How About We Kill My Senior Brother?

"Did you forget that I took you as my master for the Flame Mantra...?"

Xiao Yan grumbled inwardly. If he wanted to learn alchemy, he could invite even a Ninth-Rank Alchemist to teach him.

"I've already made some headway with the Flame Mantra. I'm going out to look for heavenly flames." Xiao Yan still did not want to slap the old man in the face outright.

"Heavenly flames? No, you should study alchemy first!" Yao Lao said sternly, frowning.

"No, I'm finding heavenly flames first!" Xiao Yan shook his head. He could not stand another day of feeling as though his kidneys had been drained dry. He had to devour a heavenly flame as soon as possible to recover.

"No. I won't allow it. You must learn my alchemy first." Yao Lao shook his head.

"Hmm?" A faint questioning voice sounded, and two elderly figures appeared behind Xiao Yan. Wen and Wu, the Two Saints, fixed their gazes on Yao Chen and smiled. "What did you just say?"

"I said..." Looking at Wen and Wu, the Two Saints, Yao Lao felt helplessness well up inside him.

He was already a nine revolutions Peak Dou Zun, only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Half-Saint, yet that hair's breadth had trapped him for decades.

That hair's breadth meant he could not withstand even a single exchange with either of these two.

"I said..." The corners of Yao Lao's mouth trembled slightly. He had been under immense pressure lately, half of it from Xiao Yan and half from Wen and Wu, the Two Saints.

Ever since those three had arrived, his life as the master of Starfall Pavilion had become much harder.

To successfully train his master into a Half-Saint, Xiao Yan had frequently been sending Wen and Wu, the Two Saints, to put him through his paces.

"My disciple, you can't leave! Your master needs you! You're an alchemical prodigy seen once in a hundred years. Your departure would be a tremendous loss to the world of alchemy!" Yao Lao clung tightly to Xiao Yan's hand.

"What are you doing~? Ow~!" Xiao Yan shook his legs hard, but could not break free of Yao Chen.

"As long as you stay here and devote a year to studying alchemy, I can pass on everything I've treasured over the years!" Yao Lao first tried tempting him with benefits.

If Xiao Yan became a Seventh-Rank Alchemist at sixteen, his reputation as a monstrous genius might go down in history, and his master would also be recognized as one of the Dou Qi Continent's foremost alchemists. What a glorious tale that would be.

Just thinking about it was exciting.

"What can you give me?" Xiao Yan glanced at the old man clutching him.

"Your pick of cultivation methods and combat skills!"

"Heh. I was the one who gave you your heaven tier cultivation technique."

"...Recipes for eighth-tier pills, even incomplete recipes for ninth-grade pills."

"My clan has complete ninth-grade pill recipes."

"I'm a nine revolutions Dou Zun. I can safeguard your journey..."

"Do you see those two?" Xiao Yan pointed to the two bodyguards beside him.

"I..." Yao Lao racked his brains for a long time, but could not come up with a single reason that might sway Xiao Yan.

"Once you become a Seventh-Rank Alchemist, I'll give you my bone spirit cold flame too." As though he had remembered something, Yao Chen gritted his teeth.

At the mention of bone spirit cold flame, Xiao Yan finally paused.

He looked at Yao Chen, held his hand, and said earnestly, "Master, since you love me so much, how about we kill my senior brother? Then his sea heart flame will be mine."

"???" Yao Chen was utterly bewildered.

"Do you have a grudge against your senior brother?"

"Theoretically, no."

"Then why do you dislike him so much?"

Yao Chen stood up and sighed, his aged face weary. "I raised him from a little child. I treated him like my own son."

"Unfortunately, he might not see you as his father." Xiao Yan gave a cold laugh, but said nothing more.

Human hearts were made of flesh, after all. Though this old man was powerful and merciless toward his enemies, he always retained some kindness toward his own people.

