Chapter 561: Master

"Hey, kid, you asleep or what?"

A transparent old man floated in midair, smiling as he stared at Xiao Yan, who was gaping in shock. "What, don't you recognize your master?"

Hearing the old man's words, Xiao Yan's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking, as if a memory deep within his mind had just awakened.

"You're my master?" Xiao Yan stared at the old man before him, his voice filled with disbelief and astonishment.

The old man's eyes were bright and sharp, naturally radiating confidence; though his hair was white, his features clearly revealed he had once been a handsome man who had captivated countless young maidens.

At this moment, Xiao Yan was momentarily unsure whether this was part of his Hundred Lifetimes Reincarnation, for the old man before him felt so familiar, as if he had long been a constant companion.

Xiao Yan's heart jolted—could it be that the Soul Information of this reincarnation wasn't his, but…?

Xiao Yan's breathing grew subtly rapid as he looked down at the ring hanging around his neck—the ring's shape was one he'd recognize even if turned to ash: it was the Bone Flame Ring!

But Xiao Yan remembered—he had already sent the Bone Flame Ring to the Dan Tower, into Xuan Yi's hands!

At this moment, Xiao Yan had already formed a hypothesis!

As Xiao Yan stood frozen in shock, staring at the Bone Flame Ring, the old man drifted before him and—clang! —delivered a sharp chop to Xiao Yan's head, snapping him back to reality.

"I taught you Pill Alchemy—how can I not be your master?" The old man looked at his dazed disciple with exasperation.

Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, calming himself, then recalled the Soul Memory that had just flooded his mind: he had been surrounded by the Wolf Fang Mercenary Group, barely escaped using the Purple Cloud Wings, and had suffered severe injuries as a result.

Arriving beside the stone pit, the Soul Body old man scanned Xiao Yan up and down, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "I thought you'd need at least half a month to recover, but you've healed completely in just five days—and you've even, by fortune in misfortune, touched the threshold of the Seven-Star Dou Zhe. Judging by your current state, with a few more days of Cultivation, you should be able to enter the Seven-Star Dou Zhe realm."

"I've been unconscious for five days? To deal with that pitiful Wolf Fang Mercenary Group?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock and confusion.

Are you kidding? Do they even deserve to be called that!?

"Mm." The old man nodded, glanced at him, then frowned sharply. "You could've used the Purple Cloud Wings to escape immediately, yet you insisted on showing off by forcing a Earth-grade Dou Technique. If I hadn't activated the Purple Cloud Wings for you, you wouldn't have had the strength left to flee!"

Hearing the old man's rebuke, Xiao Yan felt no anger—his gaze softened instead, and in a voice only he could hear, he murmured: "Thank you… for saving me again."

"I carefully chose this place—all high-level beasts in the vicinity have been cleared out. Within a few hundred meters, you may move freely, but still be cautious of any beasts that randomly wander in. Here, anything could swat you dead with one blow," the old man warned.

Xiao Yan froze—beasts here? Then he remembered: in this reincarnation, he was only at the Dou Zhe level. He sighed and nodded. Slowly rising from the stone pit, he grabbed the nearby clothes and fumbled them on.

"Wait until your injuries are fully healed before you train the Flame Division Devouring Wave Ruler. For now, I'll teach you the basics of Pill Alchemy. Leave this place only after reaching the Dou Shi level," the old man said coolly.

"Pill Alchemy?" Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and smiled faintly, standing tall and confident. "My Pill Alchemy is amazing."

The old man stared at Xiao Yan, eyes wide, then stared blankly, exasperated. "You?"

The old man was utterly speechless—you, who've never even refined a single Pill, think you can do it by dreaming?

Xiao Yan flashed a confident, smug smile. When it came to Pill Alchemy, he was unstoppable—he pulled out an Alchemy Cauldron from his storage ring, ready to demonstrate his Nine Grade Pill Alchemy—when suddenly he froze.

It wasn't that he forgot how to refine Pills—he had no Medicinal Material!

"Uh… Master, do you have any Medicinal Material?"

