Chapter 207: Medusa: "In the End, Who Betrayed Whom?"
In the sky above, two streaks of light streaked past like lightning, slicing through the air. The immense pressure left behind two deep trails in the sea of trees below, pushing the forest canopy apart in both directions, unable to recover for a long time.
"Grand Elder, what's wrong with Zi Yan?" Lu Bu asked, his cyan flame wings flapping rhythmically behind him. Silver light flickered beneath his feet as he used Three Thousand Lightning Movement to close the distance between himself and Su Qian. His voice was heavy with urgency.
"I don't know either." Su Qian's face was dark, with faint hints of anxiety in his eyes. "In Zi Yan's exclusive training chamber on the sixth floor of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower, a massive purple energy cocoon has appeared. It's frantically absorbing energy from the tower."
"You know how volatile the energy within the tower is. I don't even know what this purple cocoon is…"
Hearing this, Lu Bu paused for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh, no problem Zi Yan is likely advancing."
No wonder that little girl hadn't shown up recently. Turns out she was advancing to the Dou Huang realm.
"Advancing? How do you know?" Su Qian asked, confused. He was the one who had brought Zi Yan to the Inner Academy, so he should've known about her advancement.
"When I brought her to the Inner Academy, she was already at the Dou Ling stage. I heard she advanced to Dou Wang in some cave outside the academy," Su Qian explained with a wry smile. "At the time, I was busy guarding the Fallen Heart Flame and didn't have the energy to look after her."
"No wonder Zi Yan is so indifferent toward you…" Lu Bu remarked with a faint smirk.
Su Qian's face turned even darker, but he couldn't refute it. Still, even though Lu Bu's explanation calmed his nerves slightly, Su Qian's expression remained serious. "The tower's energy is infused with the fire poison of the Fallen Heart Flame. Even I can't fully resist it…"
"I understand. I'll bring Zi Yan out immediately," Lu Bu replied with a nod. Su Qian's concerns were valid.
Magical beasts were naturally fearful of fire, and Zi Yan was no exception. She had avoided training in the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower for as long as possible until Lu Bu subdued the Fallen Heart Flame and removed its sentience. Only then did she begin using the tower for cultivation.
Before that, Zi Yan had avoided the tower as much as she could. Each month, she would reluctantly enter, grit her teeth, and use up her fire energy in one go before rushing out to gather medicinal herbs. She wouldn't return to the tower until the next month.
Even after getting to know Lu Bu, Zi Yan had initially harbored a subconscious fear of him because of his control over the Green Lotus Core Flame. However, her knowledge of Lu Bu's kind hearted nature as a healer and alchemist had gradually erased this fear, especially after tasting his flame cooked medicinal pills and dishes.
"Do the Inner Academy students know about Zi Yan's situation?" Lu Bu asked.
"No. I instructed Elder Qu to seal off the area. Only a few people are aware," Su Qian replied.
"What about Xiao Yan?" Lu Bu's tone grew sharper. Although he knew Zi Yan was unlikely to reconcile with Xiao Yan, he still remained wary of any involvement from him regarding Zi Yan's affairs.
"He's not in the academy," Su Qian explained. "Xiao Yan, the Medicine Sovereign, and the deputy headmaster have gone to hunt Gong Heng, supposedly to gather materials for a puppet… because of something you inspired."
"Hahaha…" Lu Bu chuckled with satisfaction. It seemed his indirect actions had worked out well, sending Xiao Yan and Yao Lao away just in time to prevent them from discovering Zi Yan's secret.
"Speaking of Xiao Yan… Lu Bu, Nalan Yanran came looking for both him and you," Su Qian mentioned, as if suddenly recalling something.
"Oh?" Lu Bu's eyes narrowed. If Nalan Yanran was seeking him out, it was likely related to the Jia Ma Empire. Cloud Mist Sect had sent word earlier, mentioning its alliance with Xiao Yi Xian's Poison Sect to resist the forces of the Falling Goose Empire's coalition.
The two sides were evenly matched, with both possessing a Dou Zong powerhouse, creating a stalemate in terms of high level combat strength.
However, the Falling Goose Empire had absorbed many of the former Mu Lan Empire's experts and had the strength of the Golden Goose Sect. While they were weaker than the alliance of the Serpent People, Jia Ma Empire, and Poison Sect, they were still able to hold their ground, resulting in a balanced struggle.
Could this message indicate a shift in the situation?
It didn't seem likely. The Serpent People had unique secret techniques to contact Medusa in emergencies. In the original story, this was how the Serpent People had summoned Medusa back from protecting Zi Yan and Xiao Yan.
But during this time, Medusa hadn't mentioned anything to Lu Bu. This meant the situation likely wasn't dire. He decided to first resolve Zi Yan's situation before addressing Nalan Yanran's concerns.
