In the spacious hall, when everyone heard Xiao Yan’s words, they all paused in surprise and turned their heads to look in a certain direction. Under the watchful eyes of so many people in the hall, a resigned laugh echoed from the shadows, and then a figure of an old man slowly emerged, finally appearing before everyone. By his appearance, it was none other than the president of the Alchemists’ Guild, Fa Ma! Beside Fa Ma, the vice-president Mitchell was also closely following, and next to Mitchell was a girl wearing a green Alchemist robe. The girl had a clear and beautiful face, her slightly pursed red lips revealing a hint of pride, her skin as white as snow, and her lively big eyes revealing a touch of cunning as she gazed, showing that this girl was surely a quirky and strange one. At the moment, this girl, her eyes sparkling with a strange light, was looking at the black-robed young man who casually subdued Fu Yan in the hall.
“Ha-ha, after three years without seeing you, I wonder how little brother Xiao Yan is doing?” Under the gaze of everyone, the elder who controlled the Alchemists’ Guild of the Gama Empire, but wore a smiling face, said amicably. As for Fu Yan, whose face was pale and veins bulging on his forehead, having been choked by Xiao Yan, he was as if unseen.
Fa Ma’s attitude naturally made the audience in the hall somewhat surprised. However, when that name, which had been making a stir in the imperial capital lately, came from his mouth, everyone was once again stunned. They then suddenly understood, and the glances toward the black-robed young man became extremely interesting. No wonder this guy was so daring; it was because he was that Xiao Yan who had caused the Yun Lai sect a great loss…
After hearing Fa Ma refer to the young man in front of him, Fu Yan, who had been subdued by Xiao Yan, paled considerably. The flame in his eyes instantly vanished. On that day, even the Battle Emperor master of the Yun Lai sect had died at his hands, and he did not doubt that breaking his neck would be a simple matter for him. Moreover, with the strength the former possessed, even if he were really killed, the Alchemists’ Guild would likely not take any retaliatory action. This could be clearly seen from Fa Ma’s respectful attitude towards Xiao Yan when he appeared.
With his lips trembling, Fu Yan could only turn his furious gaze to Obba, who was trembling in fear. If not for this fool angering such a person, how could he have ended up in such an awkward situation?
“Ha-ha, President Fa Ma, after three years, the Alchemists’ Guild seems to have disappointed me… Cooperating with such a force, I am afraid…” Xiao Yan chuckled lightly, turning his head to smile at Fa Ma as he slowly approached.
Upon hearing this, Fa Ma let out a bitter smile and said, “Little brother Xiao Yan, our guild does indeed bear some responsibility for this. You can dispose of Fu Yan as you see fit…”
Although Fa Ma’s words were somewhat soft, they gave Xiao Yan a great deal of face. He also knew that Xiao Yan today was no longer the young man who could be satisfied with winning a prescription reward. With Xiao Yan’s current power and strength, he deserved such treatment, as he, in Fa Ma’s mind, was worthy of being called a true powerhouse!
“Ha-ha, little brother Xiao Yan, Fu Yan has a fiery and brash nature and didn’t mean to offend you… And speaking of which, little brother Xiao Yan is also an Honorary Elder of our Alchemists’ Guild. We are all part of the same family…” Mitchell smiled, stepping forward to mediate the situation.
Seeing the two major figures of the Alchemists’ Guild step forward and giving Xiao Yan so much face with their polite words, Xue Mei, who was watching from the side, was stunned. Her gaze kept moving back and forth over Xiao Yan. She knew that Xiao Yan had won the Alchemist Competition back then, but just that alone couldn’t make masters like Fa Ma and Mitchell treat him so kindly. Furthermore, it seemed that they were willing to lose a fifth-rank alchemist rather than conflict with Xiao Yan, which left her dumbfounded. Could this young man, who had been chased out of the Gama Empire by the Yun Lai Sect, truly possess such capabilities?
Beside Mitchell, the lovely girl observed the black-robed young man who remained calm even as the two major figures interceded, her lips slightly pursed. She was in a daze, remembering that while he was outstanding back then, he was merely a promising young man. But in just three short years, he had grown into a strong individual, respected even by President Fa Ma. Such rapid growth was indeed astonishing.
“No wonder even Great-Grandfather said that this guy would achieve greatness in the future…” The girl suddenly recalled the words Jia Xing Tian had spoken to her years ago. At the time, she hadn’t fully believed him, but now, even someone as proud as her had to admit he was right. Compared to the peers of that generation, Xiao Yan had already reached a very advanced position.
