BTTH: Death Letter From The Future

Alchemists are undeniably the most sought-after profession in the Dou Qi Continent, holding a status so elevated that it borders on being grotesquely inflated.

A high-ranking alchemist possesses terrifying influence, being treated as a guest of honor in any faction.

Take, for example, Pill King Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire, who, despite being only a sixth-tier alchemist, is highly valued by the Yunlan Sect, holding a transcendent position. Even Great Elder Yun Ling and Yun Yun, with her Dou Emperor-level strength, treat him with utmost respect.

Or consider the Child of Destiny, Xiao Yan. If not for apprenticing under Yao Chen and sprinting down the alchemy path, his rapid growth would have been impossible.

In short, Chen Guan was quite tempted.

Mastering multiple skills is never a burden—who would mind having one more highly coveted talent?

But as tempting as it was, several problems loomed ahead. For one, he didn't even know if he possessed wood attributes or if his soul was strong enough.

Moreover, becoming an alchemist requires considerable investment at the early stages, requiring an endless stream of resources.

Relying on his relationship with Yao Ye, if he qualified, the royal family might be willing to support him. But in doing so, the debt of gratitude would be nearly impossible to repay.

Understanding his own thoughts, Chen Guan temporarily put aside the notion of delving into alchemy. There would be time for that in the future. For now, priorities had to be set straight—strengthening his own power was the top priority.

His exceptional talent was his advantage. If he didn't elevate his strength, he, without any background, would struggle to compete against Xiao Yan. The foresight he had as a transmigrator would turn into a wasted opportunity.

After all, no one who transmigrates wants to be a mere background character.

"Hey! What are you zoning out for? Are you even listening to me?"

Yao Yue's displeased voice broke the silence. She hadn't even realized that half of her frustration had already dissipated after venting.

Chen Guan snapped back to reality, assuming the role of the warm, understanding elder brother. With a gentle smile, he said, "Of course I'm listening. Actually, I think your problem is quite simple. You failed the assessment today not because you lack ability. On the contrary, I believe you're a little genius alchemist within the Jia Ma Empire. You just didn't perform at your best. You were probably nervous during the assessment."

"If you're not sure how to explain this to your sister and grandfather, then just don't say anything for now. Your sister is so busy, she might not even remember. Wait a few days, take the assessment again, and pass. Problem solved, right?"

It seemed like he was leading a kid astray, but Yao Yue believed him. No one knew better than her how busy Yao Ye was every day. Even though she wasn't much older, she always acted so mature.

If she didn't mention it, Yao Ye might indeed forget.

Chen Guan thought to himself, What a naïve child. In such a small capital city, Yao Ye likely received a report the moment Yao Yue walked out of the Alchemist Guild, but he didn't burst her bubble.

"But… will I really pass the assessment next time?"

"Of course you will! You need to have confidence in yourself. You're a princess of the royal family—you should carry yourself with confidence. Failing once or twice is no big deal, and it's certainly not shameful. The real failure is being too afraid to face failure."

"There's a saying I love, and I'll share it with you today: Life is like a starfruit—full of edges and angles. But we shouldn't only focus on its imperfections. From another perspective, you can see the shining star within it. Do you understand?"

Chen Guan, being a few years older, felt it necessary to help the little pufferfish establish a proper outlook on life, so he poured two bowls of motivational soup for her.

The effect was immediate. Yao Yue was no longer dejected. Her big eyes sparkled with determination, and she clenched her little fists, ready to tackle the world—she could probably work non-stop in a factory for 24 hours without a break.

"I understand! Thank you, Chu Yu Xun! I'm going to practice alchemy now. I'll come play with you next time!"

Yao Yue, now full of energy, ran out the door without looking back.

Chen Guan chuckled, amused. He was just about to leave when Yao Yue's head popped back through the doorway.

"I have one more question."

"Oh?"

"What's a starfruit?"

"…"

The night passed without further conversation.

