41: Chapter 41 The Tragic Battle King! A Chance Encounter with a Different Flame

"Now is the time!"

Gu Han landed on the ground, reached out to pull two Green Flame Grasses out by their roots, and stored them in the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm upon the yuan crystal marrow.

Having finished this, he slammed his palm against the ground, using the momentum to soar into the air and fly rapidly into the high sky.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, giving neither the Nalan Family's Dou Ling nor the Rank 4 Mu Kui Wolf a chance to react.

Their attention was focused on each other; they never expected someone to suddenly descend from the heavens and snatch away the green flame grass they were waiting to mature.

By the time they realized what they wanted to do, Gu Han had already flown over a dozen zhang high, leaving behind only a dark silhouette with pure blue wings.

"A Dou Wang Expert!?" The Nalan Family Dou Ling's eyes narrowed.

Judging from the released aura, he indeed seemed like a Dou Wang.

However, if a Dou Wang Expert wanted to seize the green flame grass, they would only need to reveal their identity to make him and the Rank 4 Mu Kui Wolf retreat; there was no need to strike suddenly before the grass had fully matured.

"Roar!"

Compared to the Nalan Family Dou Ling, the Rank 4 Mu Kui Wolf clearly wouldn't consider so much, directly mobilizing the Dou Qi in its body to strike.

A massive amount of Dou Qi surged into the ground, pouring through the roots into nearby large trees. A layer of green light surfaced on the leaves at the tops of these trees, transforming into dozens of wind blades that attacked Gu Han.

Sensing the sound of breaking air from behind, Gu Han entered the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm with a thought, leaving an afterimage in his place.

Those wind blades all passed through the afterimage, flying a long distance before disappearing.

Gu Han returned to the outside world again, performing the Nine Steps of the Wandering Snake, and after a few flickers, he was several zhang away.

He glanced back at the Rank 4 Mu Kui Wolf, his wings fluttered, and he continued flying toward the southwest.

"I thought the Mu Kui Wolf hit him, but it was just an afterimage."

"With such speed, he must be a Dou Wang Expert."

The Nalan Family Dou Ling subconsciously held his breath, feeling lucky he hadn't attacked.

That Dou Wang was flying southwest, clearly going to watch the battle between those two Rank 5 Mu Kui Wolves.

No wonder he didn't waste time on them, leaving immediately after picking the green flame grass.

"Consider yourself lucky, you beast." The Nalan Family Dou Ling turned to look at the Rank 4 Mu Kui Wolf, which was still in a state of impotent rage.

If that Dou Wang Expert hadn't been in a hurry to leave, he would have surely returned to slay this Mu Kui Wolf.

"Awooo~"

The Mu Kui Wolf suddenly turned its head, killing intent erupting from its eyes.

Nalan Family Dou Ling: "..."

On the other side, Gu Han took a detour, changed his clothes, and met up with Zhang Chuchen. This time, no further incidents occurred along the way.

"Junior Brother, this is a thank-you gift my Master asked me to give you."

On the way down the mountain, Zhang Chuchen took out a scroll and handed it to Gu Han.

"A Xuan Tier Low-rank ice-attribute sword Dou Technique, Snowfall Sword Shadows!"

"This Dou Technique is his personal property; you can learn it with peace of mind, just don't spread it to outsiders."

"Since it's a gift from the Punishment Elder, then I won't be polite." Gu Han didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Chuchen, taking the scroll and putting it into his storage ring.

The two chatted as they returned to the outskirts of the forest. By this time, the sun had risen in the east, and the Nalan Family's team was preparing a meal.

Zhang Chuchen spoke to Gu Han before concealing himself in the shadows again, while the latter returned openly.

"Nephew has returned." Nalan Jie came forward with a smile: "You aren't injured, are you? I have high-quality healing pills here."

"Uncle Nalan is too kind, I am fine." Gu Han took out the corpse of a late-stage Rank 1 Mu Kui Wolf: "I tempered my Dou Techniques a bit. Have this Mu Kui Wolf processed; it can be roasted for lunch."

