Bab 274: Chapter 273: Snake-People's Treasury, Evolution

"Hmm, what are you doing blocking our way? Don't tell me you want us to stay and be your guests in the Snake-People Tribe? I don't have that much time to waste." Xiao Ming asked with a hint of doubt, looking at the alluring figure in front of him.

Zi Yan lifted her little head and chimed in, "That's right, Sister Medusa. We have to leave now. I promise to come back and visit you. Please move aside quickly."

"Well... Master Xiao Ming, I was actually hoping to borrow your Heavenly Flame for a period of time." Medusa hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth and speaking up.

Xiao Ming was first surprised by the softer tone of the usually dominant Queen Medusa, but then he noticed what she said.

Borrow his Heavenly Flame? It seemed that Medusa had not given up on the idea of evolution. But that was understandable given the circumstances. Her meridians were damaged, making it almost as difficult to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm through conventional means as it was to reach the heavens themselves.

Using the Heavenly Flame would break through the bottleneck and not only allow her to enter the Dou Ancestor realm but also evolve her bloodline. It was like killing two birds with one stone, but the success rate was low.

Medusa also knew that the success rate was low, but she had no other choice. Xiao Ming would definitely not help her refine the Snake Sacred Soul Advancement Pill, so she could only try to borrow his Heavenly Flame.

"Your Majesty, you can't!" Before Xiao Ming could say anything, the Snake-People Elders and Commanders who had come to bid farewell to him and the girls had a change in their expressions.

"The use of this secret technique is too risky. If you fail, Your Majesty, then our Medusa Bloodline will be cut off. This is absolutely not acceptable!" Yin Shi, an old and experienced member of the Snake-People, trembled as he spoke, just like an ordinary old man.

After trying to persuade Queen Medusa, he didn't forget to say to Xiao Ming, "Master Xiao Ming, I beg you, please don't agree to this!"

The other Snake-People also tried to persuade her, talking all at once.

"This secret technique is too risky. Let's find another way!"

"Your Majesty, you must not take such a risk!"

In fact, Xiao Ming had already presented the option of using the Heavenly Flame to evolve when he treated Medusa earlier, but at that time, the Great Elders did not even consider it and simply discarded the option.

The reason was that this method was too dangerous.

If it failed, it would be a price the Snake-People could not accept.

Medusa's frustration boiled over as she looked at the clamorous group around her. She was doing this to protect them, but these people were not only not helping to persuade, but they were even dissuading the other party from helping. She had never seen such tribemates before.

"Enough!" she shouted, her regal tone cutting through the noise. "I am the Queen. It is not your place to make decisions for me." Her authority over the Snake-People was undeniable, and her forceful words brought the cacophony to a sudden halt.

After the tribe members quieted down, Medusa once again turned her beautiful eyes to Xiao Ming, with a charming smile on her face.

"Master Xiao Ming, I'm sorry about what just happened, but about borrowing the Heavenly Flame..." Medusa began tentatively.

"What price are you willing to pay?" Xiao Ming interjected, cutting her off.

The Snake-People had shown great respect to Xiao Ming and his companions since he had saved their queen, almost like they were their own parents.

If the price was good enough, Xiao Ming wouldn't mind lending her his Heavenly Flame, lending it meant only consuming a little Dou Qi.

The question seemed to make the Snake-People somewhat anxious, but Medusa silenced them with a quick glance.

"As for the reward, Master Xiao Ming, please take a look at our Snake People's treasury," she offered, uncertain of what Xiao Ming might want.

"The Snake People's treasury? Lead the way."

Medusa nodded and led Xiao Ming and the girls away, leaving the Snake-People behind, watching them go with concern etched on their faces.

Sighing inwardly, Yin Shi walked to the First Elder's side and said, "First Elder, could you persuade Her Majesty? This secret technique is not something that can be used casually. Most of the previous Queens who tried to break through with it have failed."

"...It's not like you don't know the Queen's character." After a moment of silence, the First Elder, who was the only one who hadn't advised her before, sighed.

...

While the Snake-People Tribe sighed, Xiao Ming and the others followed Medusa to the Snake-People's treasury.

The Snake People's treasury was similar to the royal treasury, but with fewer items, including a large number of gold coins and some weapons and armor.

Of course, Xiao Ming wasn't interested in these things, and Medusa knew that, so she took them deeper into the treasury.

"This is our Snake People's treasure trove. If Master Xiao Ming likes anything, you can take it." Medusa said, pointing to the rows of jade boxes.

