novelraw Chapter 520 - 164: Release Yuanyuan!
Chapter 520 - 164: Release Yuanyuan!
On the streets of Jiang City, every household had hung red silk and flowers three days prior.
Even the main street was paved with top-grade silk, decorated with opulence and grandeur, yet romantic and sweet. The citizens, whether they were original residents of the Ancient Witch Country or travelers from afar, stood on both sides of the street, holding flowers in their hands, beaming with joyful smiles on this festive day.
The flower cart, adorned with countless flowers, slowly approached from the Imperial Palace, with the groom and bride sitting on it, handsome and beautiful, like a couple made in heaven.
There were as many as ten people carrying the flower cart.
And the person walking at the forefront on the right side wore a red, luxurious robe, beautiful yet not enchanting, with an outstanding demeanor.
Perhaps the most captivating to everyone’s attention, apart from the couple on the cart, would be her.
She walked very slowly, very steadily, seeming to wish that the newlyweds on the flower cart could receive more blessings. As if granting her wish, the people on both sides threw the flowers in their hands onto the cart, covering the couple with blessings.
A gentle breeze blew, lifting the petals on the ground towards the flower cart.
However, the boy in the red robe suddenly stopped, his expression turning cold. The strands of hair hanging down her face were lifted by the wind, and as the petals flew towards her hair, they cut through a few strands.
Seeing this, the boy in black beside her had his eyes suddenly darken, gathering a surge of killing intent.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
Suddenly, over a hundred masked figures in black sprang from the crowd, wielding spiritual artifacts and attacked the flower cart without a word.
The abrupt change sent Mu Qingge’s eyes into a cold glare, and the Dragon Tooth Guards carrying the sedan drew their weapons.
Mo Yang looked at Mu Qingge, waiting for her command.
All around was thrown into chaos by this group of bloodthirsty black-clad attackers. The Imperial Palace Guards along the path surrounded the flower cart for defense while sending someone quickly to report back to the palace.
Inside the flower cart, Mu Lianrong’s smile froze at the corner of her mouth, her expression stunned. Xue Qiao’s face turned cold, eyes filled with anger.
His wedding had actually been disrupted by a bunch of scoundrels!
"Lianrong, wait for me here." Xue Qiao said as he intended to step out and teach them a lesson.
However, Mu Qingge’s voice came at this moment: "Uncle, I’ve heard it’s unlucky to leave the cart before reaching the destination. Stay on the cart and accompany Auntie, leave the rest to me."
"Qingge." Mu Lianrong called out worriedly.
Mu Qingge stared at the group of black-clad figures, letting out a cold smile, and said to Mu Lianrong, "Does Aunt still not trust me?"
As she spoke, Shang Zisu had already run to Mu Qingge’s side from behind, ready to fight alongside her. The black-clad figures, silent as ever, charged with weapons in hand.
Mu Qingge glanced at the spiritual artifacts they held and sneered: "The only force nearby that can produce so many spiritual artifacts at once is the Refining Tower Branch, why bother with this disgraceful charade?"
Her words seemed to anger the leader, who struck at Mu Qingge with great force.
Mu Qingge easily dodged, and punched back, hitting the person’s chest hard, sending him flying back.
At the same time, there wasn’t the slightest stir from the pole on her shoulder.
The other black-clad figures already rushed up, engaging with Mo Yang and the Imperial Palace Guards. Just as Mo Yang was about to slit a throat with his sword, Mu Qingge saw and calmly stopped him: "Today is Auntie’s big day, shedding blood is inappropriate."
The black-clad figure almost felled by Mo Yang’s sword felt a rush of relief, thinking he had narrowly escaped death.
Seeing his opponent obediently retreating the sword, he laughed wildly inside, mocking the two young companions before him as overly compassionate.
Since they didn’t want to shed blood, he wouldn’t hold back, and thus unleashed a lethal move.
Yet Mo Yang showed no fear, holding the pole in one hand, spinning in place, maneuvering behind him, and with an elbow, locked his neck and twisted powerfully.
With a crack, the man’s neck was broken, no blood visible. He died with eyes wide open, disbelieving.
Mu Qingge watched with a cold smile, internally mocking: ’Foolish, not spilling blood doesn’t mean you can’t kill.’
