Two Years in Jama: Heavenly Snake Mansion

"Brother!"

Zi Yan, wearing her hair in twin tails and dressed in a purple-patterned, silver-white robe with a small golden dragon embroidered on the cuffs, burst into Yun Zimo's office. In this attire, she seemed to have grown quite a bit more.

"Zi Yan, you're not knocking again."

Yun Zimo rubbed his brow and smiled helplessly.

"What is the matter today?"

"The people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion are here again! If I hadn't arrived in time, Qing Lin would have been tricked away by them!"

Zi Yan spoke with great seriousness. Yun Zimo rolled his eyes at her before rising to head toward the Beast Taming Hall.

Two years had passed since the capture of Wu Ying and the repelling of the Chu Yun Empire. During these two years, the Jia Ma Empire had completed its initial integration, and the Alliance was officially established!

Following that, the Jia Ma Empire entered a period of high-speed operation; the Alliance Academy was founded, the Research Institute was established...

Even though it brought about much skepticism, various emerging departments were established one by one under Yun Zimo's leadership.

Vast resources flowed into the Alchemist Guild and the Alchemy Hall, where they were refined into various medicinal pills to supply the entire empire.

The empire ushered in its first great explosion of powerhouses since the Jia Ma Imperial Family took power, and the empire finally no longer had to rely on those pitiful three Dou Emperors to hold the line.

Excluding Yun Yin, who had once again entered closed-door cultivation, the Misty Cloud Sect had gained one new Dou Ancestor and three new Dou Emperors; the Imperial Family had gained one new Dou Emperor; the Snake-Person Tribe had gained one new Dou Emperor; the Alchemist Guild had gained two new Dou Emperors; the three great families of the Imperial Capital had each gained one new Dou Emperor; and various other regions had gained a total of five new Dou Emperors!

Counting the original veteran Dou Emperors, the Jia Ma Empire now possessed a full twenty-six Dou Emperors, dozens of Dou Kings, and two Dou Ancestors, no longer the weakest empire surrounding the Black-Corner Region...

For two years, the Jia Ma and Chu Yun nations had constant friction at the border, while simultaneously sending people to infiltrate each other. Fortunately, the Jia Ma Empire guarded strictly and caught most of the spies; the few remaining could only linger in small cities. As for the Chu Yun Empire, it was in a state of chaos due to the massive expansion of the emerging Butterfly Medical Valley, and the Jia Ma Empire actually obtained quite a bit of top-secret intelligence.

"The Xiao Clan members have all been relocated back..."

Yun Zimo nodded gently. Over a year ago, no one knew what madness had seized the Chu Yun Empire, but they suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the Black Mountain Fortress border. The startled Alliance leadership immediately dispatched five Dou Emperors to the front lines.

As it turned out, they discovered on the way that a large force had smuggled themselves into the country and was engaged in a fierce battle with the Snake-Person guards stationed in the desert.

These people had snuck into the country intending to cross the Tagor Desert to abduct the Xiao family, but they were discovered by the Divine Temple guards, leading to a massive battle between the two sides.

In the midst of the fighting, the Snake-Person guards discovered that many Soul Envoy from the Soul Hall were mixed in among these people!

The arriving Dou Emperors discovered that some Soul Envoy had already broken away from the battlefield and reached the Xiao family's residence to begin a massacre!

After slaughtering all those who had entered the country and repelling the invaders, the Alliance Council unanimously decided to move the remaining Xiao family members into the interior and designated a clan territory for them in the Imperial Capital.

Because everyone understood that a great war might break out before long, and leaving them exposed to the enemy as targets was an extremely unwise choice.

The new Xiao clan territory was at the foot of Misty Cloud Mountain, where the Imperial garrison used to be, while the original garrison had been transferred to the border to guard it due to the establishment of the Alliance.

Yun Zimo even sent a letter to Xiao Yan informing him of the new Xiao family's situation, telling him not to worry about the Xiao family being ambushed by the Soul Hall.

As for these people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion, it was purely a coincidence.

As the Hall Master of the Beast Taming Hall, Qing Lin had spent these two years capturing almost all the snake-type magical beasts in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Her own strength had also advanced by leaps and bounds under the dual blessing of diligent cultivation and the feedback from her pet beasts; she was only one step away from breaking through from Dou Ling to become a Dou King!

The speed of reaching a Dou King in two years made everyone in the Alliance secretly shocked, and her record of fighting Dou Kings alone during the Alliance trials made everyone acknowledge her status as a Hall Master!

This rising star naturally attracted attention from many sides. Even though Yun Zimo had secretly hidden the secret of Qing Lin's eyes, interested parties still discovered the existence of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

This interested party was none other than a Dou Emperor from the Heavenly Snake Mansion who had been staying in the Jia Ma Empire for over half a year...

