Xiao Yi Xian's Failed First Attempt

"Young Master Xiao Yan, I've left your things here." After setting a large crate outside Xiao Yan's door, Xiao An called into the room.

"Mm, thanks. How much?" Xiao Yan came out, checked that the crate contained the medicinal ingredients he needed, and asked with a smile.

"It's a gift of thanks. How could I possibly take your money?" Xiao An stepped back twice, waving his hands repeatedly.

After a moment's thought, Xiao Yan accepted the gift.

"If you ever need anything from me, Young Master Xiao Yan, just say the word!" Xiao An thumped his chest and spoke gratefully.

"All right, then I won't see you out."

Xiao Yan nodded and carried the crate inside. Only after confirming with his soul power that Xiao An had left did he call toward the inner room, "Come out. He's gone."

Qing Lin poked her head out through the inner doorway, peering around, while Xiao Yi Xian strode out openly with a disgruntled expression, still muttering complaints under her breath.

"Why did we have to hide? Isn't it perfectly normal for a senior sister to be in her junior brother's room?"

"Only people with filthy thoughts filling their heads see filth in everything."

Xiao Yan couldn't help pressing a hand to his forehead. This senior sister who had dropped into his life from the heavens had been staying with their clan for over half a month. During that time, he had naturally found an opportunity to formally introduce her to his father and Xiao Xun'er.

Leaving aside Xun'er's jealousy, she hadn't spoken to him for several days.

His father, Xiao Zhan, had questioned her about everything under the sun with the look of a man sizing up his future daughter-in-law, leaving Xiao Yan scrambling. Yet Xiao Yi Xian neither confirmed nor denied anything. Every sweetly spoken "Uncle" made Xiao Zhan's heart blossom with joy. If Xiao Xun'er hadn't intervened, he would have almost given her the family's heirloom jade bracelet as a welcoming gift.

In truth, Xiao Yan could more or less understand his father's thinking. Though the Dou Qi Continent was a world of powerful martial practitioners, ordinary people married very young. This was partly due to uneven development in productivity, and partly because Dou Zhe often died while venturing out to gain experience, making the belief that leaving no descendants was the greatest failing widespread.

Come to think of it, if Nalan Yanran hadn't come to break off their engagement a year ago, they would probably have been married by now, wouldn't they?

So once a young woman who seemed very close to Xiao Yan appeared at his side, Xiao Zhan found it hard to suppress the urge to push him toward marriage.

"What a complete mess..."

Xiao Yan watched Xiao Yi Xian bustle around the room with a calm gaze. She was preparing to refine pills for the first time in her life, her lovely face brimming with excitement.

If his goal during the first twelve years after transmigrating had been to become a Dou Emperor, rule over a region, and lie drunk in a beauty's lap, he now possessed far loftier ambitions.

Dou Sheng... would I have a chance to reach that realm in this lifetime?

Hun Tiandi's figure involuntarily surfaced in Xiao Yan's mind again, standing in midair in white robes and gazing down upon all living beings. The image was so clear and real that he seemed to be standing right before him.

The face of that figure standing in midair slowly became Xiao Yan's own. That lofty "he" looked down upon all living beings with an indifferent expression, and with a mere gesture, the entire continent was destroyed in a towering sea of flames.

What grandeur was that?

By then, even heaven and earth would likely seem too confined.

Gradually, a cool, aloof figure appeared beside his invincible form. Her hair was white, and her black-and-white dress fluttered in the wind. Like a goddess beneath the moonlight, she was beautiful and beyond desecration.

He strained to make out the woman's face, but it was shrouded in shadow, impossible to see clearly.

Suddenly, a faint voice that seemed to come from far away pulled him back to reality. The dreamlike world shattered inch by inch like a mirror, breaking into countless fragments.

"Hey."

"I said, junior brother, are you really going to let your senior sister do all the running around alone? Aren't you going to lend a hand?"

The voice grew clear, and Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face suddenly leaned close, her pleasant natural scent drifting into his nose.

"Ah, oh." Looking at Xiao Yi Xian's face, Xiao Yan briefly lost focus. He had yet to fully recover from that extraordinarily vivid fantasy.

