The hundreds of green energy snakes Yue Mei had split into frantically roamed within the invisible spatial cage created by Wen Yan, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not break free.
It turned out the two intruders had never been worried about her escaping in the first place.
Wen Yan's aura suddenly erupted. A powerful spatial force pressed down, causing the energy snakes to shatter one after another. In the end, Yue Mei's true form was forced out. She leaned weakly against the spatial barrier, her face pale, with a trickle of fresh blood at the corner of her mouth.
"See? You suffered unnecessarily," Xiao Tian clicked his tongue, looking down at her. "If you had cooperated from the beginning, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. Now look at you… it's quite heartbreaking."
Though he spoke of heartbreak, his expression remained calm and indifferent, with not the slightest trace of pity.
"Old Wen, take this gift. Let's go see just how magnificent and peerless Queen Medusa of the Snake-People Tribe truly is."
Wen Yan descended without hesitation. He sealed Yue Mei's cultivation with a wave of his hand, knocked her unconscious, and confined her body in a layer of spatial energy.
Then, following the powerful Dou Huang aura he had sensed earlier, Wen Yan flew toward the center of the Snake-People territory with Xiao Tian and the unconscious Yue Mei in tow.
"System check-in."
"Ding! Checked in at the territory of the Snake-People's Eight Major Tribes. Reward: Soul Purification Talisman ×1, Snake Evolution Secret Art."
Xiao Tian raised an eyebrow. Both rewards were extremely useful at this moment.
The Soul Purification Talisman could remove all forms of soul confinement, while the Snake Evolution Secret Art recorded detailed methods for helping snake-type magical beasts evolve.
Not bad.
...
A short while later, Wen Yan brought Xiao Tian to the heart of the Snake-People territory.
A majestic giant city stood tall in the desert. After flying over the city for some time, they arrived above a grand and imposing divine temple.
"Palace Master, we're here. Queen Medusa is inside the temple below," Wen Yan said respectfully.
"Then let's go straight in. No need to knock."
The two entered the divine temple directly and soon arrived at the spacious, luxurious main hall.
At the end of the hall stood a high platform with a majestic purple crystal throne. On that throne, a breathtakingly beautiful woman lay lazily.
She wore a graceful purple brocade robe that clung to her full, shapely figure like a ripe peach, exuding a natural charm. Golden accessories adorned her forehead and temples, adding to her noble aura.
Her face was devastatingly beautiful — a perfect blend of seduction and queenly dignity that made even Xiao Tian's heart tremble slightly.
A section of her purple snake tail could be seen beneath the hem of her robe.
The moment Queen Medusa sensed the intruders, she sat up slowly. Her sharp eyes narrowed when she noticed Yue Mei unconscious and floating beside the two strangers.
One was an old man who appeared ordinary but gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.
The other was a young man with exquisitely handsome features, dressed in simple black clothes. Despite his plain attire, he carried an air of peerless elegance and unshakable confidence.
Even Medusa, who was not easily moved by appearances, found herself momentarily lost in thought.
Seeing that the visitors had come with ill intentions, she spoke coldly:
"Humans, do you know this is the divine temple of my Snake-People Tribe? You break in uninvited, injure one of my tribal leaders, and still dare to stand before me. Is this not a capital offense?"
Xiao Tian ignored her murderous tone. He casually walked over and sat down on a nearby chair as if he were in his own home. Wen Yan stood silently behind him, ready to act if Medusa made any sudden moves.
After sitting comfortably, Xiao Tian looked directly at the icy beauty on the high platform and smiled faintly.
"I specifically came to pay my respects to Queen Medusa. I have no ill intentions."
"You injured and captured one of my tribal leaders, then brought her before me as a 'gift', and you claim you have no ill intentions?" Medusa's voice was as cold as ice.
"I happened to meet your tribal leader on the way here," Xiao Tian said helplessly. "I thought you two might not have seen each other for a while, and since I didn't bring any proper gift, I came up with this idea that benefits both sides. Unfortunately, your tribal leader wasn't very cooperative, so I had to knock her out to make things easier."
Medusa's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Then should this Queen thank you?"
She stood up gracefully, waved her hand, and pulled the unconscious Yue Mei toward her. After confirming that Yue Mei was only exhausted and not seriously injured, she woke her up.
"Please punish me, Your Majesty!" Yue Mei knelt on one knee the moment she regained consciousness. She then lowered her voice and whispered urgently, "Your Majesty, that old man is a Dou Zong."
Medusa's pupils constricted slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"This has nothing to do with you. Leave now, and do not let anyone know what happened here."
Yue Mei bowed deeply and quickly left the main hall.
Xiao Tian watched the entire exchange without trying to stop her.
"I wonder if Queen Medusa is satisfied with this doorstep gift?" he asked with a faint smile, deliberately trying to provoke the cold beauty.
"Presumptuous!" Medusa's expression turned icy. A powerful aura surged toward Xiao Tian like a storm.
"Hmph." Wen Yan let out a soft snort from behind Xiao Tian. Medusa's aura was instantly shattered, and a counter-pressure forced her back onto her throne.
Medusa's eyes narrowed. "You're a Dou Zong… What exactly do you want? I don't believe you came all this way just for a casual visit. Speak plainly — why have you come to find me?"
A charming smile suddenly appeared on her face, as if the previous hostility had never existed. Her exquisite features became even more alluring in an instant.
Xiao Tian looked at the famously ruthless and seductive Queen Medusa and smiled calmly.
"I came for the Heavenly Flame. I also wish to make a deal with Queen Medusa."
Medusa's eyes flashed. "How do you know I possess a Heavenly Flame?"
"When Old Wen and I passed by, we sensed its aura," Xiao Tian replied lightly. "You're using the Heavenly Flame to attempt bloodline evolution. While the Heavenly Flame is indeed necessary, the success rate of this method is extremely low."
Medusa's expression changed slightly. Although she found it hard to believe they had sensed the sealed flame just by passing by, the presence of a Dou Zong made her somewhat convinced.
"You truly surprise me," she said, her voice softening. "It seems you know quite a lot."
"That's not important," Xiao Tian leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at her with interest. "The important thing is the exchange I'm offering. I wonder if the condition of helping you evolve successfully — without any risk to your life — is enough to move you, Queen Medusa?"