Liu Qing took out a black crystal card and several ancient scrolls, placing them respectfully on the stone table before Xiao Feng.
"Senior Xiao Feng, this card contains three million gold coins. It is payment for the medicinal pill you used to save my life. As for these scrolls, they are pill formulas from my clan's collection. They are my personal gift to thank you for saving me. Please, you must accept them."
Xiao Feng glanced at the items before looking at the sincere expressions of both siblings.
"Oh?" he said with a faint smile. "If you insist so strongly, then I really will accept them."
Liu Fei immediately laughed.
"Senior, please don't be polite with him. My brother was recently confirmed as the next clan leader of our Liu Clan, so he's quite wealthy now."
As she spoke, she casually nudged Liu Qing with her foot under the table.
Liu Qing shot her a glare, but there was no real annoyance in his eyes.
Xiao Feng chuckled at their interaction.
"The relationship between you two is truly admirable."
Liu Qing sighed helplessly. "Most days, I wonder if we're actually related."
Liu Fei immediately retorted, "Brother, with your personality, I'm the one who should be wondering that."
Xiao Feng couldn't help but laugh.
The playful bickering between the siblings only made their bond more apparent.
After a moment, Liu Qing's expression turned serious again.
"Senior Xiao Feng, there is one more matter I wished to discuss."
Xiao Feng nodded. "Go ahead."
Liu Qing hesitated briefly, as though choosing his words carefully.
"I wonder... would Senior be willing to accept a guardian?"
"A guardian?" Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow.
Liu Fei leaned forward slightly, clearly interested in his response.
Liu Qing continued, "My Third Granduncle, Liu Lang, is a peak Nine-Star Dou Huang. He has expressed a strong desire to follow Senior."
Even Xiao Feng was momentarily surprised.
A peak Nine-Star Dou Huang was no ordinary expert. Such a person would be considered a top-tier powerhouse in most regions.
Seeing Xiao Feng's reaction, Liu Qing quickly added, "Please don't feel obligated. If Senior is unwilling, that's perfectly fine."
He paused before muttering with a hint of exasperation, "Besides, that old man isn't exactly... easy to deal with."
Liu Fei burst into laughter.
"That's putting it mildly."
Xiao Feng looked at them curiously. "Oh? What kind of person is he?"
Liu Qing rubbed his forehead.
"When I was young, he constantly dragged me around for training, claiming it would 'build character.' In reality, it mostly involved being thrown into dangerous situations while he watched from a safe distance."
Liu Fei nodded enthusiastically.
"He once made Brother fight a magical beast two levels above him and said, 'If you survive, you'll become stronger.'"
Xiao Feng nearly laughed aloud.
"And did he survive?"
Liu Fei pointed at Liu Qing.
"Unfortunately, yes."
Liu Qing glared at her. "You sound disappointed."
"Only a little."
Even Xiao Feng had to admit—the Liu siblings were remarkably entertaining.
Still, a peak Nine-Star Dou Huang willing to join him was no small matter.
Xiao Feng leaned back slightly, considering the offer.
A powerful guardian like that would be extremely valuable, especially with his future plans to establish his own faction in the Black-Corner Region.
After a brief pause, he smiled.
"If your Third Granduncle truly wishes to join me of his own accord, then I would be honored to welcome him."
Both Liu Qing and Liu Fei immediately brightened.
"Excellent!" Liu Fei said happily. "That old—"
She quickly corrected herself.
"That esteemed Third Granduncle will be delighted."
Liu Qing nodded in satisfaction.
"Senior, with Third Granduncle joining you, many matters in the future will become much easier."
Xiao Feng smiled.
"It seems I have gained yet another valuable ally."
Liu Fei grinned mischievously.
"And an entertaining one too. Third Granduncle can be quite... lively."
Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Lively?"
Liu Qing sighed.
"Senior, when you meet him, you'll understand."
For some reason, that did not sound entirely reassuring.
Still, seeing the earnest gratitude of the siblings, Xiao Feng accepted both their gifts and their offer.
