"Good morning. Did you have a pleasant dream, Your Majesty?" Under the moonlight, Lin Yuan waved his hand and greeted the glaring Queen Medusa with a cheerful smile.
Seeing Lin Yuan so unconcerned while having her sealed in front of the four elders, Queen Medusa's expression darkened further. She spoke coldly, "You truly are bold, boy. You've provoked my tribe and yet dare to swagger before the elders. Do you really think defeating me allows you to treat my tribe as if we are nothing? Aren't you afraid—"
"Stop." Lin Yuan held up a hand, blocking her icy gaze, speaking indifferently, "Don't threaten me. Right now, you're not even close to being a threat, a sickly cat at best. As the ruler of your tribe, this isn't the time for empty pride and recklessness. Moreover…"
Lin Yuan's eyes locked on Queen Medusa, and he activated the Blood God Transformation after completing the Hundred Beast Spirit Refining Technique, causing his aura to surge dramatically, piercing through the barriers of Dou King and Dou Emperor, leaping from Nine-Star Dou King to the level of a Two-Star Dou Emperor. "During our previous fight, I did not use this. Do you understand what that implies?"
Queen Medusa fell silent, biting her snow-white teeth tightly against her lower lip, leaving a faint mark of her teeth on her lips—a silent testament to her struggle, unwillingness, and shame.
The elders, observing this, roughly understood. It seemed that what Lin Yuan had said before, that Queen Medusa lost to him without him using his full strength was true. Their hearts sank.
The Grand Elder stepped forward, cupping his hands. "Young master, could you give us a moment?"
"No problem. Go discuss it, and update her on the current situation," Lin Yuan waved his hand casually, unconcerned by their scheming.
The Grand Elder exchanged a glance with the other three elders, and then they led Queen Medusa aside to converse.
"Your Majesty, did you truly lose to that person in a direct confrontation?" the Grand Elder asked in a deep voice.
Queen Medusa bit through her own lip, crimson blood flowing down her delicate chin. Yet, true to her proud nature, she did not lie. "Yes, I was completely defeated in a direct duel."
Suppressing her humiliation, she recalled how she was utterly defeated by someone whose cultivation was an entire level below hers. He hadn't even used his full strength, nor had he employed the secret method that temporarily boosts his cultivation during their battle.
"That person's techniques, Dou skills, secret arts, body refinement, perception, agility, and battle awareness—everything is superior. And he possesses Heavenly Flame." Upon reviewing it, Queen Medusa realized that apart from cultivation, she had no advantage in any aspect.
The Third Elder sighed, "Heavenly Flame… no wonder such a refined fire poison appeared in Yue Mei's body after taking the pill. The Queen and Yue Mei are in quite a predicament."
"Indeed. Even if all four of us join forces, our chances of victory aren't high. But if we act, the cost could be unpredictable. This time, we may have no choice but to yield. Let's hope he's not excessive," the Second Elder summarized.
"So young, yet so powerful… he must be a prodigy from one of the major powers in Central Continent. We must be cautious this time," the Grand Elder said solemnly. The other three elders nodded in agreement. The Snake-People Tribe had migrated from the Central Continent to the northwest and retained some knowledge of its major powers.
The Grand Elder softened his tone as he looked at Queen Medusa. Having watched her grow, they knew how proud she was. Being crossed by someone an entire tier below and suffering such a defeat was a severe blow.
"Your Majesty, do not lose heart. We know your strength. This incident has a cause, and no Dou Emperor from the northwest could have fared better against that person. The Snake-People Tribe still needs your leadership. Now, let's focus on how to handle this matter."
He then explained what he knew about her being knocked unconscious and captured.
Hearing this, Queen Medusa suppressed her distractions, regaining her composure as the Queen of the Snake-People Tribe. Her expression turned steady as she said, "Let's go. I want to see what his true purpose is and how he intends to trade."
Seeing the group approach together, Lin Yuan smiled. "It seems you've reached a consensus. Tell me your conclusion."
Queen Medusa looked at him deeply and said calmly, "We require that you lift the seal on me and remove the poison from both me and Yue Mei. State your conditions."
"Straightforward!" Lin Yuan praised, without beating around the bush. "I need your side to agree to three things."
Raising a finger, Lin Yuan said seriously, "First, in the near future, I may face a battle against a Dou Ancestor-level enemy. When he is defeated and tries to flee, you must intervene to stop any others from escaping."
At present, Lin Yuan was confident he could face a certain Dou Ancestor in direct combat. But if the opponent escaped, it would be difficult to deal with. He was well aware of the difference between defeating someone head-on and pursuing them after retreat. Lin Yuan himself had eliminated many opponents stronger than him by using escape-and-counter techniques.
"Can this person truly contend with a Dou Ancestor at full strength?" Queen Medusa was somewhat shocked. She had spent so much effort to break into Dou Ancestor level, yet this young man, so clearly inexperienced, dared to plan a battle against a Dou Ancestor while still at Dou King level and even sought victory. The disparity between people could truly be so vast?
Paying no attention to what the Snake-People Tribe thought, Lin Yuan raised another finger. "Second, I require access to all of the Snake-People Tribe's texts, Dou skills, secret arts, and more."
Lin Yuan had a keen interest in the tribe's history and secret techniques. Qing Lin possessed half Snake-People blood, so some of their techniques might aid her cultivation. While planning detailed training for Qing Lin, Lin Yuan wanted to study their unique bloodline skills, particularly their combination techniques.
"Impossible… absolutely impossible."
Upon hearing Lin Yuan's second condition, Queen Medusa rejected it outright, and the four elders glared in anger.
"Oh?" Lin Yuan asked with curiosity, "Why such resistance?"
The straightforward Fourth Elder snapped angrily, "You are coveting the core of our tribe's inheritance. How could we ever agree? How could we hand over the secrets of our people to an outsider? If we did, we would be committing a historical crime against the Snake-People Tribe."
"Even if it meant sacrificing Queen Medusa's life, you still wouldn't allow me to study your inheritance?" Lin Yuan asked.
Queen Medusa glanced at them all, resolute. "Do not underestimate the awareness of a leader of a tribe. Losing to you is my problem, but under no circumstances will I allow the inheritance of the Snake-People Tribe to leak to an outsider because of my own failure."
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
A few sounds of applause rang out as Lin Yuan clapped his hands, looking at Queen Medusa with an expression of admiration. "Not bad, not bad. This is the true demeanor of a queen. Your sense of responsibility… the Snake-People Tribe is lucky to have a queen like you."
"So, about that condition just now?" The Grand Elder asked with some anticipation.
Lin Yuan smiled faintly, his eyes deep. "My conditions remain unchanged, of course, but…"
"If the Snake-People Tribe's secret arts and texts cannot be shared externally, then why not let me join the tribe and become one of you? I imagine that as a Sixth-Grade Alchemist, if I were to join the Snake-People Tribe, you would welcome me warmly, right?"
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