Dragon Duke and Snake Crone

After making those little moves, Mu Zhe released Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.

Then, a faint glimmer seemed to flash through his eyes. In an instant, he left a shadow clone where he stood, while his true body vanished into the void and sped toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

Suddenly, Ning Rongrong's delicate brows knitted together. It was because Brother Mu Zhe had actually let her go!

And why did she feel that Brother Mu Zhe seemed somehow strange right now? Even the way he felt to the touch was different.

"B-Brother, what's wrong?" Ning Rongrong asked, unable to hide the confusion on her face.

Mu Zhe looked at Ning Rongrong with gentle eyes and raised a hand to softly comfort the girl. "It's nothing. I just want some peace and quiet."

In truth, using this technique of splitting his focus and creating a clone did not give him any strange feeling of cuckolding himself.

After all, in the end, everything was still controlled by his mind.

However, once it moved beyond the range of his perception, the clone could no longer substitute for his true body and instead became something akin to his hands and feet.

And this trip into the forest had naturally long since exceeded the range of his perception.

I only wanted to call you out to be a tool... Ahem, I only wanted to take you out for some fresh air. How could you have such a small reaction?

Not long afterward, Mu Zhe's true body crossed nearly a hundred li, passed beyond the bounds of the human settlements, and entered the Star Dou Great Forest.

What a handsome young man.

In an instant, Purple Crystal's beautiful eyes misted over, and warmth stirred faintly in her heart.

As for him, he only wanted to bring Dragon Duke and Snake Crone under his command, while incidentally using their hands to get rid of Zhao Wuji.

Dragon Duke was extremely anxious, but he did not dare act rashly for the moment.

"Then what if I defeat you?"

"Purple Crystal, come out with me."

Mu Zhe smiled helplessly and shook his head. Then he closed his eyes as though lost in thought, no longer paying attention to what was happening around him.

Damn it!

Although Dragon Duke had no idea what was going on with this young man, he hurriedly shouted, and Jia Mingsi took several quick steps back, instantly hiding behind the two elders.

Thinking of this, Mu Zhe became even more determined to bring Dragon Duke and Snake Crone under his command.

Perhaps he simply wanted to cultivate or something right now.

Suddenly, Jia Mingsi behind them let out a startled cry.

"There is naturally no grudge between us."

The smile on Purple Crystal's pretty face instantly froze, replaced by a resentful expression.

Snake Crone shook her head helplessly. "Look carefully. This python is a full two thousand years old. If you're not afraid of dying, then absorb it directly."

Mu Zhe's eyes narrowed slightly as he silently sighed. But this time, he was not alone.

"Mm..."

Purple Crystal's eyes were filled with resentment, but in the blink of an eye, the world before her had turned into a real forest. A bright smile immediately bloomed on her lovely face once more.

"Hmm?! It's a Silver Nether Python!"

Meng Yiran's eyes widened, and she could not help crying out. Then she looked at Dragon Duke. "Grandfather, I want this for my third Spirit Ring."

Mu Zhe indifferently shook his head, but casually released Meng Yiran.

"Yiran, when will you ever change that impatient temperament of yours? You dare absorb it before even confirming its age?"

Meng Yiran's heart jolted. By the time she reacted, the giant snake had already been blasted into a massive tree by her grandfather. Blood flowed from its body, and it was barely clinging to life.

Jia Mingsi gave an embarrassed smile, while Dragon Duke rubbed his head in frustration. "With that temperament of yours, no man will ever take a liking to you."

"You're just letting me go like that?"

At some point, Purple Crystal had lost any desire to leave. Instead, she happily waited for him to come home at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well every day.

Mu Zhe held Purple Crystal's hand as they stood in midair, looking down at the forest below with a trace of frustration on his face.

Dragon Duke and Snake Crone's eyes abruptly narrowed. They hurriedly shielded Meng Yiran behind them, then looked around with deep wariness on their faces.

"Hmm?"

Clearly, the outside world was more exciting, but Mu Zhe was at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well every day, which made it even better.

But he could swear that he had never intended to imprison Purple Crystal.

Meng Yiran's eyes burned with anger as she struggled with all her strength. Yet Mu Zhe merely held her shoulder lightly, and she was unable to move at all.

Muzhe vanished from where he stood and returned to the Inner World in an instant.

Whenever you thought of that soul-shaking, cloud-soaring sensation, your body could not help but tremble violently.

I was even an enemy!

Dragon Duke and Snake Crone were utterly aghast. Their hearts, which had been pounding wildly just moments ago, seemed to stop.

Although that bitch came back every time for this very thing, you were still more than willing.

Not only was his own strength formidable, but he also had a beautiful granddaughter from an influential family!

The young man stood with one hand behind his back while the other rested casually on Dragon Duke and Snake Crone's shoulders. Though his aura was restrained, Meng Yiran still sensed an overwhelming pressure shrouding the surroundings.

Muzhe quickly raised his hand and slashed downward. A rift resembling a doorway opened before him, and he immediately pulled Jia Mingsi into it. The two vanished from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

After giving it some thought, Muzhe recalled all the clues regarding Meng Yiran, Dragon Duke, and Snake Crone from the original work, then spoke.

