Chapter 202 - Getting Stronger Through Burning!

"Medusa's strength is progressing rapidly!" From a distance, Qinglin, Yao Ming, and the others who were attentively watching the battle suddenly heard a warm voice in their ears.

The next moment, their vision blurred, and Jiang Yun's figure quietly appeared next to Qinglin, commenting on the distant battlefield.

"Big Brother Jiang Yun, you're out!" Upon hearing Jiang Yun's voice, Qinglin's attention was instantly diverted from the distant battle. After all, no matter how much Huangtian struggled, Medusa would surely win.

"This is the last time!" Unlike his usual welcoming smile, Jiang Yun warned Qinglin with a serious expression.

"Got it!" Qinglin responded with a joyous smile, feeling a sweet sensation in her heart.

Watching her, Jiang Yun helplessly shook his head. Agreeing verbally was one thing, but Jiang Yun was sure that when the time came, they would make the same choice again.

"But, Big Brother Jiang Yun, why were you gone for so long? Sister Medusa doesn't look like she just came out of seclusion, and..." Qinglin's eyes gleamed with a smile, and she leaned closer to Jiang Yun, sniffing him discreetly before saying, "And, Big Brother Jiang Yun, you have a strong scent of Sister Medusa, and she has your scent as well. Did she come out of seclusion long ago?" Qinglin asked mischievously, eyeing Jiang Yun cunningly.

Jiang Yun was momentarily taken aback but then shook his head, extending his arm hidden in his sleeve with a smile. "I was waiting for this little one!"

"Hiss hiss hiss—"

Qinglin looked down to see a small, multicolored snake, about twenty centimeters long, rising from Jiang Yun's wrist, hissing softly at Qinglin as if greeting her.

"Ah, it's Xiao Jiu!" Qinglin exclaimed excitedly, reaching out to play with the little creature on Jiang Yun's wrist, forgetting her earlier question.

"At the bottom of the Nine Nether Yellow Springs, there's a nest of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. Inside, the soul entities of the previous Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Pythons helped Medusa greatly increase her strength and assisted Xiao Jiu in fully forming its physical body. Medusa has been out of seclusion for half a month, and we've been waiting for Xiao Jiu to complete its transformation during this time," Jiang Yun explained softly, watching the interaction between Qinglin and the little python.

"Mmm," Qinglin responded while carefully removing the tiny python from Jiang Yun's wrist and cradling it in her arms.

"Master!" At this moment, Yao Ming approached Jiang Yun and saluted him.

"You've done well. Distribute these to everyone," Jiang Yun praised Yao Ming, handing him two jade bottles. One contained a ninth-grade treasure pill, sufficient to help Yao Ming break through to the three-star Dou Sheng, and the other held several eighth-grade healing pills—precious items for everyone.

"Thank you, Master. This is my duty," Yao Ming replied excitedly, trembling with the energy emanating from the jade bottles. He addressed Jiang Yun loudly.

"I am clear about rewards and punishments. You don't need to thank me; you earned it yourself!" Jiang Yun waved his hand dismissively and looked at Yao Ming calmly.

"Yes!" Noticing Jiang Yun's indifferent gaze, Yao Ming immediately calmed down and responded respectfully.

"Boom—"

A terrifying explosion resounded from the sky, creating a massive pit nearly a thousand meters in diameter on the ground below.

The commotion grabbed everyone's attention. They watched as the demonic holy figure of the Tian Yao Huang clan shattered in mid-air, causing everyone to vomit blood on the spot.

Medusa's terrifying power smashed through the crowd, displacing their internal organs, while their bodies were flung like cannonballs, shattering mountains and carving deep grooves into the ground before finally coming to a stop.

Many of the Tian Yao Huang clan members couldn't withstand the overwhelming power of the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python and exploded into blood mist on the spot.

"Gulp."

Seeing the tragic state of the Tian Yao Huang clan, the members of the Nine Nether Earth Python clan instinctively felt a chill, staring blankly at the enchanting figure of Medusa in the sky.

"Cough."

Huangtian, who had fallen to the ground, coughed violently, wiping the blood from his mouth as he looked fearfully at Medusa descending from the sky.

"If I had known there was a Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python in seclusion here, I wouldn't have come to suffer this humiliation!" Huangtian's eyes flickered with endless regret and self-reproach for his rashness. The beast region was no longer a place where the Tian Yao Huang clan could dominate.

"What should we do with them?" Medusa coldly stared at the fallen Tian Yao Huang clan members and turned to Jiang Yun, asking softly.

At this, the Tian Yao Huang clan members looked towards Jiang Yun with hope and envy.

Jiang Yun was just a three-star Dou Sheng, yet he could win the heart of Medusa, the only Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python on the Dou Qi continent who had grown to a six-star Dou Sheng. How could this not drive people crazy?

"What do you think?" Jiang Yun asked with a smile, looking at Medusa while walking towards her with Qinglin.

"Kill them!" Medusa glanced at Jiang Yun, thinking about how Huangtian had disrupted their good time. Her eyes were filled with killing intent.

Yao Ming behind her instinctively wanted to object but eventually held his tongue. 

The Tian Yao Huang clan was one of the three major clans in the beast region. If Huangtian and his people died here, the Nine Nether Earth Python clan and Jiang Yun would surely face the Tian Yao Huang clan's frenzied retaliation. Even they would have a headache dealing with such retaliation.

However, remembering that Jiang Yun and his people were backed by the Ancient Void Dragon, Yao Ming felt a bit more at ease. If the Ancient Void Dragon intervened, the Tian Yao Huang clan's existence itself could be threatened.

