Chapter 697: Wedding
Xiao Yan smiled when he heard this. He flicked his finger and a wisp of jade-green flame shot out of the window before disappearing.
A rus.h.i.+ng sound suddenly sounded from outside the window just as everyone was feeling uncertain about his actions. Immediately, three figures rushed in. The three powerful auras that could stand shoulder to shoulder with an elite Dou Huang caused their expressions to immediately change a little.
"I naturally also have elite Dou Huangs…" Xiao Yan smiled faintly and pointed at Old Yin Gu and the other two who had appeared. However, his voice had just sounded when the s.p.a.ce around him suddenly rippled. Immediately, a somewhat illusionary old figure gradually appeared in front of everyone"s stunned gazes.
"Of course, we also have an elite Dou Zong…"
Old laughter slowly sounded the moment that the illusionary figure appeared. A majestic aura that caused those seated to change their expressions drastically immediately surfaced like a rus.h.i.+ng torrent of floodwater!
The sunlight pa.s.sed through the window and landed on the somewhat illusionary old man. However, it did not form a slight figure on the ground. This situation appeared somewhat strange.
The human figure which had suddenly appeared and the eruption of the majestic aura that was not the least bit inferior to that of an elite Dou Zong caused everyone to descend into an alert state. Numerous gazes contained some shock as they tared at the former. An enormous wave flipped within their hearts…
Xiao Yan also revealed a stunned face in front of the complete silence. A moment later, he finally quietly rubbed his head and laughed bitterly as he said, "Teacher, why have you come out?"
Teacher? The manner in which Xiao Yan addressed this mysterious old man immediately caused everyone"s heart to leap violently. The eyes that they used to look at the latter became more unusual. They had clearly witnessed Xiao Yan"s improvement over these years. Part of this might be because he possessed an excellent training talent. However, if one were to think carefully, it was likely that the help of this mysterious old man was also important.
"Ke ke, it"s fine. Others will learn about it sooner or later." Yao Lao laughed. This was the first time that he had appeared in front of other people with the exception of Xiao Yan and Medusa. However, this action was not a random one. He knew that he would likely have difficulty hiding himself in the decisive battle between Xiao Yan and the Misty Cloud Sect. Since that was the case, what was the difference between appearing sooner or later? Moreover, by choosing to appear during such a time, he would undoubtedly become a heavy bargaining chip that would cause the hesitating Jia Xing Tian and the others to quickly decide on their stance.
Everyone became even more certain of the relations.h.i.+p between the two when they heard the conversation between Xiao Yan and Yao Lao. They involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva before looking at each other. All of them felt somewhat shocked. It was unexpected that this fellow… was actually still in possession of such a trump card. No wonder he dared to challenge the Misty Cloud Sect.
Compared to Jia Xing Tian and the others, Hai Bodong and Old Yin Gu"s group were even more shocked. This was because they were clearly aware that beside this mysterious old man, there was still an extremely powerful expert who could contend with an elite Dou Zong by Xiao Yan"s side, Medusa!
If one were to put it this way, did that not mean that there were two ultimately powerful experts beside Xiao Yan who could stand shoulder to shoulder with an elite Dou Zong?
When they thought of this, Old Yin Gu, Su Mei, and Tie Wu looked into each other"s eyes. Their eyes contained a fear as they rejoiced in their hearts that they had not come into a head-on conflict with Xiao Yan back in the "Black-Corner Region". Otherwise, it was likely that even they would end up following Fan Lao"s fate.
