Chapter 106: The Sky Serpent Empire!
Just as he fully adapted to the spiritual energy system, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from his chest.
Jiang Yun's brow furrowed slightly. He looked down and saw a small serpent, entirely nine-colored, lying against his chest, frantically manipulating the Dou Qi within its body to resist the erosion of the spiritual energy.
He paused briefly. In his momentary negligence, he hadn't expected to have forgotten this little one.
At this moment, the Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python was still struggling. Inexperienced as it was, it couldn't stop the dissipation of its Dou Qi. In its desperation, streaks of pitch-black flame blazed up, coiling around its body, blocking the influx of spiritual energy and temporarily stabilizing.
But this wasn't a solution either. Anxious, it looked at Jiang Yun. A flash of delight passed through its serpent pupils. Immediately, it poked its head out from Jiang Yun's embrace and hissed at him frantically.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"
"I know, little one. I'll help you resolve this right away. However, our time is tight, so it's more efficient to let that older sister come out!"
Jiang Yun looked with a beaming smile at the Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python tumbling before him and spoke with a face full of gentleness.
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, a flash of hesitation passed through the Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python's eyes. But under Jiang Yun's gentle gaze, it ultimately compromised.
In the next instant, those innocent, pure eyes vanished, replaced by a pair of icy, complex eyes. A nine-colored pillar of light flashed past, and finally, a curvaceous, graceful, alluring figure—a beauty with a nearly perfect, enchantingly gorgeous face—slowly appeared.
The moment she appeared, before she could even delve deeper, Medusa noticed the anomaly in her body. Her brows furrowed tightly as she looked at Jiang Yun and asked, "What is going on here?"
"The specifics will be explained later. I'll transmit a technique to you in a moment. Cultivate according to it. Everything will be explained in detail once you've finished!"
Jiang Yun spoke rapidly. At the same time, he pointed a finger toward the center of Medusa's brow.
Watching the finger slowly extending toward her, Medusa hesitated briefly. In the end, she didn't resist, allowing the other's finger to land on her brow.
This was already a considerable display of trust. One had to know, the brow was the most fatal spot on a human body. On the Dou Qi Continent, if the physical body was destroyed, there was still a chance to start over.
But if the soul was also extinguished, then one could only wait another eighteen years!
Therefore, Medusa's display of complete trust was indeed unexpected. Yet, with the influence of the Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python, it wasn't entirely unjustifiable.
And as more information flooded her mind, Medusa grew increasingly astonished.
"Alright, transform your strength first!" Shortly after, Jiang Yun withdrew his finger. Looking at Medusa with a gentle gaze, he spoke.
Casting a deep glance at Jiang Yun, Medusa also knew that the most urgent matter now was completing the transformation of her strength. Without further words, she silently walked to the side and sat cross-legged, transforming her spiritual energy according to the method Jiang Yun had given her.
As she cultivated, pitch-black flames once again climbed onto her alluring form. The surrounding spiritual energy, practically in a torrential downpour, poured into Medusa's body. And the Dou Qi within her also transformed at astonishing speed.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Yun was somewhat astonished. But he didn't delve deeper into it, only feeling slightly odd in his heart.
Shaking his head, Jiang Yun's gaze fell upon Zi Yan, who was still diligently transforming her spiritual energy to the side. Observing her steady aura and confirming there was no issue, a sense of relief flickered through Jiang Yun's eyes.
That this continent actually contained spiritual energy was indeed beyond his expectations, catching them completely off guard. Fortunately, the spot where they had landed was decent; during this period, they hadn't encountered any danger.
Otherwise, in the state they were just in, he, Zi Yan, and Medusa would have been in grave danger!
As he pondered, Jiang Yun raised his hand and set up a Concealment Array and a Spirit-Gathering Array. Only after the arrays were formed did he finally have the leisure to properly examine this ancient world.
They were currently within a vast region of bizarrely shaped stone peaks. Among these numerous stone peaks, weeds grew in thick clusters. An aura of desolation and antiquity ceaselessly permeated up from the ground.
Gazing further into the distance, what met his eyes was a vast land covered in wounds and scars.
The land was boundless and endless, its end nowhere in sight. But upon that land were countless bottomless, ten-thousand-meter abysses. These abysses did not seem naturally formed; rather, they appeared to be the result of some kind of terrifying battle that had utterly ruined this land into such a state.
The vast, boundless world was shrouded in a deep, dark crimson. Seen from afar, even the earth and the distant mountain ranges appeared tinted a faint red, as if dyed by endless fresh blood, saturated with an aura of bitter tragedy and ferocity.
Jiang Yun frowned as he surveyed this stretch of the world. The battle back then seemed to have been unexpectedly brutal. And that made sense. If everything was as they guessed, this place should be the main battlefield guarded by the owner of the Myriad Flames Imperishable Body.
