Chapter 21: The Power of the Flame Bomb

"Little one, compared to the magical beasts in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, humans can sometimes be even more terrifying."

Yao Lao's voice echoed in Xiao Yan's heart at this moment.

Xiao Yan faintly smiled, "Killing that many people is indeed quite terrifying."

"Hmm?" Yao Lao was genuinely surprised. After killing the Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger, Xiao Yan had barely any Dou Qi left.

This mercenary group had more than thirty people. Even if Xiao Yan's strength was far beyond what he displayed, it was impossible to take on so many opponents!

Xiao Yan calmly turned around to face the members of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, while explaining to Yao Lao in his heart.

"The injuries on the second-tier magical beast, the Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger, were clearly caused by humans, and the wounds looked recent.

Even though my soul power isn't as strong as yours, do you really think I couldn't predict that we might encounter the mercenaries chasing the Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger?

When I struck, I used the Eight Extremities Collapse instead of the Eight Extremities Sky Cannon to reduce the consumption of the Sky Cannon technique.

Not only did I judge that the Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger could be killed in one hit, but I also conserved my Dou Qi to deal with the mercenaries we might encounter."

Yao Lao hadn't expected that despite his young age, Xiao Yan had such meticulous thoughts.

"Even if you conserved some Dou Qi, with so many opponents, can you handle them?" Yao Lao asked the key question.

"Just wait and see." Xiao Yan smiled faintly.

Seeing Xiao Yan's slow and deliberate manner, He Meng shouted angrily, "Don't try to play tricks!"

"These herbs were gathered by chance along the way. Can't you leave some for me?" Xiao Yan replied with a bitter smile.

The sharp-faced mercenary standing beside He Meng pulled out his long knife and threatened, "Kid, do you want to die?"

"No, no, no!" Xiao Yan quickly raised his hands. "I'll give them to you, but you have to keep your word and let me go."

"Hurry up and hand them over!" He Meng urged impatiently, sneering inwardly. He had only said to leave the bag, not that they would let him go.

"Catch!" Xiao Yan untied the bag from his waist and casually tossed it.

The mercenaries blinked in confusion. They didn't see anything being thrown. Was this kid crazy, daring to toy with them?

Relying on his many years of honing his senses in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, He Meng vaguely saw a red glow speeding towards him.

His nerves, sharpened by living on the knife's edge, suddenly tightened. A flash of warning crossed his mind like lightning.

He Meng stepped back abruptly, grabbing two mercenary brothers to use as a shield in front of him.

At the same time, his Dou Qi swirled wildly within his body, and his originally bronze skin quickly paled visibly.

With a puff sound, the sharp-faced mercenary used as a meat shield felt as if his abdomen had been pierced through. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You..." He never would have dreamed that he would die at the hands of a boy, and in such an unclear manner.

What Xiao Yan had thrown was not a bag, but a Flame Bomb he had refined using a first-tier fire-type magical core.

The mercenaries were jolted out of their stupor. The seemingly gentle little lamb had killed one of their brothers in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, the violent energy of the Flame Bomb erupted, exploding with a deafening roar.

The fierce energy of the Flame Bomb was like a flame from hell, instantly engulfing everything around it.

The terrifying explosion was deafening, and the flames soared into the sky. The sharp-faced mercenary at the forefront was instantly blown to pieces. The other mercenaries close to the Flame Bomb, unprepared for the explosion, were blasted away.

More mercenaries were knocked to the ground by the shockwave, their skin scorched, hair ablaze, and their armor unbearably hot.

For a moment, the air was filled with smoke from the explosion and the groans of the wounded mercenaries, the scene in complete chaos.

Some were burned so badly they couldn't move, while others tried to stand but were hindered by their injuries.

The mercenaries on the outskirts, who hadn't been caught in the explosion, retreated rapidly, watching Xiao Yan with extreme caution.

The boy they had previously dismissed as a weak lamb had now become the sole source of their calamity.

Yao Lao finally understood, "No wonder you were so confident. You had something like this! I didn't expect you could directly use a magical core like that!"

"That's right. When you were a child, you liked to tinker with these strange things," Yao Lao recalled the little metal men that danced.

Back then, it had seemed amusing, but who would have thought that many years later, the creation of such things would evolve into such a terrifying application.

Compared to Yao Lao's excitement, Xiao Yan showed little joy. He had only killed about half of them.

This was going to be tricky...

He Meng, who had hidden at the rear, threw aside the bloodied, mangled mercenary brother. Despite being at the back, he was still scorched by the surrounding flames, his face red from the heat.

"Good kid, I really underestimated you," He Meng said as he slowly exhaled, his face now grim and serious.

Scanning the dozen or so relatively unscathed mercenaries around him, He Meng shouted, "Go! Kill this kid and avenge our brothers!"

The mercenaries weren't fools. If they were hit by another of those explosive things, even if they survived just now, they might not be so lucky this time.

Seeing their hesitation, He Meng angrily kicked the nearest mercenary. "What are you afraid of? If he had more of those things, he would've used them already! The truth is, he only had one."

"This kid must have received some inheritance from a powerful expert to possess such a treasure. He might even have Xuan-level cultivation techniques! Whoever kills him, I'll let them be the first to learn it!" He Meng dangled an irresistible temptation before the mercenaries.

The mercenaries hesitated for a moment, but finally, their eyes gleamed as they looked at Xiao Yan.

A Xuan-level cultivation technique... If they could obtain such a technique, they, as Dou Zhe, might one day break through to become a Dou Shi!

Yao Lao urged, "Go! If you fight with all your might, these mercenaries are no match for you."

"Run!" To the astonishment of both Yao Lao and the mercenaries, the Xiao Yan, who had just seemed ready to unleash a massacre, turned tail and dashed into the dense forest.

As he leaped through the forest, Xiao Yan said to Yao Lao, "The explosion of the Flame Bomb made quite a commotion. Who knows if there are more of these mercenaries or powerful magical beasts nearby? Even if I kill them, I might not survive."

"Well said. You've grasped one of the survival secrets in the Magic Beast Mountain Range: always reserve some strength to deal with unknown dangers," Yao Lao praised.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly, "These mercenaries now think I have Xuan-level techniques and many treasures. Sooner or later, they'll fall into my hands. There's no need to rush."

(End of Chapter)