BTTH: From Genius to Invincible-Chapter 343: The Inheritance Thief

Word Count: 3,289 Words

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At this moment, within the Sky Serpent Mansion.

"That Xiao Yan successfully refined a pill?" Elder Yi Jun, a Dou Ancestor of the Sky Serpent Mansion, asked.

The Serpent Emperor responsible for monitoring the Sky Serpent Mansion revealed a helpless expression and nodded. "Yes. Xiao Yan made no attempt to conceal his alchemy. It was as if he deliberately wanted us to watch."

"What kind of pill did he refine?" Hai Meng Po, the old woman who had once spoken up for Qing Lin, asked softly.

"It was the Beast Emperor Body Tempering Pill that Grandmaster Sima Lin refined during the Great Meeting of Factions," the Serpent Emperor replied.

"Not a healing pill, but the Beast Emperor Body Tempering Pill? Could Medusa's injuries have already healed?" Yi Jun's eyes narrowed as he asked incredulously.

"Impossible! Grandmaster Sima Lin has been treating the Mansion Lord's injuries for nearly half a month, and the Mansion Lord has only just begun to improve. How could Medusa recover that quickly from such a serious battle injury, and one caused by a Heavenly Flame at that?" Hai Meng Po exclaimed in shock. That battle had been so fierce, and the injuries of a Dou Ancestor were not so easily healed, let alone injuries caused by Heavenly Flames.

"She should have fully recovered. She still discovered me even when I was hidden. Moreover, Medusa's aura appeared steady and calm, nothing like someone injured. I can only say that Xiao Yan truly possesses unparalleled talent in alchemy," an elder said slowly. His strength was second only to She Tianhao as a 5-star Dou Ancestor. All the Sky Serpent Mansion elders looked grave upon hearing his confirmation.

Not only did they have Medusa, but they also had an alchemy grandmaster like Xiao Yan. Most terrifying was that Medusa had actually defeated the combined forces of three major factions. Even the Sky Serpent Mansion's protective formation had been used, yet it still failed to stop Medusa. This result was difficult for them to accept.

Medusa faintly seemed invincible below the Dou Venerate realm.

"Are we really going to submit to Medusa's Snake-People Tribe?" a Serpent Emperor elder murmured.

"Hmph! Medusa only defeated the Mansion Lord, Shi Nian, and Ting Hao. If our three major factions unite, we still have the advantage!"

"You think the Thunderbolt Sect and Profound Lion Sect will truly join forces with us? And who would lead that alliance if they did? Do you really believe Shi Nian and Ting Hao are so foolish as to genuinely offend the now-flourishing Yan Alliance?"

"Regardless, my Winged Serpent Tribe would rather die fighting than submit to the Snake-People Tribe!"

"Exactly! My Horned Serpent Tribe feels the same. I'd rather perish together with the enemy than submit!" freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"Hmph, if you want to die, don't drag our Flood Dragon Tribe along. We won't accompany you."

The entire Sky Serpent Mansion main hall erupted into uncontrollable arguments. Merely half a month ago, their Sky Serpent Mansion was still the oldest and strongest faction. Who would have thought that a Yan Alliance would suddenly emerge?

Medusa was outrageously powerful, beating all three major factions. Moreover, because she herself was of the serpent race and had some connection to the Sky Serpent Mansion, she had directly shattered the Sky Serpent Mansion from within!

Hai Meng Po exchanged glances with Bai Ya and Lu Man as the elders quarreled like fishwives in a marketplace.

"Everyone, we don't necessarily have to fight the Yan Alliance to the death, nor do we have to submit to Medusa. We have another path to take." Lu Man slowly stood up at this moment, looking at the various Serpent Emperors and Serpent Ancestors arguing like they were in a vegetable market.

"Lu Man, what good suggestion do you have?"

A strange light flashed in Lu Man's eyes as he slowly said, "Everyone, have you forgotten about Qing Lin?"

"Qing Lin? But hasn't she already made up her mind to leave our Sky Serpent Mansion? With the Yan Alliance so powerful now, how could she possibly return to the Sky Serpent Mansion?" An elder shook his head doubtfully.

Bai Ya stood up and said, "You're wrong. Lu Man and I were the ones who brought Qing Lin back. At that time, though Xiao Yan's strength was still weak, he risked his own safety to save her. While it's true that Qing Lin has a good relationship with Xiao Yan of the Yan Alliance, she isn't without feelings for the Sky Serpent Mansion."

