"Medusa!!!"
Yun Shan slowly turned around, his gaze falling upon the perfectly beautiful face that was a fusion of coldness, charm, and allure. His expression was incredibly grim. He felt an immense sense of danger coming from Queen Medusa, a feeling that he would perish if he made a move.
Although Yun Shan had broken through to Dou Ancestor slightly earlier than Jia Xingtian, he had only stabilized at the One-star Dou Ancestor realm, making him stronger than the recently advanced Jia Xingtian.
But Medusa was different. She had undergone a bloodline transformation, evolving from a sixth-rank Magical Beast to a seventh-rank.
Generally, a Magical Beast of the same rank, even one that had just broken through, was a formidable existence at that level. Not to mention, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python was an ancient species, and its power was terrifyingly strong.
In the original story, even after devouring Yun Shan, its strength was above a Six-star Dou Ancestor, but it still didn't dare to act rashly against Queen Medusa. In the end, it only left with Yao Lao's soul, sparing Xiao Yan's life.
Although Queen Medusa had also broken through not long ago, just like Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian, her strength was greater than both of them. If she were to make a move, Yun Shan's life would be in peril.
"Queen Medusa!"
Jia Xingtian looked at Yan Qingshan with surprise. He never expected that the hidden Dou Ancestor Yan Qingshan had brought was actually Queen Medusa. The thought of this woman's terrifying power made him involuntarily shudder; she was truly…
Yun Shan watched Queen Medusa warily. "Queen Medusa, why are you helping him against me? Both you and I have broken through to Dou Ancestor. In a life-and-death battle, while I might not be your match, do you really have absolute confidence that you can keep me here?"
"What if you add me to the mix?"
Despite his shock, Jia Xingtian immediately flew to another position, forming a pincer attack with Queen Medusa against Yun Shan.
Yun Shan's expression instantly changed. "Jia Xingtian, you accused me of conspiring with a tiger, but you yourself are colluding with the Snake-people! Don't forget, if they are not of our race, their hearts must be different."
Yun Shan's words did not sway Jia Xingtian. He could only turn to Queen Medusa. "Medusa, what terms did Jia Xingtian offer you? If you cooperate with me, you can get more."
Queen Medusa gave a cold and beautiful smile. "Heh heh... he hasn't agreed yet. However, that little scoundrel promised to help me break through and help the Snake-people leave the Tager Desert. He has already fulfilled the first promise, and even Jia Xingtian's breakthrough is his doing!"
Jia Xingtian responded in a deep voice, "Your Majesty can rest assured. Mr. Yan has a great debt of gratitude to our Jia Ma Empire. The empire will spare no effort to fulfill the promises he has made."
"Heh heh... do you two think you've got me cornered?"
Yun Shan's gaze flickered between the two of them, his expression becoming even uglier. Their auras were locked onto him, ready to strike like lightning at his slightest movement.
"Elder Sect Master Yun, if you are still deluded, then I'll have to let you experience despair. Elder Yao, please make your move!"
Yan Qingshan spoke again from below. Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian were both startled. A figure shrouded in a black robe moved abruptly. A powerful spiritual force made Yun Shan's head feel fuzzy. In an instant, he was slammed onto the ground.
"Master!"
When Yun Shan landed, Yun Yun quickly ran over and helped him up. Yun Shan's head was still swimming. It took him a while to become a little more lucid. As he panted heavily, he stared in the direction of the black-robed person. "A spiritual force that leaves me without any power to resist... you are at least an Eighth-rank alchemist.
There is absolutely no powerhouse like you near our Jia Ma Empire. Who are you?"
Yan Qingshan walked over and said calmly, "Elder Sect Master Yun, you reap what you sow. The Hall of Souls is indeed strange and powerful, but they are not without rivals.
Elder Yao has an irreconcilable feud with the Hall of Souls. If you are still deluded and unwilling to turn back, I can't save you!"
"Fine... this old man concedes. You have gone to so much trouble. What exactly do you want from me?"
Yun Shan's expression changed several times. He was also afraid of death and didn't want to die for nothing. In this situation, if he didn't compromise, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to leave Misty Cloud Mountain at all.
"That's easy. It's best that Elder Sect Master Yun is willing to talk things through. After all, cooperation leads to a win-win situation. We are all people of the Jia Ma Empire; what is there that we can't talk about?
Elder Sect Master Yun, you wish to revitalize the Misty Cloud Sect. Cooperating with the Hall of Souls is undoubtedly the worst possible option.
However, I understand that although the Jia Ma Empire is vast, its current territory and resources can barely support one Dou Ancestor. To become stronger and make the Misty Cloud Sect more prosperous, we can expand the Jia Ma Empire's foundation.
When the Jia Ma Empire's influence grows, the Snake-people can get better territories, the royal family can control more lands, and the Misty Cloud Sect can influence a wider area.
This way, it benefits everyone. We have many Dou Ancestor powerhouses; conquering new territories shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
"What is your plan?"
Yun Shan's eyes lit up. What Yan Qingshan said was true. Ultimately, the development of the Misty Cloud Sect depended on its territory. There were four Dou Ancestors present; this level of strength was extremely rare, not to mention in the surrounding regions, but even in the entire Northwest Continent. Their cooperation would surely lead to more benefits.
"The Great Assembly of Powerhouses, but we don't need to be the ones to connect with them."
