"An alchemist?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows deeply. "On the Continent of Qi, almost everyone aspires to become an alchemist. But is it truly within anyone's reach? The stringent requirements... " His voice paused suddenly as he lifted his head sharply, mouth agape. "Did I actually meet them?" He was particularly impressed by the blend of astonishment, anticipation, and exhilaration in Xiao Yan's expression. The elder, stroking his beard and contemplating for a moment, then carefully observing Xiao Yan once more, finally sighed with a touch of hesitation. "Though I suppose I only barely qualify, after all, I do owe you a personal favor. Well, perhaps I'll just settle this debt then." Glancing at the elder, who appeared only slightly satisfied, Xiao Yan sensed that the notion of "barely qualifying" seemed somewhat insincere. Yet at this moment, he had no desire to press further. While delighted, he still harbored a few doubts: "Even if I've met the requirements, alchemists are typically trained personally and directly by their mentors. Are you, then, also an alchemist?" "Staring at Xiao Yan's doubtful face, the elder chuckled warmly, straightened his chest slightly, and spoke with a subtle pride: 'Yes, I am indeed a pharmacist!' As his eyes flickered, Xiao Yan's gaze instantly brightened—pharmacists were indeed rare creatures. 'Mr. Elder, may I ask—what rank of pharmacist were you previously?' Xiao Yan licked his lips, his youthful voice now carrying a touch of politeness. On the Battle Qi Continent, although pharmacists were relatively scarce, their esteemed status had established a clear hierarchy, ranging from one to nine ranks. For instance, Gu He, the master of the Qi-Collecting Powder held by Lan Yanran in the hall, was a sixth-rank pharmacist, widely regarded as the leading figure in the pharmaceutical world of the Jiaema Empire. 'What rank? Heh, I can't quite recall... Oh, young man, are you really paying attention?' The elder suddenly asked, a hint of impatience in his tone as he shook his head. 'Yes, I am!' Xiao Yan no longer hesitated, quickly nodding his head. A pharmacist—no matter how large and influential the Yunlan Sect was—was always a highly esteemed guest, a precious figure. "Heh, willing? If so, then let's become master-student," the elder chuckled, his eyes sharp and cunning as he folded his legs on a piece of green stone. "Do you still need to become my apprentice?" "What else? If you don't accept my apprenticeship, you expect me to share all my knowledge with you? That's pure fantasy!" The elder rolled his eyes, clearly a rather rigid and traditional man who deeply valued the master-student relationship. With a sigh of resignation, Xiao Yan bowed respectfully to the elder in order to become a distinguished pharmacist. Only after observing Xiao Yan perform the formalities with precision and care did the elder nod contentedly, his voice now warm and friendly. "My name is Yao Lao. As for my background, I'll hold off on telling you for now—otherwise, you might get distracted. All you need to know is that people who boast of being the 'King of Pills'—well, really, they're just nothing special." His lips twitched slightly. Looking at the elder's casual demeanor, the words he had just about formed were swallowed whole. "What in the world is this old man's background? The famed Dan King, Guo He, who's renowned throughout the Jia Ma Empire—turns out to be nothing but a joke! If I say this out loud, I'm certain the entire Jia Ma Empire will laugh me out of my mind!" Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Xiang Yan's eyes sparkled as he leaned forward, smiling shyly. "I'd like to know, then, how my teacher plans to have me reach the seventh stage of Battle Qi within just one year?" "Though your Battle Qi has been gradually declining over the past three years, precisely because of this decline, your foundation has grown stronger than that of most others. After all, a solid foundation is absolutely essential in the cultivation of Battle Qi. In time, you'll begin to notice just how many advantages this gradual weakening has brought you!" The old herbalist's warm smile gradually faded, and he spoke with serious intent. Xiang Yan was genuinely surprised—he hadn't realized that a decline in strength could offer such benefits. "Then, when shall I begin learning the Art Xiao Yan, eyes darting around, focused his attention on the most crucial matter. "To