"The First General... lost?" The young man on the Four-Winged Unicorn looked at the dust on the ground and felt somewhat incredulous, feeling a huge gap in his heart.
After all, Xiao Ming had only used three moves, without even using his Dou Techniques, while Gu Qingyang had used secret techniques to enhance his strength and even used a High Di Dou Technique. And yet, he still lost?
The young man swallowed saliva and felt that this matter was too surreal.
Nevertheless, the fact was right in front of him, and he had no choice but to believe it.
"Cough!" The dust on the ground dissipated and the figure of Gu Qingyang was revealed.
His green robe was in tatters, and his body bore numerous abrasions. The palm print on his chest was particularly prominent, and he appeared far from the composed figure he was when he first arrived.
Upon seeing Gu Qingyang's current state, the Black Submerged Army didn't have time to be shocked and quickly flew the Four-Winged Unicorns to land beside him.
"First General, are you alright?"
Standing up slowly, Gu Qingyang breathed a sigh and said, "It's nothing serious."
Seeing the blood flowing from their general's mouth, those Black Submerged Soldiers swallowed their saliva. This didn't look like "nothing serious" at all!
However, in reality, Gu Qingyang was indeed fine. Xiao Ming had held back some of his strength in the end, and Gu Qingyang only sustained minor injuries.
Otherwise, Xiao Ming could have ripped his head off.
Gu Qingyang understood that Xiao Ming had held back, so when he looked at him, his eyes were somewhat complex.
He had originally thought that Xiao Ming, who hailed from a small Empire in the North-Western Region, even as a seventh-tier Alchemist, would not have outstanding combat power.
With the backing of his Gu Clan, he should have been able to handle a Dou Ancestor, albeit with some difficulty, and ultimately come out on top.
Unexpectedly, the clown ended up being himself.
Although he still had some tricks up his sleeve, Xiao Ming hadn't even used his Dou Techniques from start to finish. With just three moves, he had defeated him, and there was no need to continue the fight.
Xiao Ming, who did not know Gu Qingyang's thoughts, landed directly in front of him and asked, "Do we need to continue?"
"No need. I admit defeat. This is the Blood Essence Demon Fruit. As agreed, it belongs to you." Gu Qingyang's hand flashed with white light, and the Blood Essence Demon Fruit, which had just been collected in his storage ring, appeared in his hand once again.
Xiao Ming raised his hand, and the jade box containing the Blood Essence Demon Fruit in Gu Qingyang's hand was immediately sucked into his palm.
"General Gu Qingyang is indeed generous." After examining the Blood Essence Demon Fruit, Xiao Ming chuckled and said.
"It's just a matter of skill, Brother Xiao Ming has made me realize that there are always people better than oneself."
Gu Qingyang was worthy of being a talented individual who was highly regarded by the Gu Clan; his character was quite good.
Despite being defeated by Xiao Ming, Gu Qingyang remained calm and collected, showing no signs of hysteria or distress.
Xiao Ming could only smile in response, saying nothing.
Looking at Xiao Ming's smile, Gu Qingyang understood that there was no need to stay any longer. He took out a healing pill from his storage ring and swallowed it before riding his own four-winged unicorn.
Just as he was about to ride away, he hesitated and turned his head.
"Brother Xiao Ming, I don't know if the Tou She Ancient God's Jade is really on you, but if it is, I advise you to hand it over to our Gu Clan. After all, there are more than just our clan who are eyeing that thing. If you hand it over to us, you may still receive some resources and avoid some danger. That's all I have to say. Please consider it carefully."
After speaking, Gu Qingyang left with his group.
Watching Gu Qingyang and his group depart, Xiao Ming fell into deep thought. Gu Qingyang's words made him have to consider how to deal with the Gu Clan.
To be honest, he didn't value the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that much since he already had the Origin Qi. There was no need to rely on that thing to advance to Dou God.
However, it was impossible for him to hand it over, especially to the Gu Clan. His impression of the Gu Clan was not good, and even two-fifths of the clan were spies.
What was the difference between giving it to them and giving it to the Hall of Souls?
If Hun Tiandi got the Tou She Ancient God's Jade and started his plan ahead of time, and he didn't have the strength to intervene, then everything would be messed up.
So it was impossible to hand it over, but it was also difficult to deal with the Gu Clan's constant attention.
Actually, Xiao Ming didn't think the Gu Clan valued the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that much. After all, it only became useful when all eight pieces were collected, a task that was not easy to achieve as they would have to dominate the other Ancient Clans.
From the fact that the Gu Clan only sent younger members, it could be inferred that its level of importance was limited, and not everyone valued it.
Xiao Ming seriously suspected that those who valued the Tou She Ancient God's Jade were the two-fifths of the Hall of Souls.