Somewhere within the forest, high in the sky, Muzhe held Purple Crystal in his arms, an insidious smile on his face.

Jia Mingsi nodded gently and slowly closed her beautiful eyes. Her Spiritual Power spread outward. Although its range was far inferior to Muzhe's, she possessed a unique talent that allowed her to communicate with every blade of Blue Silver Grass and obtain their vision.

Muzhe looked down at the forest below, where Dragon Duke and Snake Crone's family was currently making their way through the woods.

Dragon Duke briefly checked Jia Mingsi's condition. Finding that she had not suffered any harm, he let out a slight sigh of relief before turning toward Muzhe, his eyes narrowing.

For a moment, countless soul beasts in the forest with exceptionally sharp senses felt a trace of discomfort arise within them.

When Purple Crystal had first moved into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, he had often wanted to take her out for a stroll. At the time, she had refused on the grounds that she needed to refine that trace of Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' origin essence.

"How was it?"

Yet he did not have a single capable subordinate at hand.

But he had just said that he wanted to defeat her?

In an instant, countless soul beasts—and even quite a few humans hunting soul beasts—appeared within his perception.

Seeing this, Muzhe merely spoke a single calm sentence, yet it instantly made Purple Crystal burst into laughter through her tears.

Young man, you little rascal!

Not to mention that this person looked only like a young man; he clearly did not seem to be a match for her.

"Who says there isn't? The people chasing after me at the academy could line up all the way to the school gates."

"Since there is no enmity between us, what do you mean by this, sir? You abducted my granddaughter only to return her. Don't tell me you simply acted on a whim."

"Sir, we have held no grudges in the past and bear no enmity in the present. Why did you abduct my granddaughter?"

Moreover, judging from what he meant, the visitor had clearly come with ill intent.

Though it was a little strange, eyes could not lie. Brother Muzhe's gaze was still so familiar, so warm.

Muzhe secretly shook his head and sighed inwardly. Purple Crystal had truly reached the most ravenous age.

This person had actually released her!

If this continued, they would probably waste several more hours.

"Sir, if we have ever offended you, we can make amends. If not, we are willing to pay to avert disaster."

Muzhe slightly restrained the smile at the corner of his lips and immediately spread out his Spiritual Power, instantly covering an area several miles wide.

Dugu Bo and Meng Yiran's grandparents really were such nice people.

Snake Crone's heart jolted, and a sense of foreboding rose within her. She abruptly turned around, only to see a handsome young man who had already abducted her granddaughter.

"Alright, Purple Crystal, you can go back now."

At the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Jia Mingsi was currently meditating. She had now absorbed and refined that strand of Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' origin essence. Her Soul Power had risen another step, and she had developed immunity to both ice and fire.

Naturally, he had not come ahead merely because he had nothing better to do.

Muzhe's eyes were clear and cold as he replied indifferently.

"I only just came out for a little while, and you're already telling me to go back. You really eat and wipe your mouth clean."

Damn it!

Sob, sob... So when he said he was taking her back to the Blue Silver Forest, she really had just been an afterthought!

"Even after growing stronger, I'm still so powerless in the Star Dou Forest."

Besides, he had heard that their granddaughter, Jia Mingsi, was rather pretty.

If things went wrong, their granddaughter might end up being buried with them.

Boom!!

Therefore, the clone would soon become an isolated fragment of his consciousness, unable to synchronize with the main body. This was also why he did not use clones to cause trouble from afar.

Pitifully, he could still be considered a powerhouse, with strength comparable to a Soul Sage or Soul Fighting Douluo. He could even remain undefeated against a Titled Douluo.

"Ah!!"

"There are three of them in total: an elderly man and woman. The man's Soul Power is at the Soul Fighting Douluo level, the woman's is at the Soul Emperor level, and the remaining one is a level-thirty pseudo-Soul Elder, an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl."

And now, she was nothing more than a tool.

Meng Yiran curled her lip disdainfully. "But I don't think much of them. They're all so weak they'd topple in a breeze. If they want to pursue me, they'll have to defeat me first."

What kind of illness was Purple Crystal acting up with now...?

Mu Zhe likewise pulled the beautiful woman in his arms closer, though a trace of bewilderment flashed across his face.

Now, she did not really want to leave this world anymore.

Dragon Duke's eyes narrowed slightly. In the blink of an eye, a Dragon Staff condensed in his hand. With a thrust that extended a full zhang, surging Soul Power erupted instantly.

Seeing Purple Crystal frown slightly, Mu Zhe could not help asking.

Finally, Meng Yiran looked toward Jia Mingsi, her eyes faintly misting over with tears.

Mu Zhe was truly dumbfounded, but he still cooperated with Purple Crystal in a bout of intimacy. Only when a bit of heat rose within him did he gently push Purple Crystal away.

Looks like he needed to find time to go through the medicinal canon in Tang San's memories and see whether there were any especially nourishing prescriptions.

After receiving Mu Zhe's promise, Purple Crystal returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well with peace of mind.

Mu Zhe spoke gently. Purple Crystal nodded lightly, but she seemed not to have heard him clearly. Affection shimmered in her beautiful eyes, and her soft crimson lips, carrying a faint fragrance, pressed directly against his.