From the corner of the hall, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su also gradually recovered from the shock of Yao Lao"s appearance. They looked at one another and inhaled a breath of cool air simultaneously. Their mouths were filled with bitterness. The greater the strength that Xiao Yan displayed, the greater the regret in their hearts would expand. Originally, he would have become their Nalan clans son-in-law. If everything went smoothly, the Nalan clan"s power and influence would have been greatly boosted because of him. However…
Yao Lao absorbed all the expressions on everyone"s faces within the hall. He waved his hand and sat in a chair beside Xiao Yan before he smiled and said, "You can just continue to discuss what you want to discuss. There is no need to be concerned about the old me…"
Upon hearing Yao Lao"s words, everyone in the large hall, including Jia Xing Tian, hurriedly cupped his hands together. A Dou Zong and a Dou Huang were two experts from completely different levels. An expert of this level could be placed in the upper levels of the golden paG.o.da even when placed on the entire Dou Qi continent. All of them, however, could only be considered the middle-upper level.
"Ke ke, may I know how to address this senior? It seems that I have never met this senior in the Jia Ma Empire?" Jia Xing Tian cupped his hands to Yao Lao and spoke with a respectful smile.
"The old me is not someone from the Jia Ma Empire. Hei. I"m afraid that all of you had not been born when I was roaming the continent." Yao Lao laughed. His gaze immediately turned and swept toward Fa Ma in the hall. At this moment, the latter had descended into deep thought when Yao Lao appeared. He seemed to be trying to recall something.
"You are that little alchemist from back then right? I still remember your aura. After having not met you for so many years, you seem to have gained some ability…"
The soft laugh that was emitted from Yao Lao"s mouth caused everyone in the hall to become dull. Fa Ma"s body, however, suddenly trembled. He was filled with disbelief as he lifted his head and involuntarily cried out, "You… you are the old man from back then?"
Yao Lao laughed and carelessly nodded. He saw Xiao Yan"s confused expression and said, "I met him back then when I was roaming the continent. However, at that time, he was merely a little older than you. Back then, the old me saw that he had some talent and helped him improve a little in my interest."
Xiao Yan came to a sudden understanding. The faces of Jia Xing Tian and the others who heard Yao Lao"s words twitched a little. They immediately wiped cold sweat off their faces. This person… was likely considered a genuine old demon, no?
While everyone was wiping cold sweat, Fa Ma wore an excited face as he hurriedly got off his seat and knelt down toward Yao Lao from a distant. Yao Lao waved his sleeves just before both of Fa Ma"s knees were about to touch the ground. A gentle force lifted Fa Ma up. Yao Lao said, "There is no need to give me such a respectful greeting. I was merely just a little interested back then. You are able to have your current achievement because of your own hard work and talent."
"I will never forget the favor of you enlightening me even in my death!" Fa Ma could only stand since he was unable to kneel and bow. He gave Yao Lao a bow that a member of the younger generation would use as he respectfully replied.
Qi Mi Er by the side also wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead when he saw Fa Ma actually greeted Yao Lao in such a grand fas.h.i.+on. Currently, Fa Ma was a genuine tier 5 alchemist. Yet this kind of achievement was merely because the old man in front had randomly enlightened him a little. It was difficult to imagine just what kind of frightening background this old man had…
Yao Lao merely helplessly shook his head when he saw that everyone was so frightened that their faces repeatedly emitted cold sweat. He waved his hand to everyone and immediately said, "Alright, alright, you should all discuss the important matters. Otherwise, this disciple of mine will blame the old me for coming out to disturb his discussion… that"s right, what Xiao Yan said earlier is true. There are some things that must be settled before the decisive battle with the Misty Cloud Sect. Hence, it is best that everyone think things through properly. You should all choose carefully for this stance of yours to be in your best interest…" There was a faint threat toward the end of his words. There was not a single person seated in the place whose expression did not change because of these words from an elite Dou Zong.
Yao Lao"s smiled after his words sounded. His body immediately trembled and the illusionary body of his gradually became faint. After which, he strangely disappeared.
Xiao Yan could only helplessly shake his head after seeing Yao Lao disappear. He lifted his head to look at everyone before laughing, "Ke ke, I"m sorry. Teacher is always so straightforward."
Everyone hurriedly joined in laughter after hearing this. If they felt that the current Xiao Yan was worthy of them treating him seriously, Xiao Yan now possessed the qualification for them to look up to!
