The owner of those bright, captivating eyes was none other than the woman Lin Yuan had long been separated from, Queen Medusa.
At this moment, she was seated cross-legged on a spacious couch within the palace, cultivating quietly. Her exquisitely beautiful and enchanting face carried a blend of regal elegance and seductive charm, as though it had gathered the very essence of heaven and earth, making it impossible for anyone to resist becoming intoxicated by her presence.
Suddenly, Queen Medusa slightly raised her head. A faint ripple stirred within her heart, and as if sensing something, she turned her gaze toward the direction where Lin Yuan was.
"Have you finally returned, Alchemist? I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
At this moment, the aura emanating from Queen Medusa was far stronger than it had been a year ago. Subtle spatial ripples spread around her, as if even the palace itself trembled under her presence. She carefully sensed her own aura and revealed a smile filled with anticipation.
Not far away, on a soft cushion, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, which had been sound asleep, seemed to sense something as well. It slowly opened its pale violet eyes.
It lifted its head and looked in Lin Yuan's direction, excitement flickering within its gaze.
A moment later, seven-colored light blossomed brilliantly. A delicate and exquisitely beautiful little girl appeared where the python had been.
She wore a flowing seven-colored dress, her features incredibly refined. Her brows and eyes faintly resembled Queen Medusa's, she was none other than Lin Yuan's daughter, Xiao Cai.
Xiao Cai excitedly ran to Queen Medusa's side, grabbing her hand as she said eagerly,
"Mother! Mother! I can feel Father's aura—he's here!"
Queen Medusa looked at Xiao Cai with a gentle smile, her eyes softening with a tenderness that could melt hearts.
"Xiao Cai is very clever. I sensed it too. He's finally come. I've been waiting for him for a long time."
As she spoke, Queen Medusa took Xiao Cai's hand. Space trembled slightly, and their figures vanished from the spot.
Moments later, a streak of seven-colored rainbow light shot into the sky from the palace, rushing rapidly toward Lin Yuan's direction.
Vast Desert
Within the boundless desert, Lin Yuan, Qing Lin, and Zi Yan rode atop the Winged Serpent King, streaking across the sky like meteors as they sped toward the Snake-People Holy City.
"So this is a desert? It feels so boring. I can't sense any treasures nearby either, it's nowhere near as fun as those mountain ranges before," Zi Yan said, pouting slightly as she gazed at the endless dunes stretching before her.
This was her first time seeing a desert, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to her expectations at all.
Lin Yuan gently patted Zi Yan's small head and smiled, his tone carrying a hint of complexity.
"This desert isn't as simple as it looks. Many things have happened here many stories."
At those words, countless people and events flashed through Lin Yuan's mind.
Qing Lin, Queen Medusa, the Heavenly Flame, the Snake-People Tribe, Hai Bodong, Yun Shan, Yun Yun, Gu He…
Although he hadn't stayed in this desert for long, his connection to it ran deep. In that short span of time, countless events had unfolded. Here, he had made many calculations and gained even more.
Zi Yan pursed her lips. She could sense the shift in Lin Yuan's emotions, so she chose not to say anything further.
During this period, Zi Yan had been assisting Lin Yuan in significantly strengthening the dragon aura within his Life-Blood Core Pill. Because of this, the connection between them had grown much stronger, they could now increasingly sense each other's emotions.
Meanwhile, Qing Lin watched quietly from the side, a trace of nostalgia appearing in her eyes.
For her, this desert had brought both suffering and hardship, but it was also where her beautiful memories had begun.
The three of them continued flying forward in silence.
Suddenly, Lin Yuan looked toward the distant sky, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
"They've arrived?"
At that moment, the sound of something tearing through the air echoed across the sky. A streak of seven-colored rainbow light rapidly approached from the distance, arriving before them in an instant.
As the light dissipated, Queen Medusa appeared, holding Xiao Cai's hand.
Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa's eyes met.
An indescribable atmosphere flowed between them.
Their relationship was complex and subtle—there was the deep bond formed through Xiao Cai, but also many other intertwined emotions and unspoken feelings.
"You've come," Queen Medusa spoke first, her voice carrying a faint, indescribable tone.
Lin Yuan nodded.
"Yes, I've come. My apologies, Your Majesty—I arrived later than expected."
His voice carried a trace of sincerity and apology.
Queen Medusa glanced at him lightly before releasing Xiao Cai's hand.
"You are a bit late. Xiao Cai has missed you, she's been waiting for you the whole time."
Before her words had even fully settled, Xiao Cai had already leapt into Lin Yuan's arms, hugging him tightly.
She felt that long-familiar closeness that resonated from the depths of her soul, and her face lit up with pure happiness.