Similarly, the Dragon Tooth Guards utilized a bloodless method, silently reaping lives. Upon hearing the news, the remaining Dragon Tooth Guards arrived in time to join the battle, employing the same bloodless technique to kill.
Xue Qiao watched dumbstruck, and turned to Mu Lianrong, asking, "What’s the background of this group under your nephew? They’re young, yet killing without hesitation, and with such decisiveness."
Mu Lianrong proudly replied, "They’re my nephew’s trusted aides, personally trained by her, naturally formidable!"
Xue Qiao twitched at the corner of his mouth and looked at Mu Qingge again, seeing her taking a life as easy as waving a hand, possessing such poise and composure, truly leaving him in admiration.
Shang Zisu’s Spiritual Power Cultivation wasn’t high, but having come from the Medicine Tower, she crushed some poison amidst their battle and scattered it directly toward those black-clad enemies, easing some pressure off the Dragon Tooth Guards.
Since the bridal carriage couldn’t touch the ground, the Dragon Tooth Guards carried it with one hand while fighting the enemies with the other.
The bridal carriage swayed like a small boat in the sea, rocking continuously.
And the people around, some had already fled far away, while others hesitated and watched.
"Who dares to cause trouble on my turf!" Suddenly, a sharp voice roared from afar, as the silhouette of Jiang Li darted forward.
The Ancient Witch Country’s natives watching instantly became excited.
"The Empress is here!"
"The Empress is angry! Let’s join forces to kill these scumbags who came to ruin the wedding!"
"Yes, be careful not to draw blood!"
The citizens of the Ancient Witch Country rushed in directly to help Mu Qingge and the others fend off the enemies.
Initially, the Refining Tower’s people had the advantage in numbers.
Originally, Mu Qingge and the others were struggling because they had to carry the bridal carriage and kill without shedding blood.
However, with Jiang Li and the Ancient Witch Country’s natives joining in, the situation was immediately reversed, driving the black-clad enemies to retreat repeatedly; they hardly needed Mu Qingge and the others to fight anymore.
The ambush turned into a street pursuit and blockade, becoming a mass brawl, something the Refining Tower Branch had not anticipated.
They were beaten into fleeing chaotically, and their leader, who had been severely injured by a punch from Mu Qingge, could only shout at Jiang Li, "Empress Jiang, this is a personal vendetta, it’s unrelated to you, why do you intervene!"
"Nonsense! Her business is my business! Besides, daring to make trouble at a wedding I organized personally is disrespecting me. Do you really think I’m so good-tempered?!" Jiang Li scolded them furiously.
The people from the Refining Tower Branch turned pale and could only order a retreat.
"Trying to run?" Jiang Li wanted to chase after them.
Mu Qingge blocked her. "Let them go."
"You!" Jiang Li looked at her, her eyes filled with confusion.
Mu Qingge sneered, "They’re just a bunch of fools. Don’t let them disrupt the main event. After handling the main event, even if they don’t come to us, I’ll go after them."
Jiang Li flung her sleeves and snorted, "You’re right, we can’t let these rats spoil the mood. Let the wedding continue—!" With a wave of her hand, the twenty or so corpses in black were dragged away.
The bridal carriage resumed its parade, and to prevent further accidents, Jiang Li accompanied it personally. In the Ancient Witch Country, this was an immense honor!
After parading through the main street of Jiang City, the bridal carriage, carrying the blessings of the entire city, grandly returned to the Imperial Palace.
Presided over by the Priest, Xue Qiao and Mu Lianrong took their vows to become husband and wife, and then began the feast, which was to continue until the following day.
Xue Qiao was drunk by everyone and sent back to the new room.
This was their wedding night, belonging to the two of them, and no one would disturb them.
...
At the Refining Tower Branch, Yan Hua furiously kicked the person who came to report, knocking them to the ground.
"This is your properly managed arrangement?"
This was the person who had been hit by Mu Qingge. He took off his mask, not daring to meet Yan Hua’s eyes, and could only lower his head and say, "This subordinate thought that during the street parade, with so many people and chaos, it would be a great opportunity to strike. So I... but didn’t expect Empress Jiang to appear suddenly, leading to our plan failing."
To avoid responsibility, he blamed the failure entirely on Jiang Li.
"A bunch of useless trash!" Yan Hua raged, "If that kid were easy to deal with, would the Main Courtyard have failed to capture her? You shouldn’t have confronted directly, but instead caught her family to force her into our trap, wouldn’t that be better?"
