Deep in the central mountain range of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, near the Chu Yun Empire, the six-ranked Magical Beasts that had once roared through the forest now cowered in their caves, not daring to show themselves as the fearsome pressure descended from the sky.
"Yun Yun! I'll say it one more time! Move aside!"
The Dou Emperor of the Chu Yun Empire, whose face was painted with patterns and who wore purple robes, roared. Foul-smelling streams of Dou Qi shot out, aimed straight at the blue-clad figure.
"Wind Rises in the Mountain Forest!"
Yun Yun didn't answer. Howling winds surged from the mountain forests, blocking the streams of poisonous Dou Qi before turning into layers of wind blades that barred the Chu Yun Empire's people from advancing.
The purple-robed Dou Emperor's face darkened. Yun Yun refused to fight them head-on, relying instead on the speed and agility of her wind attribute to constantly hinder their progress.
"Forget it. Push through!"
They knew that if they delayed any longer, they wouldn't be able to escape. Yun Yun was simply buying time until reinforcements from the Jia Ma Empire arrived!
They forced their way through Yun Yun's obstruction. Though several more wounds appeared on their bodies, they still crossed the heart of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and headed for the Chu Yun Empire's border.
"Not so fast!"
Another sharp shout rang out. A wave of azure flames streaked across the sky and blasted a huge crater into the mountainside, forcibly halting the Chu Yun Empire's people.
"Hand my father over!"
Xiao Yan's furious shout echoed through the mountains. The Chu Yun Empire's group looked up to see broad purple-flame wings fluttering behind a figure clad in pale cyan fire armor. His youthful, handsome face burned with rage.
"Don't get bogged down fighting! As long as we make it back into Chu Yun Empire territory, if they attack, they'll be starting a war between our nations!"
The purple-robed Dou Emperor spoke in a low voice. Then, without engaging, he sped toward the Chu Yun Empire's border at full speed!
Seeing the three Dou Emperors flee despite their advantage, Xiao Yan was stunned for only a moment before his Purple Cloud Wings beat rapidly, carrying him after the Chu Yun Empire's people.
"Fire Blowing Palm!"
A line of fire shot from Xiao Yan's palm, swelling in the wind into a wall of flames that finally blocked their path.
"Heavenly Flame?"
"So you're the one who killed Li Shan and the others!"
When the Dou Emperor wearing a flower plume saw the Heavenly Flame blocking their way and recognized the aura as identical to the one left behind in the desert, he immediately realized Xiao Yan was the one who had killed the Chu Yun Dou Emperors.
But Xiao Yan, consumed by rage, couldn't care less about Li Shan or anyone else. All he wanted was to find his father.
"Hand my father over!"
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth. If Yao Lao hadn't kept soothing him with his soul power, he would already have swung the Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler at them!
"Your father?"
The Flower Plume Dou Emperor suddenly understood.
"That useless Da Dou Shi was your father..."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I told him to hand over the thing, but he stubbornly refused. Even when I broke all four of his limbs, he didn't scream. At the cliff's edge, I threw him down myself. With a cliff that high, I doubt even his bones are left!"
"If the Wutan City garrison hadn't arrived so quickly, I would've slaughtered everyone in your family, dogs included, then taken my time searching..."
"Flame Splitting Wave-Devouring Ruler!"
Furious, Xiao Yan swung his ruler and unleashed the strongest Dou Technique he had learned so far. Then, heedless of the cost, he began condensing a Heavenly Flame in his bare hands, but Yao Lao forcibly held him back.
"Calm down. Your father isn't dead yet. You can't handle three Dou Emperors. I'll help you!"
A faint mist swirled around him as pale flames danced along the spread of his Purple Cloud Wings. "Xiao Yan" stood suspended in midair, his Purple Cloud Wings hanging behind him like mere ornaments, as though he were standing on empty air!
"Dou Emperor? No! He's a Dou Zong!"
Before the Flower Plume Dou Emperor could react, the pale figure was already behind him. In front of everyone, he kicked him straight into the sky.
"Seal!"
As if knowing Xiao Yan wanted nothing more than to kill the man, Yao Lao changed the hand seals. Bone Spirit Cold Flame darted forward and sank into the Flower Plume Dou Emperor's body.
"Sword Falling Galaxy!"
Yun Yun charged in with her sword, drawing the purple-robed Dou Emperor into the fight. Countless wind blades made of Dou Qi swept through the air, forcing the others back.
With control of his body returned, Xiao Yan beat his Purple Cloud Wings and slammed the Heavy Profound Ruler into the Flower Plume Dou Emperor like he was swatting a fly.
"Having fun beating people, were you? I'll show you what it feels like!"
