Watching the vast desert, Xiao Yan gradually recovered. He lowered his head, glanced at the ring on his finger and helplessly said, “Teacher, you should be able to come out now.”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s words, the dark black ancient looking ring trembled slightly and Yao Lao slowly floated out. His gaze first swept over to the horizon where the people from before disappeared and then turned toward Xiao Yan. He smiled and said with some deeper meaning, “Looks like something big is going to happen in this desert.”
Xiao Yan nodded his head. With such a group of very strong people arriving, it would be strange if this desert did not become a mess. It was likely that after Yue Mei returned, the Snake-People tribes in the desert would become heavily armed and guarded.
“Why have they come to the Tager Desert? Is the Jia Ma Empire thinking of starting a war with the Snake-People again?” Xiao Yan frowned and said uncertainly.
“Hearing their discussion from before, it seemed that they intended to look for Queen Medusa.” Yao Lao said blandly.
“Look for Queen Medusa huh... although their line-up is very strong, Queen Medusa is far from weak. Moreover, there are many other strong people among the eight large tribes of the Snake-People. Once they get the chance to gather together, I don’t think that the group from before will be able to leave the desert safe and sound.” Xiao Yan waved his head. His smile had a gloating meaning to it. That group of people, with the exception of the mysterious black-robed person who gave him a good impression, were mere unknown passersby. Naturally, Xiao Yan did not bother worrying about them.
“That black-robed person is also a Dou Huang.” Yao Lao said with a smile.
“So what if he’s a Dou Huang? Wasn’t Hai Bo Dong a Dou Huang in the past? But Queen Medusa still managed to turn him into that miserable state.” Xiao Yan laughed before he immediately mused out loud, “But coming back to the topic, why are they looking for Queen Medusa? Humans are the least liked beings among the Snake-People race.”
Yao Lao gently stroked his beard and said with a smile, “That middle aged man from before is the one whom I mentioned before, the one that has an extremely strong Spiritual Perception. He should also be an Alchemist.”
“An Alchemist?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan momentarily stilled. After which, he quickly cried out involuntarily, “A Dou Wang level alchemist? How can it be possible?”
Seeing the unconvinced expression on Xiao Yan’s face, Yao Lao shook his head and smiled faintly. “My senses won’t be wrong. He is indeed an alchemist.”
Watching Yao Lao’s bland smile, Xiao Yan also gradually became calm. He knit his eyebrows tightly together and softly said, “If he really is an alchemist, then with his Dou Wang’s strength, won’t he be at least a tier six alchemist? But in the Jia Ma Empire now, there is only one tier six alchemist!” Xiao Yan’s eyes grew increasingly smaller as he said those words. He let out a long breath, as if to vomit out all the shock in his heart. A long while later, he finally whispered, “Don’t tell me that middle aged man from before is Pill-King Gu He?”
“If that person is really Gu He, then it is not surprising that he is able to gather so many strong people.” Yao Lao said with a smile. He knew very well what kind of appealing abilities a tier six alchemist possessed.
“Hei. It really is unexpected...” Xiao Yan shook his head and laughed softly. There was a strange and unknown expression on his face. He recalled that the Qi Gathering Powder that Nalan Yanran had taken out back when he was canceling the marriage was refined by him.
“An alchemist suddenly gathering so many strong people to come to the desert and look for Queen Medusa. I think... his intention might be the Heavenly Flame. I have no idea how he got the information though.” Yao Lao lifted his head, looking at the horizon of the desert as he spoke with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s expression changed. His fist suddenly tightened. He had put in a great effort for the ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’. Anyone who intended to prevent him from obtaining it would be regarded by him as an enemy, even if this person was Pill-King Gu He who had a strong ability to gather people in the Jia Ma Empire.
“Teacher, let’s move...” Xiao Yan’s palm abruptly grabbed the heavy ruler inserted into the top layer of sand. He then let out a soft sigh and said gravely, “Regardless of whether their motives are the ‘Green Lotus Core Flame’ or not, we must hurry to the inner regions of the desert. If that Gu He really is looking at the flame, then I will allow them to fight among themselves like fish and mussels before getting the flame.”
TL: Let them do fighting and pick up the spoils while they are incapacitated
“Ke ke, it’s just as well. Let us become fishermen for once.” After musing for a while, Yao Lao smiled and nodded his head. His body then trembled and transformed into light before entering into the ring.
Xiao Yan stored the Heavy Xuan Ruler into the ring and pursed his lips. His back trembled and the Purple Cloud Wings were extended out. They flapped slightly and his body gradually floated into the air. He lifted his head, eyed the silver moon and said softly, “Now the Mei Tribe should have turned into chaos because of Gu He and the others passing through. We can also take this opportunity to quietly walk through. I think that Yue Mei will not have stayed within the Tribe. She will probably have headed to the inner regions of the desert to pass the information to Queen Medusa.”
“Yes, let’s go. When we are passing through the tribe, I will help you hide your Qi. This, along with the dark sky, should allow us to successfully pass through.” Yao Lao’s voice was emitted from within the ring.
Nodding his head, Xiao Yan placed an ‘Energy Recovery Pill’ into his mouth. He flapped the pair of wings hard and his body turned into a black shadow which once again flew toward the huge tribe that stood on the mainroad under the faint moonlight.
After Xiao Yan ferociously flew through the sky for around half an hour, an enormous fortress gradually appeared on the distant flat plain.
The fortress was well lit but the repeatedly flickering firelight revealed something that was troubling.
As Xiao Yan flew increasing near, he was able to hear the sound of disturbances coming from within. At that moment, he rejoiced in his heart and quietly said, “Looks like the group from before really charged in from here...”