"Actually, we don't necessarily have to submit to the Yan Alliance. If we follow Qing Lin, I believe the Yan Alliance won't do anything to us. We might even be able to leverage the Yan Alliance's power."

All the elders in the main hall fell silent. Everyone present was a cunning old serpent. How could they not understand what Bai Ya meant?

He meant following Qing Lin and making her their leader!

Qing Lin not only possessed the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, but she was also now one of the high-ranking members of the Yan Alliance and had an extraordinary relationship with Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan had publicly stated that Qing Lin was a member of his clan and had grown up in his clan since childhood. If they followed Qing Lin, the Sky Serpent Mansion naturally wouldn't fear being purged and might even bask in the Yan Alliance's glory.

All the elders fell into contemplation for a moment. Now that She Tianhao had been defeated, his prestige was gradually declining. Some elders were also dissatisfied with She Tianhao's loss to Medusa.

Plenty of serpents revered strength, and they had originally joined the Sky Serpent Mansion because it was the mightiest serpent faction in the North-Western Region. Now, with the advent of an even stronger serpent faction, Medusa's, many were already waffling.

"But... She Tianhao's lineage is very powerful. The old Mansion Lord She Tianhuang isn't dead yet."

"No, according to what I know, the reason She Tianhuang passed the position of Mansion Lord to his son was because he failed to break through to Dou Venerate and his bloodline strength withered. His strength has long since declined to less than one-tenth of his peak, probably only at the 5-star Dou Ancestor stage. Otherwise, he would have appeared at the Great Meeting of Factions," Hai Meng Po dropped a bombshell.

The entire main hall fell silent once again. However, this silence was different. From the serpents' eyes, one could see that something had changed in their gazes.

...

Early the next morning, Lu Man and Bai Ya arrived at the Yan Alliance mansion to pay a visit.

They stated that they were inviting Xiao Yan and Qing Lin to the Sky Serpent Mansion in a personal capacity, but Xiao Yan declined, using the excuse that he needed to refine pills.

Yun Yun asked puzzledly, "They invited you and Qing Lin to the Sky Serpent Mansion. They should be wanting to discuss matters regarding the North-Western Region, right? Why did you decline?"

The Yan Alliance's current strategic goal was naturally to unify the entire North-Western Region without bloodshed if possible. They preferred to avoid war if they could, so Yun Yun didn't understand why Xiao Yan refused.

Xiao Yan looked at Yun Yun's elegant, noble face and smiled. "Sect Leader Yun doesn't understand?"

Yun Yun rolled her eyes at him when she saw his infuriating expression. "Yeah, I'm pretty stupid."

Xiao Yan gave a short laugh. "Just teasing. When Lu Man and Bai Ya extended that invitation, they were doing so personally, which means they're not speaking on behalf of the Sky Serpent Mansion. It's likely She Tianhao knows nothing about it."

Yun Yun's delicate brows furrowed slightly, "You mean the Sky Serpent Mansion is now experiencing internal strife?"

"Basically. If I'm not mistaken, there should be two positions within the faction. One wants to keep supporting She Tianhao, to stand firm, reject compromise, reject surrender, and look to form alliances with other factions to oppose us," Xiao Yan said. He lifted two fingers to illustrate.

"As for the second..." he continued. His gaze shifted to Qing Lin, who was busily wiping tables and sweeping the floor in the hall with a contented look on her face. "They intend to follow Qing Lin, join the Yan Alliance under her leadership, use Qing Lin to strive for maximum benefits, and plan to kick out She Tianhao's faction."

"Isn't that good for us?" Yun Yun asked.

"It'd be meaningless if the whole Sky Serpent Mansion doesn't submit. A handful of Rank 5 and Rank 6 magical beasts won't fundamentally improve the Yan Alliance's overall strength," Xiao Yan said slowly.

"It's a pity. If opening the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance didn't require both Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils power and the key passed down through generations of the Sky Serpent Mansion, I would have already attacked the Sky Serpent Mansion." Xiao Yan's calm words carried the domineering air of Venerable Yan.

Yun Yun immediately understood upon hearing this. So Xiao Yan had been eyeing the Sky Serpent Mansion's Dou Saint inheritance all along!

She looked at Xiao Yan with a strange expression. This guy had previously set his sights on their Misty Cloud Sect's Gate of Life and Death, and now he wanted the Sky Serpent Mansion's inheritance.

An inheritance thief!

Noticing her strange look, Xiao Yan rubbed his nose awkwardly and coughed lightly. "Ahem, this... this is different from the Gate of Life and Death."

