"Whoo!"
The scar-faced brute suddenly let out a sharp whistle and pointed at the mercenaries around him.
"Heh, in this godforsaken place, there's a beauty like this?"
"That little lady's waist is damn slim."
"If I could sleep with her for one night, heh heh heh..."
"Hey, you over there, little missy."
"How about you come and have some fun with this lord—"
Before the mercenary could finish, Xiao Yan's face instantly darkened!
A chilling glint flashed in his eyes. There were two bottom lines that no one could touch.
The first was his family and friends. The second was his beloved!
Xiao Yan was extremely possessive. Forget verbal harassment of his woman.
Even a few improper looks were enough to earn death!
Before the mercenaries could finish speaking—
Boom!
An immense blast of air exploded outward!
Xiao Yan lightly tapped the ground with his toes, and the powerful pressure of a Dou Ling descended like Mount Tai.
The twelve mercenaries felt their legs give way and abruptly dropped to their knees!
Their knees instantly burst into bloody blossoms. Broken bones pierced through their trousers and dug deep into the scorching sand.
"Arghhh!"
Miserable screams were forced from their throats.
The mercenaries raised their heads, their eyes filled with shock and terror.
What was going on?
As the largest mercenary group around Desert City—
They had committed plenty of beastly deeds, bullying men and violating women. They had merely teased a woman.
Whenever they did this in the past, those people would at most walk away from a distance.
At worst, they would curse them behind their backs. But what was this now?
Such a young youth was actually a Dou Ling?
They had kicked an iron plate this time. The leading brute hurriedly lowered his head.
"M-Milord!"
"We were wrong! We failed to recognize greatness! Spare our lives!"
However, Xiao Yan did not pay them the slightest heed. He removed the Heavy Black Ruler from his back.
The several men grew even more terrified at the sight.
"N-No, you can't kill us!"
"This is an outpost! Killing is forbidden inside the outpost!"
"And we're Sand Scorpion Mercenaries—"
Before he could finish, Xiao Yan casually waved his hand.
A blazing streak shot forth at once.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Blood sprayed through the air as all twelve men were instantly cleaved into two.
Xiao Yan flicked out a spark of flame with his finger, and it streaked through the air.
It instantly struck the mercenary group's banner a hundred meters away.
With a boom, the banner instantly turned to ash and scattered with the wind.
At once, everyone nearby fled in panic.
Xiao Yi Xian gently tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, her fingertips lightly scratching his palm.
"Don't do this. Killing people in the outpost will bring trouble."
As the girl gazed into Xiao Yan's eyes, sweetness welled up in her heart.
Xiao Yan chuckled but did not answer.
He crouched down, picked Xiao Yi Xian up in his arms, spread his four wings, and turned into a streak of light as he flew toward Desert City.
Old Yao in the ring could only smile helplessly as well.
Naturally, he did not think his disciple was bloodthirsty by nature.
From what he had observed, Xiao Yan was deeply loyal and devoted to those around him.
Did it matter whether outsiders lived or died?
Xiao Yan flew extremely fast. In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, the two entered the city.
"Let's buy a map first."
After entering Desert City, Xiao Yan took Xiao Yi Xian around the entire city first.
Afterward, they headed straight for the "Ancient Map Workshop."
It was a shop that sold maps.
Of course, it also contained a wild angel investor.
The plaque reading "Ancient Map Workshop" hung crookedly, looking utterly inconspicuous.
Xiao Yan entered with Xiao Yi Xian and swept his gaze across the shop.
It finally settled on a fragmentary map in the northwestern corner.
The instant his gaze touched the fragmentary map, his heart stirred.
Damn, Hai Bodong really was bold.
He had displayed a fragmentary map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame so openly!
Xiao Yan calmly walked to the counter and looked up.
Hai Bodong was dozing behind the counter, his frost-white hair draped over yellowed maps.
When Xiao Yan picked up the parchment labeled "Tagor Desert Core Region"—
Hai Bodong's eyelids abruptly twitched.
"This one, and that one."
Xiao Yan slapped two third-tier magic cores onto the counter, his fingertip seemingly casually brushing across the fragmentary map.
