81: Xun'er: Is the gap between him and me so big?

Gama Emperor City.

These past few days, Gama Emperor City has been exceptionally lively. The Alchemist Grand Assembly, held only once every few years, attracted countless spectators.

This confrontation among Alchemists truly captured everyone's attention.

However, the final result of the Alchemist Grand Assembly left many people of the Jia Ma Empire dissatisfied, and even quite angry.

This was because the first-place winner of the assembly was an Alchemist from the Izumo Empire.

Such a result made the people of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild feel extremely embarrassed, and the morale within the Empire was greatly dampened.

The Jia Ma Empire and the Izumo Empire have always been hostile nations, with constant wars and frequent skirmishes between them.

Now, at the Alchemist Grand Assembly held in the Gama Emperor City, the first place was taken by someone from a rival nation. How ridiculous!

On the night after the assembly ended, a room in an inn in the Imperial City was lit, but no sound came from it for a long time.

At this moment, Xiao Yan was alone in the room, his brows tightly furrowed, his expression somewhat dejected.

“There truly are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens… A girl even younger than me actually possesses such Alchemist talent…”

Xiao Yan sighed in his heart. He had also participated in this assembly but only achieved third place. Second place went to Princess Yaoyue.

Xiao Yan didn't react much to losing to that Alchemist from the Izumo Empire, as that person's true age was already quite advanced.

However, Princess Yaoyue's strength made Xiao Yan question his Alchemist talent, which he had always been proud of.

“Knock knock!”

Suddenly, there was a knock on the room door. Xiao Yan cleared his throat, hiding the dejected look on his Face, and said, “Please come in.”

A slender, fair hand slowly pushed open the door, and a familiar figure walked in.

Seeing that familiar, pretty Face, Xiao Yan felt a sense of relief, a smile appearing on his Face.

The person who came was Xun'er.

“Brother Xiao Yan, how were your results today?”

Xun'er walked over, sat beside Xiao Yan, and asked with a sweet smile.

“Third!”

“That Alchemist from the Izumo Empire, who hid his identity, was indeed formidable. However, I didn’t expect that little girl cultivated by the Gama Imperial family would also possess such impressive Alchemist strength. Could it be that Gu Fei’s casual guidance is really that amazing?”

Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, speaking with a hint of melancholy.

When he arrived in the Imperial City, he had heard that Princess Yaoyue had once received guidance from an Alchemist named Gu Fei, but he hadn't thought much of it at the time.

After all, he had only recently heard the name Gu Fei; he was not a well-known Senior.

But today, Princess Yaoyue's Alchemist strength far exceeded his expectations.

If only that Alchemist from the Izumo Empire had beaten him, it would have been understandable. But he had Cultivated with Yao Tian for so long, how could he be inferior to Princess Yaoyue, or rather, to Gu Fei, who was behind Princess Yaoyue?

At this time, Xiao Yan still did not know Gu Fei's specific identity.

He had only heard that Gu Fei was an exceptionally talented youth who had appeared in the Imperial City a few months ago, riding a sixth-tier flying Demonic Beast, which caused quite a stir.

He was unaware that Gu Fei's Alchemist strength was also so formidable.

“Gu Fei?”

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xun'er's eyes flickered, and her breathing hitched.

She paused for a moment, then nodded, softly saying, “If it was Gu Fei's personal guidance, then it's not surprising!”

Xun'er knew Gu Fei's Alchemist strength. Back in the Ancient World, he was already a seventh-grade Alchemist. In terms of his attainments and talent in alchemy alone, Gu Fei could rank among the top in the entire Ancient World.

Let alone in a mere Jia Ma Empire?

“You know him?”

Listening to the tone in Xun'er's words, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask curiously.

“I know him… but not very well!”

Hearing Xiao Yan's question, Xun'er's body stiffened, then she chose to casually brush it off without revealing anything.

