"Uncle Liu, is there something you need to report?" Yue Lan, now dressed in a Luo skirt, presented a different aura from what she had on the auction stage; her willow brows soft, cherry lips, rosy cheeks, and skin white like jade transforming her demeanor from the zealous fervor on stage to a serene and mysterious presence, truly a woman of many facets.

"Miss, today there was a skirmish at the East Gate. It is said to have been provoked by Lian Hao of the Lian Family." Hearing Yue Lan's inquiry, the Grand Steward who had previously attended to Zhu Bufan respectfully spoke, fully aware of Yue Lan's identity and thus did not dare to show any neglect.

"Hmph, was it that guy?" Upon hearing the Grand Steward's words, Yue Lan let out a disdainful cold sneer, clearly showing her loathing for this Lian Hao, "What finally happened? For this Young Master of the Lian Family to cause such a big scene, it mustn't be simple. Who did he end up forcing to death this time?"

"That... Before that, I have something I want you to look at, Miss." Having said that, the Grand Steward took out five Fiery Fire Talismans that Zhu Bufan had sold to him from his Storage Ring.

"The color is translucent and clear, the energy pure and unadulterated. To be able to refine a Jade Talisman to such clarity, the refiner must have used more than mere common Primordial Qi Fire. Uncle Liu, where did these come from? The method and craftsmanship of this Artifact Refiner are quite exceptional." As soon as she held it, Yue Lan quickly identified the characteristics of the Jade Talisman, even quicker than the Grand Steward, showing her profound expertise.

"Miss, the person Lian Hao was trying to capture is the same person who sold us these talismans, and the reason might be due to the veiled lady who has been accompanying him."

"Oh?" Hearing it was because of a lady, Yue Lan immediately became interested. Regardless of the lady's quality, there was a sense of competitiveness that naturally arose with Yue Lan, especially being a proud and peerless beauty herself.

"Given Lian Hao's character, I need not mention it, Uncle Liu, your insight is incisive; surely a mere veil isn't too much for you?" Seeing Yue Lan's meaningful gaze, the Grand Steward chuckled bitterly and then said, "In my view, that lady, in terms of looks and demeanor, perhaps is only slightly inferior to you, Miss."

"Oh? Are you certain, Uncle Liu?" Seeing the glint in Yue Lan's eyes, Uncle Liu sighed internally again, "Although Miss is capable enough to handle things on her own despite her young age, she is still a maiden in the bloom of youth who indeed cares about these matters." Thinking so, Uncle Liu nodded his head.

"But it's a pity, such a beauty falling into Lian Hao's hands, it's probably..." At this point, Yue Lan could already imagine how dire Huo Ling's future would be if she ended up in Lian Hao's hands.

"That Miss, neither of them was caught and according to our spies, in the battle at East Gate, two Guard Captains of the Lian Family died, and even Lian Hao himself was severely injured. It's said that even his Cultivation was destroyed. Lian Xie, the Family Head of the Lian Family, and Lin Ya of the Black Dam Army have gone together to pursue those two."

"You mean Lian Hao went to kill them and ended up with two dead and one cripple? What level of Cultivation does that person have? Was Lian Hao foolish enough to provoke someone from the Bone Forger Realm? But that's impossible; although Lian Hao's character is corrupt, he is very clear-headed. How could he be stupid enough to provoke a Bone Forger Cultivator?"

"No, Miss, that man is only in the Body Tempering Sixth Layer Heaven realm, and if I am not mistaken, the lady is just in the Body Tempering First Layer Heaven realm." Shaking his head, the Grand Steward revealed a piece of jaw-dropping news.

"You mean the person who sold you the Jade Talisman, at the realm of Body Tempering Sixth Layer Heaven, and accompanied by a woman at Body Tempering First Layer Heaven, managed to break out of the encirclement, not only slaying two Lian Family Guard Captains with at least Body Tempering Seventh Layer Heaven but also crippling Lian Hao? Are you sure the information is correct?" Yue Lan widened her beautiful phoenix eyes, looking as if she heard the biggest joke.

"Miss, I assure you that what I said is absolutely true, and, moreover, the reports also said that the young man used Poison Fire."

"Poison Fire... Uncle Liu, you mean..."

"Miss, when I spoke with this young man initially, I felt there were untruths in his words. Now thinking back, these Jade Talismans might indeed have been refined by this young man." After a moment of contemplation, the Grand Steward finally voiced his speculation.

"It seems you have everything arranged, Uncle Liu. Notify me again if there's any new information. A person who can control Poison Fire and a peerless beauty, could they be foreigners?"

The moment Zhu Bufan opened his eyes, he felt pain all over his body. Looking down, Zhu Bufan realized his body was covered in wounds, battered as though he were a tattered sack. If he were an ordinary person, he would likely have died from the pain or bled out.

