Yun Yun's Temper

"Teacher, with your abilities, couldn't you have awakened Queen Medusa on your own? Why did you need Master Gu He and Brother Yun to assist you?"

Xiao Yan hoisted the Heavy Profound Ruler onto his back, cradling the green lotus pedestal in his left hand, and only asked once they were far from the Snake-Person Holy City.

"If I exert my soul power too much, I will leave soul marks on this physical body. Once discovered or exploited by certain people, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

Yao Lao spoke in a low voice.

"That is also why I told you to leave the Snake-Person Holy City immediately and not to swallow the Heavenly Flame there. If some unexpected situation arose and I were forced to reveal myself to save you, it would invite nothing but trouble!"

"Oh, I see... Still, Queen Medusa is truly magnanimous to even gift us the Green Lotus Pedestal, though it's a pity she kept most of the lotus seeds..."

Xiao Yan nodded, then added with a mix of joy and regret.

"Be content. You've practically picked up a Heavenly Flame for free, yet you're still greedy. Plus, you've had a group of Dou Kings and Dou Emperors teaching you and sparring with you for over a month; you could hold your own against a Dou Grandmaster now."

Yao Lao laughed and scolded him.

"After I finish swallowing the Heavenly Flame, I'll have to undergo special training in the desert. The Three-Year Agreement is only half a year away!"

"Indeed, it is time to wash away the humiliation of the Xiao Clan."

Xiao Yan sighed.

"But, chasing after Brother Yun's footsteps—that is my true goal!"

"That boy is truly a genius. A Dou Emperor at twenty-one; even in the Central Plains, he would be considered a genius-level figure!"

Yao Lao praised him sincerely.

"His cultivation technique seems to be of the Earth Tier? It must be the technique left behind by Yun Potian. Who would have thought that after all these years, another Yun Potian would emerge in this remote Northwest."

"Considered?"

For the first time, Xiao Yan felt the true strength of the Central Plains. Someone like Yun Zimo could only be considered a genius?

"Have you ever seen a ten-year-old Dou Emperor or a fifteen-year-old Dou Ancestor?"

"Have you ever seen an eighteen-year-old Tier 7 Alchemist?"

"Have you ever seen a genius who, at the early stage of a Dou Grandmaster, killed someone with one foot already in the Dou King realm?"

"..."

With every person Yao Lao mentioned, Xiao Yan's expression grew uglier, and the pride and joy on his face slowly faded away.

A frog in a well!

For the first time, Xiao Yan felt he was nothing but a frog in a well. He had previously been smug about his meager talent, but only after truly understanding the world did he realize how vast it really was!

Seeing the pride vanish from Xiao Yan's face, Yao Lao fell silent. He hadn't even mentioned the monsters from the Ancient Eight Clans yet, but this was enough. He felt Xiao Yan had been growing a bit arrogant lately; a little blow now and then was necessary to keep him grounded!

"Teacher, was it really necessary to crush my spirits like that?"

Xiao Yan's gloom vanished, but he said with some helplessness; he was long past the arrogant and conceited Xiao Yan he once was!

Yao Lao laughed heartily, and the master and disciple strolled through the desert, gradually disappearing into the vast, yellow sands...

"Your Majesty Queen Medusa, please consider this matter carefully. Regardless of your decision, the Misty Cloud Sect and the Snake-Person Tribe shall remain friends forever!"

Gu He slightly altered Yun Zimo's words before spreading his wings and departing the Snake-Person Holy City.

A few days ago, Yun Zimo had received an urgent message from Yun Shan and, after giving Gu He a few instructions, had rushed back to the Misty Cloud Sect. Gu He, after much internal struggle, had decided to relay Yun Zimo's intentions to Medusa before leaving.

"Soul Hall, Dou Ancestor!"

"Yun Zimo would never say such things!"

Medusa, dressed in a crimson brocade robe, stood atop the walls of the Snake-Person Holy City, quietly watching the endless world of yellow sand.

Yun Zimo would always try to persuade others with his ridiculous, naive rhetoric; if he couldn't persuade them, he would simply resort to a fight.

Yet, for some reason, Medusa felt at ease because of his sincerity.

Medusa couldn't understand it either. Feeling restless, she waved her hand to summon a female official.

"Send an envoy to the Jia Ma Imperial Family and convey my intentions to them!"