It was precisely that kindness that reminded Xiao Yan of Yao Lao from the original story. In truth, with Xiao Yan's background and resources, he could easily have obtained the Flame Mantra and then found a Ninth-Rank Alchemist to take as his master.

Perhaps it was because of that story recorded in the Jade Book that Xiao Yan had chosen to become his disciple.

It was perfectly normal for Yao Lao to be unwilling to strike against a disciple he had raised for years. Of course, that did not mean Xiao Yan would show any mercy.

He had no opportunity to catch Han Feng showing his hand yet. Once he discovered that the fellow intended to harm him, he would strike first, finish him off, and claim the sea heart flame for himself.

When it came to ruthlessness, Xiao Yan was no worse than anyone else. He simply had his own set of rules deep down.

"If you can't bear to do it, forget it. I'm going out to find heavenly flames, so stop blocking my way." Xiao Yan waved his hand.

"Wait!" Yao Lao suddenly latched onto Xiao Yan's arm again.

"Old man, men shouldn't get handsy with other men. Keep this up and I'll yank out your beard." Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Lao.

"Hehe." Yao Lao rubbed his hands together and smiled. "My precious disciple, your master has another favor to ask."

"What is it?" Xiao Yan eyed Yao Lao's aged face suspiciously.

"Hehe, well, the Pill Tower is holding a Youth Alchemist Tournament soon. Your master hopes you'll participate and win me some honor."

An ingratiating smile appeared on Yao Lao's aged face.

"No!" Xiao Yan refused outright. Right now, his mind was entirely on the beauties of the Northwest Continent-pah, the heavenly flames.

As for some tournament, what benefit could it possibly offer? A youth tournament, no less. Anyone who didn't know better might think this was a children's activity center back on Earth.

Though his body was that of a youth, Xiao Yan's soul was already that of a mature middle-aged man. He placed greater importance on benefits and value when doing things, and cared little for fame or glory.

Those things could sometimes help him, but they could also become shackles. From Xiao Yan's current perspective, there was almost no benefit.

"My disciple, come back! If you don't go, who else can put that little girl named Cao Ying in her place?" Yao Lao's anxious voice came from behind him, making Xiao Yan pause.

"You said there's a little girl named Cao Ying?" Xiao Yan's eyes brightened slightly.

"What is it? Do you know her?" Yao Lao froze for a moment.

"No, but you can tell me about her." Xiao Yan smiled.

"Ah, that girl is a monstrous genius born into the Cao Family of the Pill Region. The moment she was born, she displayed astonishing spiritual power. Her mother was nearly killed on the spot by the force of that spreading spiritual power.

"And at seven, she officially became an alchemist. This year, at fifteen, she became a fourth-rank alchemist. An old friend of mine, Xuan Yi, took her as her personal disciple.

"Ever since that old friend gained such a disciple, she's never stopped showing off to me. As you know, your senior brother has poor aptitude, and he's long since passed the age limit.

"So your master can only pin his hopes on you!"

Yao Lao looked pitifully at Xiao Yan.

"Hehe." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and nodded, instantly making Yao Lao beam with delight.

"That Xuan Yi is your old flame, isn't she?" His next sentence immediately made Yao Lao's face fall and redden slightly.

With Yao Lao's free-roaming, cloud-and-crane temperament, he probably could not be bothered to send a disciple to an ordinary tournament. So the reason he was begging Xiao Yan to go this time was that his old sweetheart had found a good disciple, and the old fellow wanted to go show off.

"Don't talk nonsense. We're merely dear old friends."

Yao Lao flicked his sleeve and said with a stiff expression, "If you don't want to help, forget it. You've already obtained the Flame Mantra you wanted, anyway. With your background, you hardly need a master like me to learn advanced alchemy."

"Forget it. Go."

With that, he waved his hand.

"Hehe, Master, listen to yourself! Isn't it just a little tournament? I, Xiao Yan, will win you that honor, guaranteed!"

A meaningful smile curled at the corners of Xiao Yan's mouth.