The people of the Refining Tower, accustomed to arrogance, even with the previous failures of the Main Courtyard as a lesson, still didn’t take Mu Qingge seriously. They thought she avoided capture by hiding skillfully and had evaded the Main Courtyard’s pursuit. Moreover, with Yan Hua now at the Purple Realm, their confidence soared, abandoning cunning strategies and opting for a direct assault.
Now, the person kneeling and pleading felt awakened to his folly by Yan Hua’s scolding!
He raised his head, timidly looking at Yan Hua, asking for instructions, "Then... should this subordinate infiltrate the Imperial Palace again and capture the people she cares about?"
"How can you be so stupid!" Yan Hua kicked him again, this time hitting his shoulder, almost breaking his arm. "The daytime ambush already alerted them. Going back now is seeking death or capturing people?"
"That... that..." The person pulled a bitter face, unable to decide what to do for the moment.
Earlier, he suffered a punch from Mu Qingge, and now two kicks. Pain overwhelmed him, sweating profusely, feeling as if half his life was lost. He relied solely on spiritual power to keep himself from passing out, unable to think of a good solution.
"Get out! I’ll personally deal with him tomorrow morning! If he has any sense and returns the stolen items along with his divine artifact, I’ll spare his life. If not... hmph." Yan Hua’s greedy eyes reflected a sharp killing intent.
...
The sky began lighting up in Jiang City Palace, the banquet continued, yet Mu Qingge stood refreshed outside the palace. With her were Mo Yang leading the Dragon Tooth Guards.
Shang Zisu pressed her lips tightly, watching her silently.
Jiang Li walked over and asked, "Are you really planning to go now?"
"The sooner, the better," Mu Qingge said indifferently.
"But with just a few of you..." Jiang Li frowned. She told Mu Qingge, "Although the Refining Tower Branch is not affiliated with the Imperial Family, their fate is unrelated to ours, they do have hundreds of disciples guarding their southwest position. According to information, their branch leader recently entered the Purple Realm."
"So what?" Mu Qingge replied nonchalantly.
Jiang Li looked at her seriously, then suddenly smiled, pointed at herself, and asked, "Why don’t I go with you? It might increase our chances!"
Mu Qingge chuckled and shook her head, refusing, "Your status makes it inconvenient."
"Mu Junior Brother, then I..."
As Shang Zisu began to speak, Mu Qingge cut her off, "Senior Sister Shang, there’s no need for you to go. Stay in the palace and wait for our return."
Shang Zisu gritted her teeth, suddenly feeling useless.
She gave Mu Qingge a deep look, nodded, and said, "Alright. Be careful." Then she turned and left, her back firm and upright.
Watching her leave, Jiang Li whispered to Mu Qingge, "Is she angry?"
Mu Qingge glanced at Jiang Li, shook her head, and said, "She might need to retreat for the next few days, don’t let anyone disturb her."
"What do you mean?" Jiang Li asked, looking puzzled.
But Mu Qingge didn’t explain further.
She understood Shang Zisu; her departure didn’t signify compromise. On the contrary, she felt useless for not being able to help and would strive harder with every moment.
"Let’s go!" Mu Qingge turned and shouted to the Dragon Tooth Guards.
"Wait, include me!" Suddenly, an urgent voice came from behind.
Mu Qingge and Jiang Li turned to see Xue Qiao adjusting his clothes as he ran over.
Jiang Li glanced at him and said teasingly, "Why aren’t you in your room with your darling wife?"
Xue Qiao blushed, didn’t answer her, but looked at Mu Qingge and said, "I know what you’re going to do, and I want to go with you."
Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed, and she smiled, "Do you know who they are? Do you know why they’re here?"
"Aren’t they from the Refining Tower Branch? I don’t care why they’re here. If they disrupted my wedding and scared my beloved Lianrong, I’m going to beat them up!" Xue Qiao said, raising his chin.
"Ugh~! Too cheesy." Jiang Li was disgusted by his affectionate nickname for Mu Lianrong.
Mu Qingge smiled, pleased with Xue Qiao’s reaction, but she still refused, "They’re here for me, and it’s my personal grudge. Actually, you and Aunt were implicated because of me today. I’m glad you don’t blame me. I’ll handle the rest and guarantee your satisfaction."
