Seeing his offer of discipleship rejected, Yao Chen could not help falling silent, feeling as though a sharp arrow had pierced his heart. Then, he shifted his gaze toward Xiao Yan.
"Looking at me for what? Now that I already know why my Dou Zhi Qi disappeared, with my talent, do I need an old codger like you to help me grow stronger?" Xiao Yan said with a look of utter disdain, refusing to believe the other person was a Dou Zun powerhouse in life.
Yao Chen: "……"
Furthermore, Xiao Yan knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Letting a mysterious stranger become his master out of the blue was hardly a wise decision.
Now that the mystery behind the disappearance of his Dou Zhi Qi was solved, his talent would surely return! Some things are only truly appreciated once they are lost, and the feeling of regaining what was once gone had helped him mature a bit.
"That's quite enough from both of you! I happen to be the continent's number one alchemist! Have you never heard of a Dou Zun powerhouse? With a mere wave of my hand, I can incinerate mountains and boil seas; with a flick of my wrist, I can tear open space itself. People wanting to become my disciple could form a line stretching from the western edge of the Dou Qi Continent all the way to the east!" Yao Chen said, rather exasperated.
These siblings were more infuriating than the last!
"Oh? A Dou Zun powerhouse — is that supposed to be strong?"
Xiao Yue closed her book.
With that, purple mist billowed behind her, and within it, two lantern-like, blood-colored eyes slowly materialized, faintly shimmering as they stared gloomily at the other's soul form.
The old man instantly caved. That wrinkle-covered face bloomed like a chrysanthemum as he said in a warm and amicable tone, "Ahem, what this old man meant to say is that while I am lacking, I am still somewhat versed in the art of alchemy. I wonder if you two little friends might have any interest in the craft?"
"Old man, are you really an alchemist?"
Seeing that he did not seem to be lying, Xiao Yan asked with a hint of hesitation.
Looking at Xiao Yan's face, which was full of suspicion, the old man chuckled softly, puffing out his chest slightly as a trace of pride faintly leaked into his voice: "That's right, I am an alchemist!"
Blinking his eyes, Xiao Yan, who had seen very little of the world, found his gaze instantly brightening. An alchemist—why, those were rare creatures indeed!
"If you're an alchemist, I'll consider it!"
Xiao Yan licked his lips, a fraction of politeness slipping into his youthful voice.
If the other person truly was an alchemist—even the lowest-ranked one—it would grant him a prestigious status in Wutan City that even the City Lord would have to treat with utmost seriousness.
"Hehe, splendid!"
Yao Chen stroked his beard, thoroughly satisfied with Xiao Yan's yearning expression at the prospect of becoming an alchemist.
Immediately afterward, he shifted his gaze to Xiao Yue.
"An alchemist, strong? Just a bunch of fellows who only know how to refine pills..." Seeing the old man looking rather proud and self-satisfied, Xiao Yue calmly burst his bubble.
At this, both Yao Chen and Xiao Yan were left utterly speechless by the retort.
"Lass, do you have any idea what you just said? You were just challenging the dignity of alchemy. If other alchemists heard you, they might just risk their lives to fight you!" Yao Elder said speechlessly.
Xiao Yue smiled and said nothing.
Alchemists, as the name implied, were an extremely rare profession on the Dou Qi Continent.
Such people could refine all sorts of miraculous medicinal pills capable of boosting strength. Any alchemist would be fiercely courted by various factions at any cost, bestowing upon them an extremely prominent status and authority.
"Ahem, such a haughty disposition in a young lass..."
Realizing he was being ignored, Yao Chen let out an awkward cough before turning his gaze back to Xiao Yan. Musing for a moment, he spoke up, "Kid, what about you? Are you interested in learning alchemy from me?"
"I'll learn! Of course I'll learn!"
Xiao Yan no longer hesitated.
Anyway, this old man seemed thoroughly terrified of his eldest sister; with her keeping watch right beside them, he had nothing to fear from the fellow going back on his word.
"Hehe, willing? If you're willing, then acknowledge me as your master!" The old man chuckled with a hint of craftiness.
"I have to formally become a disciple?"
"Nonsense! You expect me to impart everything I know without taking you as a disciple? Keep dreaming!" Yao Chen rolled his eyes.
Clearly, this somewhat pedantic old man placed great importance on the master-disciple relationship.
"Sis, do you think this old man is reliable?"
Xiao Yan looked doubtfully toward Xiao Yue.
"Why ask me? Whether you take him as your master or not is entirely up to you..." Xiao Yue replied with an attitude of complete indifference.
To her, the pill-refining techniques of this world certainly had their merits, but not enough to make her want to take him as a master for their sake.
At this, Xiao Yan helplessly curled his lips. After a moment of thought, he still performed the master-disciple bowing ceremony to the old man, albeit rather unwillingly.
"Old man, since I've now entered your sect, you ought to bring out some token of greeting—like a high-tier technique or something. You can't possibly expect me to keep searching my own clan for cultivation methods, right? The absolute top fire-attribute technique in our family is only at the Huang tier, advanced grade! I am your disciple, a dignified Dou Zun powerhouse's disciple; you can't be that stingy!"
"I'm not asking for much—just hand over a Heaven-tier fire-attribute technique for me to cultivate!"
With that, Xiao Yan eagerly reached out his hand in demand.
"You little brat, you must call me Teacher, not old man! Besides, do you think Heaven-tier techniques are wild yams growing on the side of the road? The nerve of you asking for that!" Yao Chen rolled his eyes in exasperation at Xiao Yan's address. He hadn't expected that no sooner had the apprenticeship ceremony ended than this little fellow would try to climb right over his head.
"However, since you've entered my sect, I naturally won't treat you too shabbily. A Heaven-tier technique? I don't have one! But I do happen to have a technique even more bizarre than a Heaven-tier one. Do you dare to learn it?" Yao Chen's expression turned serious.
"Even more bizarre than a Heaven-tier technique?"
His heart skipping a beat, Xiao Yan swallowed hard. A trace of burning enthusiasm inadvertently flashed across his black eyes as he asked with anticipation, "What grade of technique is that?"
"Huang tier, low grade."
Yao Elder's smiling voice caused the youth's expression to instantly freeze.
"Don't be hasty, young fellow! Listen to me—that technique can evolve!"
"Impossible! I've never heard of any cultivation technique having the ability to evolve!"
"Tsk, what do you know, you little brat? The Dou Qi Continent is vast beyond measure, and eccentric people and bizarre occurrences are countless. In the eyes of a little fellow like you who has never even stepped out of the Gama Empire, there are oceans of things you consider impossible." Yao Elder scoffed disdainfully.
Xiao Yan choked for a moment, then retorted unconvinced, "Have you ever heard of any other technique that can evolve?"
Yao Elder's smile stiffened slightly. After a moment, he gave a dry chuckle and shook his head, saying, "Precisely because none exist, it highlights the uniqueness of my technique!"
"Can it really evolve?"
"It can truly evolve!"
"Have you ever cultivated it?" Xiao Yan asked again.
"Uh... well, no..." Yao Elder chuckled dryly and shook his head.
"Has anyone else cultivated it?"
"It seems... not..."
"Nobody has ever cultivated it, so how would an old codger like you know it can evolve?" Xiao Yan fired back.
"Uh, because the manual describes it that way..." Yao Elder laughed awkwardly.
Xiao Yan: "……"
At this point, even Xiao Yue almost failed to keep her composure, finding it hard to bear these two clowns.
She shook her head, stood up, and left the room. She had arranged to go shopping with Xuner today anyway.