“Although your Dou Qi has been regressing over these three years, it is precisely because of this that your foundation is more solid than most people’s. In Dou Qi cultivation, the foundation is of utmost importance! In the future, you’ll come to realize just how much benefit these three years of regression have brought you!” Alchemist Sage’s smile slowly faded from his face as he spoke seriously.

Adam Bennett was a bit stunned; he truly didn’t know what benefits regressing in strength could bring him.

“So when will you teach me alchemy?” Adam Bennett rolled his eyes, shifting his focus to the most important thing.

“To become an alchemist, you must have the support of fire-type Dou Qi. So, before you learn alchemy, you must at least become a Dou Practitioner and cultivate a fire attribute Dou Qi technique!”

“Fire attribute technique? Heh, teacher, since I’m your disciple, why don’t you give me a Heaven-rank fire attribute technique to cultivate?” Adam Bennett stretched out his hand, smiling as he asked.

“Nonsense! Do you think Heaven-rank techniques are wild yams you can just pick up off the ground? I can’t believe you even asked!” At these words, Alchemist Sage’s face twitched, and he scolded with a mix of laughter and exasperation.

“Old man, since I’m your disciple now, you can’t expect me to go back to my clan to look for techniques, right? The best fire attribute technique in our clan is only a High Yellow-rank one, if I remember correctly. That’s just too embarrassing!” Adam Bennett’s little face was full of frustration.

“Brat, it’s ‘teacher,’ not ‘old man!’”

Annoyed by Adam Bennett’s way of addressing him, Alchemist Sage rolled his eyes. He hadn’t expected that right after the apprenticeship ceremony, this little guy would already be acting so cheeky.

“Hmph, since you’re my teacher now, of course I won’t let you be embarrassed. Heaven-rank techniques, I don’t have! But I do have a technique that’s even more mysterious than a Heaven-rank one. Do you want to learn it?” With a light snort, a conspiratorial glint suddenly appeared in Alchemist Sage’s cloudy old eyes.

“Even more mysterious than a Heaven-rank technique?”

Adam Bennett’s heart skipped a beat. He swallowed, and his black eyes, without realizing it, grew hot with anticipation. “What rank is this technique?”

“Low Yellow-rank.” Alchemist Sage’s smiling reply made Adam Bennett’s little face freeze instantly.

“Old man, are you messing with me?”

A moment later, the angry roar of a youth echoed atop the mountain.

Looking at the little guy in front of him, whose face was twisted with anger, Alchemist Sage laughed triumphantly. Being able to make the usually calm, little-monster-like Adam Bennett this angry really gave him a sense of accomplishment.

“What’s so mysterious about this technique?” Staring at Alchemist Sage’s teasing face, Adam Bennett suddenly calmed down and asked with a frown.

“It can evolve!” After a brief silence, Alchemist Sage replied with a smile.

Adam Bennett’s pupils shrank sharply. He stared unblinkingly at Alchemist Sage for a long while before shaking his head. “Impossible! I’ve never heard of any technique that can evolve!”

“Tch, what do you know, kid? The Dou Qi Continent is vast beyond measure, full of countless strange people and events. In the eyes of a little guy like you who’s never left the Jia Ma Empire, there are plenty of things you think are impossible.” Alchemist Sage mocked disdainfully.

Adam Bennett was momentarily speechless, then retorted defiantly, “So have you heard of any other techniques that can evolve?”

Alchemist Sage’s smile stiffened slightly. After a moment, he gave a dry laugh and shook his head. “It’s precisely because there aren’t any that this technique is so unique!”

“It really can evolve?” Looking at Alchemist Sage’s serious expression, Adam Bennett couldn’t help but ask again.

“It really can evolve!” Alchemist Sage nodded with absolute certainty.

“Have you cultivated it yourself?” Adam Bennett asked again.

“Uh… no.” Alchemist Sage shook his head with a dry laugh.

“Has anyone else cultivated it?”

“Uh… no.”

Veins bulged on his forehead as Adam Bennett clenched his fists tightly, barely restraining the urge to punch him. His voice was laced with suppressed anger: “No one’s ever cultivated it, so how do you know it can evolve?”

“It says so in the technique’s description.” Alchemist Sage replied with an awkward smile.

“There really is such a technique?” Frowning deeply, Adam Bennett hesitated for a moment, then rolled his dark eyes and said, “Can I take a look at it?”

“Heh heh…” With a strange laugh, Alchemist Sage glanced at the curious Adam Bennett, then suddenly changed the subject: “Forget it, it’s no use for you to see it now. I’ll pass it on to you when you become a Dou Practitioner.”

His outstretched hand stiffened, and Adam Bennett’s mouth twitched violently for a long while before he finally squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: “You’re ruthless!”

Laughing heartily, Alchemist Sage ignored the anger burning in Adam Bennett’s black eyes and said, “For now, your task is to raise your Dou Qi to the seventh stage within a year.”

“What method do you have?” Adam Bennett forced down his curiosity about the mysterious technique and asked through gritted teeth.

“The initial stages of Dou Qi cultivation are mainly about expanding the meridians and tempering the body, strengthening the channels to lay a foundation for condensing Dou Qi in the future. At this age, the body’s meridians are at their most fragile and malleable, so this training process must be gradual and follow the rules. You absolutely cannot use any external force, or else, as your Dou Qi grows stronger in the future, your meridians won’t be able to withstand the increasing impact, and you’ll end up with broken meridians and death!” Alchemist Sage said gravely.