I Never Fight One-on-One

In the Snake People Clan's forbidden grounds, Queen Medusa left behind Yun Shan, who was on the verge of death.

Yun Shan's cultivation was only at the Dou Wang level now. If Queen Medusa had not detoxified him in time, he would have died long ago.

"Teacher?" Yun Yun looked utterly stunned.

"You may leave now." Queen Medusa formed several hand seals and removed the Snake Seal Curse from Yun Yun.

"..." Yun Yun supported the frail, aged Yun Shan, not knowing what to do.

"Hurry back. There is no need to worry about me. The Misty Cloud Sect still needs you to hold things together." Yun Shan caught his breath.

"Do not seek revenge. The Snake People Clan's foundations are too powerful—prioritize resolving the Misty Cloud Sect's internal problems. If necessary, you may join forces with the imperial family."

"Yes, Teacher!"

Yun Yun no longer hesitated, nor did she leave behind any harsh words. With a beat of her Dou Qi Wings, she quickly flew away.

Only after flying far away did two streams of hot tears spill from her eyes.

Yun Yun knew clearly that her teacher's time was likely already up. Only by breaking through to Dou Zong had he surpassed the limits of his lifespan. With his Dou Qi sealed, he might be fine for a short while, but over time, his chances of survival were slim.

Therefore, Yun Yun had to return to the Misty Cloud Sect as quickly as possible to take charge, let the Snake People Clan complete its migration, and save Yun Shan.

However, Yun Yun did not know that within the Misty Cloud Sect, an unfamiliar Dou Zong was waiting for her...

The moment Jia Xing Tian learned that Yun Shan was still alive, he rushed toward Wutan City without stopping.

After Xiao Yan's old steward learned that Xiao Yan possessed a "teacher's contingency" comparable to a Dou Zong, Jia Xing Tian decided to develop Wutan City into a second Imperial Capital.

Wutan City's original three-way balance had directly become the Jia Ma Royal Family, the Mite'er Family, and the Xiao Family.

The Xiao Family was naturally the weakest among them, but with the support of the other two families, it could now be considered a major power.

This became even more obvious after Xiao Ding and Xiao Li returned to the Xiao Family. The two loudly proclaimed that Xiao Yi Xian was their younger brother's wife, and that they were merely waiting for their third brother to reach adulthood before arranging the marriage—those two were already sleeping in the same room. What else could have happened that they did not know about?

Nalan Jie had originally wanted to personally travel from the Imperial Capital to Wutan City to see what kind of genius this Xiao Yi Xian was. However, after learning that he possessed Dou Ling strength and kept a Fifth Grade Magical Beast, he gave up on the idea.

What would going accomplish? Nalan Jie was currently afflicted with a deadly poison. He might not even be able to defeat the other party's pet!

After the Nalan Family's commotion, all sorts of rumors spread wildly, and the Xiao Family became increasingly mysterious amid the speculation.

Coupled with the ambiguous relationship between the imperial family and the Xiao Family, one force after another began extending olive branches to the Xiao Family.

Thus, Wutan City advanced by leaps and bounds, becoming the Jia Ma Empire's second most prosperous city in one stroke.

Jia Xing Tian had hurried here because he wanted to settle things before Xiao Yan returned and have Yao Ye marry Xiao Ding directly...

Hai Bodong felt that fate had played a huge joke on him.

"All right, the seal has been lifted. You should give me the remaining Fragmented Map now."

"I'll go get it right away." Hai Bodong darted into the map shop's secret chamber.

"What secret does that Fragmented Map hold? If my current strength still means I cannot know, then forget it." Queen Medusa asked curiously.

"Then forget it."

"..."

Hai Bodong moved quickly, efficiently gathering the Pill Recipe, Medicinal Herbs, and Fragmented Map before handing them all to Xiao Yan.

He had no choice but to move fast. It was not only Xiao Yan waiting for him, but also Queen Medusa and Gu He!

"Next, I plan to go to the Imperial Capital. It has been many years since you left, Elder Hai. Would you like to visit the Mite'er Family? Why not travel with us?" Xiao Yan asked.

