"Is it really that impressive?"
Inside the Xiao Clan.
Due to the collision of Dou Qi released by Xiao Zhan and Ge Ye, the younger generation in the hall with weaker strength instantly turned pale, their chests feeling tight and constricted.
Sitting in a corner, Xiao Xun'er slowly raised her head.
The person who caught her eye was not Ge Ye or Xiao Zhan, who had released their Dou Qi, but...
Qi Yan'er!
This little girl had been watching her the entire time just now, which she found quite strange.
She clearly didn't know her, so why was she looking at her like that?
Especially that gaze—it felt rather like a hunter staring at her prey.
Had it been anyone else, Xiao Xun'er would have already taken action and had her bodyguards deal with the matter.
Yet Qi Yan'er was merely a seven-year-old child...
Sensing that this girl was out of the ordinary, Xiao Xun'er fixed her gaze on her.
At that moment, Xiao Xun'er's eyes suddenly widened.
For she discovered that this little girl was completely unaffected by the pressure of the Dou Qi!
Not only that.
She was resting her chin in one hand while feeding herself small fruits with the other, watching the commotion with great relish!
"This girl really is no ordinary person!"
Xiao Xun'er muttered softly to herself.
"What did you say, Xun'er?"
Beside her, Xiao Yan asked with a hint of curiosity.
"..."
Yet his question received no reply whatsoever from Xiao Xun'er.
This left Xiao Yan feeling as aggrieved as a man could possibly be.
Three years!
For three whole years, no one knew the agonizing pain he had lived through.
His former friends had all turned their backs and left after his fall from grace.
Even Xiao Mei, who used to call him "Brother Xiao Yan" with every breath, now refused to speak to him when they met.
In the entire clan, only his father, his two brothers, and Xiao Xun'er still looked him in the eye!
Yet now...
Even Xun'er was ignoring him!
The pain! It hurt too much!
The aura of two Grand Masters filled the hall, making everyone's chests feel tight and heavy.
Just as Xiao Zhan's breathing grew more rapid and he was about to make a move, the three elders hurriedly stood up and shouted sternly:
"Xiao Zhan! What are you doing? Stop this instant, and don't forget you are the patriarch of the Xiao Clan!"
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan's body gave a violent jolt.
The Dou Qi around him also slowly receded, finally vanishing completely.
Yet his face was chillingly dark and gloomy!
Plumping himself back down into his chair, Xiao Zhan stared at the silent Nalan Yanran, his voice raspy:
"What a resolute niece Nalan. To have a daughter like you, Nalan Su is truly to be envied!"
Her delicate body trembling slightly, Nalan Yanran stammered:
"Uncle Xiao..."
"Old Beard, you have a good son, and that makes plenty of people envious too!"
A childish voice drifted into Xiao Zhan's ears.
It caused his expression to change drastically, and his gaze instantly shifted toward the source of the sound.
Entering his sight was none other than Qi Yan'er, blinking her wide, innocent eyes!
"Pfft—Old Beard—"
Hearing the nickname Qi Yan'er had given Xiao Zhan, Nalan Yanran couldn't help covering her mouth and letting out a laugh.
"..."
Sweeping his gaze across the hall and seeing the three elders and the others desperately holding back their laughter, Xiao Zhan's face turned icy, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Old Beard!
In all these years, she was the very first person who dared to address him like that.
Fine~
Once this matter was settled, he would shave off his beard immediately!
Xiao Zhan fixed his gaze on Qi Yan'er and asked with curiosity:
"And this is..."
Nalan Yanran hurriedly introduced her:
"She is..."
"My name is Qi Yan'er."
Before Nalan Yanran could finish, Qi Yan'er patted her chest and introduced herself:
"I'm Sister Yan'er's daughter!"
"Clack!"
As soon as these words left her mouth, the sound of jaws dropping echoed through the hall.
The three elders of the Xiao Clan stood with their mouths agape, utterly dumbfounded.
What did she say?
