As the most powerful se the Jia Ma Empire, the Misty Cloud Sect had its headquarters on a majestic mountain just over a dozen miles from the imperial capital. Due to the name of the sect, this mountain was also known as the Misty ountain.

  Only two miles from the foot of Misty ountain, the empire had stationed a garrison of 50,000 horsemen in the name of defending the capital. However, it was clear to everyohat this recaution taken by the rulers of the empire to guard against this fierce tiger looming close to the capital.

  The vegetation of the ist Sect was lush and thriving, with an abundance of pnt life that had formed forests. Looking around, one could see rolling mountains and evehe distant sound of waterfalls. The enviro was filled with lush greehat exuded an immensely vigorous vitality.

  A woman dressed in a moon-white robe formed intricate hand seals while cultivating with her eyes closed. With eahale and exhale, a perfect cycle was formed.

  The woman immersed in her cultivation was her than Nan Yanran, who had goo break off her e but was defeated by Xiao Yan.

  She slowly opened her eyes after the final strand of green energy was absorbed into her body. A faint green light flickered across her pupils, and her shoulder-length bck hair fluttered slightly without any wind.

  'What a domineering medial pill. It actually took a whole month to be pletely absorbed.'

  Nan Yanran stood at the edge of the cliff, with the mountain breeze blowing directly onto her, causing her moon-white robe to tightly adhere to her exquisite and delicate figure. It had to be said that her beauty and figure were truly deserving of the word 'beautiful.'

  "Senior Sister Nan, Elder Nan Su has arrived at the Misty Cloud Sect. He has requested your presence," a maid dedicated t her said softly.

  Nan Yanran drew her sword, and in an instant, her Dou Qi swirled around her as she began to practice her Dou Teiques with great diligence.

  "I won't see him!"

  A year had passed, and Nan Yanran knew she had beeed in battle due to her ck of profi Dou Teiques. Therefore, during the past year, she had worked desperately to cultivate her Dou Teiques, eveuring aloo the dangerous Magic Beast Mountain Rao train, all in the hopes of enhang her Dou Teiques through bloody battles.

  Nan Yanran's refusal left the maid feeling dismayed, but she didn't dare to tradict her decision and could only vey her words as they were.

  In one of the halls of the Misty Cloud Sean Su's face turned livid when he heard that his daughter refused to see him. He smmed his palm oable and said angrily, "This girl is being more and more rebellious!"

  He hadn't expected that while he was leading the troops stationed in the western part of the empire for only one year, this spoiled daughter of his would dare to secretly annul the marriage arrahat the old leader had personally arranged!

  In fact, he, Nan Su, was the one who was most ed about the marriage arra betweewo parties. He had high hopes for Xiao Yan's talent and had even po fully cultivate him with the Nan 's resources after their marriage.

  Nan Yanran, who had joihe Misty Cloud Sed trained under Yun Yun, was almost guarao bee a Dou Emperor. If Xiao Yan also reached the Dou Emperor realm, then the Nan would have the support of two Dou Emperors in addition to the bag of the Misty Cloud Sect!

  In such a case, he, Nan Su, dared to lead the Jia Ma Empire into a new era! From then on, the Jia Ma Empire would be rehe Nan Empire!

  However, wheurned and heard that Xiao Yan had defeated his daughter in a single move and that his terrifying cultivation as a 6-star Dou Practitioner had been revealed at the ret ing-of-age ceremony, Nan Su was sed that he almost suffered a brain heme.

  Xiao Yan's talent surpassed that of his own daughter by a siderable margin. He could possibly surpass the low-star Dou Emperor of only one or two stars iure, and there was a ce that he could bee an intermediate-star or even high-star Dou Emperor!

  If he truly became a high-star Dou Emperor, Nan Su even had the fideo ie the three empires and unify the entire North-Western Region!

  "This girl's audacity is growing by the day! She doesn't even want to see her father, is that it?!" Nan Su's beard bristled with anger as he headed straight for the cultivation grounds.

  "Elder Nan! That's the sect's cultivation area. You 't go in there!"

