Chapter 490: Leaving Seclusion, Xiao Yan's Visit
A giant serpent coiled across the sky, its vast and ancient beastly aura filling the space around it. Under this overwhelming pressure, even some of the Dou Zun elders from Yuanfu found their expressions change, and their hovering figures instinctively lowered.
"So, this is our Lord? He's so young…"
"As expected of the Lord, such terrifying power! This aura… even our hall masters and elders can't compare."
"This aura must be at the Dou Zun level. It's unbelievable! The Lord is only around our age, but he's already reached such a level."
As they felt the vast energy filling the air, whispers of awe spread across the mountain. Amid these murmurs, the overwhelming feeling of shock was clear. It was evident that encountering a Dou Zun at such a young age was something new for everyone.
Those who were disciples of Yuanfu were naturally gifted, each possessing a certain level of pride. However, in front of Mo Yu—the very person who had built Yuanfu from the ground up—their pride seemed insignificant.
"This guy… is just too terrifying. He actually broke through to the Dou Zun level."
The shock on Ma Yunlu's face persisted for a moment before she gradually regained her composure, a bitter smile on her lips as her emotions grew complex. She recalled when she had first met Mo Yu, his level was only slightly higher than hers. Yet in just two or three short years, he had skyrocketed to the Dou Zun level at an unimaginable speed.
It made her question her own talents. Compared to someone like him, could she even call herself a genius?
At the same time, the Dou Zun experts who had previously joined Yuanfu also looked at the young, terrifying figure with newfound respect. During the earlier battle, although Mo Yu had slain the Sword Sovereign, he hadn't truly reached the Dou Zun level but had used special methods to elevate his power temporarily. To them, Mo Yu was a frighteningly strong Dou Zong, but still a junior.
Yet, in just one year, Mo Yu had truly stepped into the ranks of the Dou Zun experts, standing on equal footing with them. Considering Mo Yu's formidable abilities, it was clear his combat power had soared even further.
This realization stirred feelings of awe and submission within these once-dominant Dou Zun experts.
"He really broke through to Dou Zun?"
In the sky, the elder of the Golden Warhorse Clan, Ma Chen, stood alongside Elder Bing, their gazes fixed on the figure atop the serpent's head. Ma Chen was the first to voice his joy, unable to contain his excitement.
Elder Bing nodded, his eyes reflecting a mix of shock and admiration. In just one year, this young man, who had once been their junior, had become a true Dou Zun expert on the continent! With such speed, Mo Yu's future potential seemed limitless. The decision for the Artifact Alliance to join Yuanfu now seemed even wiser, as it might indeed lead to the flourishing of their craft.
"Ha! It seems Mo Yu has had some fortuitous encounters. To break through from an Eight-Star Dou Zong to Dou Zun in such a short time, he must have had access to some extraordinary resources. If I'm not mistaken, he must have stumbled upon a great opportunity when he left the Western Region," Ma Chen said with a chuckle.
"Indeed. The energy required to break through to Dou Zun is immense. Even with his exceptional talent, without some external aid, it would have taken him at least a few more years," Elder Bing agreed.
As the two elders marveled at Mo Yu's progress, the giant serpent in the sky slowly began to dissipate after ten minutes, and the overwhelming aura of the ancient beast began to fade.
As the serpent disappeared completely, the figure in the sky became clearer, eventually revealing Mo Yu in full view of everyone below.
In the sky, the young figure stretched lazily. His skin began to ripple and shift, and his bones produced a series of crisp cracking sounds as if some complex mechanism within him had been activated.
"Ahh…"
As Mo Yu exhaled, a breath tinged with a faint, terrifying aura escaped from his mouth.
"So, this is the power of a Dou Zun?"
Mo Yu clenched his fist, feeling the vast, ocean-like Dou Qi coursing through his body. He was fascinated by the sensation. This kind of power had an irresistible allure that drove countless people to pursue it relentlessly throughout their lives.
Mo Yu extended his hand and, with a quick motion, grasped at the space in front of him. Instantly, the air twisted and deformed under his grip, as if he were crushing it.
If this hand had grasped a human body, even a Dou Zong expert would have been reduced to a bloody pulp in an instant.
