Old Man Shen Nong Makes His Move

Wildfire Prairie!

Yao Feng let out a low shout. Demonic flames coiled around him, making him look like a descended demon god. His eyes remained fixed on Li Xie. At last, the Lightning Jiao could no longer bear the strain and dispersed into the sky. Li Xie gave a sinister grin and lunged at Yao Feng.

With a flick of his finger, the flames around Yao Feng suddenly surged and transformed into a flaming spear that stabbed toward Li Xie's palm.

Unable to dodge in time, Li Xie grabbed the flaming spear directly. A searing pain shot through his hand, and he roared as he forcibly crushed the spear, though his charge was halted as well.

"Who exactly are you?"

Li Xie asked in shock. A mere one-star Dou Zhe could manipulate Beast Flame into the form of a spear. That required exceptionally powerful Soul Perception. There was no way a Dou Zhe could possess such formidable Soul Perception.

"The fight isn't over yet. Don't lose focus!"

Yao Feng smiled mysteriously. Suddenly, Yao Ling appeared behind Li Xie, and a green dagger silently plunged into his lower back. After landing the blow, Yao Ling's body drifted lightly away before she retreated to Yao Feng's side.

A phantom identical to Yao Ling slowly faded where she had once stood, finally vanishing completely.

The instant Li Xie felt the pain, he spun around and struck out with his palm, but he still hit nothing but air. When he saw the phantom of the girl on the other side slowly disappearing, a trace of panic rose in his heart. An illusion created with Soul Power—such an exquisite soul-type Dou Skill, and it had been performed by a one-star Dou Zhe. What kind of monsters had he encountered?

"Ying Qi, Ying Si, attack at once. Kill them!"

Li Xie was beginning to panic. Delays invited complications. Once he killed them, he would return to the Beast Domain. Even if someone stood behind them, they would still have to fear the strength of the Heavenly Eagle Clan.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Ying Qi and Ying Si stepped forward. As they raised their hands, an immensely powerful pressure descended. Yao Feng abruptly felt crushing force settle upon him. The blood inside his body churned wildly, as though it were about to burst through his skin.

Yao Ling's condition beside him was even worse. After being strengthened by the system and the Dou Di Bloodline, Yao Feng's body could be considered among the best of those at his level. But as a woman, Yao Ling's talent was displayed more in the realm of the soul. Her body now swayed precariously, as if she might collapse at any moment.

However, the sensation came quickly and vanished just as quickly. Just as Yao Feng was about to be unable to endure any longer, the pressure suddenly disappeared. Instead, the two men who had unleashed it were suddenly drenched in sweat, staring fearfully into the void.

Freed from the pressure, Yao Feng hurriedly supported the unsteady Yao Ling. An aged voice rang out from the void at just the right moment:

"Bullying the young with your strength is something people despise. Is this how people from the Beast Domain conduct themselves?"

"Senior, spare my life. This junior was momentarily led astray. I beg Senior to show mercy and spare this junior's life."

Watching Li Xie display groveling submission to the fullest, Yao Feng felt a burst of secret delight. He could not help but reflect that this truly was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. Those with strength really could do whatever they pleased.

But that voice did not sound like Uncle Thirteen's. Instead, it sounded like the hemp-clothed old man he had encountered at the city gate.

"What do you think your life is worth?"

"Senior, all this junior's money was used to buy this Phoenix Blood Essence Stone. If Senior does not mind, this Phoenix Blood Essence Stone shall be given to Senior."

Li Xie understood at once and took out the Phoenix Blood Essence Stone. The situation was against him. The other party had not even appeared, yet had suppressed the two Dou Huangs he brought until they could not move. With such strength, the man was most likely above the peak of the Dou Zong realm. Since there was no room to resist, preserving his life was more important. One Phoenix Blood Essence Stone was not worth protecting with his life.

"Then you may leave."

"Senior, what about the two of them?"

"What, you want to exchange the lives of three people with one Phoenix Blood Essence Stone? Is the Phoenix Blood Essence Stone too precious, or are the lives of you three too cheap?"

A faint note of threat lingered in the aged voice.

Li Xie immediately broke out in cold sweat and glanced toward his two attendants.

Feeling the pressure on them ease slightly, Ying Qi and Ying Si grimaced as they each took out a pile of gold coins from their Storage Rings. Together, they appeared to amount to several hundred thousand gold coins.

"Senior, this is all our property."

"Fine. Before I change my mind, you may leave."

After a brief pause, the aged voice sounded once more.

Li Xie and the other two felt as if they had been granted amnesty. Ying Qi and Ying Si supported Li Xie from either side as they fled the area at top speed.

After Li Xie and the others had gone far away, an old man dressed in ordinary hemp clothes slowly appeared. He picked up the Phoenix Blood Essence Stone Li Xie had left on the ground and put it into his Storage Ring. Then he stopped before the pile of gold coins, took out one hundred coins and stored them away, before beckoning to Yao Feng.

"Boy, stop standing there in a daze. This old man said he would return your money. Here, all these gold coins are yours now."

Upon hearing this, Yao Feng quickly led Yao Ling forward and said respectfully:

"Many thanks, Senior, for saving our lives. This junior has no way to repay you, and these gold coins are something this junior absolutely cannot accept."

"Enough, enough. You Yao Clan people are still as hypocritical as ever. Even if I had not saved you, that fellow behind you would have acted. This old man merely found them unpleasant to look at, and I have a use for this Phoenix Blood Essence Stone as well. Otherwise, I would not have bothered with your business."

"Senior Shen Nong has always yearned for freedom and lives by following only his heart. This junior admires you greatly. Unfortunately, I am bound by my clan's many rules and cannot have my wish. How about this junior becoming Senior Shen Nong's disciple, and Senior taking this junior traveling across the lands?"

Yao Feng spoke rather cleverly. If he truly went with Old Man Shen Nong, who would dare bully him in the future? Something like today would never happen again.

"You have sharp eyes, little fellow. This old man has not appeared for several years. Given your age, you had only just been weaned the last time I appeared in the Yao Clan. How did you recognize me?"

Old Man Shen Nong studied Yao Feng with curiosity. Looking at his handsome little face, he secretly grumbled, I never expected that old fellow Yao Dan would look so unimpressive himself, yet have such a handsome son.

"Senior easily suppressed two Dou Huang experts, which shows that Senior's strength is extraordinary. However, there are quite a few powerful people in Yaotian City. What truly confirmed Senior's identity for this junior was the strong scent of medicinal pills on Senior. Only alchemists who have spent years among medicinal pills would possess such a scent. Moreover, the scent of medicinal pills on Senior is probably not much different from that on my father. That is why this junior boldly guessed that Senior was the famed Old Man Shen Nong."

Yao Feng rattled off a whole string of words, taking the opportunity to flatter him as well. Old Man Shen Nong clearly enjoyed it. With a wave of his hand, he swept the pile of gold coins on the ground toward Yao Feng.

"Good boy, your thinking is thorough enough. These things are useless to me anyway, so consider them a gift from our first meeting. As for taking you as a disciple, forget it. This old man is used to freedom and has no interest in teaching disciples. Still, with your talent and those old fellows of your Yao Clan guiding you, your future achievements likely will not be beneath mine."

"Then this junior thanks Senior!"

Yao Feng smiled happily and stored the gold coins from the ground into his Storage Ring, giving a portion of them to Yao Ling as well. Yao Ling's strike earlier had truly opened his eyes. He had not expected such a cute and harmless-looking girl to be so ruthless when she acted.

As if she had noticed Yao Feng's gaze, Yao Ling gave him a smug grin and lifted her chin slightly, as though showing off how impressive she had been just now.