Seeing him so flustered, Xiao Yi Xian's gaze suddenly turned deeply teasing. She leaned a little closer and said playfully, "Junior Brother Xiao Yan, you were definitely staring at my back and thinking something strange just now, weren't you?"

"I wasn't." Xiao Yan finally came fully to his senses, astonished by how real his fantasy had been.

"You definitely were, weren't you?" Xiao Yi Xian didn't quite believe him.

"I said I wasn't." Xiao Yan knitted his brows tightly.

"Ah, a boy going through puberty. I forgive you." Xiao Yi Xian stepped back twice and waved her hand with a smile, wearing an expression that said she understood everything.

Xiao Yan sighed softly and stepped forward to help his senior sister prepare for refining medicine. First, he deftly sorted and arranged the various medicinal ingredients, then checked the formation that converted Dou Qi into flames. Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he gestured for Xiao Yi Xian to begin.

"Hehe." In excellent spirits, Xiao Yi Xian walked up to the Pill Furnace. Today, she would refine medicine for the very first time in her life!

Yao Chen emerged from the Black Ring and confidently guided Xiao Yi Xian through each step. As a brilliant teacher who had trained two genius Alchemists, he was utterly confident that he could properly teach any student.

Moreover, Xiao Yi Xian herself had a strong aptitude for understanding. Although her soul power test results had been barely satisfactory, her Dou Ling cultivation and control over Dou Qi were beyond comparison with those of an ordinary Dou Zhe.

The recipe Yao Chen had prepared for Xiao Yi Xian was for an unranked healing medicine, extremely simple to refine. Xiao Yan had succeeded on his very first attempt back then, and the quality had been quite good.

A successful first experience was an Alchemist's first step toward building confidence.

Yao Chen reveled in his own forward-thinking teaching philosophy.

Xiao Yan, however, had little interest in Xiao Yi Xian's first attempt at refining medicine. This simple healing medicine was merely an entry-level product. Even the dullest fool couldn't possibly ruin it.

He casually took the jade slip containing the high Black Tier Dou Technique his father had given him out of his Storage Ring, placed it against his forehead, and prepared to review the flame-control techniques once more.

The refining began. Under Yao Chen's guidance, Xiao Yi Xian placed the different medicinal ingredients into the Pill Furnace in sequence, then channeled Dou Qi through the formation to turn it into flames. Everything went smoothly.

Rather, it went far too smoothly. Under Xiao Yi Xian's control, the flames transformed from Dou Qi obeyed her as readily as her own limbs and fingers, smoothly melting all the ingredients before combining them into healing medicine.

Yao Chen clicked his tongue in wonder, his praise flowing nonstop. Even Xiao Yan couldn't help putting down the jade slip to look at Xiao Yi Xian.

Standing before the Pill Furnace, Xiao Yi Xian had lively eyes and a profile that could only be called perfect. Her long purple hair spilled over her shoulders, and her black-and-white dress hugged her slender, willow-like waist.

She really looks like that goddess from my fantasy. Too bad the goddess had white hair, while Xiao Yi Xian's is purple.

Under Xiao Yi Xian's guidance, the ingredients inside the Pill Furnace combined. In that instant, an abrupt change occurred!

A cloud of gray-black gas rose from the Pill Furnace. Its ability to penetrate and spread was extremely strong. In an instant, it filled the room, then passed through the walls and spread throughout the Xiao Clan compound.

Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically, and he immediately held his breath. But the gray-black gas played by no rules. Even without being inhaled, it could seep into a person's body through their limbs and bones.

In an instant, Xiao Yan's consciousness blurred, and he sank into a deep sleep.

Throughout the Xiao Clan compound, screams rose one after another.

"Fuck, what is this stuff?!"

"Dad, wake up! Dad!"

"This gas is coming from Young Master Xiao Yan's room!"

"Help!!!"

"Poison gas! It's poison gas!"

Before long, only Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Chen remained conscious in the entire Xiao Clan compound, staring at each other.

"Um, you wouldn't happen to have the woeful poison body, would you?" Yao Chen asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes." Xiao Yi Xian nodded stiffly and forced an ingratiating smile.

"Little Yanzi, wake up! Wake up! Don't die! If you die, who's going to help bring me back to life?!" Yao Chen's anguished cries pierced the clouds.