"Damn it, why is he so strong?" Supported by the people around him, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Dou Shi steadied himself and stared in shock at the impassive youth in white.
He looked no more than seventeen or eighteen, yet he was stronger than a One-Star Dou Shi like himself. At that age, he had only reached the sixth stage of Dou Qi!
"Kill him! Whoever kills that sucker for me gets ten bottles of pills!" the bandaged man shrieked from the side.
"Heh, am I really worth so little?" Xiao Yan sneered, pressing a hand to his forehead. Then, in an instant, he vanished again.
This time, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Dou Shi finally saw Xiao Yan's movements clearly. It was not teleportation at all; he was simply moving too fast for an ordinary Dou Zhe's eyes to track.
This was one way to use Earth Flame. Though it lacked the agility of most genuine movement Dou Techniques, its explosive power rivaled some mid-level Black Tier movement techniques.
Another punch came bearing a Dou Technique infused with the Divine Crow Flame, its force astonishing.
Facing mortal danger, the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Dou Shi brought everything he had ever learned to bear. Barely steady on his feet, he poured all his strength into his strongest palm strike.
High-level Yellow Tier Dou Technique: Mountain-Rending Palm!
In the blink of an eye, their clash was decided.
Xiao Yan used the force of the colliding Dou Techniques to retreat, then landed firmly on the ground.
The Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Dou Shi was swallowed by a sea of flames, a horrifying sight.
Agonized screams echoed over Qingshan Town, instantly shattering the surrounding mercenaries' fighting spirit. Those who had been itching to try their luck moments earlier backed away one after another, terror written across their faces.
"How can this be? He looks so young..."
"Ba Meng was a Dou Shi, no matter what!"
"Monster..."
"He must be some great family's young master. Can adventurers like us really afford to cross someone like him?"
Xiao Yan withdrew his beast flame and swept an indifferent gaze around him. There were plenty of mercenaries, but they were nothing more than a motley rabble.
They might excel at swaggering and brawling, but the moment danger struck, they scattered like startled birds and beasts.
And that was exactly what happened. After Xiao Yan killed the Myriad Medicine Pavilion's Dou Shi with thunderous force, most of the mercenaries who had gathered so imposingly at Qingshan Town's entrance dispersed.
As for the bandaged Myriad Medicine Pavilion Master, he had been abandoned there all alone.
"What a heartless bunch." Xiao Yan walked up to the bandaged man and was just about to finish off the lunatic with a swift strike.
An oppressive sense of danger suddenly struck him.
Without warning, the two Protective Talismans hanging around Xiao Yan's neck lit up together. Two shields, one black and one gold, instantly unfurled and enclosed him completely.
Boom!
A spear thrust straight into the shields, unleashing a tremendous surge of energy upon impact. The ambusher was blasted backward and had to retreat seven or eight steps before regaining his balance.
He had been ambushed?
Recovering from his brief shock, Xiao Yan reached up and grasped the two Protective Talismans against his chest. The one bearing a golden flame emblem had been a gift from Xiao Xun'er, while the handmade black-and-white one had come from Xiao Yi Xian.
Unexpectedly, neither Protective Talisman had been needed during the battle with the Jia Lie Family, yet they had protected him here.
"Your repeated gains in strength have gone to your head, Little Yanzi." Yao Chen's voice sounded in Xiao Yan's mind. He had actually noticed someone lying in ambush nearby long ago, but had not warned Xiao Yan.
"Yao Lao..." Xiao Yan felt a lingering chill of fear.
"With me here, no one below Dou Zong can kill you. But you still need to act cautiously." Yao Lao's words thoroughly shook Xiao Yan awake.
Yes, everything had gone so smoothly over the past year that his confidence had swelled. Faced with mercenaries who seemed little more than a rabble, he had begun to toy with them and look down on them.
Xiao Yan drew a deep breath and took the Heavy Xuan Ruler from his Storage Ring. The Divine Crow Flame and peach blossom flame rapidly covered its surface, radiating an imposing aura.
With a backhand strike, he reduced the bandaged man to dust. Only then did he turn toward his attacker.
Nalan Jie, a One-Star Great Dou Master from a collateral branch of the Nalan Family, and one of the Jia Ma Empire's most famous adventurers.
Even Xiao Yan had read about him in miscellaneous books and biographies. He had recognized Nalan Jie because of the distinctive scar running across his entire face.
"A misunderstanding, Young Master Xiao Yan." Nalan Jie was no less wary than Xiao Yan at that moment. The protective barriers that had suddenly appeared had filled him with dread.
"Misunderstanding, my ass!"
A flash of sword light swept past. In her fury, Xiao Yi Xian slashed her blade across Nalan Jie's neck before he even had time to react.
Nalan Jie reached for his neck in disbelief. Thin trickles of blood seeped from the wound, then his body slowly toppled, as though it could no longer bear the weight of his head.
Thud.
Nalan Jie's head slowly rolled to Xiao Yan's feet.
Xiao Yan swallowed the polite words he had been about to offer. At the same time, he forcibly dispersed the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus he had secretly prepared in his left hand behind his back.
"Senior Sister, you're so strong," Xiao Yan said flatteringly.
"You were too careless." Xiao Yi Xian shot him a fierce glare, as though reproaching him for failing to protect himself.
Xiao Yan did not dare answer and could only grin foolishly.
"Let's go into town. I need to pick up a few things at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion headquarters." Xiao Yi Xian retrieved a Storage Ring from Nalan Jie's body and tossed it to Xiao Yan. She had no interest in such junk.
"Thanks, Senior Sister." Xiao Yan had no intention of turning it down. A renowned adventurer's collection was often astonishing.
Sure enough, the moment his soul power entered the Storage Ring, Xiao Yan was stunned by the wealth of its contents. One jade box stood out in particular. Inside it lay a Flying Dou Technique manual.
He did not open it yet, intending to take stock of his spoils after entering the Magical Beast Forest.
Inside the carriage, Qing Lin stared at the piles of severed limbs outside and cowered in a corner, trembling with fear. It took a good deal of comforting from Xiao Yi Xian before she calmed down.
They entered Qingshan Town.
Most houses and shops were shut, which was only natural. With such a major incident having just occurred at the entrance, few people were bold enough to keep doing business.
The Myriad Medicine Pavilion headquarters had also been deserted. Bottles and jars that no one had had time to carry away littered the floor, and medicinal ingredients normally considered rather valuable lay scattered everywhere. Only the gold, silver, and other treasures were nowhere to be seen.
Xiao Yi Xian told Xiao Yan to search the Myriad Medicine Pavilion headquarters for any usable medicinal ingredients left behind, then headed deeper inside herself, apparently looking for something.
Xiao Yan was happy to do it. The feeling of reaping rewards was always addictive, and he took Qing Lin treasure hunting through the now-empty Myriad Medicine Pavilion.
This time, however, he had learned his lesson. He kept the Dou Qi circulating within him at all times, guarding against any hidden enemy's ambush.
As it happened, although the Myriad Medicine Pavilion was hardly a major power, its location on the edge of the Magical Beast Forest meant that it stocked plenty of medicinal ingredients that were normally hard to find.
In particular, when Xiao Yan pried open a storehouse, the scent of medicinal ingredients rushed into his nostrils. More than twenty crates of assorted ingredients were stored inside.
The mercenaries had been unable to carry away such heavy goods before leaving, allowing Xiao Yan to scoop up a bargain.
"Wow, we're rich!" Qing Lin clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.
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