'Anyway, forget it. I was planning to travel around the North-Western Region with Qing Lin, looking for opportunities that appear in the simulator, but now I can only head to the Central Plains.'
'After joining the Pill Tower, with their protection, they can't do anything to me.' Xiao Ming thought to himself.
As a holy land for alchemists across the continent, and with the Pill Tower's founder being a six-star Dou Saint, it still carried significant weight in the eyes of the Gu Clan.
The Gu Clan didn't need to go all out for the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that they hadn't seen in thousands of years.
In fact, if Xiao Ming were to wander around the continent, he wouldn't encounter much trouble, as the Dou Qi Continent was vast, and finding someone was more difficult than reaching the sky.
Unlike the Hun Clan, which had the Hall of Souls as its pawn across the continent, the Gu Clan didn't have such extensive influence.
But one could only hide for so long, so it was better to appear in the Gu Clan's view to avoid them searching for him in the Imperial Capital, causing chaos for the Xiao Family.
"Xiao Ming, what is that jade thing? Can you eat it? Why do they all come to you for it?" Zi Yan asked, flying over to Xiao Ming and shaking his arm, pulling him out of his deep thought.
"That's something that will bring misfortune to anyone who gets too close to it," Xiao Ming replied, rubbing her head.
In a way, Zi Yan was a victim of that thing.
"Ah? Then why do they still want it? Did they cultivate until their brains were damaged?" She tilted her head, trying to understand.
"They are just too greedy," Xiao Ming replied nonchalantly.
The Gu Clan did not have the strength to sweep away other Ancient Clans like the Hun Clan, so their pursuit of the Tou She Ancient God's Jade was nothing but greed.
At this moment, Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian flew over to his side.
"Here, this is for you," a bottle of healing medicine floated in front of Medusa.
"This is the compensation that person gave to your Snake-People Tribe."
Seeing Medusa hesitating, Xiao Ming explained and then led Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan towards the underground cave.
Looking at Xiao Ming's back, a strange color shone in Medusa's eyes.
Xiao Ming's aversion to the Snake-People Tribe seemed to have reduced significantly. Perhaps the matter of borrowing the power of the Heavenly Flame could be successful.
...
After spending two hours resting in the underground cave, Xiao Ming was ready to leave with the girls.
However, at that moment, Medusa suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his way
"The First General... lost?" The young man on the Four-Winged Unicorn looked at the dust on the ground and felt somewhat incredulous, feeling a huge gap in his heart.
After all, Xiao Ming had only used three moves, without even using his Dou Techniques, while Gu Qingyang had used secret techniques to enhance his strength and even used a High Di Dou Technique. And yet, he still lost?
The young man swallowed saliva and felt that this matter was too surreal.
Nevertheless, the fact was right in front of him, and he had no choice but to believe it.
"Cough!" The dust on the ground dissipated and the figure of Gu Qingyang was revealed.
His green robe was in tatters, and his body bore numerous abrasions. The palm print on his chest was particularly prominent, and he appeared far from the composed figure he was when he first arrived.
Upon seeing Gu Qingyang's current state, the Black Submerged Army didn't have time to be shocked and quickly flew the Four-Winged Unicorns to land beside him.
"First General, are you alright?"
Standing up slowly, Gu Qingyang breathed a sigh and said, "It's nothing serious."
Seeing the blood flowing from their general's mouth, those Black Submerged Soldiers swallowed their saliva. This didn't look like "nothing serious" at all!
However, in reality, Gu Qingyang was indeed fine. Xiao Ming had held back some of his strength in the end, and Gu Qingyang only sustained minor injuries.
Otherwise, Xiao Ming could have ripped his head off.
Gu Qingyang understood that Xiao Ming had held back, so when he looked at him, his eyes were somewhat complex.
He had originally thought that Xiao Ming, who hailed from a small Empire in the North-Western Region, even as a seventh-tier Alchemist, would not have outstanding combat power.
With the backing of his Gu Clan, he should have been able to handle a Dou Ancestor, albeit with some difficulty, and ultimately come out on top.
Unexpectedly, the clown ended up being himself.
Although he still had some tricks up his sleeve, Xiao Ming hadn't even used his Dou Techniques from start to finish. With just three moves, he had defeated him, and there was no need to continue the fight.
Xiao Ming, who did not know Gu Qingyang's thoughts, landed directly in front of him and asked, "Do we need to continue?"
"No need. I admit defeat. This is the Blood Essence Demon Fruit. As agreed, it belongs to you." Gu Qingyang's hand flashed with white light, and the Blood Essence Demon Fruit, which had just been collected in his storage ring, appeared in his hand once again.
