Xiao Yan frowned, and anger appeared on his face. He was displeased, "Hey, I came here first."

The shop employee thought for a moment and said, "Mister, I will give you another Yellow Lotus Essence." On one side, he didn't want to offend Xiao Ning, and on the other, he didn't want to lose his business either.

According to him, this might be the most suitable option. Yet, Xiao Yan refused, "I want all of Yellow Lotus Essence in your shop, including this one."

The employee didn't respond immediately; instead, he looked towards Xiao Ning.

Xiao Ning calmly watched everything. A mocking expression appeared on his face under the mask. He lightly nodded, "Okay, the Yellow Lotus Essences in the shop are yours."

After hearing this, Xiao Yan's face eased a bit; still, he looked at the mysterious man with vigilance.

Within the black ring, Yao Lao watched everything and sighed, "This brat!." He saw through Xiao Ning's scheme. Still, he did not dismantle it.

Yao Lao thought that it was good to let Xiao Yan suffer a bit. Anyway, he wouldn't let others kill his apprentice. 

......

The employee quickly packed all of the Yellow Lotus Essences and placed them in front of Xiao Yan. 

After seeing that he was about to place the last Yellow Lotus Essence in the package, Xiao Ning stopped him and took it from his hand. 

He glanced towards Xiao Yan, pointed at the table, and said, "Here, take your stuff and leave." 

The employee stood silently, watched the changes in front of him, and did not show any dissatisfaction. Rumors about the fox-masked man rapidly spread in the town, and he happened to listen to them. 

Xiao Yan looked at the medicinal ingredient in fox-masked man's hands, and a chill flashed in his eyes. He coldly spoke, "Return it." 

Xiao Ning chuckled, "I kept my word and gave you all of the Yellow Lotus Essences." 

Xiao Yan's eyes shrunk after listening to him. 'Does he also knows?' A thought arose in his mind. 

Under their gazes, he carefully peeled off the yellow coating from the medicinal ingredient's surface. 

"Blood Lotus Essence!" The shop employee exclaimed in surprise, and a greedy light flashed in his eyes. Instantly he understood the ins and out of the matter. 

The shop assistant shot a cold glance towards Xiao Yan. If it were not for the mysterious man, he would have been duped. 

Xiao Yan's attention was on the 'Blood Lotus Essence,' and he ignored the employee. In an instant, many thoughts flashed in his eyes. Still, he did not act. 

Xiao Ning flicked his hand, and a black card appeared in the assistant's hands, "Deduct the amount." 

"Yes!" The assistant nodded, swiftly transferred the gold coins into the shop's card, and returned Xiao Ning his card. 

Xiao Ning stored the 'Blood Lotus Essence' and strolled away. 

......

Xiao Ning leisurely crossed the streets and walked out of the town. After entering the nearby forest, he stopped, "Come out. You must be tired after following me for so long." 

As he spoke, a figure flashed out of the forest and stood in front of him. Even though he concealed his face by wrapping a cloth around it but Xiao Ning still recognized him. 

Xiao Yan stood confidently and understood Xiao Ning's strength from his teacher. For him, a 2-star Dou Master was not a big deal. 

Xiao Ning looked at him with interest; he also wanted to know the latter's current strength. He crossed his arms and waited for Xiao Yan to make a move. 

Seeing his carefree attitude, Xiao Yan curled his lips in disdain. Yet, he did not float; in any case, the enemy was a 2-star Dou Master. Xiao Yan removed the mysterious broad sword from his back, and a light flashed in his eyes. The weapon's suppressive force faded away, and his Dou Qi surged. 

He heavily stepped off the ground and launched himself at Xiao Ning. He waved the black ruler and aimed at Xiao Ning's face. 

To hide his identity, Xiao Ning was bound and could not display many techniques. Especially, the 'Golden Budha Flame.' 

A Dou Qi cloak formed over his body, and beneath that, his skin turned golden. Xiao Ning managed to hide his changes with the Dou Qi cloak. The effect of two was not as simple as one plus one; instead, it geometrically increased his overall strength. 

He raised his left arm and firmly caught Xiao Yan's black ruler. A surprise appeared on his face, 'It does suppress Dou Qi, but there is not much effect,' he secretly thought in his mind. 

On the other side, Xiao Yan became shocked after seeing this; no one knew better than him about the suppressing effect the weird sword has on Dou Qi. He quickly released his sword, clenched his other hand, and threw a punch. 

Even though his Dou Qi was suppressed, Xiao Ning did not let go of the black ruler and punched him back with his right hand. 

'Thump!' As the two fists connected, Xiao Yan staggered a few steps back; while Xiao Ning stood steady in his position. 

From the last confrontation, Xiao Yan figured that the other party is not a normal Dou Master. A solemn expression appeared on his face. 

'Octane Blast!' Xiao Yan poured most of his Dou Qi in this attack and punched again. 

Excitement flashed in Xiao Ning's eyes, and he also threw another punch.

'Thump!' Unlike before, Xiao Ning was also pushed back by a few steps. 

Looking at this, Xiao Yan smiled coldly and muttered, "Burst!" Yet, the next instant, his smile stiffened. He saw there was no change in Xiao Ning's expression. 

"It's time to end it," Xiao Ning muttered. 

'Eagle Eyes!' A golden radiance appeared in Xiao Ning's eyes, and his mental strength surged. 

The next instant, Xiao Yan felt his head became heavy, and he struggled to stand. Two gigantic eagle eyes appeared in his mind looking down on him. 

As Xiao Yan, with dull eyes, stood stunned, Xiao Ning appeared behind him and knocked Xiao Yan unconscious. 

He shook his head and turned around to walk away. Yet before Xiao Ning took the first step, he heard a hoarse voice. 

"Brat, stop. How can I let you leave like this? Hand over the 'Blood Lotus Essence."