A Saint-grade Heavenly Sovereign, and the possessor of an Original Dharma Body at that—even such a powerhouse had fallen. The brutality of the battle that had taken place here was imaginable.
"There seems to be demonic energy in this world as well!" Jiang Yun rotated his palm, and a clump of energy gathered in his palm. Within that clump of energy, a strange black color was visible, completely at odds with spiritual energy.
This thing was all too familiar to him—it was precisely the demonic energy cultivated by the Extraterritorial Evil Clans!
"Seems like quite a few experts from both realms fell here!"
Having gained a preliminary understanding of the situation, Jiang Yun spread his formidable soul power outward in all directions. After confirming the stone forest was free of danger, he completely set his mind at ease.
He didn't fear battle; he only feared affecting Zi Yan's spiritual energy transformation. Turning his head back to glance at Zi Yan, who was still diligently cultivating, he deduced she might still need some time. Jiang Yun quietly sat cross-legged where he was, waiting for Zi Yan to awaken.
"Jingle—"
High above the skies of the northwest continent, the sound of bridle bells rang out. The bell sounds were crisp and pleasing to the ear, melodious and lingering, drifting from the edge of the horizon, exceedingly pleasant.
At the distant end of the horizon, two enormous Amethyst Winged Lion Kings slowly emerged. Their massive lion bodies were covered in a thick layer of purple crystalline substance. Under the sunlight, their radiance scattered in all directions, quite dazzling to the eye.
With every step they took, the void beneath them quaked. It was difficult to imagine just how great their strength truly was.
At the same time, tufts of faint purple flame flickered on their bodies. The flames coalesced into flame ropes, connecting to a pitch-black war chariot behind them.
"Where are we?"
An indifferent voice drifted out from within the chariot. The Amethyst Winged Lion Kings shuddered, their eyes filling with fanaticism. They spoke respectfully: "My lord, we have arrived at the Emerald Phosphorus River. Further ahead lies the territory of the Sky Serpent Empire!"
"Mm."
A long while later, a light hum of acknowledgment came from within the chariot. Hearing no further instructions, the Amethyst Winged Lion Kings very proactively quickened their pace, heading straight for the Sky Serpent Empire.
Inside the chariot, feeling the shaking of the vehicle, Yun Yi slowly opened his eyes. "The Sky Serpent Empire has a Dou Zun. It is a first-rate power in the northwest continent. Let me see just how much strength the Soul Hall of the northwest continent possesses."
As he pondered, Yun Yi retrieved a pitch-black token. The token was very plain, with only the character 'Hun' on it. However, this token, within the Soul Hall, was held only by the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master. It could mobilize all forces of the Soul Hall below the Half-Saint level.
Yun Yi raised his hand and sent a stream of Dou Qi into it. In the next moment, the Soul Token rose into the air, buzzing. A strange fluctuation, under Yun Yi's watch, spread toward the distance.
Having arranged everything, Yun Yi closed his eyes once more and continued cultivating the Dou Qi within his body.
The Sky Serpent Empire.
As a top-tier power of the northwest continent, even in the Central Plains, where experts gathered like clouds, it possessed no small reputation, not inferior to first-rate Central Plains powers like the Four Pavilions.
Its territory was extremely vast, occupying the most central region of the northwest continent. In terms of national strength alone, it was stronger than the four great empires of Jia Ma, Mu Lan, Chu Yun, and Luo Yan combined. Its national borders were naturally even broader.
And within the Sky Serpent Empire, there was a transcendent power, precisely the Tian She Mansion.
The Tian She Mansion was situated beside the imperial capital of the Sky Serpent Empire, in the Sky Serpent Mountain Range, where spiritual energy was most abundant. Overlooking the Sky Serpent Mountain Range from the sky, it resembled a giant serpent lying prone on the earth.
The Tian She Mansion monopolized all the resources of the Sky Serpent Empire. Even the emperor of the Sky Serpent Empire needed the approval of the Tian She Mansion Master before they could smoothly ascend the throne.
All of this was because their founder was a possessor of the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes—and one who had fully matured at that. One could imagine how flourishing the Tian She Mansion's strength had been at its inception.
However, ever since the first-generation Mansion Master fell, the Tian She Mansion had searched everywhere for another Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes. But all along, their efforts had yielded nothing. That is, until last time, when someone brought back news of a Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes.
This sent shockwaves through the entire Tian She Mansion from top to bottom. Yet, as they learned more about the situation, everyone in the Tian She Mansion nearly cursed.
Who would have thought that this generation's Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes had encountered a benefactor, and that the other party was suspected to be an eighth-tier alchemist!
They had also lost a rank six Magical Beast. This was practically an affront to the Tian She Mansion! Accustomed as they were to acting like local tyrants, when had they ever suffered such humiliation? One after another, they clamored to go and slaughter Jiang Yun, to make the other know the consequences of offending the Tian She Mansion.
And conveniently welcome back the Holy Maiden, properly nurture her, and lead the Sky Serpent Empire back to prosperity.
