Huo Xuan, standing nearby, also raised his head, a gleam appearing in his eyes.
Huo Zhi looked utterly stunned, his delicate face full of confusion.
Shen Luo gave a dry cough. "What I mean is, I like them a little fuller figured and a little older."
The Fire Fairy blinked, then lifted the teacup from the table and took a sip. "Shen Luo, your Aunt Ling doesn't quite understand what you mean. At your age, your blood should be running hot. If any young lady in our Yan Clan has caught your eye, tell me, and I'll introduce you."
No sooner had she finished than Huo Xuan walked over to Shen Luo and patted his shoulder. "Well, Brother Shen! A kindred spirit! I couldn't agree more with your tastes!"
Shen Luo froze, utterly dumbfounded, before recovering and turning to look at Huo Xuan. Huo Xuan winked at him, looking for all the world as though he had found a kindred spirit. Could this young chief of the Yan Clan share his Cao Thief tastes?
"Brother Huo Xuan, do you like more mature women too?"
Huo Xuan's face twitched. Glancing sidelong at the Fire Fairy, who sat perfectly upright, he hastily waved his hands. "No, no, no. I just meant that I don't like little girls either."
As the young chief of the Yan Clan, he possessed exceptional talent and an exalted status. He had never lacked young ladies blessed with both beauty and talent around him.
Over time, however, he had found it all rather stale. Those girls constantly needed him to coax and soothe them. They were either after his status or his resources. It was terribly dull.
Shen Luo looked suspicious, but as Huo Xuan kept winking at him, realization dawned: this young chief of the Yan Clan was probably another shameless Cao Thief.
The Fire Fairy brushed back the long hair beside her ear, seemingly oblivious to the meaning of their exchange. "Huo Xuan, you are the young chief of the Yan Clan. Every word and deed of yours represents the clan. Never speak or act in a manner beneath your station."
Seeing the Fire Fairy's icy expression, Huo Xuan hurriedly cupped his hands. "Yes, Grand Elder. I was only joking with Brother Shen."
Huo Zhi walked over on pale legs and pulled Huo Xuan aside. He knew his elder brother's ways all too well. "Brother, don't lead Shen Luo astray."
"Go away. What does a little brat know? I'm just having a chat with Brother Shen. Isn't that right?" Huo Xuan asked Shen Luo with a smile.
"Yes, exactly. Aunt Ling asked what sort of girl I liked, and I merely spoke from the heart. By the way, Aunt Ling, you said some young talents from the Emperor Clans would come to the Yan Clan for an exchange in a few days. What sort of exchange will it be?"
The Fire Fairy leaned back in her chair, elegantly crossing her right leg over her left. Her open robe revealed a rounded thigh. "Every so often, the Emperor Clans bring their young talents together to spar with one another. You'll take part as well. It'll give you a chance to mingle with people in their circle."
"I see." Shen Luo nodded. It seemed this sparring match between the younger generation was far more complicated than it appeared.
"Shen Luo, as you know, our Emperor Clans have always competed with one another. Our strength comes from our bloodlines. These exchanges between the younger generation offer an indirect glimpse of how far a clan's bloodline has declined. You could call it a roundabout way of probing one another," Huo Xuan explained.
"I heard the Gu Clan produced someone with a Divine-Grade Bloodline in recent years. There's hardly been a whisper about it all this time, but we might get to see them on this occasion."
"A Divine-Grade Bloodline? You mean the Gu Clan's?" Shen Luo asked in surprise.
The Fire Fairy suddenly rose and walked toward the doors of the hall, swaying her voluptuous figure.
Watching her from the side, Shen Luo saw her towering breasts quiver with each step. Her slender calves were shapely and long, her skin as smooth as congealed cream. Her exquisite feet rested in high heels, which clicked against the floor.
Her smooth insteps formed a dramatic, beautiful curve above her heels, while her ample buttocks resembled a great, full millstone, capable of grinding even an iron pestle down to a needle.
Swaying her hips, the Fire Fairy said coolly, "The one with the Divine-Grade Bloodline you mentioned is the Ancient Clan Chief's daughter. She returned to the clan recently and underwent a bloodline baptism. They say she is extraordinarily gifted and has few rivals among the younger generation of all the Emperor Clans."
The Fire Fairy's soft voice rang through the hall. Huo Zhi curled his lip, his face full of defiance.
Huo Xuan, meanwhile, looked thoughtful, his eyes occasionally straying toward the Fire Fairy's alluring back.
"Rest assured, Grand Elder. I will not disgrace the Yan Clan."
The Fire Fairy turned around, her expression calm. "Good. You are our Yan Clan's young chief, our clan's future, and you possess a rare ninth-grade bloodline. You will be our main force in this battle."
With that, the Fire Fairy turned her gaze to Shen Luo. The sight of his sturdy physique made her heart flutter slightly. "Since there's nothing pressing today, Shen Luo, Huo Xuan, why don't you spar here and get some practice in beforehand?"
Huo Xuan nodded. "Very well. Brother Shen, I was thinking the same thing."
"Huh?" Shen Luo froze. What's going on? How did I suddenly get dragged into this?
"Shen Luo, don't be afraid! Give him a good beating and show him that beyond every man stands a greater man, and beyond every heaven lies another heaven. I believe in you!" As soon as Huo Zhi heard that the two would spar, he lit up with excitement and began fanning the flames.
A smile glimmered in the Fire Fairy's eyes as she said softly, "Shen Luo, you may be an Alchemist, but on the Dou Qi Continent, strength ultimately speaks for everything. To become a powerhouse who stands tall between heaven and earth, you must have the spirit of 'who else but me?'"
"But Aunt Ling, I... I don't even have the strength to truss a chicken." Shen Luo raised his arms, exposing his biceps.
"You call that lacking the strength to truss a chicken? You probably have dragon-binding power," Huo Xuan said, curling his lip.
The Fire Fairy glanced at Shen Luo's muscular contours, sensing the masculine, domineering aura he unconsciously exuded. After a moment's thought, she said, "How about this? Whoever wins your match, I will grant him one request. Cultivation methods and combat skills, or anything else-whatever it is, I will agree."
At her words, both Shen Luo and Huo Xuan froze. Then their eyes lit up.
Whatever it is, she would agree?
Anything at all?
Any way they wanted?
"Very well. Since Aunt Ling has said so, I'll exchange a few moves with Young Chief Huo Xuan."
Before he had even finished speaking, Huo Xuan flashed out of the hall and into the air outside. Flames surged around him, and mighty Dou Qi poured from his body like a tide. Looking down at Shen Luo from above, he said, "Brother Shen, please enlighten me."
"Holy shit. He's so fired up. Did this guy take stimulants or something?" Shen Luo's mouth fell open.
"Shen Luo, don't be afraid of him! I'm rooting for you!"
Huo Zhi lifted the hem of his long robe and walked elegantly out of the hall, his face brimming with the anticipation of a spectator eager for a good show.
Shen Luo's expression darkened. What do you mean, don't be afraid of him? He's a Three-Star Dou Zong, and I'm a One-Star Dou Zong. You tell me whether I should be afraid!
He grumbled inwardly. But when he saw the Fire Fairy watching intently, a wicked heat flared in his lower belly, and the bones throughout his body began to crackle.
I've cultivated for so many years without ever going all out. Fine! Today, let's see which is stronger-my heavenly tyrant body or your Dou Di bloodline!
Before you continue