A teacher who had the strength of a Dou Zong. With this kind of background, why would he need to fear the Jia Ma Empire?
"So? Everyone, have you made your decisions?" Xiao Yan"s fingers gently tapped the table before raising his eyes and suddenly asking.
The large hall once again became silent. A moment later, Fa Ma abruptly clenched his teeth and spoke in a deep voice, "The old man has done me the favor of enlightening me in the past. My Alchemist a.s.sociation shall take a gamble this time around and do our best to help you fight with the Misty Cloud Sect!"
Fa Ma"s words caused everyone to be startled. The Alchemist a.s.sociation possessed a great reputation within the Jia Ma Empire. Xiao Yan"s strength would undoubtedly soar with their help…
"Since a.s.sociation head is this bold, our Mu clan will also accompany you. In any case, the Misty Cloud Sect has disliked our Mu clan for a long time. They might not act now but our future fate is likely not going to be good!" Mu Chen slammed the table in front of him, clenched his teeth, and fiercely spoke not long after Fa Ma"s voice sounded.
There were already three of the five large factions who had indicated their stance. All that was left was the imperial family and the Nalan clan.
Yao Ye knit her eyebrows tightly. Her gaze was exchanged with Jia Xing Tian before she immediately spoke with a clear voice, "Mister Xiao Yan, it is not impossible for our imperial family to aid you. However, please allow Yao Ye to ask a question here."
"Princess Yao Ye, please feel free to speak."
"The Misty Cloud Sect is indeed a large fierce tiger of our Jia Ma Empire. However, mister Xiao Yan"s faction is no longer weak now. It is even sufficient to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Misty Cloud Sect. Yao Ye wishes to ask this. If the Misty Cloud Sect were really eliminated in the future, will you… will you become another fierce tiger within the Jia Ma Empire? If this is the case, won"t our imperial family be in the same situation before and after this?" Yao Ye pretty face tightened. Her gaze looked at Xiao Yan but it was devoid of even a little fear.
These words of Yao Ye were undoubtedly extremely targeted. Hence, the atmosphere within the hall immediately became anxious once her voice sounded. Some people even quietly emitted cold sweat as they silently asked how could this girl be so bold…
Xiao Yan"s finger gently tapped on the table. He glanced at Yao Ye who was intently staring at him. Although Jia Xing Tian at her side did not move, Xiao Yan could still sense his suddenly tightened body.
"There will always be a divide between the strong and weak in any place. My faction might perhaps become a fierce tiger within the Jia Ma Empire in the future. However, I can guarantee this in front of everyone here. As long as the imperial family doesn"t try to do anything, I will definitely not do something similar to the Misty Cloud Sect"s attempt to s.n.a.t.c.h the authority in the empire." Xiao Yan mused for a long time before his faint voice finally sounded.
Princess Yao Ye seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied with Xiao Yan"s answer. However, just as she was about to open her mouth again, Xiao Yan"s expression sank as he said, "Princess Yao Ye, you should also know that if I do not act this time around, your imperial family will be completely destroyed by the Misty Cloud Sect within a couple of months to a year"s time. Hence, I hope that you will bring the matter to a close when things look good. Don"t think that Xiao Yan is here to beg you to cooperate with me…"
Yao Ye"s heart was startled when she heard Xiao Yan"s words. Only at this moment did she remember that this cooperation was actually because Xiao Yan wanted to settle all of the hidden danger. Their partic.i.p.ation in the battle or otherwise did not appear to be a decisive factor.
Under this threatening tone of Xiao Yan, Yao Ye eventually helplessly withdrew in defeat. Jia Xing Tian by the side also smiled and said, "Yao Ye is still young and it is only natural that she does not consider all aspects when she does things. I hope that mister Xiao Yan will not blame her. Ke ke, since everyone is in agreement, our imperial family will naturally not be excluded. My imperial family will definitely do our best to help destroy the Misty Cloud Sect this time around!"
