"Go, go, go, don't spout nonsense with your crow's mouth."
Hai Bodong rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"I just happened to run into that old monster, and he insisted on sparring with me. That's how it ended up like this."
"Old Ice, who is this young friend?"
Jia Xingtian saw Hai Bodong approach a young man and asked curiously.
"Youngster Xiao Jietian greets Old Jia."
Xiao Jietian smiled slightly and bowed slightly.
After all, he was of the older generation, so a polite greeting was in order.
Jia Xingtian stroked his beard and nodded in response, chuckling.
He thought to himself: I can't see through this young man's strength. The aura I vaguely sensed earlier must have been his. It seems this young man is quite extraordinary. No wonder someone as unruly as Old Ice cares so much about him.
Ya Fei, standing beside Xiao Jietian, felt a little nervous looking at the two Dou Huang powerhouses not far away. Xiao Jietian reached out and held her hand.
Feeling the warmth of Xiao Jietian's palm, Ya Fei's nervousness subsided considerably. She quietly moved closer to Xiao Jietian, feeling incredibly secure this way.
Although Ya Fei's subconscious movement was subtle, the people around them still noticed it keenly and understood that the relationship between the two was already very intimate.
Everyone around them glanced strangely at Miteer Tengshan, who was acting calm and composed.
Nalan Jie's eyes darted between Yan Xiao and Nalan Yanran: Young friend Yan Xiao is not bad either.
"You old geezer, what are you thinking about again?"
Nalan Yanran naturally knew what her grandfather was thinking; he had expressed such thoughts quite a few times, both openly and subtly.
Mu Zhan's face, which had been ashen, was now as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Alright, everyone, you can disperse now."
Jia Xingtian left a faint remark and departed, carrying the Little Princess.
Xiao Jietian and Ya Fei were also preparing to leave when, suddenly, a gloomy voice came from beneath a tree.
"Hey, your name is Xiao Jietian, right?"
Xiao Jietian looked down and saw a young man standing beneath the tree.
Xiao Jietian, holding Ya Fei, descended from the treetop to the ground.
Seeing Xiao Jietian's hand still wrapped around Ya Fei's slender waist, the young man's expression instantly became even more sinister and ferocious.
"What can I do for you?"
Xiao Jietian looked at the man's appearance: This must be Mu Zhan, the one with a bad brain.
"Mu Zhan, what are you doing here?"
Ya Fei looked at Mu Zhan in front of her and shouted loudly, a hint of disgust and anger in her eyes. This man had once been her biggest annoyance.
"Ya Fei, you're even more beautiful. I told you, whoever dares to touch you, I'll cripple them."
Mu Zhan laughed ferociously.
Before he finished laughing, he felt himself being grabbed by the neck and lifted. He looked down.
"H-how is this possible?"
Mu Zhan looked incredulous, feeling his Dou Qi suppressed. His feet, suspended in the air, kicked wildly, but he still couldn't break free from Xiao Jietian's grip.
"I didn't want to bother with a clown like you, but you insisted on seeking your own death."
Xiao Jietian forcefully slammed Mu Zhan onto the ground beside him.
Boom!
Mu Zhan was violently smashed to the ground, his body making intimate contact with the earth.
After a cloud of dust dissipated, a large web-like crack appeared on the ground, and Mu Zhan lay in the center, constantly spitting blood.
Xiao Jietian raised his foot, preparing to send him to drink a bowl of Meng Po Soup.
"Young friend Xiao Jietian, please calm your anger. Please spare his life, and there will be a heavy reward in the future."
A voice came from above, interrupting Xiao Jietian.
Two figures appeared in the air, slowly descending not far from Xiao Jietian. It was Jia Xingtian and Princess Yao Yue, who had already left.
"Alright, then I'll give Old Jia face and not kill him."
The previous conversation with Jia Xingtian had been quite pleasant, and the two had a brief acquaintance, so Xiao Jietian decided to give him face.
Xiao Jietian's foot, which was about to stomp down, instead changed to a kick, directly striking the prone Mu Zhan.
Mu Zhan was directly kicked away by Xiao Jietian, violently crashing into the trunk of a giant tree, then slumping to the ground, blood continuously flowing from his nose and mouth.
The severely injured Mu Zhan lay on the ground, looking at Xiao Jietian with fear and dread in his eyes.
"Don't ever appear in front of us again. Otherwise, next time, you will surely die."
Xiao Jietian flicked the dust from his robes, left a remark, and returned to Ya Fei's side.
Ya Fei's words entered Mu Zhan's ears, and he couldn't help but spit out another large mouthful of blood, directly fainting.
"Naughty." Xiao Jietian playfully flicked Ya Fei's pretty nose. He hadn't expected Ya Fei to have this side to her; it was truly a killing blow to the heart.
"System, check in."
"Ding! Checked in at the Dou Huang battle, Royal Mausoleum successfully. Obtained 6 Huangji Pills."
"Farewell, everyone." Xiao Jietian cupped his hands in a salute to the crowd, summoned his Golden Feathered Sky Wings, flew up with Ya Fei in his arms, and then left the scene. Hai Bodong and the others followed closely behind.
"Dou Qi Wings? Is he also a Dou Wang?"