Xiao Ming nodded slightly and immediately picked up a jade box. Inside was a Low Xuan Dou Technique called "Snake Soul Devouring."

Xiao Ming shook his head and placed the jade box back on the shelf.

Just then, Zi Yan approached, her curious expression piquing Xiao Ming's interest.

"Do you want to pick something too, Zi Yan?" he asked. "Use your talent for treasure hunting to show me what valuable things are in this treasure trove. It will also help your Sister Medusa."

"Eh?! Me?"

Just like that, Zi Yan was recruited by Xiao Ming.

Actually, Xiao Ming also had the talent for treasure hunting, but he preferred to let Zi Yan do the searching.

After a brief search, Zi Yan returned with three jade boxes and a green stone.

"Xiao Ming, here are the things I found." Zi Yan said, tiptoeing to hand over the items to him.

Xiao Ming took the items and inspected them briefly. He discovered that the three jade boxes contained powerful medicinal herbs, all of which were the main ingredients for a sixth-tier pill.

With his eyebrows raised, he didn't say anything.

After all, Zi Yan had a penchant for medicinal herbs, so it was not too surprising for him to get such a result.

He moved his gaze from the jade boxes to the ordinary-looking green stone.

At first glance, the stone was no different from an ordinary one. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the stone was covered with strange patterns. Additionally, the stone's surface was slightly transparent, and if placed in a place with strong light, one could vaguely see some viscous liquid flowing inside.

As Xiao Ming's hand touched the green stone, he felt a cool and refreshing sensation. He gently shook the stone, and a faint sound of liquid sloshing inside could be heard.

After careful examination, Xiao Ming sighed with emotion, "Heavenly Numb Jade Essence, I didn't expect your snake clan to have such a good thing. If you had told me earlier, it wouldn't have been so troublesome..."

The value of the Heavenly Numb Jade Essence was no less than that of the Blood Essence Demon Fruit obtained earlier, so Xiao Ming made this remark.

Medusa was a little puzzled when she heard this.

"What is the Heavenly Numb Jade Essence?"

Xiao Ming was taken aback by her question and then looked at Zi Yan.

"Where did you find this?"

"It was just a stone used to pad the shelf of medicinal herbs. I thought it looked unusual, so I picked it up."

"....."

It appeared that the Snake-People Tribe was unaware of the value of this item. Indeed, without prior knowledge, it was not easy to recognize its worth, it seemed normal for them to use it as a pad.

"Master Xiao Ming, are you satisfied with it?" asked Medusa, looking at Xiao Ming with a curious expression. She didn't know what this 'Heavenly Numb Jade Essence' was, but she could tell that Xiao Ming was pleased with it.

"Ahem, it's not bad," replied Xiao Ming as he put the item into his storage ring.

Not bad? He hit the jackpot! The "Heavenly Numb Jade Essence" was a primary material for many high-tier alchemy pills. Whether he used it himself or traded it, it had great value.

"Then, the matter of the Heavenly Flame...?" Medusa's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"As you wish. But please prepare as soon as possible. I won't stay in the Snake-People Tribe for too long." replied Xiao Ming.

"Understood, we'll do it tonight then."

...

Medusa's secret room was located in an open-air cave.

It was circular and spacious, with the sand, mud, and dirt cleaned up neatly.

In the center of the cave, there was a stone platform, and on it stood a man and a woman facing each other.

Xiao Ming's gaze lingered on the moonlight outside before turning to Medusa. She was dressed in the same luxurious and expensive purple brocade he had seen her wear when they first met. The fabric draped her graceful body, accentuating her voluptuous figure and exuding an enchanting allure. Her light golden eyes were bewitching and seemed to captivate the gaze of every man who looked at her.

Beneath the purple brocade, a purple snake tail lazily swayed, giving off a wild and exotic charm.

"Are you ready?" asked Xiao Ming.

Medusa breathed in lightly, gazing up at the sky. A rare hesitation flashed across her enchanting face, but it turned into determination in an instant. She then swung her snake tail and slowly raised her fiery body.

"I'm ready. Let's begin." She said.

Xiao Ming didn't waste any time. He made a gesture with his hand, and a burst of green flames suddenly erupted, quickly growing in size until it became a raging blaze in just the blink of an eye.

Under this fiery green blaze, the surrounding space began to warp, and the ground started to crack.