Seeing that the imperial family had also stated their stance, Nalan Jie and Nalan Su could only open their mouths to indicate that they would also fight against the Misty Cloud Sect.
Xiao Yan sighed in relief within his heart when he saw that these old foxes had all finally agreed. He smiled and said, "In that case, I wish that we will be successful in our cooperation… additionally, I would like to make a request to everyone. Please do not leak the matter of my teacher out…"
Everyone hurriedly nodded when they heard this.
Hai Bodong also smiled when he saw that everything had been arranged appropriately. He was just about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. His hand beckoned toward the window and a messenger bird flew in and finally landed on his hand.
"It"s information that Ya Fei had sent over." Hai Bodong removed the slip of paper from the messenger bird and smiled toward Xiao Yan before immediately opening it. His expression immediately changed when he did so.
"What is it?" Xiao Yan frowned and asked when he saw this change.
Hai Bodong licked his lips. His gaze stared at Xiao Yan as he spoke in a deep voice, "That old fellow Yun Shan wants to hold a wedding in the Misty Cloud Sect."
"Wedding? Whose?" Xiao Yan"s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Gu He and… Yun Yun…"
Chapter 698: Mixed Bone Molding Pill
Xiao Yan"s expression instantly and uncontrollably darkened when he heard these two names being spat out by Hai Bodong. His eyes flicked about and there was some anger faintly seeping out from them.
"Yun Shan wants to help Gu He and Yun Yun hold a wedding?" Everyone in the hall was also stunned when they heard Hai Bodong"s words. They looked at one another in a speechless manner.
"This old fellow… what does he intend to do by doing such a thing now?" Mu Chen knit his brows and asked in a deep voice.
"What else? He is naturally planning to recruit Gu He at this moment. Gu He has become somewhat alienated in the Misty Cloud Sect after Yun Yun was locked up during these few years. He would occasionally use the excuse of searching for medicinal ingredients to leave. Moreover, he would remain away for extended periods of time." Jia Xingtian curled his lips and laughed coldly, "A tier 6 alchemist is someone that Yun Shan must treat respectfully even with his strength… however, it is really unexpected that he would actually be willing to use Yun Yun to trap Gu He."
"Gu He was always attracted to Yun Yun. However, in the past, the latter is a sect leader and was haughty in nature. Moreover, there was also too many things she needed to consider. Hence, Gu He could only treat her with respect in his capacity as an Elder and did not cross the line by even a little. A sharp-eyed person could see that it was merely one-sided on Gu He"s part." Hai Bodong voiced his thoughts. He glanced at the gloomy face of Xiao Yan, being aware of some of the issues between Xiao Yan and Yun Yun. "Hence, this wedding might be completely controlled by Yun Shan. His intention is to completely pull Gu He, this alchemist grandmaster to the Misty Cloud Sect"s side."
"Looking at the situation according to the feelings Gu He has for Yun Yun, he might really become a fang of the Misty Cloud Sect if this marriage is completed successfully…" Jia Xingtian frowned intently and spoke with a deep voice. They had made quite a lot of contact with Gu He and naturally understood him quite well.
"However, Yun Yun has never held any special feelings for Gu He. She is also a haughty person. Unless Yun Shan uses some special tactics, it is likely that Yun Yun will not submit to marrying a person whom she doesn"t like." Nalan Jie"s eyes looked at Xiao Yan"s expression before speaking.
Xiao Yan finally waved his hand after hearing the random discussion from everyone. The gloominess on his face had been suppressed until most of it had scattered. His eyes glanced at everyone before he slowly spoke, "Gu He possess an extremely great reputation within the Jia Ma Empire. It would likely be extremely troublesome if the Misty Cloud Sect has his help. Hence, we will naturally need to try our best to break this marriage… Old Hai, when is Yun Shan holding the wedding?"
"Two days from now."
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes. A dark fog flashed across his eyes as he spoke faintly, "In that case, I would like everyone to prepare everything during these two days. Two days later will be the day that we will have our decisive battle with the Misty Cloud Sect!"
