182: Xiao Yan's shock

Nalan Jie took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning anger, and when he turned to Mo Yuhan, his face had already changed to an apologetic smile, and his tone softened: “Young Friend Mo, I am truly sorry to have startled you. It is my lax household management that allowed such an arrogant and ignorant madman to disturb your enjoyment and offend your eyes.”

His gaze towards Mo Yuhan, in addition to the original gratitude, now held more profound respect and a hint of imperceptible apprehension.

Such a young Peak Three-Star Da Dou Shi… The potential of this child is simply unfathomable, and his future is limitless.

Mo Yuhan shook his head slightly, his expression still as calm as water, as if he had just casually swatted away a noisy fly: “Old man, you exaggerate. He was merely a clown, not worth mentioning.”

“Good! What spirit! Unaffected by favor or disgrace, the demeanor of a true general!”

Nalan Jie’s appreciation deepened upon hearing this, and he clapped his hands and laughed heartily. He then instructed the attendants to quickly clear the area and personally comforted the startled guests, trying to salvage the atmosphere.

In a relatively secluded corner of the hall, hidden by several valuable pots of purple-leaf coral,

Little Princess Princess Yao Yue held a cup of freshly squeezed amethyst grape juice, the small straw unconsciously bitten between her lips.

Her amethyst-like eyes peered through the gaps in the branches, taking in the thrilling scene that had just unfolded.

Her exquisite, porcelain doll-like face was now filled with extremely complex emotions.

She was shocked by the terrifying strength Mo Yuhan displayed, enough to crush a Dou Shi Peak.

Peak Three-Star Da Dou Shi… How old was he? He looked several years younger than herself, didn’t he?

This cultivation speed completely subverted common sense, far more terrifying than the so-called genius records hidden in the imperial library.

At the same time, a deep sense of helplessness and profound regret entwined her heart like vines.

“What a… mysterious and terrifying fellow…”

She murmured softly, her small brows slightly furrowed, and she shook her head regretfully, even the delicious juice in her cup seemed to have lost its appeal.

Recalling her imperious, condescending attitude at the entrance of the Alchemist Guild, and later, the cold, distant gaze he gave her at the Nalan Mansion entrance, as if she were a stranger… Princess Yao Yue felt an unspeakable bitterness and remorse in her heart.

“I never expected that a moment of poor judgment, a moment of willfulness… would lead to completely missing out on such an astonishingly talented and outstanding person…”

She could almost clearly imagine that if her Imperial Father, Jia Xingtian, or her sister Yaoye Princess, known for her iron-fisted methods and sharp insight, knew that she had not only missed the opportunity to befriend him but might have even offended such a young, immensely potential, flame-wielding, and terrifyingly strong individual,

they would probably summon her to the imperial study and scold her severely, wouldn’t they?

She might even be grounded. Princess Yao Yue stirred the juice in her cup with some irritation, her small face filled with vexation.

After Mu Zhan’s bloody incident, the atmosphere of the banquet became extremely subtle.

Although Nalan Jie tried his best to salvage it, the sounds of music resumed, and attendants moved about refilling wine, but everyone’s gaze towards Mo Yuhan had completely changed.

The previous scrutiny, curiosity, and even the disdain from Liu Ling and others, had long been replaced by a mixture of awe, apprehension, flattery, and even fear.

Ya Fei, like a proud peacock who had won a battle, held Mo Yuhan’s arm even more tightly, swaying gracefully through the crowd, enjoying the baptism of envious, jealous, or awestruck gazes.

From time to time, she would stand on tiptoe, whispering into Mo Yuhan’s ear as if no one else was present, her posture intimately ambiguous to the extreme, as if proclaiming her ownership to everyone.

Mo Yuhan, however, seemed somewhat distracted.

His powerful soul perception, like invisible tentacles, keenly detected an extremely sharp, scrutinizing gaze from another relatively dark corner of the hall.

He subtly turned his head, his gaze piercing through the shifting light and bustling crowd, accurately landing on a young man dressed in an ordinary black robe, carrying a large black ruler on his back, standing alone in the shadows—it was Xiao Yan, disguised as Yan Xiao.

Xiao Yan was alone, seemingly out of place amidst the surrounding clamor.

He held a cup of wine, seemingly sipping it casually, but the eyes hidden beneath his ordinary disguise were as sharp as an eagle’s, locked onto Mo Yuhan.

He had witnessed the entire process of Mo Yuhan crippling Mu Zhan with a single palm, and a monstrous wave had already surged in his heart.

“Teacher…”

Xiao Yan urgently called out to Yao Lao in his mind, his voice filled with incredible shock, “He… he’s Peak Three-Star Da Dou Shi?! How long has it been?! When we first saw him in Wutan City, he seemed to be just a Dou Zhe, didn’t he?

This… How is this possible?! Even with a fortuitous encounter, this speed is too heaven-defying!”

A strong sense of crisis and urgency bit at his heart like a venomous snake.

In fact, he had always regarded Mo Yuhan as a potential target to catch up to, and even harbored a subtle competitive mindset because the other party also resided in Wutan City.

But now it seemed that the other party’s increase in strength far surpassed his own, even with Yao Lao’s assistance.

Yao Lao’s aged and solemn voice echoed in his mind, carrying an unprecedented seriousness:

“This child… his profound luck, heaven-defying opportunities, and miraculous progress are simply monstrous! When he attacked just now, his aura was condensed and powerful, his foundation incredibly solid, definitely not comparable to those who artificially boost their cultivation with elixirs.

And… Little Yanzi, did you notice?”

Yao Lao’s voice paused, filled with confusion and a hint of shock, “The moment he struck, I faintly sensed an extremely subtle, yet exceptionally pure and scorching… Azure Lotus Core Flame aura? And it seemed… there was more than one kind?!

How is this possible… The Azure Lotus Core Flame was clearly used by Queen Medusa… Could there be a second exotic flame in the Tagor Desert? Or… did he obtain other exotic flames we don’t know about?”

Yao Lao’s words exploded in Xiao Yan’s mind like thunder.

More than one exotic flame?! This completely overturned his understanding!

Burning Art? Could Mo Yuhan also… This thought instantly sent Xiao Yan’s heart plummeting to rock bottom, and pressure surged like a collapsing mountain and roaring sea.

“However, you don’t need to belittle yourself.”

Yao Lao seemed to sense Xiao Yan’s violently fluctuating emotions and comforted him in a deep voice, “You have the Burning Art, which is your greatest reliance. It can fuse exotic flames, and its potential is boundless. The most pressing matter is tomorrow’s Alchemist Convention and its rewards.

Although this child is strong, at the convention, alchemy is the foundation, and my alchemy inheritance is definitely stronger than his.”

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, as if to inhale all the shock and pressure into his lungs and crush them.

He forced himself to calm down, and his eyes once again became as firm as bedrock.

Yes, the Alchemist Convention.

That was the real main event!

He, Yan Xiao, with Yao Lao, the former number one Alchemist on the continent, imparting all his knowledge, might not necessarily lose in alchemy.

“Teacher, I understand!”

He clenched his fist, and when his gaze returned to Mo Yuhan, only pure battle intent remained.

Just as everyone thought the commotion had completely subsided, and the banquet atmosphere was slowly recovering under Nalan Jie’s deliberate guidance—