Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 146: Trouble in the Town, the Arrogant Young Man

After convincing She Wu Maru to become his bodyguard, Mo Yu felt much more at ease. A peak Dou Zun-level guardian like the Seven-Winged Purple-Gold Serpent was a rare and invaluable asset. Even the heirs of the eight ancient clans might not enjoy such protection.

"Mo Yu, my soul is extremely weak right now and cannot manifest for long. We need to find a safe place where I can consume the Earth Core Spirit Fruit," She Wu Maru's raspy, cold voice sounded as he looked seriously at Mo Yu.

Mo Yu nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Uncle Snake. There's a small town not far from the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. We can get there in half a day, and it's a safe place where you can restore some of your soul power."

If Mo Yu could quickly help She Wu Maru recover some of his soul power, he would gain a powerful ally at his side—a move that had no downsides. Naturally, he wouldn't cut corners on this matter.

She Wu Maru nodded in satisfaction. "If you encounter danger, you can call on me for help. Since you've aided me, I won't be stingy in return."

"Thank you, Senior," Mo Yu replied with a smile, grateful for She Wu Maru's offer.

She Wu Maru waved his hand dismissively. Perhaps due to being trapped for so long, his soul was now even more weakened and less substantial.

"Oh? Your storage ring seems quite special, likely superior to high-tier rings. It's a suitable place for me to reside for now," She Wu Maru remarked with interest, noticing Mo Yu's Beast Ring.

Mo Yu chuckled, explaining, "I'm a blacksmith, and I happened to come across some unique crafting methods. This Beast Ring is one of my creations. Unlike regular storage rings, it can store living creatures. I have a four-star magical beast stored in it."

She Wu Maru's eyes flashed with surprise. A storage ring that could hold living beings and a four-star magical beast in the possession of a mere Dou Shi—this boy never ceased to amaze him. If Mo Yu's background were unknown, She Wu Maru might have suspected him of being a scion of a powerful clan from Zhongzhou.

"I hope I haven't misjudged you..." She Wu Maru's raspy voice carried a hint of admiration as he shot Mo Yu a deep, thoughtful look. Then, with a flash, he transformed into a light and entered the Beast Ring.

Seeing She Wu Maru enter the ring, Mo Yu let out a sigh of relief. Given She Wu Maru's age, he was far older than Mo Yu, perhaps old enough to be his ancestor, not just "Uncle Snake." Nevertheless, they had formed a temporary alliance, giving Mo Yu a strong trump card that eased his mind.

After mentally instructing the Purple Flame to behave and not disturb the "guest" in the Beast Ring, Mo Yu slowly made his way out of the grand hall.

"Young Master, you're back!" Seeing Mo Yu emerge from the black hall, Qing Lin, who had been waiting outside, ran over with a bright smile, looking him over to ensure he was unharmed.

"Yes, I'm back," Mo Yu replied with a gentle smile, patting her on the head.

"Hmm, your maid is quite peculiar…" She Wu Maru's raspy voice suddenly echoed in Mo Yu's mind as he spoke with Qing Lin.

Mo Yu wasn't surprised by the comment. After all, the Three Flower Green Snake Eyes were a bane to all snake-type magical beasts. And since She Wu Maru was of the snake tribe, it was natural for him to feel something strange about Qing Lin.

However, while Qing Lin's eye technique was powerful enough to control snake-blooded magical beasts, it wasn't effective against ancient bloodline creatures like She Wu Maru, who had evolved into the Seven-Winged Purple-Gold Serpent.

Despite this, Qing Lin's presence still shocked She Wu Maru greatly.

"So, it's the Three Flower Green Snake Eyes… Where did you find this maid?" She Wu Maru asked, astonished.

The Three Flower Green Snake Eyes were known to be the nemesis of all snake-blooded creatures, and they were incredibly rare, appearing only once in centuries. The fact that a mere Dou Shi had such a maid by his side was astonishing.

