Vanishing Dou Qi

Green Man, the Dou Huang expert who had been incomparably arrogant and imposing just moments ago, now fell helplessly from the sky like a bird with broken wings.

Her body, wrapped in a green robe, was visibly stained with blood. Her pretty face was deathly pale, and her breath was faint.

With just one strike, Green Man, a Seven-Star Dou Huang, had nearly lost all ability to fight.

"H-how could this be..."

Green Yi stared blankly at what had happened in the sky. A moment ago, she had been worried for Lin Ran's safety. How had Lin Ran defeated Green Man with a mere wave of his hand the next?

"Y-you're actually a Dou Zong!"

At such a young age, he was not only a Sixth-Rank Alchemist, but also a Dou Zong. How was that possible?!

Could it be that Lord Lin Ran was not really a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, but some old monster desperate to be young, with peculiar tastes?

The thought immediately surfaced in Green Yi's mind, and the way she looked at Lin Ran became somewhat strange.

Compared to Green Yi's wild thoughts, Green Man, who was falling through the air, was filled with utter disbelief.

Lin Ran's Dou Technique had directly detonated the Dou Qi in that section of space. The violent explosion unleashed by the burst of energy had completely stunned her.

Green Man's robe was torn apart, exposing large stretches of fair skin. Fine bloody marks covered her skin, blood seeping from them and staining her green clothes red.

Her beautiful face was pale, and traces of blood still lingered at the corner of her lips.

Her internal channels were damaged, her organs displaced, and her Dou Qi in turmoil!

Fortunately, Qing Lin in her arms was unharmed.

Looking at Qing Lin, who was still unconscious and sleeping soundly, Green Man gritted her silver teeth. She took out a medicinal pill from her Storage Ring and swallowed it, doing her best to stabilize the Dou Qi within her body.

The Dou Qi wings behind her steadied, barely allowing her to hover in midair once more.

"How could this brat be a Dou Zong? How could he possibly be a Dou Zong?!"

As she looked at the indifferent Lin Ran, Green Man's gaze fell upon Green Yi on the ground. Taking a deep breath, she said coldly, "Green Yi, you're quite something. A Dou Huang who has only just broken through actually risked her life to protect a Dou Zong whose strength is unfathomable."

"It seems you betrayed Heavenly Snake Mansion long ago and submitted yourself to him!"

"N-no, I didn't."

Green Yi was at a loss. She had never known Lin Ran was so powerful. The main reason she had stood in front of him was because of his identity as a Sixth-Rank Alchemist.

If Lin Ran died, it would surely bring immense trouble to Heavenly Snake Mansion. That was why she had acted as she did.

Yet she had never expected Green Man to strike so ruthlessly, nor Lin Ran to be so strong. Everything that had happened had completely exceeded her expectations.

"Hmph! You traitor!"

Green Man shouted furiously, her gaze returning to Lin Ran.

The next moment, Green Man slipped her slender finger beneath her green veil and put it into her mouth. Immediately, a somewhat shrill whistle carrying a strange sound wave spread out from the sky.

"Buzz..."

Not long after the whistle sounded, a rumbling noise suddenly arose from the distant forest. Then, a black shadow tore through the air.

It was a snake-man. His build was somewhat burly, his entire body dark brown. His arms and chest were covered in strange, colorful markings. Where the tattoos reached his back, there were eight imprints like feathered wings, attached to either side of his spine.

A dark, spiraled horn protruded from his head, with a faint purple glow flickering at its tip. It was clearly highly poisonous. Pale, colorful markings vaguely outlined the shape of a crown around his head.

"Green Man, hahaha! I never thought you'd be chased around like this. If word gets back, they'll laugh themselves to death!"

His voice arrived before he did. The snake-man let out thunderous laughter, and the eight wing-like imprints on his back unfurled into dark Dou Qi Wings, carrying him to Green Man's side.

"Shut up, White Fang. Figure out the situation first!"

Green Man snapped, "Green Yi has betrayed us, and there's a powerful Dou Zong enemy here. If you keep talking nonsense, we'll both be left behind!"

