Chapter 99: Chapter 99: The Great Deceiver

    ?

    Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Hai Bodong with a smile curling on his lips. For some reason, a chill ran down Hai Bodong''s spine from being looked at in this manner.

    Xiao Yan chuckled and said, "Old Hai, although the faction behind me is powerful, they are not specialized in alchemy. There are indeed higher-tier alchemists, but I am the only one who possesses a Heavenly Flame."

    "To be honest, although I can only refine 4th-tier pills right now, my innate Spiritual Strength is much higher than the average person''s. It has already reached the level of a 5th- tier alchemist."

    Hai Bodong suddenly realized something upon hearing these words. He thought to himself, ''No wonder this kid''s attacks are so sharp, almost as if he can see through my moves. His Spiritual Strength is actually comparable to that old fellow Fa Ma!''

    Xiao Yan revealed a brilliant smile and said, "Moreover, I''m actually only one step away from becoming a 5th-tier alchemist myself. All I need is to practice refining 5th-tier pills, which means I just need resources to get there quickly."

    !!!!

    Hai Bodong''s eyes widened. He originally thought Xiao Yan''s combat strength was already astonishing enough, but he didn''t expect his alchemy skills to be even more astounding! Whose disciple was this?!

    "Old Hai, I''m confident that I can reach the level of a 6th-tier alchemist within one year at the earliest, or three years at the latest. By then, I will be able to refine the pill you need."

    If the Amethyst Winged Lion King were here, it would likely curse Xiao Yan for being a great deceiver. How familiar this spiel sounded!

    But! Xiao Yan''s bluff worked like a charm every single time! Hai Bodong actually started to seriously consider it. The main reason was that Heavenly Flames were extremely difficult to obtain, and it was even rarer to find a 6th-tier alchemist who possessed a Heavenly Flame.

    Hai Bodong had searched for over twenty years without finding one. Xiao Yan could be said to be the most promising candidate he had encountered in the past two decades. If he missed this opportunity, Hai Bodong might not live long enough to wait for the next one.

    Most importantly, Xiao Yan was still very young and even possessed a Heavenly Flame. Becoming a 6th-tier alchemist, which was difficult for others to achieve, might not be too challenging for him.

    Xiao Yan was getting more and more skilled at making these empty promises. His ability to bluff had gone from impressive to downright masterful!

    "What do you want?" Hai Bodong understood Xiao Yan''s intention to some extent. While he was trying to inflate the value of the map fragment, Xiao Yan was raising his own worth.

    The two of them were engaged in a subtle game of bargaining.

    "Old Hai, it''s not about what I want, it''s about what you can offer me," Xiao Yan replied, a fox-like smile spreading across his face.

    "Alas," Hai Bodong couldn''t help but sigh. He knew that Xiao Yan had him cornered, as he was his only hope to break Queen Medusa''s seal.

    His hair was already white; he couldn''t afford to wait much longer.

    "I''ll give you the remaining map fragment."

    "Not even the Miteer Auction House has it?"

    "No."

    Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. He initially wanted to say it wasn''t necessary, but if he said that, not only would he be unable to swindle the pill recipe and medicinal ingredients, but most importantly, he wouldn''t be able to buy himself time.

    Removing Hai Bodong''s seal wasn''t a problem. The problem was that once it was removed and Hai Bodong regained his Dou Emperor strength, how could he ensure his own safety? Xiao Yan definitely wouldn''t remove Hai Bodong''s seal and allow him to regain his former strength before having the means to protect himself.

    The one-to-three-year timeframe he mentioned was a stalling tactic to give himself time to grow strong enough to face a Dou Emperor, or at least be able to escape from one.

    "I can help you find it, but..." Xiao Yan raised his eyebrows. The meaning was very obvious.

    It would cost extra!

    "I can give you some intelligence. Just half a year ago, Gu He had secretly led a group into the desert to search for a Heavenly Flame."

    !!!? A Heavenly Flame in the desert!

    "Did he find it?" Xiao Yan asked, only to realize it was a stupid question. If Gu He had found a Heavenly Flame, Hai Bodong wouldn''t be in such a predicament.

    "No, he didn''t. That''s why this intelligence is so valuable. A Heavenly Flame is a natural treasure of Heaven and Earth, and only those who are predestined can possess one. Since you have a Heavenly Flame, it might be able to attract each other and help you find another Heavenly Flame. Gu He couldn''t find it, but maybe you can."

    Xiao Yan rolled his eyes directly. He had bluffed Hai Bodong, and now Hai Bodong was trying

    to bluff him back.

    If Gu He couldn''t find it, it proved that this intelligence was either false or the Heavenly Flame had already been taken by someone else. Even Gu He had come up empty-handed, so

    what could he possibly do?

    However, he still agreed in the end because this was something he got for free. He wasn''t going to look for any Sand Datura at all. When his strength had increased, he would come back

    to remove Hai Bodong''s seal and take the map fragment.

    This intelligence was just a free gift, so why not accept it?

    After bidding farewell to Hai Bodong, Xiao Yan unfolded his Purple Cloud Wings and flew

    directly toward Rock Desert City. Looking at the map in his hand, he saw that it was marked with several circles but contained no other information.

    Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly. This Hai Bodong was too good at deceiving people, almost as good as himself.