True Lord Hall

The next morning, Yun Yun quietly descended Cloud Mist Mountain with Nalan Yanran and headed straight for Jia Ma Holy City.

Led by Ge Ye, who had been waiting for some time, Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran soon arrived before a secluded, ancient residence that still carried a hint of desolation beneath its newly tidied exterior.

"Yang Residence!"

Nalan Yanran looked up at the old, freshly cleaned plaque and subconsciously murmured the two large characters written upon it.

"Creak!"

At that moment, the gates suddenly opened from within. Seeing the gentle old man in an alchemist's robe emerge, Nalan Yanran's heart jolted, while Yun Yun politely said from beside her, "Master Chemir."

Chemir, vice president of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild, was a peak fourth-tier alchemist and a peak Dou Spirit powerhouse himself. Yet at this moment, Yun Yun could clearly sense that Chemir's aura seemed somewhat different. Perhaps the Dou King realm was already within reach.

"Sect Leader Yun, Niece Nalan, True Lord is currently within the True Lord Hall. Please do not disturb True Lord!"

Chemir lowered his voice as he gave the courteous reminder. The trace of reverence in his eyes astonished not only Nalan Yanran, but even Yun Yun.

As for Ge Ye, who stood nearby, Chemir merely glanced at him before withdrawing his gaze. True Lord had only permitted Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran to enter, so he did not dare make decisions on his own.

Ge Ye was tactful as well. He had remained silent the entire time, quietly standing to the side and playing the role of a gatekeeper.

"Please lead the way, Master Chemir."

Yun Yun nodded lightly, and Nalan Yanran followed with a salute. Only then did they enter the Yang Residence under Chemir's guidance.

The Yang Residence was not particularly large. After crossing the courtyard and passing through a small peach grove, Yun Yun caught sight of a remodeled grand hall. Four large characters were prominently inscribed upon its imposing plaque—True Lord Great Hall!

They were merely four simple words, yet they carried a soul-stirring power that made one afraid to look at them directly.

After just one glance, Yun Yun withdrew her gaze and followed Chemir into the hall. After turning a corner, they arrived at a side hall.

Only after entering did Yun Yun discover that, apart from Yang Chen, there were several other figures inside. Among them was Fa Ma, president of the Alchemist Guild, whom she recognized.

Though Yun Yun did not recognize the remaining two elderly men—one broad and burly with a full beard, the other thin and expressionless—she could roughly guess their identities.

The burly, bearded old man should have been Thunder King Lei Na. His lightning-attributed Dou Qi was fierce and violent, and he had once been one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts during the era of her master, Yun Shan.

However, during the war against the snake people, he had been poisoned by Yue Mei, leader of the Charm Snake Tribe. One of his arms had been severed, causing his strength to plummet, and he had withdrawn from the world ever since.

The other thin old man also had some old grievances with the Yunlan Sect. He was Forest King Lin Sen, whose mastery of wood-attributed Dou Qi was extraordinary. He, too, had once been one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts.

Unlike Lei Na, however, Forest King Lin Sen had not been injured. He had disappeared because of a conflict with Gu He in those years. Later, as Gu He's influence grew, Lin Sen never showed himself again.

From the looks of it now, these two had seemingly become Yang Chen's subordinates.

After Chemir led Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran inside, Master Fa Ma merely cast them a glance before returning his attention to the cauldron before him, his expression exceptionally focused and serious.

At first, Yun Yun was somewhat surprised. She had not realized that they were refining medicine, because this differed greatly from the alchemy she knew. She could not sense any especially intense fire-attributed energy.

Yet very soon, a refreshing medicinal fragrance quietly spread throughout the entire side hall. Yun Yun's spirits lifted, and a trace of shock involuntarily appeared in her eyes.

The peculiar medicinal fragrance transformed into mist. Rather than dispersing, it took the shape of a small cat above the cauldron.

Although Yun Yun was not an alchemist, there were always people who enjoyed telling her all manner of things about alchemists. Over time, she had come to understand the differences between the various ranks of alchemists.

When sixth-tier pills emerged, they would always produce heavenly phenomena. Pills of the seventh tier and above, meanwhile, began to develop intelligence and could even transform into various pill beasts.

Though Yun Yun had not detected any obvious heavenly phenomena from the pill before her, its medicinal fragrance had actually begun to take on spirit. That alone showed that its grade was anything but ordinary. The richness of its fragrance was something Yun Yun had never encountered in her life. It was at least a sixth-tier pill.

As for the heavenly phenomena, they had most likely been forcibly suppressed. After all, Yun Yun had already witnessed quite a few of Yang Chen's methods.

Buzz!!

Ripples of energy suddenly spread from the cauldron, but before they could expand, an invisible fluctuation smoothed them away.

The next instant, Yang Chen flicked his finger, sending a peculiar burst of force onto the cauldron. Immediately afterward, an emerald-green pill wreathed in faint flames flew out of the cauldron and spun rapidly through the air.

Once the flames had completely dispersed, the pill finally came to a stop, hovering in midair. Lin Sen, standing nearby, could not help but reveal a few traces of eagerness in his eyes.

Compared to Lin Sen, however, Fa Ma's gaze was even more fervent—one could even call it infatuated. Only after quite some time did he finally withdraw his eyes and cup his hands toward Yang Chen.

"Thank you for your guidance, True Lord. This old man is deeply grateful!"

"You are too polite, Master. I will have to rely on you greatly in the future."

Yang Chen responded with a soft laugh, but after hearing this, Yun Yun's heart was thrown into turmoil. Clearly, during these past few days, the Yang Clan—no, it should now be called the True Lord Hall—

In merely a few short days, the True Lord Hall had not only gained the allegiance of two Dou King powerhouses, Lei Na and Lin Sen, but had also absorbed the colossal Alchemist Guild into its ranks. It was simply terrifying beyond belief!

"True Lord, you praise me too highly. Fa Ma will never forget the grace of your teaching. Once I gain some insight, I shall return to pay True Lord a visit. For today, I shall take my leave first!"

After rising and respectfully bowing, Fa Ma suppressed the joy in his heart as best he could and spoke softly. Yang Chen stood and returned the salute with cupped hands. Then, with a sweep of his sleeve, he tossed the pill into Lin Sen's hand and said, "Lei Na, Lin Sen, see Master off for me."

"Yes, Second Master!"

Lei Na and Lin Sen answered in unison. Yang Chen was the second son in his family, and since they considered themselves retainers of the household, they directly addressed him as Second Master rather than following the others in calling him True Lord.

After Lei Na and Lin Sen escorted Fa Ma and Chemir out of the side hall, Yang Chen led Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran toward the rear garden. As they walked, he removed the folding fan tucked at his waist and said with a smile, "It seems Miss Yun still remembers our agreement."

"True Lord's agreement is something countless people could only dream of obtaining. How could Yun Yun forget?"

Yun Yun lightly pressed her lips together. For some reason, when she looked at that handsome face, as beautiful as a painting, she felt her heartbeat quicken.