Chapter 102: The Fisherman Discovered Ahead of Time
"Brother!"
Hearing Xiao Yan's voice, Xiao Yuan put away the jade slip and turned to look at his rapidly approaching brother.
"Are you alright?"
Xiao Yan took out a healing pill and tossed it to Xiao Yuan, asking with concern.
"I'm fine. Among that group of powerhouses, there was someone I knew who lent me a hand."
Xiao Yuan caught the pill and popped it into his mouth, nodding.
"Third brother, you know someone in that group?"
Xiao Yan asked, a bit surprised.
"Hehe, just one person. We cooperated once before in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. She's the one I got the Companion Amethyst Source with."
Xiao Yuan chuckled and replied calmly.
"Oh? So the Dou Huang aura teacher sensed earlier was that person you know?"
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Yan smiled as he asked.
"Yeah. From what I see, that group is also here for the Heavenly Flame!"
Xiao Yuan nodded and continued.
"They're here for the Heavenly Flame too?"
Xiao Yan frowned slightly but soon relaxed and smiled.
"So, we can take advantage of the chaos when they start fighting and try to snatch the flame ourselves?"
"Hehe, exactly!"
Xiao Yuan grinned. "I counted earlier. There are nine of them in total—one Dou Huang, three Dou Wangs, and five Dou Lings. The Dou Huang is the one I know, and she definitely won't cause us trouble.
"Among them, there's one Dou Wang with an extremely powerful soul. The others seem to follow his lead. I suspect he's Gu He. Looks like he also got wind of the Heavenly Flame and gathered strong fighters to penetrate deep into the Snake-People Tribe's territory.
"Although their lineup is impressive, the eight tribal chiefs of the Snake-People aren't pushovers either. If it turns into a battle, it'll definitely be intense—and that's when our chance will come!"
Xiao Yan nodded, eyes narrowing slightly at Xiao Yuan's analysis.
"In that case, let's set off and try to play the fisherman this time!"
After thinking briefly, Xiao Yan made up his mind. The two rested briefly before continuing their journey toward the desert's depths.
Along the way, with Yao Lao concealing their aura—and the chaos Gu He's party caused passing through the Enchanting Serpent Tribe—plus Yun Yun realizing Xiao Yuan intended to follow them, she had given him a jade slip to contact her and even took the initiative to destroy most of the Enchanting Serpent Tribe's defenses.
Thanks to this, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan passed through the tribe easily. After a night of traveling, they finally reached the heart of the Snake-People's domain.
On the distant horizon, the outline of Queen Medusa's temple could already be seen.
But naturally, the road was growing more difficult.
At the moment, they were hiding beneath a sand dune, above which the sound of snake tails sliding across the sand could be heard.
"These damn humans! How dare they arrogantly intrude into the desert's depths? If we catch them, we'll make them feel the pain of being devoured by ten thousand snakes!"
On the dune, under the scorching sun, a snake-man who looked like a leader wiped the sweat from his brow and cursed.
"Captain, what exactly happened? Why has the entire tribe suddenly gone on lockdown?"
A snake-man impatiently flicked his tail, sweeping his gaze across the vast desert and asked with confusion. He had been dragged out early in the morning to start searching.
Hearing his question, the dozen or so snake-men nearby all looked toward the leader, clearly just as confused.
"Hmph, what happened? Last night, a group of human powerhouses forcibly broke through the Enchanting Serpent Tribe's defenses and went deeper into the desert. According to intel, there was at least one Dou Huang, three Dou Wangs, and several Dou Lings among them."
The leader snorted coldly, his face dark.
At that, the other snake-men's expressions changed dramatically. A Dou Huang and three Dou Wangs? Damn it, is the human empire planning another war? Such a terrifying lineup—none of the larger Snake-People tribes could stand against them alone.
"Now, all the tribes have entered a state of lockdown. And I've heard that the eight tribal chiefs have already received Her Majesty's command to gather at the temple in the desert's center. The fastest may arrive tonight, the slowest perhaps in a day."
At the mention of the Queen, the leader's face took on the fervent reverence of a fanatic.
"As long as three of the tribal chiefs reach the temple, Her Majesty will order a full-scale sweep. Hmph, what use is a Dou Huang? A bunch of overconfident fools! Once our warriors gather, we'll chase them down like stray dogs!"
With a cold laugh, the leader gazed over the empty desert, shook his head, and waved his hand.
"Let's move. Looks like there's no trace of humans here."
With that, the patrol team slowly drifted farther away, leaving the desert quiet once more.
After the team vanished over the horizon, the dune they had passed began to tremble slightly. Then two figures burst forth amidst flying sand, landing steadily on the surface. They looked toward where the snake-men had gone and exchanged a helpless glance.
"This is getting trickier. Patrol teams keep passing by every now and then," Xiao Yan said with a bitter smile.
"It's not too bad. The real problem is that the Snake-People's powerhouses are quickly gathering. Gu He's team is strong, but if the Snake-People consolidate their forces, even they'll have to retreat," Xiao Yuan replied.
"True. They probably already thought of that. I'd bet they plan to make a move this afternoon."
Xiao Yan nodded and pulled out the detailed map from his storage ring. His eyes locked on a fierce snake-head symbol at the desert's center.
