The voice seemed to drift up from the depths of the netherworld—cold, endless, laced with thick killing intent. In an instant, the entire space around them turned frigid.
Yan Luotian's expression darkened dramatically. He jerked his head upward, scanning the sky with extreme vigilance, yet saw nothing at all.
Instinctively, he pushed his soul power to the absolute limit. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to explode into battle at any second.
Meanwhile, the ten Snake-People experts trembled—not from fear, but from barely contained excitement.
Suddenly, the space not far in front of Yan Luotian shattered.
A tiny black crack appeared first, spreading outward like a spiderweb.
Then the fissure widened at terrifying speed, as though an invisible giant hand were ripping it apart. The sky itself seemed to be torn cleanly in two, revealing a chaotic, swirling void within the tear.
A figure in a long, blood-red dress slowly stepped out from the rift.
She was cold, noble, breathtakingly beautiful.
Her gaze swept lightly over Yan Luotian.
In her arms, she cradled a small girl who wore an expression of pure pride and disdain.
Yan Luotian met Medusa's icy eyes and felt his very soul shudder.
"You… who are you?" His voice trembled uncontrollably.
Though the woman before him was stunning, the aura she exuded was horrifying. Tearing open space like this was not something just anyone could do.
"Me?" Medusa's voice was ice-cold. "Didn't you come here specifically to see me? And now you're asking who I am?"
"What—Queen Medusa?!" Yan Luotian nearly wet himself in terror.
Weren't the rumors that she was only at the peak of Dou Huang? Who the hell spread such nonsense? Could a peak Dou Huang tear space apart? He, a two-star Dou Zong, couldn't even manipulate spatial power!
"Fei Yan-jie, he's so ugly and so weak. He doesn't deserve to even look at you. Let's just kill him," Zi Yan wrinkled her small nose, her childish voice dripping with contempt.
"Your Majesty—this is a misunderstanding!" Yan Luotian's mind raced desperately. "I came here today only to negotiate with you. The Falling Geese Empire is willing to cede you a vast territory as your new habitat—"
"You wanted them to hand me over to you. But now that I'm here, you're not happy?" Medusa glanced at him indifferently. "I wouldn't even want your pathetic scrap of land. Since you've seen me… the price is your life."
Yan Luotian's hair stood on end. His hands shook. Cold sweat beaded across his forehead.
Without another word, he frantically circulated his Dou Qi and shot toward the distant horizon like a streak of light.
Medusa raised her free hand unhurriedly and clenched it in the void.
"Spatial Annihilation."
The space around Yan Luotian instantly warped and twisted. The once-stable spatial fabric cracked into countless fine fractures.
It was as though invisible threads had wrapped around the entire region, mercilessly tightening and crushing everything inside.
Yan Luotian struggled with all his strength, but it was futile.
The spatial power sliced through his body like a thousand blades. Under that crushing force, he was instantly reduced to a bloody mist that dispersed into the wind.
Zi Yan casually waved her small hand. A storage ring flew through the air and landed neatly in her palm.
"This is good stuff. Now I can trade with that big bad guy Xiao Jietian again."
Whether she was truly "trading" or simply contributing loot to the family treasury… only Zi Yan knew the truth.
The ring was indeed Yan Luotian's. Medusa said nothing, only giving Zi Yan a doting, indulgent smile.
As for why Zi Yan had suddenly appeared in Medusa's arms instead of Xiao Jietian's—it was simple. Medusa had responded to Zi Yan's call, torn through space to arrive, and promptly snatched the little girl away to "protect" her from further "bullying" by Xiao Jietian.
Later, she had sensed the Snake-People Tribe igniting their ancestral altars and burning soul essence to summon aid. Without hesitation, she ripped open space and came straight here.
"Your Majesty!"
The eight great tribal leaders dropped to one knee before Medusa, voices filled with reverence. Even the two great elders lowered their heads in respect.
This was the absolute status Queen Medusa held within the Snake-People Tribe.
Yet at this moment, several of them cast curious glances toward the little girl Medusa was holding, secretly wondering who this child could be.
"Put away those thoughts," Medusa said coolly, having naturally noticed their gazes. "All of you—return and tend to your injuries first."
They immediately withdrew their curiosity and bowed their heads in obedience.
"Should we call that big bad guy Xiao Jietian down now?" Zi Yan popped another pill into her mouth, chewing happily as she spoke.
"Hm? Why are you suddenly calling him 'big bad guy'? Weren't you saying he was a good person before?" Medusa asked, puzzled by the sudden change in nickname.
Zi Yan's little face instantly flushed scarlet, as though remembering something embarrassing.
"He… he bullied me! That's why!"
"How exactly did he bully you?"
Zi Yan's cheeks burned even hotter. How could she possibly say it out loud? And worse—she had acted so strangely at the time… yet thinking back, she realized she had actually… quite liked that feeling.
"No! Don't ask anymore! Anyway, he bullied me—hmph hmph!"
Medusa's eyes narrowed dangerously. She had already silently decided to give Xiao Jietian a thorough "lesson" later.
She lifted her gaze to the sky above.
"Aren't you two coming down yet?"
The Snake-People experts looked up in confusion. In their perception, there was no one there at all.
In the next instant, two figures—one male, one female—appeared silently before Medusa.
The man was handsome and refined, clad in flowing white robes, like an immortal who had descended into the mortal world.
The woman appeared to be around 1.65 meters tall, with long silver hair and a doll-like face. Her silver-white dress hugged an extremely curvaceous, fiery figure—truly a walking TYJR (too youthful yet ridiculously voluptuous).
At this moment, however, her cheeks were faintly flushed. Just earlier, her mistress had said she would "help measure" whether she had grown… even though they had measured only a few days ago.
Of course, she would never refuse her master's request.
Medusa shot Xiao Jietian an almost imperceptible glare.
Xiao Jietian merely smiled faintly and spoke in a soft voice.
"You handle the Snake-People Tribe's affairs first. I'll head over there for now."
Medusa nodded. She gently set the already fidgety Zi Yan down on the ground, then reached out to help Xiao Jietian straighten his collar.
"Alright. Once I've finished here, I'll come find you."
The ten Snake-People experts stared in wide-eyed disbelief at Medusa's unusually gentle demeanor.
One of them—the burly warrior with twin black python tattoos coiling around his arms—Mo Ba Si—had eyes practically turning red with shock and jealousy.
Another female snake-person was equally stunned. She had long recognized the man before her as the one who had once captured her.
Xiao Jietian noticed Mo Ba Si's barely concealed hostility. His gaze swept lightly over the group.
Instantly, the ten experts felt as though they were being stared down by an ancient, terrifying beast. An overwhelming pressure crushed down on them, forcing every single one to their knees on the ground.
This had been part of the plan he and Medusa had agreed upon beforehand: he would show his face briefly to establish deterrence, then leave the rest—relocation of the tribe and internal affairs—to Medusa after her return.
"Alright. Hui Ying, Zi Yan—let's go."
Xiao Jietian withdrew his aura and spoke to the two lolis.
"Let's go, let's go! I'm definitely fighting ten today!" Zi Yan shouted excitedly, pumping her small fists.
In a flash of silver light, Xiao Huiying transformed back into her massive Heavenly Thunder Dragon form.
Xiao Jietian and Zi Yan leaped onto her broad back. The dragon's spear-like wings erupted with crimson energy, kicking up a violent storm of wind and sand. In the blink of an eye, they vanished from sight.
Mo Ba Si gasped desperately for air—he had truly felt death's shadow just now.
"Clan Leader… he is…?" The Fourth Elder cautiously looked at Medusa and asked.