Chu Yun Empire, The Cackling Weirdo

Half a month later, ten thousand miles above the earth.

Gale winds howled, and the sea of clouds churned violently.

A streamlined, cyan-glowing shuttle-shaped flying boat, like a green comet streaking across the sky, sped toward the northwest at a terrifying speed that far exceeded that of an ordinary Dou Huang.

A transparent energy shield on the surface of the boat completely isolated the fierce gale winds.

This was none other than the Wind Riding Boat obtained from the lottery that day.

The space inside the boat was not large, but it was enough for two people to sit comfortably.

Ning Chen sat cross-legged at the front, steering the boat, his gaze calmly fixed on the landscape of mountains and rivers flashing by below.

Behind him, Little Fairy Doctor stood quietly, her light purple dress accentuating her increasingly slender and graceful figure.

In just half a month, thanks to the tyrannical talent of the Woeful Poison Body and the resources provided by Ning Chen, her cultivation had soared to a two-star Dou Zhe. Such speed was enough to make most so-called geniuses feel ashamed.

"Where are we going?"

Little Fairy Doctor looked at the land below, which had become unfamiliar, with increasingly rugged terrain and vegetation that possessed an unusually deep, strange hue, and asked softly.

Before they set off, Ning Chen only told her that they were leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range to find something vital to her, without specifying the destination.

Hearing this, Ning Chen withdrew his gaze from the distance, turned his head to look at her, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly before he pointed toward the end of the horizon ahead.

In the distance, amidst the vast mountains, a massive silhouette vaguely emerged, with tall city walls built along the mountains, winding like a giant black python.

Little Fairy Doctor followed his direction, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason. Just by looking at it with the naked eye, she inexplicably felt as if invisible toxins were permeating the air there.

"That is..."

"Chu Yun Empire." Ning Chen spat out the four words indifferently.

Little Fairy Doctor's pupils shrank.

Chu Yun Empire!

Although she had lived in Qingshan Town for a long time, she had heard of this country, which bordered the Jia Ma Empire and was known to the world for its rampant poison masters and treacherous, ruthless methods.

Could the thing Ning Chen brought me here to find be an even more powerful poison?

Before she could think further, the Wind Riding Boat had already turned into a streak of cyan light, maintaining its speed as it headed straight for the giant city, appearing as if it were about to fly over the hundred-zhang-high, imposing city wall.

However, the moment the Wind Riding Boat approached the city wall area.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several rays of foul-smelling Dou Qi light whistled out from the watchtowers on the city wall, exploding in the path of the Wind Riding Boat and turning into a churning barrier of filthy poisonous mist.

At the same time, three pitch-black, multi-segmented, centipede-like monster ships with hideous bone wings rose from behind the city, blocking the way in a pincer formation.

At the bow of the central ship, a middle-aged man in dark green brocade robes with a face as sinister as a venomous snake stood proudly.

The aura of a one-star Dou Wang spread out without restraint, and the several followers behind him all had malicious looks, their robes embroidered with hideous scorpion patterns.

"Ahead lies Kugu City, under the jurisdiction of my Wanxie Sect!"

The sinister Dou Wang's voice was sharp, "Those who approach, stop, identify yourselves, and submit to inspection! Without permission, flying over the city wall is strictly prohibited!"

Ning Chen frowned slightly and steered the Wind Riding Boat to a steady halt in the air.

His original intention was to enter the city low-key to gather information and avoid unnecessary trouble, but now it seemed that he would not get his wish.

"My friend, we are just passing through this city to replenish some supplies and have no malicious intent. Could you make things convenient for us?"

Ning Chen's voice was calm, transmitted through the Wind Riding Boat's sound-transmission array.

Hearing this, the sinister Dou Wang's gaze first swept greedily over the Wind Riding Boat under Ning Chen's feet.

This flying boat had an exquisite design and astonishing speed; it was clearly not an ordinary item and was worth a fortune.

Subsequently, his gaze fell on Little Fairy Doctor behind Ning Chen.

When he saw Little Fairy Doctor's peerlessly clear and beautiful face, her slender figure, and especially the temperament mixed with a faint medicinal fragrance and a hint of mysterious depth, even more intense greed and lewdness erupted in the sinister Dou Wang's eyes.

In the Chu Yun Empire, where poison masters were rampant and the concept of the strong preying on the weak was deeply ingrained, killing people for their goods and forcibly abducting beauties were common occurrences.

As the person in charge of this city for the Wanxie Sect, his one-star Dou Wang strength was enough to run rampant in the area. Seeing that there was only a young man and a beautiful girl on the boat, and that they possessed such a treasure boat...

An evil thought instantly sprouted and swelled in his heart.

"Convenient?"

A cruel grin suddenly appeared on the sinister Dou Wang's face, "I think you look suspicious, and this flying boat's origin is unknown! You might be spies sent by the Jia Ma Empire!"

