Chapter 326: Massacre
In the back mountain of the Yun Lan sect, many powerful presences were hidden. However, these presences were not directed at outsiders but at what was inside the mountain. Rather than protecting, they seemed to be guarding.
Inside a stone cabin in the back mountain, Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes. Her long black hair was tied with a phoenix hairpin, and although she wore only a simple white robe, her majestic aura was still evident.
Yun Yun looked to the side, where Nalan Yanran's energy fluctuated unstably, clearly at a critical moment in her breakthrough. Yun Yun, who had once been the leader of the Yun Lan sect, was now like a caged bird, unable to leave the stone cabin.
Remembering Yun Shan's actions, Yun Yun felt a mix of pain and despair. Yun Shan had been her master, but his current actions filled her with repulsion. Their last conversation had ended in a fight, and recalling this, Yun Yun couldn't help but sigh.
"The Yun Lan sect, once a great sect, now seeks to control the country. He has really changed, become ambitious, someone I no longer recognize."
Yun Yun no longer wanted to refer to Yun Shan as her master; she saw him as a stranger.
Crack!
The stone door slowly opened, and a middle-aged woman in the Yun Lan sect uniform entered, carrying a food box. With her gaze lowered, she said, "Sect Master, it's time to eat."
Yun Yun got up and walked towards the woman, casting her a casual glance. Her expression changed slightly, and she quickly approached, placing her hands on the woman's shoulders.
The gesture surprised the middle-aged woman, who raised her head, revealing a red glow in her eyes.
"Aunt Yun, have you also cultivated that sinister technique?"
Yun Yun spoke with pain. Seeing the woman who had cared for her in her youth also practicing the soul and body devouring technique, Yun Yun felt a sting in her heart.
The middle-aged woman avoided Yun Yun's pained gaze and replied softly, "Sect Master, I've been stuck at the pinnacle of the Dou Wang realm for many years."
That simple phrase left Yun Yun speechless. This was precisely why the soul and body devouring technique was so sought after. It allowed cultivators who had been stuck at a level to advance.
"Moreover, the former sect master protected you well. You don't know how bad the conditions inside the sect are now. Those who cultivate the technique can oppress and control those who don't. I had no other choice."
"Protected?" Yun Yun took a step back, looking at the middle-aged woman incredulously, as if she had become a stranger. "Do you think this is protection? Being trapped in this stone cabin?"
The middle-aged woman remained silent, responding with her silence. Seeing this, Yun Yun looked at her deeply and said in a distant tone, "Alright, you can leave."
The middle-aged woman bowed and retreated. Yun Yun sank into a chair, remembering how Yun Shan had suggested she also cultivate the soul and body devouring technique. A determined expression appeared in her eyes. She would rather die than cultivate such a sinister technique.
At that moment, a cold female voice echoed through the mountain.
"Yun Shan, come out right now!"
Medusa's voice was like striking a hornet's nest, causing many powerful cultivators to appear in the mountain, with their energy wings spread out.
Seeing Medusa and Xiao Ze floating in the air, their expressions changed slightly. They were as strong as Dou Zong!
Xiao Ze glanced at the powerful Yun Lan cultivators, noticing that they all had a red glow in their eyes, and that glow was intense.
"They have all cultivated the soul and body devouring technique."
"Hmph! Two Dou Zong dare to challenge the Yun Lan sect?" A cultivator with an intense bloody aura shot into the sky.
With his appearance, several other cultivators followed, all able to float in the air like Xiao Ze and Medusa.
"Two Dou Zong! This will allow us to advance even further!"
"I didn't expect them to come as prey."
Looking at Xiao Ze and Medusa with eyes full of greed and desire, as if they were a delicacy.
Xiao Ze noticed that their eyes didn't have lust, but a desire to devour. His more robust physique attracted their gazes even more. Now he understood better the previous comment about the growing need to devour living beings over time.
These cultivators were slaves to power.
Medusa looked at Xiao Ze, and seeing his unperturbed expression, she decided to act. With her Dou Zun power, facing these Dou Zong was like cutting vegetables.
Suddenly, a long sword appeared in her hand, covered in multicolored energy. Without saying a word, she swung it.
A hundred-meter-long sword light tore through the space towards the Yun Lan cultivators, alarming many.
The energy Medusa released far exceeded the limits of a Dou Zong, causing the greedy cultivators to change their expressions.
"Dou Zun!"
In front of that sword, they all released their maximum energy, trying to stop it.
But all their energy melted away like snow under the sun before the sword.
Sshh!
None of the Dou Zong cultivators could escape. The intense red glow in their eyes became their death sentence.
The terrifying energy dispersed, causing many other Yun Lan cultivators to vomit blood and retreat. Even the energy waves were more than they could bear.
At that moment, Xiao Ze's spiritual energy spread out, frowning as he noticed that, apart from those cultivators, there were no other Dou Zong presences in the Yun Lan sect.
"Yun Shan is not here."
Xiao Ze trusted his spiritual energy, and not detecting Yun Shan, he assumed he wasn't present.
"In that case, let's destroy the Yun Lan sect headquarters."
Medusa spoke coldly. She had never been a good person, and before following Xiao Ze, she was known for her cruelty in the surrounding empires.
She never hesitated to kill, much less those who had pursued the Snake Empire. Medusa sought bloody revenge.
"Alright, but don't harm others. I could sense that some people don't have the red glow in their eyes, which means they haven't cultivated the soul and body devouring technique."
Medusa nodded, releasing all her energy. Multicolored sword slashes fell, eliminating the Yun Lan cultivators with the red glow in their eyes.
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Chapter 327: Reunion with Yun Yun
At the Yun Lan Sect, a one-sided battle was taking place.
