"Gu He, the reason I escorted you to the Snake-People Clan today is simply because you are an elder of my Yun Lan Sect. My respect for you is also solely because you are an elder of my Yun Lan Sect!"
"The relationship between you and me is only that of Sect Leader and Sect Elder!"
That's all!
Yun Yun gripped Chen Yang's hand tightly, her eyes coldly fixed on Gu He.
"Sect Master… I…"
With a sword pointed at his head, Gu He didn't feel much coldness in his heart, but every word Yun Yun said felt like a knife stabbing into his soul.
He Gu He rose to fame at a young age, and throughout the entire Jia Ma Empire and even some surrounding areas, everyone knew the name of Pill King Gu He.
He could have been an honorary President of the Alchemists' Guild, enjoying alchemy in his spare time. However, his encounter with Yun Yun many years ago made him completely devoted to her.
Later, when Yun Shan approached him to recruit him into the Yun Lan Sect, he did not hesitate at all.
After years of being together, he had always thought he was the man closest to Yun Yun, but who would have thought that things would turn out this way…
"I just learned from Yun'er that Elder Gu He also came for the Snake-People's Heavenly Flame, is that right?" Chen Yang pointed his sword at Gu He, asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"Yes!" Gu He was silent for two and a half seconds, glanced at the Rainbow Sword's blade that seemed to be stained with blood, and answered softly.
"Then you can go back!" Chen Yang waved his hand, and the Rainbow Sword flew back to its sheath and was put into his Storage Ring. Then he turned around, took Yun Yun's hand, and led Xiao Yan toward the direction of the Snake-People's Temple City.
"Yun Yun, you are the Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect. Today, instead of prioritizing the Sect's interests, you side with an outsider. Aren't you afraid of being punished by the old Sect Leader?" Between the woman he secretly loved and the Heavenly Flame, Gu He chose the Heavenly Flame, even going so far as to bring up Yun Shan, whose fate was unknown, to force Yun Yun to comply.
Choke!
Just then, a sword rang out again. When Gu He reacted, he saw Yun Yun holding her strange longsword, with blue Dou Qi swirling around the blade, and the tip of the sword was only half an inch away from his brow.
He could clearly feel his Soul Force trembling because of this sword strike.
"Gu He, what right do you have to interfere in my affairs?"
"Whom I associate with and whom I help to seize the Heavenly Flame is my business."
"Besides, my Teacher passed the position of Sect Leader to me long ago, so I am now the Sect Leader of Yun Lan Sect."
"Don't try to intimidate me by using the title of Teacher."
"If you leave quickly today, that's fine. Otherwise, if you perish among the Snake-People, I'll kill Yue Mei with a single sword stroke to avenge Elder Gu He, which would not be unbecoming of the benevolent name of my Yun Lan Sect!"
"Elder Gu He, what do you think?!"
Yun Yun's voice was loud and clear, and everyone around could hear it. Yan Shi and Feng Li wanted to run away as soon as they heard it. If Yun Yun really killed Gu He, would they still be alive?
Meanwhile, Yue Mei was completely dumbfounded.
'No, why is this related to me? What did I do to deserve this?'
Upon hearing this, Gu He gave a helpless, bitter smile, then closed his eyes and handed the choice to Yun Yun.
Seeing Gu He offer his neck for execution, Yun Yun sneered, sheathed her sword, and spread her Dou Qi to fly above Chen Yang.
Chen Yang smiled, ignoring Gu He, unfolded his Dou Qi wings, and flew into the sky with Xiao Yan, who was using a flying Dou Technique, heading towards the Snake-People Clan's Temple City with Yun Yun.
"Everyone, that Mr. Chen Yang is a peak Dou Huang expert, just like Her Majesty the Queen of our Clan!" After saying this, Yue Mei turned around and chased after Chen Yang and the others.
"Gulp…"
As Yue Mei left, Gu He finally opened his eyes, looking bitterly in the direction Yun Yun had gone.
"I originally… I originally planned to get the Heavenly Flame and advance to the Grade 7 Alchemist, then propose marriage to Yun Yun… but I never expected… sigh…"
Gu He sighed, thinking of Chen Yang's peak Dou Huang strength and the young man beside him who could injure him with a single blow. He shook his head and turned to fly towards the Jia Ma Empire.
Watching Gu He fly away, Feng Li and Yan Shi exchanged a glance, waved to the remaining four Dou Ling, and left together.
