The woman in the plain dress couldn't figure out why the Mulan Empire had suddenly become so aggressive, even to the point of risking conflict with the powerful figures in neighbouring empires.
"Sect Master Yun, since that mysterious presence has already disappeared from the border, there's no point in pursuing it further. We should return," the old man in the hemp robe suggested calmly.
"Very well," the woman in the plain dress nodded.
The two of them had rushed here after sensing what seemed like a presence surpassing the Dou Emperor level in this area. They had assumed it was a strong figure from the recently active Mulan Empire, but before they could investigate, the presence vanished.
With that, they spread their Dou Qi wings and flew off into the distance. Little did they know that if they had ventured a bit further, they might have discovered the severely injured Dan King lying in a small town...
---
**Two hours earlier.**
"This should be the Jia Ma Empire," a voice echoed from the void as space slowly twisted, revealing Xie Tianxiao hovering above a small town at the empire's border.
Although Xie Tianxiao's previous self, had spent much time in the north-western region he was mostly preoccupied with closed-door cultivation, so he wasn't too familiar with the exact borders of the Jia Ma Empire. After making a few wrong turns through other empires, he finally arrived at a small border town and confirmed that he had indeed reached the Jia Ma Empire.
"Hmm, there's a peak Dou emperor heading this way!" Xie Tianxiao noted with a hint of surprise as he sensed the powerful aura approaching him rapidly.
A peak Dou Huang was quite formidable—after all, more than half of the top ten experts in the Jia Ma Empire were only at the Dou King level, let alone a Dou emperor is at the pinnacle of their power.
"Could it be Jia Xing tian?" Xie Tianxiao speculated. He knew that aside from Jia Xing tian of the imperial family and Yun Shan, the old sect master of the misty cloud sect who was in seclusion, there weren't many others in the empire who could reach such a level.
"But wait, there's also a faint Dou king presence mixed in," Xie Tianxiao noticed, his expression showing some surprise.
"Whoosh!"
A sound like a sharp blade cutting through the air was heard, and a figure dressed in a green robe with a black bear emblem on it appeared. The person's eyes gleamed with a tinge of bloodlust, and behind him, a pair of large, blue Dou Qi wings flapped as he sped through the air, carrying an unconscious middle-aged man dressed in what had once been a luxurious white robe, now torn and tattered. The man was in a miserable state, covered in wounds.
"Strange, wasn't I only supposed to find that item? Why did the master want me to bring back some high-level alchemists from the empire too?" The figure muttered as he flew.
"What's that?" Suddenly, he noticed Xie Tianxiao in the distance. His pupils constricted, and his face showed shock and wariness.
"A Dou Ancestor!" Although Xie Tianxiao's aura was restrained, his ability to stand on the void was unmistakable. The sharp gaze in his eyes sent a chill down the figure's spine, making him feel an inexplicable sense of fear.
Without any hesitation, Xie Tianxiao took a step forward and appeared directly in front of the figure, speaking in a calm, emotionless tone, "You're not from the Jia Ma Empire, are you?"
Xie Tianxiao knew that Jia Xing tian's Dou Qi was earth-attributed, not blue, and the man before him was holding an injured middle-aged man, which further piqued his curiosity.
The calmness of Xie Tianxiao's voice made the figure tremble, but he quickly composed himself. "My lord, I am Lie Xiong, the Third Elder of the Mulan Valley in the Mulan Empire. I apologize if I have offended you in any way. May I ask why you are blocking my path?"
Lie Xiong knew that although the three elders of the Mulan Valley had recently mastered the "Three Beast Savage Art," allowing them to contend with a Dou ancestor together, he was alone now. There was no way he could fight against a Dou ancestor on his own, so he decided to play it safe.
"You haven't offended me," Xie Tianxiao replied indifferently, though he was inwardly amused. "So, this is one of the Mulan Valley's three elders," he thought. In the original story, the three elders had learned a technique that allowed them to hold their own against the Snake-People Queen Medusa, during their attack on the Jia Ma Empire.
Lie Xiong, relieved to hear this, respectfully asked, "My lord, since you are familiar with the Mulan Valley, may I take my leave if there is nothing else?"
Lie Xiong assumed that Xie Tianxiao must be a Dou ancestor from the north-western region, likely not too powerful. He didn't want to waste time here and requested to leave.
Xie Tianxiao nodded slightly but then pointed at the unconscious man in Lie Xiong's grip. "And Who is this man?"
"This..." Lie Xiong hesitated, knowing that his master had instructed him not to reveal any details about their mission, or else the entire Mulan Valley would face severe consequences. But now, Xie Tianxiao was asking about the man, putting Lie Xiong in a difficult position.
"I don't have time to waste here," Xie Tianxiao said coldly. A terrifying pressure emanated from him, causing the air around them to tremble violently.
Lie Xiong felt as if his bones were cracking under the pressure, his blood churning within him. He nearly spat out blood.
"He... He is Gu He, the pill King of the Jia Ma Empire, a sixth-tier alchemist," Lie Xiong stammered, his face covered in sweat. "I was only tasked with bringing him back. I don't know the exact reason, my lord!"
Lie Xiong was terrified. He had underestimated Xie Tianxiao, thinking him a newly ascended Dou ancestor, but now he realized that Xie Tianxiao's power was likely on par with or even greater than his master's.
"Oh? pill King Gu He?" Xie Tianxiao raised an eyebrow, then withdrew his pressure. He looked at the unconscious man and thought to himself, "So this is Yun Yun's admirer? Or maybe just a lovestruck fool? "
"But still, unrequited love is pointless," Xie Tianxiao mused. "Why be a lovesick fool when the other person has no interest in you? You're only hurting yourself."
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END