Chapter 202: Ya Fei? A Sugar Mommy!
In the years that Yao Yan had been away, Hai Bodong's strength had greatly improved, reaching the level of a Nine-Star Dou Huang. His talent was not weak, but his previous mental block had affected his cultivation speed, even causing some restraints. It was like when someone sometimes wonders why they bother studying; when you feel that cultivation is meaningless, your progress will naturally slow down, even hitting a bottleneck.
After clearing his mental block, Hai Bodong's strength improved rapidly, and he even felt confident about breaking through to Dou Zong within the next ten years… but compared to Yao Yan, the gap was simply terrifying.
However, thinking of Yao Yan's monstrous talent and his terrifying cultivation speed, it seemed quite normal.
"Why do you always start by cursing when we meet?" Yao Yan laughed, feigning dissatisfaction.
"It's really your cultivation speed that's too terrifying. I've been a bit discouraged," Hai Bodong bitterly smiled. He had never slacked off in the past years, and his strength had grown at a decent pace, but Yao Yan's speed in improving was something he just couldn't comprehend.
Who cultivates faster and faster? Everyone's speed slows down after reaching the Dou Wang and Dou Huang levels, and only time can gradually help.
Some people only manage to improve one star in several years.
Yao Yan, however, in less than three years, had surpassed the equivalent of a lifetime of cultivation for others, and this speed showed no signs of slowing down, in fact, it was getting even more terrifying.
"People are different. My physique is a bit special."
Yao Yan chuckled. He knew best what his circumstances were. The cultivation speed of ordinary people could not be compared to those from royal families. Besides, Yao Yan also cultivated the Burning Decision, a method that directly led to the Dou Emperor stage, so his cultivation speed was naturally beyond ordinary understanding.
Perhaps only those monstrous geniuses who grew up around Dou Saints could compare with him.
Hai Bodong shook his head and didn't continue on that topic. As Yao Yan said, people are different, and comparing himself to Yao Yan was obviously setting himself up for disappointment. He raised his hand and invited Yao Yan into the house, asking, "How long are you planning to stay this time?"
He knew that someone like Yao Yan, with his monstrous talent, couldn't stay in the Jia Ma Empire for long, especially since Yao Yan was in his golden period of strength improvement. There was no way he'd waste time here.
"At least a month or two, at most half a year. After that, I'll head to Zhongzhou," Yao Yan replied slowly.
"Ying Ying~"
Ling'er, who was lying on Yao Yan's shoulder, familiarly greeted Hai Bodong, her fluffy ears drooping lazily, and her tail swaying lazily.
Hai Bodong smiled as he looked at Ling'er greeting him. His eyes showed a hint of nostalgia. In the blink of an eye, he had known Yao Yan for several years. The young man who had once been so immature had now become a qualified powerhouse.
"With your talent, you should indeed go to Zhongzhou," Hai Bodong nodded slightly and continued, "I went to Zhongzhou when I was younger. That place is filled with strong people, with Dou Zongs everywhere. Occasionally, you'd even hear stories of Dou Zuns."
He spoke with a hint of nostalgia. Had he stayed in Zhongzhou back then, perhaps today would have been a new world.
"Dou Zun is just a stronger person. With Hai Lao's talent, reaching Dou Zun in the future is not difficult," Yao Yan said calmly.
"Dou Zun is too far off. I'll be content if I can break through to Dou Zong," Hai Bodong smiled. He was always a content person, never blindly chasing unrealistic goals or depending on others for help.
As they spoke, the two entered the house and started chatting about recent events.
Teng Shan took small steps toward the door, preparing tea and pastries.
"You've already mastered four kinds of heavenly flames?!" Hai Bodong looked shocked, unable to help but swallow, his mind momentarily going blank. While he wasn't an alchemist, he knew just how precious heavenly flames were.
In just a few years, Yao Yan had gathered four types of heavenly flames. It almost felt like collecting cabbages.
"Just lucky. There happened to be three types of heavenly flames in the Black Corner Domain, and by coincidence, I managed to collect them all," Yao Yan replied, raising his hand to condense a strand of sky-blue flame. It rose like mist, incredibly dreamy and beautiful.
Hai Bodong watched the merged heavenly flame, feeling a chill run through his body. Though Yao Yan had suppressed all the energy and temperature, he had no doubt that this flame alone could severely injure him or even kill him.