"So soon?" Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
"Once Gu He really stands at the Misty Cloud Sect"s side and gathers some strong people over, it is likely that it would be even more difficult to defeat the Misty Cloud Sect." Xiao Yan shook his head and replied.
A couple of people mused for a moment when they heard Xiao Yan and could only nod their heads. If they gave Gu He sufficient time, it was likely that he might really gather quite a number of experts from all over the place.
"Mister Xiao Yan, as long as you are able to defeat the experts within the Misty Cloud Sect, you can leave the remaining disciples for our imperial family"s army to deal with. I will also quietly issue an order to some of the commanders and generals who control large armies during these two days and get them to quietly remove the Misty Cloud Sect"s spies and strength within the cities." Yao Ye mused for a moment before she smiled and said to Xiao Yan, "As long as mister Xiao Yan can kill Yun Shan, the remaining members of the Misty Cloud Sect will definitely be completely eliminated from the Jia Ma Empire…"
Although the imperial family could not compare with the Misty Cloud Sect in terms of high level experts, they, who possessed the empire"s machinery, would easily be able to eliminate the Misty Cloud Sect, that had lost its leader, from the empire.
"In that case, we will rely on princess Yao Ye at that time." Xiao Yan merely smiled after hearing this. The Misty Cloud Sect was deeply rooted within the Jia Ma Empire. Only the imperial family who controlled the entire empire had the large resources to completely eliminate them. This point was something that Xiao Yan had no choice but to admit. If the imperial family were to be in charge of such a thing, their effectiveness would undoubtedly be many times greater than him.
"However… if Gu He is to really stand on the Misty Cloud Sect"s side…" Hai Bodong"s gaze looked at Xiao Yan, hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I have said that the blood feud between the Misty Cloud Sect and I can only be resolved if one of us dies. There is no other method than this. Hence, no one is able to hinder me from destroying the Misty Cloud Sect. Gu He is also no exception." Xiao Yan smiled faintly. Some dark, cold killing intent flashed across his dark-black eyes. "If he really wants to help the Misty Cloud Sect, we shall just attack and kill him together. Of course, this is a method that is used only as a last resort. He is an extremely proud person. I will use other methods to discourage him and get him to withdraw at that time…"
"We shall do as you say since you have already come to a decision. The Primer clan will do our best to help you two days later." Hai Bodong patted Xiao Yan"s arm and spoke in a deep voice.
"The Alchemist a.s.sociation will also do its best to help." Fa Ma smiled and spoke to Xiao Yan. "This time around, the old me will bet everything on you."
Xiao Yan grinned and nodded as he looked at the declaration of these two people. His gaze immediately swept toward Jia Xingtian and he randomly spoke with a smile, "I have heard that the imperial family has a guardian beast that is extremely strong. This matter is extremely important and I"m afraid that Jia Lan must bring it out."
Jia Lao was startled when he heard this. He exchanged gazes with Yao Ye before laughing bitterly as he said, "The imperial family does indeed have a rank 6 guardian Magical Beast with a strength that is comparable to a seven or eight star Dou Huang. However, it is likely to have difficulty partic.i.p.ating in the battle."
"Why?" Xiao Yan frowned. A Magical Beast that was comparable to an eight star Dou Huang possessed an extremely great fighting strength. Among those present, it was likely that only Jia Xingtian and Hai Bodong after he recovered his peak strength could contend with it.
"Mister Xiao Yan, this is not because our imperial family is holding back. Instead, it is because the Secluded Sea Scaly Beast fought for our imperial family for many years, resulting in its body to be filled with hidden injuries. Its injuries erupted some time earlier and its condition is extremely apathetic. Its strength is not even half of what it was at its peak. It is likely that it would not have much of an impact." Yao Ye pressed her lips and softly spoke when she saw Xiao Yan"s frown.
"Injuries?" Xiao Yan lifted his eyebrows. However, he spoke with a smile, "Perhaps I can help. After all, everyone should not forget that I am also an alchemist."
