37: Become a disciple of Gu Ni

Gu Ni’s words were like stones thrown into a lake, instantly rippling through Mo Yuhan’s heart.

It seemed he truly had a talent for alchemy.

His aunt’s injuries might require a vast amount of rare medicinal ingredients for recuperation and repair in the future, and Little Fairy Doctor’s research into the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual" and methods to delay the Woeful Poison Body also demanded various strange and expensive poisonous materials.

Not to mention the enormous future cost of the Revival Purple Pill, and so on.

Money, he needed money.

Moreover, as Gu Ni said, the identity of an Alchemist itself was a powerful protective umbrella.

More importantly, a deeper understanding of alchemy, and a thorough study of medicinal properties and pharmacology, might lead him to a clearer direction for his aunt’s complex and severe injuries.

With hardly any hesitation, Mo Yuhan raised his head, meeting Gu Ni’s eager and fervent gaze, his small face filled with solemnity, and he clasped his hands and bowed: “Disciple Mo Yuhan, greets Master!”

“Good! Good! Good!”

Great Master Gu Ni repeated “good” three times, his beard trembling with excitement as he quickly stepped forward to help Mo Yuhan up, immensely relieved, “Hahaha! I never thought that in my later years, I would gain such an excellent disciple! Quick, get up, get up!”

Ya Fei, standing to the side, watched this dramatic scene, her red lips slightly parted, then a genuine smile blossomed, tinged with a hint of inexplicable emotion.

Ya Fei gracefully stepped forward and bowed to Gu Ni, “Congratulations, Great Master Gu Ni, on gaining such a brilliant disciple! Yu Han, Younger Brother, congratulations!”

Her gaze fell upon Mo Yuhan, and in her narrow phoenix eyes, the curiosity and scrutiny grew even stronger, mixed with a hint of… subtle closeness that even she hadn't noticed.

This Little freak always seemed to bring unexpected surprises.

Soon.

The news of Mo Yuhan becoming Great Master Gu Ni’s disciple spread throughout the streets and alleys of Wutan City like wind with wings, thanks to the deliberate promotion by Gu Ni and the Mittel Auction House.

The stir it caused even far surpassed his initial punch that defeated Jia Liejie.

An eight-year-old Dou Zhe was already astonishing.

Unexpectedly, he also possessed alchemy talent and was even regarded as the inheritor of a Second-Rank Alchemist, Great Master Gu Ni.

This was no longer just a genius, but a monstrous talent among monsters!

The Mittel Auction House’s entrance instantly became bustling with visitors.

The three major families of Wutan City, numerous small and medium-sized factions, and even representatives from surrounding towns who heard the news, all came bearing heavy gifts to visit Gu Ni.

They sought to establish a connection with Gu Ni through his new disciple, even if it was just to become acquainted.

The identity of an Alchemist itself was a priceless pass, not to mention that Mo Yuhan, being so young and taken as Gu Ni’s personal disciple, surely had limitless potential in the future.

This sudden storm completely disrupted some people’s plans.

At the Jia Lie Family mansion, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the dead calm before a storm.

In the council hall, Jia Lie Bi’s fat face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water, and the malevolence in his eyes almost materialized.

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

“Useless! Ouba Pa, that fence-sitter! Useless!”

He suddenly slammed the teacup in his hand onto the ground, the expensive porcelain instantly shattering into pieces, and hot tea splattered everywhere.

“We agreed to cooperate, we agreed to advance and retreat together, but as soon as that little beast Mo Yuhan became a disciple of that old man Gu Ni, Ouba Pa couldn't wait to fawn over him! He even sold me out completely, damn it!”

He was so angry that his entire body trembled.

Just this morning, he received a secret report that Ouba Pa had personally brought lavish gifts to the Mittel Auction House, not only congratulating Gu Ni on taking a disciple but also subtly hinting at Jia Lie Bi’s previous secret plot with him to deal with Mo Yuhan.

Although Ouba Pa spoke vaguely, this was tantamount to publicly slapping Jia Lie Bi hard.

“Father! Are we just going to let this go?!”

Galeo, still wrapped like a mummy on the soft couch, let out a hoarse, unwilling roar, his eyes filled with insane hatred.

“That little beast harmed me so badly, and killed so many experts in our family, making our Jia Lie family lose all face, and now he’s climbed up with that old man Gu Ni… Are we just going to watch him flourish? I’m not reconciled! I’m not reconciled!”

“Shut up!”

