C11 Training with Elder Yan

Elder Yan was so astounded at that moment that he was at a complete loss for what to do with his hands and feet. He even began to doubt whether he had misjudged Qin Xiao's third-layer status in the Congealing Water Stage just five days ago!

Not even the most celebrated prodigy in the history of the Blood Soul Sect could boast such rapid progress in their cultivation!

And it wasn't just the Blood Soul Sect; it was likely that no one in all of Oldgarde County could match this feat!

He had once likened Qin Xiao to a firefly beside Feng Lia's bright moon. Now, he was itching to give himself a couple of resounding slaps for such a comparison. Feng Lia was nothing compared to Qin Xiao; it was an insult to even put them in the same category.

Qin Xiao was just as astonished as Elder Yan.

He was aware that someone of Elder Yan's caliber could discern an increase in his cultivation, but he hadn't expected the elder to pinpoint a three-layer advancement so accurately.

From what he remembered, even a master could only estimate a lower-level person's cultivation based on their aura, but never with the precision Elder Yan had demonstrated.

Qin Xiao kept this realization to himself. As he watched Elder Yan gape in disbelief, he confidently remarked, "Three levels in five days? For a handsome genius like me, is that really so difficult?"

Elder Yan was so frustrated he wanted to douse Qin Xiao's face with a mouthful of divine elixir. His limbs twitched with the urge to give Qin Xiao a good thrashing!

Such brazen, boastful words! Three levels in five days—how could that be easy?

Some people couldn't achieve that in three years!

He wished he could make such a boastful claim himself, but he lacked both Qin Xiao's audacity and thick skin.

"I've never encountered a genius as unabashed as you," Elder Yan remarked, a note of awe in his voice. Then, his tone turned serious. "Since you've advanced in your realm, as the training master you've employed, it's my duty to take up the responsibility of training you!"

He spoke with a sense of righteousness, yet Qin Xiao didn't miss the mischievous glint in his eyes. The wily old man was clearly looking forward to giving him a "lesson" under the guise of legitimate training!

Nonetheless, Qin Xiao didn't decline. He genuinely needed the training. The experience of battling monsters was vastly different from clashing with living, breathing humans—his actual adversaries.

"Just let me polish off this roast chicken."

Under Elder Yan's wincing gaze, Qin Xiao devoured half a roast chicken and a bottle of Divine Dew. Satisfied and full, he taunted, "Bring on your moves, I'm ready for whatever you've got."

"The rules are simple: I'll suppress my power to match yours, and if you can beat me, that's all there is to it."

Elder Yan's smile was warm and benevolent. True, he had restrained his power, but he kept to himself that he had limited his strength to the seventh layer of the Congealing Water Stage—just one level above Qin Xiao's.

With his wealth of battle experience, Elder Yan considered teaching Qin Xiao a lesson to be a walk in the park.

He was brimming with excitement about this "training" session.

Qin Xiao, catching Elder Yan's grin, felt a shiver down his spine, but he was committed to seeing his act through, tears or not.

"Let's begin."

Elder Yan's demeanor shifted dramatically as he spoke, his domineering presence causing the courtyard's temperature to spike. Despite his seemingly disrespectful elderly appearance, his aura bore down like a mountainous sea.

Forgoing sword or saber, he moved swiftly, his afterimages blurring. With his left hand casually behind his back and a gentle push of his right palm, what seemed effortless to Elder Yan felt like a tempest unleashed upon Qin Xiao!

Elder Yan's initial move instantly doubled the pressure on Qin Xiao.

"Flying Dragon Slash!"

Qin Xiao unleashed his move without a second's delay, a brilliant golden light streaking forward with unstoppable force.

"Hmm?" Elder Yan's brow furrowed, sensing something exceptional about the attack. He pivoted, narrowly avoiding the brunt of it.

He was deeply curious; it wasn't his first time witnessing the Flying Dragon Slash, but why did it seem so much more potent than just five days ago?

But his doubt was fleeting. Elder Yan still didn't see the move as a real threat. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a burst of orange flame and advanced once more.

The sounds of their clash filled the air until silence fell, leaving Qin Xiao's clothes in tatters.

