Chapter 90: The Return of Queen Medusa!
"This… this is over already?"
Yun Shan, Jia Xing Tian, and Hai Bodong were dumbfounded. That terrifying, overwhelmingly powerful vengeful spirit was just… gone?
"What was that black hole?" Yun Shan asked gravely. Even if he had gone all out, it wouldn't have been possible for him to eliminate the vengeful spirit so effortlessly, like Lu Bu had.
"This person is hiding a lot of secrets!" Jia Xing Tian's expression grew somber. A body that could withstand a head on clash with the vengeful spirit, the mysterious black hole, strength no less than his own as a Dou Huang at the peak, and on top of that, his status as a sixth tier alchemist this was downright terrifying!
"What a monster!" Hai Bodong's eyes widened. Lu Bu's abilities were becoming more and more enigmatic. Thankfully, their relationship with him was quite amicable.
On the ground, Lu Bu waved at Yun Yun, and the two descended together. They quickly located Protector Wu's soul pouch and a jade tablet faintly emanating black mist.
"What is this?" Yun Yun frowned, her delicate face filled with confusion.
"This should be a soul pouch, used to store souls. As for this jade tablet…" Lu Bu studied it for a while, then shook his head. "I have no idea."
"Then just keep it," Yun Yun said with a smile. "It's your spoils of war."
Lu Bu nodded. "Alright. I'll study it and see if it might help us unlock the seal on Elder Yun Shan's soul."
Hearing Lu Bu mention this, Yun Yun's expression shifted, her earlier joy at defeating such a powerful enemy fading significantly.
"Haha! Congratulations to Brother Lu on defeating such a formidable foe!" Jia Xing Tian's hearty laughter echoed as the massive Youhai Jiaojiao beast carried the three of them over.
The beast nodded at Lu Bu. It was the Mixed Essence Bone Forging Pill refined by Lu Bu that had healed its injuries. Without it, the beast might still have been bedridden for an indeterminate amount of time.
Seeing the three of them, Lu Bu's eyebrow twitched. While he had been risking his life in battle, these three hadn't even broken a sweat…
The Dou Qi Continent wasn't all about fighting and killing it was about relationships and connections!
"I must thank you all for your invaluable assistance," Lu Bu said with a polite bow and a smile.
"Now that things are settled, I won't bother you further, Brother Lu. You must come visit the imperial palace when you have time," Jia Xing Tian said as he bowed in return. His gaze discreetly shifted toward Yun Yun. No wonder Lu Bu hadn't even glanced at Yao Ye he'd clearly already won over the Yun Lan Sect's leader.
"Lu Bu, I'll be off as well," Hai Bodong said with a wave before taking off. His relationship with Lu Bu was the closest of the group, so there was no need for excessive formalities.
Soon, everyone departed. Even Mittel Tengshan and the two other elders had long since left, and Nalan Yanran had returned home with her grandfather. The only ones left were Lu Bu, Yun Yun, and Yun Shan.
Yun Shan stroked his beard, quietly observing the two standing side by side. His gaze was filled with satisfaction but also a hint of worry.
There was no denying that Lu Bu was exceptional. At an age equivalent to his grand disciple's generation, Lu Bu had achieved accomplishments Yun Shan himself had spent a lifetime striving for.
Yun Yun's cheeks flushed a rosy pink, and she hurriedly said, somewhat flustered, "W we should go inside. This isn't the place to talk."
With that, she quickly turned and headed toward the Yun Lan Sect's buildings behind the plaza. Her crystalline earlobes were already tinged red.
…
In a secret chamber, Yun Shan sat cross legged. A faint transparent glow shimmered as a phantom like version of Yun Shan floated above him.
This was his soul, but around its neck was a black shackle etched with strange and sinister runes.
This was how Protector Wu controlled him. At any time, Protector Wu could pull Yun Shan's soul out of his body. Without his physical form and Dou Qi, Yun Shan would be nothing more than prey for Protector Wu.
"Lu Bu… how is it?" Yun Yun asked worriedly. The evil aura emanating from the black shackle unsettled her deeply.
"It's not a big issue… it can be resolved," Lu Bu said after stroking his chin in thought. He had initially overestimated the problem. This shackle was formed using a special secret art, and at its core, it was simply composed of pure soul energy.
Its purpose… was merely to extract Yun Shan's soul it didn't have the capability to destroy it.
Protector Wu's goal was to force Yun Shan into submission and use him as a helper, not a mere lackey. Someone like Yun Leng was a lackey.
Actually, Protector Wu hadn't dared to push Yun Shan too far. If Yun Shan self destructed, all of Protector Wu's plans would have crumbled. Thus, this shackle only served to control the soul, not kill.
In the original story, Protector Wu had waited until Yun Shan was defeated by Xiao Yan before extracting his soul for consumption. After consuming Yun Shan's soul, Protector Wu had also devoured Yun Leng and the other Yun Lan Sect elders who had used his secret techniques to boost their strength. With so many souls, Protector Wu had even defeated Yun Yun while she activated the Misty Cloud Covering Sun Formation and captured Yao Lao. If it hadn't been for Queen Medusa's intervention, Xiao Yan would have perished too.
"So… it's over, just like that?"
Yun Shan, Jia Xing Tian, and Hai Bodong were dumbfounded. That terrifying, overwhelmingly menacing vengeful spirit was gone so easily?
