"Yes, my target is indeed Yun Shan," Xiao Tian nodded calmly.
Medusa's eyes narrowed. "I'll go out and take a look. I can't let him harm my people. You wait in the side hall first. I'll bring him there shortly."
After speaking, she transformed into a streak of purple light and flew out of the temple.
Wen Yan silently led Yun Yun to the side hall. Once inside, Yun Yun walked up to Xiao Tian and gently straightened his clothes, speaking softly:
"I hope you can talk peacefully with Master. Please protect yourself too… I don't want either of you to get hurt if things turn ugly."
"Alright, I'll listen to you," Xiao Tian replied with a gentle smile, playfully flicking her nose.
"Don't treat me like a child," Yun Yun said shyly, though a hint of sweetness flashed in her eyes.
Xiao Tian had Wen Yan hide Yun Yun in the void nearby so she could watch the upcoming negotiation without being seen.
...
Outside Serpent-People City.
Yun Shan and Queen Medusa finally met.
Medusa looked at the white-robed figure standing in the void and spoke with faint mockery:
"Yun Shan, I thought you had died of old age in seclusion within the Cloud Mist Sect. I didn't expect you to actually break through to Dou Zong."
"Queen Medusa jests," Yun Shan replied calmly. "I was merely seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough, which is why I haven't shown myself until now."
"You captured Yun'er and Gu He. Are you trying to confirm whether I'm still alive?"
"The one who wants to see you this time is not me," Medusa said indifferently. "If you wish to rescue them, follow me. I'll take you to him."
Yun Shan was slightly surprised, but with his Dou Zong strength, he felt confident enough to handle whatever awaited him. He followed Medusa without hesitation.
Medusa brought him to the side hall — a spacious reception room.
Xiao Tian was already seated on the left side below the main seat.
Medusa did not take the main throne. Instead, she sat on a chair right beside Xiao Tian, clearly showing that he was the true focus of this meeting.
When Yun Shan entered and saw the young man sitting there, surprise flashed across his face. Someone capable of making Queen Medusa cooperate was no ordinary person.
He couldn't sense any cultivation aura from Xiao Tian at first, yet he didn't dare underestimate him.
"Whose successor might this young friend be?" Yun Shan asked with a fake smile as he sat down opposite Xiao Tian.
"I am Xiao Tian," Xiao Tian replied with a calm smile.
"You captured Yun'er and Gu He just to see me. May I ask what your intention is?" Yun Shan went straight to the point.
"Since Sect Leader Yun is being direct, I won't beat around the bush either," Xiao Tian sat up straight, his gaze meeting Yun Shan's evenly. "My main purpose in seeking you out is very simple: to save the Cloud Mist Sect… and to save your life, Sect Leader Yun."
"You arrogant brat, spouting nonsense here!" Yun Shan's aura surged violently, pressing down on Xiao Tian as he flicked out a sharp sword-shaped Dou Qi with a casual finger.
"No!" Yun Yun couldn't help but cry out from within the hidden spatial realm.
Medusa also prepared to intervene.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Xiao Tian's eyes flashed. In that instant, he activated the Heaven Devouring Cauldron hidden deep within his body.
For many days, he had been continuously storing vast amounts of Heaven and Earth energy inside the cauldron in preparation for this very moment. Now, he released it all at once.
A terrifying pressure belonging to a Nine-Star Dou Zong erupted from Xiao Tian's body like a volcanic explosion, instantly crushing Yun Shan's aura and attack.
Yun Shan's face changed drastically. He circulated his Dou Qi desperately to resist, but it felt like he was being crushed by an entire mountain.
"A nine-star Dou Zong…?" Yun Shan gritted his teeth. "This must be some kind of secret technique. You can't maintain it for long, can you?"
"Correct," Xiao Tian thought himself calmly. "Using the Heaven Devouring Cauldron to forcibly store and release such a massive amount of Heaven and Earth energy allows him to temporarily reach Nine-Star Dou Zong. However, he cannot do this repeatedly. Each time I use it, it puts a heavy burden on his foundation and damages his future potential. That is the price of this sudden power boost."
He looked at Yun Shan and said. "But even this short period of time is more than enough for me to kill you several times over. Would you like to test it?"
To Yun Shan, that smile felt like being targeted by something ancient and terrifying.
"Now, Sect Leader Yun, are you willing to calm down and continue our previous discussion?"
"…Yes."
Yun Shan barely managed to squeeze out the word while struggling to maintain his posture.
Xiao Tian withdrew the borrowed power. The moment his aura disappeared, the chairs around Yun Shan instantly turned into fine dust.
Both Yun Yun (hidden in the void) and Medusa breathed a sigh of relief that a real fight hadn't broken out.
The two women in different spaces blinked their large eyes at Xiao Tian, as if seeing him in a new light.
"May I ask what you meant by saving the Cloud Mist Sect and my life?" Yun Shan asked after calming himself, his expression once again composed.
Seeing how quickly Yun Shan regained control of his emotions, Xiao Tian sighed inwardly. Indeed, an ambitious and cunning old fox.
"You were only able to break through to Dou Zong because you cooperated with the Hall of Souls, and they helped you break through using certain means, correct?"
Yun Shan's heart shook violently, but his face remained unchanged. "I don't know what you mean."
Xiao Tian continued directly, "The Hall of Souls left a brand on your soul. At any time, they can easily harvest it. I can help you remove that brand safely. As for the rest of our collaboration, we can discuss the details slowly."
Yun Shan stared at Xiao Tian for a long time, his eyes flickering with complex emotions.
After weighing the risks and benefits, he finally spoke in a low voice:
"What exactly do you need me to do?"
"You help me stabilize him, and then cooperate with me to quietly capture him alive. I need to get intelligence from him. As a reward, you can take them back, and this is a flame petal, which can help you remove the mark on your soul."
A fiery red petal appeared in Xiao Tian's hand.
"Is that true?" Yun Shan stared blankly at the petal, frowning as he spoke.
"You can feel it first, but don't use it yet. If you use it now to remove the mark, the Hall of Souls will definitely know, and then your Cloud Mist Sect might suffer a devastating blow."
Yun Shan took the flame petal, briefly felt it, and, after confirming that it could remove the mark, he relaxed.
"You take this flame petal. When you act against him, you can use it then. After the matter is done, you will also be free. After the matter is done, I will not interfere with your interests, nor will I meddle in your interests."
Yun Shan fell into contemplation upon hearing this, and after weighing the benefits, he opened his eyes and looked sharply at Xiao Tian.