139: negotiation

Instructor Ruo Lin's eyes were filled with horror; as a Dou Ling, she felt the pressure of this level more clearly, "Compared to a Dou Emperor... it seems even more violent... filled with... the aura of a strong individual's advancement?"

Mo Yuhan suppressed the tremor in his soul and abruptly looked up towards the source of the pressure.

At the center of the Oasis, above the area where the Enchanting Snake Tribe's palace was located, the sky had become extremely bizarre.

Half of the sky was enveloped by a deep, viscous, azure flame that seemed capable of devouring light.

The flame was not burning statically; instead, it twisted, surged, and condensed like a living entity, forming a sea of azure fire covering several miles.

At the center of the sea of fire, a vague but exceptionally massive serpent-shaped phantom could be faintly seen, writhing and hissing in agony within the flames, soundless, yet the soul-level shriek could be felt.

Each time it writhed, it caused the azure sea of fire to vibrate violently, emitting terrifying high temperatures that seemed capable of incinerating everything.

And on the periphery of that azure sea of fire, in the slightly more distant sky, several figures of varying colors, radiating powerful auras, stood suspended, confronting the center of the flames from afar.

The leader, dressed in an Alchemist's robe with a graceful demeanor, was none other than Pill King Gu He.

Beside him, a woman with a graceful figure and a cold temperament like the moon in the clouds stood suspended in the air; her moonlight-white plain dress outlined perfect curves, and although her face was veiled by a light gauze, her exposed clear eyes contained a mountain-like solemnity, and faint azure wind-spirals swirled around her body—it was Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect.

Slightly behind them, three Dou King powerhouses, equally imposing, floated in a fan shape.

One of them was extremely burly and robust, with a lion's nose and a wide mouth, his head full of golden hair wildly disheveled like a lion's mane; his bare upper body had bulging muscles, and his bronze skin shimmered with a metallic luster under the firelight; simply standing there, he exuded a primal, fierce beast-like oppressive feeling—Yan Shi.

The other two Dou Kings, one had a cold aura like a snake, while the other appeared relatively steady. Further below them, four Dou Ling powerhouses stood in a tight formation, their auras connected.

Gu He's voice, carried by Dou Qi, traveled through space, clear and distinct, with a forcibly suppressed excitement and determination:

"Queen Medusa, to evolve, actually refused the conditions I offered... two Grade Six Dou Ling Pills, plus one... Grade Seven Shape-Shifting Pill, what a pity."

His voice echoed in the scorching air, yet the swirling azure sea of fire at the center of the flames, and the massive serpent shadow struggling in agony within it, gave no response.

Only the terrifying pressure and the all-consuming high temperature served as a silent refusal.

"Hmph, Great Master Gu He, why waste words with this demoness? She is clearly at the end of her rope, forcibly attempting to break through using the Heavenly Flame. Such a good opportunity must not be missed!"

Yan Shi's voice was like a grand bell, filled with impatience and greed, and golden Dou Qi rose like flames around his body, eager to move.

Yun Yun's cold gaze swept over the violent Azure Lotus Core Flame, her brows slightly furrowed beneath the light gauze, and her voice was ethereal yet carried unquestionable authority: "Elder Yan Shi, calm down. Although Queen Medusa is at a critical stage of evolution, the power of this Heavenly Flame is extremely violent. Approaching rashly may lead to self-destruction."

Her words caused Yan Shi's surging Dou Qi to recede slightly, but the fervor in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Mo Yuhan's heart pounded wildly in his chest, not from fear, but from shock.

Queen Medusa, she was using the Azure Lotus Core Flame to evolve.

And Gu He and the others had come precisely for this.

Their position was precisely at the edge of the Oasis, near the destroyed Crescent Lake, still some distance from the central battlefield. Coupled with the ruins and the distorting heat haze, they were temporarily undetected by the powerhouses in the sky.

"Instructor Ruo Lin quickly assessed the situation, lowering her voice, her tone urgent. "Yu Han, this is no place to linger. Regardless of the outcome over there, it will be extremely dangerous for us!"

Whether it was a successfully evolved Queen Medusa or an enraged Gu He and his group who failed to seize the flame, discovering these few severely injured "little insects" would definitely not be a good thing.

Mo Yuhan nodded vigorously, just about to call out to the two of them to immediately evacuate this place of trouble.

"Hmm?"

Not far away, behind a broken wall overturned by the explosion's shockwave, a captivating purple figure slowly stood up.

It was Yue Mei!

Her appearance at this moment was also quite disheveled.

Her once splendid purple gauze was torn in many places, revealing snow-white skin beneath, though marked with several charred burns. Her long purple hair was somewhat messy, stained with dust.

Her alluring face was now as pale as paper, her rhomboid purple pupils bloodshot, and remnants of dried blood lingered at the corner of her mouth. Her aura was significantly weaker than at her peak, clearly having sustained considerable injuries in the battle with Gu He and the others.

However, her severe injuries did not diminish her killing intent; instead, like a thoroughly enraged venomous snake, she became even more dangerous.

Her gaze, like poisoned ice picks, was fixed on Gu He and the others, the malice and anger in her eyes almost materializing into flames spewing forth.

An azure streak of light was the most striking, its movement elegant and swift as wind; each flash brought a scream of tearing air, and wherever the sword light passed, even the violent energy currents were temporarily cut apart.

That was... Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect.

Mo Yuhan had spent some time with her in the Monster Mountain Range and had witnessed her grace; even at such a distance, he could still feel the transcendent and sharp aura belonging to a Dou Emperor powerhouse.

Her opponents were three fierce auras intertwined—the Snake-People Tribe leaders, Mo Basi, Yan Ci, and Yin Shi.

The three cooperated tacitly, with poison mist, fire waves, and giant rock fists bombarding in turns, tightly entangling Yun Yun.

In the slightly more distant sky, Yan Shi, a bald man with a lion's nose, wide mouth, and an exceptionally burly and robust physique, had muscles bulging like granite, and his entire body was covered in an earthy yellow Dou Qi armor.

Each roar was accompanied by the pouncing of a giant lion-shaped energy phantom, locked in a fierce battle with a Snake-Person Dou King of similar height, wielding a giant spear and having a thick snake tail for his lower body.

Yan Shi against Mo Basi.

A pure collision of flesh and strength, fist meeting flesh, the dull thudding sounds like drumbeats, the barbaric shockwave could be felt from far away.

On the ground, four Dou Ling powerhouses formed a peculiar formation, each unleashing powerful Dou Skills; wind blades, fireballs, ice cones, and poison thorns rained down like a storm, resisting the tide-like elite Snake-People warriors surging from the direction of the Holy City.

The Snake-People warriors fought fearlessly, forming a wall of flesh and long spears, letting out earth-shattering roars, attempting to break through the Dou Lings' blockade.

And at the center of all battlefields, above the ruins of the Holy City temple, the atmosphere was eerily solidified.

Gu He, dressed in an Alchemist's robe, his face refined but unable to hide his anxiety, floated there.

The Grade Six Alchemist's badge remained conspicuous under the chaotic energy light.

He did not directly participate in the battle, his gaze fixed on the depths of the temple ruins, on the area enveloped by a colorful energy cocoon. The cocoon pulsed like a heart; each contraction and expansion emitted a terrifying pressure that made one's soul tremble.