Rescuing Hai Bodong

Behind the Ten Thousand Herb Pavilion in Green Mountain Town, in a small courtyard.

When Xiao Yi Xian asked for his guidance, Yao Chen told her everything without holding back. He once again urged her to train diligently.

Half a day later, Yao Chen spread his snow-white Dou Qi wings and flew away, leaving Xiao Yi Xian gazing after him reluctantly.

The Tagor Desert was an endless sea of yellow sand. The scorching sunlight mercilessly baked the earth, and rolling dunes stretched to the horizon like frozen golden waves.

When the wind howled, sand filled the sky and blotted out the sun, making it impossible to tell which way was which.

Now and then, dry white bones could be seen in the desert, telling of its cruelty.

By day, the heat made it feel as if one were standing in a furnace; at night, the temperature plunged, and the cold cut to the bone.

Sparse cacti stubbornly clung to life, among the few signs of life in this silent wasteland.

This was hell for adventurers, and a proving ground for the brave.

Here, in this scorching yellow land, two Dou Huang experts—Hai Bodong and Medusa—were about to engage in an earth-shattering battle.

Hai Bodong's ice-blue robe snapped in the wind. His expression was stern, his gaze sharp as lightning as he fixed his eyes on Medusa.

Medusa's figure was graceful, yet she exuded a chilling aura. Her beautiful face was now filled with majesty and murderous intent.

Medusa struck first. With a sharp cry, she transformed in an instant into a streak of rainbow light and charged straight at Hai Bodong.

At the same time, the surrounding air seemed to ignite, turning scorching hot.

Hai Bodong swiftly formed hand seals and chanted an incantation. A wave of frigid energy burst from his body.

In an instant, the sandy ground within dozens of yards of him froze solid.

Medusa's attack arrived in the blink of an eye, colliding with the layer of ice in a deafening crash.

Ice and fire intertwined, sending ice shards and sparks flying in every direction.

Hai Bodong darted aside to evade Medusa's follow-up attack. He swept his hands through the air, and icicles appeared from nowhere, shooting toward her like a downpour.

Medusa twisted her lithe body, nimbly dodging the icicles. At the same time, a long whip of fire appeared in her hand, and she lashed it viciously at Hai Bodong.

The air crackled wherever the whip passed, scorched by its heat.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong pressed his palms together, and a massive ice shield appeared before him.

The fiery whip struck the shield with a piercing shriek, leaving crack after crack across its surface.

The two exchanged blows, their battle growing ever more intense.

The entire Tagor Desert trembled beneath the shockwaves of their battle. Dunes collapsed, and waves of sand rolled across the land.

Their figures streaked through the desert like twin meteors, colliding again and again in flashes of dazzling, deadly light.

Gradually, as his cultivation fell short of Medusa's, Hai Bodong was forced onto the defensive.

Medusa's strike came down with the force of thunder, brimming with boundless strength and fury.

Hai Bodong fought with all his might, but the tremendous impact still crashed over him like a landslide. A sharp pain seized his chest, and he flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

He slammed into the scorching sand, kicking up a great cloud of dust.

Hai Bodong tried to struggle to his feet, only to find his injuries were severe. Even the slightest movement brought searing pain. Blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth, staining the sand beneath him red.

Medusa slowly approached, her eyes filled with cold disdain.

"Hai Bodong, this is what you get for opposing me." Her voice echoed across the empty desert.

Hai Bodong endured the pain, raised his head, and glared at Medusa. "Medusa, don't get too pleased with yourself. One day..." Before he could finish, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Just as Medusa was about to attack Hai Bodong again, a mass of white flame rose beside him and blocked her strike.

"Who is it?" Medusa exclaimed, staring at the white flames before her in shock.

A figure appeared as if from nowhere. It was Yao Chen, whose cultivation had reached Eight-Star Dou Emperor.

Yao Chen's black robe billowed in the wind. His gaze was sharp as a blade as he stared straight at Medusa.

Seeing another formidable enemy appear, Medusa's expression grew even more solemn. But the pride of a Peak Dou Emperor left her unwilling to retreat.

"You dared hurt him. Today, I'll make you pay!" Yao Chen roared, launching the first attack.

He formed hand seals, and his vast Dou Qi instantly gathered into a massive palm of white flame, which slammed toward Medusa.

Medusa twisted her graceful body, transforming into a streak of rainbow light to evade the fierce attack.

At the same time, she chanted an incantation. Yellow sand swirled around them, and a giant serpent made of flames appeared from nowhere, lunging at Yao Chen with bared fangs and claws.

Yao Chen snorted. A Dragon Abyss Star Sword radiating a mysterious light appeared in his hand, stars glittering along its blade.

He darted forward to meet the flaming serpent. As his sword flashed, he cut it into several pieces.

Their battle grew ever more intense, and the sandstorm was whipped into the air by the impact of their Dou Qi.

Yao Chen unleashed a Heaven-Tier Dou Technique: Star Annihilation Sword! Each swing of his sword was like a falling star, sending waves of tremendous energy rippling outward. Medusa's flames churned wildly beneath the force of it.

Medusa refused to yield. She used the Snake-People Tribe's secret art, the Snake Shadow Clone Technique, conjuring multiple shadowy copies of herself to attack Yao Chen.

Yao Chen had only recently begun practicing this Heaven-Tier Dou Technique and could not yet unleash its full power. Faced with so many shadowy copies, he could only gain a slight advantage.

For a time, the desert blazed with light, and the roar of battle rang without end.

Massive dunes were leveled, and bottomless ravines crisscrossed the land.

Yao Chen seized his chance and struck with all his strength. Medusa put all her strength into blocking the blow, but the Snake Emperor Heart-Protecting Shield, the Snake-People Tribe's treasured artifact, shattered. The impact sent her flying dozens of yards, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yao Chen was not unscathed either. Medusa's counterattack hit him, tearing his clothes and leaving several wounds across his body.

Yao Chen had gained the upper hand, but though Medusa was gravely injured, her will to fight remained firm.

As the two sides faced off, Hai Bodong called out to Yao Chen from the sidelines.

"Senior, we shouldn't keep fighting! The Snake Emperor Heart-Protecting Shield has shattered, and the Snake-People Tribe will sense it and send several Peak Dou Emperor elders here. We should retreat first."

Looking at the badly injured Hai Bodong beside him, Yao Chen decided they should withdraw.

"Let's go. In a little while, I'll go to the Snake-People Tribe and give them a good thrashing!"

Then Yao Chen used the High-grade Earth-tier Dou Technique: Gale Shadow Step to carry the badly injured Hai Bodong away.

In an instant, Yao Chen and Hai Bodong appeared at the edge of the Tagor Desert.

Only Medusa remained at the scene, staring after them in astonishment.

"Who is this man? Why did he save Hai Bodong? And how can he be so unfathomably powerful despite being only an Eight-Star Dou Emperor? He even shattered my Snake Emperor Heart-Protecting Shield, a treasure of the Snake-People Tribe that can withstand a fatal blow from a Dou Zong expert."