After all, opportunities like this did not come often—and turning down a peak Nine-Star Dou Huang would be nothing short of foolish.
Just as the conversation seemed to be winding down, Xiao Feng suddenly remembered something important.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to mention this."
He casually took a sip of tea before continuing.
"I am now officially a sixth-tier alchemist."
For a brief moment, the courtyard fell completely silent.
Then both Liu Qing and Liu Fei stared at him in disbelief.
Although they had heard rumors, hearing Xiao Feng confirm it personally was an entirely different matter.
"A... sixth-tier alchemist?" Liu Fei repeated, her eyes widening.
Xiao Feng nodded with a faint smile.
"That's right. So if your family is interested, they can consider investing in me. For Dou King and Dou Emperor pills, if they provide three complete sets of medicinal ingredients, I can guarantee at least one successful pill."
The moment those words left his mouth, both siblings immediately brightened.
Liu Qing reacted first.
"Senior, we will send word to our family immediately."
Liu Fei nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes! They would never miss such an opportunity."
Xiao Feng chuckled.
"Of course, Han Yue's and Lin Xiuya's families have also entrusted me with similar requests. So the waiting time for pill refinement may be somewhat longer."
Both siblings understood immediately.
Liu Qing said seriously, "Senior, please do not feel pressured. Pill refinement requires focus and care. We are more than willing to wait."
"Exactly," Liu Fei added. "Rushing a sixth-tier alchemist sounds like a terrible way to shorten one's lifespan."
Xiao Feng laughed. "A wise conclusion."
After a pause, he asked, "By the way, have either of you joined a faction yet? If not, I would be happy to welcome you into the Fire Faction. With me around, you certainly won't lack medicinal pills for cultivation."
Liu Fei blinked in surprise before smiling brightly.
"Senior, we joined the Fire Faction the very day we entered the Inner Academy."
Liu Qing nodded. "It was an easy decision."
Hearing this, Xiao Feng looked genuinely pleased.
"Excellent."
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed a jade bottle to each of them.
Both siblings caught the bottles instinctively.
They examined them curiously before asking in unison, "What is this?"
Xiao Feng leaned back with a faint smile.
"Inside are two Three-Line Green Spirit Pills, capable of increasing a Dou Grandmaster's strength by up to three levels without side effects. There is also one Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill for Liu Qing, which will greatly aid his breakthrough into the Dou Spirit realm. Finally, there is a Dou Spirit Pill, capable of raising a Dou Spirit by two minor levels without any side effects."
The two siblings froze.
Then, almost simultaneously, they tried to hand the bottles back.
"Senior, this is too valuable."
"We cannot possibly accept such gifts."
Xiao Feng waved them off.
"Consider it a welcome gift. Besides, I'm hardly lacking in such things."
Liu Qing studied Xiao Feng's expression carefully and quickly realized he was telling the truth.
This was, after all, a sixth-tier alchemist they were speaking to.
To Xiao Feng, these pills were valuable, but far from irreplaceable.
Finally, both siblings accepted the gifts.
They stood and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Xiao Feng quickly raised a hand.
"There's no need for such formalities. We're in the same faction now."
He then turned to Liu Fei.
"Han Yue and Jia Yun could use help managing faction affairs and documentation. You seem well suited for that role."
Liu Fei smiled confidently.
"I'll do my best."
Xiao Feng then looked at Liu Qing.
"As for you, you can train alongside Lin Xiuya and Bai Cheng. With your combat experience, you'll fit in well."
Liu Qing nodded firmly.
"It would be my honor."
Finally, Xiao Feng turned back to Liu Fei and pointed at the jade bottle.
"You may take the Three-Line Green Spirit Pill now if you wish. However, I would recommend waiting until you've reached the sixth or seventh star of the Dou Grandmaster realm. The benefits will be greater then."
Liu Fei nodded thoughtfully.
"That makes sense. I'm only a one-star Dou Grandmaster at the moment, so waiting would be the wiser choice."
"Exactly."
Liu Fei carefully stored the bottle away, treating it as though it were a priceless treasure—which, in truth, it was.
