Xiao Yan let out a small sigh of relief, but he still felt uneasy. "Then... should I just... stop cultivating for now?"
Yao Lao frowned at that. "How could you do that? I said to 'ease up' on your cultivation for a while. But cultivation is like rowing against the current: if you don't advance, you fall back. You cannot waste even a single day. That is precisely why I proposed absorbing your Dou Qi. This way, I will draw away every last bit of Dou Qi you gain through your daily cultivation. You can maintain your cultivation habits and insights without neglecting your technique, while also preventing Dou Qi from accumulating too quickly in your body and further damaging those fragile meridians of yours. It's killing two birds with one stone. You're actually getting quite a bargain, brat!"
Only then did Xiao Yan understand. His teacher had been doing this for his sake! Most of the fear and doubt in his heart instantly melted away, replaced by deep gratitude and a lingering shiver of fear. He said respectfully, "Your disciple was foolish and nearly misunderstood your good intentions! Thank you, Teacher!"
Yao Lao gave a light snort, accepting his thanks, and spoke with a hint of smugness. "Good, as long as you understand. Get yourself ready. Starting tomorrow, you cultivate, and I 'feast.' While we're at it, I'll see just how much perseverance you have."
After hearing Yao Lao's explanation, Xiao Yi's devil-may-care smile faded a little. His eyes narrowed slightly, as though he were calculating something.
"Mr. Yao Lao, from what you're saying, how long is Xiao Yan supposed to spend 'nursing his body' while 'having his experience points drained'? Surely you can't expect him to wear that third-stage Dou Qi 'newbie halo' until his beard turns white?"