Hai Bodong had wanted to refuse, but Queen Medusa kept staring at him. Thus, he said, "It would be my honor."

Although Xiao Yan possessed a Flying Dou Technique, its speed naturally could not compare with that of true experts. Therefore, Queen Medusa carried Xiao Yan, while Gu He, seeing his teacher treated this way, shamelessly asked Hai Bodong to carry him as well.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Queen Medusa asked, somewhat puzzled.

Because the Misty Cloud Sect had been attacked. With a little investigation, anyone could discover that the Xiao Family held a great secret. If Soul Hall dropped a Dou Zong in, they could easily wipe out the Xiao Family.

Xiao Yan kept a straight face. "I plan to return to the Xiao Family and prepare for my Coming of Age Ceremony. After all, I am already over fifteen."

"..."

"Teacher, what do you like? Since it is your Coming of Age Ceremony, I should prepare some gifts." Gu He's eyes lit up.

The kid no longer cared at all about having been robbed. His whole heart was set on learning something, breaking through to become a Seventh Grade Alchemist, then heading to the Central Continent and entering the Pill Tower.

"Just give me the Na Ling you prepared."

"Yes, Teacher."

Hai Bodong did not know what to say, but he was now determined to cling tightly to Xiao Yan's thigh. As for that Mite'er Family, once he returned, he would have them change their surname to Xiao!

The Imperial Capital was quite far from the Tagor Desert. Even flying at full speed, the journey took more than half a day.

When the group arrived at the Imperial Capital, they were all surprised to discover astonishing battle fluctuations coming from the Misty Cloud Sect.

One side was their old acquaintance, Yun Yun, commanding the entire Misty Cloud Sect in the Cloudy Smoke Covering Sun Formation. Her combat strength was enough to rival an ordinary Dou Zong.

The other side, however, was an unfamiliar Dou Zong expert. His aura was strange, and one could tell at a glance that he was a villain.

"There is actually a Dou Zong expert in the Jia Ma Empire, and he is not Jia Xing Tian. Xiao Yan, do you know him?" Queen Medusa's expression turned grave.

"Soul Hall!" Old Yao's voice rang out, after which he revealed information about this terrifying enemy to Xiao Yan.

Simply put, Soul Hall had a group of Dou Zun elders. Each Dou Zun had a group of Dou Zong Protectors under him, and each Dou Zong had a group of Dou Wang thugs under him, or maintained shady dealings with certain major factions that possessed Dou Zongs.

These Protectors were spread throughout the Dou Qi Continent. Every day, they gathered souls, either acting directly or provoking major factions into war.

This Soul Hall Protector clearly had some shady dealings with the Misty Cloud Sect. Now, perhaps because Yun Shan had vanished and even the Sixth Grade Alchemist soul already in his grasp had been lost, he intended to kill the donkey once it had served its purpose. He had not expected the Cloudy Smoke Covering Sun Formation to be so formidable that Yun Yun, a mere Dou Emperor ant, could contend with him.

"Your Majesty, if you go all out, can you kill him?" Xiao Yan asked.

"Kill him?"

"He belongs to a force hostile to the Pill Tower."

"Come to think of it, Yun Shan told Yun Yun that she had to resolve their internal problems even if she joined forces with the imperial family. It seems he was referring to this unfamiliar Dou Zong."

Queen Medusa lightly stepped forward, and her figure was already a hundred meters away.

"Elder Hai, you go help as well. Gu He, go call Fa Ma. I'll bring Jia Xing Tian and the imperial family's Sixth Grade Magical Beast over. Today, even if this Dou Zong does not die here, he will have to leave something behind for me."

With that, Xiao Yan activated his Green Crystal Wings and flew straight toward the Jia Ma Imperial Family. Gu He did not waste any words and flew directly toward the Alchemist Guild.

Hai Bodong sighed and reluctantly flew toward the Misty Cloud Sect. He had found an opportunity to strengthen their relationship, but it would not be easy to seize.