"Chen Sen, I'll give you a word of advice out of respect for you being the new genius of our Medicine Valley. Situ Kuang is a criminal of the Situ family, and this man is his disciple. Don't forget who truly holds power in this Medicine Valley. Even if I killed him, Situ Yanguang wouldn't dare say a word."
Luo Yongwu's gaze was sinister, a flash of killing intent passing through—clearly, he had already made up his mind to kill.
"Heh, do you really think you can kill me?" Ye Lanshan suddenly laughed.
So this guy was Situ Cheng's lackey. If she let him live, wouldn't that be giving him a chance to tip off Situ Cheng? But if she killed him now, not only was there the Medicine Valley member Chen Sen present, but he himself wasn't easy to kill either.
Unless she summoned the divine beast again, but that would cause too much of a commotion. Though this place was quiet, it wasn't remote enough to avoid drawing others.
"Kill you? No, I'm going to capture you and hand you over to the Situ family head." Luo Yongwu had no intention of killing him so simply. What value would a dead man have compared to a live one?
He didn't really believe this person was a divine-grade alchemist, but it was better to err on the side of caution. Besides, his master was Situ Kuang. If he captured him and handed him over to the city lord, he might even dig out Situ Kuang's current hiding place.
"Flame Claw."
Luo Yongwu's hands formed claws, and massive fiery claws shot toward her, closing in from one meter to two, getting closer and closer.
Ye Lanshan stood frozen as if stunned, not moving an inch even as the claws were about to strike her face.
Even Luo Yongwu wore a confident, contemptuous smile.
Chen Sen stomped his foot in panic, shouting, "Young Master Shan Luo, dodge!"
"This has nothing to do with you." Luo Yongwu backhanded him, sending him crashing into a tree behind him. The massive trunk, too thick for one person to wrap their arms around, shook violently from the impact. Blood spilled from Chen Sen's mouth, his organs feeling as if they'd been rearranged.
But in that split second of distraction, Ye Lanshan appeared behind him like a ghost. He hadn't even seen how she dodged that strike to get there.
"A dignified eighth-grade alchemist and Mystic God General, isn't it wrong to bully the weak like this?"
Hearing her calm voice, Luo Yongwu spun around and stepped back. "Bully the weak? No, no. Since you're Situ Kuang's disciple, you're an enemy of the Situ family. Capturing an enemy can hardly be called bullying the weak."
"Enemy? What a joke. I recall this Medicine Valley originally belonged to my master. And since the valley honors alchemy above all, I'm a divine-grade alchemist. You think you can capture me?" Ye Lanshan felt a surge of killing intent but knew this wasn't the right time to kill.
"Divine-grade? You say you're divine-grade, so you are? Ridiculous." Luo Yongwu formed claws again, repeating his earlier move.
But Ye Lanshan had no time to play with him. "Wings of Carnage" met his attack, resulting in a draw.
So without her contractor's help, her strength was this weak?
Ye Lanshan took a slight step back, using this moment to gauge her own power. But so what? Under immense pressure, great potential would burst forth.
"Mystic Emperor General." Luo Yongwu hadn't expected such a young man to possess such formidable strength. But this only proved he wasn't a divine-grade alchemist.
Why was Luo Yongwu so sure? It came down to alchemists themselves—most spent their time on alchemy, so their combat strength was weaker. He himself had only become a Mystic God General at 150.
How old was this kid? Already a Mystic Emperor General at such a young age—where would he find time to study alchemy? Becoming a divine-grade alchemist at his age was already a long shot.
Since that was the case, there was no need to spare his life. Luo Yongwu's moves grew vicious, targeting her vital points.
But she, a mere Mystic Emperor General, fought him alone without any external aid.
Though only a Mystic Emperor General, her strength rivaled a Mystic God General. The more Luo Yongwu fought, the more alarmed he became.
Ye Lanshan had gone from being suppressed to mounting a counterattack, shifting from a disadvantage to an advantage.
But this highlighted an alchemist's greatest strength: an endless supply of pills. If you didn't kill him in one blow and he still had pills, he could wear you down.
Luo Yongwu stuffed a handful of pills into his mouth, his mystic power surging. In this state, he was a hundred times stronger than usual.
Ye Lanshan dodged his attacks as lightly as a butterfly, her pale blue robe fluttering with each leap. It was a sight that could captivate anyone.
Neither noticed a figure hidden in the tree, watching Ye Lanshan's graceful evasions with near-obsession.
So sacred, so pure, so elegant—utterly different from the dark world he knew, even more refined than the self-proclaimed holy sanctuary.
Coming to Medicine Valley was the right choice. If he could change the filthy sins of the Situ family, that would be something worthwhile.
A trace of blood dripped from Ye Lanshan's lips, falling to the ground. Though she tried to dodge gracefully, she was still battered.
"Flame Over Cloud Mountain"—Luo Yongwu's most powerful mystic technique, said to be undodgeable even by Mystic Emperors. Now, Ye Lanshan had no strength left to evade. Was this really the end? Was everything over?
Was this sacred, noble being about to vanish?
Cangzhu couldn't believe his eyes. He rushed madly toward where Ye Lanshan was fighting, but the rapidly gathering clouds and rumbling lightning stopped him in his tracks.
The depth of the clouds—was Luo Yongwu about to advance again? No, he couldn't accept it. Why should his newly acknowledged master die so senselessly at his hands while he joyfully welcomed heavenly thunder?
Even Chen Sen stood up in shock. He'd just taken a pill to heal his injuries when he saw the dark clouds gathering and lightning dancing within.
But Luo Yongwu's face darkened, showing no joy of advancement. Because the one advancing wasn't him—he felt no surge in his mystic power. If not him, then who?
"Boom!" A thunderbolt struck the sea of flames. Ye Lanshan emerged from it, darting toward Luo Yongwu.
Luo Yongwu dodged in panic. Thunderbolts had no eyes—if one struck him by mistake, he'd have no one to blame.
But how could Ye Lanshan let him escape so easily?
"Water Chain."
"Th-this, how is this possible? You have dual mystic powers." Luo Yongwu had lived most of his life and only seen one person with dual powers: Situ Cheng's son, Situ Feihe.
Though gifted and already a Mystic God General at a young age, he loathed the family's internal strife. He often traveled and occasionally hid in Medicine Valley. But his powers were water and light, not opposing elements like Ye Lanshan's water and fire.