Unexpectedly, Xue Qiao’s eyes widened, seriously saying, "That’s even more reason! I must go! How could I not step in when my nephew is bullied?"
"They have Purple Realm experts!" Jiang Li tested.
However, Xue Qiao said fearlessly, "Purple Realm experts? I’m not scared! If one person can’t beat them, then a group will bury them!"
Jiang Li took a deep breath, gave him a thumbs up, admiring his courage.
Thinking of using numbers to offset a Purple Realm expert is quite unique!
Mu Qingge said, "Does Aunt know?"
Mentioning Mu Lianrong, Xue Qiao’s face changed, embarrassingly saying, "I snuck out while she was asleep, I’ll return with some tea and apologize once it’s over."
"Since Aunt doesn’t know, I’m not taking you," Mu Qingge shook her head helplessly.
"No!" Xue Qiao frowned, stating, "I’m your aunt’s husband. Our wedding was ruined, she suffered grievances, so as her husband, I must take care of that grievance. You’re the junior, and protecting you is our duty as elders. If I watched you leave but stayed behind, Aunt would regret marrying such a coward!"
"He makes a good point!" Jiang Li winked at Mu Qingge.
As if saying, since you’re confident in this venture, taking one more person wouldn’t hurt.
Mu Qingge sighed silently, looked at Xue Qiao, "Alright, let’s go together."
After seeing off Mu Qingge and the others, Jiang Li returned to the palace to find Mu Lianrong standing by the window wrapped in a long cloak, gazing at the direction Mu Qingge and Xue Qiao left.
Jiang Li looked at her, walked over.
Once beside her, she asked, "You woke up long ago?"
Mu Lianrong didn’t remove her gaze, only nodding slowly, replying to Jiang Li’s question.
"Then why didn’t you go out?" Jiang Li asked in confusion.
Mu Lianrong smiled wistfully, "Going out wouldn’t change anything, they wouldn’t let me join. Besides, I believe in Qingge. This child has grown up, sustaining the sky of the Mu Family unnoticed. Not just the Mu Family, but the sky of the entire Qin Country relies on her."
"Hearing you say this, I feel some sympathy for that Mu Qingge fellow," Jiang Li said softly.
Mu Lianrong’s lips twitched.
Unable to answer Jiang Li’s words.
An orphaned child, with a missing mother, single-handedly sustaining a grand lie just to secure family peace. Enduring silently, achieving a strong rise, Mu Qingge walked every step by herself.
Mu Lianrong sometimes felt as an aunt, not only useless, but having her niece always taking care of things.
...
The Ancient Witch Country wasn’t large, and the distance from the southwestern Refining Tower Branch to the capital Jiang City was not far.
The sky began to lighten as twenty or so figures darted swiftly, leaving only faint shadows.
"Your speed is really fast!" Xue Qiao barely kept pace with Mu Qingge, looking sideways.
Mu Qingge smiled faintly, having restrained herself. If she exerted fully, she’d have left the Dragon Tooth Guards far behind.
Xue Qiao glanced over at the Dragon Tooth Guards behind him, then said to Mu Qingge, "Did you train them all?"
Mu Qingge nodded.
Even though the answer was already known, hearing Mu Qingge admit it made him find it incredible. He loved cultivation, obsessed with martial arts, and knew the massive expenditure necessary to train aides of such caliber. Especially coming from a third-class country.
Concerning this youthful nephew who commanded great influence, Xue Qiao felt he could hardly act the elder.
"What do you plan to do at the Refining Tower?" Xue Qiao inquired curiously.
Mu Qingge’s gaze turned cold, revealing an extremely chilling smile, softly speaking two words, "Destroy the tower!"
This answer caused Xue Qiao’s eyes to shrink sharply.
...
In the Ancient Witch Country, at a southwestern edge, lay a stretch of gobi desert.
Due to the existence of the Earth Fire Dragon underground, it became the site of the Refining Tower Branch. People there directly utilize the Earth Fire Dragon for refining.
Because of the Earth Fire Dragon, the area within dozens of miles was barren, with only red sand.
As they approached, the temperature rose sharply.
Suddenly, from a ravine, a pair of bright and calm eyes emerged. They observed the faintly visible buildings in front, noting their layout in memory.
