"From the perspective of status and talent, your brother is indeed qualified." Fairy Huo Ling glanced at her calm-faced niece and smiled. "But as Huo Zhi's aunt, I will support her in choosing her own future partner. Better to have none than to settle for less."
"Women should also grasp their own destiny and future."
As the current number one female cultivator on the Battle Qi Continent, Fairy Huo Ling was fully qualified to say such words.
"I won't consider this matter before reaching the peak of Dou Venerate." A smile appeared on the pretty face beneath the red veil. "Yao Ling, although chatting with you has been pleasant, it's not enough for me to become your future sister-in-law."
"My brother is really excellent." Yao Ling acted like a good little sister desperately trying to matchmake her older brother with her best friend. "Sister Huo Zhi, don't reject him outright. You can get to know him first and then decide."
"If I have the chance to meet him, I can interact with him for your sake, but don't think about anything more." Huo Zhi reached out and hooked her arm around Fairy Huo Ling's. "The person I admire most is my aunt. When it comes to choosing a partner, I absolutely cannot settle."
"Then you might end up lonely for the rest of your life." Fairy Huo Ling reached out and ruffled Huo Zhi's hair, laughing. "Your aunt here only plans to marry a Dou God expert."
This was not Fairy Huo Ling being arrogant.
She could become an eight-star Dou Saint at any time. Looking across the entire Battle Qi Continent, there were indeed few who could catch her eye.
Whether it was the former Xiao Profound, or the current Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi, their strength and status were sufficient for her to marry.
However, as the second strongest expert of the Yan Clan and the pillar of the clan after Yan Jin, she could not marry outside to another Ancient Clan.
A Dou God would be different. Even if she married out, it would bring enormous benefits and protection to the Yan Clan.
Therefore, from both a personal and Ancient Clan perspective, as well as considering the Yan Clan's heavy reliance on her, only a Dou God could make her make an exception.
Of course, she could also choose to take a son-in-law into the clan, but she and the Yan Clan looked down on anyone too useless. Those she found acceptable were unwilling to become a live-in son-in-law. It was a dead cycle.
"I believe Aunt's true love will definitely appear," Huo Zhi said comfortingly.
"Haha." Fairy Huo Ling laughed. "You're basically praying for the Battle Qi Continent to quickly birth a male Dou God. That's almost impossible."
After all, even the peerlessly talented Xiao Profound from back then had failed despite gathering the entire Xiao Clan's power.
She could not imagine who could surpass Xiao Profound.
"Who knows."
Huo Zhi and Yao Ling exchanged a glance.
Once Xiao Ting became a Dou God, the Battle Qi Continent naturally would not produce another Dou God and could head to a higher-level world instead.
Thinking of this, Huo Zhi's eyes shifted as she suddenly asked, "Aunt, if someone breaks through to Dou God before the age of thirty or forty, would you marry him?"
"You little girl, are you teasing your aunt for being old?" Fairy Huo Ling pinched Huo Zhi's ear. "Dou Saints can live for a thousand years, five-star Dou Saints and above can live for three thousand years, and Dou Gods can live for over ten thousand years. Do you think age is an issue?"
"At that time, you'd have to ask that Dou God whether he wants your aunt or not."
…
At the same time, in the Jia Lie family of Wu Tan City.
The Jia Lie family head was enthusiastically entertaining first-grade alchemist Liu Xi.
Several beauties accompanied him, and from time to time lewd moans and gasps rang out, causing the Jia Lie family higher-ups to feel a wave of disdain in their hearts.
If not for his status as a first-grade alchemist, with Liu Xi's mere Dou Master strength, he would not even qualify to speak to them.
"Master Liu Xi, I see the Xiao family's healing medicine reserves are almost at their limit. We must press the advantage and strike while the iron is hot. I'll have to trouble you to work hard these days." Jia Lie Bi personally met with Liu Xi.
"No problem." Liu Xi agreed readily and let out a lewd laugh. "It's just that I want that pair of virgins?"
"That will still take some time." Jia Lie Bi suppressed the displeasure in his heart and smiled. "We need to completely suppress the Xiao family first. But before that, I recently bought a snake-woman. I'll send her to your courtyard later, Master."