He could just beat Meng Yiran into submission, then say, "Seniors, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your granddaughter, would you?"

They had barged over to show off in front of them?

"Hm?"

"Then it's settled. I'll be waiting for you."

So it was a psychological obsession with cleanliness!

Once he won over their granddaughter, inheriting their family would not be far off either.

That tiny expression broke Purple Crystal's heart. She hurriedly asked, "Who was it? What were their distinguishing features?"

Suddenly, a giant snake leaped from the dense forest. Its gaping bloody maw was large enough to swallow a person whole.

The three of them froze again. Snake Crone's body trembled, and her voice shook slightly. "We're both already so old. Don't joke with us like that!"

Ning Rongrong's heart relaxed slightly. She consciously released Mu Zhe's arm, revealing a dim smile, though it carried a hint of slyness.

The hidden weapons shot into the Silver Nether Python's eyes. The intense pain made it roar furiously, but before long, its life force was exhausted. A purple Spirit Ring slowly rose from its body.

"Purple Crystal, your perception is stronger. Help me find a few people."

He did not know when it had begun, but even the way he comforted Purple Crystal had become this strange.

Mu Zhe suddenly sucked in a cold breath. Could Jia Mingsi really have been driven into some kind of illness?

All of a sudden, her heart skipped a beat. She... seemed to have no ability to resist at all.

But clearly, this person had no intention of pursuing her.

They had already searched the surrounding area. Apart from this python, there had been no other living creature, yet now a human voice had appeared.

In an instant, Purple Crystal projected her senses across an area of ten li. Following the conditions Mu Zhe had described, she searched carefully.

"Who is Jingjing? Is she some older sister?"

Suddenly, Purple Crystal's delicate brows furrowed. Before she had even opened her beautiful eyes, a smile had already appeared on her lovely face.

Only when she clearly saw Mu Zhe's face did she freeze slightly.

Then she should not disturb Brother.

"I'll head back early tonight."

"Finally found you."

Meng Yiran immediately turned and ran toward the Spirit Ring, only to be stopped by Dragon Duke and Snake Crone, who reached out to block her.

Sigh!

She carefully moved her body a little and no longer felt that same sense of restraint.

"Grandpa, save me!"

Mu Zhe had come back again.

Purple Crystal's lovely face blossomed with confidence and delight. When it came to perception, she was quite skilled, and being able to help Mu Zhe delighted her beyond measure.

If he did not let go of Ning Rongrong, it would feel like he was cuckolding himself.

"Let's go out first."

It seemed she was not entirely Mu Zhe's possession after all. He still cared deeply about her feelings.

All of a sudden, a strange thought flashed through Mu Zhe's mind.

Leaving aside the fact that they had been unable to detect this person's whereabouts just now, which proved that he was no weakling, Meng Yiran being in his hands alone made them afraid to act rashly.

However, this time, Mu Zhe did not intend to start with Meng Yiran.

Amid bursts of rustling, countless fallen leaves were shaken loose from the surrounding trees, yet the enemy's figure remained nowhere in sight.

Before Dragon Duke and Snake Crone were released, Dragon Duke had clearly become much more confident.

"Take him out. Since you've arrived at the Star Dou Forest, bring him back to the Blue Silver Forest for a look while you're at it."

That way, no matter how furious they were, they had no choice but to submit.

"What I did just now was indeed merely on a whim. After all, my targets had been the two of you from the very beginning!"

All of a sudden, a melodious voice echoed between heaven and earth.

Although he could vaguely sense that Mu Zhe was not weak, he was a level ninety-one Soul Fighting Douluo himself. Naturally, he feared no opponent.

Hiss!

"Who's pretending to be some god or ghost? Come out!"

"There's no one here who meets the requirements. Let's look ahead."

Sigh~

According to the original story, Tang San, Meng Yiran, Snake Crone, and Jia Mingsi were fated to meet in the Star Dou Forest.

"Yiran, hurry over here!"

Jia Mingsi froze at those words. Only then did she clearly see that beneath the python's belly were no fewer than fifty Ah Yin. It was clearly truly two thousand years old; absorbing it rashly would definitely make one explode to death.

For a moment, Jia Mingsi and Snake Crone looked at each other. It seemed as though they had something to say, but when the words reached their lips, they did not know how to begin.

Still, finding someone in the Star Dou Forest was far from simple. Even with the Spiritual Power of a Titled Douluo, he could only barely cover an area several li in radius at once.

Mu Zhe raised his hand, and a rift immediately tore open before them—a passage connected to the Inner World.

Purple Crystal gently shook her head. Mu Zhe said no more, took her hand, and darted toward the next location.

Dragon Duke gave a cold snort. Eight Spirit Rings appeared beneath his feet, and he fiercely slammed his Dragon Staff into the ground. At once, a terrifying wave of energy swept in all directions.

Jia Mingsi swallowed, but in the next instant, she flew into a rage from humiliation. She had actually been tempted by the enemy.

Puff! Puff!

Jia Mingsi and Meng Yiran were both stunned. What kind of situation was this?