Chapter 245: Badge

Mu Zixi stared at Xu Xiaoshou in utter shock. She always felt that by sticking with this young man, she could pick up all sorts of random knowledge.

It turned out that scavenging for things could be done so brazenly, so justifiably. Step by step, encroaching bit by bit, until even the Jingzhu Yu was given away—surely Sang Lao wouldn't hold back the Yuan Ting Dan recipe?

As expected, under the expectant gazes of the two, the straw-hatted old man let out a low sigh and handed over a jade slip.

"Di-did it work?"

Mu Zixi found it almost unbelievable. In her eyes, Sang Lao was like a figure as fearsome as a "holy servant," even compared to her own master.

The terrifying glance back in Ling Zang Ge and the remarks from the apprenticeship night had left an indelible mark of fear on her.

Yet, even someone like him, when facing Xu Xiaoshou, couldn't escape the fate of being fleeced like chives?

Once again, she thought of Zhou Tianshen's words: Follow the champion, and you'll get your share!

"That tall guy has some real foresight…"

Mu Zixi couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If it were her, forget about the dan recipes or Jingzhu Yu—even getting a piece of Zizang Yu might be out of reach.

"Admiration received, passive points: 1."

Xu Xiaoshou cheerfully took the jade slip and pondered for a moment before saying, "Yuan Ting Dan is a seventh-grade one, right?"

"Hmm?"

Sang Lao responded with a surprised sound, then shook his head with a smile. This guy was wagging his tail, and he already knew if it meant trouble or something else.

"Here, the Xiantian Dan recipe—eighth-grade!"

Xu Xiaoshou gladly accepted it. This old man was sharp; talking to someone clever meant no need for hints.

He tucked everything away again, then rubbed his hands and continued, "If Chijin Dan is only tenth-grade, it seems a bit out of step with my progress…"

Mu Zixi: "…"

She was completely stunned, like she'd discovered a new world, watching in a daze as Sang Lao pulled out another jade slip.

"What dan is this?" Xu Xiaoshou asked.

"Xingli Dan, a seventh-grade healing medicine—harder to refine than Yuan Ting Dan."

Sang Lao explained briefly, then added, "You should practice with Xiantian Dan first. Though it's eighth-grade, its refining difficulty isn't any less than an ordinary seventh-grade dan."

"Oh, okay. What about the materials?"

The old man handed over yet another new ring…

Mu Zixi finally couldn't hold back and said, "Xu Xiaoshou, can you really refine ninth-grade dan medicine? Even if you can, isn't it harder to advance in alchemy levels the higher you go?"

She looked at Sang Lao, baffled that he'd give out something like Xingli Dan—a top-tier seventh-grade dan—to someone who wasn't even an eighth-grade alchemist.

Honestly, Xu Xiaoshou was a bit curious too.

He was confident in himself, but why was this old man even more confident than he was?

Well, this must be what they call… faith in him?

Sang Lao just shook his head without a word.

For the young man in front of him, he knew his potential better than anyone.

No matter the situation, this guy was always the one being underestimated—not just in cultivation, but in alchemy too.

In less than a few days, he had independently improved Chijin Dan and Lianling Dan, with impressive results.

In Sang Lao's view, Xu Xiaoshou's talent for alchemy was even a notch above his cultivation aptitude!

"Seventh-grade isn't as impressive as you think."

"Aiming too high can be dangerous, but the paths of alchemy and spirit refining ultimately mean fighting against the heavens and contending with the great dao. We shouldn't let fear take root in our hearts too early!"

"Truth be told, a seventh-grade alchemist is just at the innate level—nothing more than a prestigious status, equivalent to a grandmaster in strength."

"It's no big deal!"

Mu Zixi was deeply shaken, as if these words were a sudden enlightenment, forcibly broadening her horizons.

People's perspectives were different, and so were the things they saw.

As someone who'd always been in Linggong, the things she encountered were naturally on a lower level. But the world was vast; once you stepped out, these matters weren't much at all.

Xu Xiaoshou nodded gently, agreeing with the sentiment.

He had no fears like that.

A seventh-grade alchemist? In his eyes, it was basically just a side skill that came with spending 50,000 passive points on culinary mastery.

"Heh!" Thinking about it that way, seventh-grade suddenly seemed a bit underwhelming.

After all, a hacked life didn't need any reverence!

Once this current storm passed, he'd find time and opportunities to rack up more passive points, and his own strength could leap to another major level.

There were still plenty of passive skills stuck at the innate level, after all!

Seeing that both of them had gained some insight, Sang Lao nodded in satisfaction and asked, "You two haven't left Linggong yet, have you?"

Mu Zixi's eyes lit up. Indeed, she hadn't been out since entering Linggong.

Though she had entered as a prodigy, advancing from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard in less than a year and becoming the vice dean's direct disciple, who wouldn't be curious about the outside world?

Especially that blank segment in her memory…

Apart from the headaches from the Tianxuan Gate incident with the Huiwu Ren and the time Xiazi Lei Shuangxing came to rescue Luolei, no more information had leaked out.

To uncover the secrets within her, she definitely needed to leave Linggong and venture out.

Xu Xiaoshou was equally surprised; this old man seemed almost prophetic, always hitting on exactly what he wanted.

Yes, ever since defeating Zhangxiong, he had felt that Linggong wasn't helping his growth much anymore.

He had already toyed with the idea of heading out, and now Sang Lao brought it up…

"I don't want to!"

"I don't want to go out!" Xu Xiaoshou said firmly.

"Why?" Mu Zixi asked curiously, tilting her head. If she guessed right, Xu Xiaoshou hadn't left Linggong in three years!

Xu Xiaoshou couldn't quite explain it. He furrowed his brow, trying to grasp that familiar feeling.

What was it…

The feeling of being arranged by fate!

That was it. Every time this old man showed up, it brought a sense of forcefully steering his life path… an illusion?

The Jinzhao Fire Seed from Ehu Lake, the techniques from Ling Zang Ge, the apprenticeship night, and now…

Thinking about it, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly felt alarmed.

It seemed like every major turn in his fate had involved this old man?

If he had stuck to his original plan, he should have relied on the passive system, steadily advancing to the inner courtyard and leaving Linggong step by step…

Definitely not in the direction things were going now!

Xu Xiaoshou trusted his instincts—it might be from the "perception" skill's repeated premonitions, or the sharp intuition from living two lives, or something else…

In any case, he felt that Sang Lao's arrangements were something he liked, yet also really didn't like!

"Why is that?" Sang Lao was surprised by Xu Xiaoshou's strong reaction.

"Never mind." Xu Xiaoshou calmed himself and asked, "So, leaving Linggong for what?"

"What else?" Sang Lao smiled casually and turned to look out the window.

The weeds outside Ling Zang Ge, burned away by Xu Xiaoshou, were growing back quickly in the inner courtyard's dense spiritual energy.

Not just the plants—even various insects and small animals were gathering.

From this high vantage point, he could even spot a grass snake hiding below, lying in wait.

Sang Lao adjusted his straw hat and said, "You've become a ninth-grade alchemist. Once your shimei's Condensing Dan technique stabilizes in a few days, you two should go to the Alchemist Association in Tiansang Jun and get your exclusive alchemist badges."

"Badges?" Xu Xiaoshou was taken aback. "That simple?"

Sang Lao turned back, surprised. "What else did you think?"

Xu Xiaoshou scratched his head, at a loss for words.

Had he… overthought it?