"This old man's aura is almost on par with the Queen's before her evolution. This must be Jia Xingtian, and the one next to Yao Yue is likely none other than Yao Ye, one of the three renowned beauties of the capital, alongside Ya Fei and Nalan Yanran. Indeed, she's far more pleasing to the eye than the brash little princess," Xiao Se thought to himself.
As Xiao Se examined Jia Xingtian and his group, they were also observing him. Due to his concealment technique, they couldn't fully gauge Xiao Se's strength, but from yesterday's banquet, they could tell that aside from his exceptional alchemy skills, his power was also remarkable.
Among the younger generation, Mu Zhan, known for his martial prowess, and Liu Ling, known for his alchemy skills, were undoubtedly inferior to Xiao Se.
"This is Jia Ma Empire's guardian, Jia Xingtian. His cultivation is at least at the eight-star Dou Huang level. He once fought Medusa alone and managed to escape unscathed. He's a crafty old fox and a pure politician. He seems interested in you, so be careful," Hai Bodong whispered to Xiao Se when Jia Xingtian arrived.
Xiao Se nodded slowly.
"Haha, Fa Ma, Hai Bodong, what a rare occasion. The three of us old geezers are finally reunited," Jia Xingtian laughed as he approached Fa Ma and Hai Bodong.
"It certainly is rare," Fa Ma replied with a faint smile. Then, with a bit of surprise, he added, "I didn't expect you, who's been hiding for decades, to take an interest in the Alchemist Conference."
"Just getting some fresh air occasionally," Jia Xingtian smirked, turning his gaze to Xiao Se and laughing, "This must be Xiao Huo Huo, the one who broke Gu He's record in the guild competition and scored full marks."
"It was just luck, Elder Jia. You flatter me," Xiao Se said with a helpless smile, pulling his gaze away from Yao Ye.
"Ah, don't be so modest. I'm sure Hai Bodong has already introduced me, so I won't repeat myself," Jia Xingtian laughed. Then, pointing to Yao Ye beside him, he said, "You must already know Yue'er. This is her elder sister, Yao Ye. She's responsible for commanding the tens of thousands of troops guarding the capital during the Alchemist Conference."
He then pointed at Xiao Se and looked at Yao Ye, introducing, "Yao Ye, this is Xiao Huo Huo, the one I mentioned before. He's the top candidate to win this competition."
Yao Ye's younger sister, the little princess, clearly wasn't pleased with the introduction, pouting and muttering under her breath.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao Huo Huo," Yao Ye said, extending her delicate hand with a slight smile, a rare sight for the usually cold and aloof princess. The guests were surprised, as they had never seen Yao Ye, known for her icy demeanour, act so warmly.
"Nice to meet you, Princess," Xiao Se smiled calmly, briefly shaking her hand and letting go without lingering.
Yao Ye wasn't surprised by Xiao Se's indifferent reaction. She withdrew her hand and was about to speak when a commotion broke out behind them.
"Wow, that's Yun Yun, the Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect! I didn't expect her to attend this event."
"And there's Master Gu He, the Alchemy King!"
Everyone turned to see a beautiful woman in a plain blue dress slowly approaching. She had near-perfect features, her long black hair tied into a noble phoenix hairstyle, exuding an air of elegance and nobility. Her serene beauty and regal demeanor captivated those around her. She was none other than Yun Yun, the Sect Leader of Misty Cloud Sect.
Behind her was an oily middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache. The badge on his chest, engraved with six bright silver stripes, identified him as Gu He, a renowned six-tier alchemist known as the Alchemy King.
Following Yun Yun and Gu He were their disciples, Nalan Yanran and Liu Ling.
The crowd was surprised by Yun Yun's presence. While Gu He's attendance was expected, Yun Yun rarely appeared in public, so her arrival was quite unexpected.
"Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, Hai Bodong, I hope I'm not interrupting," Yun Yun greeted them with a gentle smile as she gracefully walked over.
"Of course not, Sect Leader Yun. You're a guest, and we're honoured to have you attend the Alchemist Conference," Fa Ma smiled.
The imperial family and the Misty Cloud Sect had long been rivals, and the Mittel family had a neutral stance, making the Alchemist Guild the perfect place to mediate between them.
"You flatter me, Fa Ma," Yun Yun smiled softly, then turned to Xiao Se, saying, "It's been a while, Mr. Xiao Huo Huo."
Her gentle, soothing voice left everyone except Hai Bodong and Nalan Yanran stunned. No one expected Yun Yun, known for her rare public appearances, to be acquainted with Xiao Se. They stared at Xiao Se as if he were some kind of anomaly, realizing that everyone he associated with was extraordinary. First Hai Bodong, the Ice Emperor, and now Yun Yun, a Dou Huang-level beauty and Sect Leader.
"Greetings, Sect Leader Yun," Xiao Se responded with a slightly unnatural expression. Meeting Yun Yun in such a setting didn't make him particularly happy.
"I heard about you from Yanran. I hope you perform well in the competition. If you're ever free, you're welcome to visit my Misty Cloud Sect," Yun Yun said with a light smile.
Xiao Se nodded with a smile, feeling a bit emotional. In the original story, this woman, who evoked a sense of first love, exuded warmth in every smile and gesture, yet her eventual fate was bittersweet.
Seeing Xiao Se nod, Yun Yun smiled and took her seat. Gu He sat next to her, engaging in casual conversation with Fa Ma and the others. As a six-tier alchemist, he had the qualifications to sit among these Dou Huang-level powerhouses.
With the conversation between Xiao Se and Yun Yun over, Yao Yue, Yao Ye, Nalan Yanran, and Liu Ling exchanged a few words with Xiao Se and greeted Hai Bodong and the others before taking their seats behind the five prominent guests.
Intentionally or not, their seating arrangement placed Yao Yue, Yao Ye, Xiao Se, Nalan Yanran, and Liu Ling in that order, with Xiao Se subtly positioned at the center of attention.
Throughout the event, Yao Ye occasionally struck up conversations with Xiao Se, while Nalan Yanran never took her eyes off him. The young man's mysteriousness and strength seemed to have deeply captivated the top disciple of Misty Cloud Sect.
Meanwhile, the little princess pouted in frustration, and Liu Ling's expression turned increasingly grim, almost becoming twisted with anger. At that moment, it felt as though the two of them were nothing more than background figures.
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