Getting Close with Senior Brother, the Life Devouring Pill

Xiao Yan, whom Han Feng had regarded as an ant, not only showed no trace of fear under the pressure of his Peak Dou Emperor aura, but remained perfectly composed.

A whipping kick wrapped in pure Dou Qi shot toward him, trailing a sharp sonic boom.

With the Ox Talisman's enhancement, the kick was both fast and fierce, and the air itself cracked under its force.

The powerful whip kick showed no mercy as it landed squarely on Han Feng.

Though Han Feng was a full two major realms above Xiao Yan, the kick still sent him flying like a kite with its strings cut. He crashed into the ruins beside them, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust slowly settled, Han Feng lay sprawled among the broken bricks and rubble. No one could tell how many bones in his body were broken. His whole body hung limply, clearly crippled beyond recovery.

His throat turned sweet, and he vomited a large mouthful of blood. His chest heaved rapidly.

"You're only a Dou Ling... how can you be... this strong?!" Han Feng gasped, his eyes full of disbelief.

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't understand how a mere Dou Ling could completely ignore his pressure and unleash such terrifying power.

"This is all thanks to my teacher's careful instruction." Xiao Yan walked over at an unhurried pace and looked down at Han Feng sprawled in the ruins, a smile on his face that was guaranteed to drive anyone mad.

He'd deliberately said it was all Yao Lao's doing. He wanted to see the look of shock and jealousy on that beast's face.

"You!" Han Feng stared incredulously at Yao Lao, who floated nearby, and let out a hoarse growl.

That old bastard had indeed kept who knew how many trump cards from him back then.

"How about that? Come to think of it, I have you to thank for letting me meet my teacher." Xiao Yan raised one foot and slowly planted it on Han Feng's head, his tone mocking.

"Tea...teacher..." Feeling the foot on his head press down harder and harder, Han Feng's face was ground into the broken bricks. All he could do was force out broken pleas from his throat.

Yao Lao merely floated quietly nearby, his expression unmoved.

Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to waste any more time. He pressed down lightly with his foot, crushing Han Feng's life as cleanly and decisively as if he were stepping on an ant.

As soon as his body died, Han Feng's soul rushed out of his ruined corpse and immediately fled toward the manor as fast as it could.

Xiao Yan didn't panic or give chase. He simply smiled at his leisure and reminded him, "Don't waste your effort. Teacher sealed off the space here long ago."

Sure enough, Han Feng's soul hadn't flown far before it slammed into an invisible spatial barrier. No matter how frantically he crashed into it, the barrier didn't budge.

Only then did Han Feng truly despair. Like a beaten dog, he knelt in midair and repeatedly kowtowed to Xiao Yan and Yao Lao, saying he'd do anything, even become their ox or horse, or live as their dog.

As long as he could stay alive, he'd say anything.

"Teacher... I'll leave the rest to you." Xiao Yan didn't look at Han Feng again. He turned and bowed solemnly to Yao Lao.

He took the Storage Ring from Han Feng's corpse with a wave of his hand, then walked away from the ruins.

Whether Han Feng lived or died was a decision Yao Lao should make for himself.

As for Xiao Yan, he had to head into the manor and start today's free shopping spree.

By the time Xiao Yan had ransacked the entire Maple City manor from inside to out and top to bottom, he returned to where he'd started, thoroughly satisfied.

Han Feng's soul and corpse had both disappeared. Only Yao Lao remained, standing alone in the ruins with his hands behind his back.

His expression was complicated, as if he'd just weathered an intensely difficult turmoil of emotions.

A ball of deep blue flame floated quietly in his palm.

It was the Heavenly Flame Han Feng had refined: the Sea Heart Flame.

When he saw Xiao Yan return, the heaviness on Yao Lao's face finally eased a little.

He held out the Sea Heart Flame to Xiao Yan. "Let's go. We'll find a secluded place, and I'll help you refine this flame."

Xiao Yan accepted the Sea Heart Flame. Feeling the immense energy of the Heavenly Flame within it, he nodded firmly, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes.

The master and disciple didn't delay. As soon as Yao Lao removed the spatial lockdown, they left Maple City and flew toward the remote, desolate mountains.

Guided by Yao Lao's vast Soul Perception, the two arrived deep in a barren mountain range of steep, overlapping peaks, where few people ever ventured.

"Well, I didn't expect an unexpected bonus." Yao Lao suddenly seemed to sense something. Stroking his beard, he spoke with a chuckle.

"What is it, teacher?" Xiao Yan turned his head in puzzlement as they flew.

"There's an extremely well-hidden cave ahead. I sense something inside." Yao Lao floated out of the ring and raised a hand toward an unremarkable cliff face.

Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred. If even Yao Lao said there was something inside, then it might well conceal something extraordinary.

He immediately sped up and shot toward the spot Yao Lao had indicated.

After passing through several layers of naturally grown vines and rubble, the master and disciple came upon a concealed cave entrance.

Yao Lao sensed the area briefly and nodded. "This place is extremely well hidden. It'll be perfect for you to refine the Heavenly Flame."

Xiao Yan nodded, holding up the Sea Heart Flame as a light. Its blue glow illuminated the rock walls as he walked step by step into the cave.

There were no dangerous Restrictions or mechanisms inside, just an ordinary natural cavern.

Only when they reached the end did Xiao Yan finally see what Yao Lao had sensed.

A pile of long-weathered bones lay there. Beside them were a few old objects with faded luster, along with a wooden box thickly coated in dust.

Xiao Yan raised a hand and beckoned. Telekinesis gently lifted the wooden box and brought it steadily into his palm.

He blew the dust off the lid and slowly opened the box, revealing what lay inside.

A Jade Box and an old-looking scroll.

Just seeing these items together gave Xiao Yan a vague idea of what they were.

He took a deep breath, picked up the scroll, and slowly unrolled it. His Soul Power entered it as he read carefully.

After taking in all the information recorded in the scroll, an excited smile appeared on his young face.

"Brat, what is it?" Seeing his expression, Yao Lao was overcome with curiosity too and hurriedly pressed him for an answer.

Xiao Yan picked up the Jade Box and cradled it like a treasure as he explained:

"This is a Peak Seventh-Grade Pill, the Life Devouring Pill! Anyone at Da Dou Shi or above who takes it can break straight through to Dou Wang!

"The side effect is that it will deplete the user's life force. After taking it, they'll have only three years to live.

"But as long as they break through to Dou Emperor within those three years, they can greatly increase their lifespan and completely eliminate this side effect."

"Damn, that's powerful!" Hearing the Life Devouring Pill's heaven-defying effects, even Yao Lao, with all his experience, couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.

But when he thought of its equally astonishing side effect, he couldn't help lamenting, "What a pity. The side effect really is too severe."

Without that fatal three-year limit, given enough Medicinal Herbs and pills that increased lifespan, they could mass-produce an army of Dou Kings based solely on its effects.