Three days later, Nalan Jie and his son Nalan Su were still in Wutan City. They had not returned to the Imperial City of the Jia Ma Empire.
At Ya Fei's arrangement, Nalan Jie planned to meet the Fifth-grade Alchemist, Mr. Yao, that evening.
Nalan Jie was very excited.
At the same time, he felt that for someone who was a Fifth-grade Alchemist,
coming all the way to a tiny place like Wutan City was simply beneath him.
So he repeatedly reminded his son, Nalan Su.
"When Mr. Yao arrives, we must show him the utmost sincerity."
"We have to convince him to serve as the chief Alchemist of the Nalan Family. With a Fifth-grade Alchemist, our family's standing in the Jia Ma Empire will rise dramatically."
Nalan Su replied, "Don't worry, Father. I know what to do."
"But what if Mr. Yao refuses?"
"Then we'll settle for the next best thing and ask him to serve as an honorary Alchemist of the Nalan Family. Even if it's only in name, our family's prestige in the Jia Ma Empire will rise considerably."
A little while later, Yao Chen arrived, dressed in a black robe.
He saw Nalan Jie and his son, who had been waiting inside for a long time.
"Mr. Yao, you're here," Nalan Jie said.
As soon as Yao Chen entered, Nalan Jie stood up to show him respect.
After Yao Chen sat down, Nalan Jie explained why he had specifically invited him here.
"Mr. Yao, as a Fifth-grade Alchemy Grandmaster, you're far too distinguished to remain in a tiny place like Wutan City. Why not return to the Imperial City with me and serve as the chief Alchemist of our Nalan Family?"
"Though our Nalan Family can't be called one of the top clan powers in the Jia Ma Empire,"
"we do at least have some influence and standing within the empire."
"Besides, Yanran is a genius of our Nalan Family and the personal disciple of Yun Yun, the Cloud Mist Sect Leader. She's even being groomed as the next sect leader."
"Our family's future is limitless. I'm not boasting; I sincerely hope you'll give it some thought, Mr. Yao."
Nalan Jie said.
Yao Chen didn't hesitate at all. He flatly refused.
Nalan Jie knew that it wasn't easy to recruit a Fifth-grade Alchemist.
But he hadn't expected to be rejected so quickly.
He glanced at Nalan Su beside him and said,
"Mr. Yao, if you're unwilling to join us, or if you prefer your freedom and don't like being tied down—or bound too closely to our Nalan Family—you could serve as our honorary Alchemist instead."
"Our Nalan Family is willing to offer generous resources and compensation. We'll pay you twenty million gold coins every month."
"Furthermore, our family has High Xuan Tier Dou Techniques and cultivation methods that you can practice and use as you please, as well as our connections and influence throughout the Jia Ma Empire."
Nalan Su listed one generous condition after another.
But to Yao Chen, who had already reached the Dou Sheng realm, they weren't worth a damn.
High Xuan Tier cultivation methods?
How could they even bring themselves to mention those? Yao Chen couldn't care less about Dou Techniques and cultivation methods of that caliber.
After Yao Chen refused again,
his attention shifted to the System Panel.
All he had to do now was fulfill the task's requirements and reveal his Dou Zong-level strength.
That would shock old Nalan Jie and complete the task, earning him the reward.
A Dou Zong-level expert.
In the Jia Ma Empire, such a person was already a top-tier existence. Even if a mere Dou Zong was no more than a watchdog in the Central Plains,
at least in the Jia Ma Empire, there was only one Dou Zong-level expert besides Yun Shan, the former leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, who had advanced to Dou Zong with the help of Soul Hall.
At this point in the story, Queen Medusa hadn't advanced to Dou Zong yet.
In other words, the entire Jia Ma Empire had only one Dou Zong-level expert.
And the problem was, many people already believed Yun Shan had died long ago. They had no idea he was still alive.
If Yao Chen revealed his Dou Zong-level strength,
it would undoubtedly hit Nalan Jie like a bolt from the blue!
A Dou Zong expert, an existence never before seen in the Jia Ma Empire.
A little over ten minutes later, Yao Chen ignored Nalan Jie and Nalan Su as they continued trying to persuade him.
After leaving the Miteer Auction House, he stepped into the air and flew away.
He didn't use Qi Wings, yet he still strode through the sky, soaring above them.
He quickly disappeared in a certain direction.
Down on the ground, Nalan Jie was utterly stunned.
Nalan Su beside him was just as astonished.
"Father, that Alchemist just flew through the sky without using Qi Wings?"
"Could he... could he be a..."
Nalan Jie slowly uttered two terrifying words: Dou Zong!
In all these years, the Jia Ma Empire had never seen a Dou Zong-level expert.
Yun Yun, the leader of the Misty Cloud Sect; Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, back in the day; and even Queen Medusa of the Snake People Tribe.
Even Jia Xing Tian, the guardian of the Jia Ma Imperial Family, had reached the Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor level.
Yet he had never broken through the Dou Emperor bottleneck and entered the Dou Zong realm.
Who would have thought that the Fifth-grade Alchemist who appeared in tiny Wutan City was actually a Dou Zong expert?
Nalan Jie's old face was instantly overcome with shock!
It wasn't just the father and son. Ya Fei and Guni were there too.
They had also witnessed what had just happened.
"Mr. Yao can stride through the sky without using Qi Wings. Could he be a Dou Zong expert?" Ya Fei exclaimed.
She had thought Wutan City was nothing but a remote little place.
Especially compared with the Imperial City.
Who would have guessed it was home to hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with a Dou Zong-level expert concealed among them?
"My heavens, Mr. Yao is a Dou Zong and a Fifth-grade Alchemist!" Guni was completely dumbfounded.
In the Jia Ma Empire, every Alchemist without exception regarded Pill King Gu He as an insurmountable mountain.
He was a Dou Wang and a Sixth-grade Alchemist.
But now, Guni was left speechless.
Even if Mr. Yao was only a Fifth-grade Alchemist, his Dou Zong strength was simply too shocking!
Compared with Gu He, Yao Chen was clearly many times stronger!
Ya Fei suddenly felt glad about the decision she had made back then.
She exchanged a look with Guni. "It seems we should inform the Mittel Family, along with clan leader Teng Shan, who just left Wutan City and returned to the Imperial City, and the Grand Elder Hai Bodong, that Mr. Yao is a Dou Zong expert."
After Yao Chen left the Miteer Auction House,
he had no idea what a huge stir his departure had caused.
But when he returned to the Xiao Clan, he noticed the reward from the System Panel appear before him.
Task complete. It's time to claim the reward.