Chapter 202: Across the Entire Dou Qi Continent, What Could Be More Terrifying Than This?
Within the Jia Ma Empire, a carriage slowly advanced on the official road leading to the imperial capital.
Inside the spacious carriage, Xiao Yan clutched a glowing red bead, his eyes tightly closed, his aura fluctuating.
A moment later, as if reaching a certain limit, a wave of scorching energy rapidly spread out, impacting the carriage walls and creating circles of transparent ripples.
He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of cyan flame in his pupils. Feeling the even greater surge of energy within him, his smile widened.
He gazed at the fire bead with adoration, feeling the immense fire energy still contained within it, even though he had absorbed some of it. A flicker of wonder crossed his eyes.
"Such a rich fire energy, Brother Bai, where did you get this?"
Xiao Yan raised his head and gazed at the black-robed figure not far away.
His slender fingers, nimble and deft, were slowly fiddling with the tea set.
Xiao Bai said nothing. He picked up a cup of freshly brewed tea and sniffed it gently. The aroma was fragrant, and he nodded in satisfaction.
He slowly leaned against the car window, took a sip, and then spoke: "You'll know later!"
".!" Xiao Yan.
He hated people like this who kept speaking in riddles. Everything was about later, as if knowing now would kill him!
He walked to the table, poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot, took a deep sip, and said angrily: "Brother Bai, you're getting lazy. Ever since we left Tagor, I've noticed you've been so carefree and haven't practiced at all. Be careful not to be surpassed by me one day!"
"Hehe." Xiao Bai looked out the window at the slowly receding scenery. He glanced at Xiao Yan from the corner of his eye and chuckled: "Why are you so cocky just after breaking through to the Eight-Star Fighter Master level?"
Xiao Yan's forehead throbbed with a vein. He couldn't stand this guy's expression and tone. He wanted to rush over and beat that calm face into a pig's head.
"Want to fight me? Looks like you don't want the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill anymore?" Xiao Bai knew him too well. Seeing the expression on his face, he knew this guy was already imagining beating him up.
"Hey, how could I?" Xiao Yan immediately flashed a warm smile, patting his chest with a firm expression: "Brother Bai, you're my dearest friend, my brother. How could I have such rebellious thoughts?"
".!" Xiao Bai.
".!" Yao Lao.
Perhaps after three years of hardship, this guy had mastered the art of shamelessness when it came to improving his strength.
"By the way, Brother Bai, those two lions in our family's back mountains, are they really okay?" Xiao Yan's eyes showed a faint trace of worry, cautiously confirming.
After leaving the Tagor Desert, Xiao Bai had taken him straight to the Warcraft Mountains, bringing the dominant beast of the outer mountains—the Amethyst Winged Lion King—to the Xiao family and leaving it in their back mountains.
Only his father, Xiao Zhan, and a few elders knew about this, and the news had stunned them.
A sixth-rank magical beast!
It was comparable to a human Dou Huang. Even during the Xiao family's peak years in the Imperial Capital under the old patriarch, Xiao Lin, they never had a magical beast of this caliber guarding the family.
Not to mention that the Xiao family's highest combat power was currently only a Grand Dou Master!
Compared to a Dou Huang, that was several realms apart.
"It's nothing, just a casual move, some insurance!" Xiao Bai waved his hand.
After listening to Xiao Yan's account, he had noticed that the Yunlan Sect's actions were rather peculiar. It didn't seem like a decision made by Yun Zhi, but more likely the work of Yun Ling or Yun Shan.
After much deliberation, he decided to add some insurance for the Xiao family.
While this insurance policy might be unnecessary, it could sometimes buy time and create a better opportunity.
"Brother Bai, how about..." Xiao Yan's face suddenly showed a look of struggle, his tone hesitant.
Seeing the rare look of embarrassment on Xiao Yan's face, Xiao Bai's mind turned, as if he understood something, and he asked calmly: "Why don't you want to keep the appointment?"
"I do!" Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened, and he said hatefully: "I've gritted my teeth and stubbornly improved my cultivation for the past three years, just for this. How could I not want to!"
Then a hint of bitterness appeared at the corner of his mouth. Thinking of his teacher's fear and Brother Bai's series of actions, he was no fool. He knew that this was all because of the Yunlan Sect. He smiled bitterly: "But seeing how serious you and Teacher are, although I don't know the specific reason, I'm afraid this appointment is not simple. I'm afraid for you."
"Are you afraid that something will happen to us?" Xiao Bai smiled leisurely, finishing what he hadn't said, and said calmly: "Your mission is to defeat Nalan Yanran. Don't worry about anything else. Your teacher and I will take care of everything!"
At this point, this guy was actually backing out. Don't even think about it!
He would not let him back down. As long as he could resolve the Xiao family's affairs once and for all, he would have one less thing to worry about.
