Chapter 214: Izumo Empire Douhuang
On the other side, Yanli and the other two were plotting their escape from the Jiama Empire in a hidden corner. Yanli, the leader of the three, had a gloomy face, with unwillingness and anger flashing in his eyes.
He knew clearly that his actions at the Alchemy Conference had put his position in the Gama Empire in jeopardy. If he did not leave quickly, he would probably be in even greater trouble.
Arriving at the entrance of an empty alley, Yan Li said to the two people behind him in a deep voice: "We must leave here as soon as possible. The Alchemist Guild and Fa Ma of the Jia Ma Empire will not let us go. I have already written to the top leaders of the Izumo Empire, and they will send a Douhuang-level expert to meet us outside the imperial capital."
Among Yan Li's two black-robed subordinates, the alchemist from the Mulan Empire asked with a trembling voice, "Master Yan Li, have our identities really been exposed?"
Another alchemist from Luoyan Empire added: "Yes, Master Yanli, we used the 'Rejuvenation Pill' and our appearance has been restored to that of our youth. They should not be able to see our true identity. Even though our attitude was a bit arrogant before, our age does meet the requirements for participating in this alchemist conference. They should have no reason to take action against us, right?"
Hearing his men's panicked inquiries, Yan Li couldn't help but recall the cold gazes in the VIP seats and Xiao Yan's ridicule towards him.
Although he couldn't confirm the specific situation, Yan Li already had an ominous premonition in his heart. He said in a deep voice: "According to my observation, we may have been discovered. Even if our identities have not been exposed, the Jia Ma Empire is not our territory after all. It is better for us to leave as soon as possible."
Immediately, Yan Li snorted coldly, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes: "Don't worry, I have made careful arrangements. The Douhuang strongmen of the Izumo Empire will meet us at the border and lead us across the border to safely reach the territory of the Izumo Empire. There, we can get a more solid shelter."
There was an unquestionable determination in Yanli's words, which slightly calmed the uneasiness in the hearts of the two subordinates.
"Master, since you have made all the arrangements, let's proceed according to the plan." The alchemist of the Mulan Empire took a deep breath and tried to calm himself.
The alchemist of Luoyan Empire also nodded in agreement, "Yes, Master Yanli, we trust your judgment. As long as we can reach the Chuyun Empire safely, there will be no risk."
Yan Li nodded, then released his soul perception to explore the surroundings. After confirming that no one was following him, he felt a little relieved. He said in a deep voice: "It seems that those people from the Jia Ma Empire have not noticed our movements yet."
Then he turned to look at his two men and Yan Li whispered, "Okay, let's go."
As soon as he finished speaking, he led the way out of the alley, followed closely by his two men. The three of them tried to keep a low profile to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
Yan Li and his men hid themselves and blended into the bustling crowd. Taking advantage of the noontime rush, they quietly moved toward the outskirts of the Jiama Empire. The sun shone on them, but their hearts were filled with gloom and anxiety.
Although there were many people at noon, it also meant that the line of sight was wider and their actions were more likely to be noticed. Therefore, he reminded his two men to be extra careful and not to make any conspicuous moves.
They walked through the busy market, blending in between vendors and customers, trying to reduce their presence as much as possible. Yan Li looked around vigilantly to make sure there were no suspicious eyes following him. His two men also showed enough vigilance, always paying attention to the surrounding dynamics.
However, these three people are all veteran Douling level, and they are considered good even in the Jiama Empire. It is not difficult not to attract the attention of others. They walked without stopping, and before long, the towering city wall appeared in their sight.
As they approached the city wall, Yan Li couldn't help but feel nervous. The city gate was the last obstacle for them to escape from here, and it was also the place where their whereabouts were most likely to be exposed. However, if the soldiers guarding the city gate noticed anything wrong, they would be in great trouble.
Yan Li took a deep breath, adjusted his mentality, and then whispered to his two men: "Stay calm, we are just ordinary travelers, don't do anything unusual."
When the two heard Yan Li's instructions, they nodded obediently.
They followed the crowd and slowly approached the city gate. Yan Li looked around vigilantly to make sure no suspicious eyes were fixed on them. His two men also showed their due composure and did not show any panic.
