“Oh no, that Battle Emperor is catching up! His speed is absolutely terrifying!” Seeing the Battle Emperor break free from the snake-people warriors and swiftly close in on him, Xiao Yan’s scalp tingled with dread. He frantically shouted in his mind, “Teacher!”
“I know. From here on, I will support your escape. The enemy is too numerous and formidable. We can’t let them corner us. Otherwise, even if I manage to take you away, they will still seize the Heavenly Flame!”
The Pharmacist Elder’s voice was heavy with seriousness. A Battle Emperor and three Dou Wangs were a formidable lineup that even he couldn’t underestimate.
“Alright, it’s up to you. No matter what, we can’t lose the Heavenly Flame again!” Xiao Yan nodded solemnly, his face twisting in a bitter smile as he pleaded.
“Heh, understood!” The Pharmacist Elder agreed with a chuckle, then fell silent. Moments later, a fierce and boundless spiritual force surged out from Xiao Yan’s body, seizing control of it in an instant.
As the spiritual power of the elder took over, Xiao Yan’s body quivered slightly. Faint purple cloud patterns began to emerge on his Purple Cloud Wings, rippling gently as if alive, exuding an air of profound mystery.
This strange phenomenon only appeared when the Purple Cloud Wings were pushed to their limit. At Xiao Yan’s current strength, he couldn’t achieve this, but for the Pharmacist Elder, it was a simple task.
After the purple cloud patterns manifested on the Purple Cloud Wings, Xiao Yan’s flying speed nearly doubled instantly. As he flew through the air at a frenzied pace, sonic booms began to ring out, underscoring the incredible speed he had attained.
With Xiao Yan’s speed skyrocketing, the distance between him and Gu He’s group, who were closing in, was suddenly stretched wide once more.
In the distance, Gu He and his companions gaped in disbelief at the shadowy figure moving almost like teleportation. They felt a sense of helplessness welling up inside them. Such speed was comparable to that of a Wind Attribute Battle Emperor!
“Could he be a Battle Emperor?” Gu He’s mind raced with this thought, his face slightly changing. Clenching his fists, he resolved that even if the pursuer was a Battle Emperor, he would not let the Heavenly Flame slip away. After all, he had paid a hefty price to secure the assistance of two of the Ten Great Powerhouses, Yan Shi and Feng Li, to venture deep into the desert to seize the flame. Under no circumstances would he give up now!
As Xiao Yan’s speed increased, Yan Shi and Feng Li’s faces turned grim. Clearly, they shared the same thoughts as Gu He.
Exchanging a glance, they both shook their heads with a wry smile. To obtain the reward promised by Gu He, it seemed, was no easy task. They had been relieved by the disappearance of the Medusa Queen, but now, another mysterious and formidable figure had appeared. This series of twists left these two renowned figures of the Jia Ma Empire feeling helpless and bitter.
“The Heavenly Flame, truly a thing that drives many powerful individuals mad…” Feng Li murmured, glancing at the livid Gu He. It was surprising to see the normally calm and collected master alchemist lose his composure in the face of the Heavenly Flame.
Suppressing his anger, Gu He growled, “Let’s go! I want to see who he is. Once I know his identity, I don’t believe there’s anyone in the Jia Ma Empire I can’t handle!” With a slight flutter of his wings, he sped up, determined to catch the distant black dot.
Seeing Gu He’s fury, Yan Shi grinned, “Looks like Old Gu is really angry. Who knows where this guy comes from? If he’s from the Jia Ma Empire, he might be in trouble… offending a sixth-grade alchemist is no joke.”
Feng Li nodded. Indeed, a sixth-grade alchemist, even if a Battle Emperor, wouldn’t dare to offend lightly. Alchemists had a vast network of connections, and if you offended one, you could be hounded by waves of their allies.
Gu He and his companions, though they increased their speed, still lagged far behind Xiao Yan, and the gap was growing. This frustrated Gu He, his face turning slightly ashen, but he was powerless to change it. They had already pushed their speed to its peak.
Just as Gu He was grinding his teeth in frustration, a black shadow shot past them, stopping in front of the group.
Seeing the black-robed figure, Gu He’s face lit up with joy. “Quick, stop him!”
“Mm.” A cold, clear voice emerged from beneath the hood, but the black-robed figure didn’t accelerate. Instead, they slowed down, turning around. A graceful, pale chin was exposed to the sun. “I’ll pursue him. You three should split up and exit the desert. Meet at Rock City outside the desert. If I catch him, I’ll bring back the Heavenly Flame.”
“Why split up?” Gu He asked, bewildered.
“The snake-people are chasing us. Their speed in the desert is very fast, and they’ve gathered five Dou Wangs. If I protect you, I can get you out safely, but then I won’t be able to chase after the other guy,” the black-robed figure explained.
“Already so close?” Gu He’s eyes widened, then he made a quick decision. “Fine, split up. The one in front is your responsibility. As for us, we can manage. Although we can’t fight the snake-people directly, escaping the desert shouldn’t be hard.”
The black-robed figure nodded, then spread her green wings, dashing off after Xiao Yan.
“Count on us, we must get the Heavenly Flame back!” Gu He shouted, watching the figure disappear. He frowned, glancing at the horizon, then said, “Yan Shi, Feng Li, split up. Meet at Rock City. Be careful!”
“Hmm, alright. Too bad, I was looking forward to a fight with the snake-people. But looks like that’s not going to happen now,” Yan Shi sighed.
“Opportunities will come. For now, we need to retreat. They outnumber us,” Gu He said with a strained smile.
“Don’t worry too much. The Cloud Sect Leader is very capable. She’ll catch up to that guy,” Feng Li reassured him.
“Sigh, I hope so. If it doesn’t work, maybe I’m just not fated to have the Heavenly Flame.” With a sigh, Gu He waved farewell and sped off towards the edge of the desert.
“Let’s go,” Yan Shi and Feng Li exchanged a glance, then also sped off in different directions.
Not long after, five shadows flashed like meteors, stopping at the spot where Gu He and his group had stood.
“They split up!” Yue Mei frowned, looking at the others. “What do we do?”
“Split up. Yue Mei, you chase Gu He’s group. I and Yan Ci will go after the Battle Emperor,” a gray-robed snake-man said. This snake-man was clearly highly respected, and even the fiery-tempered Yan Ci didn’t argue.
“Old Yin, you and Yan Ci aren’t a match for that Battle Emperor. In the Holy City, even the three of us couldn’t keep her pinned down,” Mo Ba Si frowned.
“Don’t worry, we won’t engage him directly. I’ve left markers along the way. If Nan She and the others catch up, they’ll follow the markers and join us. When we regroup, the Battle Emperor will be in for a rough time. As for you, if you catch up, teach them a lesson. To barge into our snake-people territory and leave unscathed would be a disgrace to our kind,” the gray-robed elder said coldly.
“Mm!” Yue Mei’s face hardened, and she nodded. Without further ado, she and the others spread their wings and sped off in different directions.
“Let’s go, Yan Ci! I’ve fought three Battle Emperors from the Jia Ma Empire. If I meet that black-robed figure, I should recognize them. Even if they escape today, our snake-people will reclaim our honor in the future,” the gray-robed elder said, his eyes narrowing.
“Mm.” Yan Ci nodded, his eyes flashing with menace. They spread their wings and shot off in the direction of the black-robed figure.
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