"Yunyun, don't you have two maps? Give one to each of them and draw the location of the temple."
The two snake women, one old and one young, exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with deep worry.
“I’ll take you there!” Yue Mei said in a deep voice.
"Moon Maiden!" The old snake woman's face was already wrinkled like a chrysanthemum.
"Elder, even if we don't take him, given his strength, he'll find it sooner or later. In that case, what's the point of letting the Serpent Clan perish with him?"
Chapter 145 Queen Medusa
In the heart of the Tagor Desert, amidst desolate wasteland, scattered lakes have appeared in an unusual way. Where there is water in the desert, life flourishes, oases appear, and poplar trees sprout from the sand, eventually growing into towering giants.
This is a moving lake, and also the site of Queen Medusa's palace.
Inside the spacious and luxurious hall, a thin layer of sand settled on the purple crystal throne, indicating that no one had sat there for a long time.
The elderly elder of the Serpent Clan leaned on his snake-head cane, silently gazing at the throne on the high platform, his brow furrowed, occasionally coughing.
After a long while, she suddenly raised her head and looked outside the hall. A black shadow appeared in the sky, its black wings spread wide enough to be several feet in length, and it shot in like lightning.
"I didn't expect you to arrive first... Mobas!" Seeing the dark figure enter the hall, the old woman couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Elder, what exactly happened? Why were three golden arrow tokens issued in succession? Where is Yue Mei?"
With wings formed from battle qi, this male snake-man named Mobas was also a Battle King, and had even reached the peak of the Battle King realm. He was slightly muscular, with a thin garment casually draped over his body. His arms were covered with strange black tattoos, and where the tattoos reached his palms, two ferocious black snake heads were revealed. The snake heads were slightly raised, as if they were about to burst out of his body at any moment, faintly exuding a fierce aura.
"Last night, the Serpent Clan encountered a powerful enemy, and we were almost wiped out. Even when we joined forces, we were no match for them... That person's target was Her Majesty the Queen. Now, Yue Mei has led them on a long detour, and I came to deliver the message first. Yue Mei can't hold them off for much longer; I think they should be nearing the temple soon!"
"Oh? Completely powerless to fight back?" Mobas's pupils narrowed slightly, his fist clenched and then relaxed, the black tongue tattoo seemed to come alive, and his voice revealed an undisguised chill.
"You and I both know that Yun Yun, the sect leader of the Yunlan Sect, is with him. Yun Yun is a three-star Dou Huang. That man treats Yun Yun like a servant, summoning her at will... I estimate his strength is above Dou Zong!" The Great Elder of the Serpent Clan glanced at the throne, revealing a deep sorrow, and said, "Mobas, this will be a great calamity for my Serpent Clan!"
"A Dou Zong?" The male snake-man from Mobas also gave a wry smile and asked in a deep voice, "Did they inform Her Majesty the Queen? What did she say?"
"The notification has been given, but Her Majesty seems quite calm. Mobas, Her Majesty has ordered the Medusa Serpent Guards and all the Serpent People to evacuate the temple area. If the Queen is unfortunate... who will you choose as the next Medusa?" The old woman looked at Mobas with her cloudy eyes. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Since she cannot protect the current Queen, she must consider the entire Serpent People race.
"Elder, it's too early!" Mobas's tone suddenly rose, and then he said, "I want to see Her Majesty the Queen. If we work together, we are not without a chance of victory."
"This is a great calamity for our people. We must fight to the death. But the roots of the Serpent People must not be severed. If the situation changes, you younger generation must evacuate immediately. This is Her Majesty the Queen's decree, and also my order. The other three elders have not yet arrived. We four, who are on the verge of death, will be responsible for holding off that person..."
Before the old woman could finish speaking, her expression suddenly changed. Her cloudy eyes stared coldly at the sky outside the hall, and she said in a chilling voice, "He's here! So fast..."
"Yue Mei! You really did try to play a trick, thinking that taking a longer route would work? You didn't expect me to be so fast!"
Jiang Liu's sword light paused, stopping in mid-air above the temple, and he withdrew his hands from the waists of the two beauties.
"You flatter me, sir. I have no ulterior motives whatsoever!" Yue Mei said with a wry smile.
Yun Yun blushed and felt her whole body go weak.
A man's head and a woman's waist are both forbidden to be touched! Yun Yun's hands had never been touched by a man in her entire life, let alone her soft waist.
Seeing the figure in the sky, Mobas's face darkened. He was about to activate his wings and fly away, but the old woman grabbed him. Seeing the elder shake his head, Mobas shouted unwillingly, and a slightly cold voice echoed in the sky: "Yun Yun, you have trespassed into my clan's territory. If you don't want to provoke a war between the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake People's territory, I advise you to go back to where you came from!"
Yun Yun stood in mid-air, unable to suppress a bitter smile!
If I hadn't been coerced and lured, how could I have gotten involved in this mess?
