With an indifferent expression, Xiao Yan left the hall, his mind somewhat absent. Following his usual habit, he slowly climbed to the back mountain of his clan, sitting on the cliff and calmly gazing at the mist-shrouded rugged mountains in front of him. That was the famous Magical Beast Mountain Range of the Jia Ma Empire.
“Ha ha, strength… In this world, without strength, you’re not even as good as a lump of dog feces. At least, no one dares to step on dog feces!”
His shoulders moved slightly, and the bitter, self-mocking laughter of the young man echoed, filled with sorrow, on the mountaintop. His fingers dug into his black hair, and Xiao Yan’s teeth clenched tightly on his lips, allowing the faint blood to spread at the corners of his mouth. Although he did not show any inappropriate emotions in the hall, every word from Nalan Yanran cut his heart like a knife, making Xiao Yan tremble all over…
“I don’t want to be humiliated like this again!”
Spreading his left hand, which had a line of blood, Xiao Yan’s voice was hoarse but firm.
“Hehe, little one, it seems you need some help, huh?”
Just as Xiao Yan was engraving his vow in his heart, a strange, elderly laugh suddenly rang in his ears.
His face changed, and Xiao Yan turned around abruptly, his sharp gaze scanning the area behind him, but he found no one…
“Hehe, no need to look, I’m right on your finger.”
Just as Xiao Yan thought it was an illusion, the strange laugh echoed again, seemingly from nowhere.
His pupils constricted, and Xiao Yan’s gaze suddenly stopped on the ancient, black ring on his right hand.
“Are you the one speaking?”
Xiao Yan forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, trying to keep his voice calm.
“Your composure is commendable, you didn’t jump off the cliff out of fright.”
A teasing laugh came from within the ring.
“Who are you? Why are you in my ring? What do you want?”
After a brief silence, Xiao Yan asked the crucial questions clearly.
“You don’t need to worry about who I am for now; I won’t harm you. Ah, after so many years, I finally met someone with sufficient soul strength. It’s truly fortunate. Hehe, but I have to thank you, little one, for your offerings over these three years. Otherwise, I might still be in a deep slumber.”
“Offerings?”
Blinking in confusion, Xiao Yan’s face darkened after a moment, and a chilling word slipped out between his teeth: “The mysterious disappearance of my Dou Qi, was that your doing?”
“Hehe, I was forced, little one. Don’t blame me.”
“You bastard!”
Xiao Yan, who prided himself on being calm and composed, suddenly jumped up like a madman, his face contorted with rage. Ignoring that this was a memento from his mother, he hastily pulled the ring from his finger and threw it with all his might down the steep cliff…
The moment the ring left his hand, Xiao Yan’s mind cleared abruptly. He reached out to catch it, but the ring had already fallen straight down the cliff…
Staring dumbfounded at the ring that vanished in the mist, Xiao Yan was stunned for a long while. His face gradually calmed, and he slapped his forehead in frustration: “Fool, too rash, too rash!”
It was understandable that Xiao Yan would lose control after just learning that the culprit behind his three years of humiliation was the ring he had been wearing all along.
Sitting by the cliff for a while, Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, got up, and turned around, his eyes widening in shock as his trembling finger pointed at something in front of him…
Before Xiao Yan, a pitch-black, ancient ring hovered in the air. What shocked him most was a transparent, old figure floating above the ring…
“Hehe, little one, no need to be so angry. I just absorbed your Dou Qi for three years.”
The transparent elder, smiling, stared at Xiao Yan, who was speechless.
His mouth twitched, and Xiao Yan, suppressing his anger, said, “Old guy, since you were hiding in the ring, you should know how much mockery and humiliation I’ve faced because you absorbed my Dou Qi, right?”
“But during these three years of mockery, you’ve grown, haven’t you? Do you think you would have the same level of patience and mindset if this had happened three years ago?”
The elder smiled noncommittally.
Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed, and his mood gradually calmed. After his initial rage, joy followed. Now that he knew the reason for the disappearance of his Dou Qi, his talent must have returned!
Thinking of finally having the chance to shed the title of ‘waste,’ Xiao Yan felt as if he had been reborn. The hateful old man in front of him didn’t seem too annoying anymore.
Some things, only when lost, do we realize their value! Regaining what was lost makes us cherish it more!
He stretched his wrist lightly and took a deep breath, then looked up and said, “Although I don’t know who you are, I want to ask: do you plan to continue absorbing my Dou Qi from the ring? If so, I suggest you find another host. I can’t afford to support you.”
“Hehe, no one else has such a powerful soul perception as you,” the elder chuckled, stroking his beard. “Since I chose to reveal myself, I naturally won’t absorb your Dou Qi without your permission in the future.”
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and snorted, having made up his mind that no matter how this old man sweet-talked, he wouldn’t let him stay by his side.
“Little one, do you want to become stronger? Do you want to be respected by others?”
Although he had already decided to avoid the elder, Xiao Yan’s heart still thumped involuntarily at those words.
“Now that I know the reason for the disappearance of my Dou Qi, do I still need you to get stronger with my talent?”
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan spoke coldly, knowing that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Accepting the favor of a mysterious person was not a wise decision.
“Little one, your talent is indeed good, but you must know, you are already fifteen years old, and your Dou Qi is only at the third stage. I believe next year is your coming-of-age ceremony, right? Do you think you can reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi in just one year through hard work alone? And you made a bet with that girl for three years. Her talent is not much lower than yours. Do you think it’s easy to catch up with her and surpass her?”
The elder’s wrinkled face was like a blooming chrysanthemum.
“If you hadn’t absorbed my Dou Qi, would I have been humiliated by her? You old rascal!”
Poked in his sore spot, Xiao Yan’s face darkened again, and he cursed angrily.
After the tirade, Xiao Yan became dejected again. No matter how much he cursed, it wouldn’t help. The foundation of Dou Qi cultivation was crucial. When he was four, he had trained for six years to reach the ninth stage. Even with his talent restored, reaching the seventh stage in a year was almost impossible…
Sighing in frustration, Xiao Yan glanced at the mysterious-looking, transparent elder, and a thought occurred to him. “Do you have a solution?”
“Perhaps.”
The elder’s response was ambiguous.
“Help me reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi in a year, and I’ll forget about the three years of Dou Qi you absorbed. How about it?”
Xiao Yan probed.
“Hehe, you drive a hard bargain, little one.”
“If you can’t help me, why should I carry a burden? I think you should find another unlucky person…”
Xiao Yan sneered, realizing after a brief chat that the transparent elder couldn’t just absorb anyone’s Dou Qi.
“You don’t act like a fifteen-year-old. It seems you’ve grown a lot in these three years. Is this my comeuppance?”
Looking at the slick Xiao Yan, the elder was stunned, then laughed bitterly, shaking his head.
Xiao Yan shrugged and said indifferently, “If you want me to continue supporting you, you need to show some sincerity.”
“What a sharp-tongued little one. Fine, fine, since this old man needs your help…”
The elder nodded helplessly, and his figure descended to the ground. He scrutinized Xiao Yan, a sly smile appearing and vanishing on his face. After a pause, he reluctantly asked, “Do you want to become an alchemist?”
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