“Unqualified?” The old and gentle face of Elder Galle suddenly showed some surprise, and then he cast a strange look at Xiao Yan. With Hai Bo Dong’s strength at the level of a Battle Emperor, how could he say he was unqualified to be this young man’s teacher? Could he have such great potential? Under the night sky, Nalan Yanran and others were all somewhat speechless as they watched Hai Bo Dong laugh. After being slightly shocked for a while, they took his words as a joke. In the Jia Ma Empire, if a Battle Emperor announced that he would take disciples, countless talented individuals would rush to apply. Becoming a disciple of a Battle Emperor basically meant that one had already obtained a pass to becoming a strong individual.
“Haha, Elder Hai is just joking, don’t take it seriously, Elder Galle. I already have a master, so naturally, I can’t switch to another,” Xiao Yan shook his head and smiled. Beside him, Hai Bo Dong remained noncommittal. Even when he regained his Battle Emperor strength, Xiao Yan still gave him a very dangerous feeling. Later, during the battle with those two mysterious Battle Emperors, the terrifying power of the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame made Hai Bo Dong extremely wary of him. Although Xiao Yan’s strength seemed to have drastically decreased due to the use of the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame, in Hai Bo Dong’s heart, Xiao Yan was already almost on par with or even stronger than himself. Therefore, when he heard Elder Galle say that Xiao Yan was his disciple, he couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Hearing this, Elder Galle smiled slightly, glancing at Hai Bo Dong’s expression without any obvious trace. However, he felt increasingly surprised; based on his understanding of Hai Bo Dong, he knew that it was rare for him to make such jokes. “Could what he said be true?” he murmured softly in his heart, and couldn’t help but ask, “Young Rock, may I know your master’s name? Perhaps I’ve met him before.”
“Haha, sorry, Elder Galle. My master said it was inconvenient to reveal his name. He is a low-key person who has spent his whole life in the mountains, so I’m sure you haven’t heard of him,” Xiao Yan said with a slight sense of apology.
“Haha, it’s no problem. Many hermits have unique personalities. I’ve also seen some reclusive strong men and know their indifference.” Elder Galle shook his head with a smile, but he still had some doubts about Xiao Yan’s words. For Hai Bo Dong to say such things was a level of recognition even Elder Galle had never received. Therefore, it was likely that Rock’s master was someone even stronger than Hai Bo Dong or even himself… Though it wasn’t uncommon for strong individuals to live in seclusion in the vast Jia Ma Empire, as the guardian of the royal family and with the help of the empire’s power, Elder Galle had a vague idea of the reclusive strong men in the Jia Ma Empire. But he had never heard of anyone who fit the description of the legendary strong man he was thinking of.
Nalan Jie and Miter Tunshan, hovering in the night sky, exchanged a silent glance. They, too, could sense that Hai Bo Dong’s words were not a mere joke. If what he said was true, then Rock’s master… was indeed frighteningly strong…
“Thankfully, we didn’t make an enemy out of him…” The two looked at each other, both seeing a hint of relief in the other’s eyes. As the heads of their respective families, they clearly understood the terrifying power that a strong individual of that level possessed.
“Alright, alright, it’s getting late. We should all go back now,” Hai Bo Dong looked up at the descending silver moon, yawned, and clapped his hands.
“Haha, Young Rock, will you be participating in the Alchemist Grand Competition tomorrow?” Elder Galle nodded and asked casually.
“Mm,” Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. He had heard of Elder Galle several times from Hai Bo Dong and even heard the title of ‘old monster’ from the two mysterious Battle Emperors when he faced them outside Yancheng. He was the only strong individual in the Jia Ma Empire who could openly stand against the Queen Medusa, so without Yao Lao, Xiao Yan was extremely wary of him, speaking with great caution and politeness.
Thinking of Queen Medusa, Xiao Yan involuntarily touched the quietly sleeping Seven-Colored Devouring Sky Serpent coiled in his sleeve. Fortunately, this little guy was born with the ability to perfectly conceal its aura, otherwise, it would surely have been discovered by the old monster and Hai Bo Dong.
* * *
“Ahh, this little fellow is a ticking time bomb…” Xiao Yan sighed inwardly, shaking his head. Thinking of Queen Medusa’s cold and beautiful appearance, he felt a chill. This woman, although enchantingly beautiful, was as ruthless in killing as she was in slaughtering chickens… Xiao Yan believed that if he hadn’t agreed to Queen Medusa’s request to obtain the so-called ‘Soul Fusion Pill’, she would definitely take his life next time she awakened…
“Without Master, I’m really constrained everywhere. I need to get the Seven Fantasy Blue Spirit Saliva from the Nalan family quickly. Otherwise, having my life in someone else’s hands is really uncomfortable…” he sighed, shaking his head. After losing Yao Lao, he finally realized how perilous his situation was.
