Chapter 16

The Yun Lan Sect, as the most powerful faction in the Jia Ma Empire, had its main base directly situated atop a majestic mountain just over ten li from the imperial capital, and thus the mountain became known as Yun Lan Mountain.

Just two li from the foot of Yun Lan Mountain stood fifty thousand imperial cavalry stationed there; though nominally tasked with guarding the capital, everyone could see this was the empire's rulers keeping watch over the ferocious tiger lurking near their capital.

The Yun Lan Sect's vegetation thrived lush and dense, forming forests that stretched as far as the eye could see, with rolling peaks and distant waterfalls audible, all surroundings bursting with vibrant, overwhelming life.

A woman clad in a pale moon-white robe sat with her hands forming a cultivation seal, eyes closed in meditation, and with each inhale and exhale, she completed a perfect cycle.

The woman meditating was Nalan Yanran, who had been defeated by Xiao Yan during her attempt to break off their engagement.

When the final wisp of green qi was drawn into her body, she slowly opened her eyes, a faint green glow flickering across them; her shoulder-length black hair instantly stirred without wind, gently fluttering.

"Such a domineering elixir—it took a full month to fully absorb."

Nalan Yanran stood at the cliff's edge, where the mountain wind swept across the peak, pressing her moon-white robe tightly against her slender, graceful figure. Indeed, her beauty and figure were worthy of the word "beautiful."

"Senior Sister Nalan, Grandfather Nalan Su has arrived at the Yun Lan Sect—he says he wants you to see him," said a maid who served Nalan Yanran, speaking softly.

Nalan Yanran drew her sword, and immediately, Dou Qi surrounded her as she began rigorous practice of a Dou Technique.

"Not seeing him!"

A year had passed; Nalan Yanran knew she had lost due to her neglect of Dou Technique cultivation, so this year she pushed herself relentlessly to train Dou Techniques—even venturing alone into the Fierce Beast Shan Mai to endure bloody battles and elevate her skills.

Nalan Yanran's "not seeing him" left the maid with a pained expression, but she dared not challenge her mistress's decision and delivered the message exactly as given.

In one of the Yun Lan Sect's halls, upon hearing his daughter refused to see him, Nalan Su's face turned ashen; he slammed his palm onto the table and roared: "This girl is becoming more rebellious by the day!"

He never imagined that after merely leading troops to garrison the empire's western frontier for a year, his pampered daughter would dare unilaterally annul the marriage contract personally arranged by the elder.

Of the betrothal, none cared more than Nalan Su himself—he had high hopes for Xiao Yan's talent, even planning to fully cultivate Xiao Yan using Nan Lan Clan resources once they married.

Nalan Yanran, joining the Yun Lan Sect under Yun Yun's tutelage, was virtually guaranteed to become a Dou Huang; if Xiao Yan also became a Dou Huang, the Nan Lan Clan would possess two Dou Huangs, all backed by the Yun Lan Sect!

If that happened, Nalan Su dared to envision the Jia Ma Empire transformed—its name changed to the Nan Lan Empire!

When he returned and heard his daughter had been defeated in one blow by Xiao Yan, and then learned of her terrifying Six Star Dou Zhe cultivation level at her coming-of-age ceremony just days prior, Nalan Su suffered a cerebral hemorrhage from rage.

Xiao Yan's talent far surpassed his daughter's—likely not merely a low-tier Dou Huang, but possibly reaching mid- or even high-tier Dou Huang!

If he truly became a high-tier Dou Huang, Nalan Su even had the confidence to unify the three empires and conquer the entire northwestern region!

"This girl's audacity is growing! She won't even see her own father now?!" Nalan Su's beard bristled with fury as he stormed toward the cultivation grounds.

"Grandfather Nalan! That is the sect's cultivation area—you cannot enter!"

But how could a mere maid possibly stop General Nalan Su of the Jia Ma Empire?

Although Nalan Yanran's Soul Force was not as strong as Xiao Yan's, she cultivated a wind-affinity cultivation method, making her highly sensitive to air currents with exceptional perception.

Nalan Yanran sensed her father charging up the cultivation peak in a rage, yet she ignored him entirely, still fully focused on practicing the new Dou Technique Yun Yun had taught her.

"Nalan Yanran! Do you have any respect for me as your father?!" Nalan Su saw his daughter still meditating, utterly disregarding him, and his fury surged—he rushed forward to demand answers—when a middle-aged man appeared, blocking his path.

Even in his rage, Nalan Su calmed upon seeing the man and greeted: "Master Gu He, long time no see."

The middle-aged man was none other than Gu He, the First Alchemist of the Jia Ma Empire, known as the Dantian Alchemist and a Sixth-Rank Alchemist.

Not only Nalan Su—even the emperor of the Jia Ma Empire treated Gu He with great respect, for a Sixth-Rank Alchemist could brew elixirs usable by Dou Huangs, meaning Gu He could command Dou Huang experts!

Gu He gestured politely: "General Nalan, please this way. Yanran is currently in cultivation and cannot be disturbed."

Nalan Su nodded; since Gu He had appeared, he had no recourse.

On a stone table, Gu He brewed a pot of tea and pushed it toward Nalan Su, speaking bluntly: "General Nalan, you've come here regarding Yanran's unilateral annulment of her engagement a year ago, correct?"

Speaking of the broken engagement, Nalan Su took a deep gulp of tea and said: "She's still young—she doesn't realize how much damage this will do to the Nan Lan Clan's reputation. Fortunately, it hasn't spread yet—if it had, we'd have no face left to stand in Wang Du."

The original purpose of the betrothal was to repay the debt of life saved by Xiao Yan's grandfather; marriage was the best alliance method—Nalan Jie had arranged it by finger-pointing to repay that debt and protect the Xiao Clan, whose strength had plummeted after losing their Clan Leader.

To break the engagement now would involve far too much consequence.

Most importantly, Nalan Su wanted this genius son-in-law!

Gu He was no fool—he saw at a glance why Nalan Su was so furious. He sipped his tea and said: "I've heard of this Xiao Yan boy—he reportedly tested as a Six Star Dou Zhe at his coming-of-age ceremony. To rise three stars in a year is no small feat; his talent is indeed comparable to Yanran's."

Upon hearing Gu He's words, Nalan Su's face fell as bitter as a bitter melon.

"But," Gu He continued, turning to gaze at Nalan Yanran as she trained, "cultivation isn't solely about talent. Even the highest talent, without powerful cultivation methods, without a master's guidance, without elixirs to aid you—is merely a skilled housewife without rice."

"Though rising six stars in a year is fast, it still lags slightly behind Yanran."

Upon hearing Gu He's words, Nalan Su immediately sensed her cultivation level.

"Nine Star Dou Zhe?!!"

Gu He nodded with satisfaction: "Yanran has trained extremely hard this year. The Four-Grade Pill, Gale Wind Pill, which I provided, accelerates wind-affinity Dou Qi—but it inflicts constant agony from Gale Wind. Yet Yanran never uttered a single complaint."

"Moreover, half a year ago, Sect Master Yun Yun took Yanran as her Qin Zi Chuan Di Zi and bestowed upon her the sect's Earth-Class cultivation method—the Yun Lan Juan Tian Jue."

"That humiliating defeat a year ago was not a misfortune for Yanran—it washed away her arrogance, and now she devotes herself entirely to cultivation."

"Once Yun Yun gathers the medicinal materials, I can help Yanran brew several Five-Grade Pills. In two years, her cultivation level will surpass everyone's imagination."

"Without a master's guidance, without elixirs to aid him—what does Xiao Yan have to surpass Yanran?"