As the two siblings looked at Xiao Feng, their respect for him only deepened.
Not only was he immensely talented, but he was also generous to his allies and friends.
Liu Fei suddenly sighed dramatically.
"Brother, why couldn't I have a senior brother like him growing up?"
Liu Qing snorted.
"Because heaven wanted to test your patience by giving you me instead."
Xiao Feng laughed, while Liu Fei groaned in exaggerated despair.
As the medicinal ingredients required for sixth-tier alchemy would begin arriving in large quantities within the next month or two, Xiao Feng knew he would soon become extremely busy. Once the refining process began, he would have little time for anything else.
Therefore, he decided to make full use of the free time he had now.
Sitting in his courtyard, Xiao Feng lightly tapped the table as he thought.
"Once those medicinal ingredients arrive, I'll be occupied for quite some time," he said.
Xiao Yi Xian nodded. "Refining sixth-tier pills is no easy matter. It will consume much of your energy."
"Exactly," Xiao Feng replied. "That's why I want to finish another important project before then."
Zi Yan looked at him curiously. "And what project is that?"
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Feng's face.
"I want to create a new formation inside the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower."
Both Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan were immediately intrigued.
"Inside the tower?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.
Xiao Feng nodded.
"The tower is an unparalleled cultivation treasure, but it has one major flaw. Prolonged cultivation within it causes Fire Poison to accumulate in the body. While the academy has methods to suppress it, they are neither efficient nor permanent."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"So, I plan to create a purification formation within the tower itself—one that uses ice- and water-attributed energy."
Zi Yan's eyes widened. "A formation that counters the tower's fire energy?"
"Exactly," Xiao Feng said with a smile.
"It would create a balanced environment. While the Fallen Heart Flame enhances cultivation, the new formation would continuously neutralize and cleanse the Fire Poison produced during training."
Xiao Yi Xian immediately understood the significance.
"So cultivators could remain in the tower longer without suffering any harmful side effects."
"Not only that," Xiao Feng added, his eyes gleaming. "The cooling and stabilizing effects of the formation would improve Dou Qi circulation, calm the mind, and protect the meridians."
He leaned back slightly.
"If my calculations are correct, cultivators training within this improved environment could increase their cultivation speed by an additional fifty percent."
Zi Yan nearly jumped up.
"That means the tower would become even more effective!"
"Precisely."
Xiao Feng nodded.
"The formation would essentially create a secondary cultivation zone inside the tower—a specialized area where one could enjoy all the benefits of the Fallen Heart Flame without the drawbacks of Fire Poison."
Xiao Yi Xian smiled softly.
"That would be a tremendous contribution to the Inner Academy."
But Xiao Feng was not finished.
"In addition to the purification formation, I also want to create an advanced training chamber within the tower specifically for Dou Emperors."
Zi Yan blinked. "A special room just for Dou Emperors?"
"Yes," Xiao Feng replied.
"The current tower is highly effective, but it is mainly designed for ordinary students and lower-level experts. Dou Emperors require far denser energy and stronger training conditions."
He continued, his voice filled with enthusiasm.
"This new chamber would contain multiple layered formations. A pressure array to temper the body, an energy-gathering array to condense natural energy, and possibly even a combat simulation array for battle training."
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes brightened.
"That would allow Dou Emperors to train far more efficiently than before."
"Exactly."
Xiao Feng smiled.
"It would become the perfect cultivation ground for high-level experts."
Zi Yan grinned mischievously.
"So when it's finished, I get to try it first, right?"
Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow.
"You mean test its effectiveness?"
Zi Yan nodded seriously.
"And also see if it has room for snacks."
Xiao Feng shook his head helplessly while Xiao Yi Xian laughed softly.
"No matter how powerful you become, your priorities never change."
"Of course not," Zi Yan replied proudly. "Food is very important for cultivation."
Their laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.
As Xiao Feng looked toward the towering silhouette of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower in the distance, determination filled his eyes.
His next creation would not merely improve cultivation.
It would transform the tower itself into an even greater treasure—one capable of nurturing the next generation of true powerhouses.