Chapter 8

With a blank expression, Xiao Yan left the hall, somewhat distracted. Following his usual habit, he slowly climbed up to the family's back mountain, sat on the cliff, and calmly gazed at the steep mountains shrouded in mist opposite him. There, the famous魔兽山脉 (Beast Mountain Range) of the Jia Ma Empire lay.

"Haha, strength... in this world, without strength, one is even worse than a pile of dog shit. At least, dog shit isn't stepped on by anyone!" His shoulders trembled slightly, and the young man's low, self-mocking voice, filled with sorrow and anger, echoed slowly on the mountaintop.

He ran his fingers through his black hair, Xiao Yan's teeth tightly bit his lip, allowing the faint blood to spread at the corner of his mouth. Although he did not show any inappropriate emotions in the hall, the words of Nalan Yanran cut into his heart like a knife, making his whole body tremble...

"I don't want to suffer the humiliation of today again!" Spreading out his left hand, which had a bloodstain, Xiao Yan's voice was hoarse but firm.

"Hehe, little boy, it seems you need help, don't you?"

Just as Xiao Yan was making a vow in his heart, a strange, old voice suddenly entered his ears.

His face changed, and Xiao Yan abruptly turned around, his eagle-like sharp gaze sweeping behind him, but he did not find a single figure...

"Hehe, don't look for it, it's on your finger."

Just as Xiao Yan thought it was an illusion, the strange voice sounded again, without any boundaries.

His pupils constricted, and Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly stopped on the black, ancient ring on his right hand.

"Is it you talking?" Xiao Yan tried to suppress his shock and made an effort to keep his voice calm.

"The little boy has quite good self-control, not even scared into jumping down." A teasing laugh came from the ring.

"Who are you? Why are you in my ring? What do you want?"

After a brief silence, Xiao Yan clearly asked the key questions.

"Who I am, you don't need to worry about for now. I won't harm you, anyway. Sigh, after so many years, I finally met someone with a strong enough soul. How lucky, hehe. But I still have to thank the little boy for the three years of nourishment. Otherwise, I would have to continue sleeping."

"Nourishment?" Blinking in confusion, after a moment, Xiao Yan's face suddenly turned dark, and the cold words struggled to come out from between his teeth: "The disappearance of my斗之气 (Qi of Combat) in my body, was it your doing?"

"Hehe, I was also forced to do it, little boy, don't blame me."

"I curse your mother!"

Xiao Yan, who usually prided himself on being calm and composed, suddenly jumped up like a madman, his face full of ferocity. Without considering that this was a relic left by his mother, he immediately pulled off the ring from his finger and threw it with all his might down the steep cliff...

As soon as the ring left his hand, Xiao Yan's mind suddenly cleared, and he quickly reached out to grab it, but the ring had already fallen straight down the cliff...

Staring blankly at the ring disappearing into the mist, Xiao Yan was stunned for a while, and his face gradually calmed down. He slapped his forehead in frustration: "Idiot, too rash, too rash!"

Just realizing that the culprit of his humiliation for three years was the ring he had been wearing, it was no wonder Xiao Yan lost control like this.

Sitting by the cliff for a while, Xiao Yan finally shook his head helplessly, got up, turned around, and his eyes widened in shock, his finger trembling as he pointed at something in front of him...

In front of Xiao Yan, a black, ancient ring was now floating, and what shocked Xiao Yan the most was the transparent, old figure floating above the ring...

"Hehe, little boy, no need to be so angry, right? It's just that I absorbed your Qi of Combat for three years." The transparent old man smiled at the stunned Xiao Yan and said.

Xiao Yan's lips twitched, and his voice was filled with suppressed anger: "Old man, since you were hiding in the ring, you should know how much ridicule I suffered because you absorbed my Qi of Combat, right?"

"But in those three years of ridicule, you grew, didn't you? Do you think if it were three years ago, you would have the patience and mental strength you have now?" The old man smiled indifferently.

Xiao Yan's brows furrowed, and his mood gradually calmed down. After the outburst, joy followed. Now that he knew the reason for the disappearance of his Qi of Combat, his talent must have returned!

Just thinking about finally having the chance to shed the label of a waste, Xiao Yan felt as if he had been reborn, and the hateful old man in front of him didn't seem so detestable anymore.

Some things, only when lost, do you realize their value! Regaining what was lost makes you cherish it even more!

Xiao Yan lightly stretched his wrist, took a deep breath, and looked up: "Although I don't know who you are, I want to ask, do you still plan to stay in the ring and absorb my Qi of Combat? If so, I advise you to find another host, I can't afford to support you."

"Hehe, no one else has your strong soul perception." The old man stroked his beard and smiled: "Since I chose to reveal myself, I won't absorb your Qi of Combat without your permission in the future."

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and remained silent, having already decided that no matter how the old man tried to persuade him, he wouldn't let him stay with him.

"Little boy, do you want to become strong? Do you want to be respected by others?" Although he had already decided to avoid the old man, Xiao Yan's heart still couldn't help but race at these words.

"Now that I know the reason for the disappearance of my Qi of Combat, with my talent, do I still need you to become strong?" Xiao Yan took a deep breath and said calmly, knowing that there's no such thing as a free lunch, and accepting the favor of a mysterious person isn't a wise decision.

"Little boy, your talent is indeed good, but you must know that you are already fifteen years old, and your Qi of Combat is only at the third level. I seem to have heard that you will undergo the coming-of-age ceremony next year, right? Do you think you can rise to the seventh level of Qi of Combat in just one year through hard practice alone? And you also 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 and surpass her?" The old man's wrinkled face now resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.

"If you hadn't absorbed my Qi of Combat, would I have been humiliated by her? You old bastard!" Stung by the old man's words, Xiao Yan's face turned dark again, and he cursed with clenched teeth.

After a round of curses, Xiao Yan fell into a slump. At this point, no matter how much he cursed, it wouldn't change anything. The foundation of Qi of Combat cultivation is crucial. When he was four, he practiced for six years to reach the ninth level of Qi of Combat. Even though his talent has returned, it's almost impossible to reach the seventh level of Qi of Combat in just one year...

Sighing in frustration, Xiao Yan glanced at the mysterious old man, and his heart moved. He pouted and said: "You have a way, right?"

"Maybe." The old man replied ambiguously.

"If you help me reach the seventh level of Qi of Combat in one year, I'll forgive you for absorbing my Qi of Combat for three years. How about that?" Xiao Yan asked tentatively.

"Hehe, what a clever little boy."

"If you can't help me, why would I carry a burden like you? I think you should find another unlucky person to attach to..." Xiao Yan sneered, having realized through their conversation that the transparent old man couldn't just absorb anyone's Qi of Combat.

"You don't seem like a fifteen-year-old boy at all. It seems you've grown a lot in these three years. Is this my own doing?" The old man, looking at the slick Xiao Yan, was momentarily stunned, then shook his head, somewhat amused.

Xiao Yan shrugged and said calmly: "If you want me to continue nourishing you, you need to show some sincerity, right?"

"Truly a sharp-tongued little boy. Fine, fine, since the old man still needs your help." Nodding helplessly, the old man descended to the ground, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Yan. A cunning smile quickly appeared on his face, then disappeared. After a moment of hesitation, he seemed extremely unwilling to say: "Do you want to become an alchemist?"

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