You were put to guard a shabby mountain gate, yet all your disciples became Immortal Emperors.

Chapter 8: Alchemy with Critical Hit? System, you really understand me!

Lin Zhou carried the unconscious Shi Yi back to Xiaoqiong Mountain, as if he were carrying a tattered sack.

As soon as he landed, Xiao Fan came over.

"Master, where did you pick this up from again?"

He looked at the boy who had been casually tossed on the ground by Lin Zhou, his face full of curiosity.

The boy was wrapped in tattered rags, blood seeping through them. He was so thin he was skin and bones, and his face was deathly pale. He looked even worse than when he was jilted years ago.

"Your second junior brother."

Lin Zhou dusted off his hands and spoke casually.

"Huh? Second Junior Brother?" Xiao Fan was dumbfounded.

So now we have an extra junior brother?

Is our business in Xiaoqiongshan expanding this fast?

Lin Zhou was too lazy to explain, so he simply dragged the person into an empty thatched hut next door and threw him onto the bed.

"Focus on recovering. This is your home from now on."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Xiao Fan alone to stare at the new "second junior brother".

The next day, Shi Yi woke up.

He didn't cry or make a fuss; he just huddled in the corner of the bed, not saying a word.

Those empty eyes warily surveyed everything around him. Anyone who approached would tense up, like a frightened little wild animal.

Linzhou didn't care about him and just had the servant Li Youde put the food at the door every day.

"Don't rush him, let him calm down on his own, just treat it like raising a little wildcat."

Lin Zhou said this to Xiao Fan.

From that day on, every day from Shi Yi's room came the cracking sound of bones breaking and reforming, as well as the muffled groans he suppressed in his throat.

The pain of shattered bones being regenerated is beyond what ordinary people can endure.

But Shi Yi didn't utter a single word from beginning to end.

This ruthlessness made even Xiao Fan, who was taking a bath in a state of extreme contrast between ice and fire, feel a chill run down his spine.

Holy crap, this new junior is a ruthless guy!

It's even more potent than that nourishing soup I make!

Looking at Shi Yi, Xiao Fan could always recall the days when his cultivation had regressed and he was ridiculed by the entire clan.

He understood that despair, that resentment, all too well.

One day, he saw that the food Li Youde had delivered was still untouched at the door, so he took it inside himself.

Shi Yi was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his whole body soaked in sweat, his face pale, and his body was trembling uncontrollably.

Xiao Fan placed a bowl of hot porridge on the table and awkwardly began to speak.

"Junior brother, eat something, otherwise your body won't be able to handle it."

Shi Yi ignored him, keeping his eyes closed and his jaw clenched tightly.

Xiao Fan wasn't embarrassed; he just stood silently by his side.

From that day on, Xiao Fan would bring Shi Yi food every day, sometimes porridge, sometimes roasted meat that he had prepared himself.

While Shi Yi was cultivating, he stood guard outside the door to prevent anyone from disturbing him.

He expressed his concern as a senior student in his clumsy way.

That night, all was quiet.

"ah--!"

A shrill yet suppressed roar suddenly came from Shi Yi's room!

Xiao-Night Watchman-Fan was the first to wake up from his meditation and kicked open the door without thinking.

Shi Yi struggled frantically on the bed, clutching his chest tightly with both hands as if he wanted to rip his heart out.

"Don't touch me! My bones... my bones!"

His eyes were closed, and his face was covered in tears and sweat; he was clearly trapped in the nightmare of having his bones removed.

Xiao Fan rushed over and grabbed his wildly waving hand.

"Junior brother! Wake up! It's a dream! Wake up!"

Shi Yi's body trembled violently, and he suddenly opened his eyes at Xiao Fan's shout.

Looking at his senior brother, whose face was full of anxiety, the madness and pain in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by endless confusion and vulnerability.

The ice in his heart cracked open.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Xiao Fan didn't know how to comfort him. After a long while, he finally managed to utter a single sentence.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Shi Yi looked at him, his lips moved, but in the end he didn't say anything, and just buried his head in his knees.

Since that night, although Shi Yi still didn't talk much, the wariness and guardedness he showed when looking at Xiao Fan had lessened considerably.

A few days later, Xiao Fan delivered food to Shi Yi again.

Looking at the meat in the bowl, Shi Yi finally spoke for the first time in a hoarse voice.

"……Thanks."

"Hey! Don't be so polite, we're practically family!"

Xiao Fan casually sat down on the edge of his bed.

