Chapter 73: Jia Xingtian
Over half an hour later—
A terrifying surge of Dou Qi at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Huang swept across the entire Magic Beast Mountain Range. The figure behind it stormed straight into the mountain's deepest region, forcing the Amethyst Winged Lion King to appear before halting. Brilliant golden Dou Qi wings fluttered behind him, and his overwhelming aura grew even more terrifying as he glared coldly at the lion and asked in a frosty voice, "Lion King, do you know what happened in the northwestern part of the mountain half an hour ago?"
"Hah, I don't believe I'm obligated to answer that," the lion replied with a cold laugh, glaring disdainfully at the old man before him.
The visitor was none other than the Emperor of the Jia Ma Empire—Jia Xingtian. Though his appearance was aged, with silver-white hair, his posture remained upright and imposing, his aura vast and filled with the majesty of a ruler.
Jia Xingtian's eyes narrowed. His voice was sharp. "Lion King, you had best answer me. Just half an hour ago, three Dou Wangs of the empire went missing—in your northwestern territory. You know very well what that implies!"
Not just any Dou Wangs, either. One was a Nine-Star Dou Wang with potential to reach the Dou Huang realm, while the other two were Nalan Jie, the Lionheart Marshal, and Xiao Lin, patriarch of the Xiao Clan. All three had vanished—most likely slain, their bodies destroyed. Jia Xingtian could not tolerate this.
The latter two might have died, but the first one's disappearance? That was a loss Jia Xingtian could not accept.
"Well then, that's quite some good news, hah!"
The lion burst into a mocking laugh. It naturally knew who killed them, but it had no reason to report anything to Jia Xingtian—especially not when it involved the human he'd just befriended. Beasts didn't play the kind of sneaky games humans did. They didn't backstab their friends.
Besides, watching Jia Xingtian suffer a setback was incredibly satisfying.
"Oh? Lion King, your delight wouldn't happen to mean… you were involved?!"
Jia Xingtian's expression twisted in fury. He stepped forward, unleashing the full pressure of a peak Dou Huang. His intent to battle was unmistakable.
"What, can't find the culprit so you came to hassle me? Do you think I'm afraid of you? Don't forget—this is the Magic Beast Mountain Range!"
The Amethyst Winged Lion King roared back, violet flames rising around its body. It showed no fear of Jia Xingtian. Even though it wasn't at full strength, it wasn't easy to kill. Magical beasts were known for their durability.
In fact, the longer the battle dragged out, the more confident it became that it could trap Jia Xingtian in the mountain for good.
After all, those Tier 5 subordinates watching from the shadows weren't just for show!
Jia Xingtian could clearly sense the multiple Tier 5 magical beasts lurking around them. His aura faltered slightly as his rage cooled. He knew the lion wasn't the culprit. He had only come to gather information—but the lion's attitude left little room for discussion.
"Does the culprit have anything to do with you?" he asked, suppressing his anger.
The lion's heterochromatic eyes flashed coldly. "You want to fight? Then fight. If not, I'm leaving."
With that, it turned and left without giving Jia Xingtian any chance to dig further. Would the emperor really risk a deadly battle for the sake of a few dead men? Not likely. They'd known each other for nearly a century—he understood the old man's limits.
Watching the lion's complete disregard, Jia Xingtian took a deep breath—then swallowed his fury.
He wasn't a young man anymore. He could still restrain himself.
More importantly, the entire empire rested on his shoulders. Without a new Dou Huang successor, if anything happened to him, the empire might fall.
As for the deaths of the three Dou Wangs… Nalan Jie and Xiao Lin's deaths would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar in the capital. But they had died in service to the empire, and those close to them would have to be pacified. The Nalan Clan, for instance, had many family members serving in government—they would require careful handling.
As for the Xiao Clan… they had been getting too ambitious lately, and Jia Xingtian didn't hold them in high regard. Now that Xiao Lin was dead, only three Dou Lings remained in the family…
His eyes flickered. As emperor, Jia Xingtian had to prioritize balance and stability. After some thought, he turned and flew out of the mountain range.
Not long after his departure—
The Amethyst Winged Lion King let out a long sigh, a trace of lingering fear in its eyes.
That boy is dangerous…
In the past, Dou Wangs and Dou Huangs rarely died—certainly not over a verbal dispute. But that youth and the serpent-woman were different. Their strikes had been lethal from the start. The lion had a feeling that if it had insisted on fighting that day, they really would've killed it.
Ridiculous.
Everyone else cultivated for decades to achieve this strength—and yet they were so reckless, as if life meant nothing to them!
…
At the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range—
When Jia Xingtian returned, two Dou Lings were already inspecting the scene. But Yao Yan had done a thorough job. Other than a few craters from the battle, there wasn't a single clue—not even a drop of blood remained.
Jia Xingtian wasn't surprised. Even if they had found something, what could they do?
Whoever had killed three Dou Wangs was at least a powerful Dou Huang. Such a person couldn't be hunted down easily. Unless Jia Xingtian himself took action, his subordinates would be nothing more than cannon fodder. And with war against the serpent tribe looming, there was no room to chase after an unknown enemy.
"Your Majesty, this might be related to the Serpent Tribe. I found something in Nalan Jie's files—he was investigating something that may have involved Ice Emperor Hai Bodong and the Serpent Tribe…"
A man approached, handing over a scroll and speaking seriously.
"Hai Bodong?"
Jia Xingtian's brows furrowed as he opened the scroll. The deeper he read, the tighter his expression became. He glanced back toward the depths of the mountain range.
After a brief silence—
"Find out where Hai Bodong is."
They were old acquaintances. Rather than continue chasing shadows, it was better to ask him directly. Plus, Jia Xingtian intended to enlist Hai Bodong for the upcoming war against the serpent tribe. The empire's own sixth-tier beast, the Dark Sea Flood Dragon, was too weak to withstand a prolonged battle.
Of their generation, only Hai Bodong still had hope of reaching the Dou Zong realm. The rest were fading. But since Hai Bodong was a lone wolf, even if he did break through, it wouldn't threaten the empire.
As long as it wasn't Yun Shan. Given his age, Yun Shan had no hope of advancing.
Thinking this—
Jia Xingtian sighed deeply. He was getting old, and no new powerhouse had emerged from the royal family to replace him. For now, he had no choice but to keep pushing forward.
…
…
At the same time, Yao Yan arrived at Wu Tan City with Cai Die.
(END CHAPTER)
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