Each time the multicolored energy flashed, it took several lives. The powerful members of the Yun Lan Sect tried to escape, but as they attempted to flee, they discovered they were surrounded by a dark blue energy. This energy hindered their previously swift energy wings, now barely allowing them to move.
Although Medusa was very powerful, it was still difficult for her to capture all the strong members of the Yun Lan Sect. Most of them were at least at the Dou Wang level, and as they dispersed, some inevitably managed to escape. However, with Xiao Ze's assistance, none of those who had practiced the soul-devouring secret technique managed to get away.
These powerful individuals, feeling invincible due to their newly acquired strength, underestimated their opponents upon seeing the sudden appearance of Medusa and Xiao Ze.
When the multicolored energy calmed down, a thick scent of blood filled the air over the Yun Lan Sect.
Xiao Ze and Medusa descended into the Yun Lan Sect's plaza.
In the plaza, a group of people gathered, looking at Xiao Ze and Medusa with fear. They were the sect members who had not practiced the soul-devouring secret technique, and Medusa had spared them.
As disciples of the Yun Lan Sect, they had witnessed many ups and downs. Since Yun Shan had regained control of the sect, Yun Lan had risen again, becoming one of the northwestern powers. But it seemed that after reaching its peak, decay was inevitable, especially today, with the arrival of these two powerful enemies.
"Where is Yun Shan?" Xiao Ze asked, looking at the terrified Yun Lan disciples.
The disciples remained silent, huddling together.
Medusa's face turned cold, and after participating in a massacre, her murderous aura scared some so much that they began to cry, fearing she would draw her sword and kill them all.
Xiao Ze placed his hand on Medusa's shoulder, signaling her to calm down.
"You are in the Yun Lan Sect, you know what Yun Shan has done, spreading that evil technique, amusing himself with death, using death to increase his own strength."
"I could have thought you were being forced to obey due to the situation, but if you do not reveal Yun Shan's whereabouts now, then you are also accomplices."
Although his tone was calm, the Yun Lan disciples sensed the danger in his words.
Though Medusa had carried out the massacre, it was obvious that Xiao Ze was not a simple character, as Medusa obeyed him so easily.
A white-haired woman hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "I think the Master went to the front lines to expand..."
Xiao Ze's eyes lit up, and with a gesture, he drew the white-haired woman toward him.
"Speak in more detail."
At the same time, Xiao Ze's field isolated the sound from the others, as he didn't want any interruptions now that someone was willing to talk.
"During this time, it was my turn to attend to the Master, and I overheard him mentioning that the Black-Corner Region was a tough nut to crack..."
After listening to what the white-haired woman had to say, Xiao Ze stroked his chin. Although she had only provided a few clues, it was very likely that Yun Shan had headed to the Black-Corner Region.
Although the Black-Corner Region was a lawless land, it had a long and deep history. The Jia Nan Academy alone possessed formidable strength, and that was just one of the many hidden powers in the region. It was not surprising that Yun Shan paid special attention to this place.
Xiao Ze looked at Medusa, "If Yun Shan really went to the Black-Corner Region, then we have crossed paths."
Medusa slightly frowned, feeling it was a pity not to have been able to punish the real culprit.
"Is there anyone who can take charge of the Yun Lan Sect now?" Xiao Ze asked.
The white-haired woman thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "Master Yun Yun. Since Yun Shan regained control, he has kept Master Yun Yun imprisoned in the back mountain."
"Yun Yun, the former sect leader. She's a good choice."
The white-haired woman hesitated a bit, "But... I don't know if Master Yun Yun has practiced that evil technique..."
"We'll know with one look." Xiao Ze, carrying Medusa and the white-haired woman, headed to the back mountain.
In the plaza, the Yun Lan disciples remained trapped in the illusion field, unable to escape.
Upon reaching the back mountain, they found several guards guarding the entrance to a stone cabin. Xiao Ze wasted no time controlling the guards and pushed open the cabin door.
Inside, they saw a familiar face full of worry and tension.
Seeing Xiao Ze, Yun Yun was stunned. Although it had been a long time, her impression of Xiao Ze remained clear. She didn't expect that after so many years, they would reunite under such circumstances.
"Long time no see, don't you recognize me, Master Yun Yun?" Xiao Ze said, smiling.
Yun Yun forced a smile, "Master? I am nothing more than a bird in a cage."
"If he has left me alive until now, it must be because of the remnants of our master-disciple bond."
Yun Yun looked at the Yun Lan guards who had been controlled, understanding that the previous commotion had been caused by Xiao Ze.
"You have come to settle scores, haven't you? After all, I am the former leader of the Yun Lan Sect. I cannot avoid my responsibility for the sect's crimes."
Xiao Ze glanced around the room, seeing that Nalan Yanran was in a critical moment of her breakthrough. After a moment of distraction, he noticed that Yun Yun seemed to think he had come to take her life.
"I have not come to settle scores. I want you to take charge of those in the Yun Lan Sect who have not practiced the evil technique. Find out if they have harmed innocents, and if so, punish them."
Xiao Ze finished with a threatening tone that made Yun Yun tremble.
After a moment of silence, Yun Yun, who had been prepared for death, felt a renewed hope in Xiao Ze's words.
"I understand. I will do exactly what you ask."
Xiao Ze nodded, "From today, you are free."
Leaving the cabin with Medusa and the white-haired woman, Xiao Ze caused a series of blood flowers to bloom behind him.
"Can we trust her?" Medusa hesitated a moment before asking.
"Yes, and we have no other choice. Leaving those people alive means we will have to spend more time carefully selecting them. Killing everyone would be easier."
Hearing this, the white-haired woman trembled slightly, internally thankful that Xiao Ze had not chosen the easier option. Otherwise, she might have ended up like the others, torn to pieces.
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