Kapitel 66: Chapter 66: Another Transaction
The two of them sighed softly in unison, their tones equally complex and difficult to understand.
Wei Yang gently shook his head, turned slightly, and looked at Yao Lao, "I'm sorry to disturb you so late, senior."
At this moment, Yao Lao looked quite well, long gone was the weakness he displayed half a year ago. His translucent soul appeared much more solidified.
Wei Yang found it strange, but he seemed to vaguely see a look of health and vigor on the face of this soul?
Wei Yang chuckled and shook his head, "It's been half a year since we last met. It seems senior has recovered quite well during this time."
"Thanks to your Soul Nurturing Liquid," Yao Lao habitually raised his hand, lightly stroking his white beard with some pride, "I refined those two bottles again, though I only increased the efficacy by about twenty percent, but couldn't let it go to waste."
"With just a slight effort, senior naturally surpasses me by a lot. It seems I still need to work harder," Wei Yang smiled.
"After all, you're still young. It's normal not to be fully skilled yet."
Yao Lao waved his hand dismissively, smiling with squinted eyes, "Moreover, you haven't had proper systematic guidance. To have come this far relying on your own exploration is already commendable."
Looking at the young man before him, his eyes were full of admiration.
Being able to create a tier four pill formula on his own, despite a few flaws and not fully utilizing the medicinal effects, was remarkable!
That's a tier four pill formula, not just any commonplace thing!
Such talent and comprehension always made Yao Lao sigh with regret.
It was a pity he hadn't encountered this boy a few years earlier.
Hmm?
Suddenly, Yao Lao paused in stroking his beard, surprised as he looked at Wei Yang, "You've broken through to Dou Wang?"
"Yes." Wei Yang nodded with a smile, "I was lucky to have just broken through a few days ago."
"In just a few days, your aura has become so stable and introverted. Clearly, your breakthrough wasn't just due to luck," Yao Lao exclaimed.
Then, his eyes widened, and after concentrating to sense carefully, he looked at Wei Yang with a peculiar expression, "And your soul power, it's also unusual... Don't tell me your soul power has broken through as well."
Wei Yang feigned to think for a moment before hesitantly saying, "Soul power... I'm not sure if it's the breakthrough you refer to, senior, but when I broke through to Dou Wang, I felt as if my soul power also broke through a bottleneck, enhancing by roughly double."
Yao Lao's face twitched, momentarily left speechless.
Indeed, this boy's soul power had also broken through.
Late phase of the Mortal Realm!
This is simply outrageous!
A Dou Wang under nineteen is not that exaggerated in Central Plains.
But a soul at the late phase of the Mortal Realm under nineteen, now that's outrageous!
It's known that the growth and breakthrough of soul power is incredibly difficult, even more so than Dou Qi.
Without special encounters, it's mostly a matter of time to slowly develop.
Among so many alchemists, how many can truly reach tier six and above?
Roughly speaking, just a few out of a hundred or thousand!
Why is this?
The most important reason is the limitation of soul power.
But Wei Yang, it seemed as easy as eating and drinking to him.
While breaking through to Dou Wang, he inadvertently broke through with his soul power as well.
Where can you reason this out?
This boy, at the very least, has the potential to become a pinnacle tier seven alchemist, tier eight depends on opportunities, but it's not impossible.
Thinking of this, Yao Lao felt a little solemn inside and began to pay even more attention to Wei Yang.
A pinnacle tier seven alchemist is not something commonplace.
In Central Plains, wherever you go, you'll be a guest of honor for major powers, and no one would offend easily.
Even in the Alchemy Pagoda, you would hold significant status.
...
"Tell me, Wei boy, what brings you to disturb this old man so late?" Yao Lao asked.
Unknowingly, his tone had slightly changed.
Hmm, from "Wei Kid" to "Wei Boy."
Wei Yang smiled, looked at Yao Lao, and slowly uttered two words: "A deal!"
Yao Lao raised an eyebrow, looking at Wei Yang's expression, seeming to understand something vaguely, he tentatively said, "Ordinary things, this old man has no interest in."
