Chapter 600: Zi Yan's Crisis, The Man at the Bottom of the Lake
"The Dragon King? Are they from the Three Dragon Islands?"
Upon hearing the group's conversation, Mo Yu's brow furrowed slightly, as though something had dawned on him.
"What's wrong?" Little Doctor Fairy asked curiously, glancing at Mo Yu.
"They're from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, most likely enemies of Zi Yan. They've probably come here to ally with the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan to go against her," Mo Yu said, narrowing his eyes.
"What? To go against Zi Yan?"
Hearing this, Cai Lin, Little Doctor Fairy, and Qing Lin's faces all changed slightly. They had all spent considerable time with Zi Yan and had developed strong bonds with her.
Now, upon learning that this group belonged to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan's faction that opposed Zi Yan, their expressions instantly became hostile.
"What should we do now? If they manage to ally with the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan, won't Zi Yan be in danger?" Qing Lin asked anxiously.
"Don't worry," Mo Yu smiled. "As long as I'm here, there's no way I'll let the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan join forces with the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan rebels."
As his words fell, Mo Yu swiftly moved toward the Taixu Ancient Dragon group. Behind him, Zi Huo, Cai Lin, and the others followed closely.
…
Meanwhile, the Taixu Ancient Dragon group sped up their journey. However, they suddenly spotted several figures floating in midair not far ahead. The gazes of those figures swept over them indifferently.
"These people aren't from the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan. Be careful!"
The leader of the Taixu Ancient Dragon group was a large man in black armor. He was clearly a cautious individual, as he immediately gave a low warning upon seeing the figures ahead. His muscles tensed, ready for combat at any moment.
"Move aside!" the black-armored man shouted coldly, his fists clenched.
Without changing his expression, Mo Yu calmly signaled Zi Huo with a wave of his hand. Seeing this, Zi Huo took a single step forward, and in an instant, an overwhelming and fierce killing intent spread across the area.
Sensing the hostility, the black-armored man's face darkened as vast amounts of Dou Qi erupted from his body. However, just as his Dou Qi surged, they were all horrified to find that the giant man before them, with a simple wave of his hand, released a terrifying force that crushed them completely. It left them powerless, as if they were mere lumps of dough, utterly at the mercy of their opponent.
"Who are you?! We are from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan!"
Seeing Zi Huo capture them so effortlessly, the black-armored man was filled with shock. After all, he was a five-star Dou Venerate, yet he hadn't been able to resist this person at all.
"Of course, I know you're from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan. Now tell me, what's the current situation within the clan? Have the three Dragon Islands begun to move against their Dragon King?" Mo Yu asked calmly.
"How do you know about that?" the black-armored man asked in horror. The internal conflict of the Dragon Clan was a secret only known to its members. How did this human know so much, even about the plan to overthrow the new Dragon King?
"Just answer the question," Mo Yu said coldly.
As soon as Mo Yu finished speaking, Zi Huo's grip tightened. The black-armored man's body convulsed under the tremendous pressure, his bones threatening to shatter, and blood began to trickle from his eyes.
"I… I'll talk!" the man stammered, desperate for mercy. He wasn't afraid to die, but the agonizing pressure of being crushed alive was too much to bear.
"Go ahead," Mo Yu said, waving his hand for Zi Huo to ease up.
"You're right. The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan has indeed entered a state of civil war. The three Dragon Islands have joined forces against the East Dragon Island. However, the battle is at a stalemate because the East Dragon Island has a new Dragon King and has recalled several elder dragons from the void, greatly boosting their strength."
As the immense pressure eased, the black-armored man sighed in relief. He quickly spilled the details, no longer daring to hide anything after witnessing Mo Yu's methods.
"So, it has begun," Mo Yu muttered to himself.
"What is your purpose here with the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan?" Little Doctor Fairy asked.
"We came to form an alliance with the Nine Nether Earth Pythons to fight against East Dragon Island," the black-armored man replied, gritting his teeth.
"As expected, you were right," Little Doctor Fairy said, turning to Mo Yu with a hint of surprise.
Hearing this, the black-armored man's face filled with shock. He couldn't understand how this human knew so much about their plans, even their alliance with the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan.
"The three Dragon Kings must have enlisted other external forces too. If I'm not mistaken, it's probably the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan, isn't it?" Mo Yu asked after a brief pause.
Upon hearing this question, the black-armored man's body stiffened, and he stared at Mo Yu in disbelief.
In his mind, Mo Yu had become some sort of all-knowing oracle.
Seeing the black-armored man's reaction, Mo Yu knew his guess was correct. Just like in the previous timeline, the three Dragon Islands had indeed invited the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan to intervene.
Most likely, the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan had sent the Three Phoenix Kings as reinforcements.
"The Nine Nether Earth Pythons and the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan… Zi Yan is in real danger now!" Cai Lin and the others' faces darkened.
The rebels from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, combined with two other powerful magical beast clans, formed a terrifying force. Even though Zi Yan was the Dragon King, her foundation was still too shallow, and it would be incredibly difficult for her to hold off such overwhelming opposition.
"Young master, we have to help Zi Yan!" Qing Lin looked at Mo Yu and pleaded in a low voice.
Mo Yu smiled and reassured them, "Don't worry. Zi Yan is our ally, and now that she's in trouble, there's no way I'd stand by and do nothing. But there's no rush just yet. As long as the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan and the Nine Nether Earth Pythons don't head into the void, Zi Yan should be able to hold on for now. What we need to do is delay the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan and the Nine Nether Earth Pythons."
Hearing this, Cai Lin and the others nodded lightly, no longer pressing the matter.
After extracting more information from the black-armored man, Mo Yu finally let him go silent.