The next morning, Chen Guan exited his cultivation state early and headed straight to the training area. After showing a token from his storage ring, he proceeded toward Yao Ye's palace.

As someone with the privilege of calling Yao Ye "sister," he had certain perks.

In fact, Yao Ye had offered to arrange a private residence for him and assign an eight-star Dou Grandmaster captain to guide his cultivation and solve his problems.

Chen Guan, wanting to keep a low profile, politely declined. Yan Hongtao, also a Dou Grandmaster, was sufficient to handle minor issues. Anything beyond that was unnecessary.

Additionally, Chen Guan had asked Yao Ye to keep his affairs confidential, to avoid unnecessary complications.

Yao Ye readily agreed and even exempted him from the current assessment.

The royal family was pleased with Chen Guan's modesty. After all, the less attention he attracted, the less likely other factions would try to poach him. This gave them more time to strengthen their bonds with him.

When he arrived at the palace, the guards recognized him immediately, even before he showed his token.

"You don't need to bother, Young Master Chen. The princess has instructed that you can enter freely, as if this were your own home. I will inform the princess of your arrival."

My own home?

Chen Guan couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. When he first arrived on the Dou Qi Continent, he didn't even have a place to shelter from the elements. Now, he could treat the royal palace as his own home.

Reborn as a freeloader in the Dou Qi Continent?

"Thank you."

Politely acknowledging the guard, Chen Guan stepped into the lavishly decorated palace.

To be fair, the royal palace was far more luxurious than the Yunlan Sect, though it wasn't entirely a fair comparison. After all, a sect and a nation are fundamentally different.

As he admired the scenery near an artificial mountain, the sound of footsteps reached him from behind—it was Yao Ye.

"Tsk tsk, it's been ages since I last saw that brat. I thought he'd forgotten about his dear sister," Yao Ye teased with a playful smile.

Chen Guan felt a little awkward.

"Sister Yao Ye, don't tease me. I've been focused on my cultivation these days. I just broke through to Dou Practitioner last night, and I came to share the good news with you this morning."

"Hmph, who knows… Wait, did you say you've broken through?"

Yao Ye's teasing expression froze as she processed his words, her eyes widening in surprise.

Chen Guan nodded, circulating his Dou Qi and releasing his aura. "I wouldn't lie to you, Sister Yao Ye."

Faced with the undeniable evidence, Yao Ye had no choice but to believe him.

After taking a few deep breaths, Yao Ye finally accepted it, marveling, "You really are a little monster. You gave me quite a scare."

A nine-year-old Dou Practitioner!

Now she truly believed what Jia Xingtian had said back then. She was also relieved that this boy had joined the royal family, and that their relationship was still good.

Leading Chen Guan on a stroll through the palace, Yao Ye mulled over something before quickly making a decision.

"Now that you've reached the level of a Dou Practitioner, you can officially start cultivating techniques and Dou skills. The path to becoming a strong fighter begins here. With your talent, cultivating with the 'Spirit Nurturing Art' won't do. If others find out, they might think I'm sabotaging you and wasting your potential."

"You have a fire attribute. The royal family has plenty of fire-attribute techniques and Dou skills in our collection. Wait here for a moment. I'll go get you a gift."

After settling Chen Guan in a pavilion, Yao Ye quickly returned with three booklets from her storage ring.

"These booklets contain 98% of the royal family's collection. Each has a brief description. One is for cultivation techniques, one for Dou skills, and one for movement techniques. You can choose one from each."

"It's not that I'm being stingy. It's just that cultivating Dou skills is no easy task. It takes a lot of effort. If you scatter your focus, you'll end up being mediocre at everything. Once you've mastered these, I'll give you more."

The three booklets weren't heavy, but they felt weighty in Chen Guan's hands.

"Sister Yao Ye."

"Hmm?"

"Should I call you 'mother' instead?"

"..."

(End of chapter)