Interception

Flower Sect, within the Forbidden Area.

A month has passed since Xiao Yuan entered this place for seclusion.

At this moment, Xiao Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, was completely enveloped by a thick, deep yellow energy. No trace of his aura could be seen leaking out, making him look like a clay sculpture.

During this time, Granny Hua Yu's injuries were completely healed. The incredibly powerful medicinal effects not only restored her physical health but also improved her Dou Qi cultivation, making her seem to have reached a bottleneck.

Yun Yun's cultivation level didn't improve much. In the past month, she had mainly been practicing the Flower Sect's techniques and some Dou Technique, and she would occasionally go to see Xiao Yuan.

Click!

With a crisp cracking sound, cracks began to appear in the thick, deep yellow energy, and Xiao Yuan's figure appeared and disappeared within them.

At the same time, the surrounding earth trembled slightly, and this tremor became increasingly violent with the continuous cracking sounds.

At first, only the ground around Xiao Yuan trembled, but later, the entire Forbidden Area trembled, and an incomparably powerful aura slowly leaked out!

Although the commotion could be concealed within the Forbidden Area, it could not escape the notice of Hua Yu, who had been keeping a close eye on the place. Instantly, she flashed to Yun Yun's side, who was practicing the Flower Sect's Dou Technique, grabbed her, and appeared in the Forbidden Area in a flash.

"Teacher, what's this?" Yun Yun was initially a little confused, but when she saw Xiao Yuan making a big fuss, she realized what was going on and her face lit up with joy. "Is Xiao Yuan about to come out of seclusion?"

"That was quite a commotion!"

Hua Yu nodded, then formed a hand seal, and an invisible wave spread out, sealing off this area.

The commotion at the very beginning of the promotion was already this big, so to be on the safe side, we had to seal off the space in advance.

In Yun Yun's perception, there was an extremely terrifying aura emanating from the clay sculpture of Xiao Yuan below, like a sleeping dragon slowly awakening!

Boom! The clay sculpture shattered, and a deep yellow light shot into the sky. Xiao Yuan's figure appeared within it, and an incomparably heavy sense of oppression emanated from his body! "As expected, he has advanced to the Dou Zun level. These young people nowadays..." Sensing Xiao Yuan's aura, Hua Yu was about to sigh when she noticed something was amiss.

Xiao Yuan's aura was still surging, directly skipping over the realm of One-Star Dou Zun and entering the Two Star Dou Zun!

"Yao Chen has a good eye for disciples; this kid is not bad!"

Hua Yu glanced at Yun Yun beside her and said with a smile.

"However, the Dou Qi that this kid just unleashed seems to be earth-attribute Dou Qi. Have I been away from the mainland for too long? Are earth-attribute Dou Qi cultivators now able to become alchemists?"

Immediately afterwards, Hua Yu frowned and muttered to herself in confusion.

"No, it was due to some other fortuitous encounters that he acquired earth-attribute Dou Qi."

Although Yun Yun had already become Hua Yu's disciple, she did not intend to reveal such a secret that involved Xiao Yuan's fundamental nature, and gave a vague explanation.

"Hmm, I see. I never imagined he had such a fortunate opportunity."

Hua Yu nodded in realization, and then sighed in agreement.

As the advancement ended, the deep yellow beam of light slowly disappeared, and Xiao Yuan's figure became clearer and clearer.

"Call"

Feeling the comfort spreading through his body, Xiao Yuan exhaled a breath of hot air down his throat.

"The feeling after advancing to the Dou Zun level is truly different!"

Xiao Yuan clenched his fist slightly, feeling the vast Dou Qi within his body, which was as boundless as the ocean. He couldn't help but be fascinated. Now, without needing any power to amplify himself, he was already a genuine Dou Zun expert!

Congratulations.

Yun Yun flashed forward and looked at the young man in front of her who kept calling her "Sister Yun." He had grown to a level that she could look up to. A gentle smile appeared on her lips.

"Hehe!" Xiao Yuan chuckled, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Hua Yu in the distance before continuing to talk to Yun Yun, "This time, the improvement is indeed quite significant."

After saying that, Xiao Yuan stretched out his hand and made a sweeping motion in front of him, and the void in front of him began to distort!

Upon seeing this scene, Hua Yu, who was not far away, also felt a chill run down her spine.