"Oh, by the way, Grand Elder, here's the pill I promised you," Lu Bu said suddenly, flicking his fingers. A jade bottle containing a green and red pill landed in Su Qian's hand.
"The Youth Restoring Pill?" Su Qian asked, his face lighting up with joy. This would speed up his cultivation even further!
"Hahaha… Lu Bu, I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Su Qian laughed heartily, his previous grievances against Lu Bu seemingly forgotten.
"Let's go. Zi Yan's situation takes priority," Lu Bu said, lightning flashing beneath his feet as thunder echoed softly. A flicker of afterimages appeared as his speed surged again.
Su Qian raised an eyebrow. The Three Thousand Lightning Movement technique was indeed extraordinary. If they were of equal strength, he might struggle to keep up with Lu Bu.
With a few rapid flashes, the two vanished into the sky.
Inside the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower
Elder Qu had already led a group of Dou Wang instructors to clear away the gathered crowd and prohibit anyone from approaching.
Those who could train on the sixth floor were few in number, primarily the top 20 or 30 ranked on the Strongest Ranking. Most of them were Dou Ling level students with significant strength, the minimum requirement for accessing this floor.
When they noticed the disturbance centered around the exclusive chamber of the Strongest Ranking's number one, their curiosity was piqued. However, they wisely followed the instructors' orders and left without argument. After all, that room belonged to the "Force King." Angering her might result in a single punch leaving them bedridden for months.
Lin Xiuya, Liu Qing, and Yan Hao exchanged glances and silently turned away. Unlike Lu Bu, who could slay Dou Wangs, they stood no chance against Zi Yan's overwhelming strength.
In the crowd, Nalan Yanran glanced curiously at the exclusive chamber for the Strongest Ranking's number one. Her current strength and resources allowed her free access to the sixth floor.
Thanks to a specialized detoxifying pill prepared by Xiao Yan, she could stay in the tower twice as long as most others, even if she couldn't match Lu Bu or Xiao Yan, who possessed heavenly flames.
If it weren't for the sect's current difficulties, Nalan Yanran would've considered staying in the Inner Academy until she reached the Dou Wang level before leaving.
But speaking of Lu Bu… wasn't he close with Zi Yan? Why wasn't he here?
As these thoughts passed through her mind, the silhouettes of Su Qian and Lu Bu suddenly appeared at the staircase entrance.
"All students, leave immediately!" Su Qian ordered sternly, his expression dark.
The students instinctively shrank back, hastily retreating. Su Qian's authority within the Inner Academy left no room for defiance.
In the blink of an eye, the sixth floor of the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower was completely emptied. With a flicker of movement, Lu Bu appeared in front of Zi Yan's exclusive training chamber.
"Who's there uh…" Elder Qu instinctively bellowed but quickly swallowed the rest of his words upon seeing who it was.
It was Lu Bu. Among the elders, everyone was already well aware of his extraordinary abilities. Despite being a student and even younger than Lin Xiuya, he had already advanced to the Dou Huang realm. Not only that, he was also a skilled alchemist.
Compared to Lu Bu, these elders felt as though their own lives had been wasted. Such talent filled them with so much shame that they sometimes wanted to end it all with a knife. However… considering the number of students still under their care, they reluctantly decided to keep living for the time being.
"Greetings, Elder Qu," Lu Bu nodded slightly. He had seen this elder before.
During the incident when Han Feng's hidden agents attempted to sabotage the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower, this elder had appeared but was temporarily repelled by the Sea Heart Flame. That gave Lu Bu the opportunity to suppress the hidden agent himself.
"I'll handle things here," Lu Bu said, and with a flicker of his body, he entered the training chamber.
Zi Yan's exclusive chamber was noticeably different from others. It was spacious enough to resemble a proper room, complete with enough space to set up a bed for a comfortable rest.
In the center of the room lay a massive purple energy cocoon, greedily absorbing the surrounding energy. A small energy vortex was faintly visible inside it, but within the vortex, strands of peculiar orange yellow energy tinged with gray white flickered occasionally.
It was fire poison.
Lu Bu spread out his senses, carefully scanning every detail. After a moment, he exhaled softly, "Thankfully, it's not too serious."
From within his robe, a small seven colored serpent poked out its head. Its crystalline eyes curiously observed the purple cocoon. Unable to discern much, its eyes flashed and transformed into a pair of enchanting, peach blossom shaped eyes.
Medusa, now in her serpent form, watched the purple cocoon with concern. Being a magical beast herself, she could sense the pervasive fire poison in the room. While not overpowering, it was undeniably troublesome.
Lu Bu approached the cocoon, patted it twice, and spoke gently, "Zi Yan, I'm going to move you to a different location now.
"I'll try my best to keep things stable, so don't worry."
