Of course, advancing from a mid-rank Dou Shi to the peak of the Dou Ling realm in just over a year was an astonishing feat.
Such a cultivation speed was a rarity even to Yao Lao, both during his time in the Yao Clan and in his travels across the continent.
What's more, the young man's cultivation was not the least bit unstable; it was exceptionally solid.
However, the path of cultivation relied on more than just talent. Opportunity, luck, and temperament were all indispensable.
And the higher one's realm, the more difficult it was to advance.
A genius who had not fully matured was nothing.
To borrow a phrase from that good-for-nothing disciple of his, "Anyone can speed down a straightaway. The true masters are the ones who conquer the curves."
The main reason for Yao Lao's shock, however, was Zhou Changqing's combat power!
And that strange, powerful physical body of his, which faintly exuded a hint of heavenly might!
In his perception, Zhou Changqing's Dou Qi played a minor role in the battle against that Dou Wang. He was primarily relying on his formidable physique to clash with his opponent head-on!
Strangely, however, Yao Lao detected no trace of him having practiced any body refinement Dou Techniques!
And he didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Yao Lao sensed a unique and profound aura emanating from the young man's Dou Qi.
It was something he hadn't possessed before he left.
The feeling this aura gave him was peculiar, almost indescribable.
But he had a faint feeling that this aura was extraordinarily uncommon and surely concealed a great secret!
To undergo so many changes in just over a year, changes that even he, Yao Chen, couldn't fully comprehend—how could it not be shocking?
"What a little monster!"
"Why did this little fellow have to be of the Gold and Lightning attributes? If only he had a fire affinity with a latent wood element."
"If that were the case, I could take him as my disciple and pour my heart into teaching him. I would surely make countless old geezers' jaws drop!"
"But alas, there are no 'if onlys.' This little fellow's cultivation path is different from my own. Even if I took him in, aside from cultivation methods and Dou Techniques, there would be little I could teach him. I might even stifle his potential because our paths diverge..."
At this thought, Yao Lao let out a regretful sigh next to Xiao Yan's ear.
"You saw right. It's that little fellow. Aiii, why didn't I meet him first back then?"
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes.
The old geezer was definitely badmouthing him in his head.
Meanwhile, over with Medusa.
Whether it was Yun Yun once again standing in Medusa's way, the blood-spewing Gu He, or Yan Shi who had just climbed out of the sand.
All three of them caught sight of the battle between Feng Li and the young man out of the corner of their eyes and froze on the spot, momentarily forgetting to move.
Seeing this, Medusa did not press her attack. She hovered high in the air, her beautiful eyes fixed on the fight between Zhou Changqing and Feng Li with great interest.
She had been flustered by her concern earlier, forgetting that this little fellow's strength was not to be underestimated.
Even someone like Feng Li would have a hard time taking him down quickly.
So now, she was no longer in a hurry and had even lost the intention to continue fighting.
The three of them had been heavily injured by her; they would need months of recuperation to fully recover.
She had taught them the lesson they deserved. She couldn't possibly kill them all, could she?
There was a difference between being domineering and being reckless.
"Who is this kid? He doesn't look old, but his strength is quite impressive. To think he can fight that old geezer Feng Li to a standstill."
From their eight positions, the eight chieftains had also noticed the commotion. Mo Basi spoke with a look of surprise.
Hearing Mo Basi's telepathic message, Yan Ci scoffed disdainfully, "He's just an injured old man. If it were me, I would've beaten him to the ground by now."
The other six chieftains rolled their eyes at Yan Ci.
This was why he was known as the most brainless of the eight chieftains.
Did he not see how young that human boy was?
Although they despised humans, they had to admit that the young man brought back by the Queen was truly exceptional.
They just didn't know what his relationship with the Queen was.
Was he a captive, brought back by the Queen just as humans captured their Snake-Women?
"Gulp."
Unlike the other chieftains' surprise, Yue Mei swallowed hard, her heart filled with utter shock.
The others didn't know Zhou Changqing's origins, but she knew them all too well!
In just eight months, he had grown strong enough to fight a Dou Wang expert!
Yue Mei didn't even know how to describe the astonishment in her heart!
Eight months! Only eight months!
In that amount of time, she couldn't even advance by half a star!
Because the telepathic link was still active, the sound of Yue Mei swallowing reached the ears of the other seven.
Coupled with the keen hearing of Dou Wang experts, they noticed her strange behavior even from a great distance.
Immediately, the other chieftains began to laugh. "I say, Yue Mei, even if that kid has a good body, you don't have to react like this, do you? This thirsty look doesn't quite match your usual ruthless style."
"What, you've taken a fancy to that human boy? Should we ask Her Majesty for a favor later and have him given to you as a boy toy?"
"You're full of it! Yue Mei would never fall for that kid!" Yan Ci roared in a sudden rage.
It was clear he had some feelings for Yue Mei.
Hearing their teasing, Yue Mei rolled her eyes and snapped, "Get lost!"
However, she kept their words in mind.
Making him a boy toy was impossible.
With his temperament and talent, using him as a mere plaything was out of the question. Not only would she disagree, but the Queen would never allow it either.
But if she were to use her charms to seduce him, to have a certain kind of relationship that could only happen between a man and a woman, and thereby tie him firmly to the Snake-Person Tribe... that wasn't a bad idea.
