Xiao Yan feigned a look of sudden realization when he saw Hai Bodong staring intently at the Soul Command. He picked up the token with a smile and said, "This? Oh, it's a protective talisman given to me by my clan elders. I heard it has the effect of bringing good fortune and avoiding misfortune."
Hai Bodong could naturally sense that it was a Soul Communication Tool, not some protective talisman bullshit.
Creating such a Soul Communication Tool required extremely powerful Spiritual Strength. Usually only alchemists could make them. The principle was the same as making pill recipes.
It was precisely because such items existed that alchemists were referred to as hornets' nests.
Once an alchemist was attacked, they could use this kind of soul tool to send out a distress call for help. [A/N: As Yao Lao had done twice in the original work.]
Looking at Xiao Yan, who was smiling, leaning back in his chair with crossed legs, and interlocking his fingers in front of him, Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes and slowly descended from the air.
Who was he, Hai Bodong? The former Ice Emperor. He was known for his cold and domineering demeanor. No one had ever dared to take anything from his hands forcibly, yet Xiao Yan had broken this taboo and even extorted him.
It would be a lie to say that Hai Bodong hadn't entertained the thought of snatching back the map fragment after recovering his strength.
"It is indeed a good protective talisman." Hai Bodong squeezed out a smile, but never made a move.
It was because he recalled Yun Yun's words from a few days ago and the fact that Gu He and the others had returned empty-handed.
A hint of a smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face as he put the Soul Command Token back into his storage ring. He truly wasn't worried, because he had already predicted this outcome.
He had been probing Hai Bodong from the moment he entered the shop.
It started when he deliberately mentioned infiltrating the Snake-People Tribe's treasury, then lied about finding a beast technique scroll containing Medusa's sealing technique and giving it to his elders. This was all a test.
It wasn't that he intentionally made up a nonexistent 'powerful elder' to intimidate Hai Bodong. Rather, he was probing what kind of information Hai Bodong had received after Yun Yun and the others left.
Yun Yun had let him escape, so she needed to give Gu He a reason. As a wind-attribute Dou Emperor, Yun Yun was the fastest in the Jia Ma Empire. There was no way she couldn't have caught up with him.
As such, there was only one excuse for her not being able to obtain the Heavenly Flame: she had been intercepted by a second party.
Back when they were fighting for the Heavenly Flame in the Mei Snake Tribe, Gu He and the others indeed believed there were two people on Xiao Yan's side. One was the black-robed man who infiltrated the Holy City to snatch the Heavenly Flame, and the other was the mysterious expert who caused chaos to create a diversion.
Thus, Yun Yun's excuse was perfect. No one would doubt it.
It's just that no one would have imagined that the mysterious expert causing chaos was actually a Fire Spirit that could traverse through space.
So Xiao Yan deduced that Yun Yun would use the interference of a mysterious expert as an excuse.
When he mentioned having elders Hai Bodong didn't doubt for a moment whether these supposed 'elders' truly existed. He only doubted whether the seal could really be removed.
At that moment, Xiao Yan confirmed that Yun Yun had indeed claimed a second mysterious expert had blocked her, thus allowing the black-robed man to escape.
And Hai Bodong was aware of this information.
For this reason, when Xiao Yan offered to break Hai Bodong's seal, he didn't beat around the bush or take any secret precautions. He was so confident and quick in breaking the seal.
It was as if he wasn't afraid of Hai Bodong going back on his word at all. After all, he had confirmed through their previous conversations that Hai Bodong wouldn't dare, especially since he had planted the notion that 'I have powerful elders behind me.'
With a slight smile, Xiao Yan gently stroked his storage ring with his finger and said, "How careless of me, I almost forgot to congratulate Old Hai."
He slowly stood up from his seat, cupped his hands in a very standard congratulatory gesture, and said softly, "Junior Xiao Yan congratulates Old Hai on regaining his Dou Emperor strength."
His gesture could be said to be flawless. It not only gave Hai Bodong a face but also served as a self-introduction, hinting that he had no intention of being an enemy.
"Sigh." Hai Bodong shook his head with a bitter smile on his face. He took out the remaining half of the map fragment from his storage ring and said, "Forget it, forget it. I've been looking at this map fragment for over twenty years and haven't been able to decipher anything. Perhaps you are the one destined to have it. This map fragment is yours now."
Xiao Yan reached out to accept this smooth-textured map fragment. As he examined it up and down, a faint sense of antiquity and ancient charm washed over him. It seemed that this map fragment had experienced quite a long history.
While holding this small piece of map in his hand, he took out the other small piece he had previously obtained from Hai Bodong from his storage ring. Then he carefully fitted the two pieces together and, after finding that there was no gap at the joint, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"As for half of the Miteer Auction House, I won't go back on my word. I'll take you to the auction house to explain this matter whenever you have time. I just hope that you can lend a hand if the auction house encounters any issues in the future." Hai Bodong waved his hand casually.
