Jia Ma Empire, Jia Ma Holy City.
After the Alchemist Grand Competition ended, Xiao Yan's name spread throughout the imperial capital.
He had competed under the alias Yan Xiao, sweeping through the competition like a blade splitting bamboo before finally claiming the championship.
For a time, his fame resounded across Jia Ma, and no one could rival his limelight. The Mu Family, the Nalan Family, and the Jia Ma Imperial Family's two princesses, Yao Ye and Yao Yue, all actively sought to win over this young man with a boundless future.
Yet Jia Xingtian, the guardian of the Jia Ma Imperial Family, had never appeared from beginning to end. The same was true of Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Guild.
Both men had entered seclusion on the same day, ordering that no one disturb them for any reason. Their absence had dampened much of the excitement surrounding this year's Alchemist Grand Competition.
Even so, as the champion, Xiao Yan remained the most dazzling figure of the younger generation. Many young ladies from the imperial capital's great families cast admiring glances his way, hoping to win his favor.
Xiao Yan, too, was brimming with satisfaction. This was how life should be. Being surrounded by admirers like the moon encircled by stars was the life he deserved.
He had endured many hardships and cold looks on his journey from Wutan City to where he stood today.
But as he had said, the river flowed east for thirty years and west for thirty years-never scorn a young man for being poor. Now, at eighteen, he was already an Eight-Star Great Dou Master and the champion of the Alchemist Grand Competition. His future knew no bounds.
He possessed a high earth tier cultivation technique and had a chance of breaking through to