Seeing Yun Yun Again

The Imperial Capital never lacked for topics of conversation. The heat from the Imperial Family's First Princess's coming-of-age ceremony had yet to completely fade when the Misty Cloud Sect's annual Disciple Grand Competition arrived.

Great Elder Yun Leng was in charge of all arrangements. The scale and spectacle had grown ever grander; though it could not compare to Yaoye's coming-of-age ceremony, it was not much different. The major families of the Holy City, the Alchemist Guild, and others had all been invited to attend.

Imperial Palace.

Jia Xingtian and Chen Guan rode in an imperial carriage north toward the Misty Cloud Sect.

Both had their own purposes, but seeing Jia Xingtian practically glowing with excitement and itching for a fight, Chen Guan could not shake the uneasy feeling in his heart.

"Elder Jia, we're going to attend the ceremony, not pick a fight. Take it easy, and don't make a move unless you have to."

"Rest assured. No one understands manners better than I do."

Jia Xingtian agreed readily, yet his expression showed no sign of restraint. He was no different from an elementary schooler letting words go in one ear and out the other.

Chen Guan smiled bitterly. Looking like that, how am I supposed to be reassured?

He had already tried persuading him countless times, but it was useless.

At this moment, Jia Xingtian seemed rather childish in Chen Guan's eyes. Immature.

After undergoing Bitter Cultivation with "Great Desolate Starfall" for a month, Jia Xingtian had finally achieved modest success. He had never been this confident in his life, so Chen Guan could understand why he was feeling a little carried away.

But understanding was one thing. They still had to restrain themselves.

Yun Shan was nothing to fear. Based on the Original Work's timeline, he definitely had not yet broken through the Dou Zong Barrier. What Chen Guan worried about was the Soul Hall lurking in the shadows! "Why are you so concerned about the Misty Cloud Sect, kid? You've mentioned it more than ten times already. That doesn't seem like your style."

It seemed that without giving him a reason, it would be difficult to change his mind.

Chen Guan felt helpless. This Old Man usually acted so amiably around him, but once he got stubborn, he was truly stubborn.

What Chen Guan did not know was that Yun Shan, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong had been evenly matched rivals in their youth.

Among them, Hai Bodong had always ranked last, while Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian traded wins and losses. It was much like Gang Zi's one-sided view of Chen Guan a few years ago, believing the other to be his "lifelong enemy."

Now that he finally had confidence in certain victory, how could Jia Xingtian possibly hold back? Not even nine oxen could drag him away.

Chen Guan had never experienced such a feeling, so naturally he could not empathize.

After hesitating repeatedly, Chen Guan decided not to tell him about the Soul Hall for now and casually made up an excuse.

"To be honest, Elder Jia, when I saw Yun Yun at the coming-of-age ceremony last time, I was struck dumb by her beauty. I fell for her at first sight. If you fall out with them like this, it'll be hard for me to handle. Besides, I also want to exchange for Spirit Absorption from the Misty Cloud Sect."

"Love at first sight?"

Chen Guan nodded.

Jia Xingtian snorted, clearly unconvinced.

"Love at first sight? Don't make me expose you. Do you think I don't know you, kid? That Spirit Absorption is the real priority, isn't it?"

Indeed, Spirit Absorption was his true goal.

"Is it that important to you?"

"Yes, extremely important." Chen Guan nodded solemnly.

Places like Jia Nan Academy and the Black Corner Region might also have Spirit Absorption if he put in more effort, but he did not have that much time to waste.

Thinking it over, less than two years remained before Xiao Huohuo made his debut. The plot was about to officially begin, and he needed to grow as much as possible.

Jia Xingtian nodded slightly. The excitement on his face faded somewhat, and a trace of regret flashed through his eyes.

Fine. Beating up that Old Fellow Yun Shan could wait until next time.

The Holy City was not far from the Misty Cloud Sect. After traveling for less than Half an Hour, the carriage arrived at the army camp stationed at the foot of the Misty Cloud Sect's mountain. Yaoye, whom they had not seen for three days, was there.