“Haha, that event is a stage for the young. I might go and see it tomorrow. It will be good to see the person whom even Old Hai praises highly,” Elder Galle smiled, then turned to the top of the giant tree and said indifferently, “Little Moon, it’s so late, and you’re still wandering around. Go back with me.”
“Oh…” Hearing Elder Galle, the usually mischievous little princess responded with a sigh, then obediently stepped forward. Elder Galle beckoned, and a force pulled her to his side, then they floated there motionless.
“Niece Nalan Yanran, Young Liu Ling, give my regards to your masters when you see them,” Elder Galle, holding the little princess, smiled at Nalan Yanran and Liu Ling, then turned to Mu Zhan, who was looking respectful, and said with a laugh, “Little fellow from the Mu family, you’re back again? This time, try to behave. Otherwise, you’ll be thrown out again.”
“Yes,” Mu Zhan nodded vigorously, his arrogance vanishing in front of the old monster, even though Mu Chen would respectfully greet him.
Seeing everyone about to disperse, Xiao Yan also raised his head, smiled, and cupped his hands in a bow to Nalan Jie and the others. Then, he said to Hai Bo Dong, “Let’s go back?”
“Mm, let’s go.” Hai Bo Dong lazily nodded, only saying goodbye to Elder Galle. As for Nalan Jie and the others, he ignored them. His icy wings gradually appeared, and with a flap, he disappeared into the air with a gust of cold wind.
“Haha, Elder Galle, farewell,” Xiao Yan smiled at Elder Galle, then his wings vibrated, turning him into a streak of light, following Hai Bo Dong.
Seeing Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong leave, Elder Galle did not linger. Holding the little princess, he flapped his light yellow Dou Qi wings, and with a swish, he vanished, leaving behind a faint laughter lingering in the air.
“Everyone, disperse…”
In the night sky, two streaks of light sped off.
“Hey, you didn’t reveal any information about me, right?” Xiao Yan followed closely behind Hai Bo Dong, frowning.
“No… I know you need to hide your identity. I didn’t mention anything about you to that old monster. You don’t need to worry,” Hai Bo Dong shook his head.
“Keep it as secret as possible. The Yunlan Sect has stood in the Jia Ma Empire for so many years, and its relationship with the royal family must not be bad. We can’t afford to be careless,” Xiao Yan sighed.
“Your injuries haven’t healed yet?” Hai Bo Dong nodded, then suddenly asked.
Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained composed, nodding slightly, “That thing is too terrifying. The aftereffects are too strong… But I think it won’t be long. Once I get the Seven Fantasy Blue Spirit Saliva, I should be able to recover.”
“I told you not to be impulsive, but you insisted on combining the Heavenly Fires…” Hai Bo Dong shook his head helplessly. “That old monster’s strength is increasingly profound. When I fought him earlier, I was completely at a disadvantage. I believe he is now at the eight-star or even nine-star Battle Emperor level. Sigh… If he has a bit more luck, he might break through the barrier and become a Battle Sect.”
“Really that strong?” Although Xiao Yan had expected this, he was still shocked by Hai Bo Dong’s confirmation.
“Yeah… Because of my relationship with the Miter family, that guy has always been wary of me, fearing I might overthrow the Jia Ma royal family. Yesterday, I accidentally revealed myself, and although he said it was a friendly match, I’m not an idiot. He was clearly trying to intimidate me, that old scoundrel,” Hai Bo Dong cursed.
“He won’t interfere with our affairs, right?” Xiao Yan furrowed his brows and asked softly.
“Fortunately, he won’t. Didn’t you notice that he’s starting to be wary of you too? Or perhaps he’s wary of the nonexistent master you claim to have. As long as your lie isn’t exposed, he won’t dare to do anything to you,” Hai Bo Dong mused.
“So, you need to quickly recover your strength. Once you do, we won’t have to worry so much about that old monster.”
“I’ll try my best. But if he pushes me too far, even if I remain heavily injured, I’ll throw a Burning Lotus of Anger at the capital,” Xiao Yan shrugged and said nonchalantly.
“Eh… What the hell, you crazy kid…” Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong gaped, then sputtered out a few curses and fell silent.
Seeing Hai Bo Dong quiet down, Xiao Yan smiled, twisted his neck, and murmured in his heart, “Tomorrow is the Alchemist Grand Competition. I should first get that Soul Fusion Pill formula. Before facing the Yunlan Sect, I need to pacify that female fiend, Queen Medusa…”
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