Buzz… buzz… buzz…
The purple cocoon flickered twice, transmitting a silent message, something along the lines of "Got it" or "Okay."
Lu Bu waved his sleeve, and under his control, the silver hued Earth Demon Puppet carefully picked up the purple cocoon. Its upper body remained steady, while its legs moved mechanically, swiftly heading toward the tower exit.
Nodding in approval, Lu Bu activated his Three Thousand Lightning Movement and followed closely. However, just as Lu Bu and the Earth Demon Puppet were about to ascend into the sky, a soft voice called out to him.
"Lu Bu!"
Turning around, Lu Bu saw Nalan Yanran.
"This is a letter from my teacher for you."
With a swish, a letter flew toward him.
Lu Bu caught it with a wave of his hand, nodded slightly, then flapped his cyan flame wings and left with the Earth Demon Puppet and the purple cocoon.
Nalan Yanran's lips twitched as she let out a soft sigh. She just couldn't connect with Lu Bu. Better to wait for Xiao Yan's return before making any decisions.
With this thought, she turned and re entered the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower to continue her training. She wanted to reach the six star Dou Ling realm before returning to her sect.
On the other side, Lu Bu found a secluded and quiet valley where he carefully placed Zi Yan down.
A flash of light signaled Medusa's reappearance. She glanced at the purple cocoon that Zi Yan had transformed into and frowned slightly. "The spiritual energy here isn't as abundant as it is in the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower…"
Not every location was a spiritual haven or a blessed land. Judging by the density of spiritual energy in the valley, it might take Zi Yan a long time to complete her advancement.
"Hmm… it's not a big problem. I have a solution!" Lu Bu said after a moment of thought. He stomped his foot, and runes began to spread from beneath him. In the blink of an eye, a circular formation materialized.
As the formation activated, the surrounding spiritual energy surged violently. Within moments, the valley's energy became much denser nearly twice as concentrated as before.
It was a Spirit Gathering Array. Lu Bu had used this technique before in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Back then, his body had been too fragile to fully utilize the Devouring Ancient Symbol's power, so he had let the spiritual energy dissipate after advancing.
"And the fire poison?" Medusa asked, raising another troublesome issue. Zi Yan had been exposed to it earlier.
"That's not a problem either." Lu Bu pointed his finger at his brow, and a profound black rune flickered to life. Threads of dark devouring energy spread out, piercing into the purple cocoon.
Moments later, a strange orange yellow light tinged with gray white emerged in Lu Bu's palm. With a casual flick, he threw it onto a nearby tree. The tree instantly withered, turning yellow and brittle as faint flames ignited.
Buzz… buzz… buzz…
The purple cocoon flickered, radiating a pleasant and relaxed emotion.
Medusa smiled softly, her worries dissipating. As expected, nothing could truly stump her little man. He could solve anything, making her feel an unparalleled sense of security.
Without realizing it, Medusa extended her arms and embraced Lu Bu's waist, leaning into his chest.
"What's this about?" Lu Bu was briefly stunned by the sudden warmth of her embrace. Medusa wasn't usually this forward in expressing her emotions, except during their dual cultivation sessions.
"Nothing… I just wanted to hold you for a bit," Medusa said with a soft laugh, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her brows arched into a gentle smile, her face radiant. She bore no resemblance to the ruthless, fearsome Queen of the Serpent People who had once made even Hai Bodong tremble.
Lu Bu chuckled, wrapping his arm around her slender waist. The smooth and flawless sensation made his heart flutter.
This was a true snake demon a true snake like waist!
"Don't get any ideas!" Medusa playfully scolded, quickly stopping Lu Bu's wandering hand. "Zi Yan is still here!"
"Wouldn't that make it more exciting?" Lu Bu teased with a mischievous grin.
Medusa narrowed her eyes. Oh, go on, keep teasing me. Let's see how bold you really are!
But then, a new thought crossed her mind, making her heartbeat quicken. While Zi Yan was a no go… what about in front of Yun Yun?
Thump thump thump!
Medusa's heart raced. For some reason, that idea seemed oddly appealing tempting, even!
On the other side, with nothing pressing to do, Lu Bu flicked his fingers, summoning a white letter that carried a faint fragrance. It was time to see what was happening in the Jia Ma Empire.
"A letter from Yun Yun?" Medusa glanced at it, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Yeah, that's right," Lu Bu replied.
"You're holding me, yet you're reading a letter from another woman?" Medusa suddenly sounded annoyed. For the first time, she found that the embrace she enjoyed so much wasn't quite as sweet as before.
"So, who's really cheating on whom? Is it me, or Yun Yun?"
"Uh… how about we read it together?" Lu Bu scratched his head awkwardly.
Smack!
Medusa snatched the letter from his hand with a slightly sullen expression and began reading it herself.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen