The Poison Sect's Sect Master

"Luo Yantian!" At the sound of that laughter, Jia Xingtian's expression turned cold. He spat out a name that commanded immense prestige in the Luo Yan Empire—the man who had been his opponent when the Three Great Empires invaded the Jia Ma Empire.

As the golden light faded, a man dressed in gold hovered in the sky. Behind him, a pair of extraordinarily large golden goose wings shimmered with golden light.

After the golden-robed man appeared, the restless army below settled down, and thunderous cheers erupted.

Amid the cheers, three streaks of differently colored light shot out of the army below, becoming three smiling old men in blue robes who appeared in midair.

"The Mulan Three Elders."

Yun Shan spoke softly. Judging by their auras alone, these three blue-robed elders were merely at the Peak Dou Emperor level. Yet the Three-Beast Desolate Art they cultivated allowed them to join forces and wield strength rivaling a Dou Zong. Even he could do nothing against the three of them.

Although these four newcomers outwardly dismissed the Jia Ma Empire's strength, their hearts were weighed down with grave concern.

The appearance of four Dou Zong experts in the Jia Ma Empire had already shocked them deeply. Even with the experts of their Three Great Empires joining forces, they had barely managed to hold their ground. That was largely thanks to the Sky Poison Maiden, who had tied down two Dou Zong experts by herself, giving them a faint glimmer of hope. Otherwise, they would have withdrawn long ago.

But now another mysterious Dou Zong had appeared. How were they supposed to fight? As for the reinforcements the Sky Poison Maiden had mentioned at the outset, they had their doubts. She had wiped out all the sects in the Chu Yun Empire—where could reinforcements possibly come from?

It was strange, when they thought about it. The Sky Poison Maiden had actually exterminated the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, the strongest faction in the Chu Yun Empire. Its Grand Elder, Xie Biyan, had been a veteran Dou Zong whose strength was anything but ordinary, yet this newly advanced Dou Zong, the Sky Poison Maiden, had still killed him. No matter how they looked at it, it was bizarre!

Perhaps the Sky Poison Maiden truly did have some hidden power behind her. That was the last "straw to clutch at" that gave Yan Luotian and the Mulan Three Elders the courage to keep resisting the Jia Ma Empire. They had no way back. The war had already begun, and even if they wanted to stop fighting, the people of the Jia Ma Empire would never agree. Their only hope now was the Sky Poison Maiden!

"Death's already knocking, and Luo Yantian and those three Mulan old men are still putting on airs!" Hai Bodong's face showed disdain. He made no attempt to lower his voice, which sounded especially grating in the relatively quiet sky.

The expressions of Luo Yantian and the Mulan Three Elders instantly darkened. Luo Yantian's voice was chilling. "A mere Dou Emperor dares spout such brazen nonsense? If you fall into my hands, I'll make you beg for life and pray for death, with neither granted!"

"Hahaha! You're a dead man walking. Survive this first, then talk!" Hai Bodong laughed with considerable arrogance. The look on his face made even those on the Jia Ma Empire's side twitch.

Liu Yu, who stood at the front, shook his head as well. Truly, that was Hai Bodong for you!

"Sister Yun, that old man has such a venomous tongue. He could give Boss a run for his money!" Zi Yan whispered, holding Yun Yun's arm, unaware that a certain someone's powerful soul power could perceive everything. (Liu Yu: ...)

Yun Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, nodding in wholehearted agreement.

"Old Man Bing, why don't you go exchange a few moves with Yan Luotian?" Jia Xingtian could not resist teasing Hai Bodong when he saw how smug he looked.

"I'm just a Seven-Star Dou Huang, and you want me to trade blows with a Dou Zong? Do you think I'm an idiot? If I hadn't wasted several decades, I'd have become a Dou Zong long ago. Don't get too pleased with yourself, Old Man Jia. I'm a guest elder of the Snake-People Tribe now. Give me some time, and I'll surpass you sooner or later!"

Hai Bodong rolled his eyes at Jia Xingtian. He actually wanted him to fight Luo Yantian? Luo Yantian would skin him alive! Old Man Jia must have been jealous of his position as a guest elder of the Snake-People Tribe and was plotting to get him killed!

"Haha, I'll be waiting!" Jia Xingtian laughed. He had no particular feelings about his old friend becoming an elder of the Snake-People Tribe. The Imperial Family's relationship with the Snake-People Tribe was quite good too. Still, after hearing Hai Bodong's words, he realized that the Imperial Family needed to strengthen that relationship further...

Compared with the "cheerful harmony" on the Jia Ma Empire's side, the atmosphere among the Three Great Empires' alliance was rather heavy. There were clearly only a few dozen people facing them, yet they exerted crushing pressure on their army of millions. More precisely, that pressure came from the one man in purple robes!

Just as morale in the allied army of the Three Great Empires was sinking, a piercing eagle cry suddenly rang out!

"Kree!"

As the eagle's cry echoed, the dread Liu Yu had instilled in the allied army of the Three Great Empires gradually faded. The vast, dark mass of soldiers suddenly erupted in excitement. Some even prostrated themselves, gazing fervently at the enormous approaching shadow.

The dark shadow cut across the sky, streaking straight toward Liu Yu and the others. It was an enormous deep-blue eagle, its entire body the same dark azure hue. Its sharp beak gleamed coldly, and slight beats of its massive wings stirred fierce winds that formed small whirlwinds, sweeping outward in every direction.