A quarter-hour later, he quietly retreated.
Leaving the gobi, he entered a patch of bushes.
There, sat over twenty people, each silent in meditation, seemingly recovering spiritual power.
He quickly approached the red-robed figure, knelt on one knee, and said, "Little Lord, your subordinate has returned."
As soon as his words fell, Mu Qingge slowly opened her eyes.
The Dragon Tooth Guard also didn’t make a sound but picked up a broken tree branch from the ground. Under Xue Qiao’s astonished gaze, he swiftly drew a simple layout on the ground.
After drawing, he threw down the branch and pointed to the buildings on the map, introducing, "In the Refining Tower, there’s only one tower, with a flicker of firelight inside. Here is where the disciples rest, this is the storage for refining materials, and the head of the branch lives here."
After his introduction, the entire Refining Tower Branch’s layout was clear and simple.
However, he continued, "During my investigation, I found their guards extremely lax, but their defense mechanisms are somewhat special."
After speaking, he picked up the tree branch again and quickly drew a few lines on the ground, then said apologetically to Mu Qingge, "This thing, I’ve never seen it before, and I don’t know its purpose."
His drawing was simple but clear enough for anyone to recognize the shape of the object at a glance.
Xue Qiao frowned and looked, then suddenly said, "I know this thing! It’s a highly defensive weapon crafted by the Refining Tower, said to be able to fire countless arrows at once, and can launch them in succession. Each arrow’s power is equivalent to a Yellow Realm martial artist. This weapon used to be sold to the Yu Country, and now some large cities in the Yu Country have such weapons installed on their walls."
After speaking, he looked at Mu Qingge, seeing her also frowning. He initially thought she felt it was tricky too, but to his surprise, after a moment of silence, she spat out four words: "Too outdated."
Before he could figure out the meaning of those words, Mu Qingge stood up and announced departure.
The Dragon Tooth Guards did not hesitate a bit, quickly tidying everything up, even cleaning the traces they left behind, and followed Mu Qingge toward the red Gobi.
On the way, Xue Qiao approached the Dragon Tooth Guard who had gone for reconnaissance previously and admiredly asked, "You just went for a short while and managed to gather so much information?"
The Dragon Tooth Guard gave him a prideful look and tossed two words at him: "Not enough."
Xue Qiao was stunned, not understanding what it meant.
Mo Yang happened to walk by, seeing his confused look, and thought, since he’s the husband of the eldest young miss, he kindly explained, "He’s right, this kind of intelligence is not enough."
After explaining, he directly walked past Xue Qiao.
Xue Qiao was even more puzzled, looking at Mo Yang with a face like he was about to cry. His explanation did not make him understand any better, did it?
After ineffective communication, Xue Qiao quickly caught up to Mu Qingge and asked, "Do you have any plans?"
"Yes." Mu Qingge said seriously, "Just charge straight in!"
"Oh, just charge...what did you say!" Xue Qiao reacted, almost biting his tongue. Charging straight in is considered a plan?
"What? Scared?" Mu Qingge raised an eyebrow and asked.
Xue Qiao immediately puffed out his chest, patting it hard, "What kind of talk is that? I never knew the word fear!"
"That’s good." Mu Qingge grinned.
At the same time, she thought for a bit more and comforted, "It’s just dealing with a bunch of small fries from the Refining Tower, no need for any plans."
"You’re giving them too much credit," Mo Yang added coldly.
Xue Qiao was so shocked he gaped, directly doubting if something was wrong with his ears.
The Mu Family isn’t a third-class country, they must actually be a super-family from a first-class country, right? But even those super-families from first-class countries wouldn’t treat one of the three major forces on the Linchuan Continent so calmly, would they?
Small fries?
It’s known that these small fries are highly regarded in Yu Country, from the imperial relatives to common citizens alike.
Even being able to own a Spiritual Artifact crafted by the Refining Tower was a matter of pride.
However...
Being able to send these small fries with their noses in the air back to where they came from would be extremely satisfying indeed! Thinking of this, Xue Qiao straightened his back even more.
Seeing that they were getting closer to the Refining Tower, Mu Qingge suddenly said, "Hurry up, we can still make it back for dinner!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Yang, leading the Dragon Tooth Guards, drew their weapons and charged towards the Refining Tower.