"Father! You finally came! I missed you so much!"
"Mm, I missed you too, Xiao Cai."
Lin Yuan gently stroked her head, sensing that deep soul-level connection, his eyes filled with affection.
He then looked up at Queen Medusa and spoke solemnly,
"Your Majesty, thank you for taking care of Xiao Cai all this time. It must have been hard on you."
"There's no need to thank me. Xiao Cai is my daughter, I would naturally take good care of her," Queen Medusa replied calmly, waving her hand dismissively.
Then she looked at Lin Yuan again, a hint of satisfaction appearing in her eyes.
"It seems you haven't been idle this past year. Not only have you advanced to the Dou Emperor class, but you've also reached the level of a four-star Dou Emperor."
"It appears you've taken our agreement seriously and made proper preparations."
Though she said this, her tone remained filled with confidence.
No one understood better than she did just how much she had improved over the past year. It wasn't merely a simple increase in cultivation, it was a complete transformation, akin to rebirth.
"Of course."
Lin Yuan looked steadily at Queen Medusa and replied in a deep voice, "I've always taken Your Majesty seriously."
"Although I had some expectations, your progress has still exceeded my predictions. With such a powerful aura, it seems you've already broken through to a two-star Dou Ancestor. Impressive."
As he spoke, he took out a spiritual fruit rich in fire energy from his storage ring and gently fed it to Xiao Cai.
After swallowing the fruit, Xiao Cai's face lit up with delight. Her eyes curved into crescents as she enjoyed it immensely.
Hearing this, Queen Medusa let out a soft laugh and did not continue the topic.
Instead, her gaze shifted to Qing Lin and then to Zi Yan, who was curiously observing both her and Xiao Cai.
Seeing Queen Medusa look over, Qing Lin smiled softly.
"It's been a long time, Sister Medusa."
"It has indeed been a while, Qing Lin. You've truly surprised me."
Queen Medusa returned the smile, though inwardly she was quite shocked.
She had already noticed Qing Lin had reached the level of a six-star Dou King. Such a rate of improvement had far exceeded her expectations.
"Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils truly a terrifying physique. No wonder the ancestors valued it so highly…"
Queen Medusa silently marveled.
"But…"
A hint of confidence rose within her.
"Now that I have evolved into a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, I am no less formidable."
Afterward, Queen Medusa shifted her gaze toward this unfamiliar face, Zi Yan.
Looking at Zi Yan, Queen Medusa did not show the usual surprise most people would. Although Zi Yan appeared to be a little girl emitting the aura of a Dou Emperor, the familiar feeling she sensed from her made her instantly understand her identity.
This little girl, like Xiao Cai, was a magical beast in human form.
Meanwhile, Zi Yan was staring blankly at Queen Medusa's graceful and exquisite figure, muttering to herself, "So big… so amazing this size isn't any worse than me in my 'big Zi Yan' form…"
"What size? What is this child talking about?"
Hearing Zi Yan's muttering, Queen Medusa felt slightly puzzled.
At this moment, Lin Yuan walked over while holding Xiao Cai's hand. Qing Lin and Xiao Cai greeted each other warmly, they had been quite close before parting.
When Lin Yuan noticed Zi Yan's gaze and heard her muttering, he immediately understood what the girl was thinking.
He could not help but glance at Queen Medusa's exquisite figure, then subconsciously compared it to the "grown-up Zi Yan" in his memory.
Very quickly, he arrived at a conclusion.
"In terms of appearance and figure, they are evenly matched. Each has her own charm and allure."
"Unfortunately, Zi Yan's current temperament is still too immature to fully wield the maturity and beauty of her 'grown-up form.' She cannot fully display that charm yet. As for Queen Medusa, she is already a peerless beauty in full bloom."
At that moment, Queen Medusa seemed to sense something and shot Lin Yuan a sharp glare.
"Ahem…"
Snapping back to his senses, Lin Yuan coughed lightly and pulled Zi Yan in front of him.
"Your Majesty, Xiao Cai, this is Zi Yan, my younger sister."
Then he gestured toward Queen Medusa and introduced her to Zi Yan.
"Zi Yan, this is Queen Medusa, whom I've mentioned before. She is my Queen. She is Xiao Cai's mother, and the ruler of this land beneath our feet."
Sensing the powerful aura emanating from Queen Medusa, as well as the subtle complexity in Lin Yuan's emotions, Zi Yan instinctively behaved and greeted her politely:
"Hello, Sister Medusa. I'm Zi Yan."
"A transformed magical beast, the alchemist's younger sister, is it?"
Queen Medusa nodded slightly and said gently, "Hello. I didn't expect this fellow to have such an adorable little sister."
