A Free Shopping Spree and a Gift for Senior Brother

After the explosion, a charred corpse fell from the churning smoke and slammed into the ground.

Heavenly Flames had burned the body beyond recognition. Only its remaining outline revealed that it was Yuan Yi.

Xiao Yan swept it with his Soul Power and confirmed that the charred corpse had no breath or life left.

A Dou Huang expert who had dominated the Black-Corner Region for years had fallen just like that to a mere Dou Ling.

Even Yao Lao, who had witnessed the whole thing, could not help sighing inwardly.

If he had not seen it himself, he would never have believed Xiao Yan could kill a Dou Huang so cleanly, without giving his opponent the slightest chance to struggle.

Xiao Yan beckoned, and Yuan Yi's Storage Ring slipped from his charred finger bones and floated into his palm.

He swept his Soul Power through it, and a brilliant smile spread across his face. "I have to say, nothing makes money faster than this."

He transferred everything out of the Storage Ring, flicked out a wisp of green flame to burn Yuan Yi's corpse to ash, then turned toward the auction house.

After watching Yuan Yi die before their eyes, the remaining guards and stewards dared not stand in Xiao Yan's way. They fled in an instant, wishing their parents had given them two more legs, terrified that he might come after them next.

"Heh, heh, heh. Time to shop for free!" With a wicked laugh, Xiao Yan strode into the empty auction house and began plundering it without restraint.

Yao Lao caught Xiao Yan's enthusiasm. He joined in with a wicked laugh and helped him search.

Yao Lao used his Soul Power to guide the way while Xiao Yan collected the goods. Master and disciple worked in perfect sync, turning the entire auction house upside down, from its storerooms to its secret chambers.

Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, Pills and Medicinal Herbs, rare treasures—Xiao Yan took everything he could carry.

A child from a poor family learned to manage a household early. Xiao Yan had understood the value of thrift since he was young.

He might have no use for some of these things now, but taking them back to the Xiao Clan would greatly enrich its treasury. If he established a faction in the future, they would serve as ready-made resources.

Master and disciple searched until they were sure not even a low-grade pill had escaped them. Only then did they leave, thoroughly satisfied.

Xiao Yan had come to Black Seal City for the fragmentary map. Now that he had it, there was no reason to stay.

After making a few preparations, he left the city and headed straight for Maple City.

Now that he knew where Han Feng was, how could he, as a junior brother, not pay his dear Senior Brother a visit?

Come to think of it, if Han Feng had not betrayed his master and sect back then, Xiao Yan might never have met Yao Lao, much less obtained the Flame Mantra.

With the Talismans, growing stronger was hardly difficult. But as far as he knew, there were only two ways to attain the emperor's throne: the Emperor Grade Nascent Pill or the Statue Inheritance.

Cultivating the Flame Mantra was arguably the best path to becoming an emperor.

And since he was paying a visit, arriving without a gift would be terribly rude.

After some thought, Xiao Yan decided a Three-Colored Fire Lotus would make a respectable gift for Senior Brother.

His heart brimming with gratitude toward Senior Brother, Xiao Yan sped toward Maple City.

Master and disciple chatted and laughed along the way. The mood was so relaxed that they seemed to be visiting a friend rather than seeking revenge.

As they crossed a vast plain, the horizon ahead suddenly darkened.

Xiao Yan looked up. A black storm stretching from earth to sky surged toward them with overwhelming force. Fierce winds carried black sand that blotted out the sky, like a massive black dragon spanning heaven and earth.

The light dimmed abruptly, and an eerie silence fell over everything around them.

"That's... a Black Storm." Xiao Yan stared at the sky-swallowing tempest and murmured under his breath.

He had often heard people speak of this force of nature since entering the Black-Corner Region, but hearing about it and seeing it firsthand were entirely different.

The Black Storm before him was a hundred times more terrifying than any account he had heard. Even the steady-nerved Xiao Yan felt his heart jolt at the dark monster's fearsome power.

He dared not take such a force of nature lightly. He quickly found a natural shelter nearby and hid, intending to continue once the storm passed.

"This Black Storm is rather unusual..." Yao Lao's voice suddenly sounded as they took shelter. He seemed deep in thought.

"Teacher, have you noticed something?" Xiao Yan asked softly, his interest stirred.

Given Yao Lao's current mastery of Soul Power, it was hardly surprising that he had sensed something unusual about the Black Storm.

"I can't say for certain. I only caught the faintest trace of a disturbance just now... In any case, we should keep an eye out in the future." Yao Lao sounded cautious.

The strange sensation had vanished too quickly and been too faint for even him to tell what it was.

But he was certain that something extraordinary was hidden in the Black Storm, or in the storm itself.

Xiao Yan took Yao Lao's warning to heart and nodded solemnly.

They remained in the shelter for a long time. Only after the sky-swallowing black tempest had moved far away and daylight returned did they set out again.

After another stretch of travel, a bustling city finally appeared at the edge of their vision.

They had reached Maple City.

Han Feng was, after all, a renowned top expert on the Black List and a high-ranking Alchemist. The city he controlled was naturally far more prosperous than an ordinary one.

As soon as Xiao Yan entered, he spotted a vast, magnificent estate rising in the city center. Pavilions and towers stood in layers, their lavish furnishings dazzling to behold.

That was Han Feng's lair.

"Teacher, is Han Feng there? Can you sense anyone from the Soul Hall?" Xiao Yan asked Yao Lao silently.

With Yao Lao's current mastery of Soul Power, nothing that happened in Maple City could escape his notice.

For now, they only needed to establish two things.

First, was Han Feng in the city? Otherwise, their trip would be wasted. Second, were any Soul Hall agents here?

If Soul Hall people were present, they would need another plan and would have to proceed carefully.

"He's alone." After a brief silence, Yao Lao slowly reported what he had sensed. Xiao Yan could clearly hear the heaviness in his voice.

"That makes things easy." Xiao Yan grinned, his confidence settling into place.

Yao Lao released a gentle layer of Soul Power. It settled around Xiao Yan like gauze, completely concealing his presence and movements.

Xiao Yan stopped hiding and flew straight toward Han Feng's estate.

"Teacher, let me borrow your Ancient Spirit Cold Flame." Grinning cheekily, Xiao Yan held out a hand toward the ring.

Yao Lao asked no questions. He sent a wisp of the bone-white Ancient Spirit Cold Flame into Xiao Yan's palm for him to use as he pleased.

Xiao Yan drew the icy flame into his palm. As he rode the wind, he began deftly forming a Three-Colored Fire Lotus.

"It's our first meeting, after all. Showing up without a gift would be rude." The three-colored firelight shone on Xiao Yan's young face, throwing his sly grin into sharp relief.

Yao Lao's eyelid twitched hard as he watched. This move of Xiao Yan's was downright underhanded.

Worse, Xiao Yan had no fear of being caught in his own Fire Lotus explosion. With the Horse Talisman and Dog Talisman protecting him, he could recover instantly even if the blast gravely wounded him.

Set it to explode instantly, throw it the moment they met, and shrug off the blast himself. It was almost absurdly devious.

Yao Lao said nothing. He merely pushed his Soul Power to its limit, thoroughly suppressing the destructive aura leaking from the merging Heavenly Flames.

Before long, an exquisite, palm-sized Fire Lotus glowing with three colors floated steadily above Xiao Yan's palm.

Under the Tiger Talisman's restraint, the Fire Lotus behaved like a docile baby, turning slowly and quietly.