Xue Qiao looked intently and found that they were actually all holding Spiritual Artifacts, and in their hands was something he had never seen before. "This...this equipment is also too...too..."
Since when have Spiritual Artifacts become so common?
The Spiritual Artifacts that these family scions seldom possessed, each of Mu Qingge’s trusted aides had one.
The Dragon Tooth Guards rapidly approached, not concealing their figures, and were naturally noticed by the disciples of the Refining Tower.
"Stop—! Who goes there? Trespassers in the Refining Tower Branch, die—!" came a warning from the watchtower.
And the weapon Xue Qiao spoke of also aimed at the Dragon Tooth Guards, seemingly ready to fire at any moment.
Yet, before the weapon could display its power, the Dragon Tooth Guards raised their grenade guns and unleashed a barrage aimed right at the weapon. In an instant, the super defensive weapon highly revered by the Yu Country military was shattered into pieces right in front of Xue Qiao’s eyes.
He was dumbfounded, even forgetting to speak.
The clean and efficient actions of the Dragon Tooth Guards instantly threw the Refining Tower Branch into chaos.
The news reached Yan Hua, who had just gotten up and was about to freshen up.
"What? An enemy attack? Who dares provoke my Refining Tower?" Yan Hua, upon hearing it, pushed away the ’female disciple’ who had served him last night, and strode out.
Outside, the fierce offensive of the Dragon Tooth Guards had already breached the defensive wall of the Refining Tower!
Mu Qingge walked behind with her hands clasped behind her back, looking as leisurely as if she were in a garden.
Seeing Xue Qiao still in a daze, Mu Qingge kindly reminded, "Uncle, if you keep standing here, it might be a wasted trip."
This reminder brought Xue Qiao back to his senses in an instant.
He immediately unleashed his momentum, diving in like an eagle to join the battle.
More and more Refining Tower disciples rushed out, but facing the fierce claws of the Dragon Tooth Guards, they kept retreating.
"Wait."
Just as Xue Qiao was about to strike down a Refining Tower disciple, Mu Qingge suddenly called out to him.
Xue Qiao looked back in confusion and saw something flying towards him. He reached out to catch it, and upon looking closely, found it was a Top Grade Spiritual Artifact Nine-Ring Saber.
Shock filled his eyes, but he said to Mu Qingge, "I have my own weapon!" He wasn’t lying, having brought a Middle Grade Spiritual Artifact Single Ring Saber given by his father when he advanced to the Blue Realm as he left the family.
Mu Qingge said plainly, "Wedding gift."
The simple four words made Xue Qiao swallow back the words he was going to say. He threw his head back and laughed heartily, wielding the Nine-Ring Saber as he began his killing spree.
"Who dares to run wild in my Refining Tower Branch!"
From the sky came a sudden shout, and Yan Hua’s figure darted into the sky. As soon as he appeared, he unleashed powerful Purple Realm pressure, leaving everyone on the ground except Mu Qingge kneeling and unable to move.
Mo Yang gritted his teeth, looking up at Yan Hua with unyielding flames burning in his eyes.
Xue Qiao did the same, struggling to raise the Nine-Ring Saber in his hand yet ultimately being unable to, with cold sweat streaming down his back instead.
"Hmm." A soft hum from Mu Qingge broke Yan Hua’s pressure like a heavy hammer.
Mo Yang and the others instantly felt a weight lift off their shoulders and immediately rose to counterattack. Xue Qiao, shocked beyond belief, looked at Mu Qingge, seemingly only now guessing her true strength.
Yan Hua, similarly, found his heart constricting from Mu Qingge’s soft hum. His sharp gaze looked at her, eyes narrowing as he recognized her: "It’s you!"
Mu Qingge wasn’t interested in idle chatter with him, nor did she feel there was anything to discuss.
She raised her hand and summoned Yin Chen.
Upon appearing, Yin Chen immediately transformed into its original form, its massive body terrifying the Refining Tower disciples to the point of chaos, and its nine tails were even more frightening.
"Kill him." Mu Qingge ordered, and Yin Chen turned into a silver light, charging at the stunned Yan Hua.
’What’s called overwhelming? This is!’ Xue Qiao watched with wide eyes at the sky, witnessing Yin Chen and Yan Hua’s battle, unbelievably amazed.
He truly felt like he had only come to stand by and effortlessly reap credit!