Xiao Yan glanced mildly at Fa Ma and Mitchell, then looked at Fu Yan, whose face was pale and who dared not move an inch. Smiling, he slowly withdrew his hand and said softly, “Since both presidents are interceding, I naturally have to show some courtesy. Today, it was just a minor issue between juniors. This elder decided to jump in, so I had no choice.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, Fu Yan’s face turned pale again.
“Ha-ha, many thanks, little brother Xiao Yan, for sparing Fu Yan’s life. I will handle this matter privately and give you an explanation.” Seeing that Xiao Yan had not actually harmed Fu Yan, Fa Ma breathed a sigh of relief and immediately replied.
Xiao Yan waved his hand, glancing at Obba. This guy must also know that he would be the one to suffer the most for this incident, his face turning ashen. He never expected to hit such a hard wall today.
“Are we all here?” Xiao Yan turned his gaze to Fa Ma and moved past the topic.
“Ha-ha, yes, we’re all here, just waiting for you.” Fa Ma smiled and nodded.
“Then let’s go.” Hearing this, Xiao Yan didn’t waste time. He turned to Xue Mei and smiled, “I have something to attend to, so I’ll be going. When you see Master Fukulan, please give him my regards.”
Without waiting for a reply, he took Zi Yan and walked into the hall.
When Xiao Yan turned and left, Xue Mei finally snapped out of her reverie, biting her lower lip as she watched his lean and long silhouette, a hint of admiration in her eyes. Back then, when she first met Xiao Yan, he was still struggling to become a second-grade alchemist. But now, as time passed, he had become a powerful individual capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the top figures in the empire. Such a transformation was significant, and surely, if Fukulan and Otto knew, they would be greatly impressed.
Following Fa Ma and the others, they turned a few corners and climbed the stairs, heading to the upper part of the guild. As they walked, Xiao Yan, who had been chatting and smiling with Fa Ma and Mitchell, suddenly turned to the pretty girl beside him who seemed somewhat familiar, and smiled, “It’s been three years, and the little princess has only become more beautiful.”
The pretty girl, caught off guard by Xiao Yan’s sudden attention, blushed and then grinned mischievously, “I didn’t expect a great expert like you to remember me, what an honor…”
Watching the still quirky and lively girl, Xiao Yan smiled, feeling the youthful energy emanating from her. His usually calm face softened, showing a smile. While these years of wandering had enriched his experiences, he often felt like an old man. Who would have thought that in reality, he was not much older than the little princess? Back then, a group of juniors were fighting for the title of champion in the alchemist competition. Now, things have changed so much.
As they walked, Fa Ma and Mitchell glanced at Xiao Yan and the little princess chatting happily, exchanging a knowing, amused look.
“The little princess’ age… it might be time for her to find a place to settle down. And with her high standards, Xiao Yan, with his abilities, would be a perfect match.”
As this thought crossed their minds, the two old men exchanged a grin, pulling at the corners of their mouths, like two wily foxes.
Unaware of what the two men ahead were thinking, Xiao Yan inhaled the fresh scent of youth wafting from the girl beside him. He was quite happy to feel younger. When Fa Ma and Mitchell stopped in front of a door, he stopped talking, straightened his robes, and his expression became calm again. He knew that the people inside were the strongest figures in the Gama Empire. Back then, he could only look up to them, but now, he had the right to meet them as equals, or even look down on them.
Fa Ma smiled, exchanged a glance with Mitchell, and gently pushed the door open, stepping aside to let them pass.
An unusual atmosphere enveloped the spacious, bright hall. Several figures sat within, occasionally engaged in friendly conversation, yet their gazes would inevitably drift toward the door, indicating their distracted state of mind. Although all present were powerful figures in the Gama Empire, they were all somewhat uneasy.
“Squeak…” The closed door slowly opened, and the crisp sound echoed quietly through the hall.
As the door opened, the people in the hall unconsciously straightened their backs, their eyes immediately fixed on the entrance.
Under everyone’s gaze, the door finally opened fully, and after a moment, a black-robed figure, who had been absent for three years, appeared in sight.
“Gentlemen, it’s been three years, I hope you have all been well?” The black-robed figure, with a voice that had lost its youthful timbre, laughed softly, the sound echoing throughout the hall.
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