Elder Yan remained unscathed, yet his face was devoid of any mischief-induced joy.

"Thank you for the lesson, Senior."

Qin Xiao bowed deeply to Elder Yan, his recent bout exhilarating and enlightening, revealing nuances of combat he'd never glean from mere game monsters.

Moreover, he had felt Elder Yan's deliberate moves feeding into his own, enhancing his flexibility with the Flying Dragon Slash. His mastery of the technique had surged past a proficiency of 30, growing even more formidable.

Elder Yan grunted, his face sour with displeasure.

The training had been serious; he'd always seen potential in Qin Xiao, a junior with both talent and dedication. He'd invested genuine effort, but he also had a point to prove, given Qin Xiao's pride.

So, he purposely advanced his cultivation to one level above Qin Xiao's, allowing himself more leverage.

His preparations were meticulous, foolproof.

But Elder Yan could never have imagined that Qin Xiao, that prodigy, would grasp the essence of a martial skill in the midst of battle, significantly enhancing its power!

Elder Yan, at the seventh layer of the Congealing Water Stage, nearly found himself pounded into the dirt by Qin Xiao!

Fuming, Elder Yan elevated his cultivation to the eighth layer, intent on turning the tables. Yet, to his surprise, they ended in a stalemate.

He considered ascending another level, but Elder Yan wasn't about to stoop so low and reluctantly let the idea go.

"You've trained well. We'll pick this up next time!"

Though slightly disheartened, Elder Yan quickly rallied. He vowed that in their next session, Qin Xiao would truly understand his strength!

After a brief exchange with Elder Yan, Qin Xiao retreated to his room.

With a full belly and limber muscles, what better to do than dive back into his gaming? And so, he immersed himself in the Immortal Path World.

But just two days later, a thunderous knock rattled his door!

Roused from his cultivation, Qin Xiao opened the door to find Elder Yan, his face a vibrant shade of excitement.

"My young friend, I tried that technique you mentioned, and it worked!"

The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, and Qin Xiao quickly put two and two together, his surprise evident. "You've managed to distill wine?"

He had assumed it would take Elder Yan at least a fortnight to properly ferment the rice, yet here he was, having distilled it so swiftly.

"Exactly!" Elder Yan boasted, a touch of pride in his voice. "I bought ten jin of ordinary liquor to distill, and it actually worked to extract the essence. It's just too bad there's so little of it!"

The bargain wine wasn't even a quarter of the price of Divine Dew, yet with the technique Qin Xiao shared, it was transformed into a rich and flavorful spirit!

Upon tasting it, Elder Yan found the Divine Dew as bland as plain water in comparison.

"This method is quite effective," Qin Xiao remarked, appreciating the time saved by refining ready-made wine. He poured himself a small cup and took a couple of tentative sips.

Perhaps due to the vitality-infused nature of the Aberrant Realm, the flavors of its flora and fauna were exceptional, resulting in a more robust wine than those of his past life.

Still, the alcohol content Elder Yan had achieved was merely around twenty percent—too low for his liking.

"Elder Yan, you can refine it further to intensify the flavor," Qin Xiao suggested.

"Further refinement?" Elder Yan was taken aback. Having never encountered such a potent aroma, he was overjoyed and utterly captivated, quickly grabbing the bottle to boast to Qin Xiao.

But to his surprise, Qin Xiao indicated there was room for improvement!

Good heavens, if Qin Xiao was right, then Elder Yan was indeed fortunate!

Watching Elder Yan's unabashed delight, Qin Xiao couldn't help but smile genuinely. Elder Yan's simple joy was infectious.

As they delved deeper into the art of winemaking, the courtyard gate creaked open, and two young women entered.

One was strikingly beautiful, yet her demeanor was cool. The other, clad in a smoky green silk dress, carried a bamboo basket from which the scent of cooked rice drifted.

Catching sight of the wine cup in Qin Xiao's grasp, the beautiful girl sneered. She turned to her companion in green and said, "Little Zhu, you toil away for Qin Xiao, yet he's like a hopeless lump of clay, lost in a drunken stupor!"