The Yunlan Sect, one of the most prominent forces in the Jia Ma Empire, is situated on a majestic mountain range just over ten miles from the empire's capital.
Due to the sect's fame, this mountain is also known as Yunlan Mountain.
At the peak of Yunlan Mountain's rear mountain, clouds and mist swirl, creating a scene akin to a fairyland.
On a protruding black rock at the edge of the cliff, a woman dressed in a moon-white robe sat with her hands forming a cultivation seal, her eyes closed as she practiced.
With each breath, a perfect cycle formed, and with each cycle, faint strands of cyan energy seeped out from the energy-rich air around her.
The energy currents swirled around the woman, continuously being absorbed into her body, refined, and eventually integrated into her Dou Qi vortex.
When the last strand of cyan energy was absorbed, the woman slowly opened her eyes. A faint cyan light flashed in her pupils, and her shoulder-length hair fluttered slightly without any wind.
Gazing at the sea of clouds in the distance, the woman murmured, "Dou Practitioner, one star."
"Congratulations, Yanran. You've set the record for the fastest breakthrough to Dou Practitioner in Yunlan Sect's history."
Nalan Yanran slowly stood up and looked at the noble woman walking gracefully toward her. The other woman's beauty and grace were so captivating that even Yanran, a woman herself, couldn't help but be deeply drawn to her.
As the sect leader of Yunlan Sect and Nalan Yanran's teacher, Yun Yun wore a white dress that hugged her voluptuous figure. Her long, flowing hair cascaded like a waterfall, and she wore an exquisite hair ornament shaped like a phoenix in mid-cry.
Her serene and beautiful face resembled a clear spring in a secluded mountain, evoking both reverence for her noble status and an irresistible sense of admiration.
However, Nalan Yanran was no less impressive.
Her jet-black hair was tied back with a golden hairband, and her delicate features were perfectly arranged on the oval face of a beauty.
Her tender earlobes were adorned with green jade pendants that swayed gently, emitting a crisp jade sound and adding a touch of elegance.
Her slender waist and full hips, paired with a short skirt and long white stockings, accentuated her tall and graceful figure.
As she smoothed her hair, which had been tousled by the mountain breeze, Nalan Yanran said, "Teacher, there are many geniuses in the Jia Ma Empire now. In Wutan City, there's someone who became a Dou Practitioner at the age of eleven."
"Wutan City?" Yun Yun had little impression of the city. After some thought, she relaxed her brows. "That would be the genius from the Xiao family, your fiancé, Xiao Yan."
Breaking through to Dou Practitioner at the age of eleven was unprecedented in the Jia Ma Empire and had shocked many people at the time.
As these memories surfaced, Yun Yun's mind flooded with more recollections.
Originally, the Xiao family was quite prosperous, and with the strength of their patriarch, they had planned to expand into the Jia Ma Holy City.
However, after the mysterious disappearance of the family's old patriarch, the Xiao family fell into decline and remained confined to Wutan City.
But with a genius like Xiao Yan, Yun Yun believed it was only a matter of time before the Xiao family rose again and entered the Jia Ma Holy City.
Hearing the word "fiancé," Nalan Yanran's body trembled, and her delicate hands clenched tightly.
One day, I will take control of my own marriage!
"Yanran, what's wrong?" Yun Yun asked with concern, noticing her disciple's unusual behavior.
"Nothing," Nalan Yanran shook her head slightly and smiled as she linked her arm with Yun Yun's snow-white jade-like arm. "Teacher, now that I've broken through to Dou Practitioner, can I take pills to boost my strength?"
Yun Yun smiled gently. "Yanran, your talent is exceptional, and you will undoubtedly become a powerful figure in the future. Relying on pills for quick breakthroughs will only make your foundation unstable and waste your potential."
Having been taught by Yun Yun for years, Nalan Yanran was well aware of the importance of a solid foundation.
By the age of twelve, she had already reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi. However, to ensure her future cultivation, her teacher had used various methods to suppress her cultivation speed, making her meridians far more resilient than those of her peers.
Although Xiao Yan from Wutan City had broken through to Dou Practitioner at an astonishing speed, Nalan Yanran didn't believe she was inferior to him.
She had a Dou Huang expert as her teacher, providing meticulous guidance, and she practiced the precious techniques of the Yunlan Sect.
Xiao Yan?
From Wutan City, what kind of teacher could he possibly have?
Breaking through the Dou Qi stage too early would only waste the opportunity to expand and strengthen his meridians during that phase.
As for techniques, Xiao Yan would be lucky to have a high-level Huang-tier technique, which was worlds apart from the precious techniques she practiced.
When it came to Dou Techniques, there was no comparison.
Xiao Yan couldn't practice high-level Dou Techniques, and without a teacher's guidance, even ordinary Huang-tier techniques would take him a long time to master.
Thinking this, Nalan Yanran felt much more at ease.
Now that she had broken through to Dou Practitioner, she could also use pills refined by Pill King Gu He to accelerate her cultivation.
Nalan Yanran gently shook Yun Yun's arm, her voice as crisp as jade beads falling on a jade plate. "I believe Elder Gu He must have pills that can boost strength without affecting my foundation."
"Such pills aren't easy to refine," Yun Yun shook her head slightly.
Nalan Yanran smiled. "Given Elder Gu He's infatuation with you, if you ask him for help, he'd probably be more than willing."
"Yanran!" Yun Yun's tone suddenly sharpened. She glanced around and sighed in relief. "Don't say such things in the future."
Seeing her teacher so tense, Nalan Yanran was puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Yun Yun said gravely, "Many years ago, the Chek family, famous in the Jia Ma Empire, tried to steal Pill King Gu He's pill formulas. In the end, Gu He invited four Dou Wang experts and annihilated the entire family. Even the Jia Ma Empire's royal family didn't dare to interfere."
Nalan Yanran was shocked. She hadn't expected the seemingly gentle and refined Elder Gu He to be so ruthless.
"But the Chek family acted maliciously first..." Thinking of the Qi Gathering Powder she had just taken, Nalan Yanran tried to defend Gu He.
Yun Yun frowned slightly. While that was true, annihilating an entire family was excessively cruel.
"Alchemists are a peculiar bunch. You might accidentally offend them with just a few words."
Yun Yun warned, "Although the Nalan family's influence far surpasses that of the Chek family back then, if you inadvertently offend Gu He, the Nalan family would still have a major headache."
Nalan Yanran nodded in shock. So this was why her teacher had always been so reserved around Elder Gu He.
Yun Yun patted Nalan Yanran's shoulder and smiled. "Yanran, you've just broken through. Focus on stabilizing your foundation. As for the pills, I'll talk to Gu He. The reason he was able to advance to a sixth-tier alchemist isn't just due to his talent but also because the Yunlan Sect invested countless resources to support him."
(End of Chapter)
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