Xiao Mansion
In front of the Xiao family's gate, a middle-aged man with an elegant and peaceful temperament looked up at the plaque, with a look of vicissitudes in his eyes that didn't match his appearance: "Xun'er, do you like it here?"
The little girl holding his right hand raised her head, her face pale and dull: "Xun'er doesn't know."
The middle-aged man sighed a little tiredly: "Didn't you just see it in the sky?"
"Xun'er is afraid of heights."
The little girl leaned against his legs.
Really?
"Alas..." He sighed helplessly, as if he couldn't bear it but had to do it: "I'll take you to meet Xiao Zhan... Uh, just call him uncle from now on."
If you think about it carefully, Gu Yuan's attitude is more like that of a good man who doesn't fight with dogs rather than doing nothing.
It's not a disparagement, but from his perspective, Soul Heavenly Emperor seems a bit hysterical.
After all, a genius like Xiao Xuan gambled his entire family and still failed, and he also told me clearly that there is no Origin Qi in the world, so how can you succeed?
As for Tuoshe Cave...
It's not like the ancient clan was without an emperor, but it still didn't leave behind any decent inheritance.
Who knew that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor had the complete set of Emperor Body, Emperor Formation, Emperor Weapon, and Emperor Pill, as well as the seeds of strange fire and the inheritance of Dou Emperor?
There was even a supporting secret method + square to seal the Dou Emperor...
I can only say that the plot requires it, and the level of style is filled with feet.
Soon, Gu Yuan took his daughter and met Xiao Zhan.
Gu Yuan felt a headache when he thought about the fact that the descendant of the Xiao family would be of the same generation as him in the future.
How many levels of generations have been messed up?
From now on, when I see Xiao Xuan, do I still have to call him "Ancestor"? Am I my own ancestor?
"Uncle Xiao Zhan..." Xun'er muttered in a low voice. She didn't like the title very much and resisted it instinctively.
She doesn't like strangers.
"Come on, you will live here from now on."
Gu Yuan pulled her hand, his eyes showing even more fatigue, as if he would fall asleep at any moment: "We have to arrange it quickly, don't waste time."
"Oh…"
Xun'er remained silent, and after a long while, she spoke reluctantly.
"Don't worry, Ling Ying will be with you." Gu Yuan rubbed her head to comfort her, "If you have anything to say or anything you want to do, you can tell him."
...
Back Mountain,
Xiao Feng placed up his newly bought first grade Alchemy Cauldron from the system, in front of him, its surface dark bronze, engraved with simple yet ancient patterns. Though it was only first grade, it was more than enough for a beginner.
With a thought, a cluster of crimson-orange flames ignited beneath the cauldron.
This flame was neither a Heavenly fire nor a Beast fire. It was just a spiritual fire formed from Dou Qi.
As the fire burned, the surrounding air warped slightly as the temperature rose, causing leaves nearby to curl and dry.
It had been a while since he broke through level 1 of Chaos Body Refining Art.
In order to progress further on part of body refining, he has been focusing on learning Alchemy these days and trying to refine the first grade Body Tempering Liquid recorded in the Chaos Body Refining Art.
"I have failed so many times. It's almost time to succeed."
To be honest, Xiao Feng's current Cultivation wasn't enough to refine a first grade pill.
Refining Alchemy requires not only a strong soul but also Dou Qi to sustain energy for Alchemy. Xiao Feng's current realm is just at 9 star Dou Zhe Qi. He hasn't even reached Dou Zhe, being unable to condense his own energy cyclone.
If he didn't have Chaos Devouring Art and Innate Holy Body which had increase the quality and quantity of Dou Qi dozens of even hundred times over that of others, this operation would have been impossible.
Xiao Feng waved his hand, and several jade boxes opened one by one. Inside lay neatly prepared medicinal ingredients: Bone-Strengthening Grass, Blood-Tempering Root, Ironwood Essence Powder, and a small vial containing diluted Beast Blood.
