Bringing Hai Bodong Under His Wing

"Since that's the case... go to hell with those two things!"

Xiao Yan's gaze turned icy. Dou Qi gathered in his palm, and he pressed his five fingers together, about to plunge them into the old man's heart.

At that moment, Hai Bodong panicked and hurriedly begged for mercy. "Stop!"

Xiao Yan's hand hung before the old man's chest, and a gust of wind blew the scraps of clothing from his body. Xiao Yan's lips curled upward. He seized the old man by the collar, lifted him again, and sneered:

"What, changed your mind?"

Hai Bodong took a deep breath and did his utmost to calm himself. Looking at Xiao Yan, he gave a helpless, bitter smile.

"Fine, I admit defeat. I'll give you the things, but only on one condition: can you really break that Snake Tribe Seal? If not, there's nothing to discuss!"

He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to act so decisively.

If Xiao Yan couldn't get the things, he would kill him.

Now that he thought about it carefully, Xiao Yan's terms seemed quite good. At least he could help him break that loathsome seal.

Besides, if he was stronger than Xiao Yan after breaking the seal, whether he handed over the things would be another story...

Having worked out his calculations, Hai Bodong nodded firmly.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan smiled in satisfaction and agreed as well. "It's a deal!"

He had dealt with Hai Bodong in his previous life and knew his character well. When their strength was equal, they could trade fairly, but if the gap between them was too great, that was another matter.

But it didn't matter, because in this life, his Yao Lao was far stronger than he had been back then.

With a thought, Xiao Yan entered the world within his mind to meet Yao Lao. "Teacher, do you have a way to break this seal?"

Yao Lao held nothing back and said frankly, "Of course. This seal is merely a Xuan Class Dou Technique used by a Peak Dou Emperor. My strength is now comparable to that of a Four-Star Dou Zong. I need only tear it apart by force."

As his words fell, Yao Lao raised a finger and transformed into a mass of eerie white flame that enveloped the young man from within.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...

As the flames rose, Xiao Yan's presence surged with them, soon reaching the level of a Four-Star Dou Zong.

Gripping the power in his hand, Xiao Yan's once-black eyes took on traces of white flame, making them appear deeper and sharper.

Meanwhile, Hai Bodong's eyes flew wide.

Xiao Yan's presence kept climbing.

Dou Wang... Dou Emperor... beyond Dou Emperor!

And this power wasn't Dou Qi, but soul power!

Not only that, there was also the presence of Heavenly Flames.

In that instant, he finally realized that this time, he seemed to have encountered a true expert.

In the very next moment, the young man flung the old man aside, smashing him to the ground. The eerie white Bone Spirit Cold Flame on his palm formed a pure, sharp blade that stabbed toward the old man's heart.

Hai Bodong was horrified and instinctively raised his hand in front of himself, but the illusory blade passed straight through it and plunged into his body.

As it turned out, this power wasn't a physical attack, but destruction that reached deep into the soul.

Boom!

In an instant, Hai Bodong felt as if the fire of desire were consuming him, and a green light shone from the chest exposed beneath his shredded clothes.

A surge of chilling power erupted and gathered into a bizarre pattern.

The pattern was seven-colored, and a fierce python formed from a hundred snake markings burst out of the old man's body.

Its blood-red eyes flashed, and it turned into a streak of light that shot toward Xiao Yan.

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

Calmly extending a hand, Xiao Yan caught the oncoming snake's head and casually crushed it to powder, which dispersed beneath the scorching sun.

Crack... crack!

Crisp cracking sounds rang out, and the arcane pattern shattered into pieces in response.

Hai Bodong knelt on the ground, wailing and trembling all over, yet his eyes held no fear or regret, only madness and exhilaration intertwined.

After the Snake Seal was broken, a great quantity of deep-blue mist poured from the old man's dantian and spread wildly in every direction. The shifting sand within a hundred meters began to collapse, forming a massive pit.

Xiao Yan, however, paid it no mind. Casually striking at the cold mist, he watched Hai Bodong closely and murmured to himself:

"Dou Wang, Two-Star Dou Wang, three-star... five-star... Peak Dou Wang, Two-Star Dou Emperor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hai Bodong finally reined in his presence and stood up. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply in enjoyment, spreading his hands and flexing his fingers, his face filled with rapture.

"It's back. Everything is back. My Dou Qi power is back. I, Hai Bodong... am a Dou Huang expert again."

A moment later, Hai Bodong opened his eyes and looked toward Xiao Yan, a gleam flashing in them. He released his soul perception once more to gauge the gap between them.

Just as he had thought... from what his perception revealed, Xiao Yan's power had far surpassed the Dou Huang Realm and reached an entirely new level.

Dou Zong! This young man had already reached the Dou Zong level...

At his own peak, he had only been a Five-Star Dou Emperor at best. They weren't on the same level at all.

Having reached this conclusion, Hai Bodong felt utterly bitter.

He had thought that once he broke the seal and his strength increased greatly, he could make the other party hesitate to act against him, like someone afraid to smash a mouse for fear of breaking the vase.

But he hadn't expected to bring humiliation upon himself. How pitiful and laughable...

Shaking his head in self-mockery, Hai Bodong said no more. He hurriedly took a map fragment and a carefully drawn map from his Storage Ring and respectfully handed them to Xiao Yan, saying sincerely:

"Senior, everything is here. I, Hai Bodong, am no faithless man. Please accept them."

Xiao Yan took the map fragment and the map and examined them against his memories from his previous life. Only after confirming they were genuine did he put them into the ancient-looking black ring, then patted his own shoulder again in satisfaction.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong breathed a sigh of relief. He forced a smile and ventured:

"May I ask what your plans are, Senior? If you don't mind, I would be willing to serve as your guide for part of the way, as a small token of my apology!"

As an expert who had once ruled a region, Hai Bodong had never humbled himself so much.

But after witnessing Xiao Yan's methods, he had no choice but to submit, or death would be his only path.

Besides, he had returned to the Dou Huang Realm and could still live freely when he returned to the Jia Ma Empire in the future.

And behind him was the Mittel Family, which still needed his protection. Why fight Xiao Yan to the bitter end?

At this thought, Hai Bodong felt much more at ease.

Seeing the contemplative look on his face, Xiao Yan said no more and replied casually:

"No need. Let bygones drift away with the wind. There's no need to take them to heart."

Hearing this, Hai Bodong nodded, understanding that Xiao Yan had let him off.

He felt grateful, and had just spread his Dou Qi Wings and turned, preparing to leave, when he heard the young man call out again:

"Wait, Elder Hai. I have another piece of business. I wonder if I should bring it up."

Hai Bodong stopped and turned to look at Xiao Yan in confusion. "Oh? Is there anything else you need to trouble me with, Senior?"

Xiao Yan smiled. "You're too polite, Elder Hai. Let me introduce myself. I'm Xiao Yan, leader of the Flame Alliance in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I came here not only for the things in your possession, but also for you."

With that, Xiao Yan waved a hand and took a parchment scroll from his Storage Ring. He infused it with intense soul power and tossed it to Hai Bodong, continuing his explanation:

"This is a letter of recommendation that will grant you direct entry into the Flame Alliance. Go to the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair in the Magical Beast Mountain Range and give it to the Nether Snake King. Someone will make arrangements for you."

Hai Bodong caught the parchment scroll, his hand trembling.

Feeling the soul pressure emanating from the parchment, he staggered backward again and again, nearly falling into the sand.

He looked utterly bedraggled.