BTTH: DISCIPLE CASHBACK SYSTEM

Chapter 371: Senior Brother and Junior Sister Arrive!

While casually observing the people around him, Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened, and even his breathing momentarily stopped.

In his line of sight, a tall, elegantly dressed young man was slowly stepping into the arena.

"How can it be him? He’s actually here to participate in the Alchemist Conference!" Xiao Yan was shocked.

As surprise filled his heart, Yao Lao's aged voice echoed in his mind.

"Xiao Yan, that boy from Stone Desert City is peculiar. He’s concealing his cultivation level, but when I saw through it, I discovered that he’s already at the Dou King level!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan was stunned.

"Teacher, are you sure? He's so young, and he’s already a Dou King? Not long ago, he was just at the level of a one-star Dou Spirit. How could he advance so fast in just one month?"

"That guy definitely used some special method to temporarily raise his strength to this level. Advancing from a one-star Dou Spirit to a Dou King in just one month is impossible, even for the geniuses of imperial clans!" Yao Lao confidently analyzed.

"So that's how it is!" Xiao Yan's shock began to subside after hearing Yao Lao’s explanation.

"Xiao Yan, this competition is about refining pills. Your cultivation might not match his, but could your alchemy skills be any less than his? The elder you met earlier only became the most influential alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire thanks to a few casual pointers from me." Yao Lao encouraged Xiao Yan.

"So that’s how it is... Teacher, should you reveal your identity then? Maybe President Fa Ma would remember your past kindness and offer some help!" Xiao Yan suddenly recalled the previous conversation and asked excitedly.

"Xiao Yan, many people in this world show their faces, but not their true hearts. I may have guided Fa Ma in the past, but if he learns that I’m now just a remnant soul, who’s to say he won’t harbor ill intentions toward me?" Yao Lao immediately rejected the idea without hesitation.

"Is that so? Alright then," Xiao Yan said, understanding Yao Lao’s caution.

"Xiao Yan, that boy has noticed you!" Yao Lao suddenly warned.

Hearing the reminder, Xiao Yan quickly looked up, and his gaze met that of Liu Ling.

"It's Xiao Yan! This guy actually came to the imperial capital ahead of time. But instead of focusing on his cultivation and trying to last one more move against Sister Yanran, he’s here for some alchemy competition!" Liu Ling grumbled in his heart, noticing Xiao Yan watching him.

At that moment, Princess Yao Ye, seated just one spot away from Xiao Yan, noticed the change in his expression. The next moment, she followed his line of sight and rested her gaze on Liu Ling.

With a smile, Princess Yao Ye suddenly asked Xiao Yan, "Mr. Yan Xiao, do you know Liu Ling?"

Her sudden question startled Xiao Yan again, and he casually responded, "We’ve met once before. So his name is Liu Ling... Princess Yao Ye, if I may ask, how much do you know about him?"

"It’s been a few years since I’ve seen him, but he’s a disciple of Alchemy King Gu He. That’s not a secret in the imperial capital," Yao Ye replied thoughtfully.

"A disciple of Alchemy King Gu He?"

Xiao Yan was filled with doubt after hearing Yao Ye’s explanation. Gu He himself was only at the Dou King level, yet his young disciple could temporarily raise his strength to that of a Dou King. How was this possible?

Could it be that Liu Ling’s abilities didn’t come from Alchemy King Gu He, but from another fortuitous encounter elsewhere?

Seeing Xiao Yan’s reaction, Princess Yao Ye assumed he was wary of Gu He, so she added, "Mr. Yan Xiao, although Alchemy King Gu He is a sixth-tier alchemist, the disciples he trains aren’t necessarily that impressive. In fact, Gu He’s own accomplishments are largely due to the guidance he received from President Fa Ma back in the day."

“Oh, President Fa Ma once guided Alchemy King Gu He in refining pills!”

Xiao Yan quickly pieced together the relationships. His teacher had once guided President Fa Ma, and Fa Ma had, in turn, helped Alchemy King Gu He. Liu Ling was merely Gu He’s disciple, while Xiao Yan had received constant, direct teachings from Yao Lao himself.

Understanding this connection, Xiao Yan suddenly felt much more relaxed.

After Liu Ling and Xiao Yan's brief exchange of gazes, in the center of the square, a thin figure in a large black robe was also watching Liu Ling.

“Good thing I made it back in time. I won’t tell Senior Brother that I’ve returned yet; otherwise, he might deliberately let me win!” Xiao Yi Xian thought to herself as she watched Liu Ling’s tall figure.

Meanwhile, after exchanging glances with Xiao Yan, Liu Ling didn’t give it much thought and instead began scanning the square.

“Could it be that Junior Sister Xian’er hasn’t returned yet? Master said she already broke through to Dou King, so completing those tasks shouldn’t be difficult,” Liu Ling muttered to himself as he continued searching.

As time passed, the start of the conference finally arrived amidst great anticipation.

When the clear sound of a bell echoed across the square, the once-boisterous crowd suddenly fell silent. Listening to the bell's reverberations, Fa Ma slowly stood up, his frail body trembling slightly, and made his way to the front of the VIP section. His gaze swept over the thousands of alchemists sitting below on the stone platforms. At this moment, more than two thousand alchemists raised their heads, their eyes filled with reverence as they focused on this elderly man, who held unparalleled respect in the Jia Ma Empire’s alchemy world.

“With the authority vested in me as the President of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild, I hereby declare the start of the Seventh Alchemist Conference!”

Boom!

As Fa Ma’s voice fell, the entire square erupted into a sea of excitement, cheers reverberating across the heavens.

Standing at the front of the VIP stage, Fa Ma looked out at the jubilant crowd and, after a moment, chuckled softly. “Now, will all the participants please proceed to your designated seats.”

Although the square was so noisy that even the bell's sound was drowned out, Fa Ma’s soft chuckle still resonated clearly in everyone’s ears, a testament to the extraordinary power of this elderly man.

Upon hearing Fa Ma’s words, many alchemists in the VIP section immediately stood up. Most of these alchemists had been trained or recruited by prominent forces, and with the backing of these forces, their alchemy skills were generally superior to those of freelance alchemists.

The platform where the VIP section sat was dozens of meters above the square. For the young alchemists who were only at the level of Dou Masters or Dou Fighters, jumping down was naturally not an option. Therefore, staircases flanked either side of the corridor, leading directly to the square below. Under the gaze of countless spectators, the participants began descending one by one.

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