Subconsciously, she didn't want Xiao Yan to know that she had been married once.

But seeing that the confusion in Xiao Yan's eyes hadn't dissipated, Xun'er didn't panic. Instead, she thought of a way to change the subject.

She took something out of her storage ring and spread her palm open in front of Xiao Yan.

A Spirit Medicine with faint Spiritual Qi fluctuations quietly bloomed with dark blue flowers, its petals shimmering with a faint luster.

This was another Spirit Medicine capable of restoring Soul Power that Xun'er had found after learning that the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva had already been taken by Gu Fei.

Xiao Yan's attention was finally diverted, his gaze falling upon this Spirit Medicine.

Xun'er smiled sweetly and said, “Brother Xiao Yan, this is a Spirit Medicine that can restore Soul Power.”

Xiao Yan's eyes widened.

Xun'er placed it directly in his hand. His eyes flickered, and he felt immensely grateful: “Xun'er, thank you!”

“Brother Xiao Yan, it's enough for Xun'er if I can help you!”

Xiao Yan put away the Spirit Medicine, and the two smiled at each other, emotions quietly flowing between their gazes.

Suddenly, within the room, space fluctuated.

Xun'er's eyes narrowed.

“Elder Nanhai!”

She quickly turned her head to look, and what met her eyes was a rather familiar aged Face.

Xun'er stood up nervously, subtly trying to shield Xiao Yan behind her.

She knew that most Gu Clan Elders disliked Xiao Yan. Could this sudden visit be to… “…”

At this moment, Xiao Yan, behind Xun'er, was utterly bewildered.

Because the suddenly appearing Elder exerted too much pressure on him. That feeling was as if the other party could kill him as easily as crushing an ant, if he wished to.

“Xun'er, come back with me!”

The Gu Clan Elder who had arrived, Elder Nanhai, glanced at Xiao Yan with his aged eyes, then fixed his gaze on Xun'er, saying meaningfully.

“I'm not going back!”

Hearing the words urging her to return again, Xun'er's brow furrowed, and she refused without hesitation.

She had only recently met Xiao Yan and, of course, was reluctant to part so soon.

Hearing this, the Gu Clan Elder frowned and glanced at Xiao Yan behind her.

“Xun'er, you left the Gu Clan, and your Cultivation has not progressed at all. Do you know that Gu Fei Breakthrough to the Dou Zun Realm in less than a year after leaving the Gu Clan? Your performance is truly too disappointing to the Clan Chief and the Elders of the Clan. If it weren't for your Cultivation not improving for so long, we wouldn't have resorted to this measure to bring you back!”

The Elder sighed with a tone of disappointment.

“Gu Fei Breakthrough to Dou Zun?”

Hearing the Elder's words, Xun'er was stunned, taking a long time to react, her Face filled with surprise.

Evidently, Gu Fei's rapid Cultivation progress greatly exceeded her expectations.

“Has the gap between him and me, unknowingly, become this large?”

Xun'er lowered her gaze, unconsciously recalling some events that had happened in the Ancient World. A hint of bitterness inadvertently appeared on her Face, her pearly teeth gently biting her rosy lower lip, her fingertips unconsciously digging into her palm.

However, she quickly recovered, her eyes regaining their calm. Thinking of Brother Xiao Yan behind her, she wanted to plead.

“Elder Nanhai, Xun'er is not unmotivated… I will definitely Cultivate diligently from now on. Can you give me some more time?”

Her eyes held a hint of pleading, and her brows were tightly furrowed as she spoke.

“That Gu Fei is a Dou Zun powerhouse? A Dou Zun powerhouse even more formidable than a Dou Zong powerhouse?”

Beside them, Xiao Yan listened to the conversation between Xun'er and Gu Nanhai, his heart equally shocked.

In the Jia Ma Empire, Dou Huang, and even Dou Wang, were rarely seen.

The Dou Zun Realm, for him now, was like a distant legend.