He needed to detach himself from this matter, focus on other matters, and improve his own cultivation.
Otherwise, that Wu Guardian was like a sword hanging over the Xiao family's head, poised to fall at any moment.
The original novel didn't reveal how that person discovered the Xiao family of Wutan City—the very Xiao family the Soul Palace was targeting—otherwise, he would have found another solution long ago.
If there truly were another solution, whether Xiao Yan retreated or not, whether he went to the Yunlan Sect or not, wouldn't matter to him; he wouldn't even bother to care! But now was the time. This kid had to act as bait, luring out the Wu Guardian hidden in the Yunlan Sect and capturing him, so he could ask the Soul Palace for their methods of locating the Xiao family.
"Excellent! Little Yan, don't worry about your master. He's just a Dou Zong Guardian. If I weren't afraid of causing too much trouble and drawing attention to the forces behind him, you think I'd be afraid of him!" The Medicine Elder in the ring spoke arrogantly.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai secretly rolled his eyes. "Don't brag, old man! In the original novel, you really were captured by him."
Hearing what Xiao Bai and Yao Lao said, Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with a strong touch of emotion, and he nodded vigorously and said, "Okay! Then in half a month, I will go to Yunlan Sect to meet Nalan Yanran as scheduled!"
The atmosphere was silent for a moment, and Xiao Yan gradually put away the expression in his eyes and regained his composure. He turned his head to look at Xiao Bai, who was lazily leaning against the window, and laughed, "Brother Bai, don't forget the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill!"
"Don't worry, I won't forget!"
Xiao Bai waved his hand slightly, smiled playfully, and said, "But Xiao Yanzi, you understand the rules of the alchemist, right?"
"Damn it! Brother Bai, I'm your brother!" Xiao Yan shouted indignantly.
"Brothers, let's settle accounts!"
Xiao Bai's face straightened, and he said with a dangerous look, "Why, do you still want to get something for free?"
He was a staunch supporter of the rules of the alchemist. This was related to the professional ethics of the alchemist. No one except his wife could get something for free from him!
Xiao Yan looked into those suddenly deep eyes, swallowed his saliva, scratched his head, and smiled awkwardly, "How could that be? Don't worry, we'll go collect the herbs when we get to the Imperial Capital!"
Xiao Yan secretly complained bitterly; he didn't know what was wrong with Brother Bai.
He gave him the fifth-level fire bead without hesitation. This thing is much more valuable than the Three-Striped Green Spirit Pill.
But if you ask him to refine medicine, you have to abide by that damn rule.
Three batches of herbs, he couldn't help but touch the ring on his finger, his heart was about to cry, and he didn't know if the money was enough.
"Teacher, after I fulfill our three-year agreement, I'll definitely practice alchemy diligently and never look for that wicked fellow again!"
Xiao Yan muttered to himself. If he wasn't so unsure, he wouldn't have asked him to make pills.
"Hehe." Yao Lao looked at the two little guys, his hearty laughter echoing in Xiao Yan's heart.
"It's a good thing to want to improve your alchemy skills. I certainly support you, but you should be content!"
"With Xiao Bai's alchemy talent, you only need to pay three herbs, and you can come to him anytime. Such an offer is what countless people across the continent dream of, and you actually despise it!"
He understood why Xiao Yan didn't ask him to refine the pills, but instead went to Xiao Bai. He knew that his disciple didn't want him to come out.
After hearing this, Xiao Yan scratched his head and pondered for a moment.
It seemed to be true. Ever since his teacher appeared, he hadn't worried about elixirs.
He refined low-level ones himself, sought out his teacher for advanced ones, and consulted Brother Bai for special needs.
Thinking of this, he felt a mixture of shame and happiness!
"Huh? Brother Bai, we're almost there!"
Xiao Yan looked out the window, the scenery beginning to look familiar. He immediately stood up, lifted the carriage curtain, and peered in for a moment before exclaiming happily.
He had been to the imperial capital before, but that was when he was very young, so his memory was a bit hazy.
"Are we there yet?" Xiao Bai's brows twitched slightly. With a flip of his hand, an emerald green bamboo whistle appeared in his hand. He brought it to his lips and blew softly.
A moment later, a resounding eagle's cry echoed over the carriage.
"Haha, Xiaolan, hurry up, hurry up!" A silvery, clear laugh echoed.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai rolled his eyes. Through the window, a vast shadow descended. As the shadow spread, a giant blue eagle came into view.
A small figure danced on the giant eagle's back, while the eagle's eyes trembled with fear.
"Xiao Bai, there's a huge city ahead. Are we going there?" Zi Yan stamped her foot on the eagle's back and leaped down.
Watching the blue eagle duck, Xiao Bai's eyes twitched, and he said unhappily, "Be gentle! If anything happens to Little Blue, expect your sister Xian'er to punish you!"
