Chapter 14: Jie Jie Jie...

Chapter 14: Jie Jie Jie...

"Do you think you can escape?" Lu Bu chuckled softly.

Xiao Yan's expression turned resolute, his eyes flashing with determination. "Teacher, let's risk it all!"

Yao Lao nodded, gripping the Xuan Heavy Ruler tightly as he locked eyes with Lu Bu. "I may not be able to defeat you, but if you want to kill me... you'll have to pay a hefty price!"

Yao Lao's gaze sharpened, and his black robe fluttered despite the absence of wind. The imposing aura of a renowned Dou Grandmaster erupted, just as Xiao Yan had said... they were ready to fight to the death!

"Well... about that..." Lu Bu shrugged casually. "You're absolutely right taking you down would come at quite a cost."

The aura Yao Lao had been projecting faltered, and his determined expression froze in confusion. What was this? Shouldn't the response have been something like "Just try and see!" or "Today, only one of us will walk away alive!"?

Lu Bu sighed and shook his head. The earlier battle with Yao Lao had only been to demonstrate his strength, setting the stage for the negotiation he intended to pursue. He and Xiao Yan bore no grudges why would he go to such lengths as to fight to the death?

Moreover...

Lu Bu's eyes flickered toward a shadow beneath a nearby tree. If he wasn't mistaken, that shadow belonged to one of Xiao Xun'er's bodyguards, stationed to protect her beloved. While he had confidence in defeating Yao Lao in his current state, he wasn't confident about a two versus one scenario.

"Uh... Teacher, it seems like he doesn't intend to kill us?" Xiao Yan cautiously asked, not daring to act rashly. After making two critical mistakes earlier, he owed his life to Yao Lao's intervention.

"That does appear to be the case..." Yao Lao admitted, sensing no murderous intent from Lu Bu. This man didn't seem inclined to kill them after all.

"In that case, may we leave, sir?" Yao Lao asked.

"Of course," Lu Bu smiled faintly. "But since you've interrupted me, you'll need to leave something behind as compensation."

"What sort of compensation?" Yao Lao frowned.

"Medicinal pills, techniques, treasures, or Dou Skills," Lu Bu said with a smile. "Or if you're feeling generous, an arm would suffice."

Yao Lao sighed, his heart sinking. To think that in this remote and desolate area of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he would encounter such a formidable opponent.

"Fine, take this," Yao Lao said, waving his hand to send a scroll flying toward Lu Bu.

Catching it with a flick of his hand, Lu Bu examined it. It was a high tier Xuan level fire attribute cultivation technique. He weighed it in his hand, then shook his head. "This doesn't really match your status…"

"Yao Zun zhe, the venerable Dou Grandmaster," Lu Bu remarked with a playful smirk.

As soon as he said this, Xiao Yan's gaze turned sharp, and the Xuan Heavy Ruler in his hand once again began to glow with fiery red energy.

"Calm down," Lu Bu said nonchalantly, waving a hand as if dismissing the tension. "Your identity isn't hard to guess. With Bone Chilling Flame at your command, even an idiot could figure it out."

The light on the Xuan Heavy Ruler dimmed, and Yao Lao lowered the weapon. After all, they had already fought, and he was clearly no match for this man.

"Teacher, are you really a Dou Venerable?" Xiao Yan's voice trembled with excitement. This level of strength had only ever existed in legends for him.

"What do you want?" Yao Lao ignored Xiao Yan's excitement, lifting his gaze to Lu Bu.

"Trade it for a high tier Earth level technique," Lu Bu said, casually tossing the scroll back.

"I don't have one!" Yao Lao scoffed. "Even I treasure those!"

"Then we fight!" Lu Bu's grin turned menacing as silver runes swirled beneath his feet. A spectral silver skull began to materialize faintly above him.

Yao Lao felt his head throb in frustration. He couldn't win, and he couldn't run either. To make matters worse, even sacrificing himself to buy time for Xiao Yan to escape wouldn't work the strength of that puppet ensured that Xiao Yan couldn't hold his ground.

"Wait! I can offer you a low tier Earth level technique…"

"Jie Jie Jie… Yin Demon Howl!"

Lu Bu let out a sinister laugh, ignoring the offer as his hand seals continued to shift. The silver skull's mouth began to open wider and wider.

"Mid tier Earth level! I'll give you a mid tier Earth level technique!" Yao Lao yelled hastily.

Lu Bu immediately retracted his aura, his warm smile returning as if nothing had happened. His face was as gentle as jade as he replied, "Deal! Mid tier Earth level it is!"

"Damn it…" Yao Lao's expression darkened. If only he had held out a bit longer…

With a wave of his hand, Yao Lao sent a fiery red scroll flying toward Lu Bu. Snatching it midair, Lu Bu glanced at its title: Skyfire Crimson Flame Technique, a mid tier Earth level technique.

"Not bad. You're free to go," Lu Bu said, waving them off dismissively, his focus already absorbed in examining the technique.

"This guy… he really doesn't care about me at all," Xiao Yan muttered, exasperated. He hesitated for a moment before dashing into the forest.