"Ying Ying~" Ling'er, watching the flame rise from Yao Yan's palm, showed a bit of excitement in her emerald eyes, and her fur slightly fluffed up.
Yao Yan noticed Ling'er's reaction, so he quickly gathered the merged heavenly flame into his hand, then gently cradled Ling'er in his arms to calm her down. This little one was typical—both clumsy and greedy, completely different from the spirits of ordinary heavenly flames.
"Truly terrifying..." Hai Bodong couldn't help but let out a sigh.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside, and after a short while, a graceful and seductive tall woman entered carrying a tray.
The woman was about twenty years old, wearing a tight-fitting crimson brocade robe. The exquisite craftsmanship of the robe perfectly outlined her beautiful figure, with a stunning pair of snow-white legs that made one feel a sudden impulse. Her slim waist was cinched with a silver belt, accentuating her slender form.
This woman exuded charm and allure, like a ripe peach, and with just a little force, one could almost taste the sweetness.
A honey trap?!
Yao Yan immediately understood that this woman was arranged by Teng Shan, but he felt no aversion. Beautiful women were always pleasing to the eye, even just to look at.
"Ya Fei greets the Grand Elder, Young Master." The woman's voice was soft and enchanting, and she gave a slight bow before placing the tea and pastries on the table next to them.
Afterward, her seductive eyes swept across Yao Yan, captivating his soul.
Ya Fei?
Hearing this familiar name, Yao Yan paused for a moment, then took the tea from her hands. She didn't linger, leaving immediately after serving the tea and pastries, but Yao Yan couldn't help but watch her retreating figure for a while.
"Hmm, interested in her? As long as you're not afraid of Medusa Queen causing you trouble, I can arrange it for you and give her to you," Hai Bodong joked, noticing Yao Yan's gaze.
It was perfectly normal for a young man to be moved by a beautiful woman.
Although Teng Shan's methods were crude, they were effective, especially for someone like Yao Yan. If this could further bind Yao Yan to them, Hai Bodong didn't mind, as long as Yao Yan wasn't opposed to it.
As for whether Ya Fei would agree… large families often arranged such unions, and someone as beautiful as Ya Fei was naturally meant to be married off to someone.
Although Hai Bodong didn't particularly like such low-level tactics, he wouldn't resist them.
After all, this was just a method for family and power inheritance.
"No need. I won't stay in the Jia Ma Empire for long. We'll see if fate brings us together in the future," Yao Yan said, smiling and shaking his head. He neither accepted nor rejected, then changed the topic.
"I've created a force in the Black Corner Domain called the Heavenly Court. It's still in its early stages, and we've already formed a partnership with the Canaan Academy. There are a dozen Dou Huang powerhouses stationed there. In a year or two, there should be two Dou Zong powerhouses. However, I will be heading to Zhongzhou soon, and I need a manager. I'd like to have the Miter family take over… No need to worry about any trouble. Most of the forces in the Black Corner Domain have already been cleared by the Heavenly Court."
"?!" Hai Bodong's joking smile disappeared instantly, replaced by a serious expression.
What had Yao Yan done in the Black Corner Domain? In just a few years, he had built such a large force.
"Old Hai, what do you think?" Yao Yan asked, smiling.
"… Such a great opportunity, the Miter family has no reason to refuse, but are you sure?" Hai Bodong fell silent for a moment before speaking with a deep voice.
"It was just built casually, it's for future preparation. You don't need to feel any pressure. To be blunt, even if the Heavenly Court in the Black Corner Domain is destroyed, it won't affect me much. I can always rebuild it later… but now that it's been created, it would be unreasonable to abandon it," Yao Yan replied softly.
"That's easy for you to say..." Hai Bodong was left speechless, then thought of Yao Yan's terrifying alchemy talent. With his strength and alchemy skills, creating an even stronger force in the future was merely a matter of a single word.
"What does the Miter family need to pay?" Hai Bodong thought for a moment before asking seriously.
"They don't need to pay anything. They just need to manage the Heavenly Court. It would be best if they can set up an intelligence network and help me gather some special cultivation resources. The Black Corner Domain is vast, and many rare treasures often appear there that might be useful to me in the future," Yao Yan said, calm and collected.
