Yao Lao

After parting with Xun'er, Xiao Yan went to find his father, Xiao Zhan. Whatever else might be true, Xiao Zhan was his father in this world. Aside from his two elder brothers, who had already left to gain experience, he was Xiao Yan's only family here. Xiao Yan had always worked hard to play the good son and younger brother they believed him to be.

When Xiao Zhan learned that his son had broken through to Dou Zhe, he was overjoyed at first. But soon, Xiao Yan told him he intended to leave to gain experience, and the delight on his face instantly turned to astonishment. "What? You're saying you want to leave Wutan City?"

"Yes." Xiao Yan nodded, his expression calm. "I want to go out and gain experience for a while."

"But you're..." Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Yan's tender young face, at a loss for what to say. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had done something similar before, but those two had already been sixteen. Besides, they had traveled together, which was why he had agreed. But this little fellow? He hadn't even grown all his hair yet, and he was already thinking of going out to gain experience?

"Father, you know the situation our Xiao Clan is in, don't you? If my talent is exposed, staying here will only put me in greater danger," Xiao Yan said slowly. "Only if I disappear from Wutan City and fade from everyone's sight will they forget someone like me ever existed. When I return, it will surely be the time our Xiao Clan rises."

"How old are you, to be thinking about all this?" Seeing Xiao Yan's earnest expression, Xiao Zhan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He could not decide whether to scold the boy for building castles in the air or praise him for aspiring to soar like a great swan.

Still, Xiao Zhan knew his son's temperament. Once he decided on something, no one's attempts to dissuade him would work. Besides, the little fellow's reasoning did have some merit. He could only agree, reminding him to come say goodbye before leaving.

"Phew..." After securing his father's consent, Xiao Yan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. If Xiao Zhan had refused, he would have had no choice but to sneak away, and then he would certainly have faced a scolding when he returned. Fortunately, his father was fairly easy to talk to. Now, there was only one last matter to deal with.

After returning to his room, Xiao Yan did not immediately begin cultivating as he usually did. He closed the windows and door, then hung up a sign that read, "Cultivating. Please do not disturb." Only then did he return to his bedside.

"You hiding in the ring, come out." Xiao Yan raised his hand and looked at the pitch-black ring on his finger as he spoke evenly.

As his Soul Force increased, Xiao Yan's perception had grown ever sharper. Gradually, he had discovered that the limited improvement he gained from the Nameless Mantra was not a matter of his strength. Rather, whenever he drew in spiritual energy, a suction force came from the ring, siphoning away more than half of what he absorbed. That was what had caused the situation.

After discovering the problem, Xiao Yan had tried several ways of probing it and finally confirmed that a Soul Body was hiding in the ring. He had originally intended to throw away the thing that was holding him back, but whatever else it might be, it was a keepsake his mother had left him. That was why he had decided to have a proper talk with the fellow inside.

"Little fellow, your perception is quite keen." Hearing Xiao Yan expose his presence, an illusory figure drifted out of the ring. It was a white-haired old man with a transparent body. He studied Xiao Yan, surprise showing in his aged eyes.

This fellow is pretty strong... While the Soul Body studied Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan also sensed the old man's actual strength. He had assumed that in a place like the Jia Ma Empire, where even Dou Emperors were a rare breed, any Soul Body that did exist could not be all that powerful. Yet the aura emanating from this old man made Xiao Yan realize that his judgment had been somewhat mistaken.

Although Xiao Yan currently possessed only the strength of a Dou Zhe, his Soul Force had reached the level of a Fourth-Rank Alchemist. Yet before this old man, he still felt an immensely powerful pressure. That proved the old man's current Soul Force was at least at the level of a Fifth-Rank Alchemist, if not higher.

"Who are you? Why are you hiding in my ring?" Xiao Yan asked, staring at the old man before him.

"Me? You can call me Yao Lao. As for where I came from, that's a long story. I'll tell you when we have the chance. All you need to know is that I mean you no harm." The old man landed on the floor and spread his hands as he spoke.

"That sounds nice, but why should I believe you?" Despite the goodwill expressed by the old man named Yao Lao, Xiao Yan did not lower his guard.

That was because he had encountered a Soul Body in his previous life, too.

That fellow had also treated him extremely well at first, and for a time, he had even regarded him as family.

Yet at the most crucial moment in his cultivation, that Soul Body had actually attempted Body Possession on him. Had he not fought back desperately and had a little luck on his side, the fellow might truly have succeeded.

As the saying went, once bitten by a snake, one feared even a well rope for ten years. Faced with a similar situation now, Xiao Yan would naturally not trust this old man so easily.

But Yao Lao... If Yao is this old man's surname, then his identity is far from ordinary. Xiao Yan vaguely remembered that among the few surviving Dou God Clans, there was a Yao Clan! Could this old man be from the Yao Clan?

"You little fellow, you're not very old, but you're certainly wary." Seeing Xiao Yan's confrontational attitude, Yao Lao shook his head helplessly. "If I really wanted to do something to you, would I have needed to wait until now?"

"..." Xiao Yan did not answer, merely furrowing his brow slightly. The old man did have a point. He had only become aware of this Soul Body's presence half a year ago. If the old man truly wanted to do something, he had had plenty of time before then.

But he did not fully believe Yao Lao's words either. Who knew what this old fellow was thinking? He had seen plenty of people who said one thing and did another. In fact, if the gap in their strength had not been so great, he might already have destroyed this Soul Body.

"Ah..." Seeing Xiao Yan's disbelief, Yao Lao sighed again. He looked at Xiao Yan and studied him for a while longer before saying, "Do you want to become an Alchemist?"

"An Alchemist? You mean... I can become an Alchemist?" Xiao Yan paused in surprise before asking.

Naturally, he knew how sought-after this profession was on the Dou Qi Continent. But although he had enjoyed a formidable reputation in his previous life, he had never had any contact with alchemy, so he truly had not known he possessed a talent for it.