Chapter 3: Yao Chen's Shock
(Chapter 2 was blocked, please wait a moment everyone)
A sleepless night.
"Hoo..."
When the first ray of morning sunlight shone in, Xiao Li slowly exhaled a turbid breath.
After cultivating all night, not only did he not feel tired, but he felt refreshed.
Because he had broken through again!
From Three-Star Battle Master to Four-Star Dou Shi!
"Sure enough, Earth-tier cultivation techniques are so effective!"
Xiao Li stretched his muscles and bones, then walked outside, feeling refreshed.
It was still early.
In the courtyard, Xiao Zhan was practicing his fists. Seeing Xiao Li, he said,
"Second brother, you've come at just the right time. See how well I've practiced my Mad Lion's Furious Aura."
He threw out both fists, faintly forming a furious lion, with an extraordinary aura.
"It's alright, barely enough to be considered the best in our Xiao Family," Xiao Li said seriously.
"You brat, always speaking the plain truth."
Xiao Zhan grinned, slowly withdrew his technique, and changed the subject,
"Second brother, your eldest brother has already formed a mercenary group in the Tagor Desert and asked you to help, but you wouldn't go. Why do you always stay at home?"
"Didn't I say? I have my own plans and want to walk my own path," Xiao Li said.
What future is there in managing a mercenary group?
"Then what are your own plans? Staying at home all day, being intimate with Xun'er and Xiao Yu? They are still young and can stay in the family. But you are a man now and need to find your own goal."
"And let me tell you, Xun'er's identity is not simple. It's best for you to keep some distance; this is for your own good," Xiao Zhan said with a serious expression.
"Don't worry, I'm not a child anymore; I know what I'm doing."
"Also, there's still no clue about Yan'er's lost cultivation. As his brother, go and care for him more. The test is coming up in a few days, and I'm afraid he'll be dealt another blow," Xiao Zhan sighed.
Among his three sons, he didn't need to worry about the eldest and the second.
Originally, the third son, Xiao Yan, was also exceptionally talented, forming a Dou Qi cyclone and becoming a Fighting Practitioner at only eleven years old.
But fate played a trick, and Xiao Yan's cultivation vanished overnight.
This incident was also a great blow to the entire Xiao Family.
"Alright, I'll go see Little Yanzi."
Xiao Li readily agreed... Xiao Family's back mountain.
The Xiao Family's back mountain had two peaks.
One was where Xiao Li often cultivated.
The other was where Xiao Yan often spaced out.
"Still no change at all..."
Finishing his cultivation, feeling that his cultivation was still only at Dou Qi Stage Three, Xiao Yan's face was bitter.
It had been three years, and he was still stuck at this stage, with no progress at all.
"Little Yanzi, spacing out again."
Hearing the voice behind him, Xiao Yan quickly turned around,
"Second Brother, why are you here?"
"Father asked me to come see you." Xiao Li sat beside Xiao Yan, "What, still troubled by your cultivation?"
Xiao Yan's face showed bitterness: "The test is in a few days. I don't really care for myself, but I'm afraid of embarrassing Father."
Xiao Li patted his shoulder: "Then you don't need to worry so much. By the way, are you still wearing our mother's ring?"
"It's on me, why?"
"Give it to me."
Xiao Yan obediently took off the ancient black ring on his hand and handed it to Xiao Li.
Taking the ring, although Xiao Li's current cultivation couldn't sense Yao Chen inside.
But he knew that an ancient soul existed within this ring!
Then, he silently injected Dou Qi into the ring.
The Dou Qi of a Four-Star Dou Shi was all injected in a short while.
The next moment, the ring emitted a dazzling light, transforming into an old, translucent figure.
"This... what's going on?"
Xiao Yan was dumbfounded.
How could this guy suddenly appear from his ring?
"Little Yanzi, the Dou Qi that mysteriously disappeared from you all these years was actually absorbed by him," Xiao Li said.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, his face immediately turning angry: "All the Dou Qi that mysteriously disappeared from me over the past three years was absorbed by you?!"
Being exposed as soon as he appeared, Yao Chen looked a bit awkward, coughed lightly, and said: "Little brat, this old man had no choice; I had to absorb your Dou Qi to awaken."
Xiao Li, who was beside them, said: "You absorbed my brother's Dou Qi for three years; what's done is done and naturally cannot be changed."
"But this matter is indeed your fault, so you need to make amends."
"Otherwise..."
Xiao Li opened his palm, and a palm-sized golden-yellow banner appeared in his hand, transforming into an invisible pressure that pressed down on Yao Chen.
In an instant, Yao Chen felt his soul trembling before this banner, as if it could be suppressed at any moment!
The soul suppressing banner could suppress, absorb, and refine soul bodies!
Although Xiao Li's current cultivation was not high, he couldn't fully unleash the power of the soul suppressing banner.
But Yao Chen had just awakened, and his soul power was also not strong.
Under the suppression of the soul suppressing banner, Yao Chen felt like a monkey crushed under a mountain weighing millions of pounds; a slight mistake could shatter his soul!
This young man in front of him was only a Four-Star Dou Shi, yet he could suppress him?!
This threat, which reached deep into his soul, made Yao Chen dare not have the slightest doubt.
"Yao Chen, if you don't want to be refined by me, then honestly make up for the mistakes you've made."
Hearing Xiao Li actually speak his name, Yao Chen's pupils immediately constricted, utterly horrified,
"You, how do you know my name?!"
"Not only do I know your name, but I also know that you were originally from the Yao Clan, one of the ancient eight clans. After being expelled from the Yao Clan, you made a name for yourself in the Central Plains, becoming the number one Alchemist on the Central Plains Continent, the Pavilion Master of Starfall Pavilion, a peak Nine-Revolving Dou Venerate, known as Venerable Yao. Later, due to the betrayal of your disciple Han Feng, you nearly fell into the hands of the Soul Hall..."
Xiao Li casually spoke of those past events etched deep in Yao Chen's memory.
With each sentence, the shock in Yao Chen's eyes increased.
Until the end, he widened his eyes in astonishment,
"You, how do you know all this?"
He had never spoken of these things, yet this young man in front of him knew everything?!
"You don't need to know how I know. Now you only have two choices: one is to be refined by my soul suppressing banner, a fate even worse than being captured by the people of the Soul Hall. The second is to take my brother as your disciple and impart all your lifelong knowledge to him, to make up for the harm you've caused him over the past three years," Xiao Li said.
Yao Chen was filled with horror.
He didn't know who Xiao Li truly was.
He only knew that he had no other choice now.
"Alright, I promise you, I will take this little fellow as my disciple," Yao Chen agreed.
If he didn't agree, Xiao Li's soul suppressing banner could refine him on the spot!
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan was a bit confused.
How did he inexplicably gain a teacher?