At the furious shout behind him, every hair on Xiao Yan's body stood on end. His foot twisted strangely in place, then stamped hard against the ground.
"Explosive Step!"
As his low cry fell, a pale azure glow spread over Xiao Yan's foot, and a muffled, explosion-like boom sounded from the ground.
He shot forward as though a catapult had been installed beneath his backside, dodging Dugu Bo's attack in practically the blink of an eye.
He stamped against the ground several times in succession, each footfall bringing another dull explosion.
Eight booms, eight steps!
In just eight steps, Xiao Yan had put ample distance between himself and Dugu Bo.
Watching this unfold, Dugu Bo's eyes flashed with disbelief. How is this brat so fast?
Looking up at the aged face before him, Xiao Yan paused in surprise. The old man looked tall and thin, with white hair and beard. His eyes gleamed like emeralds, his face was expressionless, and his cheeks were deeply sunken. He wore a green robe.
"Sir, might you be Senior Dugu Bo? I entered this place only to find something extremely important to me. Please forgive any disturbance I've caused." Xiao Yan bowed slightly to Dugu Bo and spoke quite politely.
Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes and snorted disdainfully. "Forgive you? You've reduced my medicinal garden to this state, and you expect me to forgive you?"
Looking around, the botanical garden that had once been laden with fruit and filled with plants vying in splendor was now a complete mess after Xiao Yan's search for the heavenly flame that had taken the form of a medicinal herb. It looked as though several oxen had plowed through it, with overturned soil, medicinal herbs, and immortal-grade plants scattered everywhere.
Seeing the devastation, Xiao Yan scratched his head