Upon a small peak not far from the Black Mountain Fortress, figures were scattered, yet not a single unusual sound could be heard. Everyone sat quietly on the ground, their powerful auras suppressed to the lowest possible level. At the summit of the peak, Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, and Hai Bo Dong stood in a row, conversing in low voices.
“Has Medusa not arrived yet?” After a brief exchange, Hai Bo Dong slightly frowned, gazing towards the direction of the Black Mountain Fortress.
“I’ve already sent a messenger to her. She must be organizing the Snake-People’s strong ones,” Xiao Yan replied with a smile. Just as his words faded, a whistling sound suddenly echoed from the sky, followed by a rush of numerous figures. A few breaths later, they appeared in mid-air above the peak and slowly descended.
The figures that appeared were naturally the elite among the Snake-People, led by none other than Queen Medusa. Seeing Medusa appear, Hai Bo Dong and the others sighed in relief. If this assassination lacked her, it would have been largely meaningless. Relying solely on Xiao Yan’s strength, entering the gathered area of the three armies would undoubtedly increase the danger significantly.
Once they landed, Medusa cast a quick, indifferent glance at Xiao Yan, then turned to Hai Bo Dong and the others, saying, “If all preparations are complete, let’s set off.”
Xiao Ding nodded slightly, pondering before he spoke. “For this assassination, we will first follow the original plan and have Third Brother and Queen Medusa infiltrate the city, seeking an opportunity to strike down Yanluo Tian and the three elders of the Mu Lan tribe. If our tracks are discovered or the assassination fails, Elder Hai and the others in ambush will come to our aid. At that time, if there’s still an opportunity, it would be best to eliminate those fellows. If it’s not feasible, we should all retreat. We cannot afford heavy casualties; after all, we cannot bear too many losses now.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“Haha, since that is the case, I shall await good news at the Black Mountain Fortress,” Xiao Ding smiled and said, making a bow toward the others.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, then glanced at Medusa, their eyes meeting briefly before she looked away. Seeing her demeanor, Xiao Yan could only give a wry smile. His back spread out wings of fire, and with a wave of his hand, he took the lead, soaring into the sky.
Seeing Xiao Yan take action, the numerous strong ones from the Burning Flame Alliance on the ground quickly summoned their Dou Qi wings and hurriedly followed.
“We should also go,” Medusa turned to the Snake-People warriors, her tone calm. “Remember, once I enter the city, you all must follow Elder Hai Bo Dong’s orders without defiance. If any mistakes occur, don’t blame the royal rules!”
The leading Snake-People warrior, Vice-Commander Black Poison who had previously clashed with Xiao Yan, hastened to nod in agreement. In the Snake-People clan, Medusa’s authority was unchallenged.
Satisfied, Medusa nodded and, without using any external force, floated up, transforming into a streak of light to follow Xiao Yan and the others. Behind her, the Snake-People strong ones also swiftly followed.
Although the three great empires temporarily withdrew under Little Healer Immortal’s command, they did not completely disband their troops. Instead, they all stationed themselves in a border city between the Yunn Empire and the Jia Ma Empire, ready to counterattack and swallow the Jia Ma Empire at any moment. As Little Healer Immortal pointed out, while she wielded autocratic power within the Poison Sect and no one in the Yunn Empire dared to question her, the Golden Goose Sect and the Mu Lan Valley were not forces of the Yunn Empire. Moreover, these two sects were not weak compared to the Poison Sect. Initially, they agreed to send troops and strong ones to attack the Jia Ma Empire, hoping to carve out a piece of the territory. However, when Little Healer Immortal suddenly decided to abandon the offensive, these two sects were extremely dissatisfied.
Though Yanluo Tian and the three Mu Lan elders were severely injured, if their subsequent elite forces arrived and some high-priced healing elixirs were provided, they would quickly regain their strength. Then, eliminating the Jia Ma Empire and the Burning Flame Alliance would not be impossible. With such hopes, the two sects were naturally unwilling to withdraw now. Thus, the arguments between the three parties were intense, giving Little Healer Immortal quite a headache. The sudden withdrawal was unexpected, and not only did the two sects oppose it, but there were also opposing voices within the Poison Sect and the Yunn Empire, though they dared not speak out due to her authority.