Lin Yuan smiled faintly, then gently patted Xiao Cai's head.
"And this is Xiao Cai, my daughter."
Xiao Cai walked up to Zi Yan, sniffed lightly, and blinked her bright eyes as she asked curiously,
"Big Sister Zi Yan, are you also a magical beast in human form? And I feel like you have an aura similar to Daddy's!"
It was the first time Zi Yan had been called "big sister" by someone like herself, a transformed magical beast. Coupled with the faint sense of Lin Yuan's aura she could feel deep within her soul, she immediately became excited.
"Hehe big sister, huh?"
She hugged Xiao Cai and rubbed her delicate cheek against Xiao Cai's face.
"That's right, that's right! I'm Big Sister Zi Yan, and I'm also a transformed magical beast. Little sister, you're really cute too! Here, this bottle of pills is for you. They're really tasty!"
As she spoke, Zi Yan did something extremely rare, she took out a bottle of delicious medicinal pellets that Lin Yuan had refined for her from her storage ring and handed it to Xiao Cai.
Holding the bottle, Xiao Cai's face lit up with a bright smile. She grabbed Zi Yan's hand excitedly.
"Then we're the same kind! Big Sister Zi Yan, we can play together from now on!"
Watching the simple and innocent interaction between Zi Yan and Xiao Cai, Lin Yuan, Queen Medusa, and Qing Lin all revealed faint smiles.
At this moment, a gentle breeze passed by, carrying a faint and pleasant fragrance from the beauty beside him.
Lin Yuan steadied his mind and looked at Queen Medusa.
"Your Majesty, how is the current situation of the Snake-People Tribe? Have you made contact with Mulan Valley?"
Queen Medusa did not answer directly. Her sharp gaze locked onto Lin Yuan's eyes as she spoke solemnly, "We can discuss that later. Right now, there is only one thing I wish to do. You understand, don't you?"
"The agreement between us, the battle pact?"
A hint of understanding flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. He nodded lightly, his gaze turning sharp as well.
Of course he understood what she meant.
It was the agreement they had made before—their battle, where the loser must unconditionally fulfill one request of the winner.
After a brief silence, Lin Yuan spoke in a deep voice, "It seems Your Majesty has been looking forward to this for quite some time. Very well, let's settle it first."
Queen Medusa nodded in satisfaction.
"I have already prepared the battlefield. I know you do not wish to leave traces of yourself within the Jia Ma Empire, so I spent considerable time preparing a place that can completely isolate the aura of our battle."
"As expected of Your Majesty."
A trace of admiration appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes. Such intelligence was truly pleasing.
"Follow me."
With that, Queen Medusa turned and flew toward the northwest.
Lin Yuan led the others and followed, briefly explaining things along the way.
Xiao Cai asked in confusion,
"Is Daddy going to fight Mommy? Why?"
Zi Yan, on the other hand, looked excited, completely thrilled at the prospect.
"A fight? I love watching fights!"
Qing Lin remained silent. Having witnessed nearly the entire course of Lin Yuan and Queen Medusa's relationship, she already understood everything.
Thinking back to what Lin Yuan had bought in the Jia Ma Sacred City a year ago, she revealed a knowing look, her eyes also carrying a trace of yearning.
During the flight, Lin Yuan felt a faint sense of familiarity.
After some time, they stopped before a solid spatial barrier. Passing through multiple layers of space, they finally arrived at their destination, a corner of the Magical Beast Forest.
Looking at the familiar surroundings—especially the large circular clearing amidst the dense forest, Lin Yuan instantly understood.
A trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
This was the place where he and Queen Medusa had first fought.
Looking at the peerless beauty standing in the air ahead, he smiled lightly.
"A fine place. Your Majesty is truly thoughtful."
"This is where our victory and defeat began and it shall also be where it ends."
Queen Medusa spoke calmly, her expression unreadable.
Then her gaze sharpened, and she said in a cold voice, "It's time you told me the truth who exactly are you, my alchemist elder?"
"Oh?"
Seeing how drastically different her attitude was compared to before, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty isn't worried that deepening your connection with me might bring risks the Snake-People Tribe cannot bear?"
"No matter what the risk is, whether now or in the future, I alone am sufficient to bear it."
As those confident words fell, seven-colored light gathered around Queen Medusa. A strange seven-colored longsword appeared in her hand, its tip pointing directly at Lin Yuan.
"Very well."
A streak of green light flashed through Lin Yuan's deep eyes. Instantly, endless green flames gathered in his hand, forming a uniquely shaped spear of green fire, its sharp edge aimed at Queen Medusa.
"Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy, Lin Yuan requests to battle!"
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