"Alchemist?"

  Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback, and his eyebrows immediately furrowed: "On the Dou Qi continent, anyone who is a person wants to become an alchemist, but can just anyone become an alchemist? Those harsh conditions..." His voice suddenly paused, and Xiao Yan suddenly lifted his head, opening his mouth wide: "I succeeded?"

  He greatly appreciated Xiao Yans shocking expression, which was mixed with expectation and ecstasy. The old man stroked his beard for a moment, then looked him up and down before sighing somewhat embarrassingly: "Although its just barely enough to qualify, who made me owe you a favor? Alas, lets just consider it repaying a debt..."

  Looking at the old man with a forced expression, Xiao Yan felt that what he said was somewhat suspicious. However, he didnt bother to ask further and just had some doubts amidst his joy: "Even if I meet the conditions, alchemists are usually taught personally by their teachers, hand in hand. You, are you also an alchemist?"

  Looking at Xiao Yans face full of suspicion, the old man chuckled and puffed out his chest slightly, a hint of pride in his voice: "Thats right, I am an alchemist!"

  Blinking his eyes, Xiao Yans gaze towards the elders eyes suddenly lit up, Ah, an alchemist, thats a rare creature indeed...

  "Old sir, may I ask, what level of alchemist were you in the past?" Xiao Yan asked with a hint of politeness in his tender voice.

  In the Dou Qi continent, alchemists are rare, but due to their noble status, they also have a clear ranking system, divided from low to high into nine grades. The master of the Jiqi San in Nalan Yanrans hand in the previous hall, Dan Wang Guhe, is a sixth-grade alchemist and can be considered the number one person in the alchemy world of the Ga Ma Empire.

  "How many items? Hehe, cant remember... Ah, little guy, are you going to learn or not?" The old man asked with a hint of impatience, shaking his head.

  "Study, study!"

  Xiao Yan no longer hesitated, his small head nodding hastily. An alchemist, even one from a powerful sect like Yunlan, was a precious individual who would be treated as an honored guest.

  "Heh heh, willing? If youre willing, then lets get started." The old man sat cross-legged on a green stone, smiling slyly.

  "Do you still want to find a master?"

  "Nonsense, you dont even want to be my apprentice and yet you expect me to teach you everything? You must be dreaming!" The old man rolled his eyes, clearly a stubborn and traditionalist old fellow who attached great importance to the master-apprentice relationship.

  Helplessly, he rolled his eyes and, in order to become a noble alchemist, Xiao Yan could only respectfully pay homage to the elder with a bow.

  With a stern gaze, the old man nodded in satisfaction after Xiao Yan had finished his greetings. His voice also became more affectionate: "My name is Yao Lao, as for my background, lets not talk about it for now, lest you get distracted. You only need to know that those who claim to be Dan Wang are actually... nothing but a fart."

  The corners of his mouth twitched, Xiao Yan looked at the old mans casual appearance, and the words that were about to come out were swallowed back: "What is this old mans origin? The Dan Wang Gu He who shook the Ga Ma Empire, is a fart...? If this word gets out, Im afraid it will be ridiculed as a mental illness by the entire Ga Ma Empire?"

  Taking a light breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, Xiao Yans eyes rolled around, and with a grin on his small face, he said: "I wonder how Master plans to help me reach the seventh stage of Dou Zhan Qi within a year?"

  "Although your aura has been declining for the past three years, it is precisely because of this that your foundation is more solid than ordinary people. The foundation is the most important thing in aura cultivation! Later on, you will realize how much benefit these three years of decline have brought to you!" Yao Laos smile slowly faded, and he spoke seriously.

  Xiao Yan was somewhat stunned, he really didnt know that a decline in strength could bring him any benefits.

  "When are you going to teach me alchemy?" Xiao Yans eyes rotated as he set his mind on the most important thing.

  "To become an alchemist, you must have the support of flame-based martial energy. Therefore, before learning alchemy, you must first become a martial artist and cultivate a fire-attribute martial art!"