Staring at Zhou Changqing's upper body as he fought under the sun—his muscles like sculpted steel, hard and fluid and filled with an aesthetic beauty—Yue Mei disconnected from the telepathic link and quietly swallowed another mouthful of saliva.
"I never noticed before... this little fellow has such a fine body."
"Old man, take this elbow!"
Sweeping aside the Dou Qi longsword with his heavy sword, Zhou Changqing roared!
Hearing his shout, Feng Li, who had already witnessed his strength, dared not be careless. His gaze instantly locked onto his opponent's elbows!
To his surprise, however, the moment his Dou Qi longsword was knocked away, the young man's elbows didn't move at all!
In the next instant.
A whip-like leg, crackling with arcs of electricity and covered in white-hot Dou Qi condensed into python scales, lashed out with terrifying power, resembling a lightning serpent!
As the leg cut through the air, it crackled loudly, blinding arcs of lightning flashing. The air distorted from the searing heat, and countless dust motes were annihilated into wisps of black smoke!
Caught completely off guard, Feng Li was struck squarely in the side!
The heavy, powerful kick instantly shattered his wind-attribute Dou Qi defense!
The immense force was unleashed, causing Feng Li's waist to bulge out to the other side. The clothing on his side was completely shredded and incinerated as he was sent flying in a C-shape!
"Pfft!"
The devastating blow once again damaged Feng Li's internal organs, causing the already injured expert to spit out a mouthful of blood!
"I was just kidding. You actually believed me?"
Zhou Changqing stared blankly as Feng Li flew further and further away.
He hadn't expected the attack to be so effective.
Although this Thunder Python's Mountain-Shattering Force was one of the few lightning-attribute Dou Techniques in the Snake-Person Tribe's collection, it was only a Middle Grade Xuan Rank technique.
Even when executed with his Dou Qi cultivation and formidable physique, and though it was powerful, it shouldn't have been able to injure a high-rank Dou Wang so severely in a single blow.
Besides, shouldn't a high-rank Dou Wang have a wealth of combat experience?
How could this old man be so gullible?
He didn't exactly look like an honest person.
Zhou Changqing had never imagined that Feng Li would be so careless.
It was all because the pressure from Medusa was too intense, heightening his sense of crisis to an extreme.
Coupled with his eagerness to take down Zhou Changqing and the frustration caused by the young man's impressive strength, Feng Li had made such a rookie mistake.
"You little bastard! I'll kill you!"
After flying a hundred meters, Feng Li stabilized himself, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Zhou Changqing!
How many years had it been!
Since becoming one of the Jia Ma Empire's Ten Great Strong Ones, he had never been so humiliated!
Being beaten by Medusa was one thing.
But to be repeatedly injured by a mere youth... it was an utter disgrace to his title!
If word of this got out, he, Feng Li, would become a laughingstock and a stain on the reputation of the Jia Ma Empire's experts!
How could Feng Li, who had been a renowned and respected figure for half his life and prided himself on his calm and strategic mind, tolerate this?!
Feng Li was completely consumed by rage!
He no longer cared about anything else. His only thought was to crush this little bastard who had made him a fool!
Forming hand seals, Feng Li unleashed the Dou Qi from his body without reservation. In an instant, azure Dou Qi surged around him.
He mobilized the wind-attribute energy of the heavens and earth within a radius of several hundred meters to the greatest extent of his ability!
In a flash, a gale howled, like a Category 10 storm, churning the air and the yellow sand on the ground!
Furthermore, more and more wind-attribute energy gathered, seeming to condense into a liquid state!
Seeing this, how could Zhou Changqing be careless? He immediately used another burst of Dou Qi to halt his descent, then kicked off the air and charged toward his opponent, trying to interrupt the casting!
Unfortunately, it was too late.
As the hand seals changed faster and faster, the liquid-like wind energy rapidly transformed, coalescing behind him into over a thousand azure wind blades that blotted out the sun!
"Thousand Winds Shatterspace Kill!"
With a thunderous roar, Feng Li's hands, still forming seals, thrust violently in Zhou Changqing's direction!
Instantly, the thousand sun-blotting wind blades shot toward Zhou Changqing like a volley of ten thousand arrows!
At that moment, Zhou Changqing felt a profound sense of danger!
Although his opponent was injured, he was still a high-rank Dou Wang. If he used his trump card, it was definitely not something the current Zhou Changqing could handle!
"You're courting death!"
Medusa, who had been watching the show leisurely, narrowed her beautiful eyes the moment she saw the power of Feng Li's Dou Technique. A murderous glint flashed in their depths!
In an instant, her figure flickered, and while Yun Yun and the others were still stunned, she rushed toward Zhou Changqing!
"Damn it! Can't dodge!"
The wind blades were incredibly fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Changqing was not a Dou Wang; his maneuverability in the air was too poor. Evasion was impossible!
Gritting his teeth, he surged with Dou Qi, rapidly forming a thick, golden-white protective film around his body, attempting to withstand the blow head-on!
He certainly wouldn't die.
After all, his physical body was powerful and his defense was formidable.
At worst, he would be severely injured.
However, just as the wind blades were about to hit him in that critical moment!
A stunningly beautiful figure appeared before him, blocking the terrifying storm of blades!
"For this Queen... Disperse!!!"