Jia Lie Bi suddenly turned, glaring fiercely at his son, “Not reconciled? What can you do even if you’re not reconciled? He is now Gu Ni’s personal disciple, a person protected by the Mittel Auction House.”

“Moving against him is slapping the Mittel Family’s face, slapping the Alchemist’s face. Do you want the entire Jia Lie family to be buried with you?”

Galeo shivered, intimidated by his father’s murderous gaze, and dared not speak again, but the malevolence in his eyes grew deeper.

Jia Lie Bi’s chest heaved violently as he forcibly suppressed the surging killing intent.

He walked to the window, looking at the gloomy sky outside, his voice as cold as a venomous snake: “The plan… is temporarily shelved. That little beast is currently at the height of his fame, and has Mittel as his backing. A head-on confrontation is courting death.”

Then, a calculating glint flashed in his eyes, “However… fame always fades. Can that old man Gu Ni protect him for a while, but for a lifetime?”

“That old fox Ouba Pa thinks he can curry favor with him by selling me out? Hmph, naive! Once I’ve initially mastered the Wind Scroll Technique… once the hype dies down… there will always be a time when he’s alone. I’ve noted this debt, and one day, I will make him repay it with interest!”

On the other side, deep within the Mittel Auction House, in a well-equipped alchemy room specially prepared for Great Master Gu Ni’s new disciple, Mo Yuhan.

The air was filled with a peculiar scent of various mixed medicinal ingredients, along with the unique heat of fire.

Mo Yuhan, wearing a plain, First-Rank Alchemist robe that had been specially tailored to fit him, stood focused before a half-human-height reddish-bronze medicine cauldron.

Flames rose beneath the cauldron, and his small hand hovered over the cauldron’s fire control opening. Streaks of pale green Dou Qi, mixed with invisible Soul Power, like the finest threads, carefully probed into the cauldron, sensing every subtle change in the medicinal liquid within.

Great Master Gu Ni stood to the side with his hands behind his back, his face showing undisguised approval and satisfaction.

In just under three months, starting from scratch to become a First-Rank Alchemist, this disciple’s progress speed truly made him, the teacher, feel startled.

The precision of his fire control, the keenness of his Soul Power perception, and the accurate grasp of the timing for medicinal fusion were completely unlike a beginner.

Many techniques that Alchemists needed years to master came to him as if by instinct.

Gu Ni even vaguely felt that if his Dou Qi cultivation and total Soul Power were not yet limited, his alchemy skills would likely have progressed even faster.

However, although Mo Yuhan already met the three assessment criteria for a First-Rank Alchemist, the nearest Alchemist Guild was currently in Black Rock City, and Mo Yuhan was temporarily unwilling to travel far just to obtain a First-Rank Alchemist certification.

Fortunately, the Alchemist Guild also had a regulation: for low-ranked Alchemists, such as those of the First to Third Ranks, as long as they had guarantees from three individuals whose rank was at least one rank higher than the assessor, plus a jade slip or scroll detailing the entire process of the assessor personally refining a pill, they could directly be awarded the corresponding badge.

Although Gu Ni was only a Second-Rank Alchemist, the connections he had accumulated over the years were enough for him to obtain recommendation letters from two Second-Rank Alchemist friends.

“Condense!”

Mo Yuhan uttered a low cry, his eyes sharp as lightning. His hand seals changed, and the flames from the control opening suddenly retracted and then expanded. The churning medicinal liquid within the cauldron was instantly compressed and condensed by an invisible force.

Buzz!

A faint hum emanated from within the medicine cauldron.

The cauldron lid opened, and three round, full, verdant pills, emitting a fresh medicinal fragrance, tumbled into the jade bottle in his hand.

“First-Rank Pill, Strength Accumulation Pill, three pills formed, clear pill patterns, excellent quality!”

Great Master Gu Ni stepped forward, picked up the jade bottle, and examined it carefully, a wide smile spreading across his old face as he clapped his hands in praise, “Good! Good! Yu Han, your talent is truly something I’ve never seen in my life! In just one month, you can stably refine First-Rank Pills of excellent quality. This achievement is enough to make those so-called alchemy geniuses feel ashamed!”

A faint smile also appeared on Mo Yuhan’s small face as he carefully put away the jade bottle.

This was not just a batch of pills, but an important step towards his goal.

Becoming a First-Rank Alchemist meant he had officially entered this noble profession, gaining the capital to earn vast wealth and resources.