Unfortunately, when Chen Guan and Jia Xingtian arrived, Yaoye was cold-facedly overseeing an execution, killing intent surging around her. Only upon seeing them did she restrain herself slightly.

It was Chen Guan's first time seeing her like this, and he could not help showing a little curiosity.

Yaoye did not hide anything and briefly explained, "These past few days, I was preparing to transfer a group of people back to the Imperial Capital, but who would have thought we'd uncover seven or eight spies among them? There were spies from several neighboring empires. The Chu Yun spies claimed to be from Mulan Empire, while the Mulan spies claimed to be from Chu Yun. They kept throwing accusations at each other, but in truth none of them were clean. We occasionally discovered spies before, but never this many."

Clearly, the several great empires were confused by the Jia Ma Empire's unusual behavior recently.

Only then did Chen Guan understand, though his expression soon became slightly strange.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I just think they're pretty funny."

Chen Guan would never tell her that back then, his attention had been entirely on the suicide note. He had so easily believed that the assassins mentioned in it came from the Chu Yun Empire, never even considering the possibility of false accusations.

It was truly a little embarrassing.

Yaoye was busy, so Chen Guan did not disturb her further. He had her deal with the carriage, then set off on foot with Jia Xingtian, the two of them strolling along at an unhurried pace.

Since they deliberately slowed down, it was nearly noon by the time they reached the Misty Cloud Sect. Teng Shan, Nalan Su, and the others had long since taken their seats, and the competition was about to begin. They had arrived at precisely the right moment.

Given Jia Xingtian's status, Yun Yun personally rose from the main seat to greet him.

She wore a simple, elegant dress in misty blue-gray. Her refined and tranquil noble bearing made her seem pure and beautiful, untouched by dust. As she walked, her pale brows resembled autumn waters and her jade-like skin brushed against the gentle breeze. There was no doubt that she was the center of attention.

"Haha, Sect Master Yun, there's no need to be so courteous. Your teacher and I are old friends as well. I merely came out for some fresh air today. I'll sit with this Old Fellow and have a chat."

Before Yun Yun could even speak, Jia Xingtian had already made arrangements for himself, looking toward the empty seat beside Fama.

Yun Yun felt somewhat helpless. She returned a polite smile, her words soft and fragrant as orchids.

"Please, Elder Jia."

Jia Xingtian left, completely ignoring Chen Guan, who had come with him. Before departing, he even gave Chen Guan a teasing smile, as though saying, There, don't you like her? I've created an opportunity for you. Make good use of it.

Chen Guan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He could only rely on himself.

"Chen Guan greets Sect Master Yun."

"Mhm. Young Master Chen, please sit with Yanran and the others. They have been curious about you for quite some time. It will also be good for them to see what it means that there is always someone greater, and a sky beyond the sky."

Chen Guan nodded with a modest smile and walked toward the Younger Generation's seating area.

This was not the time to discuss serious matters. There would be plenty of time to ask about Spirit Absorption after the competition ended.

They had probably all heard quite a bit about him. The moment Chen Guan sat down, Nalan Yanran, Liu Ling, and the others beside him turned their gazes toward him and examined him closely.

Even though her teacher had told her personally, Nalan Yanran still found it hard to believe that someone not much older than herself had already become a Da Dou Shi. Such talent gave her a pressure she found difficult to overcome, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the longsword laid across her knees.

Liu Ling, seated a little farther away, was equally curious. Yet compared with Nalan Yanran, he still carried a trace of arrogance.

So what if he was a genius? He was not an alchemist. Even if he became a Dou Wang or Dou Emperor in the future, would he not still have to show alchemists proper respect?

Liu Ling possessed blind confidence. He offered Greetings with a rather insincere smile, though he was not foolish enough to say what he really thought aloud.

Chen Guan did not yet know their identities. Among the young people beside him, Nalan Yanran was the only one he could roughly identify. He returned her greeting with a polite smile, then could not be bothered to pay them any more attention.

Just then, he felt a prickling sensation from above and to the side, as though needles were pressing against his back. It reminded him of the first time the Crimson Ice Snake King had fixed its gaze on him.

He suddenly turned around. There should be another two or three chapters today. I'll do my best~

Come join the group and hang out, geigeis~