Humans are devouring and selling off the heavens

Chapter 119 Yunzhi, are you Nalan Yanran's master?!

Chapter 121 Yunzhi, are you Nalan Yanran's master?!

The hot winds of the Tagor Desert, carrying scorching sand, swept across the towering, wave-like dunes and the figures of people of varying heights, causing their robes to flutter wildly.

Xiao Yan unconsciously rubbed the cool, slippery scales of the seven-colored snake in his arms with his fingertips; the touch was as cool as jade soaking in a cold spring.

He glanced at the four snake-man elders standing with their heads bowed, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Pfft, the snake-man race is supposed to be a major clan in the desert, yet after half a month of fussing, they've only managed to gather these few storage rings?"

The elder at the head of the group swallowed twice, his withered fingers clenched tightly in his sleeves, his knuckles white as bone, and his arm trembling uncontrollably.

Her face was plastered with a smile, but it looked worse than crying. Her hoarse voice was clearly choked with sobs: "My lord, this is already the limit of the tribe, and it still cost countless gold coins to collect little by little from the towns on the outskirts of the desert."

"Four hundred thousand! —" She almost knelt down, her voice so weak it seemed about to be blown away by the wind, "Even if you turned Tagor upside down, you wouldn't find that many.

"You want gold coins, rare and precious materials, even the clan's most treasured techniques and fighting skills—we can scrape together that much with gritted teeth. But storage rings—they really don't grow in the sand—"

Xiao Yan glanced at the pile of old and new storage rings, which were far from what he had expected, and then looked down at the little guy sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Seeing him staring at the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python like that, the elder of the Snake-People Clan immediately became nervous.

The old apothecary coughed lightly and flicked his sleeve, saying, "Alright, Little Yanzi. Judging from their appearance, they don't seem to be hiding anything. The snake-people are trapped in this desert and are already lacking in storage stone veins, so it's normal that they have few storage rings."

Xiao Yan snorted, his gaze sweeping over the group of snake-men who dared not breathe, and then glancing warily at Gu He and Yun Zhi beside him. He suddenly felt that it was pointless to push them any further.

He raised his hand and waved it: "Fine, it seems you really can't produce it. Let's settle this with the exchange of people and goods."

The snake-people elders were overjoyed and practically scrambled to direct their people to pile the tens of thousands of storage rings into a small mountain.

The old and new cabochons reflected a mottled luster under the sunlight, densely packed together, making one dizzy.

Gu He stood to the side, looking at the pile of storage rings, and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

It seems that my newly recognized grandmaster and master really cherish the storage ring.

Xiao Yan twitched his fingertips slightly, and an invisible soul force surged like a tide, instantly sweeping all the storage rings into his pocket.

He glanced at the still trembling elder, raised his hand and tossed the colorful little snake in his arms over, the movement as casual as tossing an inconspicuous stone.

Having done all this, he turned and left, saying to Yun Yun and the others, "This matter is settled, let's go."

Yunyun gazed at his retreating figure, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed.

What is the purpose of this boy, with whom I had a few ambiguous entanglements in the Monster Mountain Range, collecting so many storage rings?

She glanced at the relieved snake-people, then at the composed Yao Lao beside Xiao Yan, and swallowed her words.

Gu He quickly caught up, his face plastered with a fawning smile, yet one that dared not be overly obsequious. He bowed just right, cupping his hands in greeting, "Master, Grandmaster..."

"Truly powerful! A few words were enough to subdue the snake-people." He glanced furtively at Xiao Yan's storage ring pocket and added, "Speaking of which..."

"Master and Grandmaster value the ordination ceremony so much; it must be for a great purpose? Could it be for alchemy?"

Xiao Yan gave him a faint warning look.

"Just leave it alone."

His gaze then swept over the undulating sand dunes in the distance, and he changed the subject, his tone devoid of emotion: "However, now that this matter is settled, we plan to go to the Yunlan Sect first."

"Yunlan Sect?"

As soon as those two words were spoken, Yun Yun's heart sank, and she almost stopped breathing.

The fact that a Dou Zun powerhouse is going to the Yunlan Sect is no small matter; it will likely shake the entire Jia Ma Empire!

Xiao Yan paused slightly, turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the rolling sand waves in the distance, and said in a calm tone as if he were talking about something unimportant: "I have some unresolved matters with Nalan Yanran of the Yunlan Sect, and we need to settle them."

"Yanran? To end it all?"

Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed instantly.

Her disciple is exceptionally talented and has always been dedicated to cultivation in the Yunlan Sect. When did she ever have any "past affairs" with Yao Yan?

She instinctively took half a step forward, her tone filled with surprise and doubt: "Yaoyan, you and Yanran—know each other?"

The old man behind Yao Yan was very likely a Dou Sheng-level existence in his lifetime. How could that child Yanran be...?

"What kind of acquaintance is this?" Xiao Yan's lips curled into a faint smile, seemingly both mocking and relieved. "It's nothing more than that a young lady humiliated a down-on-his-luck good-for-nothing boy back then, but I don't care now. I'm just going to settle things."

Upon hearing this, Gu He hissed and gasped, and the expressions of the several powerful figures accompanying him from the Gama Empire also changed.

Who doesn't know that Yun Yun is the sect leader of Yunlan Sect, and Nalan Yanran is her most beloved disciple?

If my master wants to settle old scores with Nalan Yanran, wouldn't that mean he'd be going against the Yunlan Sect? Could it be that he's going to attack the Yunlan Sect?

but·.

Gu He glanced at Yun Yun and Xiao Yan a couple more times.

Based on his observations over the past few days, he believes his master is using a pseudonym and doesn't know Yunyun.

But the way they looked at each other—it was so damn ambiguous, what was going on now?

It feels so complicated.

Regardless of what Gu He thought, Yun Yun felt as heavy as lead when she heard Xiao Yan say those words.

Yao Yan's tone and eyes revealed his impatience with Yan Ran, and it could even be described as disgust.

Yanran has incurred the wrath of a disciple who was likely a ninth-grade alchemist in life and is now at least a Dou Zun level expert. Moreover, this disciple is also...

"Yao Yan," Yun Yun's voice trembled slightly, and she subconsciously took a step forward, "Yan Ran was young and ignorant. If she really offended you back then..."

I hope you'll let her go.

"If all else fails, come at me—"

Xiao Yan had already sensed the unexpected surprise Gu He and the others showed after hearing his words, and the way they looked at Yun Yun.

Seeing Yun Yun's anxious state, he immediately sensed something was wrong and frowned slightly: "Yunzhi, judging from this, you and Nalan Yanran are quite familiar?"

The room fell silent.

The hot wind from Tagor carried sand and gravel that pelted against my robes, making a soft, rustling sound.

Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat at the mention of "Yun Zhi." She looked up and met Xiao Yan's unfathomable eyes. Her jade-like fingers trembled slightly, and her hand under her sleeve tightened quietly. A hint of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and softened her voice: "Yes—Yan Ran is my disciple."

"Interesting, very interesting!"

Upon hearing this answer, the old doctor couldn't help but laugh.

"Little Yanzi, what a coincidence!"

Xiao Yan: "...

This world is truly fucking messed up.