Return to Self

Yuan Yi shrugged and smiled, "No need to be so nervous. I don't know what the Medicine Emperor is planning either. He just wants us to wait here for you!"

Lu Man frowned as she looked at Yuan Yi. At first, Han Feng only sent the Heavenly Snake Mansion to the Black Corner Region, but then he came directly to the outskirts of Black Rock City.

Lu Man, along with Elder Qing and Qing Lin, had just arrived outside Black Rock City from the Heavenly Snake Mansion when they encountered members of the Eight Fan Sect.

The two women in cyan robes standing behind Lu Man were Elder Qing and Qing Lin, who were following him. Qing Lin was holding a jet-black longsword.

Lu Man looked at Yuan Yi and said in a somewhat indifferent voice, "In that case, we can just wait for Han Feng outside Black Rock City. There's no need to trouble Sect Master Yuan!"

"This..." Yuan Yi frowned slightly, but looking at Lu Man's indifferent face, he pondered for a moment and then said, "Alright, since you insist, I won't force you. However, I'll leave one person behind, just in case we can't find you in the end!"

With a flick of her wrist, Lu Man sent a shard of cyan jade shooting towards Yuan Yi.

Yuan Yi waved his hand, and the cyan jade piece was in his grasp. He looked at Lu Man with some confusion.

Lu Man looked at Yuan Yi and said, "This is a special jade tablet from our Heavenly Snake Mansion. It can transmit information over short distances. As long as you crush this jade tablet, I can enter Black Rock City to find you!"

Yuan Yi's heart tightened slightly. After accepting the jade piece, he cupped his hands in greeting to Lu Man and said, "In that case, I'll take my leave now!"

After saying that, Yuan Yi quickly left with the Eight Fan Sect.

Lu Man Barbarian let out a soft breath and looked at Elder Qing, saying, "What exactly does Han Feng want to do? Now he's even involved with the Eight Fan Sect!"

Elder Qing gave a wry smile and said, "It's still unclear. We can only wait for news. Han Feng is truly cunning. He arranged this whole thing back when the pills were being auctioned off. Such scheming is truly terrifying!"

Lu Man looked at Qing Lin behind him, who hadn't spoken, and said, "You've had a long journey, let's rest now. With White Fang keeping watch for us!"

"Hehe, don't worry, leave it to me, you can rest assured!" As he spoke, a huge black shadow appeared above the three of them; it was none other than White Fang, who had come with them.

Qing Lin's pretty face was covered by a light veil. She had grown much taller, tied her long hair up, wore a light blue outfit, and held a long sword, giving her quite the air of a female knight-errant.

Qing Lin nodded slightly and said, "Aren't we getting close to the Jia Nan Academy now?"

Elder Qing nodded and said, "That's right. If we continue for another half a day, we'll reach Peace Town outside the Jia Nan Academy. That's the Jia Nan Academy's territory!"

A hint of longing appeared in Qing Lin's eyes, which held a faint emerald green hue. Her slender hand gently caressed the jet-black longsword in her grasp, and she murmured, "Young Master, Qing Lin will see you soon. I've protected your sword very well!"

Buzz!

The Black Scale, being sentient, sensed the Qing Lin ' emotions and trembled slightly.

Inside the main hall of the Eight Fan Sect headquarters in Black Rock City.

Yuan Yi sat at the head of the main hall, looking at his subordinates below, and said, "Immediately have someone inform the Medicine Emperor that the people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion have arrived. Also, never mind, let's leave it at that for now!"

After receiving the order, the subordinate left.

The hall became empty. Suddenly, a black mist appeared beside Yuan Yi, and a chilling aura rippled through the hall, sending a shiver down one's spine. It seemed that Yuan Yi had known of the black mist's existence all along.

"Heh heh, looks like you and Han Feng aren't really on the same side, huh? Now you've learned to hold back?" An unpleasant voice came from within the black mist.

Yuan Yi sneered, "Holding back? I'm just leaving myself a way out. Don't forget, our cooperation isn't seamless. If you can come to me, you can come to Fan Lao, or Yan. Who knows if you have any tricks up your sleeve?"

"You're a smart man, you know what I want, and I know what you want. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Eight Fan Sect are the weakest in the Black Corner Region, and your strength is also at the bottom among all the powerful figures in the Black Corner Region!" Black Mist said with a hint of mockery.

"Enough!" Yuan Yi's face flushed with anger, and he slammed his hand down on the table next to him, shattering it!

The black mist, however, didn't care at all. Instead, it chuckled and said, "If you cooperate with us, you'll definitely have a place in the Black Corner Region. Who would ignore you or the Eight Fan Sect then?"

Yuan Yi's angry eyes seemed to soften with a hint of temptation. His anger gradually subsided as he looked at the black mist and said, "Recently, a lone Dou Huang expert has appeared outside Black Rock City. His strength far surpasses mine, at least at the level of Five-Star Dou Emperor. If you want a soul, he's a good choice!"

"If Han Feng makes a move, contact us again!" These words echoed from within the black mist before slowly dissipating.

Yuan Yi sat at the head of the table, his eyes filled with resentment and coldness. He rubbed the armrest with his hand and muttered, "Han Feng, I hope you won't disappoint me. The conditions the Soul Hall offered me are very tempting!"

As night fell, the dark Black Domain Plains fell into complete silence.

In the Dark Forest, a figure shrouded in black robes darted swiftly through the woods.

Even though her body was shrouded in that somewhat oversized black robe, her curvaceous figure was still visible, clearly indicating that she was a woman.

Beneath the black robe, a pretty face was revealed; it was none other than Nalan Yanran, who had rushed over from the Jia Ma Empire.

After traveling day and night for more than ten days, she finally arrived at the Black Corner Region, thousands of miles away, and was getting closer and closer to the Jia Nan Academy!

Nalan Yanran lightly touched a tree branch with her toes. The branch trembled slightly and transformed into a blur as it darted forward. Through her black robe, Nalan Yanran could vaguely see a tall black city wall that almost blended into the night!

Buzz!

Nalan Yanran abruptly stopped atop the giant tree. She gently touched the Storage Ring on her left hand, and a scroll appeared in her palm.

The scroll unfolded, revealing a detailed map of the Black Corner Region. She had found this map in the Misty Cloud Sect's Library Pavilion, which recorded the locations of important cities in the Black Corner Region and the Jia Nan Academy.

"Black Rock City is just ahead. If we head north, we should reach Jia Nan Academy in a day!" Nalan Yanran said softly, gazing at the map.

After putting away the map, Nalan Yanran let out a soft breath and said slowly, "I only came to see my teacher!"

The closer she got to the Jia Nan Academy, the more uneasy she became. She didn't know what to say when they met, what her status should be when she met him, or even whether she should see him at all. Perhaps, seeing her teacher was just an excuse to comfort herself!

Nalan Yanran remained silent atop the giant tree for a long while before she composed herself. Just as she was about to continue her journey, she suddenly heard some voices around her.

Nalan Yanran remained motionless, a faint Dou Qi of battle qi slowly flowing through her body, instantly merging her entire aura with the giant tree. This was a hidden Dou Technique she had obtained in the Gate of Life and Death, called Return to Body!

The Return to Body Dou Technique has no offensive capabilities, but it can completely conceal one's aura, preventing others from detecting one's presence. Of course, it can only be detected by those who are no more than two realms above oneself.

Nalan Yanran's current strength is at the Peak Dou Ling, which means that cultivators below the Dou Zong will not be able to detect her!