The corner of Yan Qingshan's mouth curved into a smile as he looked at Yun Shan, speaking in a deep voice. "Surely the protector from the Hall of Souls has been urging Sect Master Yun to help them collect souls! The Hall of Souls has repeatedly instigated conflicts to collect souls, and this time, we can turn their plan against them.
As far as I know, among the empires neighboring ours, the Golden Geese Sect, the Mulan Valley, and the Ten Thousand Scorpions gate are all like the Misty Cloud Sect; their higher-ups have ties to the Hall of Souls.
Especially Yan Luotian and Xie Biyan, they very likely broke through to Dou Ancestor with the help of the Hall of Souls.
Elder Sect Master Yun can use the pretext of strengthening the Misty Cloud Sect's influence to ask the Hall of Souls for help in launching a Four-Nation Great Assembly of Powerhouses.
The Hall of Souls, in order to get the souls of powerhouses, will most likely agree and push for it. Since the higher-ups of those three sects are all involved with the Hall of Souls, they will agree even if they are dissatisfied..."
…
Misty Cloud Sect was exceptionally lively today. Powerhouses came and went like a tide, including some of the top ten powerhouses on the Jia Ma list. The gathering of so many powerhouses made Misty Cloud Sect the focus of the Jia Ma Empire and even the neighboring countries.
Half a month ago, with the spread of a piece of news, the entire Jia Ma Empire boiled over. The old Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, came out of seclusion, successfully breaking through to Dou Ancestor and becoming the Jia Ma Empire's number one powerhouse. The emergence of a Dou Ancestor was met with congratulations from the entire country, and the Misty Cloud Sect's prestige soared.
Following this, the old Sect Master Yun Shan announced a piece of news that moved the entire Jia Ma Empire. In order to demonstrate the empire's might and reclaim what originally belonged to the Jia Ma Empire, the Misty Cloud Sect, on behalf of the empire, launched a Great Assembly of Powerhouses, inviting the Luo Yan, Mulan, and Chu Yun Three Empires to hold the assembly.
The term "Great Assembly of Powerhouses" was foreign to some of the younger generation, but for the older generation, it was a heavy term that represented a rather humiliating past.
The Jia Ma Empire had once been a very prominent name in the Northwest Continent, especially during the Misty Cloud Sect's heyday, when Venerable Yun Potian's authority suppressed the region, almost rivaling the three top forces of the Northwest Continent that had Dou Venerate powerhouses, such as the Sky Serpent Mansion and the Lion-maned Sect.
However, with the fall of Venerable Yun Potian, the Misty Cloud Sect gradually declined, and by this generation, it was incredibly weak until the recent emergence of the Dou Ancestor Yun Shan.
After the decline of the Misty Cloud Sect, the Jia Ma Empire, which originally had vast territories, also suffered multiple blows. Many of its interests were carved up, and it was unable to maintain its own rights due to its lack of strength.
Decades ago, when the Jia Ma Empire had no Dou Ancestor, the more powerful Chu Yun Empire invaded. The Jia Ma Empire could only respond to the battle by holding a Great Assembly of Powerhouses.
In that great battle, the Jia Ma Empire repelled the invading powerhouses from the Chu Yun Empire, but many of the older generation of powerhouses perished on the spot, and many more did not survive due to severe injuries.
Among the top ten powerhouses of that era, only the royal family's guardian Jia Xingtian, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong (who was said to have fallen but had recently reappeared), the president of the Alchemist Association, Fa Ma, and the now Dou Ancestor breakthrough, the old Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, remained.
Before this, due to the empire's lack of strength, every Great Assembly of Powerhouses saw the Jia Ma Empire's side being extremely passive, barely maintaining peace.
But this time, it was the first time in over a hundred years that the Jia Ma Empire had proactively invited and launched a Great Assembly of Powerhouses, and it even intended to settle the grudges of the four nations at once. It must be said that when this news came out, many people greatly admired the audacity of the old Sect Master Yun Shan.
"Everyone, you should all be clear about my master's intentions. This Great Assembly of Powerhouses is not only the will of the Misty Cloud Sect but has also received the approval of the royal family. Therefore, there is no need for any of you to have any reservations."
Inside the main hall of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Yun spoke eloquently. Below, seated were mostly the top ten powerhouses of this generation, including the Pill King Gu He, the Lion King Yan Shi, the Windwalker Feng Li, the Lightning King Lei Na, Nalan Jie, Mu Chen, and Mitel Tengshan, among many other powerhouses.
Among these powerhouses, an old man wearing an alchemist's robe had the highest cultivation. He was Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Association, a Nine-star Dou Emperor. He was a powerhouse of the same era as Yun Shan, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong. Sitting with him at the moment was the recently-recovered Hai Bodong.
Fa Ma sipped his hot tea and chatted idly with Hai Bodong, his words, however, directly hitting the key point. "Old Hai, what have your Mitel Clan and the royal family been up to these days? How did you get involved with Yun Shan again? And where's that old man Jia Xingtian?"
"Heh heh, this old man knows nothing about those things. I'm just a runner. Anyway, it's no use asking me."
Hai Bodong just chuckled and changed the subject. After taking the Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill, he had recovered his strength, and through hard cultivation, he had broken through to the peak of the Six-star Dou Emperor rank, not far from breaking through to a Seven-star Dou Emperor.
Fa Ma's white eyebrows furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Yun Shan only made a brief appearance, and that old man Jia has been acting mysteriously and is nowhere to be seen these days. And you, you old man, I have a feeling you guys are up to something big."