"Hahahahaha, little brother, you're back!" Xiao Lin gave Xiao Li a bear hug as soon as he saw him, lifting him off his feet.
Xiao Li was now eighteen, almost nineteen, an adult on the Fighting Qi Continent, but to his elder brother Xiao Lin, he was still a little sprout.
Xiao Li wasn't short; he was a good 1.85 meters tall. But Xiao Lin was a big guy, over two meters tall, and his arms were almost as thick as Xiao Li's thighs.
"Big Brother, why are you getting more and more burly? But you also have a lot more white hair." Xiao Li noticed Xiao Lin's temples were a bit graying, with strands of white hair mixed in, and his crow's feet and nasolabial folds were much deeper.
"Sigh~ As the Clan Chief, there are too many things to handle. But fortunately, the Family is stable now, and I don't have to worry as much as before. Come, little brother, let's drink to our heart's content, we won't stop until we're drunk!"
Xiao Lin hooked Xiao Li's shoulder and said with a hearty laugh.
"This matter is not urgent, Big Brother. Let me introduce someone to you. This is Xia Yilong, from Black Rock City. He is my classmate at Jia Nan Academy. Since he is alone, I invited him to join our Xiao Family, and I want him to be a steward."
Xiao Li introduced Xia Yilong to Xiao Lin. After all, Xia Yilong was quite capable, with good talent and Cultivation. With careful nurturing, he would become a Dou Emperor in the future.
"Clan Leader Xiao." Xia Yilong cupped his hands and bowed to Xiao Lin. Xiao Lin was Xiao Li's elder brother and also the head of the Xiao Family, so proper etiquette was essential.
"Xia Yilong, right? Since you're Lier's classmate, you can just call me Big Brother privately, like him." Xiao Lin also noticed that Xia Yilong was not simple. He was much younger than him, and his Cultivation had reached Six-star Dou Ling.
He would probably become a Dou King expert in a few years. Since his little brother introduced him, it meant his little brother had already discerned his Heart-Nature and that he could be used.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Xia Yilong was cautious. Although the Senior gave him face, he dared not take advantage of it. Keeping a low profile was enough.
"Hehe, it's fine. The Family's current steward is old and has toiled for half his life. It's time for him to rest well.
Xia Yilong, you can live in the second room of the main house in the Family's west district from now on. The first room is the steward's residence. I will write a letter and give it to him, and he will pass on the steward's duties to you."
Xiao Lin quickly went to the desk, picked up a pen, wrote a letter, then stamped it, and handed it to Xia Yilong.
"Take this letter to him. Treat this as your own home. Our Xiao Family doesn't have those convoluted rules. As long as you don't betray the Family, we don't discriminate against outsiders. You can live here with peace of mind." Xiao Lin patted Xia Yilong's shoulder and said.
"Yes! Thank you, Clan Chief, for your appreciation. This subordinate takes his leave." Xia Yilong formally bowed to Xiao Lin, then bowed again to Xiao Li, and left.
"Tsk, I didn't expect my usually rash Big Brother to be capable of this now. Truly, times have changed." Xiao Li folded his arms and clicked his tongue.
"I don't want to either, but once you're in this position, you have to do what this position requires. I can't be as reckless as before. I have to be responsible for the entire Family!" Xiao Lin said seriously.
"Let's go, let's go see Grandpa first. I brought a lot of good things this time. Oh, Big Brother, have you taken that Dou Ling Pill?" Xiao Li asked.
"I took it, why? I'm already a Three-star Dou King now, but I can't tell your Cultivation. Your Cultivation is higher than mine now, isn't it?" Xiao Lin couldn't discern Xiao Li's Cultivation from the moment he walked in.
"I am now an Eight-star Dou King. What a pity! My Alchemy has greatly improved. I refined a top-grade Dou Ling Pill a while ago. It might have allowed you to advance two stars in Cultivation! What a shame!"
Xiao Li didn't expect Big Brother to have taken the Dou Ling Pill so quickly.
"Of course I ate what you refined. Don't think I don't know, the one you gave me was already of excellent quality. I was originally just a beginner Two-star Dou King, and after taking it, I broke through to Three-star Dou King, and there was still a lot of Medicinal Power left.
Now I'm just a little short of Four-star Dou King. I'll probably Breakthrough again within the next half year."
Xiao Lin knew that Xiao Li was wholeheartedly devoted to the Family. Xiao Li had worried a lot for the Family.
"Sigh~ It's fine, the Dou Ling Pill can only be taken once, but I can also refine Elixirs to assist your Cultivation. Don't worry, Big Brother, I'm confident I can make you a Dou Emperor within five years!"
Most Elixirs that enhance Cultivation can only be taken once, but Elixirs that assist Cultivation can be taken multiple times. Coincidentally, Xiao Li had Elixirs that assisted Dou King Cultivation, similar to the Qing Yuan Pill.
Xiao Lin led Xiao Li to the back mountain of the Xiao Family. In the mountain forest of the back mountain, there was a thatched hut. At this moment, a gray-robed elder was holding a watering can and watering a small tree in front of him.
"Hmm?"
The elder noticed two people coming. He looked up and saw that it was his grandson.
"Hehe, Lier is back. Come, sit!"
The elder was Xiao Ting. He had already broken through to Dou Emperor, so he temporarily had no worries about his Lifespan. Being in seclusion all the time was also boring, so he stayed in the back mountain, built a thatched hut, and lived a leisurely life.
"Haha, Grandpa has such refined taste." Xiao Li cupped his hands to his grandpa. Xiao Li also noticed that his grandpa's wrinkles had significantly lessened, his complexion was exceptionally rosy, and his mental state was very good.
"Hehe, one can't just Cultivate. It's good to relax appropriately and Cultivate one's Heart-Nature." Xiao Ting said with a chuckle. As soon as Xiao Li arrived, he noticed Xiao Li's Cultivation, an Eight-star Dou King, about to surpass him.
"Lier, Grandpa thanks you for your Cultivation Technique, and also for your Elixirs." Xiao Ting naturally knew from Xiao Lin where the Cultivation Technique and Elixirs came from.
It could be said that his grandpa hadn't helped his grandson much, but this grandson had run around for him instead.
"Grandpa, what do you mean? You are my biological grandpa. If I'm not close to you, who would I be close to? Why be polite with your grandson? Come, come! Grandpa, your grandson has prepared a gift for you."
Xiao Li took out a cold jade box from his storage ring, then pushed it to Xiao Ting.
"Ta-da! A top-grade Huangji Pill, refined by me. My luck was very good at the time, and it formed into a top-grade Pill. This Huangji Pill is estimated to allow you to advance two stars in Cultivation!"
Xiao Li said proudly. This was the top-grade Huangji Pill he refined at Jia Nan Academy. Out of fifteen sets of Materials, he refined ten Huangji Pills. Xiao Li picked out the five best quality ones to keep, leaving the rest for Jia Nan Academy.
As for the Break-Sect Pill, Xiao Li also refined it and succeeded. Xiao Li refined two pills. It could be said that Xiao Li was now considered a Peak Sixth-grade Alchemist.
However, these two pills had a significant element of luck. Although luck is also part of strength, Xiao Li triggered the Dan Hun Realm during these two Alchemy sessions.
In the Dan Hun Realm, in this wondrous state, the Alchemist's Soul Power will be infinitely magnified. In front of that fleeting but extremely terrifying Soul Power, there will be no failure rate in refining Elixirs. That is to say, as long as one enters this state, that Alchemy session will definitely succeed!
Mang Tianchi couldn't help but sigh, Xiao Li's luck was truly good, so good that he was even a little jealous.