"You've woken up!" Seeing Zhu Bufan awakening, Emperor Yan was the first to flash in front of Zhu Bufan and said, "Quickly, take this now!"

Without hesitation, Zhu Bufan swiftly swallowed the elixir handed to him by Emperor Yan, and instantly, a cool flow of Qi began to spread from Zhu Bufan's mouth. Gradually, the severe pain on Zhu Bufan's body was greatly relieved.

It turned out that because Zhu Bufan was in meditation, despite having sustained such severe injuries, everyone still didn't dare to touch his body. It's well known that disturbing someone during cultivation could result in a backlash of Primordial Qi, causing light injuries at best, and at worst, causing the body to burst and leading to death.

Therefore, seeing Zhu Bufan, despite being covered in wounds, still in a state of meditation, the three present could only anxiously wait. Only after seeing Zhu Bufan emit a large amount of blood from wounds all over his body again, and no further harm occurred, did the three manage to calm their spirits and wait for Zhu Bufan to wake up.

"What exactly happened? How did you get those injuries, could it be... you encountered a Nightmare?" Mentioning the Nightmare, the faces of Wang Hui and Huo Ling turned exceptionally ugly.

A Nightmare, as any cultivator would say, is something no one wishes to encounter. It's a type of demon beast that can enter someone's dreams to hunt their spirit, and any injury incurred in battle within the dream reflects directly on one's physical body.

Moreover, in a dream, the strength of one's cultivation does not affect the outcome of the battle. In such battles, only those with strong spirits can triumph. Being a demon beast that specializes in spiritual attacks and is at least Sixth Rank, the Nightmare's spiritual power is indeed not something ordinary cultivators can match.

"No." Shaking his head, Zhu Bufan said, "It's something even more troublesome than a Nightmare, kind of a test, I suppose." Seeing Zhu Bufan's vague explanation, Emperor Yan did not inquire further, knowing first that Zhu Bufan's current state was not suitable for questioning, and secondly understanding that with the presence of outsiders like Wang Hui and Huo Ling, Zhu Bufan naturally would not elaborate.

Now that he had awakened, it was naturally time to treat his injuries. Zhu Bufan's body was mostly covered in external injuries, and although his internal organs also suffered some impact due to previous injuries inflicted by Lian Xie, Zhu Bufan was truly suffering from compounded injuries. Thankfully, with Wang Hui, the Alchemist cum Doctor present, Zhu Bufan's injuries were quickly stabilized, and he fell into a deep sleep.

In a drowsy state, Zhu Bufan slept for seven days. Upon waking on the seventh day, although his face was still pale, his breathing was smooth, showing that the seven days of sleep had indeed helped him recover substantially.

"You are awake? Here, eat this." Seeing Zhu Bufan wake up, Wang Hui slightly smiled and handed a white elixir to Zhu Bufan, who without hesitating, swallowed it immediately. Upon entering his mouth, the elixir transformed into a warm flow, moistening Zhu Bufan's heart and internal organs.

"Master Wang, these past few days, I really owe you for your care. If it weren't for you, Zhu Bufan definitely couldn't have recovered so quickly, I might not even have a place to stay." Feeling the cool sensation flowing inside him, Zhu Bufan earnestly thanked Wang Hui.

"Haha, young brother, you are too polite. Before being an Alchemist, I am foremost a Doctor, and saving lives is my duty. I can't really accept your thanks, not to mention, had it not been for that senior, just because you are outsiders, I had to save you." Wang Hui chuckled and placed his hand on Zhu Bufan's wrist, starting to check on Zhu Bufan's internal injuries.

"Outsiders, Master Wang, are you also an outsider?" Hearing Wang Hui's words, Zhu Bufan asked in surprise.

"Yes." Nodding his head, Wang Hui replied, "Seven years ago, while I was fighting a demon tiger, I was wrapped in a red light and pulled in here, while that demon tiger disappeared after coming here, and I ended up staying."

"In the first few years, I always hoped to find a way to leave, but my identity as an Alchemist made the City Lords of the Three Great Cities unwilling to let me go. Honestly, living here in the First Layer, although I am respected on the surface, in reality, it's no different from being imprisoned in the First Layer." Wang Hui frankly responded to Zhu Bufan's inquiry.

"In fact, I also tried forcibly breaking through the gate, aiming to go to the Second Layer, but it appears that the City Lords of the Three Great Cities were committed to not letting me leave. Facing the three of them together, I had no hope of breaking out, and gradually, I gave up the idea of leaving the First Layer."

"Master Wang, are you really content with this?" Staring at Wang Hui, Zhu Bufan asked in a solemn tone.

"What can I do if I am not content? In the First Layer, no one can oppose the three City Lords, their cultivation has already reached the Soul Refining Realm. If it were one-on-one, I am indeed not afraid of any one of them, but one against two, and let alone one against three, is beyond what I can handle." Saying this, Wang Hui revealed a hint of helplessness.

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