Three days later, within Ice–Fire Valley.
Lin Yuan looked at the Medusa Queen before him, whose gaze was cold and murderous, and slowly spoke.
"Your Majesty, the true difficulty of this operation does not lie in how to defeat the Mu Lan Three Elders. With the combined strength of you and me, defeating them head-on would not be difficult at all. Therefore…"
"Therefore, what we truly need to guard against is the possibility of the three of them escaping," the Medusa Queen continued calmly.
Lin Yuan nodded, his expression solemn.
"Precisely. The key to this operation is to deprive them of their ability to flee before the Mu Lan Three Elders realize that they cannot contend with us. Once they develop the intention to retreat, relying on the strength of Dou Ancestor experts to escape, it will be extremely difficult for us to pursue them. If they manage to flee back to Mu Lan Valley and activate the Beast Spirit Gathering Origin Formation, the situation will become complicated, introducing many additional variables."
"Thus, the optimal strategy is to fight swiftly and decisively, delivering a fatal blow at the very moment they engage me."
"I understand," the Medusa Queen replied in a deep voice, determination flashing in her eyes. "This Queen will strictly execute your battle plan."
"Good! We have been fully prepared these past few days. It is time to make our move."
"Then I shall depart according to the plan."
With that, the Medusa Queen unfurled her energy wings.
Just as she was about to flap her wings and depart.
"Your Majesty," Lin Yuan called out.
As she turned back with a questioning look, he said softly, "If any unforeseen changes occur, or if the risk becomes too great, abandon the plan immediately and notify me. I will come to support you."
"There are many ways to achieve an objective, but there is only one life. Please, treasure it."
The faint voice carried unmistakable seriousness.
"I know," the Medusa Queen replied calmly. She turned and flew toward the horizon, the corners of her lips unconsciously lifting slightly.
"Then I should also begin my preparations."
With that, Lin Yuan spread his wings, his figure shooting straight into the volcano within Ice–Fire Valley.
Within Mu Lan Valley, three elderly figures sat upright in solemn meditation. Their cyan robes were embroidered respectively with the totems of a lion, a tiger, and a bear, they were none other than the renowned Mu Lan Three Elders.
Suddenly, the lion-emblem elder's eyes sharpened, his piercing gaze seeming to cut through space itself. The other two elders immediately turned to him.
"What is it?"
"I sensed the aura of the Medusa Queen," the lion-emblem elder said, greed flashing in his eyes. "That aura, I would never mistake it. It's coming from the direction of the Profound Ice Pool. Could it be that she's attempting to seize the Ice Jade Marrow and has clashed with the Sixth-Grade Profound Ice Azure Scale Flood Dragon? Let's go!"
The bear-emblem elder and tiger-emblem elder said nothing, merely nodding in tacit agreement as they followed closely behind.
As for traps? With the combined strength of the three of them, they were already comparable to a Dou Ancestor expert. On this northwestern land, where could they not go? Moreover, this was their own stronghold—the Mu Lan Empire.
At this moment, above the Profound Ice Pool, the Medusa Queen was locked in fierce combat with the Profound Ice Azure Scale Flood Dragon. However, she showed no strong intent to attack, instead maintaining an airtight defense.
Suddenly, she felt agitation from the Purple Jade Scale Serpent on her arm. Her eyes instantly sharpened.
"They've passed the first checkpoint already? It's time to leave!"
She immediately unleashed a massive surge of energy, forcing the Profound Ice Azure Scale Flood Dragon back. Then her figure flashed, transforming into a streak of rainbow light as she rapidly flew toward Ice–Fire Valley.
Seeing this, the flood dragon did not pursue, its Ice Jade Marrow was still there, and there was no need to chase.
"She's detected us and is retreating," the lion-emblem elder said in a deep voice. "You two, assist me!"
The three exchanged glances and nodded. They immediately formed an intricate formation. Vast Dou Qi erupted from their bodies, interweaving along the formation lines into a perfect cycle, linking their essence, energy, and spirit together.
Once the cycle was complete, a heaven-shaking beast roar filled with primal savagery erupted. Blood-red energy engulfed their bodies entirely. Their previously separate auras merged into one, radiating power comparable to that of a true Dou Ancestor.
"Pursue!"
The lion-emblem elder led the other two in rapid flight toward the Medusa Queen. Their speed increased noticeably, steadily closing the distance between them.
The Medusa Queen reached the previously scouted area and swiftly sent a message to Lin Yuan through the Firmament Network.
At this moment, Lin Yuan stood atop a Green Lotus platform within the volcano of Ice–Fire Valley. Green Lotus Core Flame coiled around his body, swaying as it stirred and controlled the boundless fire-element energy of the entire volcano.
As the nineteenth-ranked Heavenly Flame—formed from endless subterranean fire compressed over thousands of years, the Green Lotus Core Flame naturally possessed the ability to draw upon volcanic energy. When pushed to its limit, it could even trigger a volcanic eruption.
"They've passed preset point two."
Sensing the movement of the Purple Jade Scale Serpent on his hand, Lin Yuan immediately began executing the predetermined battle plan.
"Qi Origin Transformation!"
"Blood Origin Transformation!"
The two transformations activated simultaneously, causing his cultivation to surge explosively, nearly reaching the level of a Six-Star Dou Emperor.
He then entered the "Void Clarity" state, granting him flawless control over the surging Dou Qi. Combined with his high-tier Earth-class cultivation method, Earth-class body-refinement Dou Technique, and the compression-and-eruption properties of the Green Lotus Core Flame, Lin Yuan's combat power at this moment far surpassed that of an ordinary peak Dou Emperor.
He held an energy longbow in his hand. Green flames, cyan Dou Qi, the energy of heaven and earth, and the boundless fire essence from the volcanic magma surged toward the cyan arrow nocked on the bowstring, rotating and compressing together.