Nalan Su immediately called for a cook to take the Rank 1 Mu Kui Wolf corpse away for processing.

"Nephew, rest well inside the carriage. I'll have someone call you when it's time for lunch."

After finishing breakfast with Gu Han, Nalan Su's ears twitched, and he stood up.

"Please suit yourself, Uncle Nalan." Gu Han rose and cupped his fists, returning to the carriage after Nalan Su left.

Entering the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm, he sensed the surroundings and found that the Nalan Family's Dou Ling had indeed returned, sporting some injuries.

"A Dou Wang Expert appeared and snatched the green flame grass?" Nalan Su thought it a pity; if he could have had a Three-Pattern Azure Spirit Pill, he would have had a few more chances of breaking through to Dou Ling.

"As you said, Mu Kui Wolves appearing nearby is likely due to internal strife."

"With two Rank 5 Mu Kui Wolves fighting, if Father were at his peak, we could have gone to investigate."

Nalan Su sighed deeply and handed a pill to the old man: "Return to the carriage and recover well. Matters at the Dou Wang level are not something we can interfere in."

Before long, the Nalan Family caravan set off again.

Except for eating lunch, Gu Han stayed in the carriage the rest of the time.

As the sun set, the caravan slowly entered Black Flame City, one of the large cities within the Jia Ma Empire. Located in the northern province of the Jia Ma Empire, the City Lord is a one-star Dou Wang, and the city is not far from Wutan City, long famous as a city of medicinal herbs.

"Go, have someone deliver this letter to the Xiao Family with all haste."

Inside a medicinal hall run by the Nalan Family, Nalan Su handed a letter to a subordinate.

After finishing this, he turned to Gu Han and asked, "Nephew, there is a large-scale auction being held by the Mittel Auction House in Black Flame City today. Would you like to go and take a look together?"

"Thank you for the invitation, Uncle Nalan, but I won't go." Gu Han declined after a slight deliberation.

He had quite a few good things on him now and nothing he urgently needed to obtain.

Furthermore, his pockets were empty; he likely couldn't afford anything he took a fancy to unless he sold some items he didn't need.

"This is the auction list. It won't be too late for Nephew to decide after dinner." Nalan Su handed a list to Gu Han: "If Nephew sees something you like, you can tell me. As your uncle, I haven't given you a meeting gift yet."

The implication was that he could provide financial support, intending to make an investment.

Gu Han did not refuse outright and accepted the auction list.

After returning to his room, he took out the list to examine it.

The finale items were a fifth-grade pill, a Profound Tier High-rank Dou Technique, and information regarding a suspected birthplace of a Heavenly Flame.

"Heavenly Flame?"

Gu Han shook his head gently and put the list into his storage ring.

As an Ice-attribute Dou Qi cultivator, a Heavenly Flame was basically useless to him, unless it was something like the Bone Chilling Flame.

Moreover, if this information were genuine and appeared within the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan would certainly know about it.

After dinner, Gu Han still declined Nalan Su's invitation and returned to his room to cultivate in secret.

In the blink of an eye, the time reached the middle of the Hour of the Rat.

Gu Han habitually gathered information.

[The battle between the two Rank 5 Mu Kui Wolves was an act, intended to lure out the Purple Nether Flame Snake and nearby malicious Rank 5 Magical Beasts. However, no magical beasts took the bait. Instead, the City Lord of Black Flame City believed it and struck, only to be inflicted with a Mu Kui Seal. He fled back to the city injured and will only be able to exert the strength of a one-star Dou Ling for the next year (this person was one of the Dou Lings who plotted against the Xiao Family back then).]

[The final item of the Mittel Auction House is the birthplace of the Heavenly Flame, Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire. It was judged as false information by a group of Alchemists, but that place indeed nurtures a type of Heavenly Flame: the Yin Yang Twin Flames.]

Gu Han: !!!