"Phew~ that scared me to death. Who was that person? How could they be so terrifying? Just their aura made me feel utterly powerless."
In the Tagor Oasis, within a nascent forest that, while not exactly lush, was full of Life Force and striving to become a primeval dense forest, a figure completely shrouded in a Black Robe let out a long sigh of relief.
Beneath the black veil, stirred by the gentle Wind, a clear, thin young face was faintly visible, bearing a look of lingering fear.
Hearing Xiao Yan's mutterings, Yao Chen's voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind:
"Why did you have to be so reckless, kid? Stealing Fire is one thing, but you even went after Medusa's new body."
He couldn't help but admire Xiao Yan's knack for courting death. A mere Great Dou Master actually dared to think about keeping the body of a Peak Dou Emperor powerhouse after its evolution as a pet.
Hearing Yao Chen's complaints, Xiao Yan subconsciously touched his nose, then gave a dry laugh. Looking at the Nine-Colored Little Snake wrapped around his wrist like a ribbon, he began to defend himself:
"This little thing is so beautiful, anyone would be tempted. Besides, didn't Teacher praise its Talent? This is an ancient Variant Beast with unlimited Potential, likely to grow into a Dou Sheng powerhouse in the future. If I can make it my own, it's no worse than controlling a Heavenly Flame. I need to build a good relationship with this Little Guy now, while it's like a newborn. It could be a helper and partner in the future."
Xiao Yan stroked the little snake sleeping soundly on his wrist. He simply couldn't associate it with that crazy Peak Dou Emperor woman.
Right now, it was just a slender little snake, only about two centimeters long. Its body was covered in tiny, colored scales, and looking closely, there were actually Nine Colors, making it extremely vibrant.
Its pale purple snake eyes held a hint of something bewitching. An unusual, fresh fragrance lingered around its body. Although it was currently just a snake body, it exuded an air of elegance and nobility.
The little snake showed no sign of ferocity; instead, it was excessively beautiful. Even though Xiao Yan didn't have strong feelings about such things, when that terrifying aura descended, he still instinctively brought it with him.
Yao Chen was silent for a moment, then reminded him again:
"Don't be fooled by how small and cute it is, and how it seems to have no offensive capability. But that Medusa will wake up someday, and once she does, she will definitely be a Dou Sect level existence. Your little body isn't enough for her to press down with one finger."
He paused, remaining silent for a while longer, before saying:
"You must have felt how terrifying the person who arrived earlier was. From their reaction, it seems they were specifically looking for this Medusa. It's very likely they are her elder. You..."
He was Xiao Yan's Teacher, but not his nanny. Some things, if he informed Xiao Yan of the consequences and Xiao Yan still chose to do them, he wouldn't just let it go, but he would certainly make him bear the fruit of his actions.
Hearing Yao Chen's words, Xiao Yan involuntarily shivered. Even from a great distance, he could feel his Soul trembling from that aura. If Old Yao hadn't been there, he likely would have collapsed on the spot.
After a long time, he lowered his head, spread his hands, and said:
"Teacher, even if I wanted to send her back now, she probably wouldn't want to. And if that person really is her elder, going back would likely be walking into a Net, being angrily slapped to death by him... Alas, things have come to this. I can only take it one step at a time. Little Guy, I'll treat you well with good food and drink, so don't repay kindness with enmity!"
He unconsciously poked the Nine-Colored Little Snake on his wrist again, talking nonsense while looking into its clear, innocent eyes.
Xiao Yan had an indescribable feeling. This little snake was definitely not dispensable to him, but if he had to say why, he didn't know. In the end, he could only attribute it to being an ancient Variant Beast with infinite Potential, which would surely be a great helper once it grew up.
Then, he contacted Yao Chen in his mind again, asking with Doubt:
"How can there be such a terrifying existence among the Snake People Tribe? Does Teacher know who he is?"
The relationship between Yun Shan and the previous Queen of the Snake People Tribe wasn't exactly a secret in the Jia Ma Empire, but no one would specifically mention it to a junior like Xiao Yan. As for Yao Chen, he was in seclusion in the Storage Ring and knew very little about the outside world.
However, while Yao Chen didn't know about the relationship between Yun Shan and the previous Queen, when it came to the identity of the person who arrived, he did feel somewhat familiar.
He heard Xiao Yan's question, remained silent for a long time, then said vaguely:
"In the Jia Ma Empire, there is probably only one person with such Strength."
When he traveled the Continent, he had passed through this Northwestern Continent. But at that time, although the Jia Ma Empire seemed to be on the rise, it didn't have the Foundation it did now. Moreover, when he passed through the Northwestern Region, Tagor wasn't an oasis, but a Desert.
And at that time, Yun Shan was merely a high-level Dou Sect. Although he was considered a top-tier powerhouse in this Northwestern Region, in his eyes, he was nothing significant. If he hadn't sensed that Yun Shan's Cultivation method seemed related to Zhao Li, he wouldn't have paid much attention to Yun Shan at all.
He hadn't expected that the next time he sensed Yun Shan's aura, he would have already reached Dou Venerate Peak. Even in his current state, he found it tricky and didn't want to face his edge directly.
Thinking of this, Yao Chen felt a hint of bitterness in his heart. Decades ago, he himself was already a Half-Saint powerhouse, while Yun Shan was just a small Dou Sect. But decades later, although he had survived and made considerable progress, compared to Yun Shan's progress, he seemed somewhat inferior by comparison.
"Alas, if I hadn't suffered this calamity, I should be a true Dou Sheng by now, right?"
Perhaps it was because Cultivation as a Soul body was too easy, although it took him a considerable amount of Time and effort to enter the Emperor Realm Soul, his Soul Power steadily increased all the way until he broke through to Emperor Realm Soul.
Therefore, even now, Yao Chen hadn't realized what Emperor Realm Soul truly meant. He was actually regretting losing decades of Cultivation Time because he was imagining himself breaking through to Dou Sheng.
Xiao Yan didn't know what Yao Chen was thinking. When he heard Yao Chen's answer, he was stunned for a moment. Only after a short while did he react, saying in disbelief:
"That person is... Yun Shan? The legendary old Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect among the people of the Jia Ma Empire?"
Thinking of this, he suddenly understood. If it was that person, such terror seemed understandable.
But even though he understood, after knowing the person's identity, he only felt his body go weak, feeling that his future was bleak. With Yun Shan's prestige in the Jia Ma Empire, he couldn't hide at all!
"Am I just incompatible with the Cloud Mist Sect? First there was Nalan Yanran, and that was one thing, but now I casually picked up a little snake and ended up provoking a Big Boss."
Xiao Yan complained in his heart. He felt like no matter what he did, he couldn't avoid the Cloud Mist Sect.
After a long while, he suppressed the complex thoughts in his mind. Then he looked at the little snake, and then at the Green Lotus Core Flame sealed by Yao Chen in the Storage Ring. Gritting his teeth, he pushed aside the scene in his mind of Medusa being burned to death by it, no longer hesitating, and continued to call out to Yao Chen:
"Teacher, let's find a place and Devour this Green Lotus Core Flame first."
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