Two Hours

"I know they're trying to win me over, but it's still hard to refuse. No wonder the Han Family controls half a city in a prosperous place like the Central Plains. They have plenty going for them."

Even Wu Bai hadn't expected to receive Qi Gathering Powder on the very first day after his biological father abandoned him.

The difference was so stark that if he hadn't lived two lives, he would have been overflowing with gratitude toward the Han Family. He wouldn't have hesitated to betray his own family's interests, either.

People always said some traitors would call anyone who fed them "Mother." But when your own parents wouldn't give you a drop of milk and you were about to starve, what else could you do?

Wu Bai was different, though. No matter who fed him now, he wouldn't call them family. He would treat it as a transaction.

For now, he was weak, and the Han Family was giving him resources.

Once he grew strong enough, he would give the Han Family a hand in return.

And why was he so confident? Because his teacher was the Yellow Springs Demon Saint.

Wu Bai smiled faintly, picked up the Qi Gathering Powder, and sat cross-legged. He said silently, "Sorry for the trouble, Teacher."

"Don't worry. With me here, no one will disturb you."

The Yellow Springs Demon Saint's mastery of the soul was unfathomable. Even though he was no longer an Emperor Realm Soul, his foundations ran deep, and his methods were beyond anything ordinary people could imagine.

At his command, the entire room fell silent.

There was no need to prepare further. His mind already calm, Wu Bai swallowed the Qi Gathering Powder in one gulp.

The longan-sized pill dissolved on his tongue, and warm medicinal liquid flowed down his throat.

Its warmth streamed steadily toward the mass of Dou Qi in his lower abdomen.

Wu Bai formed a hand seal and swiftly refined the medicinal power within him.

But no matter how quickly the mass of Dou Qi refined the emerald-green medicinal power, there was a limit. Besides, Wu Bai had been at the Ninth Stage Dou Qi for quite some time.

"Now."

The Yellow Springs Demon Saint's voice sounded in Wu Bai's mind. He immediately changed his hand seal and focused all his perception around the mass of Dou Qi.

In less than half a minute, the loose mass of Dou Qi in Wu Bai's lower abdomen compressed into a nebula-shaped Dou Qi Vortex.

Only then did Wu Bai realize that his soul perception seemed unusually powerful.

"Congratulations. You became a Dou Zhe on your first attempt."

"Thank you, Teacher. Without your guidance, I doubt I would have succeeded the first time."

Wu Bai smiled in relief. Sounds from outside reached him once more.

Maybe a little noise isn't so bad after all?

"I'm your teacher. Isn't that what I'm here for?"

Now that Wu Bai had become a Dou Zhe, the Yellow Springs Demon Saint began explaining the training plan he had devised for him.

"I have no possessions left, but back when I failed to break through to Dou Di, I studied a great many things. Cultivation Methods, Combat Skills, Pill Formulas, and all manner of ancient texts—I still remember them."

"Even though you have the fire attribute, I have plenty to teach you. The only trouble is, the lowest-tier Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills you can learn from me are Earth Tier. I never looked at anything below that..."

Huh?

Wu Bai's expression turned strange. Teacher, isn't that a bit of a humblebrag?

"Ahem. That's fine, Teacher. I'm not picky. I'll learn whatever you teach me."

"Good. I'll pass this Low Earth Tier Cultivation Method, the Sunflame Art, to you first. Don't rush to practice it. Read through it, and ask me about anything you don't understand. Tomorrow, tell the Han Family you've become a Dou Zhe and ask to borrow any Cultivation Method they have. Remember, that's just a pretext. More importantly, when they test your attribute, you need to show them your talent for becoming an Alchemist."

"Understood, Teacher. I'll remember."

Warmth filled Wu Bai's heart. His teacher was the first person to think so carefully about his future. Even his biological parents had never done that.

How long did it take to change someone's life?

Wu Bai could perhaps give an exact answer:

Two hours.

Two hours ago, he had been living under his biological parents' roof, dependent on their goodwill.

Two hours later, he had escaped his cage, with a bright future ahead of him.

Perhaps the Wu Family had acted too quickly. A full day and night passed, and Wu Bai still had no roommate.

The next morning, Wu Bai left the little courtyard.

The Han Family steward couldn't make sense of what the Wu Family was doing, so he had been keeping a closer eye on Wu Bai.

As it happened, he saw the boy coming toward him early that morning.

"Need something, young man?"

"Steward, I've become a Dou Zhe. Could I borrow a Cultivation Method to read?"

"Of course. Follow me."

Han Chi, the head of the Han Family, had already given instructions, so the steward soon brought Wu Bai to the Han Family's Library Pavilion.

The Library Pavilion was imposing, but only two guards stood at its entrance. Neither had a weak aura; both were Dou Ling.

Beyond the entrance lay a broad training ground, with all kinds of weapons arranged around it.

An old man sat before the Library Pavilion. Wu Bai's teacher told him the man was a Dou Huang expert!

Wu Bai nodded to himself. No wonder there were only two Dou Ling at the entrance. A Dou Huang expert was stationed inside.

The old man sat with his eyes closed, as though asleep.

The steward did not wake the Dou Huang expert. He simply bowed.

Wu Bai followed suit. He was only a Dou Zhe; this was no time to make a show of standing tall before a stronger man.

His teacher was the trump card he kept in reserve. He couldn't reveal him lightly.

The door to the Library Pavilion stood half-open, a clear sign of their confidence in the Dou Huang expert's strength.

"Steward, shouldn't I have my Dou Qi attribute tested first?"

Wu Bai's question stopped the steward in his tracks. He turned back in disbelief.

"You've never had your Dou Qi attribute tested?"

"No."

"..."

The steward felt less and less able to understand the Wu Family head's decisions.

What a character. An absolute marvel!

A fiery red glow, far brighter than most, reflected in the steward's eyes.

He nodded inwardly. The boy really was a genius.

"Fire attribute."

"Fire attribute... Does that mean I might have the talent to become an Alchemist?"

"Well... possibly. The quality of your Dou Qi is much better than most people's. I'll find you a Medicine Cauldron in a moment, and you can try for yourself. If you can locate that trace of Wood Qi within you, you have the talent to become an Alchemist."

The steward couldn't say for certain, but the Han Family had a way to find out.

It was nothing complicated. They would give him a basic Medicine Cauldron and have him try to find the trace of Wood Qi within himself, using the method Alchemists followed to condense their medicinal flames.

If he found it within a few days, he had the talent to become an Alchemist. If he didn't, he had none.

It was a simple, effortless method. A basic Medicine Cauldron cost few Gold Coins—less than a drop in the bucket for the Han Family.

Anyone without the fire attribute could be ruled out immediately. Those who had it took turns using the cauldron for three days each. It was needed for only a few months of the year, after all. The Han Family didn't have hundreds of people becoming Dou Zhe every year, much less hundreds with Fire Attribute Dou Qi.

If someone still couldn't find their Wood Qi after three days, they had little future as an Alchemist.