The ground battle, the aerial battle, none required Mu Qingge to make a move. She seemed somewhat bored standing there, passing time by kicking small stones at her feet.
Suddenly, she blinked, having thought of something that wouldn’t waste time.
In a flash, her figure vanished from the spot.
When she appeared again, she was at the warehouse where the Refining Tower stored its materials. At this point, the Refining Tower was already in chaos, and no one was guarding this place.
Mu Qingge unceremoniously kicked open the door, walking in with her hands clasped behind her back, striding with an air of grandeur.
"Who dares to intrude..."
The elder guarding in the dark didn’t even finish his warning before his body fell to the ground, split in two.
Mu Qingge glanced disdainfully at the corpse and said faintly, "Blue Realm Peak." Nowadays, she was in the mid-stage of the Purple Realm. Killing him was as easy as squashing an ant.
After dealing with the hidden guardian, Mu Qingge walked into the warehouse, examining the materials of the Refining Tower. Most of the materials in the branch came from the sea of the Ancient Witch Country, with some from external travelers.
Mu Qingge gave them a cursory glance and then swept everything into her spatial space.
Afterward, she went for a walk to Yan Hua’s room and took away all the magic formulas related to artifact refining from the Refining Tower.
Then, she thought for a moment and figured that the real treasures should be on Yan Hua himself.
After all, even the Medicine Tower had the existence of Qiankun Bags, so it was impossible for the Refining Tower not to have them.
Thinking of this, Mu Qingge instantaneously teleported back into the fierce battlefield.
Looking up at the battle in the sky, Mu Qingge disappeared once again. When she reappeared, she was already beside Yan Hua, who was being battered by Yin Chen.
Her sudden appearance startled Yan Hua.
Mu Qingge’s eyes, however, were fixed directly on the Qiankun Bag hidden in his clothes. Her eyes gleamed, and with lightning speed, she snatched the Qiankun Bag, then, as Yan Hua froze, she flashed a set of clean white teeth, "I’m just passing through, you all carry on, I won’t disturb you."
Having said that, she turned to leave, unexpectedly tossing back another sentence, "Yin Chen, move swiftly, we still have to get back in time for dinner."
Yan Hua nearly spat out old blood; he wanted to kill Mu Qingge, but Yin Chen’s more ferocious attack arrived.
Mu Qingge returned to the ground and immediately probed Yan Hua’s Qiankun Bag with her spiritual sense.
However, there was a layer of power outside blocking the entry of her spiritual sense. Mu Qingge furrowed her brows slightly, raised her hand to brush away the spiritual power on the Qiankun Bag with a strong sweep.
The original owner was still alive, and with the enforced removal of the spiritual sense imprint, Yan Hua spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot, his mind wounded.
His venomous eyes glared at Mu Qingge, who was examining his Qiankun Bag, and he said through gritted teeth, "Utter humiliation! Utter humiliation! Fine, you forced me to this!"
With that, he would rather suffer a claw from Yin Chen than retreat into the Refining Tower.
He landed on the pinnacle of the tower, his hair disheveled and in chaos, in a state of utter disarray.
At this moment, Mu Qingge was chanting under her breath, "As expected, there’s good stuff here! All the precious refining materials must be hidden here, or is this old thief hoarding it privately?"
Yan Hua watched, his eyes nearly popping out, shaking all over with anger.
He shouted, "Fine! Today, I’ll fight to the death with you all, drag you with me for burial!" With that, his entire body erupted with spiritual power that flowed into the spire beneath him.
The spire was full of flames, seemingly the outlet of the underground Earth Fire Dragon beneath the earth.
Earth Fire Dragon meant the underground magma volcano.
Xue Qiao’s eyes contracted, immediately retreating to Mu Qingge’s side, urgently saying, "Not good! He’s going to trigger the Earth Fire Dragon! Retreat quickly!"
However, Mu Qingge didn’t show a hint of worry, she just looked at Yan Hua’s dying struggle and sneered.
Mo Yang and the Dragon Tooth Guards quickly retreated to Mu Qingge’s side. Meanwhile, the disciples of Refining Tower, seeing the madness of their dean, fled frantically as if the end of the world were upon them.
"Hahahahahaha——!"
Boom boom boom——!
Boom boom boom——! Boom boom boom——!