"What was that black hole?" Yun Shan asked gravely. Even if he had gone all out, it wouldn't have been possible to eliminate the vengeful spirit so effortlessly, as Lu Bu had.
"This man is hiding a lot of secrets," Jia Xing Tian said with a serious expression. A body strong enough to go head to head with a vengeful spirit, a mysterious black hole, strength at least equivalent to that of a peak Dou Huang, and the status of a sixth tier alchemist he was practically invincible!
"What a terrifying guy," Hai Bodong murmured, his eyes wide. Lu Bu's methods were becoming more and more enigmatic. Fortunately, their relationship with him was amicable.
On the ground, Lu Bu waved at Yun Yun, and the two descended together. They quickly found Protector Wu's soul pouch and a jade tablet emitting faint wisps of black mist.
"What is this?" Yun Yun asked, her delicate brows furrowing in confusion.
"This should be a soul pouch, used to store souls. As for this jade tablet…" Lu Bu examined it for a while before shaking his head. "I'm not sure."
"Then just keep it," Yun Yun said with a smile. "It's your reward for defeating him."
Lu Bu nodded. "Alright. I'll study it and see if it contains a method to remove the seal on Elder Yun Shan's soul."
Hearing this, both Yun Yun and Yun Shan's faces lit up with joy.
"However, I'll need some time to deal with the sealed vengeful spirit first," Lu Bu said, rubbing his chin.
"Jie, no problem," Yun Shan replied with a warm smile, his soul merging back into his body. "Protector Wu is dead, so there's no rush."
Yun Shan was currently calm, gentle, and refined far from the ruthless, cold, and extreme version of himself he would become later in the original story.
"Alright… Xiao Bu, is it alright if I call you that, as Yun'er does?" Yun Shan chuckled. "You go ahead and deal with the vengeful spirit. I'll wait as long as needed. That thing is no trivial matter be cautious."
"Understood," Lu Bu murmured.
"It's getting late. I'll go tend to sect affairs and reassure the disciples. You and Yun'er should chat a bit. Stay here for the night," Yun Shan said with a smile before quickly leaving.
With Yun Shan gone, only Yun Yun and Lu Bu remained in the chamber. The atmosphere between them… turned inexplicably ambiguous.
A faint blush crept across Yun Yun's fair face. "Um… Lu Bu, shall we go for a walk outside?"
"Sure," Lu Bu said with a light smile.
…
In the dense forest behind Yun Lan Sect, Yun Yun walked ahead with her head lowered, her steps brisk as she stayed a step ahead of Lu Bu, showing no sign of slowing.
Lu Bu rolled his eyes at Yun Yun's hurried pace. How far was she planning to go?
Snap!
Lu Bu reached out and grabbed Yun Yun's wrist, pulling her to a stop.
"Ah!" Yun Yun let out a soft cry, her cheeks flushing uncontrollably.
Having trained alone for over thirty years, she had never experienced something like this. Instinctively, she resisted… though not entirely.
It was a confusing feeling: afraid he'd cross the line, but also afraid he wouldn't.
Holding Yun Yun's hand, Lu Bu spoke softly, "Sister Yun, I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to properly talk with you. Are you upset with me?"
"No…" Yun Yun lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze. Under the glow of the sunset and the encroaching night, her beauty appeared even more ethereal.
A surge of emotion welled up in Lu Bu's heart, and he instinctively pulled her into his embrace.
Her soft body collided against him, fitting snugly in his arms.
Rustle… rustle…
"Sister Yun… Hm? Sister Yun?" Yun Yun whispered softly, sensing some movement at her waist.
Lu Bu's eye twitched. It wasn't his second brother misbehaving it was the Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
He reached out, grabbed the snake, and tossed it aside before cupping Yun Yun's face in his hands with a smile. "It's nothing. Don't worry. Where were we?"
"I… I don't know…"
The warmth of his hands on her cheeks left Yun Yun flustered. She instinctively avoided his gaze, looking around aimlessly.
"Jie…" Lu Bu couldn't help but chuckle. Wasn't she just inviting him to continue?
He pulled her back into his arms. Yun Yun let out a soft whimper, burying her face in his neck, her ears and cheeks flushed crimson.
As strands of her black hair fell over her face, Lu Bu gently kissed her cheek, gradually inching closer.
It was a beautiful, tender moment that called for patience.
But just then, the Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python floated up nearby. Its tail coiled in front of it, propping up its chin. Its mesmerizing eyes glinted with amusement as it watched the two of them.
"Sister Yun, I…" Lu Bu whispered with heartfelt emotion.
"Hiss… hiss…"
"…"
"Sister Yun…"
"Hiss…"
"Yun…"
"Hiss…"
"L Lu Bu, wait…" Yun Yun stammered nervously. She felt a gaze on her and instinctively turned to look.
Lu Bu's eye twitched and followed her gaze, meeting the amused, enchanting eyes of the Seven Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
"Go on. Don't mind me," the python said lazily, waving the tip of its tail as it stretched, its melodic voice dripping with mischief.
Yun Yun's face turned pale. That voice was far too familiar!
Lu Bu's lips twitched. This woman had a knack for showing up when she shouldn't and staying silent when she should speak!
"Well then, since you're not continuing…"
As her voice trailed off, the python's body shimmered with seven colored light. In an instant, the serpent was replaced by a graceful and alluring woman draped in colorful robes.
"Queen Medusa?!"
(To be continued)
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