Under the silver moon.
Watching the swiftly vanishing figure, Fan Lao paused momentarily in surprise. His face soon darkened.
With a flap of his blood-colored wings, he took off in pursuit.
"Chief Yue Mei, it's only been a while since we last met, but why do you feel even softer now?"
Feeling the delicate softness in his arms, Chen Mo gave an unreserved squeeze.
"Ahhn~" Yue Mei's slender body trembled as a moan-like gasp escaped her lips. She immediately snapped in anger, "You damned human, taking advantage of me again! I swear I'll—"
A piercing blood-red light slammed into the yellow sand not far from them, cutting off her words as a cloud of sand exploded around them.
Yue Mei's already pale face turned even whiter in fright.
"Chief Yue Mei, did you offend him?" Chen Mo glanced back, activating the Heart Demon Phantom behind him to guard their rear. Hugging Yue Mei, he zigzagged left and right at high speed toward the Snake-People's Royal City.
"I didn't offend him! They passed through my tribe's territory, so I stepped forward to stop them. They didn't even speak a word before attacking me!"
She paused, then added, "Oh right, I recognized two of them from last time—one named Reina, and the other... I think he was called Jia Xingtian or something."
"Reina? Jia Xingtian?"
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Was there anyone named Yun Shan among them?"
"Yun... Yun Shan?" Yue Mei shook her head.
Fan Lao flipped his palm, and a massive blood-colored blade materialized above his head. With a howl of fierce energy, it cleaved viciously toward Chen Mo.
The Heart Demon Phantom flying behind Chen Mo suddenly quivered. An intense sword aura erupted from its body, followed by a dazzling lotus-shaped sword light shooting out.
It collided head-on with the blood blade.
The next second, a violent energy storm erupted and spread in all directions.
Chen Mo whispered as golden wings folded forward, wrapping around the both of them.
A powerful force slammed into Chen Mo's back.
Fan Lao had assumed this would severely injure him, but to his surprise, Chen Mo's robes were merely torn. In fact, the momentum from the strike pushed him even farther away at high speed.
Chen Mo shouted. A dark blue longsword flew out from his body.
Standing on the flying sword, his figure vanished from Fan Lao's sight.
A mighty Dou Huang like him, renowned in the Black-Corner Region, actually allowed a mere Da Dou Shi to escape right under his nose?
It was like a resounding slap to Fan Lao's face.
But he didn't give chase.
Because he saw the Snake-People's Royal City.
He decided to wait for the others.
A Snake-Person soldier standing on the city wall pointed to a figure approaching in the distance.
"That's... Yue Mei," Yin Shi narrowed his eyes.
The sound of rushing wind drew closer.
Chen Mo retracted his Kunpeng Wings and landed on the city wall. Feeling Queen Medusa's gaze on him, he didn't hesitate. He immediately dropped Yue Mei from his arms and reported, "A three-star Dou Huang."
Caught off guard, Yue Mei landed hard on her rear, crying out in pain.
"You—!" Yue Mei glared daggers at Chen Mo.
He was just groping her moments ago, and now he just threw her away like that?
"Yue Mei, what's going on? How many enemies are there?" Before Yue Mei could snap at Chen Mo, Queen Medusa's voice rang in her ear.
Yue Mei gritted her teeth. With Hua She'er's help, she stood up while rubbing her sore backside and said, "Your Majesty, there are seven of them. The attack was sudden, but I confirmed at least three Dou Huang and two Dou Wang among them."
Everyone on the wall turned pale. Even the three elders standing behind Queen Medusa let out sounds of shock.
Yin Shi frowned. "Didn't the Jia Ma Empire lose a bunch of experts last time? How could they still muster this many Dou Huang?"
"They're not from the Jia Ma Empire!" Yue Mei said grimly.
The crowd exchanged uneasy glances.
Queen Medusa remained silent, but her expression turned icy cold, her delicate hand tightening into a fist.
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Looking to the distant sky, Yue Mei muttered, "They're here."
Several figures approached swiftly from the northwest sky, hundreds of meters high. Each one exuded terrifying pressure. They halted neatly just a hundred meters from the city.
"Yue Mei, didn't you say there were seven of them?" Du Qianteng asked quietly.
Yue Mei scanned the group and frowned. "Dan King Gu He isn't here."
"Five Dou Huang!?" Chen Mo muttered under his breath. Then added, "And one of them is an eight-star Dou Huang!"
Though his voice was quiet, Yue Mei and the others heard him clearly. Their faces changed drastically, eyes filled with horror.
Even Queen Medusa's expression grew slightly grim. She looked at the humans hovering above with cold disdain and shouted:
"Jia Xingtian, I spared you last time. And yet, here you are again, intruding into my people's land. Are you trying to doom your Jia Ma Empire?"
Dressed in coarse robes, Jia Xingtian stepped forward with a smile. "Queen Medusa, I'm not the one seeking you today..."
He turned to Han Feng beside him, then pointed at Chen Mo on the wall. "Dan King, the Green Lotus Core Flame is with that boy."
All eyes shifted to Chen Mo.
Queen Medusa's face changed dramatically. Her tightly clenched fists caused her sharp nails to pierce her palms.
Sensing the restless surge of the Sea Heart Flame within his body, Han Feng stepped forward, raised his head, and smiled at her.
"It's an honor to meet you, Queen Medusa. I am Han Feng, the Dan King of the Black-Corner Region!"
"Black-Corner Region?"
Queen Medusa's pupils shrank. Then she sneered. "Han Feng, the Dan King... I've heard of you. A peak sixth-tier alchemist. What business brings you so boldly to my Snake-People's territory?"
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected Yun Shan to stay away but for Han Feng to show up instead.
Of course. Jia Xingtian was under Queen Medusa's Snake Seal Curse, and only Han Feng could remove it aside from the Queen herself.
Sea Heart Flame... Chen Mo felt the strange turbulence in his body. The feeling was unmistakable—repulsion between Heavenly Flames.
Han Feng, trying to avoid unnecessary conflict, replied, "It's no major affair. I'm simply here to request one person from Her Majesty."
His gaze landed squarely on Chen Mo.
His voice echoed through the skies, and the previously tense atmosphere suddenly became unnervingly quiet.
"So it was my Heavenly Flame they're after..." Chen Mo exhaled lightly.
"Heavenly Flame?" Queen Medusa frowned, then said coldly, "From what I know, most alchemists can only control a single Heavenly Flame. Dan King, you already have one—why come to steal another?"
Han Feng fell silent.
A long pause followed.
Then he finally spoke.
"That has nothing to do with you, Your Majesty."
Queen Medusa's enchanting face turned resolute.
"Then what if I refuse to hand him over?"
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