Although disappointed, Fu Lan Ke's expression remained the same. He only wanted to try his luck. 

The next moment, Fu Lan Ke led Xiao Ning and Xiao Xi Yian to his office. Xue Mei, Fu Lan Ke's disciple, also followed behind. 

Soon, they reached the topmost floor of the building and stopped in front of a black door. Xiao Ning, Xi Yian, Xue Mei, the trio looked surprised. They had never seen anything similar. 

Fu Lan Ke noticed their gaze and chuckled. He glanced at Xiao Ning and decided to explain a bit. "The alchemist association invited a great man to help the association design it," He pointed his finger at the gate and continued. "Only after injecting my dou qi will the gate open." 

Finally, he looked at his baby disciple and added, "Even Xue Mei has never been here." 

Fu Lan Ke raised his hand and placed his palm on the black door, and a reddish-brown dou qi shot out of his palm. The dou qi passed through the lines engraved on the gate, a pattern lit up, and with a thud, the gate opened. 

'A formation?' Xiao Ning asked himself in his heart. 

"Let's enter!"  Fu Lan Ke walked inside after speaking. The trio curiously followed behind. 

Xiao Ning's eyes flashed as he observed the room. Unlike his expectations, Fu Lan Ke's office was ordinary. Yet, he felt a sense of danger. He instantly understood that the entire office was a large formation. 

...... 

At this moment, they heard a burst of loud laughter. Ao Tuo appeared out of nowhere and brought his disciple with him. He glared at Fu Lan Ke and cursed the latter as an old fox in his heart. 

Then, he turned his attention towards the four youngsters in front of him and asked them to take a seat. 

Fu Lan Ke sat behind the table; he waved his hand, and a few objects appeared on the table. A jade bottle, a black cloak, and a scroll. 

"Xiao Ning, here, take it," Ao Tuo picked up the black cloak and handed it to Xiao Ning. 

Xiao Ning curiously took the cloak, and his eyes flashed as he felt the material of the cloth. He noticed the golden linings on the borders and glanced at Ao Tuo, asking the latter to explain. 

Ao Tuo smiled mysteriously and said, "The cloak made for alchemist is soaked in a medicinal liquid before it is stitched. It allows the alchemist to stay alert all the time." 

He pointed his finger at Xiao Ning's cloak and said, "Your's is one made for a high-ranked alchemist; it is resistant to ordinary pill flame and can block a Dou Master's attack." 

The eyes of all four youngsters sitting lit up. Xue Mei and Lin Fei enviously gazed at the coat in Xiao Ning's hands. Under the gaze of three girls, Xiao Ning wore the cloak over his clothes. 

Xiao Ning's temperament changed as he did; the wild aura around him lessened, he looked gentler than before. Xiao Ning touched the badge showing his fourth-tier alchemist identity on his chest and smiled. 

He raised his head and glanced at Xi Yian as if asking how he looked? 

Xi Yian smiled brightly after seeing Xiao Ning's childish antics. The smile on Xi Yian's face added to her beauty. 

Even Xue Mei and Lin Fei were taken aback after seeing her smile. Only now did they understand the gap between Xiao Xi Yian and them. 

Fu Lan Ke and Ao Tuo saw this, and their faces turned black. Ao Tuo coughed and said, "We are still here!" He couldn't stand the flirty gaze between Xiao Ning and Xi Yian. 

After hearing this, Xi Yian's face turned red, and she lowered her head in shame. Xiao Ning smirked and said nothing. 

The next second, Xiao Ning looked at the jade bottle and scroll placed on the table. After seeing his gaze, Fu Lan Ke pointed at the jade bottle and said, "Xiao Ning, this is the pill you refined yesterday." 

He then pointed at the scroll beside the jade bottle and continued, "It records all of the medicinal ingredients present in the association." 

Xiao Ning's eyes lit up after he heard this. He understands that this is Fu Lan Ke favoring him. It also meant he would owe the latter a favor. 

Even after knowing this, Xiao Ning moved forward and accepted the scroll. 

After seeing this, Fu Lan Ke nodded in satisfaction. 'A smart brat,' he thought in his mind. 

Seeing that everything which needed to be said has been spoken, Ao Tuo's old face showed a fox-like smile and asked, "Young friend Ning, how long are you planning to stay in the city." 

Xiao Ning secretly thought he needed a few days to recover completely and said, "I will leave the city after four days." 

He planned to accompany Xi Yian while recovering and use one day to collect all the material he needed. 

Ao Tuo laughed; he glanced at Xue Mei, Lin Fei, and said, "Let them accompany you around." 

Xiao Ning's actions paused; he turned his head and stunned look at Au Tuo, thinking what's going on in this old man's mind. 

He peeked at Xi Yian from the corner of his eyes, and a bitter expression formed on his face. Xiao Ning could only nod his head. 

After agreeing to Ao Tuo's request, Xiao Ning didn't dare to stay any longer and quickly left with Xi Yian. They roamed in the city for the rest of the day. 

......

'The next day!'

'Knock! Knock!' Early morning, Xiao Ning heard someone knocking at his door. He woke up after hearing it. Xiao Ning yawned and got out of bed. He glanced at Xi Yian's innocent sleeping face, and a warm smile formed on his face. 

Xiao Ning quietly opened the door to prevent Xi Yian from waking up. 

The moment he opened the door, Xiao Ning stood frozen in his place, and the stunned expression on his face didn't fade for a while. 

Two girls were standing outside the door. They were Xue Mei and Lin Fei; who else could they be?