Feeling the immense power that could distort space with just a simple motion, a smile gradually spread across Mo Yu's face.
Although he had previously been able to reach the Dou Zun level using the power of his Tiangang Thunder Body, he hadn't truly been a Dou Zun. In the eyes of the older generation, he was still a Dou Zong, just a junior. But now, thanks to the power of the Half-Sage blood essence and the immense energy from the Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Serpent, Mo Yu had fully stepped into the ranks of Dou Zun experts.
On the vast Dou Qi Continent, Dou Zun experts were considered top-tier combat forces.
And now, with the Tiangang Thunder Body, Mo Yu could instantly boost his strength to that of a Four-Star Dou Zun! With such power, even if he faced the likes of Ao Huangtian from the Southern Sea Region again, while it might not be easy to defeat him without using his Destruction Thunder Orb, Ao Huangtian would no longer pose a threat.
This was the difference between a Dou Zun and a Dou Zong. When Mo Yu had been an Eight-Star Dou Zong, facing someone like Ao Huangtian left him with no choice but to flee. Now, however, with his breakthrough, everything had changed.
The current Mo Yu, even if he couldn't defeat Ao Huangtian in a direct fight, could easily escape unscathed if they clashed again.
"The power of Half-Sage blood essence is truly terrifying…"
A faint smile appeared in Mo Yu's long-silent silver eyes. Not only had he broken through to Dou Zun with the help of the Half-Sage blood essence, but he had also reached the peak of One-Star Dou Zun, just a step away from advancing to Two-Star Dou Zun.
Moreover, though Mo Yu had absorbed the Half-Sage blood essence, a portion of its power still lingered within him, promising further growth.
As Mo Yu reveled in his newfound strength, the sound of rushing wind approached. Two figures swiftly appeared by his side.
"Master, you've finally decided to come out of seclusion."
Qing Lin tightly gripped Mo Yu's arm, her worry from the past year evident on her face.
"Hehe, thank you for your hard work, Qing Lin," Mo Yu said with a smile, patting her on the head.
"You should thank Sister Xiao Yixian. She hasn't had much rest this whole year, always coming to check on you," Qing Lin pouted playfully, glancing toward Xiao Yixian.
Mo Yu turned to Xiao Yixian, her beautiful face filled with concern, her unique gray-purple eyes gazing at him. Smiling warmly, he stepped forward and gently took her hand.
"Hehe, have you become fearless of my deadly poison just because you've broken through to Dou Zun?" Xiao Yixian teased with a playful smile, letting a wisp of her deadly poison swirl from her hand.
"Uh… I didn't expect you to joke like this. Have you been hanging around Qing Lin too much?" Mo Yu was surprised to hear Xiao Yixian teasing him. As the master of the Xuan Yin Poison Thunder, he had never feared Xiao Yixian's Heavenly Venomous Body, which was likely one of the reasons she accepted him. Mo Yu had never shown fear or disgust toward her.
"Master, I didn't become a bad influence! You've been absent for a whole year, leaving all the hard work to me. How could you say that?" Qing Lin playfully huffed, her delicate nose scrunching in mock annoyance.
"Oh, by the way, where are Zi Huo and Cousin Xiao Li?" Mo Yu asked with a smile as he held Qing Lin's slender hand.
"Right, Master, I forgot to tell you. Zi Huo left Yuanfu not long after you entered seclusion. He seemed to have received some kind of summoning from the Fierce Lion Clan, so he went to the Beast Region to seek a chance to break through to Dou Zun. Since you were in seclusion, we didn't inform you at the time," Qing Lin explained.
"Zi Huo returned to the Fierce Lion Clan?" Mo Yu frowned slightly.
Although Zi Huo possessed the bloodline of the Fierce Lion Clan, it wasn't pure. His journey to the Beast Region could either be a blessing or a curse. Shaking his head, Mo Yu decided not to dwell on it. He trusted Zi Huo's judgment, and even if something went wrong, with Mo Yu's current strength and the power of his Black Thunder Rune, he was confident that he could storm the Fierce Lion Clan and rescue Zi Huo if necessary.
