Yao Lao kept watching Xiao Yan with a smile the entire time, unfazed by his outburst. After all, what he had done was indeed somewhat dishonorable—anyone in Xiao Yan's position would hold a grudge.
Not to mention, he was also somewhat wary of Xiao Bai and Xiao Xun'er.
In any case, this kid was bound to be his disciple sooner or later. The harsher he cursed now, the more suffering he'd endure in the future.
Seeing that Xiao Yan wouldn't stop venting his frustrations unless he let out every last bit of resentment, Xiao Bai waved his hand to interrupt him.
He had his own matters to deal with first. Whatever happened between this master and disciple in the future—love, hate, or anything in between—was none of his concern.
Once the three of them sat down again, Xiao Bai spoke first.
"May I ask how to address you, senior?"
"Hmm… My real name? I've long forgotten it… Just call me Yao Lao." The old man stroked his beard with a vague smile, exuding an air of otherworldly wisdom.
A hint of amusement flashed in Xiao Bai's eyes, and he cupped his hands in respect.
"So it's Senior Yao Lao. Given that you take 'Yao' as your name and possess such a powerful soul, I assume you must be quite a high-ranking alchemist?"
"Indeed, I was an alchemist in the past. As for my rank… it's been too long; I don't quite remember," Yao Lao said, puffing out his chest slightly. A trace of pride flickered in his gaze as he spoke of his past profession.
Then he turned to Xiao Bai and asked, "What? Do you need a pill refined? I can't help with that—I'm just a soul right now. I can't refine anything."
Hearing this, Xiao Xun'er's eyes flickered with thought. Did Xiao Bai-ge need some kind of special pill? She'd have to ask him about it later. This old man might be incapable, but she certainly wasn't.
A glint flashed in Xiao Bai's eyes. Did Yao Lao really think he was blind? That bright, unmistakable Chilling Bone Flame—how could he not recognize it?
Without a Heavenly Flame, Yao Lao indeed wouldn't be able to refine pills. Alchemists used one of three types of flames: Dou Qi-converted flames, which he could rule out since Yao Lao lacked a physical body and thus had no Dou Qi; Beast Flames; or Heavenly Flames.
Was Yao Lao testing him? But what was there to test? Was he trying to see if Xiao Bai could recognize the Chilling Bone Flame?
Shaking his head, Xiao Bai decided not to overthink it for now.
"Senior, you misunderstand. I'm not looking to refine a pill—I simply wish to obtain an alchemist's inheritance from you."
Yao Lao raised an eyebrow. "You have a lightning attribute. Why would you want an alchemist's inheritance?"
"There's no need for you to ask, Senior. I have my own plans."
"Well, fine then. Become my disciple." Yao Lao smirked mischievously. He already had a favorable impression of this young man.
"I have no intention of becoming anyone's disciple." Xiao Bai rejected him without hesitation.
Was Yao Lao qualified as a Master? Absolutely. His reputation in this regard was fairly solid. Without a golden finger, this would have been a great opportunity.
But for Xiao Bai, it wasn't an option.
"Xiao Bai voy, are you dreaming? Why would I give you an inheritance if you don't become my disciple?"
Yao Lao rolled his eyes. These young people nowadays wanted everything handed to them.
Xiao Bai ignored his reaction and instead asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Judging by the state of your soul, Senior, you should still be able to resurrect, correct?"
"…Mm. Why are you asking that?"
Yao Lao's eyes turned wary. This was his greatest secret.
Xiao Bai paid no mind to his suspicion and continued as if talking to himself.
"I once read in an ancient text about a method that requires three Heavenly Flames to refine a new body for resurrection. Could it be that the Senior plans to use this method?"
Yao Lao was no longer as relaxed. His expression turned serious, and he responded in a neutral tone, "Oh? That's quite the unheard-of technique."
Xiao Bai smiled faintly.
"Senior, how about we make a deal?"
"What kind of deal?"
By now, Yao Lao had realized that all of Xiao Bai's seemingly random questions had led up to this moment.
He no longer dared to treat Xiao Bai as just a young junior.
This guy was a living little fox. His words seemed scattered and carefree, but in reality, every step was meticulously planned.
"One Heavenly Flame in exchange for two things from you, Senior."
"Let's hear it. Which two things?" Yao Lao narrowed his eyes and asked in a calm tone.
"The inheritance of an eighth-tier alchemist and the method of resurrection," Xiao Bai stated seriously.
These two were crucial to his future plans—he had to obtain them.
There was actually a third thing he wanted, but that could wait. It wasn't going anywhere.
Xiao Xun'er's bright eyes shimmered as she gazed at Xiao Bai. Right now, he seemed to be glowing—confident and unshakable, as if everything was within his grasp.
She suddenly had the urge to throw herself into his arms, to be spoiled by him at his whim.
On the other hand, Xiao Yan watched them go back and forth, discussing nothing but grand, high-level topics—resurrection, Heavenly Flames, eighth-tier alchemists…
Was this something a third-stage Dou Disciple was even qualified to listen to?
In all of Wutan City, among the three major clans, even having a first-tier alchemist would be like worshipping an ancestor.
That renowned Pill King, Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire, was only a sixth-tier alchemist.
Yet, Bai-ge and this mysterious old man were treating the inheritance of an eighth-tier alchemist like it was just another item up for trade.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan felt like he had been brooding too much over Nalan Yanran's words today.
Was his outlook too small?
Right now, he felt like he wasn't even worthy of sitting at the same table as them.
Hmm… why does this stone bench suddenly feel so hot?
"How do you know I'm an eighth-tier alchemist?" Yao Lao asked, somewhat surprised.
"Senior may be a fragmented soul, but the quality of your soul is incredibly high. Furthermore, it has an agile and fluid presence—this suggests that in your lifetime, your soul had already reached the Perfection stage of the Spirit Realm.
Not all eighth-tier alchemists reach the Perfection stage, but anyone who has reached the Perfection stage must be at least an eighth-tier alchemist!"
After Xiao Bai finished speaking at an unhurried pace, Yao Lao smiled and clapped his hands.
"I never expected such a brilliant young man to appear in this little Jia Ma Empire. Boy, you will surely stand among the powerhouses of this continent in the future!"
"I accept your deal!"
Xiao Bai wasn't surprised that Yao Lao agreed.
A true deal wasn't always about fairness or equal value—it was about whether both sides received what they needed.
A Heavenly Flame was nothing to Xiao Bai. He knew where to find them, but he had no immediate use for one. So why not trade it for something beneficial to him?
Meanwhile, Yao Lao wanted Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra and refine a new body for his resurrection. Naturally, he was desperate for a Heavenly Flame.
So, there was no talk of anyone being at a disadvantage. As long as both parties were satisfied, it was a win-win.
"However, I have a condition."
At that moment, Yao Lao suddenly spoke up. Xiao Bai frowned slightly but still said,
"Please, speak, Senior."
"I want a fully formed Heavenly Flame, not just a map or location. And it has to be mature—not a juvenile one!"
Xiao Bai's eye twitched.
He had originally planned to just hand Yao Lao a map and be done with it. But this old man was sharper than he expected.
Since that was the case, he had his own terms to add.
"Fine. But I have a condition as well."
Yao Lao was speechless. He cursed inwardly.
'This little fox really won't take a single loss, huh? Look at that—he counterattacked instantly!'
Helpless, he nodded and said: "Alright, let's hear it."