"Also, Yanran, keep an eye on Liu Ling. He seems to harbor some hostility toward Xiao Yan because of you. Although that kid's talent in alchemy isn't bad, his mind is too narrow. If Xiao Yan bees the champion of the Alchemist Graing, his status in the alchemist unity of the Jia Ma Empire will be on par with Gu He. I don't think Liu Ling handle Xiao Yan, and I'm afraid he'll make a grave mistake." Nan Su g a small circle of people gathered in the hall with Liu Ling at the ter.

  In the past, Nan Su thought Liu Ling seemed quite agreeable, but now, the more he looked at him, the more annoying he found him.

  "Mm, I'll try my best." Nan Yanran furrowed her delicate brows and rubbed her temples. This was indeed a troublesome matter.

  Because of the Misty Cloud Sect, she had known Liu Ling for several years and was naturally familiar with his temperament. This person's possessiveness was to.

  Just like her father, when Liu Ling was the most outstanding among the younger geion of alchemists, she hadn't felt that his mind was so narrow.

  Now that someone more talehan him had appeared, she realized more and more that this person Liu Ling was no good. And the more she looked at him, the more annoying he became.

  "Won't you resider the marriage e?"

  "Father!" Nan Yanran shot him a fierce gre.

  He just had t up the most sensitive topic, didn't he?

  …

  Meanwhile, within a circle in the hall, a slick-haired young man dressed in luxurious robes gnced over to where Xiao Yan stood and said disdainfully, "Big Brother Liu Ling, so that's the guy who beat you all? He looks quite ordinary, not even as handsome as you."

  "Hehe, his skills surpassed mihere was nothing I could do," Liu Ling replied with a smile, holding his wine gss.

  "Heh, that's not necessarily true. I heard that guy possesses a Heavenly Fme, and the internal test topic just happeo be refi. Otherwise, how could Big Brother Liu Ling possibly lose? Big Brother Liu Ling is Grandmaster Gu He's disciple! When it es to the official touromorrow, I bet that guy will make a fool of himself," another youth immediately chimed in with a loud ugh

  Liu Ling just smiled without saying a word. He didn't offer any defense for Xiao Yan. Such 'kind words' naturally struck a chord in his heart.

  People often only hear what they want to hear.

  "But that guy is quite lucky with the dies. To think he's gotten so close with Miss Ya Fei of the Miteer ," a man who had oried to make a move on Ya Fei said sourly, seeing how the two of them were chatting and ughing together.

  The Little Priook a delicate sip of red wine, her slender fingers lightly tapping on the surface of the gss, produg a crisp sound. She g Xiao Yan and chuckled, "Perhaps something iing will happen tonight."

  "What do you mean?" Liu Ling was taken aback upon hearing this.

  "Just wait and see. I only hope his cultivation is as impressive as his alchemy skills. Otherwise, things could get quite amusing. He might not even be able to participate in the Alchemist Graing tomorrow." The Little Princess smiled mysteriously and dowhe red wine in her gss.

  At that moment, at the entrance of the Nan Mansion, a blood-red horse suddenly charged aggressively from the other side of the street. Pedestrians along the way hurriedly dodged out of the way in a panic.

  A figure green leaped nimbly from the horse's back. With a young fad eyes flickering fiercely like a tiger's, he rushed straight into the Nan Mansion, knog aside all the servants in his path. No one dared to stop him.

  When he burst into the main hall, it immediately caused an uproar.

  "It's that madman Mu Zhan!!"

  "Run! Watch out for this lunatic!"

  At this time, Xiao Yan was leisurely drinking with Ya Fei, discussing iing happenings in Jia Ma Sacred City. Suddenly, he frowned slightly as he sensed a killing i log onto him.

  "You're c death!!!" An enraged shout came from behind Xiao Yan. The green-cd figure stomped on the floor, instantly shattering the grouh his feet. He transformed into a green shadow as his fist struck toward Xiao Yan.

  Seeing Mu Zhan attag Xiao Yan like a madman, those in the hall whnized Mu Zhan were all scared out of their wits and fled in all dires as they screamed.

  In trast, Ya Fei sitting beside Xiao Yan remained very calm and even took a sip of wihout missing a beat.

  Miteer Tengshan, standing not far away, was equally posed. He merely gnced over without saying a word.

  Nan Jie, who had just finished dressing and walked out from the inner hall, apanied by Nan Su and the old steward of the Nan , all calmly watched Mu Zhan's outburst.

  They her made a move nor reprimanded him.

  Nan Yanran, who was drinking alone, even softly muttered under her breath, "Idiot."

