Xun Er's Joy, Marketplace War!

As the stopper was pulled from the small glass bottle, the Burning Flame Flood Dragon Beast Fire inside seemed to sense danger and shrank into a trembling ball.

Whoosh!

The Myriad Beast Spirit Fire transformed into a giant mouth once more and swallowed the Beast Flame.

In an instant,

the Burning Flame Flood Dragon Beast Fire let out a shrill cry as it broke down into pure Dou Qi and flowed into Xiao Yan's cyclone.

"It really can devour Beast Flames!"

Xiao Yan was overjoyed, but then he frowned. "I still didn't break through? Such a large mass of flame only improved my Dou Qi slightly. It's nowhere near enough to reach Nine Star Dou Shi."

"Bullshit!"

Hearing Xiao Yan compare his Bone Chilling Flame to the Blazing Flame Flood Dragon, Yao Lao nearly fainted from anger.

"Though I possess less than one ten-thousandth of my strength at my peak, and the Bone Chilling Flame I've nurtured is far inferior to what it once was, even so, it's not something a low-grade flame like the Burning Flame Flood Dragon Beast Fire can compare to!"

"So that's how it is."

Xiao Yan nodded in realization. "Heavenly Flames are stronger than Beast Flames, so refining them yields more Dou Qi!"

Yao Lao's face twitched violently. His trembling hand struggled to suppress the urge to slap Xiao Yan to death.

"Teacher, how many more Beast Flames like this do I need to devour before I can enter the Da Dou Shi realm?"

"Twenty or thirty, perhaps."

"That many?" Xiao Yan frowned.

"Hehe, come to think of it, you really are fated with Heavenly Flames!"

Yao Lao said mysteriously, "You must be troubled by the fact that you only have strong Dou Qi, and if you rely solely on Heavenly Flames, you could easily be utterly crushed by someone with Dou Skills, right?

Once you break through to Da Dou Shi, that problem will be easily solved!"

"What do you mean?" Xiao Yan asked in surprise.

Yao Lao chuckled. "Once, this continent produced a Sky-Supporting Giant who used an unknown Secret Technique to subdue three Heavenly Flames!

And by coincidence, his Secret Technique is right in your Xiao Family's Dou Qi Pavilion!

However, the minimum cultivation required to practice that Secret Technique is Da Dou Shi!"

Xiao Yan froze upon hearing this.

"Teacher, the giant you mentioned must have been stronger than you were in life, right? What connection did he have with my Xiao Family? How could his Secret Technique have ended up in the Xiao Family's Dou Qi Pavilion?"

Yao Lao shook his head with a smile. "That isn't something you need to consider! Your top priority is to collect Beast Flames and break through to Da Dou Shi as quickly as possible!"

Xiao Yan nodded excitedly, summoned Zhou Yuan, wrote a letter, and had it delivered to the Mittel Auction House.

He also sent along five Qi Gathering Powders.

The next day.

Early morning.

The moment Xiao Yan opened his door, he saw a group of Xiao Family Juniors waiting eagerly outside, standing obediently before his room.

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

"Cousin Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Ning and the others hurriedly bowed. In their hearts, Xiao Yan was already like a god.

"I've refined another batch of pills. Their effects are far better than Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. Take them and use them."

Xiao Yan smiled and brushed his Storage Ring.

These were the future backbone of the Xiao Family. Once nurtured, they would all become capable aides under his command.

Nurturing them was helping himself.

"Cousin, I've just broken through to Eight Stage Dou Qi. In a little while, I'll be able to attempt Nine Stage Dou Qi." Xiao Mei bit her lip tightly, not daring to look Xiao Yan in the eye.

Xiao Yan nodded approvingly. "As expected of someone whose talent is second only to Xun Er's and mine. Take this Qi Gathering Powder as an early congratulatory gift for becoming a Dou Zhe!"

The Xiao Family Juniors' eyes widened at the Grade Four Pill in Xiao Yan's hand.

"Cousin Xiao Yan, will I have one in the future too?" Xiao Ning asked eagerly.

"Of course."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "As long as you are loyal to the Xiao Family, everyone will receive at least one of these crucial pills!"