The old man crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Xiao Yan. "You, a Pill Alchemist so amazing, still need someone else to prepare your Medicinal Material?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's face flushed red. He rummaged frantically through his storage ring and pulled out a few herbs. When he saw them, he flushed again—they could indeed be refined into a Pill, but the result would be… unconventional.

Yet quickly, Xiao Yan calmed himself. So what if it was an unconventional Pill? He'd made them before. According to research, over ninety percent of Alchemists make unconventional Pills on their first try. As for who conducted that research—he didn't know.

Gazing at the Alchemy Cauldron before him, Xiao Yan stretched his neck. He had to prove his Pill Alchemy was real!

After stretching, he gently pressed his left hand against the furnace's fire inlet. With a flick of his mind, he gathered a thread of Dou Qi, diverting it from his energy vortex into his palm. With a soft *puff*, the Dou Qi transformed through the cauldron's peculiar mechanism into a faintly deep-yellow flame, slowly burning within the furnace.

Such weak Dou Qi flames—he hadn't seen them in ages.

Watching the flame's color grow deeper than before, Xiao Yan smiled wryly. Once the Alchemy Furnace was warmed, he selected Medicinal Materials with his right hand.

He grabbed a red fruit emitting a strange odor, coughed twice, then tossed it into the furnace.

Xiao Yan refined at high speed, continuously tossing Medicinal Materials into the furnace. Soon, a sweet, fragrant scent wafted out.

The old man watched Xiao Yan's skilled technique, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

About fifteen minutes later, Xiao Yan instinctively swept his hand outward. A Dou Technique suddenly surfaced in his mind—a suction force emerged from his palm, drawing all the pink Medicinal Powder from the furnace into a bottle.

Looking at the powder in the bottle, Xiao Yan nodded, smiling with satisfaction. The powder wasn't even a Pill—it was merely several Medicinal Materials refined and mixed in proportion.

But he was still pleased with his refinement technique—he'd refined Medicinal Materials for Eight Grade Peak Pills countless times.

"Master, how's that? Not bad, right?" Xiao Yan stood tall, eyebrow raised.

"Wrong," the old man glanced at Xiao Yan, calmly stating.

"Wrong? What's wrong?" Xiao Yan froze—how dare someone say his Pill Alchemy was wrong?!

The old man took Xiao Yan's bottle, poured out a bit of powder. "This is just basic refinement, but refining Medicinal Material isn't just about controlling heat based on the herb itself. Another crucial factor is the herb's age."

"Herbs of different ages have slight differences in fire resistance. Though this doesn't affect the final Pill's success, it does impact its quality."

"Also, the growing environment matters. Identical herbs, same age, grown in different environments still show subtle differences. For ordinary Pills, you don't need to consider this—but if you're refining top-tier Pills, you must account for every tiny variation. Never rely blindly on the Pill Formula."

"Learn to question the Pill Formula."

"Come, watch closely how your master refines."

The old man swept his sleeve—using the exact same Medicinal Materials. Xiao Yan, standing beside him, stared fixedly at the furnace. The order of herbs and temperature matched Xiao Yan's, but the Pill Refining Method had subtle variations—so minute, only experienced Alchemists with exceptional talent could detect them.

During this refinement process, Xiao Yan couldn't find words to describe his state—deeply shocked, yet like an Enlightenment, with quiet, serene understanding.

The entire Pill Alchemy process felt utterly natural, almost like a pleasure to witness!

At this moment, the Medicinal Powder inside the furnace seemed alive—when it slowly formed, it moved with rhythm, every motion embodying the Dao's principles.

Quickly, the powder was sealed into the bottle. Placing the two bottles side by side, they appeared identical—only the most experienced, most gifted could perceive the faint difference.

"See? You still have much to learn. Don't be arrogant. Remember: the sea of learning is boundless, and diligence is the boat," the old man said, one hand behind his back, earnestly instructing.

Xiao Yan coughed twice, giving the old man a strange look, blinking. "Master, you seem awfully familiar with refining this stuff… you've done it before, haven't you?"

Hearing this, the old man's face flushed red. He waved his sleeve irritably. "Hmph! As a top-tier Alchemist, even if I've never seen a Pill Formula before, I can refine it as if I've done it countless times. Do you think I'm as irresponsible as you?"