Yet another faction argued: he's an eighth-tier alchemist, and so young—most likely from the Central Plains. We can't afford to provoke him. Let's plan carefully in the long term.
Don't be fooled by how domineering the current Tian She Mansion is in the northwest continent; once they go to the Central Plains, they're nothing. Putting aside whether the other party has a terrifying force behind them, even a lone eighth-tier alchemist is someone the Tian She Mansion cannot afford to offend.
The radical faction retorted: at Jiang Yun's age, it's fundamentally impossible for him to be an eighth-tier alchemist. Everyone has lived over half their lives. Let alone seeing one, they've never even heard of an eighth-tier alchemist this young!
Even the Medicine Sovereign Yao Chen, whose name shook the world as 'the continent's number one alchemist,' was only at the fifth tier at such an age back then!
Everyone, do not be deceived!
The moderate faction argued: we might not fear the one in ten thousand chance, but what if it's that one in ten thousand? If it's true, then the Tian She Mansion can just disband. We have no margin for trial and error.
Both sides stuck to their own arguments, endlessly debating, giving the current Tian She Mansion Master, the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder, a terrible headache. But he wasn't completely without his own ideas. During this period, he had sent people to the Jia Ma Empire to investigate the news.
The result, however, greatly shocked him. Jiang Yun had actually brought out a seventh-tier pill for auction. This proved that the other party was at least a seventh-tier alchemist.
At such a young age, never mind whether he was the legendary eighth-tier alchemist—even as a seventh-tier alchemist, his future was boundless. If Jiang Yun and the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes could both be invited here, then wouldn't...
A green light flickered in the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder's eyes, and a crazy idea arose.
Just as the Emerald Serpent Honored Elder was about to make a move, Yun Yi, who had sped the entire way, had finally arrived at the Tian She Mansion's headquarters—the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire.
The Sky Serpent Holy City!
The Sky Serpent Holy City was an enormous ancient city. Here, it was incomparably bustling. Compared to it, the Jia Ma Holy City was like the Jia Ma Holy City compared to Wu Tan City.
As the capital of the Sky Serpent Empire, and the main base of the Tian She Mansion, there was another point that distinguished it from other human cities.
That was: Magical Beasts were numerous here. In this place, the number of Magical Beasts far exceeded that of humans. And the most numerous among them, without a doubt, were the serpent clan.
Because the original founder was a possessor of the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes, possessing the ability to control serpent-type Magical Beasts, the Tian She Mansion's inherited cultivation methods also leaned in this direction.
Although they couldn't achieve a state of near-enslavement like the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes, they could still allow both sides to coexist amicably.
Thus, here, one could see all kinds of serpent-type Magical Beasts!
Rumble!
At the distant edge of the sky, a sudden purple radiance exploded forth. The sound of jingling and clattering echoed.
The bell sounds seemed to possess some kind of magic, growing louder and louder. In the end, everyone in the Sky Serpent Holy City heard it with perfect clarity.
"What's that commotion?!"
"What powerful Magical Beasts! What Magical Beasts are those?!"
"They seem to be Amethyst Winged Lion Kings! This aura... they're both rank seven—"
"What an immense foundation, using rank seven Amethyst Winged Lion Kings to pull a chariot! I wonder which power they belong to?"
The Sky Serpent Empire was immensely powerful, not just in terms of strength. This place was also the center of the northwest region, undoubtedly the most economically prosperous and flourishing place on the northwest continent.
Thus, the people here could be considered relatively 'well-traveled and knowledgeable.' But even so, using rank seven Magical Beasts to pull a chariot was a first for them.
Truly an eye-opener!
"Hiss—"
"What are they trying to do?!"
"Don't they know flying is forbidden in the Sky Serpent Holy City?!"
"Oh no... I have a bad feeling. The Sky Serpent Empire is about to undergo a great upheaval!"
Suddenly, a chorus of sharply indrawn breaths rang out. Everyone stared in disbelief at the war chariot sweeping past overhead. In hindsight, they felt a chill run through their entire bodies.
Within the Sky Serpent Holy City, the Tian She Mansion had explicitly forbidden flight. Disobedience would result in the Tian She Mansion's pursuit. It wasn't that there hadn't been ruthless, reckless individuals in the past who disregarded this rule.
But in the end, they were all thrown into the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave by the Tian She Mansion as a warning to others.
Never did they imagine that today they would once again see someone treat the Tian She Mansion's rules as nothing. And this time, it was a truly ruthless character!
"Who dares trespass against my Tian She Mansion?!"
Just then, a somewhat aged voice boomed throughout the entire city. Two powerful auras, emanating from it and the Amethyst Winged Lion Kings, clashed in midair.
"Boom—"
After the shockwave, figure after figure with powerful auras flew up from all sides of the Tian She Mansion into the sky, rapidly and completely encircling Yun Yi's war chariot.