Amid Yan Hua’s hysterical laughter, the spire beneath him collapsed, and flames burst from the ground, turning the Gobi desert before them into a sea of fire in an instant.
The disciples of the Refining Tower, who didn’t manage to escape, and even those who ran far, were engulfed by the sea of fire, not even able to let out a scream.
The sea of fire spread towards Mu Qingge and the others.
Enveloped in flames, Yan Hua laughed wildly; "Hahahaha——! I’ll take you all with me! If I can’t live, neither will you——!"
"Damn!" Xue Qiao’s eyes darkened, directly shielding in front of Mu Qingge.
But Mu Qingge pushed him aside with her hand. Calmly, she called out, "Yuanyuan, come out."
Next to Mu Qingge appeared a chubby baby boy, crawling on all fours as if he hadn’t even learned to walk yet.
Yin Chen, standing next to Mu Qingge, glanced at Yuanyuan and slightly twitched the corner of his fox mouth.
"Mum..."
Yuanyuan was about to call out ’mommy boss’ but was glared back fiercely by Mu Qingge. He pouted aggrievedly, seemingly on the verge of tears.
"Whose child is this...?" Xue Qiao was dumbfounded, looking at Yuanyuan.
Not just him, but Mo Yang and the others were also bewildered.
Where did this unlucky kid pop out from, calling their little lord ’mum’ right off the bat?
"Extinguish the fire." Mu Qingge said coldly.
Only then did Yuanyuan turn his gaze toward the sea of fire before him.
Suddenly, his aura changed, and his pure innocence turned into sharpness. He thought to himself, ’You mere mortal fires dare to bully my mommy boss!’
Suddenly, he opened his mouth, a stream of white-blue flame shot forth, engulfing the sea of fire, turning it into a snowy plain.
The sudden drop in temperature, along with the eerie scene, shocked everyone, petrifying them.
Yuanyuan, however, seemed totally oblivious, puffed up his cheeks, and blew again. Instantly, the Earth Fire Dragon was forced back, and the Bone Demon Flame enveloped the entire Refining Tower.
"No... impossible... White... Bone Cold... Flame..."
As the sub dean of the Refining Tower, Yan Hua’s knowledge of abnormal fires wouldn’t be less than Mu Qingge’s. He recognized the origin of this abnormal fire, only to perish in it the moment he realized.
Yan Hua’s body turned into white gas in the Bone Demon Flame, then Yuanyuan suddenly inhaled, reclaiming the Bone Demon Flame.
Before he could step up to claim credit, Mu Qingge had already received him back into her space.
Meanwhile, the Refining Tower in everyone’s eyes turned into white smoke, disappearing completely with the wind...
The red sand had turned black, yet it seemed as if nothing had happened here at all, as if the Refining Tower never existed here.
"Let’s go." Mu Qingge flicked her sleeves, turning to leave.
Yin Chen looked at Mu Qingge and said, "Master, I’ll send you back."
Mu Qingge thought for a moment but still refused, putting Yin Chen back into her space.
Yin Chen was her partner, not her mount. Besides, she hadn’t expended much spiritual power, so she didn’t need Yin Chen to send her back.
In the evening, Mu Qingge returned to Jiang City Palace with a group of mentally unstable people.
"You’re back?" Jiang Li was sitting on her throne, eating sweet fruit, as if she had anticipated Mu Qingge’s return.
Mu Qingge nodded and said to her, "I’ll go wash up first."
Jiang Li nodded.
After she left, she noted the strange expressions of Xue Qiao and Mo Yang plus the Dragon Tooth Guards, curiously asking, "What’s wrong with you all? Looking like you’ve lost your souls."
Xue Qiao took a deep breath, shook his head violently, and said, "Nothing. Haha, the journey was quite tiring, I’ll go find dear Lianrong first."
With that, he turned and quickly slipped away.
"The journey was quite tiring?" Jiang Li repeated Xue Qiao’s words, taking a bite from the fruit in her hand, full of puzzlement.
She then looked at Mo Yang.
Mo Yang, however, didn’t wait for her to ask, and directly said, "I want to be alone."
Then he strode off proudly.
The other Dragon Tooth Guards also expressed their desire to be alone for a while.
In an instant, there was no one left in front of Jiang Li. She stood there stunned, blinking her eyes and asked, "Alone? Who is Alone?"