14. Handsome But Gullible

"Then I don't have to call you 'chief' like everyone else?" Hearing what Xiao Yan said, Shi Yi asked.

"Haha, no need, no need. But little Shi Yi... Can you tell me what realm you're in?" Xiao Yan asked with curiosity.

"My cultivation level? Dou Huang," Shi Yi said, holding his head high as if flaunting his new achievement and boasting. After all, he had to maintain the image of a supremely powerful, innocent, childish, playful, and inexperienced young man.

After careful consideration, Shi Yi decided that this persona was the most suitable for him. It allowed others to perceive him as vulnerable, making them lower their guard.

As for why he didn't conceal his cultivation:

If he wanted to preserve the image of an innocent youth, he had to act accordingly. Shi Yi didn't see any reason to hide his cultivation level. Xiao Yan would discover it once he was alone with Yao Chen. Perhaps because Shi Yi might sense him, Yao Lao chose not to engage with Xiao Yan.

Upon hearing Shi Yi's statement, Xiao Yan's body shuddered slightly. But he asked again to confirm:

"Sixteen years old and a Dou Huang?" Xiao Yan asked, hoping he had misheard.

"Yes, Big Brother. I, Shi Yi, am a 9-star Dou Huang. I'm quite powerful, aren't I?" Shi Yi folded his fan as he spoke proudly, releasing a hint of pressure around him to underscore his claim.

Xiao Yan was not naive; he had been unable to sense Shi Yi's cultivation level before because Shi Yi did not emit any Dou Huang-level pressure. Unlike other Dou Huang and Dou Zong individuals Xiao Yan had encountered, Shi Yi gave off no pressure, as if he were a black hole containing all the pressure within himself.

Xiao Yan had only met one person who could do this: Ling Ying, Xun'er's servant. Without his Master's guidance, he would never have known Ling Ying's cultivation level with his current strength.

As for Xun'er being able to gauge Shi Yi's cultivation level accurately, she had her methods. Various Dou Techniques allow a person to identify someone's realm based on different factors. Xun'er also had firsthand experience with dark attribute Dou Qi users. These individuals were meant to be assassins, and their attributes inherently possess the ability to conceal the user's presence.

Although it is a powerful attribute, dark Qi experts are rare. Lightning Qi, Blood Qi, and Darkness Qi are some of the rarest attributes.

Now, sensing the pressure around him, Xiao Yan realized that Shi Yi's claim about his cultivation was indeed true.

'Now that I think about it, Shi Yi must have used Dark Qi to arrive here, just like that old man Ling,' Xiao Yan thought.

'But how is it possible... a sixteen-year-old Peak Dou Huang?' Xiao Yan questioned himself repeatedly. He wanted to consult his master for confirmation, but his master remained hidden in the ring and did not respond.

Initially, Xiao Yan had assumed that Shi Yi was likely a newly advanced Dou Wang or 9-Star Dou Ling at most. After all, his current understanding of Dou Di clans was limited since Yao Lao hadn't mentioned them. So his assessment of human talent was still in the preliminary stages.

However, Xiao Yan's expression soon brightened. 'Could he also have a special physique, like Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin? Master mentioned that only individuals like them can progress so quickly,' Xiao Yan mused.

'Am I fortunate to meet people with special physiques?' Xiao Yan wondered bitterly, a wry smile forming at the edge of his handsome face.

He dismissed his inner thoughts as he addressed the proudly beaming Shi Yi:

"Yes, you are very impressive..." Xiao Yan said. From their brief encounter, Xiao Yan judged Shi Yi to be a naive young man with limited worldly experience.

"Yes, I know... I am very impressive," Shi Yi responded little arrogantly this time.

Observing Shi Yi, Xiao Yan added another trait to his assessment: arrogance.

'I'd be surprised if he weren't arrogant. Even if he lacks worldly knowledge, with his considerable strength and no rivals, he's bound to develop an arrogant attitude,' Xiao Yan thought. Despite being 18 years old, Xiao Yan's current soul was that of a mature man due to his transmigration.

'The positive aspect is, his words are unexpectedly innocent. I should keep him close.' With his initial assessment complete, Xiao Yan decided to get closer to Shi Yi. However, they weren't in a place where he could engage with Shi Yi without caution.

Xiao Yan surveyed the people around him, noting their stunned expressions. The other two faction leaders were similarly affected. One stood immobilized by Shi Yi's pressure, while the other, Han Xian, was sweating profusely.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Xiao Yan felt satisfied. He also revised his original plan to challenge Han Xian to a pill-refining contest. With Shi Yi as a deterrent, he doubted anyone would dare to challenge Pan's Gate within the entire academy.

However, he also noticed some envious individuals blaming themselves for not recognizing such a powerful, handsome, and naive boy earlier. If they had deceived Shi Yi earlier and recruited him into their faction, they would have had the last laugh in the academy.

"Little Shi Yi, can you release that person from your pressure? If you keep it up any longer, he'll run out of breath," Xiao Yan said, addressing Shi Yi with the 'little' prefix as if it were natural.

"Ah, yes. Since I've finished my business, I will keep my word and leave now," Shi Yi said as he released Bai Cheng from his invisible pressure.

But upon hearing Shi Yi, Xiao Yan felt a bit of a headache. He only wanted Shi Yi to release Bai Cheng. He didn't expect this naive boy would actually follow through with his initial statement: 'I will leave after finishing my business.'

"Little Shi Yi, it's commendable to keep your word, but you can't leave just yet. As you can see, they are enemies of our Pan's Gate. We need to teach them a lesson if we don't want them to bully our faction and cause trouble repeatedly," Xiao Yan said little hurriedly.

"But I said I would leave after completing what I came here for and not disturb any of you afterward..." Shi Yi said, his innocent face showing a troubled expression.

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