  A pair of wooden chopsticks suddenly appeared in front of Mu Zhan's eyes, lightly blog his fist. Instantly, the green-colored Dou Qi dissipated, turning into a gentle breeze that lifted Ya Fei's silky hair.

  In Mu Zhan's perception, it didn't feel like wooden chopsticks at all, but rather like a t mountain. It felt as though he had punched a mountain, as it remained pletely unmoving!!

  "And who might you be?" Xiao Yahe other end of the chopsticks between his fingers, his gaze calm as he looked at Mu Zhan ag like a madmaurally didn't know who Mu Zhan was and had no idea why he had attacked him.

  Ya Fei beside him provided the answer.

  "His name is Mu Zhan, a member of the Mu . He's a lunatic who kills as soon as he threatens to. He has the spoiled brats of Jia Ma Sacred City obediently under his thumb. One of the reasons I went to Wu Tan City back then was to avoid this annoying madman." Ya Fei put down her wine gss and expio Xiao Yan.

  Xiao Yan immediately uood. It turned out to be a case of a beauty bringing disaster.

  "You're jealous? So you attacked me without reason?" Xiao Yan looked at the youth whose expression had ged from crazed to dumbfounded as he stared at him. A hint of ess fshed in Xiao Yan's dark eyes.

  Mu Zhan's face twisted with ferocity upon hearing Xiao Yan's words. In his heart, Ya Fei had always been his; he wouldn't allow others to touch her, even speaking to her was uable.

  "I've said before, whoever dares to touch you, I'll kill them!" Mu Zha out an enraged roar. His entire body erupted with green-colored Dou Qi. Despite being only a 9-star Dou Master, he was actually able to ma Dou Qi Armor.

  "Green Wood Thorn!"

  Green-colored Dou Qi surged beh his feet. With a fierce exertion—crack, crack, crack—the terrifying power shattered the chopsticks in Xiao Yan's hand inch by inch.

  Xiao Ya out a cold ugh. Abandoning the chopsticks in his hand, he caught Mu Zhan's fist with a single hand. Mu Zhan's attack was like a drop in the vast o, pletely uo fathom the depths of Xiao Yan's unfathomable strength.

  Liu Ling and the Little Princess's mouths hung open in disbelief as they watched Xiao Yan catch the attack with one hand while still sitting as steady as Mount Tai upon his chair!

  Is this still an alchemist? How could his bat strength be so formidable?!

  "Wasn't it said that Mu Zhaurned from several years of bloody battles on the border, his strength being terrifyingly strong? Why does he seem so weak now?"

  A hint of icy ess fshed in Xiao Yan's eyes. With a sudden twist, at extreme speed and with immerength, he snapped Mu Zhan's wrist with a siing crack.

  "Ahhh!!!" A resounding bang echoed as Mu Zhan was directly suppressed by Xiao Yan's terrifying Spiritual Strength. His entire body sprawled on the ground, pletely uo move a muscle.

  Xiao Yan, who had inally been sitting, now stood t over the fallen Mu Zhan. The chilling ess in his eyes made it seem as if he would kill Mu Zhan in the sed. He was entirely different from the Xiao Yan who had been in the hall just moments before!

  "Stop!!" A shout came from not far away; it was the Head of the Mu , Mu Xiao.

  In the sed, the gazes of two Dou Kings locked onto him—Miteer Tengshan and Nan Jie.

  "Mu Xiao, don't you think it's inappropriate for you to meddle in a battle between juniors?" Nan Jie slowly walked out from the inner hall and said.

  Mu Xiao k was impossible to act forcefully. This wasn't the Mu 's territory, and moreover, Xiao Yan's identity was far from ordinary.

  "Young friend Xiao Ya's discuss this calmly. Our Mu won't treat you unfairly."

  Xiao Yan naturally uood that Mu Xiao was invoking the Mu 's influence. With a faint smile, he looked at Mu Zhan lying on the ground and asked, "So you're from the Mu , one of the three major s? If I beat you up, will ae Dou Wang take a against me?"

  Mu Zhan gritted his teeth but didn't dare to deny it, for he had already sensed Xiao Yan's killing i!

  Xiao Yan shook his head when he saw Mu Zhan remaining silent, "I had inally thought you might be a person with some bae. But it turns out you're nothing more than a vicious dog relying on your 's power to bully others. When you enter someone even slightly more formidable, you still need your 's prote."

  "Sorry, but I won't give face to your Mu ."

  Bang! Xiao Yan suddeed force, crushing Mu Zhan's fist into a pulp as easily as squeezing a tomato!