Chapter 154: Not Giving Face (Part Two)

"Also, Yanran, keep an eye on Liu Ling. Because of you, he seems to harbor some hostility toward Xiao Yan. This kid's talent as an Alchemist isn't bad, but his heart is just a bit narrow. If Xiao Yan becomes the Champion of the Alchemist Convention, then his standing in the Alchemist world of the Jia Ma Empire will be on par with Gu He. I don't think he can handle Xiao Yan, and I'm afraid he'll make a grave mistake." Nalan Su glanced at a small circle gathered in the Hall, with Liu Ling at its center.

Nalan Su used to find Liu Ling rather pleasing to the eye, but now the more he looked at him, the more annoying he found him.

"Mm, I'll try my best." Nalan Yanran knit her willow-leaf brows and rubbed her temples—this was also a troublesome matter.

Because of Yun Lan Sect, she had known Liu Ling for several years and naturally understood his temperament. This man's desire to possess was far too strong.

Just like her own father—when Liu Ling used to be the strongest among the Young Generation of Alchemists, she hadn't noticed how narrow-minded he was.

Now that someone with higher talent than him had appeared, she increasingly found Liu Ling lacking; the more she looked, the more annoyed she became.

"Won't you reconsider the matter of the engagement?"

"Father!" Nalan Yanran shot Nalan Su a fierce glare.

Why bring up the one pot that shouldn't be lifted, huh?

"Brother Liu Ling, so that's the guy who beat you? He looks pretty ordinary, not as handsome as you at all." In a circle in the Hall, a slick-haired young man in splendid clothes glanced toward where Xiao Yan was and curled his lip dismissively as he spoke.

"Heh, skill just wasn't up to par, nothing to be done about it." Liu Ling held his wine cup and replied with a smile.

"Hey, that's not necessarily true. I heard that guy just happens to possess a Strange Fire, and the internal test topic was refinement. Otherwise, how could Brother Liu Ling possibly lose? Brother Liu Ling is Master Gu He's Disciple. If it comes to tomorrow's official competition, he'll probably make a complete fool of himself." Another young man immediately chimed in with a loud laugh.

Liu Ling smiled without speaking, offering no defense for Xiao Yan—such "kind words" naturally struck right at Liu Ling's heart.

People tend to hear only what they want to hear.

"But that guy's luck with women isn't shallow—he actually managed to get that close to Miss Ya Fei of the Miter Clan." A man who had once set his sights on Ya Fei, seeing the two chatting and laughing together, couldn't help but speak with a mouth full of sour grapes.

Xiao Princess Yue took a small sip of red wine, her slender fingers lightly tapping the surface of the glass with a crisp sound. She glanced at Xiao Yan and said with a light laugh: "Something interesting might happen tonight."

"What do you mean?" At her words, Liu Ling was taken aback.

"Just watch. I only hope his Cultivation Realm is as impressive as his Pill Alchemy, otherwise things will get interesting—he might not even need to attend the Alchemist Convention tomorrow." Xiao Princess Yue smiled mysteriously and drained the red wine in her cup.

Just then, at the gate of the Nalan Clan, a blood-red great horse suddenly charged in violently from the other end of the street, passersby on both sides hurriedly dodging in panic.

A cyan figure leaped nimbly down from the horse's back. A young face, and in those eyes, a ferocity leaping like a fierce tiger, charged straight toward Nalan Mansion, knocking aside every servant along the way—no one dared to block him.

When he burst into the Hall, it immediately caused an uproar.

"It's that madman Mu Zhan!!"

"Run, be careful of this madman!"

At this moment, Xiao Yan was calmly sipping wine with Ya Fei, leisurely chatting about interesting tales of Jia Ma Sheng Cheng. Suddenly, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly, because a killing intent had locked onto him.

"You seek death!!!" A furious roar came from behind Xiao Yan. The cyan figure stomped on the floor, which immediately cracked, and he transformed into a cyan shadow, throwing a punch at Xiao Yan.

Seeing Mu Zhan attacking Xiao Yan like a madman, everyone in the venue who knew Mu Zhan was terrified and fled in all directions, screaming.

In contrast, Ya Fei, sitting beside Xiao Yan, remained very calm—she even took the time to sip some wine.

Mit'er Tengshan, standing not far away, was also very calm; he merely glanced over and said nothing.

Nalan Jie, who had just finished dressing and walked out from the inner hall, was very calm. Nalan Su accompanying him, the old steward of Nan Lan Clan—everyone watched Mu Zhan throw his fit with indifference.

No one intervened, no one rebuked him.