"This time, I admit defeat. But if you think you can take me down easily, you're mistaken. I think even for you, dealing with a five-star Dou Sheng won't be trivial!" feeling Medusa's increasing pressure, Huangtian spoke coldly, trying to muster some courage.

He quickly rose, with his wings fluttering and making thunderous sounds. Despite his severe injuries, he was already able to move again, thanks to the powerful vitality of magical beasts.

"Do you think you can escape?" Medusa sneered, her killing intent deepening. Nine-colored lights reappeared in her palm as she stepped forward.

Seeing Medusa's attitude, Huangtian's face darkened. He was just putting on a brave front as the injuries Medusa caused were severe. His Dou Qi was gradually dissipating within him.

Realizing his precarious state, Huangtian felt even more bitter. In his current state, fighting Jiang Yun, a 'mere three-star Dou Sheng,' would most likely end badly for him.

"If there's a threat, eliminate it swiftly!" Jiang Yun smiled at Huangtian, who felt a chill despite Jiang Yun's smile.

"Swoosh—" Amidst his flickering thoughts, Huangtian abandoned his clan and fled into the distance.

"Can you escape?" Jiang Yun sneered, pulling Medusa back from the chase. He quickly formed hand seals, and a purple light flashed from his forehead. Immediately, a terrifying soul force erupted from him.

With a low shout from Jiang Yun, a strange and terrifying wave emanated from his body like a storm, engulfing the retreating Huangtian.

"Moo!"

Sounding a mysterious tone across the sky, the world momentarily fell silent. The wave caught up to Huangtian, the terrifying soul force wrapping around him.

"Soul attack!"

Huangtian felt a sudden change behind him and was caught off guard. Magical beasts were generally weaker in soul matters, and with the severed legacy, few masters on the Dou Qi continent excelled in soul attacks.

Caught unprepared, Huangtian tried to muster a defense, but the terrifying sound wave already hit him.

"Boom!"

In an instant, the dreadful sound wave pierced through Huangtian's body, producing a low, muffled sound.

"Ugh!"

Huangtian's face instantly paled, spewing blood as excruciating knife-like pain wracked his mind, making him want to tear his head apart.

"Ah—"

A miserable scream echoed from Huangtian's mouth.

Before he could recover, Jiang Yun's figure ghostly appeared before him, extending a finger wrapped in black flames towards his forehead, accompanied by Jiang Yun's calm voice. "Threaten me? I happen to need a mount. You're barely qualified, so you'll do for now!"

"Buzz—"

As Jiang Yun's finger landed on Huangtian's forehead, the horrific flames instantly engraved in Huangtian's soul essence, devouring all resistance.

"Tweet—"

A massive black flame soared into the sky as Huangtian reverted to his original Tian Yao Huang form, spreading his wings amidst the black flames and soaring into the sky.

The earth-shaking cry of the phoenix resonated through the heavens and earth.

The astonished crowd looked up, feeling the escalating aura of the flaming phoenix while his injuries rapidly healed.

"He's also a show-off!" Medusa remarked with a sly smile, her eyes filled with tenderness as she watched Jiang Yun in the distance. She wasn't upset by Jiang Yun's decision to spare Huangtian and instead turn him into a fire slave; she found it amusing.

In the sky, Huangtian's aura reached a critical point, breaking through the bottleneck and spreading a terrifying pressure over the land.

"He... broke through!" Witnessing the scene, Yao Ming and the others looked at Jiang Yun in disbelief.

They had just seen Huangtian burned by Jiang Yun, and now he broke through from a late five-star Dou Sheng to a six-star Dou Sheng. Their understanding of reality was shattered.

Many looked at Jiang Yun with fiery eyes, wishing they had been burned instead.

"Don't be naive. This method comes at a cost; it's merely depleting the bloodline potential for a one-time power boost, with no room for future growth!" Qinglin explained softly, noticing the strange looks from the crowd.

Although Qinglin controlled them, she hadn't erased their wills. They still had their ambitions and desires.

Sure enough, Qinglin's explanation cooled the crowd's enthusiasm. Nonetheless, some still looked at Jiang Yun, seeing an alternative way to advance as their own cultivation had stalled for centuries.

In the sky, the burning Tian Yao Huang descended, turning back into Huangtian. He knelt before Jiang Yun, his eyes filled with fervor. "Greetings, Master!"

The Tian Yao Huang clan looked at the scene with shock. Although they were mentally prepared, witnessing it firsthand was a whole new level of impact.

"Go back and unify the Tian Yao Huang clan, form an alliance with the Nine Nether Earth Python clan, consolidate the beast region's power, and await my orders!" Jiang Yun said indifferently, addressing Huangtian and Yao Ming.

"Yes, Master!" they responded loudly.

Jiang Yun nodded slightly and looked at Qinglin and Medusa nearby, smiling. "Zi Yan will be out soon. She will be happy to see you all!"

Qinglin smiled sweetly and said excitedly, "Sister Zi Yan is coming out soon! It's been years since we last met; I can't wait!"

Medusa smiled as well, but hers was filled with mischief. "I look forward to seeing Zi Yan. I have much to tell her!"

Jiang Yun noticed the mischievous glint in Medusa's eyes, feeling a rare sense of unease.

"Let's go!"

He shook off the thought, heading towards the two women.

He tore open a dark spatial passage and walked in first. Behind him, Medusa and Qinglin followed quickly.

After they left, Huangtian and Yao Ming wore cold expressions, staring at each other.

Although not mortal enemies, their clans had little to do with each other. If not for Jiang Yun's orders, they wouldn't easily sit down to discuss an alliance.

"Chief Yao Ming."

"Chief Huangtian."

(this chapter ends)