In the vast, endless desert, dozens of fully-armed snake people, holding poisonous spears, scanned this small area with sharp gazes. Any non-snake-person would face their deadly wrath. This team of snake people patrolled in a crisscross pattern, leaving trails of snakes’ tails in their wake.
“These damned humans, how dare they brazenly venture so deep into the desert! If we catch them, I will make sure they experience the pain of being devoured by a thousand serpents!” Basking under the scorching sun, a snake person who seemed to be the leader, wiped the sweat from his brow and cursed.
“Captain, what’s going on? Why has the tribe suddenly gone into high alert?” A snake person impatiently flicked his tail, scanning the empty desert with a puzzled look. He had been dragged out early in the morning for this desert-wide search.
Hearing the question, a dozen other nearby snake people also turned their confused gazes to their leader. Clearly, they, too, were not fully informed.
“Hmph, what’s happening? Last night, a group of human strongmen forcibly breached the defenses of the Charming Snake Tribe and ventured deep into the desert. According to the information from the Charming Snake Tribe, there seems to be a Battle Emperor, three Dou Wangs, and several Dou Ling among them.” The leader’s face was dark as he grunted coldly.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the surrounding snake people instantly changed. A Battle Emperor and three Dou Wangs? Oh my, are the human empires trying to start a war again? Such a terrifying formation, none of the large tribes of the snake people could resist alone.
“All the tribes, big and small, of the snake people have entered a state of high alert. And from what I’ve learned, the leaders of the eight tribes have already received orders from Her Majesty and are heading to the central temple. The fastest ones should arrive by tonight, while the slowest may take until tomorrow.” When mentioning Her Majesty, the leader’s face was filled with a devout zeal.
“As long as three leaders can reach the temple, Her Majesty will issue the order for a thorough search. Hmph, what’s the use of having a Battle Emperor? A bunch of overconfident fools. Once our forces assemble, we’ll turn them into dogs without a home!” The leader sneered, glancing at the deserted desert, and shook his head. “Move on, let’s change locations. There are no signs of humans here.”
Following the leader’s command, the patrol team moved on, leaving behind a vast, empty desert. After they disappeared beyond the horizon, a sand dune began to move slightly. Moments later, a figure emerged, enveloped in a cloud of yellow sand, landing firmly on the sand. Gazing at the place where the snake people had vanished, the figure muttered, “It’s getting more and more troublesome. Now, every little while, these patrols…”
“But from what they said, the strong snake people are also hurrying. Although Gu He and their group cannot be underestimated, if all the strong snake people converge, they might have no choice but to retreat.”
Lifting his head, the figure revealed a handsome face beneath a black robe. It was Xiao Yan, who had forced his way through the Charming Snake Tribe the previous night.
“If everything goes as planned, I believe that by this afternoon at the latest, Gu He and his group will act. They must know the strength of the snake people. The longer they wait, the more dangerous it becomes.”
From the ring, an old voice of the Pharmacist Elder resonated.
“Yes.” Xiao Yan nodded, taking a detailed map from his ring, and focused on the central desert area marked with a sinister serpent head. “This is the Medusa Queen’s temple. Around it, many small and medium-sized tribes are densely packed. The temple’s defense is extremely strict, and the Medusa Queen’s personal guard, the Medusa Serpent Guards, is stationed inside. This elite unit once achieved great fame during the war between the Galia Empire and the snake people. Even the commanders of the empire with powerful elite armies dread them.”
“Ah… It seems like reclaiming the Green Lotus Earth Heart Flame won’t be an easy task.”
Xiao Yan sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Even with the protection of the Pharmacist Elder, he couldn’t move freely in such a perilous place. After all, the Pharmacist Elder was only in a soul form, unable to fully utilize his past strength. The Medusa Queen, moreover, was a notoriously formidable super-strong individual. If she set her sights on Xiao Yan, the outcome would be grim.
Furthermore, the overall strength of the snake people far exceeded that of the Galia Empire. If not for the constant threats from all sides, the Galia Empire might have already suffered greatly in past confrontations.
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan asked softly, “Teacher, what should we do now?”
“Let’s hurry. We need to reach the Medusa Temple as soon as possible. If Gu He and the others engage the Medusa Queen in battle, we will sneak into the temple to find the different flames. Though my strength is diminished in this soul form, I can still conceal our presence, even from the Medusa Queen,” the Pharmacist Elder mused.
Nodding, Xiao Yan took off the heavy ruler from his back and put it away. Exhaling, a purple fighting qi shroud gradually covered his body. With a fierce step, he shot across the ground like a purple shadow, following the route on the map.
Since the sky was clear, Xiao Yan dared not fly with his Purple Cloud Wings, lest he be spotted by the patrolling snake people. Running on the ground, though slower, allowed him to evade the patrols with the help of the Pharmacist Elder’s keen perception.
After hours of frenzied sprinting, avoiding several dozen patrols, the setting sun finally revealed a huge city on the horizon. As he neared the city, Xiao Yan noticed numerous large stones amidst the monotonous yellow sand, leading to the temple city where the Medusa Queen resided.
Crouching behind a boulder, Xiao Yan gasped for breath. Had it not been for the restorative pills, he would have collapsed from exhaustion. Still, his legs were numb, and a sharp pain made his mouth twitch.
Wiping the sand and sweat from his face, Xiao Yan looked up at the darkening sky, sighing, “For the Green Lotus Earth Heart Flame, I’m really pushing myself to the limit…”
Resting behind the boulder for ten minutes, Xiao Yan swallowed another restorative pill. Feeling his fighting qi slowly returning, he carefully shifted his position, peering through the gap at the distant city.
The city gates were tightly shut, and armed snake guards patrolled the walls. Above, several large, black birds circled, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Any movement would trigger an alarm.
Scanning the city walls, Xiao Yan’s expression darkened. Despite the distance, he could see that the snake guards here were stronger than those at the Charming Snake Tribe. Among them, some snake people wore peculiar attire, standing rigidly, and no one dared to approach them.
“Those guys… must be the Medusa Queen’s personal guard. Indeed, very strong…”
Quietly withdrawing his gaze, Xiao Yan shrank further behind the rock, muttering, “Let’s stay quiet here. Gu He and the others should be arriving soon. When the chaos starts, we’ll sneak in. I can already sense the presence of the Green Lotus Earth Heart Flame in the city.”
The Pharmacist Elder’s voice emerged from the ancient, black ring.
“So it is here… This is good news,” Xiao Yan thought, smiling. Suppressing his excitement, he took a golden blanket from his ring and wrapped it around himself, blending into the sand.
Soon after, the Pharmacist Elder warned, “Be careful. A strong aura is approaching.”
Tensing, Xiao Yan slowed his breathing as the Pharmacist Elder’s soul energy enveloped him. Through the gaps in the blanket, he saw a tiny black dot appear in the sky, streaking toward the city with a whistling sound.
The city guards quickly raised the alarm, preparing to attack. As the black figure approached within a hundred meters, it halted, declaring, “Leader of the Ink Snake Tribe, Inkbas, seeks an audience with Her Majesty!”
Hearing the booming voice, Xiao Yan’s eyelids twitched. One of the leaders of the eight tribes had arrived.
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