Under Xiao Fan's constant care and "talkative" attacks, Shi Yi finally opened up little by little.

He recounted his experience in fits and starts.

"My name is Shi Yi."

"The Prince of Shi Kingdom..."

"Born with... supreme bones."

"My cousin... Shi Hao... conspired with my mother to dig out my bones... and throw me into the Abyss of Ten Thousand Beasts..."

With each word he spoke, his body trembled uncontrollably.

The hatred and pain he had forcibly suppressed in his heart surged up again.

As Xiao Fan listened, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by overwhelming anger.

"Bang!"

He slammed his fist on the wooden table next to him, and the entire table shattered into pieces instantly!

"Damn it! There are still such beasts! They even harm their own cousin! They even sell their own son!"

Xiao Fan was so angry that he trembled all over.

He thought of Rong Ruojia and Rong Ruoyue, and he felt the anger of being betrayed and trampled on.

He grabbed Shi Yi's shoulder, his eyes reddening.

"Don't worry, junior brother! From now on, your senior brother will protect you! That bastard Shi Hao, one day, your senior brother will go with you to twist his head off and use it as a football!"

"If anyone dares to bully you again, I'll be the first to object!"

Looking at his enraged senior brother, Shi Yi's empty eyes finally showed a glimmer of light.

He nodded emphatically.

Not far away, in the shadow of the thatched hut, Linzhou took in all of this.

Wow, not bad!

The team's cohesion was built up on its own without me having to conduct corporate culture training.

That saves me a lot of trouble!

He walked out slowly with his hands behind his back and called Xiao Fan to his side.

"How are you feeling?"

"Master, I..." Xiao Fan was still somewhat indignant.

"Xiao Qiongshan, from now on we're one family. You're brothers, not outsiders, so you must support each other."

Lin Zhou patted him on the shoulder, speaking earnestly.

"An individual's strength isn't true strength. The strength of a team—that's what makes us invincible! Understand?"

Xiao Fan nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been built up enough, Linzhou changed the subject.

"Just being good at fighting isn't enough; our team can't have any weaknesses. Logistical support is the key to victory! Healer! Understand?"

"Grandma...?" Xiao Fan was confused again.

"He's an alchemist!"

Lin Zhou pulled out a tattered book from his pocket, on which were written in bold, flamboyant characters: "Introduction to Basic Alchemy".

"From today onwards, in addition to your cultivation, you will have one more task: learn alchemy!"

"Shi Yi's body is severely depleted; relying solely on cultivation techniques will be too slow for him to recover. You are responsible for refining pills to restore his qi and blood; this is your duty as the senior disciple!"

As he spoke, Lin Zhou raised his hand and pointed at Xiao Fan's brow.

The experience of a third-grade alchemist was instantly infused into him.

Of course, it's only a small part.

You have to eat your food one bite at a time, and open a window one step at a time.

A vast amount of alchemy knowledge and experience flooded into Xiao Fan's mind, and he felt as if he was born to do this!

Following Linzhou's instructions, he set up the alchemy furnace and awkwardly added a few of the lowest-grade herbs.

The first attempt failed to control the fire, and the entire furnace turned black.

The second attempt at purification failed, leaving me utterly disillusioned.

the third time……

hum!

The alchemy furnace trembled slightly, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Become!

Xiao Fan excitedly opened the alchemy furnace, only to find a dull, unappealing pill lying at the bottom.

Although it was only the lowest-grade Body Tempering Pill, and even worse, it was a complete success!

Xiao Fan was so excited he almost jumped up; he felt like he had opened the door to a new world!

Little did he know, his master was even more excited than he was!

The moment the pill was formed, a heavenly sound suddenly exploded in Lin Zhou's mind!

[Ding! Disciple Xiao Fan has unlocked his secondary profession: Alchemist!]

[Ding! It has been detected that this disciple possesses a Chaos Fire Spiritual Root, perfectly compatible with the Dao of Alchemy, triggering a special reward!]

[Ding! Reward for the host: Ranked nineteenth on the Different Flame Ranking - Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame (Sub-Flame)! Top-grade magic weapon [Mysterious Iron Heavy Sword]!]

The next second, Xiao Fan used his mind to pull out the Earth Core Fire from the system's inventory.

A thumb-sized blue flame, radiating an aura of destruction, appeared out of thin air in Linzhou's palm!

What the hell!

Lin Zhou stared at the tiny flame, his heart pounding in his chest!

A strange fire! It really is a strange fire!

Xiao Fan's Yan Emperor script, now...

All set! Let's take off!