Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 155: A Desperate Chase

"Who dares steal my Ten Thousand Beast Flame?!"

The Black Lizard Demon Snake King, who had been locked in combat with the Lion Elder, abruptly halted its attack, its furious roar echoing through the surrounding area as it sensed the sudden disappearance of the Heavenly Flame's aura.

Hearing the Snake King's enraged cry, both the high-ranking members of the Lizard Clan and the strong fighters from Mulan Valley were first surprised, then curious as they turned their gazes toward the palace behind the Snake King.

"The Ten Thousand Beast Flame?"

Those present were not unfamiliar with the name. After all, the Twenty-Three Heavenly Flames listed on the Dou Qi Continent's Heavenly Flame Ranking were well-known across the entire continent. Although the Ten Thousand Beast Flame ranked near the bottom of the list, a Heavenly Flame was still a Heavenly Flame, and its value was enough to drive countless powerful beings to madness.

Even those who didn't need a Heavenly Flame themselves could use it to secure a significant favor from an alchemist, making it a treasure eagerly sought after by many strong fighters.

So, when the news of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame spread, the people from Mulan Valley were initially stunned, but soon enough, greed began to flicker across their faces.

A Heavenly Flame was something most strong fighters could only dream of seeing in their lifetime.

Even the Lion Elder hesitated, his eyes betraying a hint of covetousness. His original goal was to find his grandson, but to think that there was a Heavenly Flame within the Lizard Clan's territory...

The value of a Heavenly Flame was immense, and the Lion Elder couldn't help but feel a surge of desire.

"Snake King, you possess a Heavenly Flame?"

The Lion Elder also paused his attack, his tiger-like eyes burning as he glared at the Snake King and barked out a demand.

"Hmph, and now you pretend to be ignorant? Isn't it true that Mulan Valley only launched this attack on my territory because you learned I possessed a Heavenly Flame? That Flame was most likely stolen by someone from your Valley!" the Black Lizard Demon Snake King sneered, its face darkening with rage as it saw through what it believed to be the Lion Elder's façade.

First, they attacked his territory under the pretext of searching for a missing grandson, and now that the Flame had been stolen, they acted as if they had nothing to do with it. The hypocrisy of humans was truly appalling!

Hearing the Snake King's accusation, the Lion Elder frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. When had he ever ordered anyone to infiltrate the Lizard Clan's palace and steal the Flame?

Moreover, Mulan Valley had received no intelligence about the Snake King possessing a Heavenly Flame!

As the Lion Elder considered this, he suddenly realized something was off.

His grandson had mysteriously disappeared, seemingly captured by the Lizard Clan, yet the Black Lizard Demon Snake King appeared unaware of the situation. The Snake King had tried to prevent the Lion Elder from entering the palace, not to hide the young prince but to conceal the Heavenly Flame.

Now that the Flame was gone, and it wasn't Mulan Valley or the Lizard Clan behind it, there had to be a third party involved!

This realization sparked anger in the Lion Elder's heart.

If a third party was indeed involved, then the disappearance of the young prince, the theft of the Flame, and the battle between Mulan Valley and the Lizard Clan were all orchestrated by this unknown force.

This meant that Mulan Valley had been played!

As the dominant force in the Mulan Empire, Mulan Valley was renowned throughout the empire and even the entire northwest region of the continent. To be manipulated by an unknown party was a grave insult, one that filled the Lion Elder with fury.

"Snake King, whether you believe me or not, let me be clear: the disappearance of your palace's Heavenly Flame has nothing to do with Mulan Valley. I came here to find the grandson your Lizard Clan captured. It now seems that someone bribed one of your people to kidnap my grandson, framing you to provoke a war between us, all to reap the benefits. Clearly, this person has achieved their goal, and the Flame is likely in their hands!"

The Lion Elder had figured out many things at this point. The most important task now was to end the battle with the Lizard Clan and prevent the mastermind from getting away.

Anyone who dared to scheme against Mulan Valley would pay a terrible price!