"Good, good." Liu Xi immediately put away his slightly dissatisfied expression.
Snake-women were a privilege reserved for nobles. As a first-grade alchemist, he was nothing in a true major city and did not qualify for such things.
He had not expected to be able to taste such a delicacy here in Wu Tan City.
The two of them burst into hearty laughter.
But the next day, no one in the Jia Lie family could laugh.
When Liu Xi, who had been refining healing medicine all night, rushed to the meeting hall, he sensed a heavy atmosphere.
"Family Head Jia Lie, what happened?" Liu Xi walked straight to an empty seat at the head and sat down. "I was really planning to rest for a bit and continue refining medicine after waking up."
"Master Liu Xi, the Xiao family has started fighting head-on. It seems they've really latched onto a powerful alchemist. I wonder if you could ask your teacher to take action?" Jia Lie Bi recounted what had happened that morning.
The Xiao family had increased the sales volume of various first-grade pills across all channels, pricing them a full ten percent lower than the Jia Lie family's.
The Jia Lie family's market immediately lowered prices in response, but the Xiao family followed suit and declared they would always stay ten percent lower than the Jia Lie family.
Even if the Jia Lie family bought at cost price, the Xiao family still followed without hesitation. Moreover, the quantities were enormous, but each person was limited to a daily purchase quota, so there was no fear of the Jia Lie family or Ao Ba Clan buying low and selling high.
In short, the situation was very bad.
"High-grade alchemist?" Liu Xi's expression sank. He immediately said, "Bring me the pills the Xiao family is selling so I can take a look."
Jia Lie Bi had prepared in advance and quickly had various pills brought over.
Liu Xi inspected each one, and his expression grew extremely grave.
"These pills should be the work of two people. One of them seems to have just become an alchemist recently—their refining technique is even inferior to mine. But the other is far above me."
"Even the quality of first-grade pills refined by my teacher is not as good as those made by this senior alchemist."
"So…"
So?
Jia Lie Bi and the others looked at him with expectant eyes.
"I'm leaving immediately." Liu Xi stood up directly, his tone resolute. "I don't want the reward the Jia Lie family promised, nor the share from the recently sold pills. We can cooperate again if there's a chance in the future."
With that, Liu Xi lifted his foot and prepared to leave.
The Jia Lie family still wanted him to call his teacher over.
If his teacher found out that he had come to Wu Tan City to throw his weight around and had offended an alchemist of at least the same rank, he would be skinned alive.
To ordinary cultivators, alchemists were a hornet's nest that could not be poked, but when facing other alchemists, it all came down to who was stronger.
The Jia Lie family higher-ups: "…"
"Family Head, should we stop Master Liu?" a Jia Lie family elder asked.
"He wants to leave, clearly because he's afraid. How can we stop him?" Jia Lie Bi's face looked extremely ugly, with suppressed anger in his eyes.
"Our Jia Lie family provided him with good food and drink, even sent him beauties and resources. Now that we've completely fallen out with the Xiao family, he just pats his ass and leaves?" A more radical elder sneered. "Force him to stay."
"That would be courting death." A hint of temptation flashed in Jia Lie Bi's eyes, but he ultimately shook his head. "You know how much pressure Liu Xi brought to the Xiao family. Now the Xiao family has two alchemists. We cannot offend Liu Xi further."
"If it really doesn't work, we can only negotiate peace."
…
Negotiate peace?
Xiao Ting's soul perception sensed the situation inside the Jia Lie family meeting hall, and his eyes turned cold.
"Now you want to negotiate? It's too late."
With Battle Qi circulating in his body, Xiao Ting quietly left the Jia Lie family area.
He changed into a set of black robes and, unnoticed by anyone, followed Liu Xi, who had left the Jia Lie family and was riding a magical beast horse away.
When the other party passed through a forest, he took out a longbow and shot an arrow.
"Bang!"
Liu Xi had no time to react before the arrow struck him, and he collapsed motionless.
Xiao Ting walked up to him, checked his breathing, and a smile flashed in his eyes. "What a coincidence."
…