become a pharmacist, you must have Flame Combat Qi as your foundation. Therefore, before mastering the art of pharmaceutical preparation, you must first become a combatant and train in a Flame-type Combat Qi technique!" "Flame-type technique? Heh, Master, since I'm your disciple, why don't you hand me one of the top-tier Flame-type techniques to train in?" Xiao Yan extended his hand, smiling and making a request. "Nonsense! Do you think a top-tier technique is just some wild potato growing on the ground? How could you even suggest that?" The herbalist shook his head, laughing while exasperated. "Master, once I've joined your academy, can you really expect me to go back to my clan and search for one? I remember our family's finest Flame-type technique is only at the Yellow Tier, Advanced. That's just embarrassing!" Xiao Yan's face fell with frustration. "Young lad, it's Master, not old man!" "Frustrated, Xiang Yin's title made him roll his eyes. Ye Lao hadn't expected that just after the formal拜师 ceremony, this young lad would already be climbing up on his head. "Hmph. Since you've joined my discipleship, I won't be embarrassed to you—no heavenly-tier cultivation techniques, I admit! But I do possess a technique even more peculiar than heavenly-tier. Would you like to learn it?" With a light scoff, the old man's cloudy eyes suddenly gleamed with cunning strategy. "More peculiar than heavenly-tier techniques?" A sudden jolt went through Xiang Yin's chest. He swallowed hard, his dark gaze subtly warming as he leaned in. "Then what level is that technique?" "Yellow-tier, lower grade," Ye Lao said with a gentle smile, which instantly made Xiang Yin's face stiffen. "Old man, are you playing a trick on me?" A few moments later, a furious roar erupted from the mountain peak. Watching the young man now flushed with indignation, Ye Lao smiled proudly. To see such a composed, almost supernatural Xiang Yin become this animated—well, that truly brought him a sense of accomplishment. "What's so strange about this technique?" staring intently at the药老's teasing expression, Xiao Yan suddenly went still and furrowed his brows, asking with concern. "It can evolve!" the药老 smiled after a brief pause. Xiao Yan's pupils widened instantly; he kept his gaze fixed on the药老 without blinking, and only after a long moment did he shake his head, "Impossible! I've never heard of any technique possessing the ability to evolve!" "Hmph. You're quite limited, young one. The Qi Continent is vast and full of wonders—what seems impossible to someone who's never left the Jima Empire appears utterly ordinary to me." the药老 scoffed. Xiao Yan paused, then protested, "Then have you heard of any other techniques capable of evolving?" The药老's smile slightly stiffened; after a moment, he chuckled dryly and shook his head, "Exactly because there aren't any others—this uniqueness of mine becomes truly apparent." "Really capable of evolving?" seeing the药老's serious expression, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask again. "Truly capable of evolution!" The old pharmacist nodded with great confidence. "Have you ever practiced this technique?" Xiao Yan asked again. "Uh... no." The old pharmacist smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "Then has anyone else practiced it?" "Uh... no." With veins pulsing on his forehead and his fists tightly clenched, Xiao Yan struggled to suppress the urge to deliver a powerful punch, his voice strained with frustration: "If no one has ever practiced it, how do you know it can evolve?" "The technique itself describes it that way." The old pharmacist offered a shy smile. "Really? There exists such a technique?" Xiao Yan furrowed his brows, hesitated a moment, then turned his dark eyes thoughtfully. "Could I see it?" "Heh...," the old pharmacist chuckled, glancing at Xiao Yan's eager expression, then suddenly changed his tone: "Well, now that you've seen it, it probably won't make much difference. Perhaps when you become a Battle User, I'll pass it on to you then." The palm was slightly stiff, and Xiao Yan's lips twitched fiercely for a while before finally forcing out two words through the gaps between his teeth: "You're ruthless!" He laughed heartily several times, ignoring the blazing anger in the dark eyes that stared at him. "For now, the task is still to reach the seventh stage of your Battle Qi within one year," the medicine elder said. "What can you do?" Xiao Yan pressed