The Snake King was momentarily stunned by the Lion Elder's words. Its massive tail swayed, distorting the air around it, and the anger in its cold eyes began to subside. As its reason returned, it started to consider the situation more carefully and found itself unsure.

Initially, it had believed that Mulan Valley was attacking to steal the Heavenly Flame, using the search for the grandson as a mere excuse.

But according to the Lion Elder, someone had been deliberately stirring up conflict between the two sides, planning to steal the Ten Thousand Beast Flame during the chaos.

If Mulan Valley was truly behind this, they would have taken the Flame and left by now, rather than engaging in further discussion.

A hint of doubt crossed the Snake King's triangular eyes. As a sixth-tier magical beast, its intelligence was not much lower than that of humans. As the leader of the Lizard Clan, it quickly recognized the peculiarities of the situation.

"Lion Elder, are you saying that you really came here to find your grandson?" The Snake King was still skeptical but decided to probe further.

Who knew if this was another trick to escape? The Snake King had never trusted humans.

The Lion Elder frowned at this. If the Snake King weren't so powerful, he wouldn't bother with explanations.

"This is Master Mu's Thousand Mile Tracker. It was by using this that I determined my grandson's location."

As he spoke, the Lion Elder reached into his storage ring, producing a bronze compass. The compass emitted an eerie aura, and a black iron needle shaped like a spoon was pointing directly at the Lizard Clan's palace.

Seeing this, the Snake King's eyes grew darker. As a sixth-tier magical beast, it had heard of the famous Master Mu of the Mulan Empire. If Mulan Valley had tracked its way to the Lizard Clan using this Thousand Mile Tracker, there was indeed a misunderstanding.

It seemed that a hidden hand had been pushing the events from the shadows. Although the Snake King was reluctant to believe that one of its clan members could have been bribed, the evidence suggested otherwise.

Realizing that someone had played both it and Mulan Valley for fools, and stolen the Ten Thousand Beast Flame in the process, the Snake King let out a furious, skyward roar.

"Everyone, return to the palace immediately and capture the intruder who dared enter the royal hall!"

The Snake King's massive head turned toward the palace, its blood-red eyes brimming with killing intent as it roared orders. The forest suddenly erupted into chaos as the Lizard Clan's serpents began to move frantically.

Hearing their king's orders, several fifth-tier serpents quickly abandoned their fights with Mulan Valley's experts and led their kin in a mad dash toward the palace.

Seeing this, the Mulan Valley experts exchanged puzzled glances before turning their eyes to the Lion Elder, waiting for his command.

"Lion Elder, it's clear someone has been sowing discord between us, so our battle can end here. I will send my subordinates to help find your grandson, but I must personally deal with the mastermind behind this!" The Snake King's anger simmered down as it eyed the distant palace. Its voice was cold and full of menace.

There was no way it would allow Mulan Valley to interfere in capturing the culprit. If they did, the ownership of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame would be in question.

"No need for your help, Snake King. I will find my grandson myself!"

The Lion Elder, a shrewd individual, saw through the Snake King's intentions. Now that he was here, not only would he retrieve his grandson, but he would also unmask the one who had deceived Mulan Valley and seize the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.

That was the way of Mulan Valley—domineering and relentless!

With that, the Lion Elder turned and shot off into the distance, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light, as if he were about to catch a rat in a trap.

After giving some instructions to the yellow-robed middle-aged man below, the Lion Elder stepped into the air and sped off.

Watching the Lion Elder leave, the Snake King's face darkened. The Ten Thousand Beast Flame had indeed drawn in a pack of wolves.

Cursing under its breath, the Snake King didn't linger. It whipped its massive tail, kicking up a fierce wind as it disappeared from sight.

The Mulan Valley experts below were left bewildered by the abrupt end to the battle. They had been fighting fiercely moments ago, and now it was over just like that.

After receiving the Lion Elder's instructions, the yellow-robed middle-aged man looked stunned for a moment before a look of understanding crossed his face. His expression then twisted in anger.

