" Mu Leng?"
Upon hearing this name, Xiao Yan not only had no recollection of it, but felt increasingly unfamiliar with it. He had encountered far too many people along the way, and he couldn't remember most of them. Those who left a deep impression were people with whom he had a close relationship. As for someone like the young man in front of him, he simply couldn't recall when or where he had ever met such a person.
Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, Mu Leng's eyes dimmed slightly. Although he felt a little disappointed, he showed no surprise. After all, for Xiao Yan at the time, it was just a casual thing to do. How could he have known that a casual remark back then would create such a genius in alchemy?
However, just as Mu Leng was about to explain the events of the past to Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan, who was sitting cross-legged in front of him, suddenly seemed to remember something, his eyes lighting up in surprise, and he exclaimed:
"Are you the kid I met in Yanluo City back then?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Leng's eyes, which had just dimmed, suddenly lit up with a hint of wild joy. He never expected that after so many years, the person in front of him would remember such a distant little thing. In any case, this made Mu Leng more convinced of his own worth, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel more respect for Xiao Yan.
Back then, he was just an insignificant little alchemist, finding even refining ordinary pills incredibly difficult. But after that incident, his understanding of alchemy improved dramatically. This was not only due to his own talent, but also largely due to the sense of pride he felt from Xiao Yan's unparalleled power at the time.
To be recognized by a strong person is probably something every young person desires.
"I never imagined that after so many years, you would still remember me, senior. I am Mu Leng. It is all thanks to your guidance back then that I have achieved what I have today. I will never forget your great kindness!"
Tears of excitement welled up in Mu Leng's eyes, and in the blink of an eye, his entire face turned bright red. Over the years, the person before him had become an even more powerful being. He even vaguely felt that his current master, Zhou Tai, was far inferior to him. Yet, despite this, he could still recall a small incident from years ago, which truly delighted him.
Being able to see Xiao Yan again was already a fulfillment of his wish. How could Mu Leng dare to hope that Xiao Yan would still remember him? But the current situation left him stunned and almost unable to suppress the emotions in his heart.
However, seeing Mu Leng kneeling on the ground with such a surprising expression, Xiao Yan blushed slightly and touched his nose. To be honest, he didn't have much of an impression of Mu Leng. The reason he could recall that incident was because of the Luo Heavenly Cauldron in his Storage Ring. The Luo Tian Luo Heavenly Cauldron was obtained from Yanluo City, which naturally left a deep impression on Xiao Yan. Now, upon recalling it, he also remembered the mysterious expert he had encountered that day, that guy from the Central Region. It was because of him that Xiao Yan became more curious about Lian'er's true identity.
That seemingly ordinary little girl also seemed to harbor a secret, but now, Lian'er...
Xiao Yan stood up, and Mu Leng, who was kneeling respectfully in front of him, was also helped up by Xiao Yan. Then, the group returned to the Liu Clan mansion while chatting and laughing.
With Zhou Tai present, the atmosphere among the group became lively. Amidst their laughter and conversation, it was as if the great battle that had previously taken place in the city had been forgotten, and no one even mentioned it.
Afterwards, Mu Leng introduced himself to everyone Third-Tier Alchemist and one of the core disciples of the Southern Region Alchemist Alliance. If he succeeds in the future, he may even be able to enter the Pill Tower Headquarters in the Central Region, which would be an unparalleled honor for them.
Even Zhou Tai's eyes were filled with fervor when he mentioned this matter, and Mu Leng also had a look of longing. After hearing this, the others also turned their gazes to Mu Leng with surprise, and couldn't help but feel slightly shocked by the excellence of the young man in front of them.
However, when they thought that Mu Leng had reached such a height with only a little guidance from Xiao Yan, the shock in their hearts immediately shifted to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan ignored the gazes of the crowd, his heart filled with only curiosity and... fervor as he listened to the familiar address from Mu Leng's mouth.
Xiao Yan had no longing for that place, but if given the chance, he would certainly not hesitate to compete with the alchemy masters of the Pill Tower. However, as for treating the Pill Tower as a place of glory and aspiration like others, that was something Xiao Yan could not do.
Having experienced so much, he no longer cares about fame, fortune, and glory. Rather than dwelling on those things, he'd rather focus his energy on cultivation. After all, as long as he's strong enough, fame, fortune, and glory will come knocking on his door.
The saying "It's better to rely on yourself than on others" perfectly illustrates this point.
After several pleasantries, the rest of the people in the hall gradually left, leaving only Bai Hua and Zhou Tai behind. Of course, the reason they stayed was Xiao Yan.
"I have to thank Elder Zhou for being able to repel Fu Yulong this time. If it weren't for you, things would probably have been much worse than I anticipated."
After everyone left, Xiao Yan stood up, respectfully clasped his hands in thanks to Zhou Tai, and sincerely expressed his gratitude. Bai Hua, seeing this, did not dare to be negligent in the slightest and quickly bowed to Zhou Tai as well.
"Haha, we're all family, no need for formalities. Fu Yulong has been acting strangely in recent years, and many people in the Southern Region see him as a thorn in their side. It's just that no one dares to stand up for him because of his formidable strength. What I said to him today was actually just the opinion of those old guys in the Alchemist Alliance. Besides, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to find such an outstanding disciple as Mu Leng. If anyone should be thanking someone, it should be me thanking you."
Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances and then burst into laughter. After a few rounds of banter, Zhou Tai learned that Xiao Yan had also joined the Western Region Alchemist Alliance. This meant they belonged to the same faction, and their relationship became even closer.
After chatting and laughing for a while, Xiao Yan turned his gaze back to Bai Hua beside him.
Xiao Yan has been busy with the reorganization of the Liu Clan these past few days, and there are still some things he hasn't been able to clarify with Bai Hua. Now that the trouble has been resolved, it's time to get back to business.
After some general questioning, Bai Hua recounted to Xiao Yan the overall changes in the Liu Clan over the years.
Over the years, with Bai Hua's protection, the Liu Clan's overall strength has naturally improved considerably. Despite encountering many troubles, their overall strength is far greater than when Xiao Yan first encountered them. This was both within Xiao Yan's expectations and beyond his expectations.
Besides the Liu Clan's overall strength, the remnant soul of Liu Feng within the Gold-Inscribed Plaque had completely dissipated a few years ago, leaving only a wisp of Soul Power left by Xiao Yan, which continues to help the Liu Clan's descendants grow.
Upon learning that Liu Feng's remnant soul had dissipated, Xiao Yan was surprised, but also felt a pang of pity. At the same time, he admired the man even more.
A remnant soul has actually managed to support the Liu Clan to its current state. It has to be said that Liu Feng, as the former head of the clan, is truly outstanding!
As for Murong Qianqian, Bai Hua told Xiao Yan everything about how she got here. Upon hearing that the girl had found her way here based on a casual remark he made, Xiao Yan couldn't help but be surprised by her actions. He was only lucky that he hadn't intended to lie to her; if it had been someone with malicious intentions, this girl would probably have been sold off without even knowing why.
Fortunately, now that this little girl is here, he can at least give Murong Xuan an explanation in the future.
In addition, there's Lian'er...
Compared to them, Lian'er's current state is not what Xiao Yan imagined.