Medusa was willing to give the humans a chance. That state letter carried a trace of a Dou Ancestor's intent; if the humans still insisted on war, Medusa wouldn't mind letting the Jia Ma Empire find a new ruler!

"Yun Zimo..."

Medusa murmured softly within the Snake-Person Temple, while at that very moment, Yun Zimo was feeling quite overwhelmed.

"Not bad at all. Weeding out the corrupt, strengthening the sect, expanding the halls—you've done a better job as acting Sect Master than I have!"

Yun Yun wore a smile on her beautiful face, though Yun Zimo couldn't help but feel it looked somewhat cold.

"Cough, this... this is all thanks to the elders executing their duties well. I only made a few decisions. Sister... Sect Master, you flatter me too much."

Seeing the atmosphere was off, Yun Zimo didn't dare to be flippant in front of Yun Yun anymore.

"Beast Taming Hall, Butterfly Medical Valley, Alchemy Hall..."

Yun Yun softly recited the names of the new halls Yun Zimo had established. Aside from Gu He, the heads of two of the halls were actually little girls!

"I won't say much about the two heads of the Beast Taming Hall."

They were too young, and Yun Zimo wasn't a pervert, so Yun Yun naturally skipped over Qing Lin and little Zi Yan, but this Xiao Yi Xian...

"You certainly traveled a long way and went through a lot of trouble for this Butterfly Medical Valley!"

Hearing the sarcasm in Yun Yun's tone, Yun Zimo swallowed hard and offered a flattering smile.

"Well, Xiao Yi Xian is considered the successor to my medical skills; even if she hasn't officially entered the sect, she is still half a disciple of the Misty Cloud Sect."

Yun Zimo then gently kneaded Yun Yun's shoulders, softly recounting Xiao Yi Xian's life story. With his fluent eloquence and emotive delivery, he successfully drew Yun Yun into the narrative.

"Sigh, she is truly a pitiable soul..."

Yun Yun sighed; the backstory was indeed tragic, but...

"So, you spent time together, developed feelings, and tricked the young girl's heart?"

Yun Zimo offered an awkward smile but remained silent; he did not want to lie to Yun Yun.

At the beginning, his feelings for Xiao Yi Xian were perhaps only sympathy and a desire to teach, but because his relationship with Yun Yun was unclear at the time and he felt restless, he was slowly drawn to the gentle Xiao Yi Xian. Coupled with the filter of his past life, he finally understood his own heart during the years he spent traveling.

Since I have come to this world, I should just follow my heart. If I love, I love; if I don't, I don't. Because of this, he had never provoked any other girl since then, always presenting himself to others behind a mask!

"Sister, I..."

"Alright, you don't need to say anything more."

Seeing the expression on Yun Zimo's face, Yun Yun understood his meaning and could only sigh.

"If you can defeat me, I will no longer pursue the matter of Xiao Yi Xian!"

Given Yun Yun's proud nature, how could she easily back down? But since this was Yun Zimo, she was merely giving herself a way out.

With pale cyan Dou Armor manifesting and streaks of wind-attribute energy swirling around her, Yun Yun held a three-foot-long blade and drifted outside.

Yun Zimo sensed that Yun Yun had already reached the strength of a Seven-Star Dou Emperor. He donned his own Dou Armor but did not draw the Judgment Sword.

Yun Yun raised her hand and unleashed Extreme Wind, followed by various powerful Dou Techniques. She even brought out the Earth-tier low-level technique, Wind Annihilation Gale Brake!

Yun Zimo continuously parried and dodged, eventually forced to draw his sword to defend. The two of them wove their swords together; it looked less like a duel and more like a sword dance.

"Sister, I lose..."

With Yun Yun's long sword held against his throat, Yun Zimo said helplessly.

"Forget it, I won't hold it against you. Even if you don't seek out Xiao Yi Xian, Uncle Yun Yin will surely force you to marry again in the future."

Yun Yun smiled helplessly. In this Dou Qi Continent, it was fortunate that she was the Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect and her teacher was open-minded; otherwise...

"But you must promise that you are never allowed to go around flirting with others again!"

"Of course, of course!"

Yun Zimo smiled obsequiously, secretly breathing a sigh of relief in his heart...

On the Dou Qi Continent, the stronger one's cultivation, the more difficult it was to reproduce. Therefore, for the sake of lineage, it had become an unwritten rule among large and small families for men to be forced into taking multiple wives, and for women to have several male concubines.

However, if one possessed sufficient strength, living as one pleased was not entirely impossible...