A Flying Start, the First Fifth-tier Beast Fire

Xiao Yan approached the stall and examined the cluster of brown flame closely. His actions soon drew the stall owner's attention.

The stall owner looked at the black-robed figure and knew a customer had arrived. He was just about to call out when Yao Lao's resonant voice abruptly interrupted him.

"Brother, may I ask what tier the flame in your hand is, and how you intend to sell it?"

Yao Lao's ethereal voice came from within the black robe. Every word seemed to carry the power to tempt the soul, enticing the man to speak the truth.

The man holding the flame heard him, and delight appeared on his face. I can finally sell this thing. But his expression remained unchanged as he said:

"This is a Sixth-Rank Beast Flame that I acquired by chance. To obtain it, you must pay with a fifth-grade pill formula or an Earth Tier Cultivation Method. I will accept nothing else."

As soon as he said this, an uproar broke out. People began discussing it and crowded around, wanting to see for themselves.

"A Sixth-Rank Beast Flame? Since when did something so precious appear here?"

"I heard even the Imperial Family's inherited flame is only a Sixth-Rank Beast Flame..."

"Tsk! A Sixth-Rank Beast Flame?"

Yao Lao found it laughable. Unaffected by the stall owner's honeyed words or the crowd's reaction, he drew on his years of experience to make his judgment:

"This flame is brown all over, with patterns on its surface resembling a bear beast. It also gives off fluctuations of earth-attribute Dou Qi, along with a faint trace of ancient dragon pressure. It is plainly the Beast Flame of a fifth-tier magical beast, the Earth Dragon Bear. How could it possibly be sixth-tier?"

Whoosh-!

Hearing Yao Lao's detailed analysis, the surrounding crowd could not help letting out a chorus of admiration. They glanced at the stall owner and sized him up again.

Sure enough, the details on the flame matched Yao Lao's description exactly.

Public opinion swiftly reversed, and everyone turned their spears on the stall owner.

"I knew it. How could a Sixth-Rank Beast Flame be so easy to obtain? Sure enough, it was a fake."

A young man snorted, his face full of gloating.

The others chimed in when they heard him. "Exactly. Honesty matters in business. It's fine to charge a little extra, but claiming it's a whole tier higher is going a bit too far."

"Ahem..."

The stall owner coughed, his face flushing with embarrassment. He had not expected his little trick to be exposed so quickly.

But he quickly composed himself and smiled. "Everyone, I'm sorry. I was careless and failed to verify the flame's tier, making a bit of a fool of myself. Please forgive me."

After all, he was here to do business and did not want to offend too many people, especially some of the nearby experts and high-grade alchemists. Otherwise, selling things in the future would become difficult.

Hearing the stall owner's sincere apology, the crowd could hardly say anything more. They dispersed, dropping the matter.

Things like this were commonplace in the treasure-hunting district anyway. As long as someone responded properly, people would not make things too difficult for them.

Seeing this, the stall owner pressed a hand to his forehead and wiped away a few drops of cold sweat. Only then did he turn his gaze back to the black-robed figure and speak politely:

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry you had to see that. In that case, I'll give you a better price for this Earth Dragon Bear flame: a high-grade fourth-grade pill formula or an intermediate Profound Tier cultivation method. What do you say?"

To tell the truth, the price was a little low for a Fifth-tier Beast Fire. But he had deliberately inflated the price before, so he could hardly change his tune and raise it now.

Xiao Yan, however, shook his head beneath the black robe. Yao Lao sighed softly.

"Hehe, you must be joking, brother. I am not short of money. How about this? I'll give you a High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique. What do you say?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan understood that Yao Lao wanted to show off. He could not help rolling his eyes, but still played along and watched Yao Lao take a sheepskin scroll from the Storage Ring.

In the next instant, Yao Lao's soul power suddenly erupted, enveloping the entire scroll. He then swiftly imprinted the information of a High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique onto it.

At the sight, fear appeared on the stall owner's face. After respectfully offering up the Beast Flame, he suddenly fell to his knees and kowtowed, pleading repeatedly:

"Please calm your anger, my lord! I was blind and failed to recognize Mount Tai. I deceived you just now. I don't want the Dou Technique anymore. Please take the Beast Flame. I only beg you to spare my life."

Scrolls of every tier, including pill formulas, Dou Techniques, and cultivation methods, contained vast amounts of information. They were as complicated as mathematical formulas and could not possibly be copied in a short time.

For example, this High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique scroll could hold tens of millions of characters. To swiftly imprint every trace within it was something even a Dou Huang expert could not do.

One could imagine just how powerful the black-robed figure before him was.

And the stall owner had dared to offend him just now. He had practically been courting death.

Fortunately, Yao Lao had no intention of pursuing the matter, nor did he take back the Dou Technique. He merely said calmly, "Take care of yourself, and don't make the same mistake again."

With that, Xiao Yan took an oval jade container from the Storage Ring. After putting the Fifth-tier Beast Fire away, he flicked his black robe, turned, and left.

The stall owner kept his head lowered, not daring to raise it. Only when the footsteps had faded into the distance did he dare lift his gaze slightly and secretly check whether the black-robed figure had left.

On the way, Xiao Yan complained to Yao Lao as he walked. "Teacher, have you gotten carried away? You've only recovered a little of your strength, and you're already flaunting it and parading through the streets. Aren't you afraid someone will set their sights on you?"

Yao Lao chuckled, unconcerned. "Your teacher has been stifled for so long. Can't I enjoy myself a little? What's wrong with showing off? In any case, no one in the Jia Ma Empire can do a thing to me!"

Xiao Yan was helpless. He could not shake the feeling that his teacher was a little unreliable in this life.

After all, Protector Wu was currently helping Yun Shan break through at the Misty Cloud Sect!

If they attracted the Hall of Souls ahead of time, they would be in trouble.

Just then, Yao Lao changed the subject himself, saying with a smile:

"All right, enough of that. There are plenty more Beast Flames here. Since we're already here, let's take them all."

Hearing Yao Lao, Xiao Yan could not help being startled. Then he asked doubtfully, "Teacher? Do you have that much money?"

Yao Lao narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled smugly. "Of course not. But I know how to copy things. Can't I just copy that Dou Technique again? Profound Tier Dou Techniques are precious, and they won't check them one by one anyway. Won't that do?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Yan imagined Yao Lao's plan. When the time came, people all over the mountains and plains of the imperial capital would be using this same High-grade Profound Tier Dou Technique. He could not help feeling his scalp go numb.

"Teacher, when did you become like this?" Xiao Yan said with a wry smile. He could not shake the feeling that something was a little off about Yao Lao in this world, as though he were going farther and farther down a strange path.

"What are you talking about? How long have you known me? I've always been like this!" Yao Lao said crossly.

Xiao Yan was speechless. He merely grumbled inwardly, No, actually, I've known you for a long time. I only learned today that you had this side to you.