She said she was Nalan Yanran's... daughter?
Ge Ye: (⊙o⊙)...
Nalan Yanran: (⊙o⊙)??
Even Ge Ye and Nalan Yanran, who had come along with her, wore looks of utter blankness.
What kind of absurd self-introduction was this?
"What's wrong with you people? Are you frozen?"
Qi Yan'er tilted her little head, looking at the petrified crowd with a smile.
Xiao Zhan raised a hand to prop up his jaw and swallowed hard:
"Little girl, you said you were her daughter—is this true?"
"Of course it's true-true!"
Qi Yan'er replied with a nod, her little face neither turning red nor beating fast.
"Yan'er, you..."
Nalan Yanran wanted to say something from the side, but then she saw Qi Yan'er give her a wink.
That made her understand.
Yan'er was trying to help her!
But helping like this... was it really a good idea?
Ge Ye stood in place, his old face twisted in misery.
He felt as though his brain could no longer process anything. Oh well!
Things had reached this point; let them make whatever trouble they wanted. At least Sect Master had their backs.
Sect Master Yun:
Allow me to say thank you!
"Good! Good! Good!"
Xiao Zhan slammed a hand onto the armrest, repeating the word three times.
One could only imagine how furious he must have been at that moment.
"Uncle Xiao..."
Nalan Yanran wanted to speak again, but Xiao Zhan immediately waved a hand to cut her off:
"Heh, just call me Patriarch Xiao. A title like uncle is something I, Xiao Zhan, cannot afford to accept!"
"You are the future Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, and in the future, you'll be a prominent figure across the entire Dou Qi Continent. My Yan'er is merely a person of mediocre talent; he is truly unworthy of a proud daughter of heaven like you."
"You had better go look for that fellow surnamed Qi instead!"
Hearing this, Nalan Yanran was at her wits' end.
Could you all just let me get a word in, please?
I haven't even said a single sentence yet!
Tell me to go look for someone surnamed Qi...
I don't even know what Yan'er's father's name is yet!
"Many thanks to Patriarch Xiao for your understanding."
Seeing that Xiao Zhan had relented, Ge Ye immediately forced a smile and chimed in:
"Patriarch Xiao, Sect Master knew that today's request was somewhat impolite, which is why she specifically had me bring an item as a token of apology!"
With that, Ge Ye reached out and brushed his finger across his Storage Ring.
At that moment, a jade box with a deep green hue materialized out of thin air in the palm of his hand.
As Ge Ye opened the jade box, a strange fragrance instantly permeated the entire hall.
Everyone who caught a whiff felt their spirits lift, and even the discomfort caused by the oppressive Dou Qi moments ago vanished completely.
The three elders instantly perked up.
The moment they leaned in to look, their bodies jerked violently:
"Th-this is the Qi Gathering Powder?"
"Indeed."
Ge Ye said with a hint of pride:
"I imagine everyone present is well aware of the function of the Qi Gathering Powder!"
"It allows someone at the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi to successfully condense a Dou Qi Whirlpool one hundred percent of the time and become a Dou Zhe!"
"Not only that, but this pill was personally refined by our sect's honorary elder, Lord Gu He. Surely everyone here has heard of his name?"
"Hiss—"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone gasped in astonishment.
Gu He!
"This pill actually came from the hands of the King of Pills, Gu He!"
The three elders exclaimed, their eyes filled with excitement.
Who in the Jia Ma Empire had not heard of the reputation of the King of Pills, Gu He?
Not only was he one of the top ten powerhouses in the Jia Ma Empire, but he was also its premier Alchemist!
Pills refined by such a figure transcended their own material value; because they were crafted by the King of Pills, their worth was manifold greater than ordinary pills!
Just as everyone was marveling over the fact that this Qi Gathering Powder had been refined by Gu He, a very "grating" childish voice suddenly rang out.
"Qi Gathering Powder?"
"The King of Pills, Gu He? Is it really that impressive?"