The giant eagle hovered in the air, with a graceful figure standing calmly upon it. The fierce winds blowing around her did not even stir the hem of her clothes. She wore a slightly loose purplish-red robe, its cuffs encircled by expensive purple-gold threads that lent it exceptional extravagance. Most striking of all was the woman's long hair, radiant as white snow, falling smoothly down her back like a cascading waterfall of the Milky Way.

A sheer veil covered the woman's face. Though indistinct, it stirred an irresistible curiosity to see what lay beneath. What seemed rather unsettling were her grayish-purple eyes, devoid of emotion like dead wood.

"Sect Master, you've finally arrived!"

Seeing the white-haired woman arrive, Luo Yantian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The Mulan Three Elders felt somewhat reassured as well. Facing five full-fledged Dou Zong experts put them under extraordinary pressure.

Yet the white-haired woman paid no attention to Luo Yantian and the others. All her attention had already fixed on the silver-haired, red-eyed man in purple robes. A rare flicker of emotion appeared in her grayish-purple eyes. Her face froze beneath her veil, and she involuntarily murmured, "Why is he here?"

Luo Yantian and the others were clearly accustomed to the white-haired woman's indifference. However, Luo Yantian, who had been watching her closely, caught that sudden change. It puzzled him. The Poison Sect's sect master was utterly cold and aloof. Why would she lose her composure like this?

"To think that the little thi... frail woman from back then has now become the renowned sect master of the Poison Sect. You truly astonish me."

A cool voice suddenly rang out across the sky, instantly silencing the entire area. Whether it was the people of the Jia Ma Empire or Luo Yantian and the others from the Three Great Empires, their expressions all froze.

"Sister Yun, could that white-haired woman be one too?" Zi Yan brought her red lips close to Yun Yun's ear and whispered.

"I'm not sure either." Yun Yun shook her head slightly. As far as she remembered, apart from Ya Fei of the Mittel Family, the only other woman who had interacted with Liu Yu was Zi Yan. She had no recollection whatsoever of the white-haired woman before them.

The white-haired woman froze upon hearing Liu Yu's words. How did he recognize me? But when she remembered that he had once given her an Alchemy Compendium, understanding dawned. A powerful alchemist possessed considerable soul power and could see her face through the veil. That was hardly surprising.

At that moment, a trace of irritation flashed through the white-haired woman's grayish-purple eyes, but they quickly returned to indifference. Watching Liu Yu, she spoke without the slightest inflection. "Take your people and leave. Otherwise, die!"

"You certainly talk big, Sect Master. Our Jia Ma Empire has five Dou Zong experts, while you have only three. No, strictly speaking, two." Liu Yu chuckled, his clear eyes filled with mockery.

"You! Do you really think we're afraid of you?" Before the white-haired woman could reply, the Mulan Three Elders were the first to lose their patience.

That mysterious Dou Zong did not take the Mulan Three Elders seriously at all. They had no small reputation on the Northwest Continent, and even some veteran Dou Zong experts dared not underestimate them. How dare he show them such contempt!

Behind the white-haired woman, Luo Yantian's expression also turned cold. This mysterious Dou Zong was far too arrogant!

Ignoring the Mulan Three Elders' "impotent fury," Liu Yu delivered his final ultimatum directly to the white-haired woman. "Submit, or die!"

At Liu Yu's words, a sudden chill gripped the white-haired woman's heart. She had clearly been acting for his own good. If not for their past acquaintance... For a moment, her grayish-purple eyes turned icy.

"Sister Yun, what's...?" Confusion appeared on Zi Yan's bewitching face. Wasn't this supposed to be a reunion between former lovers, followed by this and that? Why had they suddenly drawn swords against each other? Could Boss's relationship with this white-haired woman be different from what she had imagined?

Yun Yun was rather surprised as well, her beautiful eyes involuntarily turning toward Liu Yu.

While Zi Yan and Yun Yun were still puzzling over the white-haired woman's relationship with Liu Yu, Jia Xingtian and the others had already begun secretly circulating their Dou Qi, gathering their strength and preparing to strike!

Likewise, on the side of the Three Great Empires' alliance, streaks of light rose from the army. With Dou Qi Wings taking shape, they hovered behind the white-haired woman.

The Mulan Three Elders each took a step back, positioning themselves in a profound formation suited to both attack and defense. As the formation took shape, three powerful torrents of Dou Qi—blue, red, and azure—surged from their bodies!

The surging Dou Qi did not spread outward. Instead, it raced along the formation before the three streams intertwined, forming a perfect cycle that linked the three elders' essence, energy, and spirit.

As the cycle completed, an earthshaking beast roar steeped in a savage, primeval aura suddenly erupted from the Mulan Three Elders' blue robes. Their robes billowed, and a torrent of blood-red energy surged out, enveloping all three of their bodies.

Finally, their original three auras vanished, replaced by the might of a Dou Zong faintly radiating a savage, primeval presence!

The Mulan Three Elders' heads were enveloped in blood-red energy, transforming into three crimson beast heads. They looked like three half-beast men.

At that moment, those three "half-beast men" fixed their bloodthirsty "beast eyes" on Liu Yu.