Xiao Yan looked at the somewhat embarrassed Nan Yanran with an odd expression and said, "Is this your version of a st-gasp attempt?"

  Nan Yanra Xiao Yan with irritation. Did you really have to phrase it like that?

  "Yes! I truly 't defeat yht now." Nan Yanran was quite straightforward, directly admitting her current inability to beat him.

  Ever sihat battle with Mo g, she knew her ces of defeating him were very slim. Even though her cultivation level was not low now, having reached 3-Star Dou Grandmaster, the gap between her and Xiao Yan in terms of trump cards and bat strength was too vast.

  Xiao Yan now possessed a Di Css Qi Method. Ever sihe Fme Mantra had evolved to the Di Css, his cultivation speed had increased signifitly. Now, Xiao Yan was a 4-star Dou Grandmaster, and in another month or two, he could reach the 5-star, having long surpassed Nan Yanran.

  The evolving Fme Mantra was just like that—it held you back early on but propelled you forward ter.

  Not to mention, Xiao Yan also possessed a Heavenly Fme as well as that formidable Spiritual Strength. Nan Yanran knew her odds of winning were minuscule.

  And that's not even ting Xiao Yan's medial pills. As an alchemist, if Xiao Yao use pills he personally refined during their duel, it wouldn't be against the rules.

  Even if he didn't use any pills, she still felt her ces of victory were slim to none.

  The reality was indeed so. Her odds of winning were even lower than she herself estimated.

  Xiao Yan shrugged and said, "I don't really mind, but no matter what, your loss is iable."

  Nan Yanra him, her eyes fshing with an unyielding light as she said. "Just you wait until I e out of the Gate of Life ah. You will definitely lose then!"

  "The Gate of Life ah? Is that a secret realm of your Misty Cloud Sect?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

  "That pce is where our Misty Cloud Sect's past Sect Leaders are id to rest. It's also the tomb of our sect's founder, Yun Po Tian. Inside are the trials left behind by the first Sect Leader. Anyone who pass those trials will receive special rewards." Nan Yanran didn't try to hide this from Xiao Yan. She felt that since she was entering the Gate of Life ah to train specifically to defeat the man before her, there was o be stingy with suformation.

  Xiao Yan frowned. The tombs of past Sect Leaders?!

  'Could it be that the soul bodies of the Misty Cloud Sect's past Sect Leaders are located there? Perhaps that's where the Hall of Souls is hidden...' Xiao Yan suddenly thought of this possibility!

  Although the Misty Cloud Sect was said to be close to Jia Ma Sacred City, iy, there was still quite a siderable distaween them.

  Moreover, Xiao Yan had heard that the area surrounding Misty ountain, where the sect was located, was essentially equivalent to a city. Misty Cloud City at the foot of the mountain, much like Jia Nan Academy's Jia Nan City, provided the Misty Cloud Sect's disciples with their daily ies.

  inally, he wouldn't have been able to ehe Misty Cloud Sect; after all, it was only open to sect disciples. But as it happened, he had that duel agreement with Nan Yanran.

  "Let's set our duel at the Misty Cloud Sect," Xiao Yan suddenly said.

  Nan Yanran was stunned for a moment before she asked doubtfully, "Set it at the Misty Cloud Sect? The sect is located above the clouds, where wind attribute energy is abundant and fire attribute energy is scarce. Are you sure you want to have our duel there?"

  Xiao Yan nodded seriously and said, "I want to see for myself what the number o in the Jia Ma Empire is like."

  Nan Yanran did not refuse when she saw him so resolute and agreed to his proposal. How could she have imagihe little scheme brewing in his mind, actually targeting the Misty Cloud Sect itself?

  …

  Late at night, when all was quiet, Xiao Yan was in his room cultivating the Fme Mantra when he suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Old Hai, it's so te. Is something the matter?"

  Hai Bodong pushed open the door with a smile and said, "You little brat should be thankihis time."

  "Thank you? For what?" Xiao Yan asked.

