flame Mantra and the Earth Tier cultivation method.

But the moment he took the Earth Tier cultivation method, Xiao Yan sensed something was wrong. He unrolled the scroll and discovered that it, too, contained the Flame Mantra.

"Teacher, why is this one also the Flame Mantra?" Xiao Yan handed the scroll back to Yao Lao, looking utterly speechless.

"Uh... wrong one. This is something I copied out for fun in my spare time." Seeing the scroll, Yao Lao looked even more embarrassed. He hurriedly put away the Hand-Copied Flame Mantra and handed Xiao Yan a genuine Earth Tier cultivation method instead.

Seeing Yao Lao's guilty expression, Xiao Yan finally confirmed that the comment from his previous life—"One scroll is the Flame Mantra, and the other is the Hand-Copied Flame Mantra"—had actually been true.

"Your disciple, Xiao Yan, pays his respects, Teacher!" Having accepted the cultivation methods, Xiao Yan performed the formal ceremony of discipleship without hesitation.

"Good, very good!" Yao Lao stroked his beard, filled with joy at the prospect of regaining his Soul Power.

"Teacher, I'll restore your Soul Power now." After completing the ceremony, Xiao Yan immediately activated the Horse Talisman, enveloping Yao Lao in its power.

The Horse Talisman lived up to its reputation. Within just a few breaths, Yao Lao's Soul Power began climbing at an astonishing rate, while his depleted soul origin was repaired bit by bit.

In mere moments, Yao Lao returned to his peak condition, his soul realm recovering to spirit realm grand perfection. His once nearly transparent, illusory figure gradually grew solid.

"Well, old geezer? Happy with your new disciple?" Seeing Yao Lao's dramatic transformation, Xiao Yan teased him with a smile.

"Happy? More than happy!" Feeling the abundant Soul Power surging within him, Yao Lao's aged eyes shone with excitement.

While Yao Lao basked in his joy, Xiao Yan wasted no time and began cultivating the Flame Mantra.

Since he had not practiced any other cultivation method after becoming a Dou Zhe, getting started went exceptionally smoothly.

As the Flame Mantra began circulating, the milky-white, attributeless Dou Qi within his body slowly started to change.

Four hours later, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes from where he sat cross-legged.

After practicing the cultivation method, he looked more spirited and carried himself with greater poise than before.

Xiao Yan could also clearly feel that circulating the cultivation method had sharpened his senses.

"Did it work?" Yao Lao, who had been keeping watch nearby, asked with a smile.

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded and extended his palm. A wisp of pale-yellow Dou Qi curled upward from an acupoint in his hand.

This was the characteristic color of a Low Yellow Tier Fire Attribute Cultivation Method.

"I never thought you would actually choose the Flame Mantra." Yao Lao gazed at that pale-yellow wisp, his expression complicated.

"Only the Flame Mantra can take me to the true pinnacle. Besides, refining a new body for you will require the flames produced by the Flame Mantra." Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao, his tone utterly serious.

"You little brat..." As Yao Lao gazed at Xiao Yan, the image of his treacherous disciple Han Feng surfaced in his mind once more.

"All right, Teacher, head back into the Bone Flame Ring. I should get some rest too." Seeing how late it had grown, Xiao Yan yawned.

Yao Lao nodded, turned into a streak of light, and slipped straight into the Bone Flame Ring.

With everything settled, Xiao Yan was indeed tired. He flopped onto his bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Only when the sun was high in the sky did Xiao Yan finally stir awake.

He had barely opened his eyes when he heard a soft knock at the door.

Xiao Yan got up to open it. When he saw the girl standing outside, a gentle smile naturally rose to his face. "Xun'er, what brings you here?"

"Brother Xiao Yan, didn't you just become a Dou Zhe? I remember the Xiao Clan doesn't seem to have a suitable cultivation method for you, so I brought you one." Xun'er's gaze rested on Xiao Yan as she offered him a red scroll, her voice soft.

This boy certainly has luck with the ladies. He could almost rival me back in the day... Inside the ring, Yao Lao couldn't help muttering to himself at the sight.

Learning that Xun'er had come specifically to bring him a cultivation method, Xiao Yan felt warmth well up in his heart.

"Thank you, little lass. But I've already found a suitable cultivation method." Though touched, Xiao Yan gently pushed the scroll back.

"Can I take a look?" Xun'er asked with a smile, looking straight into Xiao Yan's eyes.

Xiao Yan made no attempt to hide it. He openly extended his hand and displayed a wisp of Dou Qi before her.

At the sight of the pale-yellow Dou Qi, Xun'er pouted, both distressed and annoyed. "Brother Xiao Yan, this is what you call a suitable cultivation method? You clearly..."

Before she could finish, Xiao Yan pulled her into his arms, cutting off the rest of her words. "Xun'er, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. We've been together for so many years. Don't you know me by now?"

As he spoke, Xiao Yan playfully brushed a finger over the tip of her dainty nose and grinned. "I'm going to marry you someday, you know. How could I dare be careless about my cultivation?"

"Brother Xiao Yan, you... you're terrible." His words turned Xun'er's little face bright red. She spun around in embarrassment and fled.

"That girl is still so shy." Watching Xun'er's retreating figure, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly.

"You little brat, how are you already so good at sweet-talking girls at your age?" Yao Lao's voice drifted through Xiao Yan's mind.

"This is nothing. Compared with you back in the day, I've still got a long way to go." Xiao Yan seized the chance to tease him.

Recalling those long-buried events, Yao Lao fell into a brief daze, nostalgia stirring in his heart.

"Teacher, shouldn't you teach me alchemy now? And a few Dou Techniques while you're at it..." Xiao Yan spoke up at just the right moment, pulling Yao Lao out of his memories.

"Go buy some Medicinal Herbs first. I'll start by teaching you how to identify the different kinds."

After a moment's thought, Yao Lao gave Xiao Yan his first task.