In the capital city of Jia Ma Empire.
These days, the city was bustling with excitement. The Alchemist Grand Meeting, held only once every few years, had drawn countless spectators.
This competition among alchemists captivated everyone's attention.
However, the final result of the Alchemist Grand Meeting left many in the Jia Ma Empire dissatisfied, even furious.
The reason was that the first place winner turned out to be an alchemist from the Chu Yun Empire.
This outcome was a huge blow to the members of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association, who felt deeply humiliated, and the overall morale in the empire took a significant hit.
The Jia Ma Empire and Chu Yun Empire had always been enemies, with constant wars and conflicts between the two nations.
Now, in the capital of the Jia Ma Empire, the first place in the Alchemist Grand Meeting was taken by someone from the enemy country. How laughable.
That evening, after the competition had ended, a light shone from a room in an inn in the capital, but no sound came out for a long time.
At this moment, Xiao Yan was sitting alone in his room, his brow furrowed, and a look of frustration on his face.
"There really is always someone better out there... A girl younger than me with such incredible talent in alchemy..."
Xiao Yan thought to himself, sighing. He had also participated in the competition but had only secured third place. The second place went to Princess Yue Er.
Losing to the alchemist from Chu Yun Empire didn't bother Xiao Yan too much since that person was much older in reality.
But Princess Yao Yue's prowess made Xiao Yan start to doubt the alchemical talent he had always prided himself on.
"Knock, knock!"
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Xiao Yan cleared his throat, quickly hiding his frustrated expression, and said, "Come in."
A delicate hand slowly pushed open the door, and a familiar figure walked in.
Seeing the familiar, charming face, Xiao Yan felt a sense of relief and smiled.
It was Xun'er.
"Xiao Yan-gege, how did you do today?"
Xun'er walked over and sat beside Xiao Yan, her eyes curved in a smile as she asked.
"Third place!"
"That hidden alchemist from Chu Yun Empire was indeed formidable, but I didn't expect that little girl nurtured by the Jia Ma royal family to have such impressive alchemical skills. Could it be that Gu Fei's casual guidance is really that powerful?"
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, feeling a bit dejected.
He had heard about Princess Yao Yue being guided by someone named Gu Fei when he arrived in the capital, but he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.
After all, he had only recently heard of Gu Fei and didn't consider him a widely known or revered figure.
But today, Princess Yao Yue's alchemical skills far exceeded his expectations.
If he had only lost to the alchemist from Chu Yun Empire, it would have been understandable, but he had been training with Yao Lao for so long—how could he lose to Princess Yue Er or, more precisely, to Gu Fei?
At this moment, Xiao Yan was still unaware of Gu Fei's true identity.
He had only heard that Gu Fei was an exceptionally talented young man who had appeared in the capital a few months ago with a sixth-rank flying magical beast as his mount, causing quite a stir.
He didn't realize that Gu Fei's alchemical abilities were also this formidable.
"Gu Fei?"
Hearing Xiao Yan mention Gu Fei, Xun'er's eyes flickered, and her breath caught for a moment.
She paused, then nodded slightly and said softly, "If it was Gu Fei giving guidance, then it's not surprising."
Xun'er knew of Gu Fei's alchemical prowess. Back in the Gu Clan, he had already been a seventh-grade alchemist. In terms of alchemical knowledge and talent, Gu Fei was among the best in the entire Gu Clan.
Let alone in a mere Jia Ma Empire.
"You know him?"
Hearing Xun'er's tone, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask, puzzled.
"I know him... but not very well!"
Xun'er's body tensed slightly at Xiao Yan's question, and she quickly responded in a casual manner to avoid further probing.
Instinctively, she didn't want Xiao Yan to know that she had been married before.
But seeing the lingering doubt in Xiao Yan's eyes, Xun'er wasn't flustered. Instead, she thought of a way to change the topic.
She took something out of her storage ring and placed it in Xiao Yan's hand.
A spiritual herb, emitting a faint spiritual energy, quietly bloomed with a bluish flower, its petals glowing softly.
This was a spiritual herb Xun'er had found after learning that the Seven Magical Green Spirit Saliva had been taken by Gu Fei. It was another herb that could help restore soul power.
Xiao Yan's attention was finally diverted, his eyes fixated on the herb.
Xun'er smiled sweetly and said, "Xiao Yan-gege, this is a spiritual herb that can help restore soul power."
Xiao Yan's eyes widened in surprise.
Xun'er gently placed it in his hand, and his eyes softened with gratitude. "Xun'er, thank you!"
"Xiao Yan-gege, as long as I can help you, that's enough!"
Xiao Yan put away the herb, and the two shared a smile, their emotions quietly flowing through their gazes.
Suddenly, the space in the room rippled.
Xun'er's eyes narrowed.
"Elder Nanhai!"
She quickly turned around, seeing a familiar elderly face.
Xun'er stood up nervously, trying to shield Xiao Yan behind her without drawing attention.
She knew that most of the elders of the Gu Clan didn't like Xiao Yan, so if they suddenly appeared, could it be that they intended to...
"…"
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, standing behind Xun'er, was utterly confused.
The pressure from the elderly man who suddenly appeared was overwhelming, making Xiao Yan feel like he could be crushed like an ant if the elder wished to kill him.
"Xun'er, it's time to return home."
The elder from the Gu Clan, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Yan, looked at Xun'er with a meaningful expression.
"I'm not going back!"
Upon hearing yet another plea for her to return, Xun'er's brow furrowed, and she refused without hesitation.
She had just reunited with Xiao Yan and didn't want to part so soon.
Hearing this, the Gu Clan elder frowned and glanced at Xiao Yan.
"Xun'er, since you left the Gu Clan, your progress has stalled. Do you know that Gu Fei has already broken through to the Dou Venerate realm in less than a year since leaving the Gu Clan? Your performance has deeply disappointed the Clan Leader and the elders. If not for your stagnant cultivation, we wouldn't be forced to bring you back!"
The elder spoke with a tone of disappointment and sighed.
"Gu Fei broke through to Dou Venerate?"
Xun'er was stunned by the elder's words, taking a moment to react, her face full of surprise.
Clearly, the rapid advancement of Gu Fei's cultivation was far beyond her expectations.
"Has the gap between us grown this big without me even realizing it?"
Xun'er lowered her eyes, her mind involuntarily recalling certain events in the Gu Clan, and a hint of bitterness appeared on her face. She bit her rosy lower lip lightly, and her fingertips unconsciously dug into her palm.
However, she quickly composed herself, her gaze calming as she thought of Xiao Yan behind her and decided to plead.
"Elder Nanhai, it's not that I've been neglecting my cultivation… I will certainly work hard from now on. Could you give me more time?"
She pleaded with a bit of desperation, her brow furrowed.
"Gu Fei is a Dou Venerate? A Dou Venerate is even stronger than a Dou Ancestor."
Beside her, Xiao Yan, who had been listening to the conversation between Xun'er and Gu Nanhai, was shocked.
In the Jia Ma Empire, even seeing a Dou Emperor or Dou King was rare.
The Dou Venerate level was, at present, nothing more than a distant legend to him.