"That's wonderful!"

"Long live the Young Clan Leader!"

The Xiao Family Juniors cheered in delight.

"Cousin Xiao Yan..."

Watching Xiao Yan's slender back as he walked toward Xun Er, Xiao Mei let out a bitter sigh.

Once upon a time, she too could speak openly with Xiao Yan, just as Xun Er did.

But...

In the end, there was no going back.

"Xiao Mei, Xiao Mei... have you finally come to regret it?" Xiao Mei murmured with her head lowered.

In the distance.

Beneath a Willow Tree.

As she watched Xiao Yan approach, Xun Er suddenly turned her head aside, wearing an adorably jealous expression.

"They all got gifts. What about mine? Brother Xiao Yan is playing favorites!"

Catching the sly glance Xun Er shot him, Xiao Yan could not help but laugh.

"I might neglect anyone else, but I could never neglect Xun Er! I prepared all these pills for Xun Er. Some of them are exclusive to you!"

Holding the several small bottles Xiao Yan handed her, Xun Er smiled so enchantingly that Xiao Yan was left staring blankly.

"Take it!" Xun Er took out a jade bottle from her Storage Ring and tossed it to Xiao Yan.

It contained ten Qi Gathering Powders!

"You already have Qi Gathering Powders. Why didn't you try to break through to Dou Zhe earlier?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

Pfft!

Xun Er covered her mouth and laughed, secretly calling him a fool. Pouting, she said, "Does someone really not understand, or is he pretending to be clueless? Xun Er can't be bothered explaining it to a block of wood!"

"Xiao Yanzi, if you still refuse to face your own heart, then when Xun Er grows up and gets snatched away by some prodigy from a great clan, it'll be too late for regret!" Yao Lao chuckled.

"Let's see who dares!"

Xiao Yan shouted instinctively, startling Xun Er, who was happily clutching her pills.

Only then did Xiao Yan realize he had lost his composure. After hurriedly apologizing, he fled in embarrassment.

"What's wrong with Brother Xiao Yan?"

Xun Er tilted her little head in confusion. When she saw the Qi Gathering Powder marked with Xun Er's insignia, her sweet smile appeared again.

"Miss, it's only a Qi Gathering Powder. How did it make you this happy?"

Ling Ying sighed helplessly.

Back when they were in the clan, countless prodigies had offered peerless Dou Skills, yet Xun Er had disdained them all.

Now, she was beaming over a single Qi Gathering Powder.

Who could reason with that?

A thousand meters from the Xiao Family Marketplace, several figures quietly appeared atop a towering building.

"Clan Leader, it's confirmed! All three Xiao Family Elders have gone out. Only Xiao Zhan and a few Dou Shi remain in the Xiao Family Marketplace!" Jia Lie Nu reported in a deep voice.

"Heaven is helping us!"

Jia Liebi smiled coldly. "Xiao Zhan, Xiao Zhan, you really are stupid beyond belief! Did you truly think I would only attack once? Today, I'll make your Xiao Family Marketplace's reputation collapse completely!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

More than a dozen figures shot out like leaping locusts, vanishing into every corner.

Moments later.

"Old man, hand over the medicinal herbs!"

At a stall selling low-grade medicinal herbs, a gray-robed figure seized all the herbs and injured the stall owner, leaving him sprawled on the ground.

Not far away.

A merchant selling crystal ore was also robbed of his goods by a black-robed figure and beaten severely.

"Master, should we act now?" Zhou Yuan asked respectfully.

"No rush. Let them cause trouble a while longer."

Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes, his smile unfriendly. "If we kill them now, it will merely be a conflict between the Xiao Family and the Jia Lie Family. But if they make things worse, it will become a blood feud between the Jia Lie Family and the merchants!

Individually, these merchants are indeed no match for the Three Great Families. But once their strength gathers together, even the Xiao Family must fear them somewhat.

Jia Liebi, Jia Liebi... your brain must be full of dog shit."

While the Xiao Family guards on the streets were run ragged by more than a dozen Dou Shi,

a cold smile curved across Xiao Zhan's lips.

"Act!"