Xiao Yan didn't push his luck and replied, "Old Hai overestimates me. This junior is just an ordinary alchemist and isn't skilled in business management and operations. I just hope that the auction house can provide me with the necessary medicinal ingredients when I need them for alchemy. As for daily operations and revenue, I won't take a single coin."
"Cut the crap. Ordinary alchemists don't have Heavenly Flames. And the medicinal ingredients you need for alchemy, I'm afraid we'd have to turn the entire Jia Ma Empire upside down to find them." Hai Bodong rolled his eyes at him. Not even a ghost would believe his nonsense.
"About the favor I owe you, you can find me whenever you need it, or you can give me a Soul Communication Tool to notify me when you need something."
"There's no need to owe favors. I need Old Hai's help with something right now." Xiao Yan revealed his bright white teeth as he grinned.
"Right now? You little rascal really don't visit the temple without a cause. So you came knocking to help break my seal because you needed this old man's help with something." Hai Bodong's lips twitched. No wonder this brat Xiao Yan ran over to break his seal. It turned out he needed a Dou Emperor to do something for him!
"Speak, what do you need my help for? But let me tell you first, I used to be a 5-star Dou Emperor, but after being sealed for over twenty years, even though the seal is now broken, my strength has dropped to only a 1-star Dou Emperor." Hai Bodong was a bit helpless. Being sealed for too long had caused his Dou Qi to scatter significantly, and his cultivation had fallen to just one star.
"The First Elder of the Mo Clan in Yan City, Mo Cheng, has captured one of my people. I want Old Hai to accompany me to the Mo Clan to get that person back."
"The Mo Clan has captured one of your people?" Hai Bodong fell silent for a moment before continuing, "I had some dealings with the Mo Clan back in the day, so I know a few of their secrets. The Mo Clan's ancestors liked to research experiments where they removed the sturdy claws or bones from magical beasts and transplanted them onto human bodies. Your person must have something special about them."
Xiao Yan's eyes darkened. It was indeed because of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
'If anything happens to Qing Lin, I will make the Mo Clan pay the price.'
"I've heard of Mo Cheng here in Desert City. He's a 5-star Dou Spirit, but he's cunning and has built a good relationship between the Mo Clan and the Misty Cloud Sect. They've basically gained the Misty Cloud Sect's tacit protection." Hai Bodong could not help but frown. A 5-star Dou Spirit was not much of a threat, but the colossal behemoth that was the Misty Cloud Sect was another matter entirely.
Attacking the Mo Clan would be akin to slapping the face of the Misty Cloud Sect.
In the Jia Ma Empire, even the imperial family was wary of the Misty Cloud Sect. There was even a vague sense that the Misty Cloud Sect had risen above the imperial family.
"Old Hai, you can rest assured. I can handle Mo Cheng on my own. If we can secure a peaceful release, all the better. If not, I just need Old Hai to help hold off Yan City's garrison and the Mo Clan's people."
Hai Bodong glanced at Xiao Yan and snorted, "Are you implying that I'm afraid of the Misty Cloud Sect?! While I have no desire to offend the Misty Cloud Sect, I, Hai Bodong, am a man of my word. If necessary, I can take action and deal with this Mo Cheng for you."
"Then I thank Old Hai in advance. But I believe it won't come to that. Time is of the essence. The longer we delay, the more variables arise. Let's set off."
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and waved to Hai Bodong beside him. Then, after determining the direction, his Purple Cloud Wings unfurled, and he slowly rose into the air.
Then, together with Hai Bodong, they soared into the sky. Their wings flapped as they transformed into two streaks of light that quickly disappeared into the horizon.
They flew for a full day and night before arriving at Yan City.
"Little Brother Xiao Yan, are you really just a Dou Grandmaster?" Hai Bodong was dumbfounded. For a Dou Emperor like him, flying for a day and a night was normal. But for Xiao Yan, who was relying on a flying-type Dou Technique as a Dou Grandmaster, it was unbelievable that he could sustain such a flight for so long!!
Xiao Yan naturally understood Hai Bodong's bewilderment and laughed, "Perhaps it's because of the Heavenly Flame. It makes my Dou Qi more durable."
"The Heavenly Flame has this ability too?"
...
Yan City was located on the bustling main road of the eastern province of the Jia Ma Empire. Its location as a transportation hub made it the largest city in the eastern province of the empire. It was heavily garrisoned by imperial troops year-round.
Apart from the empire's forces, the strongest power in Yan City was naturally their target this time, the Mo Clan!
Although a big tree catches the wind easily, with the Misty Cloud Sect as their backing, even the Jia Ma Empire's imperial family wouldn't easily cause trouble for the Mo Clan.
"We've been flying for a day and night. It's best if we find an inn to rest before heading to the Mo Clan," Hai Bodong glanced at Xiao Yan and said.
Xiao Yan nodded. If they were to storm into the Mo Clan, he needed to be in top condition.
The two landed a few hundred meters outside Yan City and joined the flow of people heading into the city.
As they approached the city gate, Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong noticed that there were dozens of fully armed soldiers standing on both sides of the city wall, their sharp gazes constantly scanning the passing pedestrians.