"Medusa Cailin, I am Jiang Liu, come out and meet you!" Jiang Liu's voice boomed like thunder. The sound exploded in one's ears; those with slightly weaker strength would experience a blackout and dizziness.
"Since you have descended upon the Serpent People, Medusa has prepared a warm welcome for you!"
A sweet yet domineering female voice appeared, and the space in front of Jiang Liu suddenly began to distort strangely.
Yun Yun was slightly startled, staring at the distorted space with a rather solemn expression. A distorted space meant that Medusa had already stepped into the Dou Zong realm.
Jiang Liu looked at the distorted space with some curiosity, his eyes darting around, thinking to himself: Compared to the Journey to the West world, the space in this world is far too unstable! A small world is just a small world. How wonderful must the Great Thousand World after Xiao Yan's ascension, the world of "The Great Ruler," be?
As the sun set, the mountains stretched like a sea, the setting sun like blood, and the entire Serpent Clan was enveloped in an atmosphere of profound sorrow. A graceful, curvaceous figure slowly appeared before Jiang Liu.
Gazing at Queen Medusa appearing in the sky, Mobas, whose face was cold and indifferent, had a hint of intoxication and deep-seated adoration flash in his eyes.
"You are Medusa Cailin? You are indeed alluring! No, 'alluring' is not enough to describe you..."
This beautiful woman, the second female lead in the book, wore a magnificent purple brocade robe. Beneath the robe, her voluptuous figure, like a ripe peach, exuded a subtle allure. Her long, black hair cascaded casually from her fragrant shoulders, cascading down to her slender waist. And beneath the robe, a section of purple snake tail peeked out, swaying slightly, revealing a wild and seductive allure.
Beneath that alluring beauty lay a regal air of nobility and grace, a captivating quality that Yun Yun also possessed, a refined elegance cultivated from her high position.
If one lacks self-control, just one glance will make one's whole body burn with desire, and one's thoughts will involuntarily drift to the bedroom, requiring a passionate encounter to quell the fire in one's heart.
Compared to them, the alluring Yue Mei under Jiang Liu's palm appeared somewhat dim.
"Your Majesty!"
Yue Mei's voice was choked with emotion.
"Now that you have seen me, senior, can you release my people?"
"Haha, neither humble nor arrogant, you truly have the demeanor of a king! Look, chatting, enjoying the scenery, discussing ideals and life, and talking about different kinds of fire is much better than fighting and killing!"
"Strange Fire?" Medusa's sapphire-like eyes narrowed instantly. Those who knew her well knew that such an expression meant she was about to kill.
Medusa's fearsome reputation is far more widespread than her beauty!
Chapter 146 Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame
When a feudal lord is angry, blood flows for miles; when an emperor is angry, blood flows like a river.
Queen Medusa was renowned for her power and infamous reputation, feared by all five great empires. Her wrath would surely bring rivers of blood.
Jiang Liu chuckled and said, "Don't even mention your energy clone. Even if you successfully evolve and possess the strength of a Dou Zong, you still won't be my match!"
Yun Yun's fingers trembled slightly, then she looked up at Medusa, raised her slender, snow-white chin, and said, "Mr. Jiang, now that Medusa has appeared, may I leave now...?"
"Take the Purple Spirit Crystal!" Jiang Liu tossed out a purple crystal, a smirk playing on his lips. Recalling Xiao Yan's disheveled escape earlier, he said to Yun Yun, "When we get back, keep an eye on someone for me. I need you to monitor his every move!"
"Who?" Yun Yun asked, holding the purple spirit crystal.
"Xiao Yan is a very young man. Perhaps you can ask your precious disciple; she should know very well."
Yun Yun frowned, her mind filled with countless questions, but she suppressed them, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "I will never forget your instructions, sir. I will take my leave now!"
"Oh! By the way, that man is very charming, you mustn't fall in love with him!"
Yun Yun left the desert with a belly full of questions, deciding to ask her disciple Yanran about it when she got back, and then thoroughly investigate the man named Xiao Yan.
Medusa watched Yun Yun leave, then stared at Jiang Liu and said, "Senior, you truly have impressive skills. The Yunlan Sect Master is at your beck and call, and you seem quite pleased with yourself. But if you want to take my Strange Flame, you'll have to show some strength first!"
"As for my strength, let's discuss it slowly in bed after the Queen successfully transforms!" Jiang Liu circled Medusa, smacked his lips, and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Indeed stunningly beautiful! Too bad I'm not Xu Xian!"
"Glib talker! Let's see who's the real deal!" With that, she struck out with a palm at Jiang Liu. Snake people are skilled in using poison, and Medusa is no exception. Before the palm even arrived, the poisonous aura from the palm strike already swept over him.
"Impressive technique! If I hadn't cultivated the Ancient Green Wood Cauldron Body, which greatly increased my resistance to poison, I would have been in real trouble!" Jiang Liu pierced through the poisonous mist and threw a punch at Medusa, which landed heavily on the Queen Medusa's high breasts. Instantly, with a slight muffled sound, the alluring Queen Medusa in mid-air turned into a puff of light purple smoke and slowly dissipated.
