In the air, a faint murderous intent seemed to be condensing, chilling the atmosphere and silencing the crowd. Everyone's gaze converged at the center of the hall, where two super prodigies were silently locking eyes.

One was a prodigy from the Yunshui Long Family, the most prominent of Yunshui's Five Families. The other was a rising star who had recently gained immense fame. Everyone was eager to see the outcome of this clash between the two.

"How is it? Young Master Long Aotian, have you been hiding on the side all this time? Why show up only now? Aren't you afraid that one careless move from me could kill your dear younger brother with a slap?" Du Fei's gaze lingered on Long Aotian for a moment, followed by a derisive smirk.

Seeing Du Fei's comment, a hint of coldness flashed in Long Aotian's eyes. However, he responded with a faint smile, "Mr. Ye Fei jests. If I had been here all along, why would I let these fools act rashly? I happened to hear about my troublesome family members bothering you, so I hurried here. When I arrived, I witnessed that previous scene... Ha, my younger brothers are accustomed to their arrogance. If there were any offenses just now, I hope Mr. Ye Fei won't take it to heart. Could you perhaps show some understanding?"

"Very well!" Du Fei glanced at Long Potian, who struggled to get up and moved behind Long Aotian. After a pause, he said with a light smile, "Since Young Master Long himself has come forward and admitted the mistake, I'll let today's incident slide... However, I'd advise you to properly discipline the members of the Long Family. Otherwise, if they provoke me again, I won't show mercy!"

"Hehe, of course, I'll definitely give them a proper lesson!" Long Aotian replied with narrowed eyes and a smile, though there was no humor in his gaze. He then continued, "I'll handle these fellows properly and give Mr. Ye Fei a satisfactory answer... However, I do have a matter to discuss with Mr. Ye Fei today. I wonder if you could grant me the honor?"

"Honor?" Du Fei frowned slightly, clearly displaying his distaste. After a moment, he responded, "If you're here for the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger, then there's no need for discussions. I'm willing to make a move for you."

"Oh? And what might the price be?" Long Aotian's expression shifted slightly, asking a bit hastily.

"Of course, the price has naturally changed a bit at this moment. I'm not one to be unreasonable," Du Fei said with a faint smile, which somewhat softened Long Aotian's expression. After chuckling, Du Fei cast a deep glance at Long Potian, then continued nonchalantly, "Earlier, I mentioned the price of 100,000 Yan Sect Pills, didn't I? I had no intention of changing that price. However, since someone so blatantly disrespected me, let's adjust it... Bring 200,000 Yan Sect Pills, and I'll hand over the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger immediately. If you don't have it, don't bother me..."

"Say that again?" At Du Fei's indifferent words, not only did the atmosphere grow tenser, but Long Aotian's face also turned cold as he demanded a repetition in a frosty tone.

"200,000 Yan Sect Pills!" Du Fei, unfazed, slowly raised two fingers, then added with a smile, "Of course, I welcome anyone who dares to steal it, be it openly or covertly. But at that time, I won't be showing mercy. Furthermore, for each attempt to steal it, the price will double... Hehe... Regardless, Young Master Long Aotian is always welcome to do business with me. After all, that thing is utterly useless to me! Hahaha..."

Having spoken, Du Fei didn't bother to look at Long Aotian's expression. Instead, he turned to Yun Yuqing, saying lightly, "Miss Yun, my apologies. Although I initially considered collaborating with the Yun Family, I've lost that interest now. So, I'm truly sorry. If you wish to blame someone, blame those who don't appreciate goodwill..."

With that, before Yun Yuqing could react, Du Fei swept his sleeves and began to leisurely exit the hall.

Many in the hall were dumbfounded by Du Fei's audacious demeanor, seemingly puzzled. How could a mere alchemist be so arrogant?

"Eldest Cousin, are we just letting him leave like that?" Watching Du Fei's departing figure, Long Potian, who stood behind Long Aotian, wiped the blood from his mouth and asked with a hint of coldness in his voice.

"How else would you want it to be? Ye Fei isn't as simple as he appears on the surface. If I were to act, though I'm confident in capturing him, it wouldn't be without difficulty on my part... With the Palace Contest imminent, it's pointless to upset my preparations over a mere Ye Fei... After the Palace Contest concludes, hehehe..." Long Aotian's smile faded, followed by a chilling remark.

"But Eldest Cousin, isn't the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger crucial for your participation in this Palace Contest? If we wait until after the contest, would it be..." Long Potian said, his expression showing uncertainty, then spoke firmly after gritting his teeth.

"It's alright. Those who have acted from the Yunshui's Five Families this time are all worthless. The only concerns are the two from the royal family participating in the Palace Contest. But my Master has already promised me, sending inner disciples to assist me, so there's no need to worry... As for Ye Fei, it seems he's also participating in the Palace Contest, right? Then, he better pray he doesn't encounter me during the contest... Otherwise, I'll surely peel his skin off, bit by bit!" Long Aotian's smile was chilling, exuding a murderous intent so palpable that even Long Potian, standing behind him, sensed it. His complexion shifted, recognizing that when his Eldest Cousin showed such an expression, it indicated a boiling killing intent. Over the years, it had rarely emerged. Surprisingly, Ye Fei had managed to incite such rage in him.