Xiao Yan sent the Flower Plume Dou Emperor flying again and again, muttering furiously as his Dou Qi surged. Flames gradually blazed along the Heavy Profound Ruler.
"Yah!"
He smashed the Flower Plume Dou Emperor into the ground. As flames engulfed him, Xiao Yan dropped from the air on one knee and slammed into him.
"You broke all four of his limbs, did you?!"
"You burned down my Xiao Clan, did you?!"
"..."
With every punch, Xiao Yan roared another accusation, breaking the Flower Plume Dou Emperor's limbs one by one. Finally, he drove a fist into the man's dantian, shattering his Qi vortex.
"Eight Extremities Collapse!"
"Explode!"
The ground finally gave way beneath them and collapsed. Deep cracks spread in every direction, blood spattered across the area, and streams of Dou Qi leaked away. Yao Lao's seal shattered along with them, and the Flower Plume Dou Emperor could move freely again—but his meridians were severed throughout his body, and he couldn't even speak.
With the fury in his heart finally easing, Xiao Yan let out a long breath. He ignored the Flower Plume Dou Emperor, who was barely breathing, and glanced toward the Chu Yun Empire's people, now far away. He made no move to pursue them.
While Yun Yun and Xiao Yan were tied up, the last remaining Dou Emperor had led the surviving members of the group in fleeing into the distance.
"You won't get past here!"
Yun Zimo slowly emerged from behind a tree, a smile on his face. He swept his sword through the air, and Misty Cloud Sect elders and Law Enforcement Team disciples surged from the forest to encircle them.
At the border beyond the forest, Jia Xingtian had already arrived to take charge. He stood with his hands behind his back as ranks of crossbow-bearing soldiers watched the forest and the land beyond the border.
If the Chu Yun Empire's people dared show their faces, specially crafted bolts, gleaming coldly, would rain down on them.
"We've been waiting for you!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Yi Lanfen, sect master of the Chu Yun Empire's Lanyi Sect. What brings you to Jia Ma Empire territory?"
A folding fan appeared in Jia Xingtian's hand. He gave it a leisurely wave, as if he were some refined gentleman, then put it away.
He really couldn't pull off this sort of elegant affectation!
"Jia Xingtian, bringing the Imperial City Blood Guard to intercept us? You certainly think highly of us!"
With Jia Xingtian in front and Yun Zimo behind, Yi Lanfen felt the powerful Dou Qi of both men, stronger than his own. Gritting his teeth, he slammed a palm into the ground. All the Chu Yun Empire's people under his command suddenly lost control and charged in both directions, then exploded with a thunderous boom.
Poisonous blood mist billowed out. Jia Xingtian and Yun Zimo hastily led their people away from it.
"How ruthless!"
Dou Qi surged from Jia Xingtian's palm, dispersing the poisonous blood mist. He couldn't help but feel even more disgusted with these cold-blooded creatures.
"Trying to run?!"
Yun Zimo's sword energy streaked across the sky, pinning Yi Lanfen in midair as he tried to escape through the blood mist. Countless soul sword intents rained down like stars, striking Yi Lanfen.
He was growing more and more adept at wielding sword energy and soul sword intent, while his use of Dou Qi and Dou Techniques had grown rather lax.
"The weakness of these Poison Masters is too obvious. They cultivate poison but not their bodies. Their acquired poisonous Dou Qi corrodes their innate vitality, leaving their souls frail and damaged. They may possess the realm of a Dou Emperor, but they can't bring a Dou Emperor's strength to bear..."
Yun Zimo spoke softly. The Chu Yun Empire had plenty of Dou Emperors, but most were half-baked. He could take on at least ten of these. Now that Yi Lanfen was pinned in place by soul sword intent, unable to unleash a Dou Technique, he was finished...
"Little Yanzi?"
Yun Zimo looked in surprise at Xiao Yan, who was flying over. How had he run into Xiao Yan here again?
"Wutan City? Something happened to the Xiao Clan?!"
Yun Zimo recalled the urgent message from the Wutan City lord and understood everything at once.
"Brother Yun, Elder Jia."
Xiao Yan and Yun Yun emerged from the forest together, each carrying a Dou Emperor. The one in Xiao Yan's hand was little more than a lump of mangled flesh, but thanks to a Dou Emperor's tenacious vitality, he was still alive.
"Tell us, who sent you to the Jia Ma Empire? Including those two in the desert, you've lost five Dou Emperors already."
At the thought, Jia Xingtian's mood lifted again. Even with all the sects in the Chu Yun Empire, losing five Dou Emperors had to hurt...
These cold-blooded Poison Masters clearly had no backbone. They spilled everything about the mastermind, and Jia Xingtian, Yun Zimo, and Xiao Yan all turned grim at once.
"Once again... the Soul Hall!"
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