  "Fire attribute technique? Hehe, Master, since Im your disciple, why dont you give me a Heaven Tier fire attribute technique to cultivate?" Xiao Yan stretched out his hand, smiling as he asked.

  "Youre really something! You think your Heaven Stage cultivation method is as common as wild potatoes on the ground? Im impressed you can even open your mouth!" Upon hearing this, Yao Laos face twitched and he scolded with a mixture of laughter and tears.

  "Old man, since Ive entered your sect, you cant possibly make me go back to my clan for cultivation methods, right? The most advanced fire-attribute cultivation method in our family is only at the high-grade yellow rank. This is really too humiliating!" Xiao Yans small face was filled with frustration.

  "Youre a young whippersnapper, teacher, not an old man!"

  Xiao Yans title made him roll his eyes, Yao Lao didnt expect that just after he had just finished paying respects to his master, this little guy was already climbing up.

  "Hmph, since youve entered my door, I naturally wont let you suffer. The Heaven Stage cultivation method? I dont have it! However, I do have a cultivation method thats even more sinister than the Heaven Stage method. Do you want to learn it?" With a slight hum, the old and murky eyes of Medicine Old suddenly became filled with intrigue.

  "More sinister than Tianjies Gongfa?"

  Xiao Yans heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed his saliva. His black eyes, unintentionally, quietly burned with heat: "What level of martial art is that?"

  "Huang Jie is low-ranking." Yao Laos smiling voice made Xiao Yans small face stiffen instantly.

  "Old man, are you fooling me?"

  A moment later, a furious roar erupted from the young man at the top of the mountain.

  Looking at the small face in front of him, twisted with anger, Yao Lao smiled with satisfaction. Being able to make Xiao Yan, who was normally as calm as a little demon, so angry, he felt quite accomplished.

  "Whats so strange about that technique?" Xiao Yan suddenly calmed down, furrowed his brow and asked, staring at Yao Laos playful face.

  "It can evolve!" After a brief silence, Yao Lao smiled and said.

  His pupils suddenly contracted, Xiao Yans eyes stared at Yao Lao in front of him without blinking, and after a long while, he shook his head: "Impossible! Ive never heard of any technique that has the ability to evolve!"

  "Hmph, what do you know, little guy? The Dou Qi continent is vast and boundless, with countless strange people and events. In your eyes, which have never left the Ga Ma Empire, its impossible to see the many wonders that exist." Yao Lao sneered.

  Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, then asked in discontent: "Have you heard of any other cultivation methods that can evolve?"

  The old pharmacists smile stiffened for a moment before he dryly chuckled and shook his head, saying: "Its precisely because it doesnt exist that my technique can show off its uniqueness!"

  "Really can evolve?" Looking at Yao Laos serious face, Xiao Yan couldnt help but ask again.

  "Really can evolve!" Yao Lao nodded very affirmatively.

  "Have you cultivated?" Xiao Yan asked again.

  "Hmm... nothing." The old pharmacist chuckled and shook his head.

  "Has anyone else cultivated it?"

  "Uh...no."

  On his forehead, a blue vein was throbbing, Xiao Yans fists were tightly clenched together, and he suppressed the urge to punch him. His voice was filled with repressed anger: "No one has cultivated it before, so how do you know it can evolve?"

  "In terms of Gong Fa, it is introduced like this." Yao Lao said with a smile.

  "Really? Such a technique exists?" His eyebrows furrowed tightly, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment before turning his black eyes and asked, "Can I take a look?"

  "Heh heh..." With a strange smile, he glanced at Xiao Yans curious face. The corner of Yao Laos mouth twitched, but his tone suddenly changed: "Forget it, now that youve seen it, its not useful anyway. Lets wait until you become a Dou Zhe, then Ill pass it on to you."

  The outstretched palm was a bit stiff, Xiao Yans mouth twitched violently for a moment before he forced out two words from between his teeth: "Youre cruel!"