"Lilululu," Zi Yan said with a playful smile, making a face at him. "Little Blue isn't that fragile!"
Xiao Bai shook his head. The blue eagle was Xian'er's companion. It hadn't gone with them to Canaan Academy, but had stayed in the Monster Mountain Range.
With the Amethyst Winged Lion King's care, nothing had happened.
Now that the Amethyst Winged Lion King had been taken away, he had no choice but to take it along.
Otherwise, a Level 2 monster, despite its intelligence, might die in the Monster Mountain Range.
Xian'er would be heartbroken.
"Tell Xiaolan to stay with the carriage and don't run around!" Xiao Bai whispered to Ziyan.
He hadn't expected this girl to have the ability to communicate with magical beasts—though, of course, that only applies to intelligent ones, which Xiaolan happened to be quite intelligent.
Ziyan walked over to Xiaolan's side, chattering for a while before the blue eagle flapped its wings and soared into the sky, eager to escape.
"Xiaolan, what do you mean by that?" Ziyan's face was filled with rage. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring up at the sky and stamping her feet in anger.
Xiao Bai glanced at her speechlessly. What did she mean? Didn't he know what he was talking about?
"Alright, stop playing around and get in the carriage. We're heading into the city!" Xiao Bai said softly, looking away.
"Hmph." Ziyan grumbled and hopped onto the carriage.
As the carriage moved forward, passing through a tall, dense forest, the outline of a huge city gradually became clear ahead.
Suddenly, Xiao Bai's gaze shifted, abruptly looking north beyond the city.
There, a vast, majestic mountain range, like a crouching dragon, its peak piercing the clouds, faintly emanating a soaring spiritual aura.
"The Yunlan Sect?"
Xiao Bai's mind flashed to that graceful, noble face. Thinking of Yunlan Sect's actions, he couldn't help but shake his head, wondering how she was doing now.
Hearing Xiao Bai's whisper, Xiao Yan followed his gaze, his eyes fixed on the mountain cloaked in mist, his fists clenched.
"Nalan Yanran of the Yunlan Sect, that loser from back then is back!"
Zi Yan leaned in closer, examining Xiao Yan, who was trembling, his eyes red with anger. She rested her hand on her delicate, fair chin, her large eyes filled with curiosity as she asked, "Did Nalan Yanran of the Yunlan Sect steal your little candy pill?"
"...!" Xiao Yan.
You're a scumbag!
Do you think everyone is you? You're treating that little candy pill like your lifeblood.
The tragic atmosphere was ruined by just one word from that little fellow!
"Haha."
Xiao Bai couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of Xiao Yan's flushed face.
He gently rubbed Zi Yan's little head, knowing that in this girl's eyes, the most infuriating thing in the world was that someone wanted to steal her little candy pills.
While joking, the carriage moved forward, passed through the city gate, and entered the imperial capital.
"Wow! There are so many people, Xiao Bai, look, what is that?"
"Tanghulu!"
"Is it delicious?"
"I want it?"
"Yeah."
After a moment, Xiao Yan's eyes twitched as he looked at the Tanghulu target in the carriage, which was full of Tanghulu.
The two people opposite him, each holding a string in their hands, were eating happily.
Were these two people here to accompany him to a date, or were they here for shopping and sightseeing?
"Brother Bai, where are we going next?" Xiao Yan asked tiredly.
"Hmm!" Xiao Bai swallowed the candied haws in his mouth, looked at the sky, and said, "It's still early, let's go to the pawnshop and buy a yard first. Xiao Lan is too big to fit in the inn!"
"Okay!" Xiao Yan nodded and said, "It's not bad to buy one. If the family really needs to move in the future, it will be useful!"
"Hmm!"
Seeing this, Xiao Yan's face darkened and he stood up directly. He didn't bother to pay attention to this unreliable person and walked out of the carriage to ask for directions.
Half an hour later, Xiao Yan's gruff voice rang out from outside the carriage: "We're here! Get off!"
"Huh?"
Xiao Bai stepped out of the carriage, looking at the massive building before him with a look of surprise. He turned to look at Xiao Yan and asked, "Aren't we going to the pawnshop? What are you doing here?"
"I've asked several people, and they all say the biggest pawnshop is right here. What can I do?"
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, then chuckled teasingly, "Brother Bai, aren't you afraid of seeing Miss Ya Fei?"
He'd seen that captivatingly charming woman before in Wutan City. She'd visited Xiao Bai several times.
"Haha, do you think I'm afraid?"
Xiao Bai sneered and jumped off the carriage. There was only one kind of person Xiao Bai didn't want to see: someone he had a grudge against but couldn't defeat.
As for being afraid? What a joke! He'd even dare to think of disrupting the Soul Emperor's path to becoming an emperor, let alone anyone else?
In the entire Dou Qi Continent, what could be more terrifying than this?
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(End of Chapter)