The bloodline continues

Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran, who had already returned to the Nalan Family residence, seemed somewhat absent-minded. Both Nalan Jie and Nalan Su noticed that something was wrong with Nalan Yanran. Nalan Su frowned slightly and asked, "Yan Ran, what's wrong?"

Her father's words jolted Nalan Yanran, who was still reminiscing about the marriage agreement with the Xiao Clan and Xiao Yu, back to reality. She asked blankly, "Huh? What's wrong, Father?"

Nalan Su glanced at Nalan Yanran and said, "What's wrong? You've been distracted ever since you came back from the Alchemist Guild, and now you're asking me what's wrong?"

Nalan Yanran thought Nalan Su had noticed something, so she quickly said, "It's nothing, nothing, Father. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now!"

Nalan Su frowned and looked at Nalan Yanran, asking, "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking about sect matters!" Nalan Yanran said, then turned to Nalan Jie and Nalan Su, "Grandpa, Father, I'll head back now!"

Nalan Jie and Nalan Su naturally didn't say anything more. After Nalan Yanran left, Nalan Su asked Nalan Jie, "Father, what's wrong with Yan Ran?"

Nalan Jie said calmly, "Yan Ran's expression changed after seeing Xiao Shi Yi. Go and investigate Xiao Shi Yi. His Yao Tian is even better than Yan Xiao's. If Yan Ran is interested in Xiao Shi Yi, you should also try to bring them together!"

Nalan Su asked in surprise, "Father, what about Yan Xiao?"

"I still need Yan Xiao to remove my Poisonous Mark. If he has any requests, try your best to fulfill them. You've noticed these past few days that Yan Xiao isn't interested in Yan Ran at all. His indifference isn't an act; he seems to really dislike Yan Ran!" Nalan Jie sighed.

Although Nalan Jie had feelings for Yan Xiao, the guy didn't seem to have any other thoughts about the Nalan Family. This left Nalan Jie with no choice but to fulfill all of Yan Xiao's requests. Since they couldn't get along, he wouldn't force it, lest the situation from three years ago repeat itself!

Nalan Su also smiled wryly, "I don't know what Yan Ran did to offend Mr. Yan Xiao, but Yan Xiao seems very interested in our family's Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva!"

"Oh? Then I'll give him the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva after my Poisonous Mark is completely removed!" Nalan Jie said, then walked towards the inner room.

Back in her room Nalan Yanran sat by the window and suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. These past few days, her teacher had been confined to the back mountain, and not seeing her teacher made her feel like she had lost her backbone. As the Three Year Pact drew closer, her heart grew increasingly anxious.

The moment she saw Xiao Yu in the Alchemist Guild today, she was filled with shock. She never imagined that the boy from back then would have become a revered Third-grade Alchemist. She also thought of Xiao Yan, whose stubborn gaze still kept her from slacking off, all for the sake of defeating Xiao Yan in the Three Year Pact.

Although she has grown a lot since then and feels ashamed of what she did, she would still make the same choice if she had to do it all over again. After thinking for a long time, Nalan Yanran suddenly sighed and said, "Forget it, there's no use thinking about it now. Let's go back to the Misty Cloud Sect in a couple of days after Grandpa recovers!"

After returning to the inn, Xiao Yan greeted his elder brother and the others before heading inside. For the past two days Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had been wandering around the Imperial Capital. They hadn't gone to the Alchemist Tournament, perhaps out of trust in their third and fourth brothers!

Inside the room, Xiao Yan and Yao Lao chatted idly. Yao Lao, "Tomorrow's final will definitely not be so simple. I think the organizers have decided to let you all have free rein, and each of you should refine the pill that you are most confident in and best prepared for."

Upon hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan immediately became interested. "Teacher, you mean that we can refine any pill we want for tomorrow's assessment, as long as we can refine the one we are most satisfied with within the allotted time?"

The Yao Lao nodded slightly and said, "Indeed, I didn't expect your fourth brother's Yao Tian to be so high. I misjudged him back then. Getting first place won't be easy, but getting second place might require a fourth-grade pill. So, I've prepared a low-grade fourth-grade pill for you, the Spirit Replenishing Qi Pill."

Xiao Yan remembered the three parts of medicinal herbs that Yao Lao had asked him to buy before. "Teacher, are those three parts of medicinal herbs the Spirit Replenishing Qi Pill?"

The Yao Lao nodded slowly and said, "That's right. This Spirit Replenishing Qi Pill can help you break through to the Da Dou Shi. You can refine it during this Alchemist Tournament!"

Xiao Yan nodded quickly. If the competition rules for the third round tomorrow are really like this, he should be able to get second place with the Spirit Replenishing Qi Pill. However, he wondered what kind of pill his Brother Yu would refine!

The next day.

When Xiao Yu arrived at the Royal Square, it was already packed with people and filled with noise. Otto had to come out and lead Xiao Yu inside.

In the VIP section, Xiao Yan, Liu Ling, and the Little Princess were all present. Yao Ye and Nalan Yanran were also sitting to one side. Yao Ye glanced at Yao Ye and Nalan Yanran, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Nalan Yanran's slender fingers under her wide robe tightened slightly!

Xiao Yu bowed slightly to Yao Ye, and smiled faintly at Nalan Yanran Xiao Yu. Today, he still came to participate in the Alchemist Tournament with that ordinary face.

Soon after, Fama announced the start of this final round of alchemy.

When Xiao Yan heard the rules for the final round, he was stunned. His teacher had guessed correctly. Luckily, he was prepared, otherwise, he would have been in big trouble!