When they finally arrived at the city gate, Yanli pretended to be calm and handed the pass to the guard, along with a bag of gold coins as an extra "gift".
After checking the documents, the guards smiled with satisfaction at the gold coins handed over by Yanli, then waved their hands and let him pass.
After leaving the city gate, Yan Li and his companions did not stop at all, but immediately quickened their pace and rushed to the agreed meeting point. They knew that only by meeting with the Douhuang strongmen of the Izumo Empire could they be truly safe.
The trees on both sides retreated quickly, and their footsteps seemed particularly hurried in the dust. The sun was hanging high above his head, but Yanli could not feel the slightest warmth, only the sense of urgency in his heart was constantly rising.
Soon, they came to an open area. Yanli stopped and looked around. After confirming that there were no followers, he signaled two of his men to hide in the nearby grass and wait for the arrival of the Douhuang powerful man.
As time passed, Yanli's brows gradually furrowed, and he began to wonder if something unexpected had happened.
At this moment, a powerful and familiar aura suddenly appeared at the edge of their perception. A hint of surprise flashed in Yanli's eyes. It was the Douhuang powerful man from the Izumo Empire who had arrived.
The figure of the Douhuang strongman appeared in front of them like a phantom. He was wearing a black robe, with a stern face and an unquestionable majesty in his eyes.
With the appearance of the figure, the tense expressions of Yanli and the other two obviously relaxed. They greeted the man with a relaxed smile: "Brother Xieyun, you are finally here." Obviously, Yanli and this man were already familiar with each other.
Xie Yun nodded slightly, and glanced at the three people. Noticing that they did not seem particularly excited, he asked, "Vice President Yan Li, judging from the way you look, it seems that the mission was not successfully completed?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Li's eyes flashed with reluctance. He clenched his fists, but soon released them. He sighed, with helplessness in his tone: "Brother Xieyun, a rare alchemy genius has appeared in the Jiama Empire this time. He is able to refine fifth-grade elixirs at such a young age. I cannot match him. After I return this time, I will apologize to His Majesty."
After hearing this, Xie Yun's eyes showed surprise. He touched his chin and said to himself, "I didn't expect that in addition to Xiao Ling, there would be another genius in alchemy in the Jia Ma Empire. It's really surprising."
However, he quickly shook his head, revealing a meaningful smile on his face: "However, these are not problems. When our three-nation alliance is ready, both the Jiama Empire and the Serpent Tribe will eventually become the dust of history." The gloom in Yan Li's heart gradually dissipated with Xie Yun's words. He sneered in his heart: "What if his alchemy skills surpass mine? Once our army arrives, all resistance will be wiped out. By then, I will let that kid Xiao Yan personally experience the power of my Chuyun Empire's poison skills."
He then responded loudly to Xieyun: "Haha, Brother Xieyun is right. The Gama Empire is nothing special. Our most urgent task right now is to leave this land as soon as possible."
Xieyun nodded. He knew that the situation was urgent and could not afford to make any mistakes, so he said in a deep voice: "There is no time to lose. We should set off immediately before the people of the Gama Empire notice us."
Yanli and the other two immediately agreed. They quickly packed their luggage and prepared to leave with Xieyun.
However, just as they were about to set off, a voice suddenly broke the silence.
"Want to leave? It's not that easy." The voice was calm but carried an unquestionable power, which shocked the hearts of Yanli and the other three.
They immediately stopped and turned to look at the source of the sound. They saw a handsome young man with blue hair walking out of the woods calmly. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he found the situation in front of him quite interesting.
When they saw the blue-haired young man, Xieyun, Yanli and the other two were suddenly shocked.
They were naturally familiar with this young man. He was Xiao Ling, a peerless genius who enjoyed a great reputation in the Jia Ma Empire and even in the surrounding empires, and was known as the "No. 1 Alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire."
Xiao Ling's eyes were cold and deep. He swept over Yan Li and the other two as well as the Dou Huang powerhouses beside them. An unintentional smile bloomed at the corner of his mouth.