  He let out a hearty laugh, ignoring Xiao Yans black eyes that were filled with anger. "For now, your task is still to cultivate your Dou Qi to the seventh level within a year."

  "What can you do?" Xiao Yan forcibly suppressed his curiosity about the mysterious technique in his heart and asked through gritted teeth.

  "The initial stage of cultivating the aura of combat, mainly involves expanding the meridians and tempering the body, strengthening the pulse, laying the foundation for the future accumulation of combat aura within the body. Because at this age, the human bodys meridians are most fragile and malleable, so this cultivation program must be carried out gradually and in accordance with the rules, without taking any external force measures. Otherwise, when the combat aura inside the body gradually becomes stronger, the meridians will not be able to withstand the increasingly strong impact of the combat aura, and ultimately lead to a tragic outcome of broken meridians and death!" Medicine Old said with a serious expression.

  As for this, Xiao Yan understood that during the three years he became a waste, his father was anxious and tried to forcibly infuse Dou Qi into his body several times, but each time he stopped at the critical moment, so Xiao Yan was very clear about the pros and cons of this.

  The old man glanced at Xiao Yans calm face and nodded in satisfaction, smiling: "For others, it is indeed so, but you are different. Your foundation was solid three years ago, and your temperament has been firm over the past few years, never falling behind a single day of cultivation. So now, your foundation, I can say without exaggeration, is extremely good!"

  "Are you trying to forcefully raise my strength? Like taking elixirs?" Xiao Yans eyes rolled around.

  "Its almost okay, but with your current meridians toughness, you cant withstand any kind of dan medicine energy impact, even the lowest level of Qi Gathering Powder wont do!" Medicine Old said with a faint smile.

  "The lowest-grade Gathering Spirit Powder..." Xiao Yans fingers trembled slightly, and he almost rolled his eyes. That rare medicine, which was sold at an astronomical price in the Ga Ma Empire, had become a low-level thing in the mouth of this mysterious teacher. The difference between these two was really astonishing to Xiao Yan.

  "Whats your solution?" Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan replied calmly, frowning and speaking in a low voice.

  "Hehe, the elixirs effect is too strong and can easily damage the meridians, so we must take a more gentle approach!" The Medicine Old Man smiled slightly and said: "Tomorrow, prepare three complete Purple Leaf Orchids, the older the better. Also, two Washing Bone Flowers, the age doesnt matter. Oh, and one first-grade Wooden Magic Core, these are all low-level materials, Im sure you can get them... Someones coming up, Ill return to the ring first! And dont let anyone know of my existence, including your closest people." After finishing speaking, the Medicine Old Man didnt care about Xiao Yans increasingly shocked expression and directly threw himself into the black ring. The ring slightly trembled and accurately fit onto Xiao Yans finger.

  "Three whole stalks of Purple Leaf Orchid? Two stalks of Bone Washing Flower? A single piece of First-Class Magic Core? Old man, have you gone crazy? Do you think Im some kind of prince from a royal family? These few things added up would cost at least over a thousand gold coins! After all these years of frugal living, Ive only managed to save four hundred gold coins, barely enough to buy one First-Class Magic Core!" Xiao Yan scolded loudly, holding the ring and staring wide-eyed.

  "Thats your problem, heh heh, my specially configured Warm Nurturing Elixir, others have money but cant even buy it, and youre just paying for the materials, yet youre still so reluctant..." The old mans teasing laughter echoed in Xiao Yans heart.

  "...Damn it, the stuff configured by the alchemist is indeed only affordable for the rich." Xiao Yan couldnt help but smile wryly. His monthly allowance in the Xiao family was not small, with twenty gold coins, which could support a commoners family for a year. But when buying the materials mentioned by Lao San, it was just a drop in the bucket. This is the difference!

  "Alas, I can only go borrow from someone..." With a depressed sigh, Xiao Yan slowly calmed down his emotions, his small face returning to its usual calmness. He turned his head towards the mountain road, where a purple figure was lightly jumping over, like an elf.