On the Brink of Battle

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several figures streaked across the desert sky amid piercing gusts of wind, finally coming to a steady halt above the outskirts of the Snake-People Royal City. Behind each of them hovered a pair of illusory wings, though their colors varied.

As these formidable experts arrived, the two forces that had been poised for battle immediately broke apart, each retreating into its own formation.

Behind Yang Chen stood Hai Bodong, a five-star Dou Emperor with a powerful, unfathomable aura; the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, whose presence was as violent as the blazing sun; and the two Dou Kings, Lin Sen and Lei Na. The four of them exuded an exceptionally imposing presence.

On the other side, above the Snake-People Royal City, Medusa Queen's lineup was even more terrifying. Four elder Snake-People experts at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm stood on either side, with no fewer than eight Dou King-level experts behind them.

Not to mention Medusa Queen herself, whose strength needed no explanation. With such a formation, even the Jia Ma Empire's openly known forces would not dare confront them head-on.

Compared to those two groups, the newly arrived party seemed far more modest.

Pill King Gu He, renowned as the Jia Ma Empire's foremost alchemist, led the way. Behind him were Lion King Yan Shi, one of the Jia Ma Empire's current Ten Great Experts; Windwalker Feng Li; and three Dou King elders of the Yunlan Sect led by Yun Leng. There were six people in total. Though they outnumbered Yang Chen's group, their strength was vastly inferior.

To put it bluntly, even if all six joined forces, they would not be enough to take on either Yang Chen or Medusa Queen alone—and that was based on their strength before entering seclusion.

Thus, the moment Gu He saw the two groups with their overwhelming auras, his expression instantly darkened.

Gu He had originally believed that the lineup he had assembled was sufficient to venture into the Snake-People Royal City deep within the Tagore Desert. Even against Medusa Queen, while he might not be able to defeat her, he could still put enough pressure on her. Furthermore, with medicinal pills to pave the way, he could advance or retreat as he pleased.

Yet who could have expected that, upon arriving at the Snake-People Royal City, he would run into these two groups in the middle of a confrontation?

In fact, Gu He had already sensed the auras of Medusa Queen and Yang Chen while approaching. However, the two had been fiercely fighting at the time, interfering with his perception and preventing him from detecting so many other auras.

To Gu He, Yang Chen was undoubtedly a romantic rival. Yun Yun, whom he had known for years, had dared to secretly leave the Yunlan Sect and meet Yang Chen after seeing him only once. How could Gu He not feel threatened?

At the same time, Gu He knew full well that Yang Chen was also an alchemist, perhaps even one of the same rank as himself. For him to appear deep in the Tagore Desert at this time, his intentions were obvious to everyone—he had come for the Heavenly Flame, just like Gu He.

Both a romantic rival and a competitor, how could Gu He be willing to retreat? He had immediately brought his men rushing over at full speed, afraid that Yang Chen and Medusa Queen would strike a deal and take the Heavenly Flame first.

But when he arrived and saw the situation, Gu He was completely dumbfounded. Who could have imagined that this man who had appeared out of nowhere could summon two Dou Emperor-level experts? What left Gu He's mind utterly blank was the overwhelming strength displayed by the Snake-People.

Four peak Dou Emperors were already enough to sweep through the Jia Ma Empire!

Even more stunned than Gu He were Lion King Yan Shi and Windwalker Feng Li, who had come at his invitation. They had thought they were merely accompanying him on a trip. According to Gu He, they would not actually fight Medusa Queen. They only needed to put on a show of strength, apply some pressure to her, and then negotiate a lower price.

But could someone tell them what this entire group of Dou Emperors was supposed to be? Especially that old man in ice-blue robes, as well as those two Dou Kings—why did they all seem somewhat familiar?

Yun Leng, however, was much calmer. Yun Shan was still alive, and that was his greatest source of confidence in urging Gu He to lead men directly into the Snake-People Royal City. In Yun Leng's eyes, a Dou Sect expert was already enough to sweep through the regions surrounding the Jia Ma Empire.

Yun Leng even had the leisure to carefully observe everyone present. When he saw Hai Bodong, Lei Na, and Lin Sen, he was visibly startled. Then he sneered.

"You are... Hai Bodong? You're actually not dead? And I'm rather surprised—Lei Na, Lin Sen, you two spineless wretches are actually willing to be the Yang Clan's dogs!"

"Yun Leng, you're courting death!"

Lei Na's expression immediately darkened. The power of lightning began to flicker around him, and its terrifying aura gave Yun Leng a start. Yet Yun Leng's expression remained unchanged as he continued mocking him.

"Heh, did this Great Elder say anything wrong? Back then, I represented the Yunlan Sect in inviting the two of you to join us. But you relied on your considerable strength and lofty pride, looking down on the Yunlan Sect. And now? You're willingly acting as dogs for some junior!"

"A junior? You dare insult my Second Master? You're courting death!"

The moment Lei Na heard Yun Leng's words, it was as though someone had touched his reverse scale. He had once been a cripple. It was Second Master who had not despised him, who had freely given him a medicinal pill without asking for anything in return. He had willingly remained by Second Master's side to repay his kindness. Not only had Second Master taken him in, he had also bestowed upon him an incomparably precious inherited cultivation technique.

To Lei Na, Yun Leng insulting him was nothing more than the barking of a clown. It was not worth even a laugh.

But insulting Second Master? That was unacceptable. No matter who it was, no one could do that!

With an explosive roar, Lei Na charged straight at Yun Leng, carrying violent lightning power with him. Yan Shi and Feng Li, standing beside Yun Leng, immediately rushed forward.

"Get the hell out of my way!"

Like a gigantic bear, Lei Na swung both palms, charged with violent lightning power, directly at Yan Shi and Feng Li. In the next instant, his palms collided with theirs.

The violent Dou Qi surged continuously from all four palms. The instant Yan Shi and Feng Li clashed with Lei Na, their expressions changed dramatically. They immediately slapped their other palms against the backs of their hands, using both hands to resist him.

Boom!!

The violent power of lightning transformed the area around Lei Na into a domain of thunder. Endless lightning flickered and surged, silver serpents dancing through the air and illuminating the disbelief in Yan Shi and Feng Li's eyes.

Lei Na, the Thunder King, had been one of the Jia Ma Empire's Ten Great Experts in the previous generation, just like Lin Sen. One had been severely injured, while the other had vanished without a trace. That was how Yan Shi and Feng Li had taken their places.

Yet now, this Thunder King, who had disappeared for many years, had reappeared. He was fighting one against two—and was actually suppressing both of them. How could Yan Shi and Feng Li not be shocked?