It should be noted that her strength has now recovered to the peak of the Nine Stars Dou Zun. Although this Space Blockade was not her full strength, it was still enough to trap a Nine Stars Dou Zun level expert. Now, Xiao Yuan is actually able to shake the space here. At least in terms of the control of Space Power, even Eight Star Dou Zun is no match for Xiao Yuan!

What a prodigious young man! Although she had been shocked by Xiao Yuan's excessively young age and his abnormally powerful alchemy skills before, she couldn't help but be shocked again when she saw Xiao Yuan's Dou Qi cultivation.

"Your current combat power is probably approaching that of Senior Tianhuo, isn't it?"

Seeing this scene, Yun Yun said with some emotion.

"Yeah, pretty much. In short, it feels pretty strong. It would be great if I could find some unlucky guy to practice on."

Xiao Yuan wasn't sure about his current strength, but he knew that if he encountered Old Man Mu Gu again and went all out, he could kill him with a single blow!

"You're always thinking about fighting and killing."

Upon hearing this, Yun Yun shook her head, somewhat speechless.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, go back and report. As for the Flower Sect, there won't be any problems with me here. Please give my regards to your teacher when you get back."

Seeing that the two were chatting happily, Hua Yu knew that with Xiao Yuan here, Yun Yun would have a hard time cultivating in peace, so she immediately gave him the order to leave.

Of course, this was not because Hua Yu was heartless, but because Xiao Yuan had stayed at the Flower Sect for quite a long time this time. Although using the place to break through was a good excuse to cover up his true intentions, it was not suitable for Xiao Yuan. After all, according to the plan, Hua Yu had already kept his breakthrough to Dou Zun a secret for him.

These past few days, the Great Elder's excuse to Hua Jin was that Xiao Yuan was refining life-extending pills for Hua Yu, because according to the "diagnosis," Hua Yu's injuries were beyond saving, and the only way to prolong her life was to use the pills.

This single piece of information is naturally insufficient to determine its veracity.

However, if Hua Jin's understanding of Hua Yu's physical condition is added, it naturally becomes more credible and can also deceive the Tianming Sect.

Therefore, after "finding the pills", it was time for Xiao Yuan to leave, and Hua Yu would reappear in front of people, pretending that she could live for a few more years.

As for what happens next, Xiao Yuan doesn't need to worry about it; Hua Yu will handle everything.

Hearing Hua Yu urge her to leave, Yun Yun's face showed a hint of reluctance. She immediately abandoned her reserve and buried herself in Xiao Yuan's arms.

"Hehe, it's just a short separation, we'll meet again in the future."

Xiao Yuan smiled, reached out and patted Yun Yun's back, and said softly.

"I know, but please let me hug you a little longer."

Yun Yun buried her head in Xiao Yuan's chest and whispered.

After a moment, the two reluctantly parted ways. Xiao Yuan smiled and then turned to walk out of the Forbidden Area.

Yun Yun stared intently at Xiao Yuan's retreating figure, but didn't utter a single word.

Seeing this, Hua Yu said softly, "To stand by his side, you also need to have enough strength. Now that he has left, you should focus on your cultivation."

Watching Xiao Yuan walk further and further away, and hearing his earnest words of instruction, Yun Yun nodded slightly.

"I know, teacher."

Against a clear blue sky, without a single cloud, an indistinct blur streaked across the distant heavens, its ear-piercing whistling sound echoing across the sky and drawing the attention of many.

The figure speeding along was none other than Xiao Yuan, who had left the Flower Sect about two days prior.

When heading to the Flower Sect, Xiao Yuan chose to travel through Space Wormhole to accommodate Yun Yun's speed. However, now that he was returning, he no longer needed to worry about anything. With his travel speed, he would soon be able to return to the Pill Domain.

Relying on his profound foundation of Dou Qi, the unique nature of his five Qi Mansion transforming into one another and his Dou Qi being inexhaustible, he spent the last two days traveling without stopping along the way.

After two days of travel, he had completely left the Flower Sect's territory and would be able to reach Saint Pill City in a few more days.

"Something seems off." Halfway through the flight, Xiao Yuan suddenly frowned and stopped.

