The Mischievous Pleasure of Taking a Disciple

"Huh! A Dou Emperor?"

Xiao Xuan smiled without speaking. The little girl's horizons were still too narrow.

"Look!"

With a gentle wave of his hand, an invisible gust swept over the entire mountain forest as far as the eye could see.

Then endless streams of green rose from the ground. It seemed the essence of the vegetation had been extracted and condensed into an essence core that shone with dazzling light.

A technique like this only looked impressive.

Its actual use was hardly worth mentioning: it could only do a little to heal the injuries of low-level cultivators. After all, it was extracted from the essence of plants.

That represented vitality.

But because of the indiscriminate choice of materials, its effects were limited. If he had used graded heavenly treasures, the results would have truly made a hunter's heart leap at the sight of prey.

Still, a trick like this was more than enough to fool his little disciple.

"Take it! It should be a little help to your future cultivation."

Calm and unruffled, Xiao Xuan was especially charismatic. Xiao Yi Xian stared at him in a daze.

"S-sir, may I ask why you want to take me as your disciple?"

Although she was already tempted-after all, no normal person would easily pass up such a thick thigh to cling to-Xiao Yi Xian still hesitated.

She was a girl who stood by her principles. Otherwise, she would have bowed to the ways of the world long ago.

Struggling alone was hard, all right! Especially for a beautiful girl surrounded by a pack of wolves.

To have survived until now and even lived reasonably well, she had to have some tricks and principles she held fast to. Otherwise, she would have fallen long ago.

"You should know what is unusual about you, shouldn't you?"

"Your constitution is no ordinary one."

After turning the vegetation essence core over in his hand, Xiao Xuan tossed it to Xiao Yi Xian.

"The Woeful Poison Body!"

With a flick of Xiao Xuan's finger, Xiao Yi Xian's constitution was activated—or rather, stimulated by the vegetation essence core.

"Poison?"

Xiao Yi Xian had caught the key word. This probably wasn't a good constitution, was it?

Besides, she had always dreamed of becoming an alchemist!

But with a constitution named after poison, was she supposed to become a poison master?

Her pretty face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"What's wrong? You think this constitution is no good?" Xiao Xuan could see the resistance in the girl's heart.

Another novice easily misled by outward appearances.

He shook his head.

"Power has never been divided into good and evil. The difference lies only in its owner."

"Besides, this constitution won't stop you from becoming an alchemist."

"And a true alchemist has never been limited by talent."

Xiao Xuan chuckled. His Dou Qi attribute actually contained very little wood element. By all rights, he should have known nothing about alchemy.

In reality, however, Xiao Xuan's skill in alchemy was likewise unrivaled across the continent.

The vegetation essence core just now was proof, although orthodox alchemists would not acknowledge a method like that.

But what did that matter? Throughout his life, why had Xiao Xuan ever needed to explain his actions to others?

"Huh?"

The expression on her face was adorably blank. This little girl was a bit carefree.

"Enough nonsense. Hurry up and take me as your master."

"I won't harm you. Once you've developed your abilities, you only need to protect my clan for a while."

He had made both the responsibility and the purpose perfectly clear. Xiao Xuan had never forced anyone to do what they didn't want to.

"M-master, your disciple Xiao Yi Xian pays her respects!"

Her voice was somewhat soft and weak. She still hadn't quite made sense of things, but the senior had said as much, and he was so powerful.

Taking him as her master couldn't be a loss. As for helping her master protect his clan in the future?

Wasn't that only right and proper?

It was much the same as joining any other sect.

Xiao Yi Xian's thoughts were simple.

"Mm."

Xiao Xuan answered mildly. He didn't much care what Xiao Yi Xian thought right now. Establishing their status as master and disciple was enough; she could come to feel a sense of belonging in time.

"For your early cultivation, you only need to carry that vegetation essence core. It can suppress the poisons raging in your body and keep your mind clear."

"As for cultivation itself, use some poison to assist you, and your Dou Qi will naturally advance a thousand miles in a day."

In Xiao Xuan's view, the best thing about this constitution was that he didn't have to fly himself; he only needed to keep her from slipping out of his control.

But as long as the girl stayed by his side, was there any chance of her losing control?

"Is there anything else you want to take with you?"

He had finished taking in his first disciple. Naturally, he had to bring her along now. Otherwise, why had he come all this way? He could have simply sent a soul message.

"I... can I bring Little Lan with me? He can fly, so he won't be a burden."

Xiao Yi Xian had no particular attachment to her previous life, and she cared even less about leaving her possessions behind. The only one she couldn't bear to leave was her magical beast companion.

She had raised him from such a tiny thing, and it was hard to part with him.

"That Blue Eagle?"

Xiao Xuan closed his eyes and released his soul power. He soon found a tier-one Blue Eagle whose scent was similar to Xiao Yi Xian's.

He felt a slight ache in his teeth.

What difference was there between a magical beast of that strength and an ordinary wild animal? But since his little disciple wanted to bring him along, they might as well.

Still, Xiao Xuan didn't like his dim-witted appearance.

So a few more specks of light scattered from Xiao Xuan's hand and landed on the head of the Blue Eagle he had just drawn over.

"This is the Little Lan you mentioned, right? I improved his intelligence and foundation a little. He should be able to serve as a mount from now on!"

After explaining, Xiao Xuan patted Little Zi beside him and told him to look after the new little brother.

"Master, can I hold that puppy?"

Little Zi had hidden himself well earlier, or rather, he had deliberately kept his presence low.

After all, for a dignified ruler of the Magical Beast Mountain Range to be handled by a human he could blow to the edge of the sky with a puff of breath would be far too humiliating.

He simply hadn't expected his master to reveal his presence.

"Take him and play with him! Get to know him. He's a magical beast too."

Xiao Xuan naturally didn't mind. He had only subdued Little Zi for convenience in the first place.

Hearing that, the smile on Xiao Yi Xian's face grew even brighter.

What girl could resist the temptation of a cute little puppy?

"Hah~"

Little Zi deliberately made a threatening gesture, hoping to display the majesty of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. But he had never imagined that making such a gesture in his current little body...

It was a fox borrowing a tiger's might, all right!

"No biting people whenever you please!"

The sight only made Xiao Yi Xian happier. She had expected him not to be friendly with people; she had experience taming Little Lan.

Just then, Xiao Yi Xian looked at the transforming Little Lan and found that he had already recovered. And the presence he gave off... had he already reached tier two so quickly?

His feathers also felt softer to the touch.

Wonderful. They wouldn't prick her hands when she rode him anymore.

"Little Zi, stop making trouble, or I'll have Little Lan teach you a lesson!"

With that, Xiao Yi Xian placed him in front of Little Lan in a very threatening manner.

"Roar~"

With mischievous delight, Xiao Xuan lifted the restriction on the Amethyst Winged Lion King's size.

Ah...

A scream rang out right on cue.

PS: I thought I'd have to go solo for a while first, but I didn't expect there really to be a few brothers reading. Thanks to these good brothers who cast recommendation votes: Blue Hard-Shelled Shark Lu Zhiyi, Baba Jiu Ji Nian Qian Zhi Xin Ruo Yu, the reader whose number ends in 5997, Qian Shi Jin Sheng Zhi Man Yuan Ning Zhe Er, You Peng Yuan Fang Lai, and World's Cutest q (yes, I put this in the main text to show my sincerity).