All of them were first grade material, easy to find in this small Wutan city. As the grandson of the Second Elder, Xiao Feng could buy them directly from the Xiao family's shop.
But in order to hide his secrets, he could only grit his teeth and buy them from the system for hundreds of points.
Opening the lid, Xiao Feng poured all the materials inside directly then started using Beast fire to refine them.
If ordinary Alchemist saw this, they would definitely curse him for not even knowing the basics of Alchemy.
Alchemy was a delicate process and not all materials had the same melting point. Some required high temperatures and some low. Some even needed delicate control to not ruin the material.
But Xiao Feng's behaviour was completely opposite to what was required of Alchemy. It was complete waste of natural treasures.
Xiao Feng didn't know these things, he only understood Alchemy through the records in the Chaos Body Refining Art.
The golden book in sea of consciousness, only recorded this rough method of Alchemy. It's said that as long as mental power was strong enough, he could refine all the materials simultaneously. There was no need to go through the process one by one.
It was a pure process of crushing all materials together and burning away impurities with overwhelming heat to refine the essence through absolute mental control.
The moment Xiao Feng threw the medicinal ingredients in the cauldron, the crimson-orange spiritual fire surged upward like a living creature, licking the bronze walls of the cauldron. A sharp sizzling sound echoed as the Bone-Strengthening Grass began to curl, its green surface rapidly darkening.
Xiao Feng's expression remained calm.
He sat cross-legged, eyes half-closed, his breathing slow and even. Threads of mental power extended from his mind like invisible silk, wrapping around the cauldron and the raging flames within.
At middle stage of Mortal level, Xiao Feng's mental strength was more than enough to refine a first grade.
The reason for his previous failures was that he wasn't yet familiar with this rough and barbaric Alchemy method.
"Stabilize… suppress… condense."
He followed the instructions engraved within the Chaos Body Refining Art.
Inside the cauldron, the medicinal ingredients melted into liquid simultaneously and the impurities released were directly burned away by the high temperature.
Xiao Feng controlled the liquids essence and merged them together, causing the cauldron to shake from the excessive chaos.
But the strong mental power acted as a lubricant to merge them and forced the violent materials into submission.
Inside the cauldron, chaos gradually stabilized.
Xiao Feng's forehead was already drenched in sweat.
The liquid inside suddenly began to rotate on its own, forming a small whirlpool. The medicinal fragrance grew stronger.
"This feeling…"
Xiao Feng's eyes snapped open.
"Condensation stage!"
He immediately withdrew a portion of the flame, leaving only a steady core of heat. At the same time, he compressed his mental power, forcing the rotating liquid to shrink inward.
The whirlpool collapsed.
What remained was a thick, dark crimson liquid, glowing faintly as if molten jade.
Xiao Feng stared at the cauldron, not bothering to wipe out the sweat on his forehead.
"Did I… succeed?"
He slowly lifted the lid.
A wave of scorching medicinal steam rushed out, forcing him to squint. Within the cauldron lay a pool of viscous liquid, its surface rippling gently. Strange patterns surfaced and vanished, as if it were alive.
The Body Tempering Liquid.
According to the records in the Chaos Body Refining Art, it could be taken both orally and externally through a medicinal bath.
Xiao Feng exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing.
He didn't try to refine this Body Tempering Liquid. Since he had succeed once, he should try refine a few more batches to get familiar with feeling quickly so as not to fail again afterwards.
Xiao Feng meditated to recover his stamina and recalled the feeling during Alchemy, trying to get familiar with it.
Once he recovered, he took out another batch of herbs and began refining.
This, the process of recovery and Alchemy repeated continuously.
...
"Chief Xiao, there is a golden scale hidden in the Xiao family."
In the hall of the Xiao family, Gu Yuan suddenly said something without any context.
Xiao Zhan, who was still thinking about the purpose of the other party's visit, had to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue and respond politely.
"Oh."
Gu Yuan laughed and rubbed the empty teacup.