His gaze slowly swept across his surroundings. Xiao Yuan discovered that he was currently above a remote mountain range, yet there wasn't a single roar of beasts to be heard. It was like a Dead Domain. Something was definitely amiss. As his Dou Qi surged within him, his gaze slowly settled on the void not far ahead, and he said calmly:

"Now that you're here, why hide?"

"Kid, your perception is pretty good."

As soon as Xiao Yuan finished speaking, the space in front of him distorted, and several figures appeared out of thin air. At the same time, a vast aura spread out overwhelmingly. —There were four figures in total.

One of them stood lazily, holding a paper fan embroidered with a beautiful woman. The man was tall and handsome, with a hint of evil about him. A bright red dot, as red as blood, between his eyebrows amplified this evil aura several times over.

The other three were all elderly men dressed in gray robes with expressionless faces. Their auras were in no way weaker than that of the Demon Flower Evil Monarch. Judging from the badges on their chests, they were all members of the Tianming Sect.

"Xiao Yuan, is that it? I heard you extended the life of that old woman from the Flower Sect? Today I'd like to see how you're going to extend your own life!"

The sinister-looking man gently swayed his folding fan, but the smile on his face revealed a sinister intent.

Xiao Yuan glanced at the guy and said calmly, "You guys have been able to hold out for so long, so someone must have notified you, right? Like, Hua Jin from the Flower Sect?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuan turned his gaze to the forest below, where a beautiful figure appeared. It was Hua Jin from the Flower Sect. At this moment, the latter was staring at the former with murderous intent and sneered, "You ruined my sect's important affairs. Today, you will make up for it with your life. As for that old hag Hua Yu, she won't live much longer. Someone will naturally deal with her. As for your lover, I will treat her well!"

"Xiao Yuan, surrender and return to the Tianming Sect with us. Out of Xuan Yi for Xuan Yi, our Tianming Sect will treat you well. Otherwise..."

The gray-robed elder who was leading the group spoke calmly, and his last sentence was filled with a chilling killing intent.

"Otherwise, this place will be your burial ground today!"

A chilling killing intent permeated the heavens and earth, as if even the air itself had frozen in place. The already desolate forest became even more frigid, like the dead of winter, exuding a chilling coldness.

Xiao Yuan stood in the void, looking at the four people in the distance, and then glanced at Hua Jin below who was eyeing him menacingly. Four Dou Zun of the six-star level, the fierce reputation of the Tianming Sect was indeed well-deserved.

"The Tianming Sect dares to send out such a large force, they must be determined to capture me." Xiao Yuan smiled slightly, but his dark eyes were filled with an icy chill. He said softly, "But you four alone are underestimating me too much!"

Upon hearing this, a smile slowly appeared on Xiao Yuan's face. His hand seals subtly changed, then suddenly solidified, and a vast aura erupted from his body like a volcano.

A vast aura spread out, extending across the sky, and an extremely hot temperature quietly arose, causing the air between heaven and earth to quickly become dry.

"Two Star Dou Zun?"

Sensing Xiao Yuan's aura, the four were about to sneer, but Xiao Yuan's hand seals continued to change.

"The Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations: First Transformation! Second Transformation! Third Transformation!"

As his body retreated rapidly, Xiao Yuan's hand seals changed, and his aura surged continuously, breaking through to the five-star level in a short moment!

"The Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations in Burning Flame Valley"

Upon seeing Xiao Yuan's surging aura, the sinister man, Demon Flower Evil Monarch, frowned, then sneered, "Don't hold back! The Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations has a time limit. Once the time is up, he won't be able to escape today!"

"You're just Five Star Dou Zun. You're not qualified to dangle in the hands of the four of us."

The gray-robed elder who was leading the group glanced indifferently at Xiao Yuan. At this point, he seemed to be getting impatient. He waved his sleeve and said, "This is the last time. Are you coming with us on your own, or are we going to beat you half to death and take you away?"

"Just Five Star Dou Zun?"

Xiao Yuan smiled, and then stomped his foot down suddenly in mid-air!

The Qi Gathering Palaces Imbue Secret Method, Five Qi Convergence!

As the Dou Qi from the five Qi Mansion within his body converged into one Qi Mansion, Xiao Yuan's aura also rose accordingly, directly reaching the realm of Eight Star Dou Zun!

Feeling the violent power within him that seemed to be bursting his body, Xiao Yuan grinned and asked, "How are you now?"