Jiang Liu then caught the pale purple energy smoke, sensed the aura contained within it, and then surveyed his surroundings before a smile appeared on his lips.
"So it was in the East..."
With that, ignoring the snake-men who were attacking him, he flew off on his sword in the direction he sensed.
A clear lake appeared before them, and Medusa's presence emanated from one of the small islands.
The lake was crystal clear, and as soon as you approached it, you felt a strange energy engulfing you, as if it would pull any creature flying across the surface of the lake to the bottom. Moreover, the lake water was highly poisonous.
"A trivial skill!"
With a flash of sword light, it landed on the small island in the lake.
"I never expected to find such an elegant place in the heart of the desert!" Jiang Liu walked slowly, passing through a bamboo grove, and arrived at a circular open area. The surrounding bamboo and flower bushes had been neatly cleared.
Small, smooth pebbles were scattered among them, forming a small pool in the open space. The pool was filled with crystal-clear water, and white mist swirled on the surface of the water. Even from a distance, the river could still feel the extreme cold contained within it.
"Use a cold-attribute liquid to imprison the strange fire?"
In the center of the chilling pool stood a lotus pedestal carved from strange crystal. At that moment, a ball of azure flame flickered slowly on the lotus pedestal.
"Is this the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame?" Jiang Liu's gaze was calm as he looked at the azure flame. While not exactly indifferent, it was not overly enthusiastic either.
This ball of azure flame is highly spiritual. As it churns slightly, it sometimes condenses into the shape of a lotus flower, and sometimes into a small azure flame snake, floating and coiling in the lotus seat. It appears docile, but in fact it contains domineering energy and destructive power.
The strange fire possesses the ability to incinerate all things, and the crystal lotus platform, capable of imprisoning it, is clearly no ordinary object. The azure flame is full of spirituality, constantly trying to break free from the lotus platform's constraints, but each time it approaches the edge, a faint white light shield appears, repelling it back.
With each collision, a portion of the cold spring water in the pool is consumed.
On the opposite side of this icy pool sat a beautiful queen on a vast throne. Queen Medusa was no different from the previous energy form. A luxurious and expensive purple brocade robe enveloped her graceful figure, her voluptuous and alluring body exuding a seductive charm. Her long, narrow, pale purple eyes were naturally captivating, drawing the gaze of almost every man.
Their eyes met, and Queen Medusa's pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpoints.
The blue flames flickered, much like Medusa's heart. She sighed softly, then swayed her serpentine tail, her fiery body slowly rising to her feet.
"I may not be your match, but taking the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame won't be so easy... If you want it, then I'll give it to you! I'm just afraid you can't handle it..."
Having said that, a hint of reluctance flashed across Queen Medusa's alluring face. She had gone to great lengths for this fire, nearly sustaining serious injuries. Now, years of hard work had been in vain, and her hopes of advancing to the Dou Zong level were dashed. Naturally, she felt immense reluctance. But in an instant, her reluctance transformed into determination. Beneath her purple brocade robe, two sections of snow-white wrists were revealed, and her slender hands slowly formed several hand seals in front of her.
As Queen Medusa's hand seals changed, the crystal lotus throne suddenly trembled violently, and the light screen on it gradually disappeared. After the light screen disappeared, the unrestrained blue flames burst out and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a raging fire.
Beneath this blazing blue flame, the cold spring water in the small pool was evaporating at a visible rate.
Queen Medusa lightly bit her red lips with her pearly teeth, and with a wave of her jade hand, raging flames swept towards the river!
"Fighting and killing are no good!"
Jiang Liu reached out and grabbed at the flames, his palm radiating a chilling aura. His inner energy surged forth, transforming into an endless stream of cold currents under the transformation of the "Supreme Yin Profound Water Cauldron Body," which then crashed into the strange fire.
With a wrap and a grab, a blue lotus-shaped flame landed in Jiang Liu's hand, trying to break free, but was bound by a chilling aura...
Chapter 147 Evolution
Jiang Liu frowned, looking at the flame in his palm, a hint of disappointment on his face. He muttered, "Not as strong as I imagined! It's barely enough to cultivate the Heaven-Burning Flame Yang Cauldron Body! Better than nothing. It seems I need to collect higher-level exotic flames to obtain fire-based attack abilities like the Supreme Yin Profound Water Cauldron Body. The Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade and the Yi Wood Azure Ox have already reached the middle-grade Earth level, but they only strengthen my body, without unlocking any offensive divine abilities. It seems the stronger the materials I absorb, the stronger the abilities I gain!"
"Low-grade Earth level, still too weak! Medusa, since you want to use the strange fire to transform into human form, then I will grant your wish."
Jiang Liu flicked his finger, and the Azure Earth Core Flame shot towards Medusa.
A blue lotus bloomed before Medusa. The flames that had been raging just moments before had become so docile after passing through Jiang Liu's hands.