It did not take long for Lin Yuan and Yun Shan to reach an agreement regarding "Yun Shan's self-destruction."
Immediately afterward, under Medusa's somewhat peculiar gaze from the side, the two began meticulously designing the self-destruction plan, aiming to make the explosion appear as realistic as possible while minimizing damage to the soul.
In less than the time it took half a cup of tea to brew, the plan was completed.
Not long later, the violent clash of two Dou Ancestor-level energies once again erupted within the Magical Beast Mountain Range, accompanied by furious shouts.
"Yun Shan, let us settle our old grudges here today!"
"This Sect Leader is unwilling to accept this! I have yet to lead the Misty Cloud Sect to the peak!"
"Damn enemy of the Misty Cloud Sect! Even in death, this Sect Leader will not let you off easily! Be buried with me!"
"BOOM—!"
A world-shaking explosion rang out like the heavens collapsing, echoing throughout the entire Magical Beast Mountain Range.
With that deafening blast, the illustrious Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, the only Dou Ancestor in the Jia Ma Empire, Yun Shan, whose name had dominated the empire for many years, finally reached the end of his public life.
Soon, the raging energy storm gradually subsided, and a massive crater appeared within the sight of the three people present.
Looking at the enormous pit created by Yun Shan's self-destruction, along with the devastation stretching for dozens of li around it, Lin Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
He turned toward Yun Shan's soul and smiled.
"Friend Yun Shan, all traces have been cleaned up. This way, nothing can go wrong."
Yun Shan stared deeply at the giant crater symbolizing his own death. He understood clearly that from this moment onward, he could never again appear before the world as Yun Shan.
After sighing softly, Yun Shan turned toward Lin Yuan and informed him of every contingency measure he had prepared in advance against him.
Then, after gazing at Lin Yuan for a moment, he bowed deeply and voiced his request.
"I have wagered everything on you, my friend. After I enter slumber, I hope you can lend some protection to the Misty Cloud Sect. Even if the sect declines somewhat, I only ask that its legacy and inheritance are not severed."
Lin Yuan nodded and replied solemnly, "Rest assured, my friend. I accept this matter. It will not be troublesome. I also possess some forces within the Jia Ma Empire that I can mobilize."
Hearing Lin Yuan's promise, a trace of relief appeared on Yun Shan's face.
Suddenly, he thought of his disciple whom he had personally raised, Yun Yun, who had been exiled.
With sincerity, he requested, "In addition… if you encounter Yun-er while traveling the continent in the future, I ask that you take care of her."
Lin Yuan nodded and agreed to the request.
After settling everything, Yun Shan's soul became somewhat more illusory. His soul had ultimately sustained some damage during the self-destruction.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan took out a black box covered in mysterious runes. This object was one of Lin Yuan's creations inspired by the Hall of Souls' soul pouches and was highly effective at storing souls.
He formed several profound hand seals, sealing Yun Shan's soul within the box and placing it into deep slumber.
After finishing everything, Lin Yuan let out a long breath. Looking at the black box containing Yun Shan's soul, a trace of satisfaction appeared in his deep eyes.
Yun Shan's soul still had considerable value. Perhaps it could even be used as bait against Protector Wu. And if Yun Yun were to possess the same fortune as in the original timeline, using it to build relations or negotiate with her would not be a bad option either.
"With this matter concluded, all that remains is to remove the backup measures Yun Shan mentioned. Once that is done, the final risks will be completely dealt with."
At that moment, a cool yet faintly teasing voice sounded behind Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan, you truly are something else. You actually talked a Dou Ancestor into self-destructing, and now even his soul has fallen into your hands for you to do with as you please. In the end, he's even grateful to you."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan stored the black box inside his Storage Ring and turned around toward Queen Medusa behind him.
Her delicate brows were slightly raised, and her glowing eyes regarded him with amusement.
"It was merely an advantage in determination and information," Lin Yuan chuckled as he explained. "Though we cooperated for quite a long time, Yun Shan never truly understood my background. Naturally, he also could not determine how effective the cards he prepared against me would actually be."
"Without sufficient bargaining chips, his room to maneuver was far too limited."
"On the other hand, the responsibilities he carried were far too heavy. The survival and inheritance of an entire sect rested on a single thought of his. That alone ensured he could not easily choose mutual destruction."
"And most importantly…"
Lin Yuan stepped forward, pulling Queen Medusa into his embrace as he laughed softly.
"With you standing by my side, his life was already in our hands. Under those circumstances, choosing mutual destruction had little meaning. So this time, I truly have to thank you, my Queen."
"Is that so?" Queen Medusa's fingertips traced lightly across Lin Yuan's chest as she asked, "If you were in his position, what would you have chosen?"
"Me?" Lin Yuan answered without hesitation. "Naturally, I would have made the same choice as him."
"Oh? Why?" Queen Medusa asked curiously.