"What about the Nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, Green Lotus Core Flame?" Wei Yang looked at Yao Lao and asked softly.
Exhaling deeply, Yao Lao closed his eyes slightly, a mysterious tone in his voice, "Wei boy, are you serious? Don't come to make fun of this old man."
"I'm not that bored," Wei Yang laughed.
"Hehe, indeed. You don't seem like that kind of person," Yao Lao nodded and asked, "You should know the significance of Heavenly Flames, right? I can't understand why you would?"
"It's simple, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," Wei Yang said. "Heavenly Flames are good, but at present, I can't refine them in the short term... At least, I'm not confident to refine them safely before reaching Dou Zong."
Yao Lao nodded, "Cautious, not bad."
Cautiousness is a trait that allows one to live longer.
A dead genius is nothing.
In this regard, Yao Lao expressed his understanding.
Swallowing a Heavenly Flame is considered a life-threatening act, not everyone has the courage to try it.
He remembered his brush with death when he swallowed the Bone Chilling Flame, and even now it still sends a shiver down his spine.
"So." Wei Yang smiled, "Rather than that, it's better to trade it for something I need more."
"For example?" Yao Lao straightened up slightly, readying himself for a hefty price.
He urgently needed a Heavenly Flame!
Whether for nurturing Xiao Yan or for his future resurrection, he required a Heavenly Flame, and not just one.
In fact, resurrection was Yao Lao's true goal, not merely nurturing a disciple.
Initially, Yao Lao didn't have much emotional investment in Xiao Yan.
His original purpose in cultivating Xiao Yan was for his own future resurrection.
And refining a physical body required Heavenly Flames, more than one!
Yao Lao, a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun, just a step away from Half-Saint, and acknowledged as the foremost alchemist on the continent, had an invitation to the Space Trading Assembly.
At the Space Trading Assembly, heavenly-ranked techniques, battle skills, and tier eight pills can be exchanged.
With Yao Lao's connections, how is it possible he wouldn't have heavenly-ranked techniques and skills?
In Central Plains, claiming otherwise would be met with disbelief.
But how did he talk to Xiao Yan when he became a Dou practitioner?
When letting Xiao Yan choose techniques, he clearly explained the peculiarity and risks of cultivating Flame Mantra and bluntly stated that succeeding to the peak with it was less than a twenty percent chance.
But what did he actually do?
He only provided a low-level earth-grade fire technique for comparison with Flame Mantra for Xiao Yan to choose...
Why?
Wasn't it to entice Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra?
In the end, he claimed that no matter Xiao Yan's choice, he would still be his student. Hmph, easy to say.
Only by cultivating the Flame Mantra could Xiao Yan shortly after, while still weak, control three Heavenly Flames to refine the body Yao Lao needed for his future resurrection.
This was Yao Lao's true plan and initial intent for training Xiao Yan.
Did he not know the dangers and difficulties of cultivating Flame Mantra?
Of course he knew!
It's a Heavenly Flame we're talking about!
Is it a joke?
Every attempt to swallow a Heavenly Flame is akin to seeking death.
Multiple attempts?
Who has that many lives to spare?
The outcome is almost certainly fatal.
This was precisely why Yao Lao didn't let Han Feng, whom he regarded as his own child, cultivate the Flame Mantra.
Unexpectedly, this very choice led to Han Feng's betrayal, which was a major irony.
Han Feng was clearly a fool!
To kill his master for a technique, especially when that master was the continent's top alchemist.
...
So, to say that Yao Lao had deep feelings for Xiao Yan from the start is unrealistic.
His status and strength were all there, with no sense of pride? How could he initially regard Xiao Yan, from a small family, very highly?
It was more of an exploitation, nothing more.
Even if Xiao Yan had failed and died early on, Yao Lao might have just sighed and then continued to seek another suitable candidate to cultivate.
In the original story, it was through living together day by day that Yao Lao slowly came to see Xiao Yan as his true disciple, eventually replacing Han Feng's place entirely.
For Xiao Yan's protection, he was even willing to fall into slumber multiple times and was eventually captured by the Soul Hall.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Geriatric_Vibes
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