"Peak of the Dou Huang realm…"
"Sect Leader Yun, you've finally found a good match…"
Although Yan Shi and Feng Li had a good relationship with Gu He, objectively speaking, Yun Yun was only in her early twenties, while Gu He was already over forty. He didn't look old because he advanced to the Dou Wang level at a young age, but he looked like he was over thirty.
Chen Yang, who looked to be at most twenty years old, or perhaps he was promoted to Dou Huang at the age of twenty, must have a powerful force behind him at such a young age. His chances of becoming a Dou Zong in the future were definitely greater than those of Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian.
Therefore, Gu He's unrequited love for Yun Yun could only end in vain…
...
In the sky, Yun Yun and Chen Yang flew a little slower, after all, although Xiao Yan was able to injure Gu He in one move, he was only an 8-Star Great Dou Master.
"Brother Yang, sister-in-law, why does Gu He look only in his thirties? He doesn't look like the old man that people in the Jia Ma Empire describe."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yun covered her mouth and chuckled, her wind-attribute Dou Qi isolating the wind noise generated during their flight.
"He just looks younger; he's actually over forty!"
"Moreover, Gu He is a Grade 6 Alchemist, known as the Pill King. Many alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire spend their entire lives trying to break through to the Fourth Grade. If it were revealed that Pill King Gu He is only in his forties, then those alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire would probably die of shame!"
Yun Yun gave an explanation.
"It may seem like self-deception, but it's actually a way of surviving. There are always some people who are willing to live in an illusory world!"
Chen Yang looked at Xiao Yan and explained again.
"Mm…"
Xiao Yan had lived longer than Chen Yang in both his previous lives, so he naturally understood these principles. However, his life on the Dou Qi Continent over the years had made him somewhat assimilated by the people there.
"Let's not talk about Gu He, but Xiao Yan, your strength has improved so quickly in the past year." Yun Yun looked at Xiao Yan with curiosity and some amazement.
"My strength is only at the 8-Star Great Dou Master level. I can only unleash that move once in a short time!" Xiao Yan said with a smile, touching his nose.
"An 8-Star Great Dou Master…" Yun Yun had completely given up on Nalan Yanran's three-year agreement.
"Yun'er, it's been almost a year since we last met. How have you been?" Chen Yang saw that Yun Yun's mood was gradually easing, so he started chatting with her.
"Fortunately, besides cultivating, you handle Sect affairs every day and occasionally teach Yanran, so your life is quite fulfilling. After this year of adventures, you're probably close to breaking through to the Dou Zong realm, right?" Yun Yun could sense that Chen Yang's strength was much greater than it had been a year ago.
"It's almost time…" Chen Yang nodded, and the two began to express their longing for each other…
Seeing this, Xiao Yan deliberately flew further away, refusing to eavesdrop on the whispers between the two.
Hmm… the main problem is that since we're so close, I might have to eat dog food!
...
After flying for about half an hour, the three of them could see the majestic Snake-People's Temple City in the distance.
The Snake-People soldiers on the ground, as well as Snake-People like Flower Snake, who were at the Dou Wang level, were all on high alert.
"You and your companions have trespassed into my Snake-People's territory. Could it be that the Jia Ma Empire intends to start a war with the Snake-People's Clan?" Flower Snake spread her Dou Qi wings and took off, looking at Chen Yang and the other two, and shouted loudly.
At this moment, Chen Yang and his two companions had already flown over the city wall and officially set foot in this Snake-People race's Temple City.
The World Tree in Chen Yang's sea of consciousness trembled. A Crimson Red Leaf sprouted from the branch representing Cultivation. It scanned the fluctuation of the region's peak power.
[Crimson Red LeafofPeak Dou Huang.]
The leaf glowed fiercely, turning a deep blood-red. It curled inward, transforming into a Golden Fruit of Cultivation.
[Golden Fruit of Cultivationof1-Star Dou Zong.]
The fruit detached and dissolved into mist, pouring into Chen Yang's spiritual sea. He felt his Dou Qi undergo a metamorphosis instantly. He was now a Dou Zong.
Whoosh…
Within Chen Yang's body, all the energy silently transformed in an instant, and correspondingly, his physical strength and Soul Force also underwent a metamorphosis.
Then, Xiao Yan, Yun Yun, and the Snake-People of the Snake-People Clan clearly saw Chen Yang's Dou Qi wings slowly disappear, but he remained standing steadily in the air…
"Walking on air!"
"A Dou Zong level expert!!!"