Zhou Yan inquired with curiosity.
"Brother Zhou Yan, my name is Liu Yan'er. You can call me Yan'er from now on," Liu Yan'er replied with a sweet smile.
"Liu Yan'er," Zhou Yan repeated. Then, he added, "By the way, Sister Yan'er, do you know if there are any major powers around here?"
"Powers?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yan'er blinked her eyes and pondered.
"Brother Zhou Yan, are you planning revenge?"
After a moment, Liu Yan'er's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "As far as I know, the three most powerful factions within the southwest city are the Tian Yuan Sect, the Tian Lei Sect, and the Lie Yan Valley."
"Besides them, there are some minor forces."
"Among these three major powers, the Tian Yuan Sect is the weakest, with only one True Gang realm expert guarding it. The Lie Yan Valley is at the bottom."
Liu Yan'er spoke fluently, "However, the Lie Yan Valley has gathered many experts, with quite a few Condensing Pill realm martial artists."
"As for the Tian Lei Sect, they have always been at odds with the Tian Yuan Sect, and they even joined forces with some rogue cultivators to form the Tian Lei Alliance!"
"Tian Lei Alliance?"
Zhou Yan frowned.
He vaguely felt that this Tian Lei Alliance was probably not simple!
"The leader of the Tian Lei Alliance, Lei Batian, is rumored to be a ninth-level True Gang realm expert, possessing immense power."
"Furthermore, he has a brother who is a fourth-level True Gang realm martial artist, whose combat prowess is considered heaven-defying."
Liu Yan'er continued, "Additionally, it is rumored that behind Lei Batian stands an old ancestor of the Hua Gang realm, whose power is even more terrifying, such that even the Tian Yuan Sect dares not provoke them."
"So that's how it is."
Zhou Yan realized with a start. No wonder the Tian Lei Alliance was so rampant; it was because they had a Hua Gang realm ancestor backing them!
"It seems then, that annihilating the Tian Lei Alliance will not be easy."
Zhou Yan touched his nose, his eyes flickering.
"Yes."
Liu Yan'er sighed, "However, Brother Zhou Yan, if you are willing to join our Tian Yuan Sect, with my father's influence, perhaps he can help you resolve this trouble."
"Don't worry, as long as you become my disciple, I will definitely help you sort it out!"
"Once I master the Star Devouring Demonic Art and my strength increases greatly, I will go to the Tian Yuan Sect and have my father help you," Liu Yan'er vowed.
"Heh."
Zhou Yan sneered.
Become your disciple?
If I become the disciple of a drama queen like you, what's the point?
"No need."
Zhou Yan shook his head and said calmly, "A mere Tian Lei Alliance, I can handle it myself."
"Tch."
Liu Yan'er pouted. "You, a sixth-level Innate realm martial artist, even if you've mastered the Star Devouring Demonic Art, your strength will only be below the True Gang realm."
"You're simply not qualified to confront the Tian Lei Alliance head-on."
"Besides, you alone, how many Tian Lei Alliance martial disciples can you kill? How many True Gang realm martial artists can you slay?"
"And even if you can defeat the people of the Tian Lei Alliance, can you resist a Hua Gang realm expert?"
"That Hua Gang realm expert of the Tian Lei Alliance must have a guard force, hundreds of thousands of elite martial disciples."
"How can you fight them alone?"
"In short, you'll just have to wait to be tortured to death by the people of the Tian Lei Alliance."
Liu Yan'er looked frustrated, as if she couldn't stand his stubbornness.
"..."
Zhou Yan's lips twitched; he was utterly speechless.
This girl truly grew up in a pampered environment.
At her age, she was already so naive.
"No matter what you say, I will not give you this Star Devouring Demonic Art," Zhou Yan's attitude was firm.
"You..."
Liu Yan'er was exasperated, "Why are you so stubborn?"
"I'm doing this for your own good."
"I don't need it."
Zhou Yan shook his head and turned to leave.
"Hey, Brother Zhou Yan, don't go..."
Liu Yan'er stomped her foot and chased after him angrily.
"What exactly do you want?"
Zhou Yan stopped and asked with a frown.
"Heh heh."
Liu Yan'er stuck out her tongue and smiled playfully, "Brother Zhou Yan, I'm hungry. Take me to eat something."
"What do you want to eat?" Zhou Yan pondered for a moment and asked.
He had many foods in his memory.
However, those ingredients were extremely precious and valuable.
"I want to eat dragon liver and phoenix gall..."
Liu Yan'er's eyes sparkled.
Her favorite foods right now were these two.
"Uh..."
Zhou Yan's mouth twitched.
This girl, she really knew how to eat!
"Cough cough..."
Zhou Yan coughed dryly and pretended to be serious, "Sister Yan'er, these two things are not suitable for you."
"Not suitable for me?"
Liu Yan'er was stunned and asked doubtfully, "Why aren't they suitable for me? Are they very smelly?"
"They're not smelly, they smell very good," Zhou Yan shook his head and said seriously.
"Then why do you say they're not suitable for me?" Liu Yan'er became displeased and glared at Zhou Yan.
"Because..."
Zhou Yan paused, his face slightly flushed, "They are food for men."
"Food for men?"
Liu Yan'er blinked her eyes, seeming to understand but not quite.
However, she was clever and immediately guessed a hint of the truth, a blush of shame and anger appearing on her face.
"Pervert!"
She muttered and ran off in a huff.
"Alas..."
Watching Liu Yan'er walk away, Zhou Yan sighed softly and thought to himself, "I hope she doesn't misunderstand."
What happened just now was purely a joke.
However, Liu Yan'er was quite cute...
"Eh?"
Just then, Zhou Yan's gaze fell on the black stone ring on his right wrist.
The black stone ring had disappeared.
"Could it be that after absorbing a part of the 'Blood Fiend Demonic Spirit', its storage space has increased?"
Zhou Yan mumbled to himself.
"Brother Zhou Yan, what are you muttering about?"
Liu Yan'er ran back and asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing."
Zhou Yan shook his head and then changed the subject, asking, "Sister Yan'er, does your Liu family have any artifact refiners?"
"Artifact refiners?"
Liu Yan'er was startled, then shook her head, "Although my father is an artifact refiner, he only excels at forging spirit weapons and treasures."
"As for alchemy, he only has a rudimentary understanding."
"Furthermore, there are no powerful artifact refiners in our Liu family."
The Liu family was merely an ordinary merchant family.
There were indeed artifact refiners within the clan, but there were only two, and their status was not high.
"In that case, forget it."
Zhou Yan nodded slightly and couldn't be bothered to ask further.
"Brother Zhou Yan, I heard that near the Imperial City, there is a mountain range called 'Huo Yan Ridge', and within it, there is a Scarlet Flame Python, a seventh-rank demon beast whose strength has reached the peak of the fifth grade!"
Liu Yan'er suddenly remembered something and said excitedly, "Moreover, that Scarlet Flame Python has mastered a secret technique – the Scorching Heaven Secret Codex!"
"Scorching Heaven Secret Codex?"
Zhou Yan's eyes lit up.
"That's right."
Liu Yan'er exclaimed, "Legend has it that by cultivating this Scorching Heaven Secret Codex, one can possess the power to scorch the heavens!"
"If the Scorching Heaven Secret Codex is cultivated to the eighth level of completion, one can summon a wisp of heavenly fire to burn the void!"