"If you think it's fine, the Miter family can accept," Hai Bodong said. He wasn't a hesitant person. With such a huge opportunity before him, there was no reason to refuse. The Miter family had already reached a bottleneck in their development in the Jia Ma Empire, and to break through, they had to look to other places.
However, the Miter family was too weak to reach too far.
Now that Yao Yan offered them an opportunity, they couldn't afford to let it slip by.
"I trust you, Old Hai," Yao Yan said, raising his tea cup and smiling.
By handing the Heavenly Court in the Black Corner Domain to the Miter family, Yao Yan also wanted to see how capable they were. The Miter family was pretty good at managing and developing forces, and they had a strong sense of partnership, making them ideal collaborators.
That was exactly what Yao Yan needed.
"I hope I won't disappoint you," Hai Bodong smiled bitterly, his tone a bit more serious.
"By the way, that woman, Ya Fei, could try managing things. I think she has potential."
Yao Yan casually mentioned, causing Hai Bodong's expression to freeze. He couldn't help but wonder if Yao Yan had taken an interest in Ya Fei and orchestrated all of this, though it seemed unlikely.
"Are you interested?" Hai Bodong asked with a strange look.
"She's too weak, can't handle it."
Yao Yan said calmly. With his current physique, a Dou Shi couldn't handle him. After all, Ya Fei's beauty was undeniable, but her strength was too weak. Why would a powerful person choose a weak one as a partner?
"You really think too much~" Hai Bodong murmured, clearly not expecting this.
Can't you be gentler?
"What about you and Medusa Queen?" Hai Bodong suddenly asked with some curiosity.
Yao Yan didn't answer but raised his hand confidently.
Hai Bodong gave him a thumbs up. The fearsome Medusa Queen had actually been subdued by Yao Yan, which was interesting to think about. But given Yao Yan's talent and strength, it didn't seem too hard to accept.
Then, he thought of Ya Fei. She was too weak, so he'd try to improve her strength. Perhaps there was still a chance in the future...
At that moment, Hai Bodong also began to entertain some less-than-pure thoughts, planning to use methods he hadn't previously considered.
...
Yao Yan didn't stay long at the Miter family. After chatting for a while, he left for Yun Lan Sect, planning to meet Yun Yun. Honestly, he was more interested in Yun Yun than in Ya Fei, but he hadn't had the time to focus on it before.
Soon after Yao Yan left, Teng Shan brought Ya Fei to the courtyard.
"Grand Elder." Ya Fei bowed to Hai Bodong, her seductive gaze had dimmed considerably, replaced with a hint of bitterness and helplessness. She lightly bit her lip, her hands clasped in front of her stomach, tightly clenched into fists.
"Grand Elder, did that young master say anything?" Teng Shan asked expectantly. If something happened between Ya Fei and that young master, it would be great for the Miter family. After all, the young master's nature was quite good. If he married Ya Fei, even if just as a concubine, it would be very beneficial for the Miter family's future.
"This kind of method should be used less in the future. People can see through it," Hai Bodong frowned, looking at Teng Shan, and admonished him.
If Medusa Queen had come, he really wouldn't have been able to protect Ya Fei. That woman was a disaster!
"I just wanted to give it a try," Teng Shan said helplessly.
"No need. He's come back to cooperate with our Miter family. He's set up a force in the Black Corner Domain called the Heavenly Court. It's powerful, with over ten Dou Huang level experts, and they have a partnership with Canaan Academy. In the future, the Heavenly Court will be temporarily managed by the Miter family," Hai Bodong slowly explained, his tone carrying a hint of complexity due to the scale of Yao Yan's operations.
Teng Shan and Ya Fei both looked up, disbelief in their eyes.
Hai Bodong didn't care about their reactions. After speaking, his eyes turned to Ya Fei, and he frowned slightly, "Your strength is too weak. This time, come with me to the Black Corner Domain. The cultivation resources there are far better than in the Jia Ma Empire. I hope your strength can improve."
Ya Fei looked surprised, confused by Hai Bodong's words.
"What does the young master mean?" Hai Bodong said lightly.
Ya Fei clenched her fists, understanding Hai Bodong's meaning. It seemed like she was going to be kept...
(END CHAPTER)
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