Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

That day, Gou An once again used the excuse of taking a stroll to sneak to the outside of the Nine Furnaces Immortal's alchemy courtyard and hid under the shade of a tree.

They peeked around and spied on the medicine-making process inside the courtyard, hoping to learn some techniques by watching and eavesdropping.

Just as they were engrossed in watching, the courtyard gate suddenly opened, and a medicine slave stepped out.

Gou An's heart tightened, and he immediately lowered his gaze, bent down and scanned the ground back and forth, pretending to be searching for lost items.

"Oops! Where's my stuff? Where did I drop it?"

Seeing his appearance, the medicine servant quickly stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Master Gou, what are you looking for? If you don't mind, this humble demon can help you search."

Gou An hurriedly waved his hands, trying to appear calm: "No need, no need. I suppose the item wasn't left in this courtyard. I'll look for it elsewhere."

After saying that, he turned and tried to leave.

To everyone's surprise, the medicine servant immediately called out to stop them, "Master, please wait!"

Gou An paused, turned his head, and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"My master invites you inside for a chat," the medicine servant replied respectfully.

Gou An was slightly taken aback: "Your master?"

"It is indeed the Nine Furnaces Immortal."

Gou An was secretly delighted and readily agreed, following the medicine servant into the courtyard.

He secretly calculated that this would give him a legitimate opportunity to observe and learn up close, saving him the trouble of hiding.

Upon entering the main alchemy room, Gou An was immediately shaken.

Inside the vast hall, nine enormous alchemy furnaces were neatly arranged, with nine fires burning simultaneously, creating a scene of bustling activity and intense heat.

Thirty or forty demon servants shuttled back and forth, each performing their duties: sorting spiritual materials, grinding medicinal powder, drying herbs, weighing and mixing them. Every step of the process was clearly defined and orderly.

In contrast, Master Jiu Lu, the core alchemist, was comfortably leaning back in a sandalwood chair, sipping tea with a relaxed demeanor, showing no sign of being busy.

Upon seeing Gou An enter, Master Jiu Lu merely raised his hand and instructed the medicine servant standing beside him, "Sit down."

A drug slave immediately brought over a wooden chair and placed it in the empty space to the side.

Gou An sat down as instructed, asking questions while his gaze lingered on the numerous alchemy furnaces and medicine shelves filling the room: "Master Jiu Furnace, what brings you here?"

Master Jiulu had white hair and beard, and his face was covered with deep and shallow wrinkles, but his eyes were clear and bright. His voice was deep and steady as he spoke slowly and deliberately: "I've come to find you to ask what brings you here, guarding my courtyard wall every day?"

Gou An awkwardly tugged at the corners of his mouth and said with a sheepish smile, "I just happened to be passing by and was just strolling around."

Master Jiulu smiled faintly and bluntly stated, "Passing by eight or nine times in a single day, is that considered a coincidence?"

With his lie exposed, Gou An no longer concealed it and frankly said, "To be honest, I admire your alchemy skills, Master, and only wish to enter the academy to observe closely and learn some of the secrets of alchemy."

Master Jiulu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a nonchalant tone, "How can the transmission of alchemy be casually observed and taught? Besides, you are a demon."

Gou An's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but a hint of doubt arose within him. He cupped his hands and asked, "Since the Venerable One does not wish for others to learn alchemy, why did you specifically invite me in just now?"

"Of course, I must give him a face-to-face warning." Master Jiulu said bluntly: "From now on, don't squat outside the courtyard wall and peek secretly anymore."

Gou An chuckled upon hearing this and smoothly replied, "Then from now on, I'll just come in and observe directly. Is that alright?"

Nine-Furnace Immortal was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter, stroking his beard as he looked at him: "You little demon are quite bold and interesting."

"Tell me, where did you learn your alchemy skills?"

"It's all thanks to self-study," Gou An answered frankly, without any attempt to hide anything.

"Self-taught? How many years have you been cultivating?" Master Jiulu pressed.

"About three years."

"Only three years?" The smile faded from Master Jiulu's face, and a hint of surprise and doubt appeared in his eyes: "Self-taught, without receiving any guidance from anyone else?"

"Indeed, no." Gou An shook his head slightly: "Years ago, by chance, I obtained a book of miscellaneous pill formulas from a human cultivator, and I have been learning how to refine pills on my own by relying on this book."

"In that case..." Master Jiu Lu's eyes showed a hint of interest, "you could indeed be considered a genius in alchemy."

Gou An smiled slightly and said, "You flatter me, sir. I wouldn't call myself a genius; at most, I'm a prodigy!"

"Haha, you don't know how to be modest at all."

Master Jiulu gently stroked his long, gray beard and slowly spoke: "Just now I made a cryptic insult. If an ordinary demon cultivator heard that, he would have already left in a rage. But you are so carefree that you don't care at all."

Gou An thought to himself that although his physical body was that of a demon beast, his soul was that of a true human.

The other party's words were directed at the demon race, but they were of no concern to him, so he naturally didn't get angry.

He remained respectful, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect as he calmly replied, "This junior is eager to learn the true essence of alchemy from you, Master. If I cannot even bear a few frank words, how can I be qualified to dedicate myself to studying?"

"What makes you so certain that I'm willing to teach you alchemy?" Master Jiulu asked, raising his eyes.

Gou An spoke clearly and slowly, explaining: "Firstly, if the Master was unwilling to make any concessions, he could have simply ordered the medicine servant to drive me away from the wall, instead of specifically calling me into the courtyard for a private conversation."

"Secondly, as I was just observing, the complicated process of refining medicine was entirely handled by the medicine slaves, while the Master only oversaw the overall process to control the temperature and the potency of the medicine."

"If the master deliberately kept it a secret and refused to teach it even a little, none of the demon slaves below could have mastered the processes of mixing ingredients, grinding medicine, and controlling temperature so skillfully."

"So confident, aren't you afraid of misjudging my thoughts?" Master Jiulu's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of amusement.

"What does it matter if I guess wrong?" Gou An smiled frankly. "At most, I'll be rejected by the Master again. It won't be a loss for me. The worst that can happen is that I'll be asked to leave the hospital."

After listening, Master Jiulu slowly nodded, and his gaze toward Gou An held a newfound genuine appreciation.

"Having lived for hundreds of years, this is the first time I've encountered a demon with such a clear mind and eloquent speech."

He sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret: "It's a pity you're not a human cultivator, otherwise I really would have liked to take you as my personal disciple!"

Upon hearing this, Gou An knew his opportunity had arrived, so he immediately said, "If I can't be the master's personal disciple, a nominal disciple is fine too. As long as I can learn some alchemy, the title doesn't matter to me!"

Master Jiulu looked at Gou An again and said, "I won't take you as a disciple, but you can come in and learn anytime you want in the future!"

"I won't specifically teach you anything. How much you can understand and learn depends entirely on your own fate and ability!"

"Taking on apprentices is too tiring; right now, I just want to enjoy life."

Upon hearing this, Gou An's eyes immediately lit up.

He offered something with both hands: "Venerable Sir, why don't you come here and enjoy yourself!"

Master Jiulu looked up and his eyes lit up.

The item that Gou An gave up was the jade plaque from Feiyue Tower.