"Haha, because Lin Yuan is someone worthy of trust in this world," Lin Yuan replied with carefree laughter.
Then he declared loudly, "Come, Your Majesty. Let me show you the fruits of this operation. I spent quite a bit of effort obtaining the Tuo She Ancient God Jade."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan took Queen Medusa along and sped toward the rendezvous point with his clones.
"The Dou God inheritance, the Tuo She Ancient God Jade? Interesting."
Queen Medusa murmured softly, anticipation appearing in her eyes.
Jia Ma Sacred City.
Xiao Yan politely declined the banquet Yao Ye had meticulously prepared in celebration. Under the respectful gazes of the crowd, he quietly returned to his residence.
The moment he stepped inside, he sealed off the courtyard and headed straight into the training room, where he sat down to meditate and recover.
Two hours later.
Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed through them as his chaotic thoughts settled completely, and the Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength he had expended throughout the day were fully restored.
Taking a deep breath, he softly called out in his heart, "Teacher."
A moment later, Yao Lao's approving voice echoed within Xiao Yan's mind.
"Xiao Yan, you performed very well today. This Alchemist Grand Meeting of the Jia Ma Empire is rather interesting."
Hearing Yao Lao's praise, excitement flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes.
But immediately afterward, his thoughts drifted toward that troublesome opponent—the gray-robed youth. Without the Heavenly Flame, it would have been impossible for him to gain the upper hand today. And tomorrow would be the true showdown.
"Teacher, that gray-robed youth…"
Before Xiao Yan could finish speaking, Yao Lao snorted disdainfully.
"Youth? That person is no youth at all, but rather a Fifth-Grade Alchemist of considerable age. He merely consumed a 'Rejuvenation Pill' to disguise himself as a young man for the competition. Someone like him is a disgrace to alchemists."
"A Fifth-Grade Alchemist?!" Xiao Yan exclaimed in shock, his brows furrowing as he smiled bitterly. "Now that's troublesome."
Hearing this, a wise glimmer appeared in Yao Lao's eyes as he chuckled softly.
"There's no need to worry too much. That disgraceful alchemist's Spiritual Strength has not even reached the middle stage of the Fifth-Grade. The chances of him refining a Fifth-Grade medicinal pill tomorrow are extremely low."
"And as long as the competition remains within the realm of Fourth-Grade medicinal pills, you still have a chance of victory. Everything now depends on whether you can successfully refine the Green Essence Soul Forging Pill."
"The Alchemist Grand Meeting the Three-Year Agreement, the Green Essence Soul Forging Pill…"
After flying for some time, Lin Yuan finally reunited with his clones within a remote valley deep inside the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Lin Yuan nodded toward Queen Medusa. Instantly understanding his intent, she formed several hand seals and set up a small spatial barrier around the area.
At the same time, Lin Yuan recalled his clones and began processing the detailed information they had gathered over the past several days.
After a long while, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, a trace of exhaustion flashing within them. Yet that exhaustion was quickly replaced by excitement.
He took out an ancient-looking box from his Storage Ring and opened it.
Inside lay a jade fragment of emerald green.
Under the moonlight, the strange patterns on the surface of the jade flickered between brightness and dimness.
And at the center of the jade fragment, a tiny point of light slowly drifted about, as though it possessed intelligence of its own.
"So this is the Tuo She Ancient God Jade?" Queen Medusa looked at the jade fragment with great interest.
"It should be. Still, let me confirm it first."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan released his Spiritual Strength to probe it. Yet he discovered that although the jade fragment was clearly right before his eyes, his senses could detect absolutely nothing. The sensation was somewhat similar to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map, yet far more profound and exquisite.
Afterward, Lin Yuan picked up the Ancient Jade in his hand. Gradually increasing the force in his grip, he found that the jade remained utterly unmoved.
A strange glint flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes as he sighed in admiration.
"As expected of the Ancient God Jade. Truly extraordinary."
With that, he smiled toward Queen Medusa beside him and handed her the jade fragment.
"Your Majesty, this should indeed be the Tuo She Ancient God Jade."
Queen Medusa accepted the jade fragment and examined it for a while before handing it back.
"Other than being incomparably sturdy, I cannot see anything particularly special about it."
Lin Yuan received the Ancient Jade and smiled faintly.
"It can't be helped. It is merely a key and only one-eighth of a key at that. The Tuo She Ancient God Jade consists of eight pieces. Only after gathering all eight can one open the Ancient God's Cave Mansion. By itself, this single piece is indeed of little use."
"In other words, you still need to gather the remaining seven pieces?" Queen Medusa frowned slightly.
"No." Lin Yuan denied her assumption calmly. "Someone else is already working on that. What I need to do is ensure that he fails."
"I need time to close the gap between myself and those people, and this Ancient Jade can help me achieve that goal. As long as this jade remains in my hands, even if I cannot open the Ancient God's Cave Mansion myself, I can still prevent others from opening it. That alone is enough."