"And add this fragmentary map."
"Not for sale."
Xiao Yan raised his brows, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"Not for sale? But I rather like this map."
Hai Bodong slowly raised his head. Icy crystalline glimmers flashed through his cloudy pupils.
He spoke coldly.
"Young man, there are some things you cannot touch."
With that, he sat upright and pressed his palm against the counter.
Spiderweb-like frost instantly spread throughout the entire shop, and the temperature plummeted!
Sensing the threat, Xiao Yi Xian's expression tightened as dense purple mist surged from her hand.
It corroded the frost hanging in midair.
Xiao Yan's four wings instantly spread behind him, and the Heavy Black Ruler was raised high.
Dark golden flames erupted like a raging dragon, instantly melting the ice crystals into vapor.
Xiao Yan's gaze was sharp as he stared directly at Hai Bodong.
"A peak Dou Ling?"
"Unfortunately, your cultivation has been sealed."
Hai Bodong abruptly stood up. With a crack, the counter split in half.
He stared fixedly at the youth.
"How do you know!?"
"Just who are you—"
Hai Bodong's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping together. Nine Ice Prisms slowly condensed in his palm.
"Who sent you?"
Their surging auras collided, and the shop's beams and pillars groaned under the strain.
Xiao Yan chuckled as he tossed the fragmentary map in his palm.
"Senior, how about we make a deal?"
Hai Bodong's voice was cold.
"A deal? With a brat like you?"
"Once I capture you, I'll know your identity!"
Hai Bodong's frost-white hair stirred without wind as the Ice Prisms in his palm shot forth!
The entire shop instantly turned into an ice cellar.
Xiao Yan lightly stomped his foot, and the heat wave stirred by his Fire Wings melted the ice beads into vapor.
The two simultaneously shot out of the shop!
Screech!
The Heavy Black Ruler swept across, carrying a dragon roar-like whistle through the air.
Ice Spirit Armor!
Hai Bodong shouted, and frost condensed over his body into a ferocious suit of battle armor.
The instant the ice armor collided with the heavy ruler, nine Ice Rings exploded from his battle boots!
The ground within a hundred-foot radius froze into a mirror-like surface.
Xiao Yi Xian flipped onto a rooftop and watched the battle between the two.
Xiao Yan chuckled. The Kirin Heaven Devouring Art within him suddenly began to circulate at an explosive speed!
The Crimson Flame along the ruler's edge abruptly turned blue-white.
The Fire Cloud Water Flame transformed into blue-white flames and slipped through the cracks in the ice armor, burrowing into Hai Bodong's meridians.
Hai Bodong's pupils shrank abruptly as he realized that the Ice Fighting Qi within his body had suddenly been ignited.
"This... a Heavenly Flame?!"
Break!
Xiao Yan roared, and his four wings suddenly folded inward.
A pillar of fire soaring into the heavens blasted Hai Bodong out of the shop, shattering his ice armor into countless crystal fragments in midair.
The old man crashed heavily into the stone wall across the street. Amid the spiderweb-like cracks, thin streams of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
As the smoke and dust dispersed, Hai Bodong shakily rose to his feet.
Blood dripped from the half of an Ice Spear in his hand.
He stared fixedly at the Rank 5 Alchemist badge Xiao Yan had just taken out and was idly playing with.
"A Heavenly Flame... a Rank 5 Alchemist...?"
"At your age, how is that possible?!"
Xiao Yan flicked out the gilded badge and answered softly.
"You only need to know that I can help you break the seal."
Hai Bodong suddenly coughed up black blood mixed with ice shards, and a sharp light appeared in his cloudy eyes.
"If you can truly help me recover my cultivation, forget a mere fragmentary map."
"Even if I must climb mountains of blades and descend into seas of fire, I would not hesitate!"
"But the Tribulation Breaking Pill! Can you refine it?"
He tore open his shirt, exposing the vicious Serpent Brand on his chest.
"That is a Sixth-grade Pill!"
Xiao Yan looked at Hai Bodong, confidence in his voice.
"Yes!"
Before you continue