"Who is the scoundrel who kidnapped Xun'er and incited this conflict? If I catch them, I will tear them apart!"

With that curse, the yellow-robed man waved for the Mulan Valley experts to follow the others.

Elsewhere, in the blue sky, a figure shot through the air at breakneck speed, leaving a shallow trail of wind in its wake.

The moment Mo Yu heard the Black Lizard Demon Snake King's furious roar, he knew he had been exposed.

If the two great forces resolved their misunderstanding, he would become their common target.

The thought of being hunted by both sides sent a chill down Mo Yu's spine. He had indeed stirred up a hornet's nest.

Pushing his speed to the limit, Mo Yu's tense expression suddenly changed. Glancing back, he saw two black dots growing larger on the horizon.

"They're that fast?!"

Seeing the two Dou Emperor experts closing in, Mo Yu was filled with shock. These were Dou Emperors—if he confronted them head-on, he would be crushed with a single blow.

"You dare steal my Flame? I'll tear you to pieces!" The Black Lizard Demon Snake King's voice, seething with rage, thundered across the mountain range like a storm.

"It's really him…" Mo Yu muttered grimly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced back, sensing the impending danger.

"No one dares to use Mulan Valley as a pawn. I will personally send you to hell," the Lion Elder's deep, menacing voice, amplified by Dou Qi, reached Mo Yu's ears.

In the blink of an eye, the two black figures were hurtling toward Mo Yu at a terrifying speed.

"Kid, I'll help you escape this time. They're too many, and you can't afford to be caught. If we get bogged down, not even I can guarantee we'll escape unscathed!"

At that moment, Snake Uncle's voice echoed in Mo Yu's mind, carrying an unusual seriousness. A pair of high-ranking Dou Emperors was no small threat, even for him.

"Please do!" Mo Yu nodded grimly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

"Don't worry. I've had a grudge against that lizard for a long time. Now that you've taken the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, it's time for some payback."

As soon as Snake Uncle finished speaking, his voice fell silent. In the next instant, a fierce and unparalleled surge of soul power erupted from within Mo Yu, instantly seizing control of his body.

With Snake Uncle in control, Mo Yu's body trembled slightly, and the purple wings on his back began to shimmer with a golden hue.

The delicate patterns on the Purple Cloud Wings morphed into golden designs that danced like living creatures, appearing more intricate and mysterious.

Clearly, with Snake Uncle's power, the Purple Cloud Wings had evolved into a more formidable form—Golden Purple Wings.

"Heh, kid, you've got some impressive tricks up your sleeve. A flying Dou Technique, not bad at all…"

A sinister, raspy voice came from Mo Yu's mouth. After a brief sigh of admiration, he glanced at the figures rapidly approaching from behind, a wicked smile curling his lips.

With the Golden Purple Wings now adorned with golden patterns, Mo Yu's speed increased nearly threefold.

His body shot through the air at a dizzying pace, the sound of the wind tearing apart the sky, creating sonic booms in his wake. Mo Yu's speed was truly terrifying.

As his speed soared, the distance between Mo Yu and his pursuers, the Black Lizard Demon Snake King and the others, began to widen once again.

"Could he be a Dou Emperor as well?"

The Snake King was momentarily taken aback by Mo Yu's speed and the strange aura emanating from the boy. A flicker of killing intent flashed in its eyes as it snarled, "It doesn't matter who you are. If you've taken my Flame, you must die!"

With that, the Snake King's body was engulfed in a surge of black energy, and its speed increased by a notch.

The Lion Elder, observing this from the side, frowned. As the ruler of the Mulan Empire, he was well-acquainted with the empire's powerful figures, but he had never encountered such a mysterious Dou Emperor.

"Could he be from another empire?" The Lion Elder's face darkened at the thought, and his heart burned with rage.

"Using Mulan Valley as a pawn… I'll make sure you pay for this with your life!"

(End of Chapter)

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