The Dou Emperor Slammed into the Sand

The Dou Emperor Slammed into the Sand

(Solemn declaration: This book is a fanfiction based on the original work, so please don't get too hung up on the timeline, locations, names, original power levels, and so on (っ╥╯﹏╰╥c)... Having fun is what matters most... orz)

Han Feng was still searching for medicinal ingredients at the Alchemist Exchange in Holy Pill City. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan and his group had already arrived at the Tagor Great Desert.

The scorching sun hung in the sky like a massive furnace, mercilessly baking this endless golden sea of sand. The air twisted from the heat, and as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rolling dunes.

Occasionally, fierce winds swept through, sending yellow sand dancing through the sky and exposing some of the white bones buried beneath the dunes, silently telling of the brutal law of the jungle here.

The group of five appeared especially insignificant within this deathly silent sea of sand.

"Teacher, this desert is so vast. Where are we supposed to look for the Green Lotus Core Flame?"

Xiao Yan wiped the hot sweat from his forehead and stared at the seemingly endless yellow sands, his eyes carrying the impatience and confusion unique to youth.

Beside him, Yao Chen's soul form floated slowly through the air, expressionless and utterly unaffected by the harsh environment.

He stroked his illusory beard and instructed, "Heavenly Flames are wondrous treasures of heaven and earth. The fire at the heart of the earth is tempered over the years: ten years to gain spirituality, a hundred years to take form, a thousand years to become a lotus. Only after lying dormant underground for a thousand years can it condense into a lotus-shaped flame spirit. Though we do not know its exact location, the principle remains the same."

As he spoke, he extended a finger toward the yellow sand beneath their feet.

A wisp of pale white flame rose from Yao Chen's fingertip. "Heavenly Flames share the same origin and can sense one another. Follow the direction in which the flame flickers, then watch for places where the sand has turned bluish and not a blade of grass grows. That is where the Green Lotus Core Flame is hidden."

The pale white flame flickered gently in the air, its tip constantly pointing toward the depths of the desert.

Under Yao Chen's guidance, the group braved the blazing sun and steadily advanced into the heart of the desert.

This journey appeared to be an opportunity for the younger generation to gain experience on their own, but in truth, within the void above them, distorted by sunlight, two figures had remained with them like shadows.

They were Mo Shan, the chief enforcer of the Sacred City, and the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Serpent Palace.

One was a One-Star Battle Venerable, while the other was a Six-Star Dou Ancestor. The two experts concealed themselves in the void without leaking the slightest trace of their aura, secretly protecting the group all the way like shadows.

Their orders had been very clear: they could only intervene when the younger generation faced certain death. Every other trial had to be faced by the youngsters themselves.

They had traveled less than a few dozen miles when the sea of sand's welcoming ceremony arrived without warning.

"Rustle, rustle, rustle—"

A sudden scraping sound came from the sand beneath their feet.

The next moment, several scorpions the size of washbasins burst from beneath the sand and surrounded the group. Their bodies were covered in earth-yellow shells, and they raised their savage pincers and venomous stingers high.

Second-Tier Magical Beasts, Desert Scorpions!

"Careful!" Xiao Yan shouted as he moved first.

He stomped fiercely on the sand, charging forward instead of retreating. The heavy Profound Heavy Ruler on his back seemed weightless in his hand as he swung it one-handed. Dou Qi surged wildly through his body, and a wisp of crimson Beast Flame poured through his meridians, instantly enveloping the entire giant ruler in blazing fire.

Carrying a fierce wave of scorching wind, Xiao Yan smashed the ruler viciously toward the nearest Desert Scorpion.

"Bang!"

With a dull crash, the scorpion's hard shell was scorched black and shattered beneath the flames and immense force. It shrieked as it was sent flying backward.

At the same time, Xiao Xun'er moved as well.

She drifted backward, flicking her hand as pale golden Dou Qi rose from her fingertips and transformed into several golden ribbons. Like living silk, they curved around the Desert Scorpions' pincers from tricky angles and struck precisely at the weak points of their compound eyes.

Qing Lin remained where she was. Facing a Desert Scorpion lunging at her from the flank, the three strange patterns in her emerald eyes slowly rotated.

"Little Black! Go!"

With a wave of her small hand, the Black Jade Earth Dragon, which had originally been curled around her wrist like a bracelet, began to grow with the wind.

"Roar!"

With a low roar, a massive serpent more than ten zhang long appeared out of nowhere. Its body was covered in black scales, and a single horn grew from its head. The aura of a Fourth-Order Magical Beast comparable to a Dou Spirit expert erupted forth, and its enormous tail swept through the air with a howl, slamming the attacking Desert Scorpion into the sand and crushing it to pieces.

For a time, Dou Qi raged throughout the battlefield as flames and dragon roars intertwined.

