Two and a half years, a full two and a half years!
Since the founding of the Alchemy Alliance, Zhongzhou has entered a completely new landscape. No longer are the familiar empires of one hall, one tower, two sects, three valleys, and four square pavilions shrouded in the shadows of the Alchemy Alliance and the Soul Palace Alliance.
During these two and a half years, Zhongzhou has experienced no peace. The two behemoths have engaged in a relentless battle, frantically depleting each other's strength.
In this protracted conflict, numerous Dou Zongs have perished almost daily, and even Dou Zun powerhouses have fallen by the hundreds!
These chilling figures are truly moving.
Consider this: in Zhongzhou's past, the total number of Dou Zun powerhouses was roughly this number.
Of course, as the tides wash away the sands, some powerful figures fall silently, while others rise to prominence. While this chaotic situation is certainly dangerous, it also presents numerous opportunities.
Xiao Yan, Young Master of the Xingyun Pavilion, is one such example.
In these two and a half years, six Dou Zun powerhouses have perished at Xiao Yan's hands, including a five-star Dou Zun!
This battle catapulted Xiao Yan to fame.
His combat prowess surpassed even that of Venerable Feng, making him the second-most powerful figure in the Xingyun Pavilion!
Besides Xiao Yan, Ran Qingchen, Xiao Yixian, Qing Lin, and others were even more dazzling rising stars.
Before Chen Guan's time, these women had remained relatively obscure, unnoticed. It wasn't until Chen Guan's retreat that everyone realized their true potential.
It turned out they were also gifted women!
Each one was a capable and capable figure, no less capable than many established veterans.
With the rise of so many talented individuals, comparisons were inevitable.
However, no such clichéd rankings took place. Even
though Chen Guan had been out of sight for over two years, the prowess he demonstrated in the Wild Ancient Domain was undeniable.
He was merely vanished, not dead. Furthermore,
with the Eight Ancient Clans becoming increasingly known, any further ranking would be a joke.
Qingce Manor.
The grass was fresh and fragrant, and the fallen petals were a riot of color.
This place was once unremarkable, aside from its remarkable scenery. But now, it has taken on a subtle, otherworldly air.
Not only does it house the continent's brightest rising stars, but it also serves as the forum for decision-making and consultation for the Alchemy Alliance's top leaders.
The leader of the Alchemy Alliance, Queen Medusa, presides over it!
Indeed, Xuan Kongzi has now relegated himself to the background of the Alchemy Alliance, with Medusa now overseeing the overall situation.
The story begins three months ago.
That day, a powerful energy surge erupted within the Beast Domain, a commotion that caught the attention of the Alchemy Alliance's powerful members.
Immediately, they rushed to the Beast Domain.
Upon entering the Beast Domain, Xuan Kongzi and his companions were astonished to discover that the turmoil was the result of a battle between the Sky Demon Phoenix and the Nine Netherworld Python.
The two top races in the Warcraft world were engaged in a blood-soaked battle.
Even more astonishingly, the second-ranked Sky Demon Phoenix was at a complete disadvantage!
And the person responsible for all this was Queen Medusa!
She had emerged from her seclusion!
By some unknown means, she had somehow managed to make the Nine Netherworld Python obey her commands.
By this time, Queen Medusa's power had skyrocketed to a level beyond the comprehension of Xuan Kongzi and the others. Single-handedly, she held the upper hand against several powerful members of the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan.
Besides her, the Nine Netherworld Python Clan also boasted a middle-aged man with wildly dancing hair and beard, slaughtering his way through the crowd. His power rivaled that of the Great Elder of the Little Danta!
It was precisely because of these two that the once-mighty Sky Demon Phoenix Clan was in imminent danger.
Though filled with doubt, the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan sided with the Soul Palace Alliance. Seeing them suffer, Xuan Kongzi and the others were naturally overjoyed. Without hesitation, they joined the battle, intent on completely wiping out the Sky Demon Phoenix Clan.
Unfortunately, their goal was unsuccessful,
as reinforcements from the Soul Clan Alliance soon arrived.
Among them was the Second Celestial Venerable, Gu You, standing behind two of them:
the Great Celestial Venerable of the Soul Palace, and a terrifying figure whose power rivaled that of Queen Medusa!
That day, the two alliances nearly engaged in a final showdown.
Fortunately, the terrifying leader of the Soul Palace Alliance seemed wary of something and was willing to back down, thus ending the incident without a conclusion.
While the outcome wasn't great, it did allow the other experts to witness Queen Medusa's power. Therefore, after returning to Danta, Xuan Kongzi explained Medusa's relationship with Chen Guan and then naturally offered to step down, with no one objecting.
Soon after, the Dan League's top decision-making center gradually shifted from Danta to Qingce Manor.
"Alliance Leader, in yesterday's battle at Tianheng Mountain, we killed another Soul Palace Dou Zun. This marks our Dan League's fourth consecutive victory. We can clearly sense that the Soul Palace is beginning to weaken. I suggest organizing a large-scale offensive. While those old monsters may be difficult to kill, at least we can eliminate a few lower-level Dou Zun, which will increase our chances of victory in the final battle."