The rapidly spinning cyan arrow resembled a black hole, forcibly drawing in surrounding energy. Its shape gradually became strange and formidable.
As Lin Yuan continued pouring more Heavenly Flame, Dou Qi, and fire-element energy into it, the aura of the arrow grew increasingly dangerous. The extremely condensed and massive energy caused ripples of space to oscillate around the arrowhead, as though it could tear space apart at any moment and unleash catastrophic destruction.
Lin Yuan raised the bow, aiming into the distance, silently waiting for the moment to release the arrow.
In the distant sky, the chase between the Medusa Queen and the Mu Lan Three Elders intensified. She was about to reach the third predetermined rendezvous point, while the figures of the Mu Lan Three Elders flickered not far behind her.
"Medusa Queen, since you've come to the Mu Lan Empire, why not pay a visit to our Mu Lan Valley?"
The lion-headed elder laughed wildly, his eyes burning with desire.
"If you seek the Ice Jade Marrow, this old man can obtain it for you, hahaha!"
However, the Medusa Queen did not respond.
At the instant she passed the third checkpoint, she swiftly transmitted a message to Lin Yuan through the Firmament Network, then guided the Mu Lan Three Elders toward the final designated convergence point at full speed.
"Heavenly Rainbow Sword Radiance!"
With a swing of the seven-colored longsword in her hand, several sword beams shot forth like meteors, intended to delay the Mu Lan Three Elders' pursuit.
Seeing the Medusa Queen accelerate her escape, the lion-emblem elder—currently wielding the power of a Dou Ancestor, let out a cold laugh. He casually crushed the incoming sword beams and immediately sped up the chase.
At the same moment, Lin Yuan, having received the Medusa Queen's transmission—sharpened his gaze and released the attack he had long since completed charging.
"Heavenly Flame Tribulation · Falling Sun Divine Shot · Variant · Relentless Pursuit!"
A uniquely shaped cyan arrow shot forth at extreme speed. Its tail was far larger than that of an ordinary arrow, containing incomparably vast energy. This move represented the pinnacle of Lin Yuan's single-target lethality, an ultimate convergence of his Dou Qi control as a cultivator, his flame manipulation and soul power as an alchemist, and his mastery of precision strikes. The rapidly spinning arrow radiated an exceptionally dangerous aura—something no one below the Dou Ancestor level could withstand.
At the same time, the twin pairs of cyan and violet wings behind Lin Yuan beat violently as he chased after the cyan arrow at top speed. During flight, sun energy continuously converged toward him, rapidly condensing into a Sun Radiance Seal.
While flying in synchronization with the cyan arrow, Lin Yuan communicated with the Medusa Queen regarding the battlefield situation, constantly fine-tuning their convergence point. Before long, the auras of the Medusa Queen and the Mu Lan Three Elders entered his perception.
Soon after, an immense energy fluctuation erupted from the cyan flame arrow, instantly entering the Medusa Queen's perception and simultaneously alerting the Mu Lan Three Elders.
"This energy is no trivial matter… but it doesn't seem to be aimed at us," the Mu Lan Three Elders judged after sensing the arrow's trajectory. Feeling slightly relieved, they nevertheless did not let down their guard, rapidly forming energy defenses while casting vigilant gazes toward the mysterious Dou Emperor flying behind the arrow.
At that very moment, however, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Lin Yuan's lips.
With a subtle movement, he activated the soul power embedded within the arrow.
In an instant, a dazzling light erupted from the tail of the cyan flame arrow.
Accompanied by a violent surge of energy, the arrow's trajectory changed abruptly, turning sharply and shooting straight toward the bear-emblem elder.
During this period, Lin Yuan had extensively refined the Falling Sun Divine Shot, with two major improvements. First, he incorporated the Earth-Class Dou Technique trait of drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth, dramatically amplifying its power. Second, he redesigned the arrow's structure, adding a directional control mechanism. When paired with the soul power residing within it, the arrow could be guided to execute multiple turns with ease.
At the same time, Lin Yuan also unleashed the Sun Radiance Seal he had fully condensed during flight, launching a ferocious attack toward the lion-emblem elder. Meanwhile, as though sharing perfect tacit understanding with Lin Yuan, the Medusa Queen swung her sword, releasing a brilliant seven-colored sword qi that struck directly at the tiger-emblem elder.
In an instant, the Mu Lan Three Elders were simultaneously engulfed by two Dou Ancestor–level attacks and one peak Dou Emperor–level attack. The situation instantly turned perilous.
Facing these three sudden assaults, the lion-emblem elder hardened his resolve, retaining all the Dou Ancestor power within himself to forcibly withstand the Sun Radiance Seal crashing down like a falling sun. The bear-emblem elder, meanwhile, faced the space-rending cyan arrow head-on in utter despair. The tiger-emblem elder wore a grave expression as he met the Medusa Queen's seven-colored sword qi.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After three earth-shaking explosions, the results became clear.
The bear-emblem elder was killed on the spot, unable to withstand the Falling Sun Divine Shot, an attack that no one below the Dou Ancestor level could block.
Although the lion-emblem elder managed to block the Sun Radiance Seal with his Dou Ancestor power, he was still injured, his vitality and aura noticeably weakened.
The tiger-emblem elder, after exchanging blows with the Medusa Queen, forcibly disengaged and fled in panic toward Mu Lan Valley.
Even more critically, with one of the Mu Lan Three Elders dead, one injured, and one fleeing, the effects of the Three Beasts Savage Art they had previously activated were broken. The Dou Ancestor–level power they had been wielding dissipated accordingly.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, go after the one who escaped. Just keep him pinned down. I'll deal with this one and then come to assist."
"Maintain communication at all times."
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