Gu Fei had now become a prominent figure in the Jia Ma Empire. His exploits were widely spread by travelers and commoners alike, and the neighboring empires were well aware of him. However, for someone like Yan Luo Tian- Gu Fei, who was gradually being deified in these tales, such stories were hard to believe. He dismissed them as nothing more than exaggerated rumors spread by the people of the Jia Ma Empire.
The story about him supposedly killing some ridiculous Protector Wu with a single strike? Yan Luotian thought it was all nonsense. The so-called Protector Wu's power was greatly exaggerated; in reality, it was just a soul form. It was common knowledge that a soul separated from its body would lose most of its strength. Destroying a mere soul was nothing impressive.
Yan Luo Tian felt that the people of the Jia Ma Empire didn't even know how to create believable stories; they were full of obvious flaws. Moreover, even if Gu Fei were truly powerful, could he really stand against the combined forces of more than a dozen empires?
"I didn't expect Yun Shan to show up…" Jia Xing Tian was surprised to see Yun Shan stepping forward. Yun Shan seemed like a completely different person compared to a few days ago.
"Jia Xing Tian, gather the imperial army and prepare for defense!" Yun Shan glanced at Jia Xing Tian, whose expression turned serious. Although Jia Xing Tian had initially planned to let the invaders through to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, now that Yun Shan had intervened, he had no choice but to take action. Otherwise, the reputation of the Jia Ma royal family would be completely overshadowed by the Misty Cloud Sect.
"Prepare for defense!" Jia Xing Tian ordered. The previously disheartened Mu Zhan immediately became invigorated. The men of the Mu family were known for their fighting spirit, and Mu Zhan believed that dying on the battlefield was far better than surrendering their homeland to the enemy.
"Gather the army! We will defend to the death!" Mu Zhan shouted.
The empire's soldiers, who were already resolute, grew even more confident upon seeing the arrival of the Misty Cloud Sect's strong forces. Their morale surged, and their combined momentum was now comparable to that of the imperial coalition.
Yan Luo Tian, who had initially intended to let the army pass through, was now frustrated by Yun Shan's interference. "Yun Shan, let's see how much you've improved over the years!"
Yan Luo Tian charged directly at Yun Shan, initiating a battle between the two. Since the Jia Ma Empire had only one Dou Ancestor, Yun Shan had no choice but to engage him.
With golden wings flapping behind him, Yan Luotian shot toward Yun Shan like a golden streak of light, moving so fast that Yun Shan was shocked and could only hastily defend himself.
"Not much improvement, I see!" Yan Luotian's fist struck Yun Shan's chest. Although Yun Shan managed to block the blow, he was still shaken, his blood churning.
Yan Luo Tian's eyes gleamed sharply like an eagle's as a golden light gathered in his hand, transforming into a dazzling golden sword. The sharp aura emanating from the sword made Yun Shan feel as if his Dou Qi was being continuously sliced apart.
"You want to defend the Snake-People Tribe? Then let's see if you can defend yourself from annihilation first!" Yan Luotian's entire body suddenly trembled, the golden light around him becoming even more brilliant. The golden sword in his hand merged with the light, which then split into countless golden feathers that rained down on Yun Shan like a net.
Unable to face such a ferocious attack head-on, Yun Shan had to take to the air, trying to evade the assault. However, the golden feathers were inescapable, like a web covering the sky. Within a few breaths, Yun Shan was already in a sorry state, with residual golden light still clinging to him.
"This is bad!" Jia Xing Tian, seeing Yun Shan being overwhelmed, wanted to assist him. If Yun Shan fell, their army would be annihilated in an instant. However, just as he moved, three old men appeared before him.
"You, a mere Dou Emperor, should stay out of a Dou Ancestor's fight. Let us three take care of you." When Jia Xing Tian saw these three, his expression grew tense—they were the three elders from the Mulan Empire.
Together, the three of them could unleash power equivalent to that of a low-tier Dou Ancestor, while Jia Xing Tian was only a Dou Emperor. There was no way he could withstand their combined strength.
"Enough talk! Take him down, and the Jia Ma Empire will be ours to divide!" one of the Mulan elders declared. His blood surged, his aura growing more feral, and soon his body began to transform, his head morphing into that of a tiger.
The other two elders also underwent similar transformations, one turning into a lion and the other into a bear.
"So, this is the Three Beast Savage Skill?" Jia Xing Tian's gaze turned grave as he took a deep breath. He knew he had to fight carefully today, or it would be the end of him.
"Kill!" The Mulan elders shouted in unison, launching their attack on Jia Xing Tian. The terrifying Dou Qi rushed toward him, leaving no room to dodge. Jia Xing Tian had no choice but to confront it head-on. Fortunately, his Dou Qi was earth-based, allowing him to avoid being instantly defeated.
But with both Yun Shan and Jia Xing Tian at a disadvantage, their downfall seemed inevitable. Just as they were on the brink of defeat, a loud voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
"So many of you have come. Looks like all the nearby imperial forces are here! How convenient!" Yan Luo Tian, upon hearing the voice, forced Yun Shan back with a sword strike. He stepped back and looked toward the source of the voice, where he sensed a terrifying presence.
"May I ask who the senior is? This is a conflict between us, the Snake-People Tribe, and the Jia Ma Empire. Please do not interfere," Yan Luo Tian said in a submissive tone.
"You're bullying my wife, and you want me to stay out of it?"
A gust of wind blew, and a colossal creature appeared, carrying two figures. The newcomers were none other than Gu Fei, Cai Lin, and the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Yan Luo Tian didn't recognize Gu Fei, but he did recognize Queen Medusa. Upon seeing Gu Fei, both Yun Shan and Jia Xing Tian were overjoyed and quickly moved closer. "Young Master Gu, you've finally arrived," they said.
"That's Gu Fei!" "He is Gu Fei!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Luotian and the Mu Lan elders were shocked. The powerful figure they had been referring to was none other than the very same Gu Fei they had dismissed as a myth.
Yan Luo Tian was quick to adapt. Just the Amethyst Winged Lion King alone was more than they could handle, not to mention Gu Fei himself. "Senior, we did not realize this was Young Master Gu. Had we known of your relationship with the Snake-People Tribe, we would never have dared to come!"
Yan Luo Tian, seeing how close Gu Fei and Queen Medusa were, immediately guessed their relationship. The woman Gu Fei referred to as his wife was Queen Medusa.
"Regret it now? But it's too late." Gu Fei had no interest in further conversation. With a casual motion, he reached out toward Yan Luo Tian. Feeling a terrifying pressure, Yan Luo Tian desperately tried to escape, but before he could move, he felt himself being grabbed.
With a squeeze, Gu Fei crushed Yan Luo Tian, then summoned a heavenly flame to burn him to ashes.
The Mulan elders were terrified, rendered speechless. Their instinct was to flee, but in the face of Gu Fei's overwhelming power, escape was impossible.