Xiao Yan frowned slightly. The security level here was comparable to that of the imperial capital.
"Tsk tsk tsk, the Mo Clan is really putting on a big show. It's just the birthday of their First Elder Mo Cheng, yet they even have the city guards under their command." Xiao Yan suddenly heard a few men in mercenary attire whispering in front of him.
"It can't be helped. I heard that even the Misty Cloud Sect has sent people over to prevent anyone from causing trouble."
"Oh? Even the Misty Cloud Sect has sent people? This Mo Cheng sure has a lot of face."
"In the eyes of the Misty Cloud Sect, what does a mere Mo Clan amount to? If it weren't for the massive tributes the Mo Clan pays them every year, the Misty Cloud Sect wouldn't lower themselves to associate with them." A mercenary curled his lip in disdain.
Xiao Yan inwardly nodded. He very much agreed with this mercenary's words. The people of the Misty Cloud Sect really did have their noses in the air.
The Mo Clan had only one or two more Dou Spirits compared to his Xiao Clan. Now, with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li consolidating the mercenary business in Rock Desert City, coupled with the Xiao Clan dominating the entire Wu Tan City with Xiao Yan's help a few years ago, it wouldn't be long before the Xiao Clan's strength would match or even surpass that of the Mo Clan.
In fact, with the inclusion of Xiao Yan, the Mo Clan was already no match for the Xiao Clan.
Just as Xiao Yan was about to move forward to enter the city gate, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from not far behind him.
Several men and women riding fine horses were galloping over. The dust they kicked up on the way enraged the people lined up on the side. However, when their angry glances landed on the leading figure on horseback, they immediately swallowed their grievances and did not dare to make a sound.
Xiao Yan glanced over. The leader was a young woman wearing a set of tight red clothes that perfectly accentuated her exquisite figure. A small crystal ornament hung from her clean forehead, swaying slightly and adding a hint of liveliness to her face that carried a pampered and willful air.
It wasn't until the hoofbeats began to fade that a chorus of curses erupted.
"Damn it, she thinks she owns the place just because she's the Second Young Lady of the Mo Clan."
Xiao Yan frowned slightly. It seemed that the Mo Clan's education left a lot to be desired.
"If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked. This Mo Clan is rotten from the inside out."
"Haha, all big clans are like this. They act like local emperors in their own cities." Hai Bodong laughed.
Shaking his head slightly, Xiao Yan entered the largest inn in Yan City with Hai Bodong. After expressing their desire to book two rooms, the rather attractive maid looked them over and replied with a sweet smile, "Sirs, may I ask if you have an invitation from the Mo Clan?"
"Invitation?" Xiao Yan frowned and shook his head. "No. Is this Yan City or Mo City? Why do we need an invitation from the Mo Clan?"
"Excuse me, sir. All the inns in Yan City are fully booked by the Mo Clan for the next few days. We are only accommodating their guests," the attendant's smile was quite perfunctory as she replied.
"Wow, this Mo Clan is even more domineering than the Misty Cloud Sect." Xiao Yan shook his head and let out a mocking laugh.
"Where did this country bumpkin come from, daring to criticize my Mo Clan for being domineering in Yan City?!" Suddenly, a cold, mocking female voice came from behind Xiao Yan.
With his powerful Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan didn't need to turn around to know it was precisely the Second Young Lady of the Mo Clan who had just ridden in.
"Aren't you just proving how domineering your Mo Clan is?" Xiao Yan retorted with a sneer, not even bothering to turn around.
"You little brat are courting death!" Hearing his mocking tone, the Second Young Lady of the Mo Clan, who had always been pampered and treated like a treasure, immediately furrowed her brows. The long whip in her hand transformed into a black shadow with a whoosh, viciously lashing toward Xiao Yan.
The onlookers shook their heads in silence, feeling sorry for Xiao Yan.
Whoosh! Suddenly, a streak of black flame appeared out of thin air. The Nihility Devouring Flame instantly incinerated the weapon forged from the monster core of a rank 2 magical beast into nothingness.
Before anyone could react to what had happened, a large hand shot out like a venomous snake and grabbed the Second Young Lady of the Mo Clan by the throat, lifting her half a meter off the ground.
"Three years ago, someone was as arrogant as you. As a result, I broke two of their fingers. Do you want to try it too?"
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Original Author Note:
Regarding Questions About the Green Lotus Core Flame
The author did not suppress Xiao Yan's cultivation level!!!
In the original work, refining the Green Lotus Core Flame only increased Xiao Yan's cultivation level from a 2-star Dou Master to a 4-star Dou Master, a two-star improvement. Now that he is a Dou Grandmaster, he can only increase his stage by one star.
Everyone might have forgotten the original setting: refining a Heavenly Flame does not directly increase cultivation levels!
[Original setting]
Each time Xiao Yan's cultivation level increased, it was due to the environment where the Heavenly Flame was located and the additional benefits from those scenarios, which provided other things to boost his cultivation. Refining the Heavenly Flame itself does not increase cultivation levels!