Purification Lotus Demon Flame Map Fragment, At Daggers Drawn

Xiao Yan was startled and immediately abandoned any thought of snatching it by force. He communicated with Yao Lao in his heart, "Teacher, is there something strange about this man?"

Xiao Yan trusted Yao Lao, his teacher, one hundred percent. Since he said there was something wrong with the old man before them, then there had to be something wrong with the old fellow.

"Mm. Based on my observations, this old fellow's true strength is that of a Dou Huang. However, there is a peculiar force within his body that has heavily sealed his power, leaving him with only the cultivation of a Dou Ling at present. Even so, killing you would be as easy as turning his hand." Yao Lao said teasingly.

"A Dou Huang?" Xiao Yan blurted out. "How is that possible? Among the Gama Empire's ten strongest experts, only three are Dou Huangs. The rest are merely Dou Wangs. Where did this old fellow suddenly come from?"

Xiao Yan simply could not understand. Wasn't it said that the Gama Empire only had three great Dou Huangs? Why was reality so different from what he knew?

"What's so hard to understand? The Gama Empire is still a nation. Although there are only so many experts known publicly, how many experts are hidden in the shadows? Many people simply dislike drawing attention, so their names never become widely known. It isn't strange for a powerful expert to occasionally appear, living in seclusion in the desert and selling maps." Yao Lao spoke as though Xiao Yan were making a fuss over nothing.

"..."

Xiao Yan felt that Yao Lao made perfect sense, leaving him utterly speechless.

"But why did I have to run into one?" Xiao Yan wore a bitter smile as ten thousand alpacas stampeded through his heart.

Just moments ago, he had been marveling at his good fortune for discovering a Purification Lotus Demon Flame map fragment in such a remote place. Yet reality dealt him a blow in the blink of an eye. He had indeed found it, but it was in the hands of an expert he could not afford to provoke. The sensation of falling from the clouds into hell was truly exhilarating in the worst possible way.

"Hehe, your luck really is quite good." Yao Lao said with a trace of gloating.

Xiao Yan was speechless.

"Little fellow, I won't sell the map, so don't even think about it. I don't lack money. Take your things and leave at once. Don't entertain any crooked thoughts, or this old man will not show mercy." The old man waved his hand as though shooing away a fly, driving Xiao Yan away.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Indeed, before a former—or perhaps current—Dou Huang, it is impossible to seize the item by force."

Crack!

The old man's hand abruptly froze. His shock was so immense that he exerted too much force and snapped the pen in his hand.

"Who exactly are you?" The old man lightly tapped the table with a finger, and the previously open door suddenly slammed shut. His eyes were no longer murky, instead radiating a startlingly cold gleam, while an overwhelming killing intent surged from his body.

Xiao Yan swayed beneath that killing intent. Fortunately, Yao Lao acted in time, wrapping his entire body in soul energy and preventing him from making a fool of himself.

"Please do not misunderstand, sir. I do not know you. It is simply that my soul was born with exceptional perception, especially toward energy. Earlier, I sensed an energy within your body that was vigorous to the extreme, so..." Afraid that the old fellow before him might attack, Xiao Yan spoke rapidly and warily took a step back.

Seeing that the other party was furious but had not yet made a move, Xiao Yan quickly continued, "I truly mean no harm, sir, but I am very interested in the map fragment in your hand. I will not hide it from you—it is very important to me. As long as you are willing to name something that I can provide, I will not refuse an exchange."

"Hehe, I didn't expect you, brat, to have quite a few trump cards." A flicker of surprise passed through the old man's eyes as he watched Xiao Yan remain unaffected by his imposing aura.

"Hehe!"

In response to the old man's curiosity, Xiao Yan merely chuckled. He was not foolish enough to expose Yao Lao.

"Have you considered it, sir?" Xiao Yan decisively changed the subject.

"Hehe, I already said that I will not sell the map. Give up on that idea. If you insist on setting your sights on this map, then do not blame this old man for bullying the young." After speaking, the old man released his icy aura without restraint, determined to make Xiao Yan abandon the thought entirely.

Seeing that the old fellow was still utterly unmoved, Xiao Yan was thoroughly angered. His tone was no longer polite. "Sir, I am taking this item with me today no matter what. If you refuse to give it to me, then do not blame this junior for seizing it by force."

"Just you?"

The old man sneered with utter disdain.

Who was he? He was Ice Dou Huang Hai Bo Dong, once renowned throughout the Gama Empire. Though certain special circumstances had caused his cultivation to slowly decline, he was still not someone a mere Dou Shi could humiliate.

That was right. In barely half a month, Xiao Yan's cultivation had astonishingly leaped three levels, rising from a two-star Dou Zhe to a one-star Dou Shi, as though he had eaten Jin Ke La.

"If he can't, can I?" Just as Xiao Yan was preparing to relinquish control of his body and let Yao Lao descend, a clear voice rang beside them.

Then, a man dressed in white and possessing an extraordinarily imposing figure slowly walked in. The previously closed door opened along with his arrival, allowing the two of them to clearly see his true appearance.

"Uncle Xiao Xian!"

Xiao Yan cried out in delighted surprise.

It was truly unexpected. He had never imagined that he would see his own uncle here, and Xiao Yan could not help but be overjoyed.

"Dangerous. Xiao Yan, where did you encounter such a monster? I can sense a fatal threat from this man, as though a single glance from him could erase me. Uncle? You call him uncle? Is this man one of your elders?" The instant Xiao Xian appeared, Yao Lao's soul gave off an intense warning, as though he had encountered his natural predator, causing his soul to feel on the verge of splitting apart.

"That's right, this is my uncle, Xiao Xian." Xiao Yan said with unconcealed pride.

He had long known that Xiao Xian was a powerful expert, and had even witnessed it himself. If he could command a Dou Huang Expert, his cultivation could not possibly be below that person's. Xiao Yan guessed that Xiao Xian was very likely a Dou Zong expert.

"What did you say? Teacher, you didn't sense wrongly, did you? You were once a Dou Zun expert. Although you have now lost your physical body and only possess a soul, even a Dou Sheng expert should not be able to make you feel the threat of death, right?" Xiao Yan suddenly cried out in disbelief.

"I'm telling the truth. You know that I was once a Dou Zun, and because I am an alchemist, my soul perception is extremely powerful. Ordinary Dou Sheng experts naturally cannot threaten me. But what if he is at the Dou Sheng Peak? An expert like that could slap the peak-state me to death. I suspect your uncle is such an existence." Yao Lao said, breathing rapidly.