Humans are devouring and selling off the heavens.

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 stroked 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 looked at the four snake-man elders standing with their heads bowed before him, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Tsk, 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 scrape together a few tens of thousands of 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 trembled 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 the limit for the tribe... Most of it was collected little by little from towns on the outskirts of the desert, costing countless gold coins."

“Four hundred thousand…” She almost knelt down, her voice so faint it seemed about to be blown away by the wind, “Even if you turned Tagor upside down, you couldn’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 the money if we have to. 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, then glancing 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 anything. Let's exchange people for 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 my newly recognized grandmaster and master truly treasure this 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 elder who was still trembling, then casually tossed the colorful snake in his arms over, as if it were an insignificant stone.

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

Yun Yun watched his retreating figure, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

What is this boy, with whom I had a few ambiguous entanglements in the Monster Mountain Range, going to do with 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 that dared not be overly obsequious. He bowed just right, cupping his hands and saying, "Master, Grandmaster, you are indeed incredibly powerful! A few words were enough to subdue the Snake-People." He stole a glance at Xiao Yan's storage ring pocket and added, "Speaking of which, Master and Grandmaster value the storage ring so much, it must be for some great purpose? Could it be for alchemy?"

Xiao Yan glanced at him indifferently.

"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, once this matter is settled, we plan to make a trip to the Yunlan Sect first."

"Yunlan Sect?"

As soon as the 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 things?"

Yun Yun's heart skipped a beat, and her delicate brows furrowed instantly. Her disciple was exceptionally talented and had always been dedicated to cultivation within the Yunlan Sect. When had she ever had any "past dealings" with Yao Yan?
She subconsciously took half a step forward, her tone filled with surprise and doubt: "Yao Yan, you...know Yan Ran?"

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 in shock, 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's 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 enmity of a disciple who was likely a ninth-grade alchemist in life and is now at least a Dou Zun level expert...

Moreover, this apprentice is also with him...

“Yaoyan,” Yunyun’s voice trembled slightly as she subconsciously took a step forward, “Yanran was young and ignorant. If she really offended you back then, I hope you will forgive her.”

"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: "Yun Zhi, judging from this, you and Nalan Yanran are very 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 clenched 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, really interesting!"

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

"Little Yanzi, what a coincidence that there are in the world."

Xiao Yan: "…………"

This world is truly fucking messed up.

(End of this chapter)