Enemies Meet, Eyes Blazing

Misty Cloud Sect?!

A cold glint flashed through those captivating, soul-stirring eyes. After hesitating for a long moment, Medusa chose to set aside her prejudices. After all, her master had instructed her before he left that she was to act as his full representative; it wouldn't look good to appear too petty at a time like this.

She immediately channeled her Dou Qi, surging it from her back until the deep purple energy condensed into a pair of wings.

"Whoosh!" With a sound, she soared into the sky. The distance from the mountain gate to the exit of the barrier was not far, yet Yun Shan and Yun Yun had been forced to wait for over ten minutes outside.

"Master... er... Sect Leader... could the Saint not be in the mountain? Why has there been no movement for so long?" As time passed, Yun Yun noticed Yun Shan's awkwardness. One had to know that when the Mite'er Family came to offer gifts, it hadn't been like this. Whether intentional or not, it implicitly revealed the attitude of the Qinglian Saint toward the Jia Ma Empire and the Misty Cloud Sect, the local power. That was why Yun Yun spoke up, attempting to alleviate Yun Shan's concerns and worries...

"I am not in a hurry. The Saint might have been delayed by other matters. With a powerhouse of that level, even if he let us wait here until we died, we would still have to wait respectfully. Don't forget the purpose of our trip!" Yun Shan's attitude was firm, though he was well aware of the reason for this differential treatment. Ever since he saw Medusa by Zhang Nian's side that day, he hadn't slept a single peaceful night, fearing that one day, this Dou Sheng powerhouse would fly into a rage and leave corpses strewn for ten thousand miles...

"Yes... this disciple will accompany you." Yun Yun stopped speaking and stood respectfully behind Yun Shan, waiting quietly while constantly telling herself: All of this is for the Misty Cloud Sect... even if it meant going through fire and water, she would not refuse...

At this moment, Medusa stood inside the barrier. Though separated by only a wall, the three felt as if they were worlds apart. She gave a cold laugh. Heh, what a bunch of sycophants, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Do you think our Snake-People Tribe is easy to push around? Today, I will let you taste what it feels like to be turned away at the door.

A faint light flashed from the Storage Ring on her slender finger, and a diamond-shaped emblem appeared in her palm. With a ripple in space, the barrier slowly opened an entrance large enough for one person to pass through, and Medusa's appearance was revealed to the two of them.

Uh...

The scene became awkward. Yun Shan had never expected that the person coming to open the barrier would be that one from the Snake-People Tribe... This was walking straight into the line of fire...

Although he felt awkward inside, the thick skin he had honed over decades allowed him to squeeze a kind smile onto his wrinkled old face. He immediately led Yun Yun in a respectful bow and said:

"Greetings to the Saint's disciple. May I ask if the Qinglian Saint is currently in the mountain gate... hehehe..."

This old man must think he looks very kind with that ghostly expression... Medusa felt an indescribable disgust in her heart. She kept a straight, stern face, not feeling the least bit satisfied by Yun Shan's groveling.

"Master is not currently in the mountain gate. I am in charge of corresponding matters. You came to offer gifts, right? You can leave once you've put the items down." Her tone was icy, pushing people away from a thousand miles. It caught Yun Shan off guard, and the generous gift he had prepared in his hands suddenly didn't seem so valuable anymore. He had dug these countless top-tier treasures out of his bottom-of-the-box inventory, intending them as a thank-you gift for the Saint. Now, not only had he failed to bring up his request, but the items were gone before he could even speak.

Yun Yun noticed Yun Shan's embarrassment and immediately said: "We came here today firstly to congratulate the Saint on his relocation, and secondly, we have a request. Since the Saint is not in the mountain gate, we will not disturb your cultivation any further..." As women, Yun Yun found Medusa quite unpleasant, while Medusa felt a deep sense of crisis from Yun Yun.

She stared at Yun Shan with suspicious eyes. In their conversation just now, this old man had mentioned that he had a specific purpose for coming today. Was it to discuss matters regarding the Snake-People Tribe? Or perhaps...

She suddenly looked at Yun Yun behind Yun Shan, and as if she understood something, she recalled that among the group sent by the Mite'er Family a while ago, there was a woman with an exceptionally outstanding appearance. Her alluring charm was something even she felt inferior to. Now that she thought about it, was this what Granny Snake often called "a beauty to feast one's eyes upon"?

Then the Misty Cloud Sect's goal must be the same. Heh, what a clever scheme. Hmm? Five-star Dou King strength?

After seeing through Yun Yun's cultivation, she became even more certain of this thought.

This woman must never be allowed to enter the mountain gate!

This was the most honest thought in Medusa's heart at this very moment. Their positions were clearly defined, and Medusa liked her current life very much; she did not want to step out of her comfort zone.

No, I absolutely cannot let them leave so easily, otherwise they will definitely come back in a few days!

"So you came empty-handed and are leaving empty-handed?" Her tone was slightly mocking, revealing her disdain. This was an act Medusa put on deliberately; she wanted to make this master and disciple feel uncomfortable.

Sure enough, just as Yun Shan wanted to follow up on his disciple's words, the Saint's disciple suddenly attacked. The contempt in her eyes was undisguised. Even with his thick skin, Yun Shan felt his face flush under Medusa's jab. He lowered his head, bowed, and said politely: "How could that be? This is the gift from the Misty Cloud Sect for the Saint. I hope you will pass it on for us. Since the Saint is not here today, we will come to disturb you another day." With that, he took Yun Yun and fled into the distance.

Watching their retreating figures, Medusa felt a sense of relief at the thought of the old man's frustrated expression. She smiled, put away the Storage Ring in her hand, and let out a cold snort in her heart: Hmph, don't even think about entering this mountain gate!

Just then, a void crack slowly opened above the barrier. Zhang Nian's figure flashed through, and he happened to see Medusa standing at the mountain gate. He flew down and asked in confusion:

"Medusa, what are you doing at the mountain gate? Who was here just now?"

Her eyes rolled, and she raised her jade arm to hand over the Storage Ring she had just received, saying in a melodious voice: "Master~ This was a gift from the Misty Cloud Sect Leader, Yun Shan. He said it was to congratulate you on your relocation."

"The Misty Cloud Sect, huh..."

Zhang Nian didn't think much of it; this was quite normal. He figured that in the coming period, all the major families in the Jia Ma Empire would show their intentions. However, the relationship between the Misty Cloud Sect, the Jia Ma Imperial Family, and the Snake-People Tribe was not good. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh:

"That's a pity. You still needed to speak with them about the Snake-People Tribe's affairs. Never mind, there will be opportunities in the future."

In truth, Zhang Nian didn't care much. Setting aside whether he currently had the strength of a Dou Sheng, he possessed a divine object like the Nanming Li Fire, which made dealing with a few Dou Emperors a simple task. He looked up at the barrier above. Since there was still some time left in his experience period, he might as well reinforce it. His five-star Dou Sheng level was far superior to a one-star Dou Sheng.

He acted immediately.

"Whoosh!"

His figure darted into the sky at high speed. He raised his palms toward the void, and an invisible, colorless space force slowly unfolded. At the same time, a milky-white flame slowly rose—that was the Nanming Li Fire, the Phoenix Fire. Anyone who touched the barrier without permission would be actively attacked by the Nanming Li Fire.

He believed that with this layer of protection, even if a Dou Sheng powerhouse attacked, they would only be able to look on and sigh!

That milky-white flame...

Medusa felt a tremor in her heart. The moment the Nanming Li Fire appeared, she felt danger... Even as someone who had awakened a heaven-defying bloodline like the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, she felt a genuine sense of palpitations.