In the hall, a tall, muscular middle-aged man stood up and spoke with a powerful voice, as if victory was already in sight.
This person was the leader of the hidden Guhua Sect. He held six-star Dou Zun strength, not the top of the heap, but above average within the alliance.
"Master Yang is right. Before the battle in the Alliance Leader's Beast Domain, those bastards from the Soul Palace refused to give an inch, frequently attacking from multiple directions and keeping us constantly on the run. Now that we have the advantage, it's time to settle the score."
"I agree."
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Voices echoed in agreement, but Queen Medusa, seated at the head of the table, frowned.
After a moment, the hall quieted down slightly, and Medusa finally spoke in a cold voice.
"As leader, I shouldn't encourage the enemy and undermine my own prestige. But I am responsible for the lives of millions, so I must say something."
"You probably saw that Soul Palace figure retreat three months ago and didn't fight me, so you assumed he was inferior and feared me. But I must tell you, that figure was already a terrifying five-star Dou Sheng, while I was only at the peak of a four-star Dou Sheng. It wasn't me he truly feared that day."
Medusa, with her pride, would never have said such words under normal circumstances.
But seeing the Alchemy Alliance's growing arrogance, she had to sound a warning.
If they continued to hold onto this dismissive attitude, the Alchemy Alliance would inevitably suffer greatly.
Granted, she had now evolved into a Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python, a peak four-star Dou Sheng. In a true duel, she wouldn't be any worse than him.
But for the greater good, she couldn't say these words.
Furthermore, what she had just said was true.
Back in the Beast Territory, upon emerging from retreat, she had contacted Chen Guan unilaterally, but Chen Guan, due to his retreat, hadn't been able to come pick her up. Instead, another familiar presence had appeared.
Perhaps due to the intense emotional fluctuations, the person had betrayed a hint of presence...
so familiar, Medusa could guess who it was
even with her eyes closed. And the Soul Palace figure had clearly sensed a powerful individual lurking in the shadows, which was why they had retreated.
"A five-star Dou Sheng?! How is that possible? Besides the Eight Ancient Clans, where else in Zhongzhou could such a formidable being come from?"
"Could it be someone sent by the Soul Clan?"
"No, the Eight Ancient Clans haven't appeared since over a year ago. It's as if they've disappeared en masse. Clearly, something major has happened."
"With such a powerful being at the helm, the Soul Palace is invincible."
"Change our strategy and tighten our defenses. We won't be able to crush the Soul Palace Alliance, but they won't be able to gain an advantage either. As long as we can hold off until the Alliance Leader breaks through again, our Alchemy Alliance will have a chance of victory!"
At Medusa's words, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically.
The pressure of a five-star Dou Sheng was simply too great.
Without the Eight Ancient Clans, this was practically the ceiling of Zhongzhou.
With such a terrifying being at the helm, who would dare launch a large-scale counterattack?
If they angered him...
the consequences would be unimaginable!
"It's good that you've realized this. We don't seek merit now, but only avoid mistakes. We just need to continue this struggle. As for the rest, I'll make my own arrangements. Let's leave it at that for today."
Medusa nodded slightly, and with a wave of her hand, the meeting was over.
Soon, only the Little Medical Fairy remained in the hall.
"I've conducted thorough investigations through various sources over the past few days, and the man in question is likely the Soul Palace Master. He's a secretive individual, and all we can find is a single name: Hunmiesheng."
The Little Medical Fairy shook her head, deeply dissatisfied with the results.
Medusa nodded without comment. Whether it was Hunmiesheng or Hunmiesi, a name was merely a code name, of little value.
"By the way, the person you just mentioned, the one that Hun Mie Sheng feared, should be Zi Yan, right? She used to come to Qingce Manor quite often, and her letters never ceased. But ever since you came out of seclusion, she's been missing. Zi Yan was the last to leave before Chen Guan went into retreat. Should we call her over to ask? It's been two years and eight months; he should be out soon."
Little Medical Immortal sighed softly, her thoughts racing.
Over the past two years, she'd actually felt a little envious of Yun Yun, far away in the Flower Sect.
Back in the Wild Ancient Territory, those who emerged alive benefited immensely. Yun Yun and the others also regularly retreated to digest their gains, finding ample time to pass the time.
Little Medical Immortal, however, possessed a body tainted with the affliction of the affliction, didn't need such long periods of seclusion. In her free time, she couldn't help but wonder where Chen Guan had gone, how long it would take him to return, and so on, adding to her torment.
Hearing Little Medical Immortal's words, Medusa snorted in frustration.
She knew exactly why Zi Yan was acting this way.
She had anticipated some things.
"What's the point of calling her? I want to see how long she can hide!"
"And the guy named Chen, he'd better be stronger than me after he comes out of seclusion, otherwise..."