  "You know that the few of us went to tail that bck-robed man tonight, right? Do you know what we discovered?" Hai Bodong deliberately kept him in suspense.

  Xiao Yan poured Hai Bodong a gss of water and sat down in a chair, knowing he was in for a long story.

  "Please, Old Hai, I'm listening."

  Hai Bodong said, "That bck-robed fellow turned out to be Yan Li, the Deputy Chairman of the Chu Yun Empire's Alchemist Association, a peak 4th-tier alchemist. He took a pill called the Appearance Recovery Pill, which restored his appearao his younger days."

  "Peak tier 4?!" Xiao Yan's heart trembled. No wohat guy was so formidable. He himself had barely edged him out using a wisp of the Nihility Dev Fme.

  So the other party was also a peak 4th-tier alchemist!

  "Mm, inally we wao kill him directly and be doh it. But that fellow had a tingen. If he were to die during the Alchemist Graing, news of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association wantonly killing partits to manipute the petition would quickly spread to the neighb empires. The Alchemist Associations of several other empires would then have an excuse to join forces to suppress us. Therefore, we ot take any a against him," Hai Bodong said with some indignation after taking a sip of water.

  The overall strength of the Jia Ma Empire was retively weak, and several neighb empires had long wao a.

  After some thought, Xiao Yan said, "So that's it. No wohat felloilling to risk death and have the Chu Yun Empire expend siderable manpower and resources to refihe Appearance Recovery Pill just to e here and cause trouble."

  "Perhaps the other empires have long wao make a move against the Jia Ma Empire but couldn't find a justification. Now they pn to start with the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association. If they get the Pill Tower to sever its ties with the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association, theher empires act without scruples."

  Xiao Yan tapped his fingers oable, quickly s out the entire sequence of events, even uanding the iions of the major empires.

  Hai Bodong listened with a series of startled expressions, as he hadn't even sidered these specutions!

  "Uh, that might be it."

  "So, why should I thank you, Old Hai?" Xiao Yan smiled faintly. None of this seemed to be a reason for him to thank Hai Bodong.

  Reminded by Xiao Yan, Hai Bodong suddenly remembered and quickly said, "ht! Almost fot. So we have to wait until the Alchemist Graing is over, and we 't let him bee the champion. Only then we find an opportunity to kill him. Otherwise, if that Yan Li fellow wins the championship, it'll be very troublesome for us to deal with him."

  "That old fox Fa Ma knows your alchemy skills are formidable and believes only you tend with him for the championship. So I told him that if the Chu Yun Empire's Alchemist Association tried to bribe you, it would be problematic."

  Hai Bodong raised his eyebrows at Xiao Yan, who narrowed his eyes and immediately uood.

  Exaggerate the threat, then leverage it to get bes!

  "Heh heh, that old fellow Fa Ma wants you to go to the Alchemist Association now. He said he'll give you some help to make it easier for you to deal with that guy."

  Xiao Yan didn't put on airs either. He cupped his fists and said, "Thanks, Old Hai. I believe I'll be able to refihe Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill before long."

  "Good that you haven't fotten. Go on, go o as much as you . o stand on ceremony with that old fellow Fa Ma. He's loaded," Hai Bodong said with a grin.

  …

  Although it was already te at night, the Alchemist Association was still brightly lit. When the guards saw Xiao Yan approag, they immediately straightened and said, "Mr. Xiao Yan, the Chairman has been waiting for you."

  "Mm."

  Xiao Yan followed the guard all the way to the top floor of the Alchemist Association and lightly knocked on the door.

  "Chairman, Junior Xiao Yan apologizes for disturbing you so te at night," he said politely.

  "e in," Fa Ma's voice sounded.

  Xiao Yan pushed open the door aered. Sweeping his gaze, he was slightly surprised. The room was extremely spacious but appeared somewhat antiquated. Several rows of bookshelves leaned against the walls, and an a-looking desk stood solitary in the ter of the room.

  Xiao Yaly closed the door. Fa Ma gestured and said, "Sit wherever you like. I assume Hai Bodong has already briefed you ouation?"