Nalan Yanran, drinking alone, even murmured softly: Idiot.

A pair of wooden chopsticks appeared before Mu Zhan's eyes, gently bracing against his fist. Immediately the cyan energy dissipated, turning into a wisp of clear breeze that lifted Ya Fei's beautiful hair.

In Mu Zhan's perception, it didn't feel like wooden chopsticks at all, but like a great mountain—as if he had punched a mountain, immovable!!

"Who are you?" Xiao Yan held the other end of the chopsticks between his fingers, his gaze calm as he looked at Mu Zhan, who was acting like a madman. Of course he didn't know Mu Zhan, nor why he had attacked him.

Ya Fei beside him provided the answer.

"His name is Mu Zhan, a member of the Mu Clan—a madman who kills on a whim. He has the spoiled young masters of Jia Ma Sheng Cheng completely tamed. Back when I went to Wutan City, one of the reasons was to avoid this annoying madman." Ya Fei set down her wine cup and explained to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan immediately understood—so it was a beauty bringing calamity.

"You're jealous? So you attacked me for no reason?" Xiao Yan looked at the young man whose expression had shifted from frenzy to bewilderment, staring at him. A flash of cold severity passed through his pitch-black eyes.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Mu Zhan's face filled with ferocity. In his heart, Ya Fei had always belonged to him—no one was allowed to touch her, not even speak with her.

"I said it before—anyone who dares touch you, I'll kill them!" Mu Zhan roared, and cyan Battle Qi erupted from his entire body. With only the Cultivation Realm of a Nine Star Dou Shi, he was somehow able to manifest Dou Qi Armor.

"Green Wood Spike!"

Cyan Battle Qi surged beneath his feet as he suddenly exerted force. Crack, crack, crack—the terrifying power shattered the wooden chopsticks in Xiao Yan's hand inch by inch.

Xiao Yan gave a cold laugh, abandoned the chopsticks in his hand, and caught Mu Zhan's punch with a single hand. Mu Zhan's attack vanished like a stone sinking into the sea; he couldn't fathom the bottomless depth of Xiao Yan's strength.

Seeing Xiao Yan catch the attack with one hand while still sitting as steady as Mount Tai in his chair, Liu Ling and Xiao Princess Yue's mouths fell wide open, faces full of disbelief!

Is this still an Alchemist! How can his strength be so terrifying!!

"Didn't they say Mu Zhan returned from years of bloody battles at the border, his strength terrifyingly great? So why does he look so weak?"

A flash of cold intent passed through Xiao Yan's eyes. With a sudden twist, his extreme speed and tremendous force directly snapped Mu Zhan's wrist with a crisp crack.

"Ahhh!!!" With a boom, Mu Zhan was directly suppressed by Xiao Yan's terrifying Soul Force, his entire body pinned to the ground unable to move.

Xiao Yan, who had been sitting, now looked down at Mu Zhan from above. The cold intent in his eyes seemed as if he would slaughter Mu Zhan the next second—he was nothing like the Xiao Yan from the beginning of the Hall!

"Stop!!" A shout came from not far away—it was the Family Head of the Mu Clan, Mu Xiao.

The next second, the gazes of two Dou Wangs locked onto Mu Xiao—Mit'er Tengshan and Nalan Jie.

"A Battle between juniors—if you interfere, that wouldn't be proper, Mu Xiao." Nalan Jie slowly walked out from the inner hall and said.

Mu Xiao also knew he couldn't act forcefully. This wasn't the Mu Clan, and Xiao Yan's status was no ordinary matter either.

"Young friend Xiao Yan, let's talk this over. Our Mu Clan won't treat you unfairly."

Hearing Mu Xiao's words, Xiao Yan naturally understood—this was Mu Xiao invoking the Mu Clan. He smiled faintly, looked down at Mu Zhan on the ground, and asked: "So you're from the Mu Clan, one of the Three Great Families. If I hit you, will a Dou Wang expert come after me?"

Mu Zhan clenched his teeth tightly, but he didn't dare deny it, because he had already sensed Xiao Yan's killing intent!

Seeing Mu Zhan fall silent, Xiao Yan shook his head and said: "I originally thought you'd be a man with some backbone, but I didn't expect you to be nothing more than a bully's dog who relies on his family's protection—when facing someone stronger, he still has to rely on his clan for shelter."

"Sorry, but I don't sell face to your Mu Clan."

Pang! Xiao Yan suddenly exerted force, and as easily as crushing a tomato, he crushed Mu Zhan's fist into pulp!

(End of this chapter)