"That inheritance is very suitable for Qing Lin. The Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance is indispensable to fully awaken her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Moreover, Medusa is already a 7-star Dou Ancestor. Although she has transformed, reaching a Rank 8 magical beast is not an easy task. It would greatly enhance her chances of breaking through to Dou Venerate if we can find things like the blood essence or bones of a serpent Dou Saint inside."

Xiao Yan was truly someone who loved to worry. Medusa had just condensed her serpent body, and he was already planning her path to Dou Venerate.

"I've already had Big Brother and Second Brother spread the word that our Yan Alliance will leave the Sky Serpent Empire and return to the Yan Alliance in a month. Let's see how long She Tianhao can endure." Xiao Yan revealed a smile. His departure naturally meant Qing Lin would leave. Without Qing Lin, even if the Sky Serpent Mansion had an inheritance, it would be equivalent to not having one.

You have the Sky Serpent Mansion's heirloom, but I have Qing Lin. Let's see who can hold out longer!

As for promises and going back on one's word, Jie Jie Jie, the Hall of Souls doesn't talk about promises.

During this period, Lu Man and Bai Ya occasionally came to visit, but Xiao Yan refused to visit the Sky Serpent Mansion using alchemy as an excuse.

However, he wasn't entirely lying. Over the past month, he had indeed been refining pills and cultivating the Flame Mantra, though most of his time was spent refining pills needed by the Yan Alliance.

For example, peak tier 6 pills like the Mighty Huang Pill, Emperor Heaven Pill, and Zong Breaking Pill. He also taught Yue Er alchemy along the way. After all, once he left the Yan Alliance, she would be solely responsible for supplying the pills.

While refining pills and cultivating, he broke through to the 4-star Dou Emperor stage. In just over a month, he had advanced by one star. The terrifying synergy between the Fallen Heart Flame and the Tian Class Qi Method made Hai Bodong grit his teeth in envy.

Others took at least one or two years to advance a star in the Dou Emperor realm at the fastest, yet Xiao Yan was doing it in mere months!

Moreover, Xiao Yan hadn't even used the Mighty Huang Pill yet. He still had two Mighty Huang Pills available!

...

Time passed quickly, and when the month was nearly up, Xiao Yan had ceased refining pills and now appeared leisurely every day, occasionally teaching Yue Er alchemy, drinking and chatting with his two brothers Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, teasing Nalan Yanran, and preparing to leave the Sky Serpent Empire at any time.

While Xiao Yan was relaxed, the Sky Serpent Mansion was in chaos. They completely panicked when they learned that Xiao Yan was about to leave and that the Yan Alliance was refusing all visitors. Even Lu Man and Bai Ya were turned away by Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran when they came to visit.

After all, with Medusa present in the Yan Alliance, they had no chance of forcibly taking Qing Lin back if she truly left. This meant the Half-Saint inheritance, which was about to be opened, would completely slip through their fingers.

"Damn it!" She Tianhao slammed his fist heavily on the table. After more than a month of healing, he had completely recovered.

He naturally understood what Xiao Yan's purpose was, but he had long considered the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance as his own. How could he possibly share a piece of the pie with Xiao Yan!

"Hao'er." At this moment, an elderly man leaning on a cane slowly walked in from outside.

"Father, why have you come?" She Tianhao hurriedly stepped forward to support the elderly man.

The newcomer was the previous Mansion Lord of the Sky Serpent Mansion, She Tianhuang. However, because he had failed to break through to Dou Venerate, his bloodline had now withered. He was no longer what he once was, and even his appearance had aged considerably.

His strength had dropped from 9-star Dou Ancestor all the way down to 5-star Dou Ancestor.

"The Sky Serpent Mansion is no longer what it used to be. Opening the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance is your only hope of breaking through to Dou Venerate." The elder's eyes flashed with sharp light as he spoke in a deep voice.

"But... are we really going to split the treasures in the inheritance equally with them? I'm not willing!" She Tianhao gritted his teeth. How could he possibly accept this? Originally, as long as Qing Lin opened the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance, he would obtain the Dou Saint inheritance, break through to the Dou Venerate realm, and unifying the North-Western Region would be just around the corner.

But now, a Yan Alliance had suddenly emerged. Not only did they want to take Qing Lin away, but they had also defeated him at the Great Meeting of Factions. Now they even wanted to split his inheritance!

In She Tianhao's heart, this was completely like being cuckolded and then having to share half his family fortune. How could he endure this!