Since meeting Mo Yu, She Wu Maru, a Dou Zun who had roamed the continent for centuries, found himself increasingly surprised by this boy, who seemed like an enigma he couldn't fully unravel.

"Uncle Snake, Qing Lin is a maid from my family. As for why she has the Three Flower Green Snake Eyes, it might be because she's a half-blood between a snake person and a human. I'm not really sure," Mo Yu replied in his mind with a lighthearted tone.

She Wu Maru was momentarily speechless. "You're quite lucky. To have a maid with the Three Flower Green Snake Eyes… If the great powers of Zhongzhou knew about this, they'd be furious. This little girl, if she grows up, could achieve as much as I did."

Mo Yu didn't doubt this. Qing Lin's potential had been proven in the original story—she was practically born to succeed. This realization made Mo Yu consider letting Qing Lin go at some point. Keeping her by his side might only hinder her growth.

After chatting a bit more with Qing Lin and She Wu Maru, Mo Yu walked back to the Bone Mountain.

"One, two, three… thirteen." Mo Yu counted the fiery pearls embedded in the Bone Mountain and smiled.

The thirteen fiery pearls were valuable enough to make up for the lost Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame.

After collecting them into his storage ring, Mo Yu clapped his hands and said to Qing Lin, "The Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Flame may be gone, but we still gained a lot. Let's head back."

The fiery pearls alone were worth a fortune, and with She Wu Maru as his new bodyguard, Mo Yu felt as though luck had favored him greatly.

Qing Lin nodded obediently, not caring about the gains herself. For her, as long as her young master was safe, that was all that mattered.

When they reached the entrance of the cave, Mo Yu noticed the trembling Rock Snake Lizard Beast, still too scared to enter. He glanced at Qing Lin and then walked forward. Although he could store the creature in his Beast Ring, Qing Lin's Three Flower Green Snake Eyes could also handle it, so he didn't bother.

As expected, after watching Mo Yu walk away, Qing Lin whistled, and the green light on the Rock Snake Lizard Beast's forehead flared up. Its massive body rapidly shrank into a beam of green light and shot into Qing Lin's sleeve.

Giggling, Qing Lin patted her sleeve playfully. "No causing trouble now, or I'll tell the young master, and he'll throw you away."

A faint hiss sounded in response, tinged with displeasure, as if the Rock Snake Lizard Beast was unhappy with its owner's warning.

"Hee hee," Qing Lin chuckled softly, covering her mouth as she skipped along to catch up with Mo Yu. The two of them gradually disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel.

As they left, the vast, dark passageway fell back into an eerie silence.

"The Three Flower Green Snake Eyes are truly extraordinary. This little girl isn't even a Dou Zhe, yet she can control a four-star snake-type magical beast," She Wu Maru remarked in his raspy voice, clearly impressed.

Even after roaming the continent for centuries, it was the first time he had encountered someone with the true Three Flower Green Snake Eyes, and it left him deeply shaken.

No wonder the Three Flower Green Snake Eyes were known as the nemesis of all snake-blooded creatures. Even with his ancient bloodline, She Wu Maru felt a hint of threat.

Mo Yu just smiled, aware that their relationship was still too new to trust She Wu Maru completely. He had no intention of revealing all his and Qing Lin's secrets to him.

As they exited the dark cave, the sun was already rising. Unbeknownst to them, an entire day had passed inside the cave.

After half a day's travel, nearing noon, Mo Yu and Qing Lin finally returned to Lannis Town.

Seeing the town in the distance, Mo Yu let out a sigh of relief. Exploring that dark cave had been nerve-wracking, but now they were finally safe.

As they walked through the town, Mo Yu noticed something strange. The streets, once bustling with mercenaries, seemed unusually quiet. His brows furrowed in confusion.

There were fewer mercenaries than usual, and many of those who were present wore the same emblem. Having spent a day in Lannis Town before, Mo Yu recognized it as the emblem of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group.