As this thought flashed in Xiao Yan’s mind, he finally arrived in the sky above the fortress. His eyes roughly glanced at the extremely large, almost boundaryless tribe and felt somewhat shocked.
The city wall that was dozens of meters tall was filled with a countless number of closely placed watchtowers. Pale purple arrow tips protruded out from the watchtowers, giving off a thick and icy luster under the moonlight.
Seeing that extremely tight and strict defense, Xiao Yan involuntarily wiped off his cold sweat. With the strength of their defense, even a Da Dou Shi or a Dou Ling would be shot into becoming a bee hive should they be careless.
The defense of the fortress was extremely tight, but Xiao Yan rejoiced when he noticed that this very tight defense had already been forcefully broken through, leaving a huge passageway. The watch towers that were near the passageway were all smashed into powder by an enormous force. Clearly, these vestiges were the work of Gu He and that group from earlier.
Perhaps it was because of this sudden destruction, but the entire huge fortress had descended into a state of panic. Using this panicked situation to his advantage, Xiao Yan was able to luckily pass through the heavily defended wall. He flew into the fortress through the sky and then flew toward the other end of the fortress.
As he flew high into the sky, Xiao Yan once again felt the enormous size of the fortress. If one were to compare sizes, even the largest city that Xiao Yan had been to, Black Rock City, would have difficulty comparing with it.
“The eight large tribes are indeed the strongest strengths of the Snake-People.” Xiao Yan could not help but sigh emotionally as he flew at a high speed through the night sky.
“We are leaving the fortress. Be careful. There are fewer watch towers damaged here and not much of the defensive strength was lost.” While Xiao Yan was sighing, Yao Lao’s voice suddenly sounded in his heart.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s expression straightened. His gaze swept across the tall city wall a short distance away and realized that the city wall there was not destroyed. There were merely a few huge crack lines that climbed along the walls. Moreover, there were a few hundred fully armed Snake-People who, while carrying sharp spears in their hands, were patrolling around.
“Ao...”
Just as Xiao Yan was planning to charge through the last layer of defense in one go, a strange roar that sounded like a mix of a wolf howl and a fox cry suddenly sounded.
Hearing this roar, Xiao Yan’s expression swiftly changed. He lifted his head and found that above his head, there was a dark black, eccentric large bird flying around. Clearly, it was a sort of warning system that the Snake-People had placed in the air.
“Warning! Warning! There’s someone in the air. Spear Throwers get ready, place poison on the spears and prepare to shoot!” Hearing the warning that hummed in the night sky, a cold loud voice immediately sounded from the city wall.
Upon hearing this order, the somewhat flustered Snake-People unit who were standing guard suddenly quieted down. They swiftly applied a poison liquid, which they carried around their waist, to their flying spears. With fierce expressions on their faces, they watched Xiao Yan who was flying wildly toward them.
“We have been discovered...” Xiao Yan’s head felt a little numb as he was fiercely stared at by a few hundred gazes. Instantly, he had no time to bother about the huge dark black bird that was circling above his head. The Purple Cloud Wings flapped quickly and his body turned into a dark black beam of light that flew toward the city wall.
“Aim at where the Wolf Owl is. Shoot him down!” On the city wall, an icy Snake-Woman with a graceful body stared at Xiao Yan, who was in the air, with furious but beautiful eyes. A moment later, she coldly and softly gave the order.
After the Snake-Woman gave the order, the few hundred fully armed Snake-People on the city wall immediately gave a loud cry. Their right sides went back and they twisted their bodies to the side. After which, they abruptly leaned forward. Instantly, the long spears in their hands that were covered with poison were thrown forward. Their sharp whistling sound reverberated throughout the night sky.
“These damn humans, do they think that our Mei Tribe is so easy to bully? They actually dared to repeatedly break into our city again!” The icy Snake-Woman clenched her teeth and angrily said as she used thick cold eyes to watch Xiao Yan who was surrounded by the long spears’ attack. Gu He’s group, which was the vanguard, had forcefully broke into the city when there were no strong guards within the tribe. How could this Snake-Woman, who obviously held quite a high position, not be furious now that Xiao Yan had come alone as if to mock them.
Staring at the sky with an icy gaze, the icy Snake-Woman appeared to have seen the frightened face of someone facing imminent death. Her red lips were lifted into a bloodthirsty curl as she waited for the blood feast in the air. She could clearly sense that the human in the sky only had the strength of a Dou Shi. Although she did not understand why this Dou Shi could fly, it did not hinder the killing intent in her heart. A Dou Shi had only one end under this poison spear attack from all directions, which was to be pierced into many small pieces of meat.
However, under the few hundred gazes on the city wall, a thick white flame suddenly surged from the flying human in the sky just as the poison spears were about to hit his body. After which... he charged directly at the poison spears that were shooting at him from all directions. A moment later, the Snake-People watched with stunned faces as the flame human figure recklessly charged through the cluster of poison spears that represented death. His body did not make the slightest pause as he flew out of the city wall like lightning and finally quickly disappeared into the night.
“Damn him!”
As she blankly watched the back which disappeared in an instant, the icy Snake-Woman on the city wall suddenly punched at the the wall in front of her. Instantly, numerous crack lines began spreading, startling the Snake-People soldiers nearby until they didn’t dare to speak.
“Clear up the city, remain on the city wall. Immediately send information to all the snake people tribes nearby. At the same time, inform the leaders of the other seven large tribes. Ask them to quickly send out their strongest forces and surround this group of despicable humans. Let us make sure they die in this desert!” The icy Snake-Woman stared at the pitch black night sky. Her cold voice was filled with killing intent.