Therefore, even if Little Healer Immortal decided to withdraw, the threat to the Jia Ma Empire and the Burning Flame Alliance was not resolved. As long as Yanluo Tian and the three Mu Lan elders remained, the Golden Goose Sect and the Mu Lan Valley would not give up!
So, these two must be eliminated! And now was the best time to act!
The border city where the combined forces of the three empires were stationed was only a hundred miles from the Black Mountain Fortress. With Xiao Yan and the others’ speed, they reached their destination, a small hidden mountain pass near the city, within about an hour.
To avoid being detected by the city’s strong ones, the Burning Flame Alliance and the Snake-People lowered their speed and quietly entered the forest, eventually reaching the hidden mountain pass.
Upon arrival, everyone did not immediately act. Instead, following Xiao Yan’s arrangement, they all quietly meditated, trying to reach their best state.
From a tree atop the mountain pass, Xiao Yan’s gaze could just see the city not far away, teeming with soldiers patrolling back and forth. Occasionally, powerful Dou Wang level strong ones would fly past, their sharp eagle-like eyes scanning the surroundings, ready to detect any movement.
“The defenses here are indeed strict. It seems the enemy is well-prepared,” Xiao Yan mused, slightly troubled, as he watched the patrolling Dou Wang strong ones.
“Don’t you have the jade talisman given by Little Healer Immortal? Crush it, and she will withdraw some of the defenses. However, those patrolling strong ones are clearly not just from the Poison Sect. Even if she can withdraw their defenses, she can only redirect the Poison Sect’s strong ones. The strong ones from the Golden Goose Sect and the Mu Lan Valley will still guard diligently,” a voice sounded behind him, surely from Medusa.
“True, but there’s no other way. This is inherently risky. Let’s wait until nightfall to act. With our strength, as long as we are cautious, even with Dou Wang level strong ones patrolling, they should not detect us,” Xiao Yan nodded and said softly.
Behind him, a soft sound of assent came. Clearly, Medusa had no other objections.
Without further delay, Xiao Yan quickly took out the gray jade talisman from his storage ring and crushed it. Afterward, he clapped his hands and smiled, “Now, let’s wait for nightfall.”
Turning his head, he gazed at the stunning, cold yet enchanting face, hesitating before he said softly, “About yesterday… I’m sorry!”
Hearing this, Medusa was taken aback. Her bewitching eyes scanned Xiao Yan. Since she had met him, it was the first time she heard such words from him.
“You apologize, too?” Medusa said with a faint tone, though she didn’t notice herself, her facial expression had softened slightly. Evidently, Xiao Yan’s apology had its effect.
Embarrassed, Xiao Yan rubbed his hands, “I can’t produce the Heavenly Soul Blood-Blending Pill right now, but I will start working on it once my alchemy skills improve. But don’t worry, within two years, I will succeed.”
Medusa nodded, and for some reason, she felt a bit pleased. This emotion was quite rare for someone as unpredictable as her. Her last bit of resentment dissipated with Xiao Yan’s words.
Medusa was about to speak when her eyebrows suddenly raised, and she waved her hand, generating a suction force that grabbed a pitch-black bat. She found a small paper scroll in the bat’s claw.
Taking the scroll, Medusa flicked her finger, tossing the bat back into the forest. Unfurling the paper, she said softly, “It’s from Little Healer Immortal. This is a map of the city, showing the positions of Yanluo Tian and the three Mu Lan elders.”
Xiao Yan felt a bit relieved. With this map, they wouldn’t have to search blindly, which was a significant help.
“Yanluo Tian is in the north, and the three Mu Lan elders are in the west. It seems we need to split up.” Medusa pondered, “Although Yanluo Tian is heavily injured, he is still a Battle Sect strong one and difficult to handle. So, I will take him. The three Mu Lan elders, with one injured, cannot unleash the full Beast Rampage Skill and are only ordinary Battle Emperor strong ones. With your strength, you should not have much trouble. What do you think?”
“Mm… be careful, then,” Xiao Yan was moved by Medusa’s decision to take the more dangerous task. He nodded with a smile.
“Then…,” Medusa smiled, her fleeting beauty making Xiao Yan’s eyes brighten.
“Let’s wait for nightfall.”
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