"Something's off… When did the Wild Lion Mercenary Group get so big? Could it be that they defeated and absorbed the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group in the battle from a few days ago? But their strengths were supposed to be evenly matched…" Mo Yu murmured to himself, a hint of doubt in his voice. Narrowing his eyes, he led Qing Lin down the street.

As they headed toward the inn, Mo Yu suddenly stopped, raising his chin slightly and turning his gaze to a large compound at the end of the street.

This was the headquarters of the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group, where Mo Yu had previously met Cersei. It had been a lively place, bustling with activity, but now, the street outside was in disarray, the surrounding shops had closed early, and a cold wind blew, carrying an air of desolation.

"It seems something really did happen to the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group," Mo Yu muttered, surprised.

The Devil Mountain Mercenary Group was the second-largest group in the town, and its leader, Mo Shan, was a one-star Dou Shi—a formidable figure even in the empire's cities. How could they have been destroyed in just a few days?

"Young Master, should we go in and take a look?" Qing Lin asked.

"No need. We have no connection to the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group," Mo Yu shook his head. He wasn't interested in getting involved.

The Earth Core Spirit Fruit was purchased with gold coins, and Mo Yu owed the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group nothing. He had no reason to concern himself with their affairs.

Qing Lin had only asked casually, so she didn't press the matter. Although she was kind-hearted, she wasn't the type to meddle in every problem.

But just as Mo Yu was about to turn away, a blood-stained spear suddenly shot out from the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group's headquarters, aiming straight for Mo Yu's throat.

The sudden attack surprised Mo Yu, but his expression remained calm. His cold gaze fixed on the spear as it rapidly approached. He didn't move an inch.

The sharp spear halted just half a foot from Mo Yu's body, hanging eerily in midair.

His face darkened as he realized someone had tried to assassinate him. A surge of anger rose within him.

With a thought, Mo Yu unleashed his powerful soul force, controlling the spear and sending it flying back in the direction it came from.

There was a soft thud, followed by an explosion from within the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group's headquarters.

A figure was hurled out, landing with a thud near Mo Yu. The head, covered in blood, rolled to a stop not far from him.

"A member of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group?" Mo Yu noted the emblem on the assailant's chest. He frowned. So, the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group really had been wiped out by the Wild Lions?

This meant the fact that he had the Earth Core Spirit Fruit was probably no longer a secret.

"Who's there!?"

The commotion drew attention. Soon, several members of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group emerged.

"Who dares interfere with the business of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group!" One of them shouted before he even saw who it was.

"It's you!" The scar-faced leader froze when he saw Mo Yu, then quickly turned and shouted excitedly, "Captain, we've found Mo Yu!"

Mo Yu's expression hardened. So, they knew his name. It seemed the Earth Core Spirit Fruit in his possession was no longer a secret.

As soon as the name "Mo Yu" was spoken, a strange silence fell over the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group's headquarters. The silence hung for a moment before the large doors slowly creaked open.

From within emerged a tall, imposing middle-aged man wearing the distinctive, ornate uniform of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group, emblazoned with the emblem of a roaring lion. This was Huang Lie, the leader of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group and a two-star Dou Shi.

As Mo Yu prepared to confront the mastermind behind the Devil Mountain Mercenary Group's destruction, Huang Lie simply glanced at him and Qing Lin. After confirming Mo Yu's identity, he narrowed his eyes, gave Mo Yu a strange smile, then suddenly turned and bowed deeply as if greeting a person of great importance.

It wasn't just him. Every member of the Wild Lion Mercenary Group bowed in unison, a display of respect that was both impressive and unnerving.

Under this grand display, a young man dressed in golden robes slowly emerged from behind Huang Lie. The youth was handsome, his sharp gaze locking onto Mo Yu as he spoke coldly.

"So, you're the one who took this king's Earth Core Spirit Fruit?"

(End of Chapter)

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