In truth, Yun Zimo very much hoped that Qing Lin would follow the Heavenly Snake Mansion Dou Emperor. After all, the Heavenly Snake Mansion clearly had more say regarding the development of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils and Qing Lin's growth path.

However, every time Yun Zimo hinted at this, Qing Lin would show a pitiful expression as if she were about to be abandoned.

In Qing Lin's heart, she had long regarded this place as her home, and Yun Zimo had become her true family. Compared to strength, Qing Lin perhaps valued this familial affection more...

"Qing Lin, come with sister. Don't you want to obtain even greater power?"

The Heavenly Snake Mansion Dou Emperor, Lv Man, dressed in tight green clothing, her curvaceous body currently leaning in front of Qing Lin, was trying to persuade her with earnest words.

Yet Qing Lin, in her petite white robe with Heavenly Snakes embroidered on the cuffs, remained the same, wearing a sweet smile while neither refusing nor agreeing.

Qing Lin was actually quite conflicted. On one hand, she did not want to leave this "home," and on the other, she feared that her low strength would mean she couldn't help Yun Zimo at all. The contradiction of wanting to go yet not wanting to go left her at a loss for what to do.

"Brother Zimo!"

Seeing Yun Zimo walk in, dressed in a white robe with black and white Xiezhi embroidered on the cuffs, Qing Lin stood up in pleasant surprise, making Lv Man, who had been talking to Qing Lin for a long time without success, feel a bit of envy and jealousy.

"Is Senior Lv Man settling in well?"

Yun Zimo asked after patting Qing Lin on the head and looking toward Lv Man.

Senior? Am I that old?!

Although she was roaring inside, Lv Man still smiled and nodded, speaking in a gentle voice.

"Hall Master Yun can just call me Lv Man."

Lv Man said politely.

"It is fine, it is just Qing Lin—I still hope she can come with me to the Heavenly Snake Mansion to cultivate!"

So much time had passed, yet Lv Man was still as straightforward as she had been at the beginning.

"Hall Master Yun should understand that perhaps only in the Heavenly Snake Mansion can Qing Lin truly unleash her potential. I assume the Hall Master does not wish for her to fade into the crowd!"

"Senior can just call me Zimo."

Yun Zimo smiled.

"Whether Qing Lin follows you, Senior, depends entirely on her own wishes; asking me is useless."

"..."

Lv Man was speechless. If asking Qing Lin had been useful, she would have already taken her and run!

She had no idea what kind of love potion this brat had fed Qing Lin; every time she asked, the answer was always, "I listen to Brother Zimo..."

"Qing Lin, tell me the truth: do you want to go to the Heavenly Snake Mansion for advanced training?"

Yun Zimo said softly.

"If you go, the Misty Cloud Sect will be your backing, and the doors of home will always be open to you. If you don't, Brother will still make sure you grow up happy and carefree!"

Qing Lin looked up and blinked, no longer wearing that pitiful, fragile expression.

"Brother Zimo, what kind of strength does one need to do whatever one wants?"

"Hmm... Dou Sheng?"

"Oh, then I must become a Dou Sheng in the future!"

Qing Lin nodded.

"That way, I'll be able to protect Brother!"

"Alright, then Brother will wait for you to become a Dou Sheng, and in the future, I'll let you protect me."

Seeing Qing Lin's earnest expression, Yun Zimo smiled and said.

"..."

Lv Man wanted to laugh but forced herself to maintain a composed appearance. Not to mention the Heavenly Snake Mansion, even the Misty Cloud Sect's ancestor, Yun Potian, hadn't reached the Dou Sheng realm, had he? This silly brat really dared to dream!

"Senior Lv Man, can the Heavenly Snake Mansion help me reach the Dou Sheng realm?"

Qing Lin bowed slightly and asked in a small voice.

"Dou Sheng..."

Lv Man didn't know what to say. Even the current Mansion Master was only a Dou Zun; a Dou Sheng was a matter from generations and generations ago.

"It should be possible. A certain past Mansion Master of the Heavenly Snake Mansion was a Dou Sheng, and I believe you will be the next Dou Sheng of the Heavenly Snake Mansion."

Not wanting to crush Qing Lin's confidence, Lv Man used that legend of a Dou Sheng—who knows if it even existed—to comfort her.

Qing Lin nodded, then smiled innocently and said.

"Brother Zimo, then Qing Lin will go to the Heavenly Snake Mansion! Once I reach the Dou Sheng realm, I will return to the Misty Cloud Sect to protect you!"

Yun Zimo was slightly stunned. Seeing Lv Man out of the corner of his eye, her eyes filled with surprise as she frantically signaled him, he immediately beamed and said.

"Good!"

"Qing Lin, Head of the Beast Taming Hall of the Misty Cloud Sect! This Hall Master approves your leave on behalf of the Sect Master!"

"Duration: Until you reach the Dou Sheng realm!"