Seeing Xiao Jietian's wings, the people who were still in place gasped in surprise, exclaiming.
"His should be a Flying Dou Technique, but his strength is very powerful. At least, I don't think I'm his opponent."
As the direct disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect's Sect Master, Nalan Yanran had read countless books and noticed that the wings behind Xiao Jietian were very similar to the Flying Dou Technique described in the books.
Nalan Yanran subtly glanced at Liu Ling, who was not far from her.
"You all send him back to the Mu family, and also tell the Mu family not to seek revenge. Old Ice and he have a very good relationship."
Jia Xingtian flicked a healing pill into the unconscious Mu Zhan's mouth and left with the still-unsettled Princess Yao Yue.
Only a crowd with complex expressions remained, looking at each other.
"Mu Zhan's injuries will probably keep him bedridden for at least a year and a half, unless Pill King Gu He can be persuaded to provide a high-grade healing medicine."
…
Mmm!!
That night, Xiao Jietian, back in Eternal Heaven World, comfortably soaked in the bathtub, watching Little Fairy Doctor perform her stand-up comedy. His mind and body felt a surge of pleasure.
The sound of footsteps suddenly echoed behind him. Xiao Jietian turned his head and saw Ya Fei walk in, wearing light gauze.
Coming to the edge of the bathtub, Ya Fei saw Little Fairy Doctor there.
"It seems I came at the wrong time."
"No, you came at just the right time."
Xiao Jietian pulled Ya Fei into the bathtub.
Little Fairy Doctor was also startled and stopped her performance.
"Consider this your reward for your performance tonight."
"Hmph, you got off easy."
Ya Fei and Little Fairy Doctor both laughed and scolded him in annoyance.
Achievement unlocked.
…
The next day, Xiao Jietian, with Little Fairy Doctor and Ya Fei, picked up Qing Lin and went to their room in the outside world.
"Let's go then. Today is the Alchemist Convention, which happens once every eight years. It's estimated that eighty percent of the Alchemists from the entire Jia Ma Empire, as well as Alchemists from other countries, will come."
The four of them walked out of the room together, found Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong, and headed to the competition venue.
Xiao Yan saw Xiao Jietian accompanied by three women, all getting along peacefully, and secretly gave Xiao Jietian a thumbs-up gesture.
Walking on the road, Alchemists, usually a rare sight, appeared in twos and threes on the street. Other passersby looked at the walking Alchemists with fervent eyes, filled with passion and reverence.
The three women walked arm in arm. Although their faces were veiled, their curvaceous figures and the constant silver-bell-like laughter they emitted drew many glances. However, upon seeing the Third-Tier Alchemist identity on Xiao Jietian, who was accompanying them, people quickly averted their eyes.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, was chatting idly with Hai Bodong. The two had met many times and were relatively familiar with each other.
"Tian Ge, this isn't the way to the Alchemist Guild, is it?"
Xiao Yan looked at the unfamiliar path they were taking and asked in confusion.
"We're taking a shortcut. The competition venue isn't at the Alchemist Guild; it's at the Imperial City Square, which can accommodate more people."
As they arrived at the Imperial City Square, Xiao Jietian looked at the massive and densely packed venue. He silently called out in his mind, "System, check in."
"Ding! Checked in at the Jia Ma Sacred City Alchemist Convention venue successfully. Obtained Dou Emperor Experience Card × 6."
Xiao Jietian smiled slightly at this reward, finding it quite fitting for the occasion.
"I'll go find Master Otto and the others to report in. You all find a place to sit first."
Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan entered the preparation area for the competitors.
Looking at the backs of the two, the three women and Hai Bodong found a relatively good viewing spot and sat down to wait.
"Sister Xian'er, who do you think will win the championship, Young Master or Master's brother?"
Qing Lin tilted her head and curiously asked Little Fairy Doctor beside her.
"Probably Tian Ge. After all, his strength is much higher than Xiao Yan's."
Little Fairy Doctor thought for a moment and gave an answer based on her understanding.
"That's not necessarily true. After all, the competition is about alchemy, not combat strength."
Ya Fei, who had witnessed Xiao Yan's previous performance, voiced a different opinion.
"Then let's make a bet."
"Alright."
"I'll bet on Young Master."
"I'll bet on Tian Ge."
"I'll bet on Tian Ge too."
…
After Xiao Jietian and Xiao Yan reported in, they walked toward the competitor seating area.
On the way, they coincidentally ran into Liu Ling, who was surrounded by a group of people.
Liu Ling gave Xiao Yan a cold glance, snorted disdainfully, and walked straight into the competitor area.
"He probably feels that since I'm only a Second-Tier Alchemist, I won't be a threat to him, right?"
Xiao Yan shook his head and chuckled, not paying much attention.
"Don't worry. When the time comes, you'll give him a good slap in the face."
Xiao Jietian patted Xiao Yan's shoulder.
Xiao Yan nodded. The two also walked into the competitor area.
"Yan Xiao, Xiao Jietian, over here."
Otto and Falkland waved at the two.
The four exchanged pleasantries for a while before the competition officially began.
"Tian Ge, I won't hold back."
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Jietian with a competitive gleam in his eyes.
"Bring it on. Let me see how much you've improved."
Xiao Jietian smiled, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes as well.