He had come here originally to search for the soul of a third-rank fourth-grade alchemist, but he had not expected that this trip would bring him an unexpected surprise. An unexpected high-level Dou Huang had appeared.
The soul body of a high-level Dou Huang is not a cheap thing. I was able to encounter one this time. It seems that coming here was indeed a wise decision.
Yan Li's pupils shrank slightly. He didn't expect that Xiao Ling would appear here in person.
There was a tremor in his voice, but more of it was the anger that could not be concealed: "Xiao Ling, what do you mean? Is the Jia Ma Empire trying to use its power to suppress others?"
Since Xiao Ling was able to track them here, wouldn’t their previous escape become a joke in the eyes of others?
Xie Yun, who was standing by, looked at Xiao Ling with vigilance, but he was calculating rapidly in his mind. According to the information he had, Xiao Ling had just broken through to the Douhuang realm when he left the Jiama Empire more than two years ago.
Although he couldn't sense Xiao Ling's aura now, Xie Yun speculated that no matter how talented Xiao Ling was, he couldn't exceed the level of a five-star Dou Huang. As an eight-star Dou Huang, he naturally didn't need to be overly afraid of him.
However, Xie Yun also knew that since Xiao Ling was able to approach them quietly, their previous conversation might have been overheard by the other party. This thought made Xie Yun's eyes suddenly become sharp.
This boy Xiao Ling must not be allowed to stay!
Xiao Ling chuckled and walked calmly in front of them. His eyes swept over Yan Li and the other three, as if examining something: "Yan Li, you and I are both sensible people, why bother saying these empty words? The purpose of your trip is probably not just to simply leave the Jia Ma Empire. I listened to your previous conversation word for word."
At this time, Xieyun took a step forward and stood side by side with Yanli, looking sharply in the direction of Xiao Ling, "Haha, as expected of the famous Master Xiao Ling, your methods are really extraordinary. You tracked us here without us noticing."
"However, if you hadn't shown up before, it would have been fine. I didn't expect you to be so brave and dare to take the initiative to stand up. Since you heard our previous conversation, tsk tsk, then you have no choice but to leave your life here."
Before Xie Yun finished his words, he waved his hand and a thick green mist gushed out from his palm, quickly condensing into a huge palm print, and slapped towards Xiao Ling.
The palm print was several feet wide, with strange green runes flowing on its surface, as if it contained endless poison and breath of death.
The air around the palm print seemed to be corroded by its toxicity, making a hissing sound. Circles of transparent ripples could be seen in the air, and the grass and trees touched by the palm print withered instantly and turned into ashes. An invisible sense of oppression spread in all directions, and even the earth trembled, as if an ancient giant beast had awakened underground and was about to break out of the ground.
Along with the handprint, there was also Xie Yun's light shout, "Xuan-level advanced fighting skill, Ten Thousand Poisons Dark Seal Collapse of the Sky Palm"
As a Douhuang warrior who was honed in the dangerous land of the Izumo Empire, Xieyun was definitely not someone who followed the etiquette of martial arts. He only believed in the rules of swift, precise, and ruthless combat.
The fact that Xiao Ling dared to appear in front of them alone implied that he might be holding some unknown trump card.
In addition, this place is only tens of kilometers away from the Gama Imperial Capital. If Xiao Ling cannot be dealt with quickly, the subsequent battle with Xiao Ling will cause a commotion, and the many Douhuang powerhouses in the Imperial Capital will inevitably notice the abnormality at the first time and come to support. At that time, the situation will be extremely unfavorable to themselves.
Even if he could escape from the battle, if Xiao Ling revealed the news of the Triple Alliance to the Gama Empire, it would bring unpredictable consequences.
Xie Yun could not bear such a risk. Therefore, he knew that he had to do his best from the beginning to ensure that he could kill Xiao Ling as soon as possible and kill him before those people in Jiama Imperial Capital came to support him.
As Scorpion Cloud's palm came down, the entire space tightened, as if it was covered by an invisible big hand, making it difficult for people to breathe. Before the palm print arrived, the poisonous power contained in it had already made the air around Xiao Ling sticky and carried a disgusting stench.
(End of this chapter)