For some consideration, Xiao Ming didn't use the White Glazed Heart Flame this time, but instead, he used the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Ignoring the searing heat that enveloped their surroundings, Queen Medusa bit her red lips as she gazed upon Xiao Ming before her.

'You got it cheap.'

Her jade hand slowly unfastened the buttons of her brocade robe, revealing a perfect jade body that seemed like a divine masterpiece. In the luminous moonlight, her white, voluptuous curves emitted an irresistible allure.

Her beautiful face bore a hint of seductive charm, reminiscent of that of a fairy. Her slender, fair neck showed off an elegant curvature. Looking down, her ample, pert breasts, round and tender, came into view. Perhaps due to the scorching heat, a single crystal-clear droplet appeared from her neck, rolling down and grazing over one of her full breasts, creating a slightly seductive arc before dropping off.

Beneath her slender waist was a wild purple snake tail, swaying slightly with a captivating charm.

Medusa's sudden movement made Xiao Ming's eyes widen and his body react strangely. He quickly looked away and silently sighed in his heart.

'Rumor has it that Medusa of the Snake-People Race is born with a kind of charm. For men, this charm is like the most intense aphrodisiac. I didn't expect this charm to be so strong. Even I have some difficulty controlling myself.'

Allowing her purple brocade robe to slide to the ground, Queen Medusa slowly took a step forward, her beautiful eyes fixed on the green flame in mid-air. She bit her red lips and spoke softly, "The North-Western Region is becoming more unstable with the emergence of Dou Ancestor powerhouses. If I don't break through to Dou Ancestor, I won't be able to protect my Tribe. I must succeed this time..."

As she spoke, Queen Medusa gracefully untied the purple ribbon that bound her hair, causing her fiery red locks to cascade down her back, reaching her willowy waist.

With a gentle shake of her head, her hair swayed in the wind, making her even more irresistible.

With her hands slightly clasped together and her beautiful eyes closed, Queen Medusa's jade hands continuously changed into strange handprints. As her handprints changed, the energy fluctuations in the cave became more and more intense, and in the end, a huge energy vortex was formed in the cave, which was faintly covered by a rich glow, encompassing her.

Looking at this change, Xiao Ming's heart was somewhat surprised.

'This Snake-People Tribe's secret technique is quite interesting.'

The light surrounding Medusa fluctuated, and after a moment, a roar that resembled both a lion's and a tiger's echoed loudly from within.

Shortly after, the blinding light intensified and then suddenly disappeared, revealing a thirty-three-meter-long purple giant snake hovering in the air.

The purple giant snake was imposing, with a hint of elegant beauty in its appearance. Its pale purple pupils radiated a sense of tranquility and detachment.

Xiao Ming recognized this kind of purple giant snake as a magical beast called Quiet Purple Flame Serpent. It was said that this kind of snake had a trace of the ancient exotic beast, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, flowing in its blood. If the opportunity was sufficient, this kind of Quiet Purple Flame Serpent could activate the faint bloodline and evolve into its ancient ancestor.

It was unclear whether Medusa could successfully awaken the bloodline of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python as she had done in the original story.

As Xiao Ming pondered, the huge purple snake circled several times in the sky before plunging headlong into the green flames with a low, crisp hissing sound. Without hesitation, Medusa rushed furiously into the green flames.

The instant the purple snake entered the Heavenly Flame, Queen Medusa let out a piercing scream that made one's scalp tingle.

Hearing Medusa's piercing scream coming from within the Heavenly Flame, Xiao Ming frowned.

In mid-air, the giant purple snake was frantically rolling its huge body within the green flames. Within Xiao Ming's range of vision, he could clearly see the scales on the purple snake's body twisting rapidly after entering the Heavenly Flame, and eventually being burned to a crisp black, falling helplessly from the snake's body.

After the scales fell, the deep red blood gushed out, but in the instant it appeared, it was burned into nothingness by the terrifying temperature of the Heavenly Flame, leaving behind glaring blood-colored marks on the snake's body.

Squeak... squeak...

Standing on the stone platform, Xiao Ming could even hear the squeaking sound emanating from the Heavenly Flame. Due to the rapid loss of blood, the huge body of the purple snake was shrinking at a visible speed.

It was hard to imagine the intense pain that Queen Medusa was enduring.

'This Medusa is quite ruthless to herself.' Xiao Ming sighed, observing that the energy of the Green Lotus Core Flame was rapidly being consumed. He quickly channeled the Dou Qi from his body into the air to keep it burning.