"That's Queen Medusa's temple. It's surrounded by many small and medium-sized tribes. The closer to the temple, the heavier the defenses. Her Majesty's personal guards—the Medusa Snake Guard—are stationed there. They're the Snake-People's elite force!"
Xiao Yuan instinctively wanted to blurt out, Those are exactly who I want to beat up!
But he held back.
They were here to fish in troubled waters—not to make waves.
So…
Exchanging a glance, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan charged toward the temple, relying on Yao Lao's super-sensory radar and concealment.
Though slower than flying, they successfully evaded numerous patrols thanks to Yao Lao's soul perception.
Even so, they narrowly avoided dozens of teams. It took them most of the day to reach the vicinity of the temple.
"Finally made it."
Resting against a boulder near the outer wall, Xiao Yuan wiped his sweat and sighed.
"Yeah."
Xiao Yan, looking utterly drained, chewed on a recovery pill. "I'm really giving it my all for that Green Lotus Core Flame."
Xiao Yuan seemed better off.
With five Qi Paths rotating their Dou Qi reserves, energy consumption was never a real problem for him.
While Xiao Yan rested, Xiao Yuan peeked from behind the boulder to observe the temple's surroundings.
The temple sat at the heart of the Snake-People's Holy City. Its gates were shut, and heavily armed snake guards patrolled the walls.
Above, a dozen large black birds circled, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.
Clearly, the defenses here were airtight. If Gu He and his team hadn't come, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan wouldn't have stood a chance.
But…
Xiao Yuan's brow twitched.
Inside his body, the Yin-Yang Twin Flames were stirring—clearly sensing the Green Lotus Core Flame's presence.
Yao Lao sensed it too and passed on the good news to Xiao Yan, who couldn't help but smile.
Tiring though it was—this trip was worth it!
Suddenly, Yao Lao's voice sounded. "Careful, a powerful aura is approaching."
Startled, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan quickly pulled out a golden-yellow blanket and covered themselves, blending into the desert. They suppressed their auras completely, while Yao Lao's soul power concealed them even further.
Through a gap in the blanket, they saw a pitch-black figure racing toward them. Just a hundred meters from the city, he halted in mid-air and declared coldly:
"Mobaas, Chief of the Black Snake Tribe, requests an audience with Her Majesty the Queen!"
Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan exchanged helpless looks.
Where the hell is Gu He?
Mobaas had a stout build and wore a loose garment. His arms were covered in strange black tattoos that ended in two fierce snake heads on his hands, their fangs slightly raised as if ready to leap from his skin.
The snake guards looked delighted to see him, but Mobaas said nothing and flew directly into the great hall.
Moments later, Xiao Yuan raised a brow and mouthed silently to Xiao Yan, "They're here!"
Just then, several powerful auras appeared just outside the city.
Mobaas and Yue Mei soon flew out of the hall, scowling up at the enormous shadow in the sky.
Hovering several hundred meters above the city wall was a massive flying magical beast. Four human figures, all with Dou Qi wings, floated in front of it, emanating terrifying auras.
Mobaas flew up, his voice cold and echoing through the air.
"Humans, why have you trespassed into our lands without permission? If you don't want a war between the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake-People Tribe, I suggest you go back where you came from!"
"Looks like they're going to negotiate."
Xiao Yuan's eyes gleamed, and he signaled to Xiao Yan.
He planned to sneak into the temple while everyone's attention was elsewhere.
Xiao Yan hesitated, then nodded and quietly followed.
Their crawling pace was slow to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, the dialogue in the sky continued.
"Queen Medusa, I am Gu He from the Jia Ma Empire. I have not come to wage war, but merely to discuss a matter with Your Majesty. Please, grant me an audience!"
Gu He's amplified voice boomed through the air.
Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan kept crawling toward the temple entrance.
Then suddenly, an immensely powerful aura erupted from high above the wall. Space twisted strangely, and a stunning figure appeared under countless gazes.
It was a seductive beauty wearing a regal purple robe. Her voluptuous, alluring figure radiated charm. Her long, jade-green hair cascaded down her back. Beneath the robe, a purple snake tail swayed with untamed allure.
Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan, in perfect sync, didn't even glance at Queen Medusa. They took advantage of the moment to edge closer to the temple's entrance.
"Your Majesty!"
The snake-people all knelt, their reverent voices shaking the air.
Mobaas, despite his stern face, couldn't hide the lust and admiration in his eyes as he looked at Queen Medusa.
Even the two snake guards at the temple entrance knelt.
Seizing the moment, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan prepared to slip inside—
But Queen Medusa suddenly turned and stared directly at them, shouting:
"Who's there?! Come out!"
Xiao Yuan gritted his teeth and bolted inside. Xiao Yan froze instinctively.
In a flash, Mobaas—always quick to obey her orders—launched a Dou Qi attack straight at Xiao Yan.
"Shit, how'd she spot us?!"
Xiao Yan cursed inwardly, saw Xiao Yuan disappear inside, clenched his jaw, and flung off the blanket.
Facing the incoming Dou Qi blast, a pale-white flame flickered in his eyes.
(END CHAPTER)
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