Although Xiao Yan had created the Nine Revolutions Soul Refining Art himself, he had been far stronger then than he was now. With his current strength, mastering it in a short time was all but impossible. Thus, his only goal this time was to condense a little soul flame to keep in reserve for unforeseen needs.
With Xiao Yan's current strength, no Dou Emperor could stand against him, and he was confident he could kill even a Dou Zong. Such strength allowed him to roam the Black-Corner Region unchecked, but as the saying went, preparation warded off calamity. It was always good to keep a few more tricks up his sleeve.
After condensing the soul flame, Xiao Yan decided to get some fresh air. Yet he had barely stepped outside when he saw Zi Yan walking in with a large blue-gray stone on her shoulder. Qing Lin followed behind her, worry written all over her little face, terrified that Zi Yan might lose her balance and be crushed beneath it.
"What have you two been up to this time?" Xiao Yan glanced at the large blue-gray stone on Zi Yan's shoulder and asked, "You didn't go rob someone, did you?"
"Of course not! We bought this through perfectly legitimate channels." Zi Yan gently set the large stone on the ground and said, "Someone delivered an invitation a few days ago, saying there was an auction in the city with a few treasures related to the Ruins of Return. We wanted to invite you, but you've been cultivating in seclusion these past few days, so we went ourselves."
"Let me guess. After you got to the auction, some young master who didn't know better tried to harass you, and you gave him a thorough tongue-lashing. Then the petty little bastard deliberately