Amidst the crowd, a thin old man and a middle-aged daoist nun stood together, watching Ye Yunfei depart.
"Elder Ding, I think we should return to headquarters first. Ye Yunfei's combat prowess far exceeds my imagination. There's no way the two of us could be his match," the lean elder whispered to the middle-aged daoist nun.
"Alright," the daoist nun replied, her expression exceedingly complex.
The skinny old man was the Golden Elder of Xiaoyao Pavilion. This middle-aged daoist nun was naturally Xiaoyao Pavilion's Elder Ding. She stared in the direction Ye Yunfei had disappeared, feeling somewhat unwilling in her heart.
Back during the arena competition in Yuanyue City, she had publicly declared that Ye Yunfei's talent was far inferior to Qin An's, and that, in Qin An's eyes, Ye Yunfei would someday be nothing but an ant.
But now, she realized she had been wrong. As time passed, Ye Yunfei was only growing stronger and stronger! Perhaps now, in Ye Yunfei's eyes, Qin An was the ant.
Because Ye Yunfei had slain experts of the Profound Realm, dispatching one per strike, as if slaughtering chickens and dogs, whereas Qin An was merely a Heaven Realm martial artist. The gap between the two was simply too vast!
"I was indeed mistaken," Elder Ding thought, her mood heavy. "In truth, back in Yuanyue City, the one truly worth me recruiting at any cost should have been Ye Yunfei, not Qin An."
Soon after, these two elders of Xiaoyao Pavilion, mingling in the crowd, quietly left the Imperial Capital. Their original mission had been to assassinate Ye Yunfei, but now, how could they dare attempt such a thing?
After Ye Yunfei's departure, the Emperor turned to the Empress Dowager with excited eyes.
"Act more ruthlessly, move with greater decisiveness. Re-secure the imperial power back within the hands of our Qin family!" the Empress Dowager said coldly.
"I understand, Mother Empress!" the Emperor nodded heavily.
Over the next two days, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor employed thunderous tactics to completely purge the remnants of Xiao Tiande and Sima Ling's forces. More importantly, the Imperial Capital's army was once again firmly under the Emperor's control.
During these two days, Ye Yunfei remained secluded in quiet cultivation.
"Master, I have been in secluded contemplation of the alchemy incantation you imparted to me until emerging today. It was only then that I learned of the events that have transpired in the Imperial Capital these past few days. Are you alright, Master?" Chen Xuan arrived hastily with Tang Feng in tow.
"I am fine. Your concern is noted," Ye Yunfei nodded faintly.
"Master, the alchemy incantation you taught me is truly too profound! After my time in seclusion, my alchemy skills have improved tremendously! I am confident that in the near future, I will become a Fifth-Grade Alchemist!" Chen Xuan excitedly declared.
"And my alchemy skills have also improved greatly, Ancestral Teacher!" Tang Feng couldn't help but add, his voice also filled with excitement. He had begun to develop a degree of recognition for Ye Yunfei as his Ancestral Teacher.
Especially after learning that Ye Yunfei had single-handedly slain over a dozen Profound Realm experts, Tang Feng had nearly frightened himself witless, not daring to harbor the slightest disrespect towards Ye Yunfei any longer. Moreover, he understood that Ye Yunfei's alchemy level vastly surpassed his own, truly qualifying him to be his Ancestral Teacher.
"Hmm, do your best then. A mere Fifth-Grade Alchemist is hardly anything at all. Aim higher. Otherwise, you wouldn't even be qualified to be my nominal disciple," Ye Yunfei said mildly.
"I understand, Master!" Hearing this, Chen Xuan's body shuddered as he immediately replied, his heart shaking with extreme awe.
A Fifth-Grade Alchemist wasn't even qualified to be a nominal disciple! Chen Xuan now didn't dare even speculate on exactly how high Ye Yunfei's true alchemy level was.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor seek an audience," a eunuch suddenly arrived and announced respectfully to Ye Yunfei.
"Mm, let them enter," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Even the Empress Dowager and the Emperor seek an audience!" Beside them, Tang Feng's heart was struck by shock. "With such an Ancestral Teacher, won't I be even more glorious and untouchable within the Great Qin Empire in the future!" At this thought, Tang Feng felt a stir of excitement.
Now, he felt that having Ye Yunfei as his Ancestral Teacher was not shameful at all, but rather an honor; one others could only dream of. The look he cast towards Ye Yunfei was now filled with adoration.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, I hope I haven't disturbed your cultivation," the Empress Dowager entered, followed by the Emperor and the Third Prince, a smile on her face.
"Not at all," Ye Yunfei replied.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, here are the materials you instructed me to procure. They have all been gathered," the Empress Dowager said, handing a spatial ring to Ye Yunfei.
"I've troubled Your Highness," Ye Yunfei accepted the spatial ring, checked the items within with his senses, and said gratefully. These materials were intended for refining the Five Elements Spirit Swords.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, the remnants of Xiao Tiande and Sima Ling's forces have been completely purged. The Imperial Capital has returned to normal order," the Emperor said to Ye Yunfei.
"That's good. If so, I am preparing to depart the Imperial Capital," Ye Yunfei said.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, you killed many disciples of the Huangtian Sect. You must be careful. If the Huangtian Sect learns of this, they may come to cause trouble," the Empress Dowager said, somewhat worried.
It should be noted that the Huangtian Sect was a powerful sect within the Eastern Region, possessing immense prestige and truly terrifying overall strength.
"It's of no consequence. A mere Huangtian Sect is hardly a concern. They had best not provoke me, for otherwise, they would be unable to bear the consequences," Ye Yunfei coldly chuckled.
"Great Master Ye Yunfei, the great sects of the Eastern Region are not to be underestimated. Not only do they possess many Sage Realm experts, it's said they even have True Manifestation Realm powerhouses at their core. A True Manifestation Realm powerhouse is a terrifying being who can split mountains and shatter stones with bare hands, block rivers, and even grasp the stars and seize the moon," the Empress Dowager insisted, her concern still evident.
"Empress Dowager, please set your mind at ease. I know my own limits," Ye Yunfei nodded and replied.
"Since that is the case, I shall say no more. In any case, Great Master Ye Yunfei, prioritize caution above all," seeing Ye Yunfei's unwavering attitude, the Empress Dowager couldn't very well press further.
"Master, you are leaving the Imperial Capital? What if... I were to accompany you? That way, I could freely listen to your teachings at any time," Chen Xuan suddenly asked Ye Yunfei.
"There is no need. Remain in the Imperial Capital. I shall impart some additional alchemy experience to you. Strive to become a Fifth-Grade Alchemist sooner," Ye Yunfei said. As he spoke, he pointed a finger and infused some fragmented alchemy experiences directly into Chen Xuan's mind.
Ye Yunfei had once been an Alchemy Sovereign. How profound his alchemy skills were! Even fragmented alchemy experiences of his were indescribably precious. If Chen Xuan truly absorbed these fragments, let alone a Fifth-Grade Alchemist, there was even hope for him to become a Sixth-Grade or even Seventh-Grade Alchemist.
"Thank you, Master, for this great grace of imparting your arts!" After barely sensing the alchemy experiences Ye Yunfei had infused into his mind, Chen Xuan was so overcome with ecstasy on the spot that his entire body trembled, and he knelt heavily before Ye Yunfei, calling out loudly.
He knew full well that the accumulated alchemy experience of an alchemist was as precious as their very life. Yet Ye Yunfei had casually bestowed upon him such a wealth of treasured experience, moving Chen Xuan to the point where tears nearly welled in his eyes.