Seeing the old man's expression, Xiao Yan, who understood perfectly, smirked and raised an eyebrow.

The old man sighed. "Since you're recovered, go back to training the Flame Division Devouring Wave Ruler."

Hearing "Flame Division Devouring Wave Ruler," Xiao Yan grabbed the familiar Xuan Heavy Ruler, pulled it up with force, slung it over his back, and declared confidently: "My Flame Division Devouring Wave Ruler is already at Perfect Completion!"

"Oh?"

At this moment, an old man and a young man arrived at the roaring waterfall, where the water crashed heavily against the rocks, instantly sending a thunderous rumble echoing through the small valley.

Xiao Yan's lips curled slightly upward; he drew the Xuan Heavy Ruler, exhaled slowly, and after a moment, his eyes snapped open—then the power of heaven and earth began to boil!

Even though Xiao Yan's Cultivation Realm had not yet reached Star Seven, once he stirred the power of heaven and earth, it surged forth from his body like a awakened dragon.

Before this Spiritual Pressure, the calm lake surface below his feet suddenly churned as if boiling, continuous white bubbles rising and roiling.

"Battle Qi is still too weak. Must rely on the power of heaven and earth to compensate."

Xiao Yan placed his left hand on the Xuan Heavy Ruler and slowly swept it across—the ruler trembled instantly, Battle Qi transformed into flame, a brown-yellow fire igniting upon its surface.

On the ruler's face, those strange special patterns now emitted a crimson glow; as the ruler slashed through Space, the surrounding area grew faint and blurred.

Xiao Yan's forward lunge halted abruptly; his body spun one hundred eighty degrees midair, the black ruler in his hand glowing brighter and brighter—until finally, a blinding burst of light exploded outward.

"Flame-Splitting, Wave-Devouring Ruler!"

In the empty valley, a thunderous boom erupted—then a surging wave of heat spread nearly across the entire valley.

"Boom!" On the wide lake's surface, countless water columns shot skyward in a spectacular display.

Along the edge of the ravine, countless fine cracks spread across the entire rock face, resembling ivy.

Thud! Xiao Yan gripped the ruler's handle with both hands, gasping wildly—he had used the Flame-Splitting, Wave-Devouring Ruler many times, but never before with Battle Qi weaker than even a Battle Master!

It instantly drained all of Xiao Yan's Battle Qi.

"Hey, Master, how's that? Not bad, right?" Xiao Yan panted heavily, his head buzzing.

The waterfall's flow above the cliff, after pausing for over twenty seconds, resumed its slow descent, and the deep gash on the rock gradually faded from view.

The old man floated gently to Xiao Yan's side, took a Qi-Replenishing Pill from his storage ring, and placed it into Xiao Yan's mouth; after glancing at him, he said, "The power is acceptable, but—"

"But?" Xiao Yan froze. This was already perfect completion—what more "but" could there be?!

"Your foundation is weak. You're practicing like a mess. Go—jump onto those wooden stakes and start over!"

"Huh?"

Standing beside the lake beneath the waterfall, Xiao Yan stared at the ten massive wooden stakes driven into the waterfall's torrent. He'd already achieved perfect completion—how was he supposed to start over?!

"From today on, you will cultivate while enduring the waterfall's current. You must strike the water three hundred times."

Instantly, Xiao Yan shrank his head, nodding like a chick—daring not to resist.

"Oh, by the way, you'll need this every day." Remembering something, the old man pulled out a small red bottle filled with liquid.

Seeing the red bottle in the old man's hand, Xiao Yan—despite his current condition—knew instantly what it was; his face changed, and he gasped: "Blood-Scorching?!"

He had once used this stuff on Xiao Yu and the others—it was simple: pain, but somehow satisfying.

"Uh, I think… this stuff is hard to prepare. No need to trouble Master," Xiao Yan said with a forced smile, slowly backing away.

The old man's eyes narrowed, then he smiled warmly, seized Xiao Yan, yanked off his shirt, and smeared the Blood-Scorching directly onto his skin. The Blood-Scorching burned like a flame, continuously releasing Infernal Heat—a searing sensation, as if he were being set ablaze.

"AHHHH!!!"

(End of Chapter)