"Oh, by the way," Lu Bu called out, halting Xiao Yan in his tracks. "Consider this a favor I owe you. If you ever need something, come find me here. I'll be staying in this area for a while."

Having extorted an Earth level technique, Lu Bu felt a little guilty. His words offered Xiao Yan and Yao Lao a way to save face and perhaps laid the groundwork for future cooperation.

Xiao Yan paused for a moment, glanced up at Lu Bu hovering in the sky, nodded, and disappeared into the forest.

Lu Bu didn't pay much attention to them. Considering Xiao Yan's opportunistic nature, he was probably already pondering ways to recruit him to the Yun Lan Sect. Lu Bu's declaration of owing them a favor was nothing more than an excuse to give them a reason to come back and find him.

They'd return eventually there was no need to rush. When they did, that would be the time to secure some alchemy techniques!

Lu Bu's black wings flapped lightly as he descended to the ground. Originally, the cultivation technique his predecessor practiced was nothing more than a low level yellow rank manual, akin to the kind sold on street corners.

Later, after defeating Yun Fu, Lu Bu had found a high level Xuan rank technique in his storage ring. It was decent for his current stage and sufficient for the time being.

But now... wasn't there something even better at hand?

Lu Bu weighed the scroll in his hand and chuckled softly. Sitting cross legged, he placed the scroll against his forehead and began to study the technique.

Heavenly Astral Crimson Flame Art. This technique didn't have any particularly flashy traits. Its standout feature was its endurance.

After mastering it, one's Dou Qi would become vast and continuous, significantly more abundant than that of others at the same level. This technique was derived from comprehending the Three Thousand Burning Flames, which could repair themselves using starlight. However, this manual relied on sunlight instead.

"Not bad," Lu Bu nodded approvingly.

…

Elsewhere, deep in the mountains, Xiao Yan leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

"Damn it! I can't believe he extorted a mid tier Earth rank technique out of me!" Xiao Yan cursed bitterly, his face full of frustration.

"Forget about that," Yao Lao said as his figure floated out from Xiao Yan's ring. "That man wasn't too bad. Even after learning of my identity, all he did was extort a single technique. If it had been someone else, they might've just killed us and taken everything."

Yao Lao understood this clearly. As the continent's foremost alchemist, he carried plenty of treasures. If someone else had encountered him in his current weakened state, they likely wouldn't have hesitated to kill him for his valuables.

"That guy only extorted a technique. In this Dou Qi Continent, where human lives are often seen as cheap, his restraint already speaks to a high moral standard."

"Let's go. We need to keep looking for a place to train," Yao Lao urged.

However, Xiao Yan hesitated, stroking his chin as he muttered, "Teacher, about what he said earlier... that he owed us a favor…"

Hearing this, Yao Lao raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

"Teacher, let me ask you something," Xiao Yan said.

"If I could use that puppet of his to hone my combat skills, would it speed up my training?"

"Hmm…" Yao Lao pondered for a moment. Combat is undoubtedly one of the best ways to train. If Xiao Yan could use that puppet for practice, his progress would undoubtedly accelerate.

"Yes, it would help," Yao Lao confirmed.

"Does he have any killing intent toward us?" Xiao Yan asked again.

"Absolutely not," Yao Lao said with a deep breath. By now, he fully understood Xiao Yan's intentions. A top notch training tool, a safe opponent, and a favorable location there was no reason not to go back.

"Let's head back," Xiao Yan said as he stood up. This time, he walked confidently toward the direction of the waterfall.

By the waterfall, Lu Bu sat cross legged within his spirit gathering array. Faint yellow Dou Qi swirled around him, but as the technique circulated, the yellow hue gradually deepened into a brilliant golden yellow under the sunlight, radiating an inexplicable sense of nobility.

He was in the process of transitioning to a new cultivation technique. After about half an hour, his Dou Qi had fully transformed into its bright golden state, marking the successful transition.

At the same time, the energy vortex above him began to stir restlessly, and the surrounding natural energy surged toward him.

"This… am I about to advance to Dou Shi?" Lu Bu's expression lit up with joy. He quickly adjusted his hand seals, allowing the Dou Qi cyclone within his body to spin at full speed. Drops of golden Dou Qi began to condense in his dantian.

Not far away, Xiao Yan, who had just arrived, stared in shock. "Teacher, he's only at the Dou Shi level? Could he, like me, also have someone like you supporting him?"

"This…" Yao Lao frowned. Their earlier clash had entirely consisted of soul power confrontations.

"It doesn't seem that way. Perhaps his soul power is simply extraordinary, or he had some other fortuitous encounter…"

"Forget it, let's not dwell on it," Xiao Yan muttered as he kept his eyes fixed on Lu Bu.

Currently, Xiao Yan was at the six star Dou Zhe stage and was approaching the Dou Shi level. Observing someone advance to Dou Shi was a rare opportunity to learn.

However, Xiao Yan was soon disappointed. Before he could glean anything meaningful, a layer of golden yellow Dou Qi coalesced around Lu Bu's body like a translucent film.

This marked Lu Bu's successful advancement to the Dou Shi realm.

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