Xiao Ming raised his hand, and the jade box containing the Blood Essence Demon Fruit in Gu Qingyang's hand was immediately sucked into his palm.
"General Gu Qingyang is indeed generous." After examining the Blood Essence Demon Fruit, Xiao Ming chuckled and said.
"It's just a matter of skill, Brother Xiao Ming has made me realize that there are always people better than oneself."
Gu Qingyang was worthy of being a talented individual who was highly regarded by the Gu Clan; his character was quite good.
Despite being defeated by Xiao Ming, Gu Qingyang remained calm and collected, showing no signs of hysteria or distress.
Xiao Ming could only smile in response, saying nothing.
Looking at Xiao Ming's smile, Gu Qingyang understood that there was no need to stay any longer. He took out a healing pill from his storage ring and swallowed it before riding his own four-winged unicorn.
Just as he was about to ride away, he hesitated and turned his head.
"Brother Xiao Ming, I don't know if the Tou She Ancient God's Jade is really on you, but if it is, I advise you to hand it over to our Gu Clan. After all, there are more than just our clan who are eyeing that thing. If you hand it over to us, you may still receive some resources and avoid some danger. That's all I have to say. Please consider it carefully."
After speaking, Gu Qingyang left with his group.
Watching Gu Qingyang and his group depart, Xiao Ming fell into deep thought. Gu Qingyang's words made him have to consider how to deal with the Gu Clan.
To be honest, he didn't value the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that much since he already had the Origin Qi. There was no need to rely on that thing to advance to Dou God.
However, it was impossible for him to hand it over, especially to the Gu Clan. His impression of the Gu Clan was not good, and even two-fifths of the clan were spies.
What was the difference between giving it to them and giving it to the Hall of Souls?
If Hun Tiandi got the Tou She Ancient God's Jade and started his plan ahead of time, and he didn't have the strength to intervene, then everything would be messed up.
So it was impossible to hand it over, but it was also difficult to deal with the Gu Clan's constant attention.
Actually, Xiao Ming didn't think the Gu Clan valued the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that much. After all, it only became useful when all eight pieces were collected, a task that was not easy to achieve as they would have to dominate the other Ancient Clans.
From the fact that the Gu Clan only sent younger members, it could be inferred that its level of importance was limited, and not everyone valued it.
Xiao Ming seriously suspected that those who valued the Tou She Ancient God's Jade were the two-fifths of the Hall of Souls.
'Anyway, forget it. I was planning to travel around the North-Western Region with Qing Lin, looking for opportunities that appear in the simulator, but now I can only head to the Central Plains.'
'After joining the Pill Tower, with their protection, they can't do anything to me.' Xiao Ming thought to himself.
As a holy land for alchemists across the continent, and with the Pill Tower's founder being a six-star Dou Saint, it still carried significant weight in the eyes of the Gu Clan.
The Gu Clan didn't need to go all out for the Tou She Ancient God's Jade that they hadn't seen in thousands of years.
In fact, if Xiao Ming were to wander around the continent, he wouldn't encounter much trouble, as the Dou Qi Continent was vast, and finding someone was more difficult than reaching the sky.
Unlike the Hun Clan, which had the Hall of Souls as its pawn across the continent, the Gu Clan didn't have such extensive influence.
But one could only hide for so long, so it was better to appear in the Gu Clan's view to avoid them searching for him in the Imperial Capital, causing chaos for the Xiao Family.
"Xiao Ming, what is that jade thing? Can you eat it? Why do they all come to you for it?" Zi Yan asked, flying over to Xiao Ming and shaking his arm, pulling him out of his deep thought.
"That's something that will bring misfortune to anyone who gets too close to it," Xiao Ming replied, rubbing her head.
In a way, Zi Yan was a victim of that thing.
"Ah? Then why do they still want it? Did they cultivate until their brains were damaged?" She tilted her head, trying to understand.
"They are just too greedy," Xiao Ming replied nonchalantly.
The Gu Clan did not have the strength to sweep away other Ancient Clans like the Hun Clan, so their pursuit of the Tou She Ancient God's Jade was nothing but greed.
At this moment, Medusa and Xiao Yi Xian flew over to his side.
"Here, this is for you," a bottle of healing medicine floated in front of Medusa.
"This is the compensation that person gave to your Snake-People Tribe."
Seeing Medusa hesitating, Xiao Ming explained and then led Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan towards the underground cave.
Looking at Xiao Ming's back, a strange color shone in Medusa's eyes.
Xiao Ming's aversion to the Snake-People Tribe seemed to have reduced significantly. Perhaps the matter of borrowing the power of the Heavenly Flame could be successful.
...
After spending two hours resting in the underground cave, Xiao Ming was ready to leave with the girls.
However, at that moment, Medusa suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his way