Xiao Yu remained calm. This time, he chose to refine a fifth-grade, Seven Star Body Tempering Pill pill, which could greatly improve the physique of cultivators. It could be consumed by Dou Ling experts. After tempering, the body strength would be comparable to that of Dou Wang expert. For cultivators who were still at the Dou Ling, this was practically a life-saving measure!

With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yu summoned the Cloud Turtle Cauldron onto the Bluestone Platform. This third-tier Medicine Cauldron might not be able to withstand the refining of the Seven Star Body Tempering Pill, and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame might be needed to assist in the process!

Xiao Yan, standing to the side, still took out that dark red, broken cauldron. This thing was at most a second-tier item. Liu Ling and the Little Princess looked somewhat astonished. These two fellow disciples were far too dilapidated—one a second-tier, the other a third-tier! Were they kidding?

Liu Ling's Medicine Cauldron is a fifth-tier Medicine Cauldron, the Volcanic Flame Furnace, while the Little Princess's Medicine Cauldron, the Azure Flame Cauldron!

However, they quickly looked away; now was not the time to be in a daze. A blue flame surged from the Little Princess's palm— the Azure Water Flame of the Imperial Family Roaring Sea Dragon Beast —while Liu Ling's was a light brown flame.

Xiao Yan smiled lightly, and with a flick of his hand, a colorless flame suddenly shot up from his palm. In an instant, the temperature on the square rose sharply, and the various flames that had been leaping and cheering in the hands of the Little Princess and the others quietly withered away!

A gasp of shock erupted from the audience and VIP seats.

Fama exclaimed in surprise, "Yan Xiao actually possesses Heavenly Flames?"

Frank, Master Bu Lin, and the others all shook their heads, saying, "We don't know either!"

Yao Ye looked at Nalan Yanran beside her and said, "It seems that Mr. Yan Xiao was helping Old Master Nalan get rid of the poison in your Nalan Family, right?"

Nalan Yanran nodded slightly and said, "Not bad."

Given their respective identities, Yao Ye had always harbored resentment towards the power of the Misty Cloud Sect, so he didn't interact much with Nalan Yanran. He only knew that this girl was very proud and had a strong sense of self!

Xiao Yu flicked his finger, and the Green Lotus Core Flame that had appeared yesterday suddenly appeared in his palm. Instantly, all the other flames tilted towards Xiao Yu, as if submitting.

Only Xiao Yan's Fallen Heart Flame was different. Although it was Child Flame, it still had its own pride!

Ignoring the stares of others, Xiao Yu immediately tossed the medicinal herbs he had taken from his Storage Ring into the Medicine Cauldron, beginning this round of alchemy.

Although Xiao Yu had refined Fifth Grade Pills, he had only refined a few. After all, the ingredients for Fifth Grade Pills were quite difficult to find. The ingredients for the Seven Star Body Tempering Pill were something Xiao Yu had painstakingly gathered along the way!

The Green Lotus Core Flame churned and rolled within the Medicine Cauldron. After Xiao Yu threw in the medicinal herbs, the Heavenly Flames devoured and refined them. Xiao Yu carefully separated and refined the herbs, a process that took far longer than his previous herbal refining process!

Fama, sitting in the VIP section, frowned as he looked at the medicinal herbs Xiao Yu had refined: Clear Flame Fruit and Void-Gifting Grass. These were all herbs used to refine Fifth Grade Pills. "Could it be that he wants to refine Fifth Grade Pills?" Fama looked at Xiao Yu in disbelief.

An eighteen-year-old Third-grade Alchemist can be called a genius, an eighteen-year-old Fourth-grade Alchemist can be called a prodigy, but what about an eighteen-year-old Fifth-grade Alchemist?

Even with the help of the Heavenly Flames, Fama still didn't believe that Xiao Yu could refine Fifth Grade Pills, not even a low-grade fifth-grade pill!

Xiao Yu's surging Soul Power spread towards the Medicine Cauldron Medicine Cauldron, controlling the subtle temperature of the Heavenly Flames within and the Cloud Turtle Cauldron's ability to withstand the impact. Xiao Yu wasn't worried about the cauldron exploding; he only needed to retrieve the pills a moment before it did, since he could use the Draw Fire and Shape Form to condense a fire cauldron.

Time passed slowly. At this moment, most of the alchemists in the square had completed the refining stage, and the pills they were refining were only grade three pills. Only Xiao Yu, Xiao Yan, Liu Ling, and the Little Princess were still refining.

Subsequently, Xiao Yan finished refining first, followed by Liu Ling, and then the Little Princess, leaving only Xiao Yu still refining.

Xiao Yu's left hand trembled slightly, and the Heavenly Flames inside the Medicine Cauldron surged again. The last medicinal ingredient was extracted. Xiao Yu put his hands together, and the essence of the medicinal ingredients inside the Medicine Cauldron began to fuse!

Inside the cauldron, flames roared and burned. Suddenly, the Medicine Cauldron in front of Xiao Yu emitted a series of muffled thuds. Shallow ripples of energy formed inside the Medicine Cauldron and then collided with its Medicine Cauldron. Along with this, a faint blue fragrance, like smoke, quietly rose.

Fama's withered hands suddenly clenched. This was the colored fragrance and energy ripples that only appeared when Fifth Grade Pills was formed. The Fifth Grade Pills was about to be made!

At this tense moment, a system notification suddenly appeared in Xiao Yu's focused mind. "Ding! Congratulations, host, you have continued your bloodline in the Dou Qi Continent. You are rewarded with a special physique for your bloodline descendants: Divine Phoenix Fire Body!"