Marketplace Conflict

Inside the room, Yao Lao held a bone-white flame in his left hand, while his right hand tossed the Bone Washing Flower into the fire. As the materials were continuously added, a drop of green liquid began to take shape.

Xiao Yan stared at the bone-white flame, which was burning and twisting in the air.

"Heh, is this the legendary Bone Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking? Truly extraordinary."

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan, who was staring unblinkingly at the Bone Chilling Flame in his hand, and laughed: "You brat have a good eye. This Heavenly Flame was something this master, along with many friends, spent a lifetime of effort to capture at the place of extreme cold and extreme yin, during the time when the sun and moon alternated every hundred years."

"This is this master's treasure. Alright, stop staring. Look at your lack of ambition; you will have your own Heavenly Flame in the future. Now, go fetch a bucket of clear water. Use the wooden tub you usually bathe in; this Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid is about to take shape," Yao Lao said to Xiao Yan, caught between laughter and tears.

As the flames churned, the impurities in the medicinal materials were continuously stripped away, and the green liquid became increasingly crystalline and translucent.

Yao Lao flicked his finger, and the green liquid was precisely propelled into the wooden tub.

"Alright, you brat, strip off your clothes and get in to practice your cultivation. This amount should last you two months. You just broke through to the ninth stage of Dou Power, and your foundation is not yet stable. Use this time to accumulate strength with the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid, and strive to break through to a Dou Practitioner in one go, condensing your energy into a cyclone."

"Understood, Teacher," the youth said.

"Master is tired, I am going back to rest."

With that, Yao Lao vanished into the ring.

"Heh, this old man."

Xiao Yan chuckled softly, then sat cross-legged in the wooden tub. The quiet room returned to silence, leaving only the steady breathing of the youth.

The youth pressed his palms together, forming a strange hand seal in the tub, and sank his consciousness into his body. With every breath, he drew the energy from the medicinal liquid outside into his body, guiding the airflow to circulate slowly through his meridians, forming perfect cycles.

Xiao Yan walked through the medium-sized market controlled by the Xiao Clan with Xiao Xun'er.

"Xun'er, you've been cooped up in your room practicing lately; it's time to come out and walk around." Xiao Yan pinched Xiao Xun'er's cheek, and her delicate face was instantly scrunched up by his palm.

"You're annoying, Brother Xiao Yan." Xiao Xun'er shyly swatted Xiao Yan's hand away.

"Come on, Xun'er, let's go look over there," Xiao Yan said, pulling Xiao Xun'er's small hand as he walked forward.

"Keep up, keep up, don't lose track of the two little ancestors."

The group of elite guards trailing far behind them hurried to catch up. The faint, fierce aura they exuded and the insignia of the Xiao Clan made passersby keep their distance.

Just as Xiao Yan and his companion were strolling, a commotion broke out at a pharmacy operated by the Xiao Clan in the northeast corner of the market.

"Xun'er, let's go, let's go see." Xiao Yan looked at the commotion in the distance and immediately walked over with interest.

"Everyone, come and see! My brother died because he used the Blood Coagulation Powder from this Xiao Clan pharmacy. Poor brother of mine, he didn't die in the mouth of that first-order magical beast, the Wood Snake, but instead died under this inferior pill from the Xiao Clan. You Xiao Clan pharmacy must give me an explanation today, or we brothers won't let this slide!"

A man wearing a worn, straight-collared robe was seen clutching a man with blood at the corner of his mouth, shouting desperately at the shop entrance, looking full of grief and indignation.

"The Rejuvenation Powder, Blood Coagulation Powder, and Injury Recovery Pill refined by our Xiao Clan are all personally crafted by our clan's alchemist masters. They are all high-quality products and have never had any issues. Otherwise, our Xiao Clan's pharmacies wouldn't be spread throughout all of Wutan City," a man who appeared to be a manager walked out of the pharmacy and said calmly.

The crowd, which had been slightly agitated by the troublemaker, quieted down upon hearing this.

"Hmph, I don't care! Today, your Xiao Clan pharmacy must give me an explanation!" the robed man said bitterly.

"Xiao Chu, what is going on here?" Xiao Yan looked at the man's slightly exaggerated performance on the scene, sensing something fishy, and asked the head of the guards sent by Xiao Zhan beside him.

"Young Master, these two are peripheral mercenaries kept by the Jialie Clan. Ever since our Xiao Clan started selling large quantities of high-quality pills in our markets three years ago, our pill business has gradually squeezed out most of the pill market in Wutan City. Meanwhile, the pill business in the markets of the Jialie Clan and Aoba Clan has plummeted. Therefore, starting half a year ago, these two clans began instructing mercenaries to deliberately cause trouble at our Xiao Clan's pharmacies. This is the third time this month," Xiao Chu clearly was not surprised by the two men coming to cause trouble.

"Heh heh, these Jialie and Aoba clans are resorting to underhanded tactics since they can't win openly. Interesting. Xun'er, there's a good show to watch now," Xiao Yan touched his chin and laughed wickedly.

Xiao Xun'er pursed her lips, expressing silent protest at being dragged over to watch the spectacle.

"Fine, so your Xiao Clan won't give an explanation? Then I'll get one myself!"

The robed man on the scene saw that no one in the crowd was supporting him after his long agitation, so he flew into a rage, drew his blade, and prepared to charge.

"Bang!" The blade flew away instantly.

"Take him!" At the manager's command, the guards who had been waiting in readiness swarmed forward and pinned the robed man to the ground.

"Hmph, do you take my Xiao Clan for fools? Who doesn't know you are a hunting dog raised by the Jialie Clan?"

"I... I'm not from the Jialie Clan, I'm from the Viper Mercenary Group."

"The show is over, we should go. But this Wutan City is too small; it can only accommodate our Xiao Clan. Don't you think so, Xun'er?" Xiao Yan patted Xiao Xun'er's head.

"Ah? Hmm! Brother Xiao Yan is right!"

Xiao Xun'er, who clearly had little interest in the scene, said in a daze.

"Haha, you. Come, let's go find Father."

"Father." After returning home, Xiao Yan found Xiao Zhan and told him about the conflict in the market today.

"Father, our Xiao Clan has been dormant for three years; it is time to show Wutan City the strength of our Xiao Clan," Xiao Yan said to Xiao Zhan with a grim expression.

"Hmph, these Jialie and Aoba clans are courting death! It's enough that our Xiao Clan hasn't bothered them, yet they've started bothering us. Do they think our Xiao Clan is easy to bully?"

"It seems our Xiao Clan has been silent for too long. It is time to give them a lesson they will never forget. I don't believe a few Da Dou Shi can turn the world upside down. A clan without even a Dou Ling thinks they can fight our Xiao Clan?" Xiao Zhan's face darkened.

"Yan'er, you go down first. I have my own plans for this matter," Xiao Zhan smiled slightly.

"Yes, Father."

"Go, summon all the elders to the council hall. We are holding a clan meeting," Xiao Zhan said to the guards at the door.

"Yes!" the guards replied.

"Heh, now there's a good show to watch," Xiao Yan walked out of the room, looked up at the clouds in the distant sky, and laughed to himself.