Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, I am your second master

"Hahahaha, little brother, you're back!" Xiao Lin gave Xiao Li a bear hug as soon as he saw him and picked him up.

Xiao Li is now eighteen years old, almost nineteen, which is already an adult in the Dou Qi Continent, but he is still a little bean sprout in his elder brother Xiao Lin's eyes.

Xiao Li is quite tall, standing at 1.85 meters, but Xiao Lin is much bigger, over 2 meters tall, with arms almost as thick as Xiao Li's thighs.

"Big brother, you've gotten more and more robust. But you also have a lot more gray hair." Xiao Li also noticed that Xiao Lin's temples were turning gray, his hair was mixed with some white hair, and his crow's feet and nasolabial folds had become much more pronounced.

"Sigh~ There are too many things to deal with as the head of the family, but fortunately everything is stable now, and I don't have to worry as much as before. Come on, let's have a good drink together, brother, until we're drunk!"

Xiao Lin put his arm around Xiao Li's shoulder and said with a big laugh.

"There's no rush. Let me introduce you to someone. This is Xia Yilong, from Black Rock City. He was my classmate at Canaan Academy. Since he's all alone, I invited him to join our Xiao family and want him to be our steward."

Xiao Li introduced Xia Yilong to Xiao Lin, since Xia Yilong was quite capable and had good talent and cultivation. With careful training, he could become a Dou Huang in the future.

"Clan Chief Xiao." Xia Yilong bowed to Xiao Lin, who was Xiao Li's elder brother and the head of the Xiao family, so he had to be respectful.

"Xia Yilong, right? Since he's Xiao Li's classmate, you can call me 'Big Brother' in private, just like he does." Xiao Lin also noticed that Xia Yilong was no ordinary person; he was much younger than him and his cultivation had reached the six-star Dou Ling level.

He'll likely become a Dou Wang powerhouse in a few years. Since it was me who recommended him, it means I've already seen through his character, so I can use him.

"No, no, I wouldn't dare." Xia Yilong was a cautious person. Although his senior had given him face, he didn't dare to take it for granted. He would just keep a low profile.

"Hehe, it's alright. The family's steward is getting old and has worked hard for half his life. He should take a good rest."

"Xia Yilong, from now on you will live in the second room of the main house in the west wing of the family compound. The first room is the steward's residence. I will write a letter to him, and he will teach you about the steward's duties."

Xiao Lin quickly went to the desk, picked up a pen and wrote a letter of conviction, then stamped it with his seal and handed it to Xia Yilong.

"Take this letter and go find him. Treat this place as your own home. Our Xiao family doesn't have those complicated rules. As long as you don't betray the family, we don't discriminate against outsiders. Just stay here without worry," Xiao Lin said, patting Xia Yilong on the shoulder.

"Yes! Thank you for your appreciation, Clan Chief. I will take my leave." Xia Yilong formally bowed to Xiao Lin, then bowed to Xiao Li again before leaving.

"Tsk, I never thought my impulsive older brother would know this trick now. People's hearts have changed so much." Xiao Li said, clicking his teeth with his arms crossed.

"I didn't want to either, but now that I'm in this position, I have to do what's expected of me. I can't be as reckless as before; I have to be responsible for the entire family!" Xiao Lin said earnestly.

"Let's go see Grandpa first. I brought a lot of good stuff this time. By the way, did you take your Fighting Spirit Pill, Big Brother?" Xiao Li asked.

"You took it, so what? I'm already a three-star Dou Wang, but I can't tell your cultivation level. Your cultivation level is higher than mine now, right?" Xiao Lin couldn't tell Xiao Li's cultivation level from the moment Xiao Li entered.

"I'm now an eight-star Dou Wang, but what a pity! My alchemy skills have improved greatly. I recently refined a top-grade Dou Ling Pill, which might have boosted your cultivation by two stars! What a waste!"

Xiao Li didn't expect his elder brother to take the Fighting Spirit Pill so quickly.

"Of course I'll eat what you made. Don't think I don't know. The one you gave me was of excellent quality. I was just a beginner two-star Dou Wang, but after taking it, I broke through to three-star Dou Wang. I still have a lot of medicinal power left."

I'm still a little short of becoming a four-star Dou Wang, but I should be able to break through again in the next six months.

Xiao Lin knew that Xiao Li was wholeheartedly devoted to the family, and that Xiao Li had worried a lot about the family.

"Oh, it's alright. The Battle Spirit Pill can only be taken once, but I can refine other pills to aid your cultivation. Don't worry, brother, I'm confident I can make you a Battle Emperor within five years!"

Most pills that enhance cultivation can only be taken once, but pills that can assist cultivation can be taken multiple times. Coincidentally, Xiao Li happens to have pills that can assist Dou Wang in cultivation, just like the Qingyuan Pill.

Xiao Lin led Xiao Li to the back mountain of the Xiao family. There was a thatched hut in the forest behind the mountain, where an old man in a gray robe was watering a small tree in front of him with a watering can.

"Um?"

The old man noticed two people approaching, looked up, and saw that it was his grandson.

"Hehe, Li'er is back, please have a seat!"

The old man was Xiao Ting. He had now broken through to the Dou Huang level and was no longer worried about his lifespan. He found it boring to stay in seclusion, so he built a thatched hut on the back mountain and lived a carefree life.

"Haha, Grandpa, you're in a good mood." Xiao Li cupped his hands in greeting to his grandfather. Xiao Li also noticed that the wrinkles on his grandfather's face had become much shallower, his complexion was exceptionally rosy, and he was in very good spirits.

"Hehe, we can't just keep cultivating. We need to relax a bit and cultivate our character." Xiao Ting said with a smile. He noticed Xiao Li's cultivation level as soon as he arrived. Eight-star Dou Wang, he was about to surpass him.

"Li'er, Grandpa thanks you for your cultivation technique and for the pills." Xiao Ting naturally knew from Xiao Lin where he obtained the cultivation technique and the pills.

It could be said that this grandfather didn't help his grandson much; on the contrary, the grandson was running around for him.

"Grandpa, what do you mean by this? You are my own grandpa, if I don't love you, who will I love? Why are you being so polite with your grandson? Come, come! Grandpa, your grandson has prepared a gift for you."

Xiao Li took out a jade box made of ice from his storage ring and then pushed it to Xiao Ting.

"Ta-da! Top-grade Royal Extreme Pill, I refined it. I was very lucky, the pill turned out to be of the highest quality. This Royal Extreme Pill should be able to raise your cultivation level by two stars!"

Xiao Li proudly said that these were the top-grade Royal Pills he had refined at Canaan Academy. He had used fifteen sets of materials to refine ten Royal Pills. Xiao Li had chosen five of the best quality ones to keep, and left the rest for Canaan Academy.

As for the Broken Sect Pill, Xiao Li also refined it and succeeded. He refined two pills, so it can be said that Xiao Li is now considered a peak sixth-grade alchemist.

However, luck played a significant role in both of these pill refining attempts. Although luck is also a part of strength, Xiao Li triggered the Pill Soul Realm during these two pill refining attempts.

In the Soul Refining Realm, the alchemist's soul power is amplified infinitely. Faced with that fleeting yet terrifying soul power, there is no chance of failure in refining pills. In other words, as long as you enter this state, the pill refining will definitely be successful!

Mang Tianchi couldn't help but sigh at Xiao Li's incredible luck, so much so that he was somewhat jealous.