As he said this, Lin Yuan tightly gripped the Tuo She Ancient God Jade in his hand, profound contemplation appearing within his deep eyes.
He also harbored another idea in his heart—that was to attempt using the Ancient Jade to release Zi Yan's father, the former Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun, who was trapped within the Ancient God's Cave Mansion.
Although he had not gathered all the Ancient Jades, Zhu Kun himself was not actually sealed inside the cave mansion.
If the old Dragon Emperor, acting as the guardian, were to obtain one of the Ancient Jades and become the holder of one-eighth of the inheritance key, then would his identity as an inheritor conflict with his identity as the guardian? The outcome of such a contradiction was something worth researching.
If the rules left behind by Tuo She Ancient God prioritized the identity of the inheritor, then prematurely releasing Zhu Kun might truly be possible.
Thinking this far, Lin Yuan stored the Ancient Jade back into his Storage Ring and asked,
"Your Majesty, since you came here, where are Zi Yan and Xiao Cai?"
"Zi Yan and Xiao Cai..." At the mention of the two girls, Queen Medusa rubbed her forehead helplessly.
"That little girl Zi Yan learned that I was coming to find you and wanted to secretly follow me here. Xiao Cai was influenced by her and also wanted to sneak out together. I had to spend quite a bit of effort calming the two of them down."
As she spoke, a teasing glint appeared within Queen Medusa's beautiful eyes as her gaze lightly swept across Lin Yuan.
"Judging from Zi Yan's behavior, you must spoil her quite a bit during your usual interactions."
Hearing Queen Medusa's words, Lin Yuan laughed awkwardly. He hurriedly condensed a comfortable chair out of Dou Qi and attentively helped her sit down.
Then, placing both hands gently upon her fragrant shoulders, he began massaging her with practiced techniques to help her relax.
Lin Yuan's movements were gentle yet firm, making Queen Medusa feel extremely comfortable. Her eyes gradually narrowed as she enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan continued chatting casually with her as he massaged her.
"Although Zi Yan is troublesome, she's also very adorable and interesting, isn't she?" He shifted the pressure of his hands slightly and chuckled softly.
Under Lin Yuan's masterful technique, Queen Medusa's voice carried a somewhat unusual tone.
"That much I won't deny. She truly is an interesting child."
"And Xiao Cai? After taking the medicinal pills, has her drowsiness improved somewhat?" Lin Yuan asked.
Queen Medusa slowly opened her eyes, a trace of relief flashing within them.
"She's still sleepy most of the time, but compared to before, she's much better now. She's become much livelier as well."
"That's good. It means the first stage of treatment was successful," Lin Yuan said with a smile.
The two continued chatting leisurely, savoring this rare peaceful moment.
Before long, Queen Medusa let out a lazy and satisfied murmur.
"Mmm~… not bad. Your technique is rather good. Who did you learn it from?"
"Hehe." Lin Yuan smiled faintly. "Whenever I became mentally exhausted, Qing Lin would often massage me. Over time, I naturally learned how to do it myself."
"Is that so..."
Queen Medusa stood up and stretched lazily, her entire body radiating a languid yet seductive charm.
She looked toward Lin Yuan.
"Little man, you did quite well just now. I'm very satisfied. So, there's a reward. Next, it's my turn."
As she spoke, Queen Medusa placed a hand upon Lin Yuan's chest. With a clever application of force, Lin Yuan was gently pushed down into the chair.
Standing above him, she supported his face with one hand. A burning heat flashed through her eyes as the tip of her tongue lightly swept across her rosy lips.
She resembled a beautiful serpent woman preparing to savor the delicious prey before her.
Looking at Queen Medusa's alluring and enchanting appearance, Lin Yuan instantly understood her meaning. A similar burning desire appeared in his eyes as he boldly met her gaze without retreating.
A brief separation made reunion all the sweeter, and a storm soon followed.
When the storm finally subsided.
Seven-colored Dou Qi flowed around Queen Medusa's body as an exquisite purple robe materialized and wrapped around her graceful figure.
She brushed her hair lightly before looking toward Lin Yuan in the distance.
At this moment, he was gazing at the countless stars in the heavens above, his eyes clear and distant. As though sensing the vastness of the universe itself, Lin Yuan radiated an air utterly free of worldly desires.
Queen Medusa walked to his side and smiled beautifully.
"Your long-planned Ancient Jade is finally in your possession. What do you plan to do next?"
Hearing her words, Lin Yuan snapped back to reality. Looking at the beauty before him, who resembled a lotus emerging from water and radiated soft charm, he chuckled softly.
"I'll deal with the backup measures Yun Shan left behind first. Then…"
"I'll go watch the show."
"Your Majesty, would you like to accompany me to Jia Ma Sacred City and enjoy this rare grand event together?"
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