"Let's head to the Nine Nether Yellow Spring first."
After ordering Zi Huo to take care of the Taixu Ancient Dragon group, Mo Yu wasted no time. With a wave of his hand, he led the group deeper underground, with Cai Lin, Little Doctor Fairy, and Qing Lin following closely behind.
With a detailed map in hand, it took them less than an hour to reach the underground world. Along the way, they passed through numerous serpent-people tribes, and after about half a day's journey, they finally arrived at the headquarters of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan—the Nether Snake Vein.
The Nether Snake Vein was the headquarters of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan and considered a holy site by many serpent-people tribes. As a sacred ground, its defenses were incredibly tight. Even ordinary members of the serpent-people tribe were not allowed to enter.
"No wonder they're one of the three great magical beast clans—this mountain range is teeming with powerful warriors," Mo Yu said to himself as he stood atop a mountain, gazing at the distant mountain range.
"I didn't expect to see so many serpent-people tribes here. The scale of their forces is far beyond that of our tribe," Cai Lin remarked, her voice filled with amazement as she looked down at the dense gathering of serpent-people below.
"I remember reading in our ancestral records that our tribe migrated to the Tagore Desert long ago, though I don't know if we originally came from this beast region," she added thoughtfully.
Mo Yu nodded. It was indeed possible that the serpent-people of the Tagore Desert had originated from this place. That desert tribe had produced extraordinary figures like Snake Uncle, Cai Lin, and even the future Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan. Perhaps the desert's unique environment had played a role in their exceptional development.
"The Nine Nether Yellow Spring is deep within the Nether Snake Vein. But this place is full of hidden powerhouses, including several at the Half-Saint level. If we disturb them, it could be troublesome, so conceal your auras as much as possible," Mo Yu advised in a low voice.
"Understood," Cai Lin and the others nodded.
With a wave of Mo Yu's sleeve, the surrounding space twisted, enveloping everyone and concealing their presence. With a shift in space, the group silently vanished.
Using his spatial concealment abilities, Mo Yu led the group past numerous powerful beings, slipping into the depths of the Nether Snake Vein undetected.
Deep within the Nether Snake Vein, there was a massive, pitch-black chasm that spanned over a hundred meters wide and was so deep that the bottom couldn't be seen. A chilling wind howled from its depths like an icy gale, constantly blowing upward.
At the bottom of this chasm lay the sacred pool of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan—the Nine Nether Yellow Spring, the very destination Mo Yu and his group were seeking.
There were no guards around the chasm, as the bone-chilling winds that blew from it were considered a natural defense. Even a Dou Sovereign wouldn't dare venture into its depths lightly.
Swish!
As the icy winds howled, the space around the chasm suddenly distorted, and several figures emerged—it was Mo Yu and his group.
Mo Yu glanced at the pitch-black abyss below and smiled slightly. Without hesitation, he waved his sleeve again, using his dense spatial power to shield them as they descended rapidly toward the bottom of the chasm.
The chasm was incredibly deep. Even with Mo Yu's speed, it took nearly ten minutes to reach the bottom.
As they approached the bottom, a massive lake came into view. The chilling energy that froze the very Dou Qi in one's body emanated from this lake.
The lake itself was vast, its waters a murky yellow color. Strangely, streaks of blood-like red swirled within the yellow waters.
"So this is the legendary Nine Nether Yellow Spring," Mo Yu muttered as he gazed at the yellow lake. He then turned to Cai Lin and said, "I'll go down to retrieve the Yellow Spring Blood Crystals. Once I've succeeded, you can enter the spring, and I'll stand guard."
Among the group, only Mo Yu, Cai Lin, and Zi Huo could approach the spring. Mo Yu had the strength and the protection of his Black Lightning, while Cai Lin's unique physique made her naturally resistant to the spring's energy.
Zi Huo's Primordial Lion Body also allowed him to withstand the cold, so he would be fine.
"Be careful. If it gets too dangerous, retreat immediately," Cai Lin said.
Mo Yu nodded, then added, "While I'm in the Nine Nether Yellow Spring, stay hidden to avoid detection."
With that, Mo Yu no longer delayed. Summoning his Black Lightning, he exhaled lightly, then dove into the Nine Nether Yellow Spring, moving swiftly toward its depths.
Hisssss!
As Mo Yu moved through the murky yellow water, lightning crackled around him. Each time it clashed with the lake's cold energy, it produced a sharp hissing sound.
"As expected of the Nine Nether Yellow Spring. The cold energy here is formidable," Mo Yu thought as he sped toward the bottom of the spring, his expression growing more serious.
The cold energy of the Yellow Spring seemed capable of freezing Dou Qi itself. Even with the protection of the Black Lightning, Mo Yu could feel his limbs growing slightly numb, and the circulation of Dou Qi within him slowed.
Fortunately, Mo Yu had many techniques at his disposal. Though the Yellow Spring was dangerous, it couldn't stop him.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Mo Yu was starting to feel exhausted, he noticed a faint light shining from the bottom of the lake.
His spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace, soon arriving at the source of the light.
"So this is the bottom of the Nine Nether Yellow Spring," Mo Yu mused.
Before him was a vast field of sand and stones, scattered with countless fist-sized glowing rocks. It was these stones that illuminated the area, making the lakebed unusually bright.
"If I'm not mistaken, the former leader of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan should be imprisoned here…" Mo Yu thought.
"Help… me…"
As Mo Yu pondered, a faint groan echoed through the water and reached his ears.
"Oh?"
Hearing the weak voice, Mo Yu's brow arched slightly, and a faint smile curved his lips.
"As expected, the former leader of the Nine Nether Earth Python Clan is still alive…" (Chapter End)
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