"Hehe, Han Feng, the price for our assistance is steep. I hope you'll be able to pay it when the time comes, or else..."
The Gold and Silver Elders chuckled in unison, their eyes glinting.
"Don't worry. As long as you help me obtain the Heavenly Flame, no price is too high," Han Feng said solemnly, dressed in an alchemist's robe with a Sixth-Tier Alchemist badge pinned to his chest.
Even as he spoke, a trace of visible pain flickered between his brows.
To obtain this Heavenly Flame, he was willing to risk everything.
This time, after securing the Heavenly Flame, he would tear that brat to pieces—only then could he ease the hatred burning in his chest.
"Relax. With my brother and I working together, we can take on an ordinary one-star Dou Zong. Dealing with that so-called Queen Medusa will be as easy as capturing prey," the Gold Elder said confidently, his golden robe fluttering.
The Silver Elder, robed in silver, also nodded proudly in agreement.
Behind them, Yuan Yi and Tu Ye twitched the corners of their mouths.
The last guy who said something like that... Well, the grass on his grave is probably a few feet tall by now.
Han Feng nodded expressionlessly, then added, "As for that brat, I'll deal with him myself."
As an eight-star Dou Huang, Han Feng had the strength to back up his words. But just to be safe, he turned to Yuan Yi behind him and said, "Sect Master Yuan, I'll need you to cover me when the time comes."
"Of course," Yuan Yi nodded firmly.
Han Feng clenched his fists. This time, he was confident in his victory.
With a flap of the azure wings on his back, he soared deep into the Tagore Desert.
A massive silver moon hung in the sky.
Chen Mo sat alone atop the royal palace, arms crossed behind his head. He glanced at the figure standing respectfully beside him—Mo Yan, who had now reached the four-star Dou Ling level.
"Mo Yan, I really didn't expect you to be a woman."
As Chen Mo's cultivation rose, so too did Mo Yan's. The demonic aura that once shrouded her form had thinned, and while her face was still obscured, her alluring figure left little doubt.
She was definitely a woman.
"Do you have orders, Master?" Mo Yan asked, misinterpreting his comment as a command.
"Mo Yan, are you a naturally born sword spirit, or were you later refined into the sword? Do you even have emotions?"
He was bored, so he figured he might as well chat with his sword.
He'd never really talked with her before.
Mo Yan shook her head mechanically. "What Master speaks of... Mo Yan does not know."
"Uh... How old are you then?"
"Mo Yan does not know."
"Mo Yan does not know."
In an instant, Mo Yan transformed into a long, demonic sword shrouded in black energy, hovering beside Chen Mo.
Bathed in the moonlight, it emanated an aura of mystery and power.
Gazing at the moon and then at the ever-growing purple light above the temple, Chen Mo lightly pushed off with his foot and leapt from the rooftop, returning to the bedchamber where he lay down to rest.
By the second half of the night, the strength of Chen Mo's soul had deepened. He was now approaching the later stages of the Mortal Realm.
After completing his meditation, he was just about to fall asleep when—
A clear and resonant chime rang throughout the royal city, lingering for a long time.
Since Han Feng's escape last time, the city had been under Tier-3 lockdown.
This bell signaled an invasion!
Chen Mo instantly jolted awake.
You've got to be kidding me.
They chose to attack now of all times—right when Queen Medusa was evolving?
As the chime echoed, he immediately heard the hurried footsteps of approaching guards.
Soon after, his door was knocked upon.
"Chen Mo, wake up! We're under attack!" came Yue Nu's urgent voice.
With a quick kip-up, Chen Mo sprang from the bed and followed Yue Nu toward the city walls.
By the time he arrived, the eight tribe leaders and three great elders had already assembled.
The walls were packed with snake-people warriors, the atmosphere thick with tension and the stench of impending battle.
Above the temple, the purple glow grew ever stronger and more dazzling, even eclipsing the silver radiance of the moon.
"So... this is Medusa's awakening?" Chen Mo murmured.
A streak of faint red light shot skyward and transformed into a blazing comet as it raced toward the city wall.
Who else could it be but Die?
As she landed, folding her wings, all the snake-people saluted her respectfully.
Chen Mo also greeted her.
At the side, Yue Mei observed the interaction between Die and Chen Mo, her charming fox-like eyes drifting back and forth between the two.
If she hadn't seen it herself, Yue Mei wouldn't have believed the princess would ever do something like that.
Noticing Yue Mei's gaze, Chen Mo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
She didn't look away. Instead, she met his eyes directly and smirked teasingly.
"What the hell is wrong with you..." Chen Mo muttered, frowning and turning away.
Die offered an awkward smile to the crowd before turning to the Grand Elder. "Where are the enemies?"
"Reporting, Your Highness. According to scouts, five intruders have entered the deep desert and are approaching the city. Among them are three of the ones who escaped last time—Han Feng and his men," the Grand Elder rasped, bowing slightly. His mask bristled with sharp fangs.
"Hmph. Those humans took a heavy hit last time. I can't believe they have the guts to come back!" Yan Ci shouted angrily, slamming the wall with a heavy palm. "This time, we'll bury them in the sands!"
"Not so simple," Chen Mo said seriously. "This could be a hard battle. There's a chance a Dou Zong might appear. And even if not, someone with power comparable to a Dou Zong likely will."
That statement drew gasps from the crowd.
The eight tribe leaders all narrowed their eyes.
Had Chen Mo said this when he first arrived, they would've dismissed him.
But after witnessing his dazzling battles recently, none dared to doubt him now.
Even the three great elders of the snake-people let out low exclamations of disbelief.
A Dou Zong—a powerhouse capable of floating in mid-air without any external help.
Such a person could topple an empire alone.
If one truly appeared, it would be a catastrophe for the snake-people.
"Then... Chen Mo, do you have a plan?" Die asked, her expression grave. She clasped her hands before her chest and looked at him with concern.
"I do," he said simply.
All eyes immediately turned toward him.
"First plan: stall. As long as we can delay until Her Majesty finishes evolving, all problems will be solved. Second plan..."
He paused, then laughed at himself.
"Hand me over. They're clearly coming for me. Give me up, and the problem disappears."
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