She Tianhuang patted his son's shoulder. His expression was gloomy, and his eyes flashed with sharp light as he said, "Son, if you can't endure small matters, you'll ruin great plans. Our Sky Serpent Mansion is the orthodox bloodline of the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint. They are merely outsiders. As long as we obtain the inheritance, it doesn't matter even if our lineage leaves the Sky Serpent Mansion."

"As long as you reach Dou Venerate, our lineage will migrate to the Central Plains Beast Region. That is our homeland."

She Tianhao took a deep breath after hearing his father's words. He finally nodded and said, "I understand, Father. I will endure."

Not long after, in the Yan Alliance mansion.

"Hmm? That fellow She Tianhao wants to visit?" Xiao Yan smiled when he heard Xiao Ding's words.

Xiao Ding also revealed a smile and nodded. "Yes. This matter has already spread throughout the Sky Serpent Mansion. I heard he'll personally come soon. He probably can't endure any longer."

Sure enough, not long after, a powerful aura approached from the horizon. She Tianhao stepped through the air, accompanied by several Dou Ancestor elders. From this, it was clear that the Sky Serpent Mansion indeed had the qualifications to dominate.

Medusa snorted coldly when she saw She Tianhao appear above the courtyard. With a wave of her hand, spatial suppression pressed down, and a terrifying pressure bore down on everyone from the Sky Serpent Mansion.

She Tianhao and the other serpents didn't continue resisting after sensing Medusa's extremely terrifying strength. They slowly descended to the street. After all, they hadn't come to fight this time.

Moreover, they had already fought... and lost.

The door slowly opened. Xiao Yan smiled insincerely and said, "Hehe, Mansion Lord She, long time no see. I wonder what brings you here today?"

She Tianhao's eyelid twitched at this fellow who was asking despite knowing the answer. However, he could only forcibly suppress the anger in his heart and reveal a smile. "I should have come to visit the leaders of the Yan Alliance earlier, but unfortunately, healing from injuries takes time. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Xiao Yan made an inviting gesture. "Of course not. We're also planning to depart and return to the Jia Ma Empire soon. We're free now. Please come in."

She Tianhao naturally understood the meaning. If they couldn't reach an agreement today, Xiao Yan wouldn't continue staying in the Sky Serpent Empire. There was only one chance.

In the main hall, after a round of false pleasantries, She Tianhao took the initiative to say, "I wonder when Grandmaster Xiao Yan will have Qing Lin come to the Sky Serpent Mansion to open the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance."

Xiao Yan smiled and slowly shook his head. He sighed somewhat regretfully, "Ah, Qing Lin's health has been poor recently. I plan to take her back to the Yan Alliance first. After treating her body, we'll go to the Sky Serpent Mansion to open the ruins."

Even the members of the Yan Alliance found it hard to believe. Qing Lin had been full of energy these past few days, doing laundry and cooking with ease. She didn't look like she had any issues at all.

She Tianhao knew that Xiao Yan wouldn't release the eagle until he saw the rabbit. He immediately stopped wasting words and said, "Grandmaster Xiao Yan, the Jade-Eyed Snake Saint's inheritance contains a separate dimension. There should be some ancient medicines inside."

Xiao Yan laughed inwardly and said, "Oh, but I'm not comfortable letting Qing Lin go alone. How about this: Queen Medusa and I will accompany Qing Lin into the ruins. This will also better protect Qing Lin. What do you think?"

He also laid his cards on the table. Opening the ruins was fine, but he and Medusa had to enter together. It was impossible to let all the Yan Alliance members enter the inheritance ruins, but with Medusa, who had the strongest strength, present, he believed he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

The people from the Sky Serpent Mansion became restless when they heard that Medusa would also enter. Everyone could see how strong she was. When the time came to compete for treasures in the ruins, they really might not be able to compete with her.

However, to everyone's surprise, She Tianhao actually agreed immediately. He nodded and said, "I understand. When the inheritance ruins open, everything will depend on Qing Lin."

With that said, he took everyone and left the Yan Alliance mansion. This was also something he had already discussed with his father. It was impossible for Xiao Yan not to bring Medusa along.

After She Tianhao left, Yun Yun said somewhat worriedly, "With only you, Qing Lin, and Queen Medusa, won't it be dangerous?"

Xiao Yan waved his hand. "Don't worry. There won't be any problems with Medusa there. Moreover, we'll take Qing Lin and leave directly if necessary."