Yao Ye and Xingtian Tian continued to smile bitterly after hearing his words. They said, "We know that mister Xiao Yan is also an alchemist. However, we even invited a.s.sociation head Fa Ma to take a look back then. However, he said that in order to completely cure the Secluded Sea Scaly Beast, we would need a kind of medicinal pill called the "Mixed Bone Molding Pill"."
"Mixed Bone Molding Pill?" Xiao Yan muttered in his mouth.
"This kind of medicinal pill has extremely noticeable effects on the injuries of a Magical Beast. However, it is of a relatively high tier. It has reached that of a full-tier 6 medicinal pill. Even someone of my ability would have difficulty successfully refining a medicinal pill of this tier. Hence…" Fa Ma by the side helplessly opened his mouth to speak, "It is likely that the only one in this Jia Ma Empire who can refine this kind of medicinal pill is Gu He. However, the imperial family currently has a stiff relations.h.i.+p with the Misty Cloud Sect. It is clearly not quite possible to ask him to help refine it."
Jia Xingtian sighed. If not for the great decline in strength of the Serene Sea Scaly Beast, he would also not need to be this afraid of the Misty Cloud Sect.
"Leave the matter of the medicinal pill to me… since all of us are in the same boat, I will naturally not be selfish." Xiao Yan mused for a moment before he suddenly replied.
Everyone was startled when they heard this. Numerous stunned gazes swept toward Xiao Yan. Asking him to refine a tier 6 medicinal pill? If this was the case, did it not mean… this fellow"s medicinal refinement skills had actually broken through to the sixth tier within a short three years?
Compared to everyone"s stunned looks, Fa Ma"s and Qi Mier"s expressions were exceptionally interesting. Being alchemists, they were extremely clear just how difficult it was to increase one"s alchemy tier. However, this fellow in front of them had leaped from a tier 3 alchemist to a tier 6 alchemist within three short years. This kind of speed could only be described as frightening…
"No wonder he is able to obtain the favor of that old man. This talent is really something that no one could match up to…"
"Although the "Mixed Bone Molding Pill" is a tier 6 medicinal pill, it is not extremely difficult to refine. With my current medicinal refining skills, I should have quite a high chance of success." Xiao Yan ignored all the stunned gazes from around him and said with a smile, "Jia Lao can send someone to bring the medicinal ingredients over later. I will naturally hand over the medicinal pill tomorrow."
Jia Xingtian and Yao Ye exchanged looks after seeing Xiao Yan"s face which did not appear to be joking. They had difficulty hiding the joy between their brows as they hurriedly responded courteously. As long as they were able to allow the Serene Sea Scaly Beast recover its strength, the strength of the imperial family would naturally soar once again. If this were to be the case, it would cause them to be much calmer.
"I will immediately dispatch someone to send the medicinal ingredients to mister Xiao Yan after this. We do not care about the success rate as long as mister is able to refine it. The imperial family is fine no matter how many medicinal ingredients are used." Yao Ye joyfully laughed. Her tone appeared exceptionally extravagant. Although the medicinal ingredients used to refine the "Mixed Bone Molding Pill" were no ordinary items, it was naturally not a problem for the rich stores of the imperial family.
Xiao Yan smiled while looking at the two joyful people. He said, "The two of you need not thank me. You will be taking quite the risk in this decisive battle with the Misty Cloud Sect. Naturally, the more strong individuals the better. If that Serene Sea Scaly Beast is able to recover its strength, it would be a great help to us."
Yao Ye and Jia Xingtian hurriedly nodded when they heard this. The old man smiled until he could not shut his mouth. They did not lose out in this cooperation…
Xiao Yan sighed in relief only after seeing that most of the things were settled. He threw his gaze out of the window and looked afar. His faint voice reverberated beside everyone"s ears.
"I would like to ask everyone to gather all the fighting strength they can during these two days. Two days later, this large joint army of ours will fight to the death with the Misty Cloud Sect!"