Xiao Yan took the lead in attack, fighting openly and forcefully from the front. Xun'er supported him with precise strikes aimed directly at vital points. Qing Lin provided assistance by commanding the serpent beast from the side. Though it was their first time working together, their coordination was remarkably seamless.

Tian Xin, the strongest member of the group, merely stood quietly beside Medicine Elder. Her cold gaze swept across the battlefield, but she did not make a move.

After a battle that was not particularly intense, the Desert Scorpions were all eventually slain by the three of them together.

"Whew..." Xiao Yan leaned on the Profound Heavy Ruler and panted heavily, but an excited smile hung on his face.

This kind of exhilarating real combat was far more satisfying than training at the Sacred City's martial arena.

However, just as they were preparing to collect the spoils and continue onward—

"Boom—!"

An earth-shaking roar of Dou Qi suddenly came from the distant horizon.

A powerful energy storm was clearly discernible even from dozens of miles away, causing the yellow sand beneath their feet to tremble.

"Experts are fighting!" Medicine Elder's expression immediately turned interested.

"Come on, let's take a look!"

He swept everyone up and flashed away, silently appearing behind the tallest nearby dune. Concealing all of their auras, they looked toward the distant battlefield.

On an open stretch of land dozens of miles away, two figures were locked in fierce combat. Both were clearly Dou Emperor experts.

One of them was a stern-faced middle-aged man wearing a blue brocade robe. As his hands formed seals, chilling cold air surged from his body. Wherever it passed, even the scorching yellow sand froze under a layer of white frost. Countless sharp ice spears condensed from ice crystals and shot toward his opponent in an overwhelming barrage.

His opponent was a stunningly beautiful woman with a seductive figure. She wore a revealing purple brocade robe, but her lower body was a massive snake tail. Every swing of it sent yellow sand flying into the sky and created sonic booms that tore through the air.

"Hmph!"

Facing the rain of ice spears, the Snake People woman merely snorted disdainfully. With a wave of her hand, vast crimson Dou Qi transformed into a massive energy ribbon, smashing every ice spear apart with unstoppable force.

The middle-aged man was clearly weaker than the Snake People woman. After only a few exchanges, he was already in grave danger and had fallen into a disadvantage.

"Bang!"

After another direct clash, the middle-aged man was sent flying backward, vomiting blood from the impact of the violent Dou Qi.

Seizing the opportunity, the Snake People woman's crimson Dou Qi exploded around her. Countless fine purple snake-like streaks of light coiled and swam within it as she transformed into a crimson-and-purple phantom. Her palm wind carried blood-red and flowing-purple Dou Qi as she viciously smashed the human Dou Emperor into the yellow sand.

The man screamed as his protective Dou Qi shattered on the spot. Like a cannonball, he crashed heavily into the sand, kicking up dust across the sky as his aura instantly weakened.

Defeated in one move!

After succeeding, the Snake People woman did not immediately deliver a killing blow. A trace of disdain flashed across her cold, stunning face. With a flick of her snake tail, a strange jade-green rune flew from her palm and entered the middle-aged man's body.

After finishing this, her icy gaze swept over the surroundings. Once she confirmed that there were no other companions nearby, she formed Dou Qi wings and flew toward the depths of the desert.

Only after the aura of that Snake People queen had completely vanished beyond the horizon did Medicine Elder lead the group out from behind the dune and toward where the middle-aged man had fallen.

"What a powerful woman!" Xiao Yan could not help exclaiming. The battle just now had stirred his heart.

Medicine Elder's illusory figure floated over. His soul power swept lightly over the man's body, and his brow could not help furrowing.

"...His injuries are serious but not fatal. However, his Dou Qi meridians have been completely sealed by countless snake patterns. His Dou Emperor cultivation is now less than a tenth of what it was. He is no different from a cripple."

"It is a secret technique of the Snake People Tribe." Medicine Elder pondered for a moment before reaching his conclusion.

"That woman's strength has already reached the Dou Emperor Peak. She is only one step away from becoming a Dou Ancestor. In this Tagor Great Desert, there is only one Snake People Tribe member with such strength and bloodline."

Looking in the direction where the Snake People woman had departed, he slowly said, "If I am not mistaken, she should be the current queen of the Snake People Tribe—Medusa."

"Queen Medusa?!" Xiao Yan and the others were all shaken. She was a terrifying existence whose ferocious reputation and beauty were unrivaled throughout the Jia Ma Empire.

"It seems this ice-element Dou Emperor came to cause trouble for Her Majesty, only to be taught a lesson instead," Medicine Elder analyzed. "I simply do not know why the queen did not kill him, but merely sealed him." Everyone looked at the unconscious Dou Emperor lying in the sand pit, unsure of what to do for a moment.

Should they save him or not? Medicine Elder simply watched them discuss it without interrupting.

After some deliberation, they ultimately decided that they could not simply stand by and watch someone die.

Working together, they carried the sealed Dou Emperor out of the sand pit. They found a sheltered, hidden dune nearby, set up camp, and temporarily settled him down there.