"Hehe. Miss Yun, I unintentionally disrupted the affairs of the Yunshui Yun Family this time. My apologies." After a brief moment of pondering, Long Aotian appeared to recollect something. He delicately bowed toward Yun Yuqing in the distance and softly murmured.

"It's fine. That man, relying on his minor alchemy skills, is overly arrogant. It's good that Young Master Long stepped in to resolve the issue, otherwise I'm not sure how to handle the situation myself," Yun Yuqing responded calmly, reciprocating the gesture to Long Aotian.

"Oh? So, he even declined the invitation of the Yunshui Yun Family? Seems like he's quite ambitious... planning to participate in the Palace Contest. Does he intend to directly join the royal family or perhaps the Junwu Sect?" Long Aotian mused with a cold chuckle. "Waiting for a better offer, is he?"

...

Walking leisurely through the spacious Shuntian Pavillion, after making a few rounds, Du Fei confidently returned to the courtyard he was temporarily residing in. Once in the courtyard, he let out a sigh, tossed Little Tiger onto the ground, and settled into a stone chair.

After some contemplation, Du Fei suddenly sighed, "Long Aotian is not easy to deal with. Little Bai, in your opinion, how much stronger has that guy become compared to half a year ago?"

Little Bai's figure appeared at that moment. After glancing at Du Fei, it shook its head and said, "Hard to say. That guy's Qi has only solidified a bit, which is not a big deal. But the strangest thing is, I couldn't sense his Martial Soul inside him at all. It seems that over the past six months, he has fully refined that Martial Soul... If that's the case, his combat power has increased by at least 30% compared to half a year ago."

"30%?" Hearing this, Du Fei slightly furrowed his brows. Long Aotian was already challenging enough, and now he's become 30% stronger, which was somewhat unexpected.

"But this time, it's a blessing in disguise!" Little Bai suddenly slapped its little chest and exhaled deeply.

"How so?" Du Fei inquired.

"If I sensed correctly that day, the Martial Soul that Long Aotian obtained probably has some connection with the Ancient Demon Tiger Clan. Therefore, if the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger had fallen into his hands today, he might have become even more challenging. Fortunately, we got our hands on it!" Little Bai said gravely.

Hearing this, Du Fei couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Just as Little Bai mentioned, if Long Aotian had obtained the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger and given his Martial Soul's nature, Du Fei might not have stood a chance against him, even if he played all his cards.

"Speaking of which, we still have three days." Little Bai suddenly remarked.

"Hm?" Du Fei glanced at it, frowning.

"Judging by Long Aotian's demeanor, he probably won't bother you in these three days. After all, because of Long Potian's actions, most people probably know by now that the Yunshui Long Family is behind this," Little Bai whispered.

"So, should we be thanking Long Potian then?" Du Fei said with a smile.

"It's not so much about gratitude, but now that Long Aotian seems difficult to deal with, we need to find a way to enhance our strength in these three days," Little Bai mused, whispering after some thought.

"Yes, you're right. In these three days, I should be able to comprehend the Elixir's Skill. With the Elixir's Skill, it should be a significant boost for me," Du Fei nodded in agreement.

"It's just one Elixir's Skill. How much can it really enhance your strength? Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, the Palace Contest of your Da'an Dynasty is not as simple as it seems. Relying solely on practicing one Elixir's Skill might not be enough..." Little Bai slowly voiced.

"So, do you have any other solutions? Oh right, didn't you mention that if we get the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger, you can..." Du Fei hesitated.

"Yes, you're right." Little Bai nodded, pondering for a moment before whispering, "Do you have ten thousand Yan Sect Pills on hand?"

"Ten thousand?!" Du Fei's eyes twitched at the mention, and after a moment, he sighed, "Yes, I do."

Truth be told, Du Fei did have this number on hand, and it included the five thousand Yan Sect Pills gifted by the Yunshui Du Family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had that many.

"Good that you have them," Little Bai chuckled mysteriously, whispering, "Give me the ten thousand Yan Sect Pills, and within three days, I'm confident I can craft a martial talisman exclusively for you using the remains of the Ancient Demonic Tiger. With the life force Martial Talisman, you should be able to bridge the gap between you and that guy Long Aotian!"

"Really?" Du Fei questioned.

"Of course it's true! When have I ever lied to you, Master?" Little Bai rolled its eyes, "Moreover, even if you can't beat him, don't you still have the Spirit Pill Slave? That thing is terrifying once summoned!"

"Spirit Pill Slave?" Du Fei sneered, stating coolly, "Indeed, it's quite useful. However, it's not meant for Long Aotian. It's a special gift prepared for the Yunshui Long Family... Such a trump card isn't fun if played casually. When the time comes, hehehe..."

"You're saving it as a backup plan?" After sighing, Little Bai said calmly, "In that case, Master, spend these three days diligently cultivating your Elixir's Skill. As for the life force Martial Talisman, I'll do my best to refine the finest one for you. Hehehe, I surely won't be inferior to a mere damaged Martial Soul, right?"