"With the Western Region now stabilized, Yuanfu's position has been confirmed by the major factions. A while ago, Hall Master Xiao Li sent people to bring Sister Xiao Yu here. By my calculations, she should arrive in the Western Region in about half a month," Qing Lin added.
Hearing this, a faint trace of unease crossed Xiao Yixian's face. Known to the outside world as the cold and ruthless Heavenly Venomous Lady, Xiao Yixian couldn't help but feel a pang of worry when she heard the name of Mo Yu's wife, Xiao Yu.
Noticing this, Mo Yu gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and said gently, "Don't worry. Xiao Yu is a kind person. I'll explain everything to her about us."
Hearing his comforting words, Xiao Yixian felt a little relieved and nodded softly.
…
After a brief conversation with Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin, Mo Yu made his way to the main hall and announced his official return from seclusion.
The news of Mo Yu's emergence from seclusion sent a wave of excitement through Yuanfu. But what truly electrified the entire force was the revelation that Mo Yu had successfully broken through to the Dou Zun level. This breakthrough ignited a surge of energy and morale among Yuanfu's members.
To many in Yuanfu, Mo Yu—who had built this powerful organization from nothing—was a figure of unrivaled authority and respect. With Mo Yu at the helm, they firmly believed that Yuanfu was destined for even greater achievements.
Meanwhile, the various factions in the Western Region that had harbored doubts about Yuanfu's dominance quickly abandoned their resistance upon learning that Mo Yu had become a Dou Zun. They eagerly sought closer ties with Yuanfu, fearing the consequences of opposing such a monstrous talent.
After all, Mo Yu had already slain both the Three-Star Dou Zun Sword Sovereign and the Four-Star Dou Zun Ice Sovereign during his time as a Dou Zong. Now, at just over twenty years old, he had reached the Dou Zun level. Only a fool would choose to stand against such a prodigious talent.
As a result, riding the momentum of Mo Yu's breakthrough, Yuanfu's rule over the Western Region became even more solidified.
While the outside world reacted to Mo Yu's breakthrough, Mo Yu received reports on Yuanfu's development during his year of seclusion. Though he had spent a year away from his duties, Yuanfu's growth had not stalled. In fact, the progress was nothing short of astonishing.
Particularly impressive was the rapid expansion of the Hundred Weapons Hall and the Thousand Medicines Hall. After absorbing the Artifact Alliance and attracting renowned alchemists from across Zhongzhou, the two halls grew at a meteoric rate.
Mo Yu had anticipated the Hundred Weapons Hall's growth, given Yuanfu's foundation and the Artifact Alliance's resources. But the fact that the Thousand Medicines Hall had grown just as fast, if not faster, came as a surprise. If they weren't lacking an Eight-Tier alchemist, the Thousand Medicines Hall could almost rival the Pill Tower. Even though they were still far behind Pill Tower, the Thousand Medicines Hall had immense potential. If its growth continued, it could one day stand on equal footing with Pill Tower.
It was clear that the Soul Cultivation Method had an enormous appeal to the people of Zhongzhou.
With the addition of experts from all the major factions in the Western Region and the full support of the Hundred Weapons Hall and the Thousand Medicines Hall, the development of Yuanfu's other departments had also been impressive. Each hall had grown strong enough to rival the top forces in the Southern Sea Region, such as the Yuan Family and Wu Tail Sect.
In terms of high-level combat power, Yuanfu hadn't added many new Dou Zun experts. However, with Mo Yu's recent breakthrough, the total number of Dou Zuns in Yuanfu had reached nearly ten, far surpassing the Three Valleys and Four Pavilions.
Mo Yu couldn't help but marvel at Yuanfu's growth. Just ten years ago, Yuanfu had been a minor force confined to the Black-Corner Region. Now, in just a decade, they had become the dominant power in Zhongzhou's Western Region.
As Mo Yu reflected on Yuanfu's incredible rise, the sound of hurried footsteps broke his thoughts. Xiao Li rushed in, his face full of excitement.
"Cousin Mo Yu, I have great news! Our third brother, Zi Yan, and Feng Zun of Starfall Pavilion have come to visit!"
Mo Yu was stunned for a moment before quickly standing up, surprise in his voice. "Cousin Xiao Yan is here in the Western Region?"
(End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10