He waved his large hand and shouted sharply, "Take them! The flying boat and that woman, I want them alive! As for the man, dead or alive doesn't matter!"

In his mind, since the other party was so young, even if they had hidden their strength, how strong could they be?

As a one-star Dou Wang, plus three warships equipped with poison crossbows and poison smoke, along with his subordinates, it would be easy to take them down.

He could obtain the precious flying boat, enjoy the beauty, and earn credit within the sect—three birds with one stone!

As his voice fell, poisonous light flickered on the three black warships, and several poison-tipped crossbow bolts and a few dark green poison smoke bombs had already locked onto the Wind Riding Boat.

The sinister Dou Wang let out a cruel laugh, his dark green Dou Qi surging around him to form the phantom of a giant poisonous scorpion. Carrying a foul, fishy wind, he lunged directly toward the Wind Riding Boat!

"Sigh..."

Ning Chen let out a helpless sigh. How on earth did this idiot manage to reach the rank of Dou Wang? He didn't value his own life at all—was he truly not afraid of kicking an iron plate?

If it were him, he would never make a move without ten-tenths certainty.

"Ning Chen, what should we do now..."

Little Fairy Doctor could not help but speak up. Having only ever seen skirmishes between Dou Zhe and Dou Shi in Qingshan Town, she had never witnessed a scene like this.

"What to do?"

Crimson Dou Qi erupted from Ning Chen's back, condensing into a pair of magnificent, scorching flame wings. His eyes turned abruptly cold.

"A punching bag delivered to my doorstep—it would be a waste not to hit it."

Since he began his cultivation, he had never truly fought someone with his own strength.

Now, the opportunity had arrived.

"Dou Qi Wings?! You are a Dou Wang?!"

Upon seeing those solid, magnificent flame wings, the sinister Dou Wang's expression changed drastically. Alarm bells rang wildly in his heart; his previous greed was instantly replaced by terror.

Such a young Dou Wang... he might have truly kicked an iron plate!

"Only realizing it now? It's too late."

Ning Chen's figure flickered, darting out of the Wind Riding Boat like a crimson meteor.

Flames swept across the sky, transforming into several violent torrents of fire that struck the three Centipede Warships and the poison masters aboard with pinpoint accuracy.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions rang out. The poisonous smoke was easily purified by the flames, the poisoned crossbow bolts melted into molten iron, and the warships shattered, their screams cut short instantly.

Except for the sinister Dou Wang, who managed to dodge the fatal blow by relying on his protective Dou Qi, the remaining poison masters and their warships were reduced to ashes and debris, falling from the sky within a few breaths.

"You bastard!"

The sinister Dou Wang was both shocked and furious. This person was so young, yet not only was his strength terrifying, but his methods were also so ruthless!

He roared, driving the poisonous scorpion phantom to spew a massive wave of sickly green venom, covering the sky as it descended toward Ning Chen.

Ning Chen's expression remained unchanged, his figure suddenly blurring.

Xuan-tier high-level Dou Technique—Phantom Fire Body!

Three flame phantoms, identical to his true body and indistinguishable in aura, instantly split off and occupied different positions.

The venom passed through two of the phantoms, missing its target and dissipating.

Meanwhile, Ning Chen's true body had already used the phantom displacement to appear like a ghost at the side of the sinister Dou Wang.

"What?!" The sinister Dou Wang's soul nearly left his body as he turned in a panic to defend.

"Die!"

Ning Chen's crimson Dou Qi condensed into a giant flame sword. Carrying a scorching sword intent that seemed to burn everything to nothingness, he delivered a simple, direct slash!

"No—!"

The protective Dou Qi shattered like paper. The sword light swept past, and the voice was cut off abruptly.

A one-star Dou Wang, fallen.

It had taken no more than three exchanges.

Ning Chen dissipated his Dou Qi wings and returned to the Wind Riding Boat with a nonchalant air, as if he had merely swatted away a few annoying insects.

"Let's go. We'll find another place to enter the city."

He steered the Wind Riding Boat, turning into a streak of green light that bypassed Kugu City and headed toward the distant mountain range.

Little Fairy Doctor looked at the city below, which was rapidly shrinking, and the burning wreckage. She pursed her lips.

For the first time, she understood with such clarity that on the Dou Qi Continent, even a powerful Dou Wang was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will by those even stronger.

Half an hour later, a wisp of black mist, so thin it was almost invisible, drifted silently over the site of the recent battle.

The black mist twisted, vaguely condensing into a phantom humanoid silhouette, emitting a hoarse and bone-chilling cackle.

"Hehehe! I didn't expect to encounter such a thing just after returning to the Chu Yun Empire. Tsk tsk tsk, such a young Dou Wang... his soul power is quite fresh as well... not bad, not bad..."

The black mist rippled slightly, as if savoring the thought.

"It seems the 'offering' for the next branch hall has been found... I must keep a close eye on him..."