down his curiosity about the mysterious technique, gritting his teeth and asking. "The cultivation of the initial stage of Battle Qi primarily focuses on expanding the meridians, strengthening the body, and reinforcing the circulation pathways—laying the foundation for the eventual concentration of Battle Qi within the body. Since the human body at this age is most vulnerable and malleable in its circulatory system, this cultivation process must proceed gradually and steadily. Any external intervention or force applied too early would eventually cause the pathways to fail under the increasing pressure of stronger Battle Qi, ultimately leading to rupture of the meridians and death!" the medicine elder said, his face serious. Regarding this, Xiao Yan actually understood well. During the three years when he had become a waste, his father, eager to see results, had several times attempted to forcibly channel qi into him—only to stop short at the last moment each time. Thus, Xiao Yan clearly grasped the balance of advantage and risk involved. Yao Lao glanced at Xiao Yan's calm expression and nodded approvingly, smiling, "For others, this is indeed true. But you are different. The foundation within you has already been solid and reliable since three years ago. Moreover, over these years, your character has remained resolute, with no day of training missed. Therefore, at this point, I can confidently say that your foundation is excellent." "Are you suggesting I need external help to elevate my strength? For instance, taking pills?" Xiao Yan turned his eyes thoughtfully. "Something like that. However, given the resilience of your meridians at present, you simply cannot withstand the energy impact of any pill—neither even the most basic Qi-Collecting Powder!" Yao Lao said calmly. "The most basic kind of qi-concentrating herb...” His fingers trembled slightly as Xiao Yan almost rolled his eyes. The rare medicinal herb that had been auctioned off at a sky-high price in the Jima Empire now seemed to his mysterious teacher to be nothing more than a basic ingredient. The contrast was truly astonishing. “What’s your plan?” Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan regained his composure and spoke with a furrowed brow. “Ah, the elixir is too potent—it tends to damage the meridians. Therefore, we must adopt a more gentle approach!” The elderly physician smiled gently. “Tomorrow, prepare three fully mature purple leaf orchid stems—preferably older specimens. Also, bring two specimens of bone-washing flowers; the age doesn’t matter much. Oh, and one first-tier wooden magic core. These are all basic materials—surely you can source them. Someone has arrived—I’ll return to my ring now. And please, don’t let anyone know my presence, not even your closest relatives.” "Having said that, the herbal master didn't even bother with Xiao Yan's increasingly wide mouth, simply stepping directly into the black ring. The ring trembled slightly before settling perfectly onto Xiao Yan's finger. "Three full stems of purple leaf lily grass? Two specimens of bone-cleansing flowers? One first-tier wooden-element magical core? Old man, are you mistaken? Do you think I'm some royal prince? Together, these items amount to at least a thousand gold coins! Over the years, I've saved diligently, and my savings barely reach four hundred gold coins—just enough to purchase a first-tier magical core!" Xiao Yan clutched the ring, eyes blazing with indignation. "That's your concern, heh. My specially prepared nourishing elixir—only the wealthy can afford it. I only asked for a few materials, and you're already so concerned!" The herbal master's teasing laughter echoed clearly in Xiao Yan's heart. "…Damn it. After all, the preparations made by a master alchemist truly only the wealthy can afford." Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. Though the monthly allowance he received from the Xiao family was substantial—twenty gold coins—these funds, while sufficient to sustain a common household for a full year, were merely a fraction when it came to purchasing the materials mentioned by the elder doctor. This, indeed, was the gap. "Ah, I'll have to borrow money from someone..." he murmured, visibly disappointed. He gradually calmed himself, his face returning to its usual composure, and turned his gaze toward the mountain path, where a graceful purple figure was moving with the lightness of a fairy, leaping gracefully forward.