The maid who was preparing to refill the water was a little overwhelmed and could only wait with an innocent look on her face.
"Gentlemen?" Xiao Zhan called softly.
"Oh... nothing, I just thought of an old friend." Gu Yuan put down the teacup, took Xun'er's hand, and led her to Xiao Zhan.
Golden scale and thought of an old friend...
Maybe he saw the old friend's shadow in a certain child.
Xiao Zhan understood what was going on and pointed at Xun'er and asked, "What do you mean?"
"I want to foster this child in your Xiao family."
Gu Yuan stroked Xun'er's hair and said something shocking: "From now on, she will change her surname to Xiao and live as a junior of the Xiao family."
"You can't do that!"
Xiao Zhan stood up instantly and refused: "Sir, if you need the help of my Xiao family, you can just say it directly. Why do you have to do this?"
Now, let's not talk about the small tribes in remote areas.
Gu Yuan did not comment.
He knew exactly what Xiao Zhan was thinking. He was simply afraid that the enemies of this "mysterious man" would come and find him, and the entire Xiao family would be implicated.
After all, the way he looked, it seemed that he was being hunted down and had come here to be cared for by others.
Even if we take a step back and say that Gu Yuan had a close relationship with the Xiao family's ancestors, now that Xiao Lin is dead and the Xiao family has moved away, who would recognize who you are?
My temple is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you.
"Patriarch Xiao, don't worry. The ancestors of the Xiao family are my beloved relatives, brothers, and siblings. How could I cheat a clan of brothers?"
Gu Yuan stood up and shook his robes: "My little daughter is fostered here, so I won't accept her food and care for anything. This Qi Gathering Powder is my reward."
After saying that, a pill surrounded by a thin mist was suspended in front of Xiao Zhan.
After he took it and looked up again, he and Xun'er were the only ones left in the hall.
Xiao Zhan: ...
Oh my god, who the hell dares to use this Qi Gathering Powder?
Let's leave it to your daughter. My Xiao family is rich and powerful, so we can just raise a freeloader.
"Well... um, what should I call you?"
Xiao Zhan asked cautiously, fearing that the girl who had just been abandoned by her father would cry and scream.
"My name is Xun'er."
The little girl's tone was very cold, but she was quite polite: "From now on, I will follow Uncle Xiao Zhan's last name and be called Xiao Xun'er."
Unlike how young she looked, her mind was far ahead of her peers.
"Okay, Uncle Xiao Zhan will arrange a room for you right away. You can have a good rest first, and then I will take you around the house tomorrow. Okay?"
Xiao Zhan coaxed the child clumsily.
Although he is the father of three boys, he is not very good at coaxing them.
He usually educates them simply and roughly.
Praise them when they are right and scold them when they are wrong. If they cause a big disaster, they will be beaten to a pulp.
"Uncle..." Xun'er hesitated for a while before tentatively speaking, "Can we go outside for a walk?"
"Ah? Of course, I can. What's the matter?"
Xiao Zhan didn't understand what was going on for a moment.
In his mind, aren't children meant to be left alone?
Taking Xun'er for a walk was just to familiarize her with the route so that she wouldn't get lost and he wouldn't have to look for her in person.
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Xun'er was visibly happy.
"Ah... you're welcome... no, what are you thanking me for?" Xiao Zhan felt uncomfortable listening to this. "We are not family now, but friends. Will friends be so polite to each other? No!"
So there's no need to thank me?
Xun'er blinked her eyes: "My friend is—"
Xiao Zhan:
"Don't you have any friends?"
"No."
"Do you talk to your family like this at home?"
"Yes."
That nameless bastard!
You are such a complete jerk as a father, how dare you say this is your daughter...
"Uncle Xiao Zhan, can we go to the room now?"
Xun'er waved her hand.
"Oh, of course!"
Xiao Zhan, a middle-aged man, suddenly had a mysterious gleam of compassion in his eyes. He rubbed Xun'er's little head for a long time and said, "My child, you have suffered! I will change the best room for you now!"
...