  But how could a mere maid stop Nan Su, the Grand General of the Jia Ma Empire?

  Although Nan Yanran's Spiritual Strength was not as strong as Xiao Yan's, she cultivated a wind attribute Qi Method, which made her extremely sensitive to air movements and gave her a strong sense of perception.

  She sensed her father's furious approach toward the peak of the cultivation mountain. However, she tio ignore him and focused her mind on cultivating the Dou Teique that Yun Yun had taught her.

  "Nan Yanran! Do you still see me as your father?!" Nan Su was filled with anger when he saw his daughter tinue her cultivation and pletely disregard him. Just as he was about to charge up to front her, a middle-aged man appeared and stood in his way.

  When he reized the newer, even the angry Nan Su calmed down and greeted him, "Master Gu He, it's been a long time."

  The middle-aged man was her than the number one alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire, the 6th-tier Alchemist knoill King Gu He.

  Not only Nan Su, but even the emperor of the Jia Ma Empire would treat Gu He with the utmost respect. A 6th-tier alchemist like him could refihe medial pills used by the Dou Emperors. This meant that Gu He had the power to ae Dou Emperors!

  Gu He made an invitiure and said, "General Nan, please e this way. Yanran is in the middle of her cultivation and it's not veo disturb her."

  Nan Su nodded. Since Gu He had appeared, there was nothing he, Nan Su, could do.

  Ooable, Gu He breot of tea and offered it to Nan Su. Getting straight to the point, he said, "General Nan, I assume your visit is about Yanran's uniteral decision to annul her e a year aght?"

  Speaking of the an, Nan Su took a deep sip of tea and said, "This girl is still young. She doesn't uand how much damage su a would do to the Nan 's reputation. Fortunately, this matter hasn't leaked out, otherwise our Nan would have no face left in the capital."

  The initial purpose of establishing the e was to repay the debt of gratitude to Xiao Yan's grandfather for saving a life. Marriage was the best method of alliance, and the e between Nan and Xiao was to repay the debt by using the e to protect the Xiao , which had suffered a signifit dee in strength after losing its head.

  The repercussions of annulling the e would be too signifit.

  And most importantly, Nan Su wahis genius son-in-w!

  Who was Gu He? He immediately saw through the reason for Nan Su's anger. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "I've also heard about that young man named Xiao Yan. His ing-of-age ceremony a few days ago revealed him to be a 6-star Dou Practitioner. Having reached three stars in one year, his talent is indeed not inferior to Yanran's."

  Nan Su's face turned sour like a bitter gourd.

  "But," Gu He's tone shifted as he turo look at Nan Yanran, who was diligently cultivating, "Cultivatio solely rely on talent. No matter how high oalent might be, without a powerful Qi Method, guidance from a master, and the aid of medial pills, it is nothing more than that. Even the most skillful housewife 't cook a meal without rice.*"

  TL/N: No one aplish anything without the necessary means.

  "Although advang three stars in a year is indeed fast, there is still some gap pared to Yanran."

  Nan Su uood the hidden meaning in Gu He's words and immediately sensed something.

  "A 9-star Dou Practitioner?!!!"

  Gu He nodded approvingly and said, "Yanran has been w very hard this year. The 4th-tier medial pill I provided, the Wind Erosion Pill, speed up the cultivation of wind attribute Dou Qi. However, it stantly subjects oo the torment of wind bdes. Yet, Yanran has not uttered a single pint."

  "Moreover, half a year ago, Sect Leader Yun Yun took Yanran as her direct disciple and taught her the sect's Di Css Qi Method, Misty Cloud Heaven Swirling Teique."

  "That fiasco a year ago was not a bad thing for Yanran. After shedding her arrogance, she has been wholeheartedly devoted to her cultivation."

  "Once Yun Yun gathers the necessary ingredients, I will be able to refine some 5th-tier medial pills for Yanran. Two years ter, Yanran's cultivation level will undoubtedly exceed everyone's expectations."

  "Without the guidance of a master, without the aid of medial pills, what he, Xiao Yan, rely on to surpass Yanran?"