Hai Bodong looked utterly shocked. As one of the Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire, the Ice Emperor was certainly no stranger to Heavenly Flames.
The rarest things between heaven and earth were Heavenly Flames, and they possessed devastating power.
Moreover, the difficulty of subduing a Heavenly Flame was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Hai Bodong's expression turned grave. Could it be that this Mr. Yao before him was not only a Fifth-grade Alchemist, but also a Dou Huang expert—and had even subdued a Heavenly Flame?
Hai Bodong suddenly felt very fortunate.
He was glad he had said those things to Yao Chen just now.
He decided that once he returned to the Imperial City of the Jia Ma Empire and the Mittel Family,
he would definitely use the family's power to give Yao Chen the greatest support he could. He had to earn Yao Chen's regard and friendship.
The benefits in the future would be boundless!
After Yao Chen dealt with the mercenaries before him, he glanced at the girl whose clothes had just been torn. He paid her no mind, turned around, and left.
It was half an hour later when he returned to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City.
He took off his black robe, but his soul had not yet withdrawn from Xiao Yan. He was still controlling Xiao Yan's body.
He had only just entered the Xiao Clan when he saw Xiao Xun'er approaching. She looked at Xiao Yan and said,
"Brother Xiao Yan, where have you been all day? Do you know that something unprecedented happened in Wutan City today?"
"What happened?"
"The Miteer Auction House in Wutan City recently received a Fifth-grade Pill. It drew the Mittel Family and the Nalan Family here—the family your former fiancée belongs to. They've both come to Wutan City for the auction."
"Also, the Nalan Family's old master, Nalan Jie, is in our clan's hall right now, talking with Uncle Xiao. Do you want to go in?"
Yao Chen entered the Xiao Clan's main hall.
He saw Nalan Jie and his son, Nalan Su, talking with Xiao Zhan.
Nalan Jie began, "Xiao Zhan, your father and I once arranged a betrothal for our two children. We meant well, hoping the two families would grow closer over the years. Who could have known it would backfire and turn into this?"
"Yanran was indeed too willful. When I heard she'd come to your home to break off the engagement, I gave her a good scolding."
"As for the Three-Year Agreement between the children, it was just something they said. We elders needn't take it too seriously."
Nalan Jie did not hold the Xiao Clan in high regard.
He simply cared about his own reputation and did not want people to call him a man who went back on his word.
In truth, he looked down on the Xiao Clan too.
When Xiao Yan had only been at the Three-Stage Dou Qi, he really had been far too weak. The gap between him and Yanran had been enormous.
Xiao Zhan knew all too well just how great the difference was between himself, Nalan Jie, and the Nalan Family.
The Nalan Family was a clan with a Dou Wang expert.
With the Misty Cloud Sect backing them, how could their little Xiao Clan presume to offer them opinions?
They might crush the Xiao Clan with a mere flick of the finger.
Xiao Zhan could only say, "Since things have come to this, let's put the betrothal behind us. As for the Three-Year Agreement the children made, let them settle it themselves."
He had barely finished speaking when Xiao Yan walked into the hall.
"Yan'er, you're here. This is Grandpa Nalan Jie, your grandfather's close friend back in the day," Xiao Zhan introduced.
"So you're Xiao Yan. It's been years since I last saw you. You've grown so much," Nalan Jie said with a smile.
At that moment, Yao Chen was possessing Xiao Yan and controlling his movements and body.
In response to Nalan Jie's greeting, Yao Chen did not even spare him a glance.
A mere Dou Wang was nothing at all in Yao Chen's eyes now.
Yao Chen couldn't be bothered with him. He simply sat down.
Who would've thought this Xiao Yan, a mere piece of trash with Three-Stage Dou Qi, would be so arrogant? Good thing we didn't let Yanran marry him, Nalan Su thought.
Nalan Jie's expression was also exceedingly unpleasant.
He had never expected that in front of a Dou Wang expert like himself, Xiao Yan—a piece of trash with Three-Stage Dou Qi—would be so arrogant.
Setting aside his strength as a Dou Wang, he was also Xiao Yan's grandfather's close friend.
Who would have thought Xiao Yan would show such disrespect to his elders?
Nalan Su was about to reprimand him when Nalan Jie noticed a Pale White Flame flicker through Xiao Yan's eyes, then vanish in an instant.
Nalan Jie seemed to realize something.
His expression changed dramatically, and he stopped Nalan Su from continuing.
Two hours later, Nalan Jie and his son, Nalan Su, left the Xiao Clan.
Nalan Su spoke up.
"Father, why wouldn't you let me reprimand that brat Xiao Yan back at the Xiao Clan?"
"Even if Yanran was wrong to come to their home and break off the engagement, we made the trip ourselves. That should count as an apology to the Xiao Clan, shouldn't it?"
"If we weren't doing it for his grandfather's sake, this little Xiao Clan wouldn't be worthy of a personal visit from the Nalan Family."
"He's a junior, yet he was so rude to his elders. It was outrageous."
Nalan Jie's expression suddenly grew grave.
If he had seen correctly, the flame that had flashed through Xiao Yan's pupils just now seemed to be a Heavenly Flame.
Could Xiao Yan have encountered some great fortune and managed to subdue a Heavenly Flame?
But with his current strength, trying to devour a Heavenly Flame would be no different from courting death.
Even a Dou Huang expert risked being destroyed in an instant if they tried to devour a Heavenly Flame.
How much more so someone with strength so weak he wasn't even a Dou Zhe?
Could he have been mistaken?
Too many questions left Nalan Jie curious and baffled.
He couldn't make sense of it, so he decided to put it aside for now.
What mattered most to Nalan Jie now was the Mr. Yao in Wutan City, the one capable of refining Fifth-grade Pills.
He went to the Miteer Auction House and sought out Ya Fei, who had a good relationship with Yao Chen.
He wanted her to put in a word and arrange a meeting between them and Yao Chen.
Nalan Jie thought that no matter what, he had to build a friendship with Mr. Yao.
If the Nalan Family had a Fifth-grade Alchemist, it would be an incredible boon.
It would also be a great help to Yanran's cultivation!
Two days later, Yao Chen was overseeing Xiao Yan's training in the back hills.
Xiao Yan's strength was improving at a very noticeable pace.
"Master, at this rate, it won't be long before I break through to the Ninth Stage!"
Xiao Yan spoke excitedly. Looking at Elder Yao before him, he was filled with gratitude. He had never imagined his strength could improve so quickly.
Yao Chen looked at the system panel before him and noticed several lines of text displayed on it.
[Current Mission: Reveal Dou Zong-level strength to Nalan Jie and shock him.]
[Mission Reward: One Orange Treasure Chest.]
[Accept the mission? Please choose.]