"Junior Sister Xiao Yi Xian, can you tell me what level your cultivation has reached now? Why do I get the feeling that those two old guys seem very wary of you?" Liu Ling whispered softly to Xiao Yi Xian.
"Senior Brother, donât get too excited when I tell you!" Xiao Yi Xian replied in a very quiet voice.
"I wonât! Do I look like someone whoâs never seen the world?" Liu Ling quickly shook his head, then leaned closer to Xiao Yi Xian.
Xiao Yi Xian leaned close to his ear and softly whispered, "Senior Brother, my current cultivation level is⦠eight-star Dou Emperor!"
"What! Ei⦠Eightâ¦"
Upon hearing Xiao Yi Xianâs answer, Liu Ling reacted so strongly that he jumped slightly, staring at her in complete disbelief.
"Whatâs going on with them? Why did Liu Ling suddenly stammer and say 'Ei... Ei...?' Does it mean something?"
Seeing Liu Lingâs reaction, Xiao Yan looked puzzled.
As Xiao Yan was wondering, Yao Laoâs voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"Xiao Yan, thereâs something unusual about Gu He of the Jia Ma Empire. Itâs already impressive that he trained Liu Ling, but itâs astonishing that even that mysterious black-robed figure turned out to be his disciple."
"Teacher, from your tone, it sounds like you think this black-robed girl is even better than Liu Ling. But the fact is, Liu Ling refined a fifth-grade pill, while that black-robed girl only managed a fourth-grade pill. She should be the one lagging behind," Xiao Yan questioned, surprised by Yao Laoâs high praise for Xiao Yi Xian.
"Kid, when did I say I was comparing their alchemy skills? I was talking about their cultivation levels," Yao Lao replied, somewhat annoyed.
"Their cultivation?"
"Exactly. Did you notice how those two old guys acted just now when she approached? They were visibly wary. For two high-level Dou Emperor experts to be on guard so quickly, her strength must be remarkable," Yao Lao analyzed with a serious tone.
"Hiss!"
"If thatâs the case, then she must also possess high-level Dou Emperor strength⦠If the disciples heâs trained are this strong, then their master, Alchemy King Gu He, must definitely be a Dou Ancestor powerhouse!" Xiao Yan took a sharp breath.
"If those two old menâs reactions are genuine, and this girl is indeed only seventeen or eighteen⦠Itâs hard to imagine such talent. Truly a once-in-a-millennium prodigy," Yao Lao remarked in amazement.
At that moment, across the vast square, Fa Ma and Jia Xing Tian shared similar speculations.
"Old Jia, if this girl isnât some magical beast transformed by a stroke of fate, then weâve all been fooled by that kid Gu He," Fa Ma said, transmitting his thoughts to Jia Xing Tian.
"Indeed. If thatâs the case, Gu He might have already reached the Dou Ancestor level," Jia Xing Tian agreed with Fa Ma.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the tournament has officially concluded. Please disperse!"
After exchanging a few words with Jia Xing Tian, Fa Ma decided to disperse the crowd to prevent any explosive news from leaking out.
After clearing the spectators, Fa Ma turned to the remaining alchemists who had placed in the tournament and said, "Your rewards will be delivered to your accommodations by members of the guild."
Understanding Fa Maâs intent, the alchemists gathered their belongings and left the square.
"Chairman Fa Ma, Elder Jia, Iâll be taking my leave as well," Xiao Yan, catching on, packed up his things and departed the square.
As Liu Ling recovered from his initial surprise, he pointed toward a figure in the VIP section and chuckled, "Junior Sister Xiao Yi Xian, Junior Sister Yanran is here too!"
"I already noticed Junior Sister Yanran⦠Senior Brother, letâs call her over and head back to the sect together to see Master," Xiao Yi Xian said with a bright smile, waving toward Nalan Yanran in the distance before turning to Liu Ling.
"Alright!"
Knowing that the tournament rewards would take a while to be distributed, Liu Ling had no intention of staying longer. Nodding in agreement, he and Xiao Yi Xian began walking toward the VIP section side by side.
"Liu Ling, hold on a moment!"
Just then, Fa Ma called out to him.
"The championship reward has been with me all along, so Iâll hand it to you now!"
Seeing Liu Ling pause and look back, Fa Ma ran his hand over his storage ring, and a purple-silver scroll appeared in his palm. Gently stroking the scroll, Fa Ma smiled and said, "This is the championâs reward, the recipe for the sixth-grade pill, the âSoul Fusion Pill.â Itâs yours now!"
With that, Fa Ma flicked his finger, sending the scroll flying toward Liu Ling as a silver streak.
"Thanks!"
Catching the scroll Fa Ma tossed, Liu Ling gave a casual nod of thanks before tucking the precious scroll into his storage ring without even glancing at it.
The reason? Liu Ling had plenty of similar sixth-grade pill recipes stored in his memory. Participating in the tournament had nothing to do with the rewards; he was simply fulfilling a task assigned by his master, Gu He.
"Listen, when you go back, donât rush to read the contents of the scroll with your soul power. Even I feel a bit dizzy and light-headed after reading it!" Fa Ma offered a friendly reminder.
"Got it, Chairman Fa Ma!" Liu Ling waved as he continued walking.
As Liu Ling and Xiao Yi Xian reached the edge of the square, Nalan Yanran had also descended the high steps and joined them. Beside her was another tall, coldly elegant woman.
"Liu Ling, congratulations!" Princess Yao Ye was the first to offer her congratulations to Liu Ling.
Afterward, Nalan Yanran, smiling warmly, looked at Xiao Yi Xian and said, "Senior Sister Xianâer, itâs been over a yearâIâve missed you so much!"
With that, Nalan Yanran rushed forward, arms open, and hugged Xiao Yi Xian tightly.
Watching this display, Princess Yao Ye looked somewhat puzzled.
Since very few people knew that Nalan Yanran had become Gu Heâs disciple, and given that she had been training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range over the past year, it was only natural that Princess Yao Ye remained in the dark.
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