"A Dou Zong?!"

The snake-man—or rather, the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor that had taken a Demon Transformation Pill and transformed into a snake-man—swished its tail. Its triangular pupils turned toward Lin Ran, who stood in the air with Void Walk, and abruptly contracted.

"Void Walk... he really is a Dou Zong. Have you lost your mind, Green Man? How could two Dou Huangs possibly be a Dou Zong's match... Where are the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?"

"Right here."

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's triangular pupils shifted as it looked at Qing Lin in Green Man's arms. A few notes of gravity entered its thunderous voice. "Are they truly the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?"

"Yes. Your sensing was not wrong, they truly are!" At the mention of this, joy appeared between the green-robed woman's brows. She nodded, then immediately sighed. "Otherwise, this Dou Zong would not have become our enemy."

"This is truly troublesome..."

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's expression turned grave.

Its strength was about equal to Green Man's, perhaps even slightly inferior. It was only a Six-Star Dou Huang. Though taking a Demon Transformation Pill had increased its strength considerably, it was still only a Dou Huang.

Two Dou Huangs joining forces could never be a Dou Zong's match.

But the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were simply too valuable to Heavenly Snake Mansion. With this little girl, Heavenly Snake Mansion's future would be unimaginable. Forget dominating the Northwest Continent—even entering the Central Continent might not be impossible.

They absolutely could not give up like this!

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's gaze landed on Green Yi below, contempt surfacing in its eyes.

Traitors were despised everywhere!

Feeling the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's gaze, Green Yi's delicate body trembled. She wanted to explain, but did not know what to say. She wanted to summon her Dou Qi and fight alongside Green Man and White Fang, but...

She could not bring herself to fight.

For one, she simply could not muster the will to fight before Lin Ran.

And for another...

Even if she went to help Green Man and White Fang, would they still trust her?

"Green Man, take the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and leave first. I'll hold this brat back!"

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor turned to Lin Ran again.

It took a deep breath, its human chest swelling. With a swing of its head and a wide opening of its mouth, black flames surged out from its body and poured forth without end.

"Another Beast Flame?"

Lin Ran glanced at Green Man as she fled, then gently pinched the black flames with his Dou Qi-covered hand, sensing their power.

He recognized this flame. It was called the Black Prison Flame, a Beast Flame unique to the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor.

This flame was not especially hot, nor was its destructive power particularly high. Its greatest trait was its ability to confuse the mind and bind its target. It was a control-oriented auxiliary flame.

Under normal circumstances, the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor would use this flame to restrain its enemy, then use its potent snake venom to kill its prey.

"Not a bad Magical Beast. I can keep it for Qing Lin to play with."

Lin Ran slowly extended his right hand from his robe. His slender, fair hand resembled a woman's, seemingly devoid of any strength.

He spread his palm slightly. Crimson-gold Dou Qi surged forth, swallowing every last trace of the surrounding black flames like a whale devouring the sea.

"What?!"

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor froze for a moment. It knew there was a gap between itself and a Dou Zong, but it had never imagined the gap would be this immense.

If that was the case, it could only risk its life!

Dense Dou Qi surged from the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's body. Dark Dou Qi light gathered continuously before finally pouring into the horn on its snake head.

"This is bad! That's White Fang's innate Dou Technique. Even a Dou Zong might not be able to withstand this poison!" Green Yi's expression changed drastically on the ground. Instinctively, she wanted to warn Lin Ran, but remembering her position, she could only close her mouth and remain silent.

"Die!"

The dark spiraled horn emitted an intense black-purple radiance, and a foul, murderous aura began to spread through the air.

With an angry roar from the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor, the venom that had brewed within its horn for so long was about to erupt...

Hm?!

Suddenly, the surging Dou Qi on the Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's body came to an abrupt halt, like a severed river with no more current. The potent venom gathered at its horn dimmed at that instant, and its aura began to plummet.

The Eight-winged Black Snake Emperor's expression changed drastically. It could not even maintain its Dou Qi Wings, plunging straight to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Its Dou Qi.

Had vanished!