Medusa offered no resistance. She permitted the gentle yet irresistible pulling force to draw her through the void.
In the blink of an eye she stood within the depths of his palace. Her gaze fell upon Xiao Jietian, seated leisurely by the edge of the bed, a faint smile playing upon his lips as he regarded her. She rolled her beautiful eyes in feigned exasperation.
With queenly grace she glided forward, directly straddling his lap. Her voice carried both complaint and delight:
"Where is this so-called 'good thing' thou hast promised? Thou only knowest how to deceive this Queen. Back then I was far too naive… and was utterly devoured by a great bad wolf such as thee."
Even as she spoke reproach, an irrepressible smile of happiness bloomed across her peerless countenance.
Xiao Jietian wrapped one arm securely about her slender waist. With the other hand he gently caressed her enchanting face, thumb brushing lightly across the soft petals of her lips.
"If I say there is a treasure, then truly there is one. Whether thou receivest it or not… depends entirely upon thy performance tonight." His gaze drifted downward, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "But why art thou wrapped so heavily this time?"
Tonight, Queen Medusa was swathed from neck to ankle in a thick, flowing crimson robe. Only her snow-white arms and a slender section of calf—clad in sheer silk stockings—remained exposed, revealed by the way she sat astride him.
Never before had Xiao Jietian seen her attired in such concealing fashion. Ordinarily she favored form-fitting scarlet gowns or golden-red imperial robes that flaunted every lethal curve.
He was genuinely intrigued.
"Still attempting to trick me? Dream on." Medusa refused to answer. Instead she leaned forward, the tip of her tongue lightly tracing the line of his cheek before flicking across his earlobe in a fleeting tease. Then, in a flash, she vanished from his lap and reappeared seated upon the nearby table.
Propping her chin upon one delicate hand, she regarded him with the haughty bearing of an empress.
Her long legs crossed elegantly; one exquisite foot swayed idly back and forth before his eyes—endlessly alluring, ceaselessly seductive.
Xiao Jietian gazed upon this familiar sight and could not help but smile inwardly.
Always the same pattern.
Always she began with such confidence, such teasing arrogance… and every single time, she ended as the most wretchedly defeated party.
One could say she was hopelessly unskilled at this game—yet she loved to play it all the same.
And it was precisely this unrepentant, stubbornly proud nature of hers that Xiao Jietian cherished most. The contrast between her queenly facade and her eventual tearful surrender was simply too delightful.
"Good thing? Of course there is." A mysterious smile curved Xiao Jietian's lips. With a casual flick of his sleeve, a small jade bottle appeared in his palm.
He deliberately shrouded its contents with a thin veil of Dou Qi, preventing her from glimpsing what lay within too soon.
"Hmph. This Queen hopes thou art not attempting to fob me off with some gaudy trinket."
Even as she spoke disdainfully, Medusa's gaze remained riveted upon the jade bottle. Deep in her heart stirred an inexplicable yearning—an instinctive, almost frantic longing for whatever lay concealed inside.
She straightened imperceptibly, curiosity and anticipation burning in her eyes. Yet remembering her current role as the proud queen in negotiation, she swiftly schooled her features into nonchalance.
"Merely an ordinary jade bottle. Nothing remarkable at all."
Xiao Jietian had long anticipated her obstinacy. Rising smoothly to his feet, he stepped before her and gently shook the bottle just out of reach.
"If thou desirest it not, then I shall simply put it away. So be it."
His voice was low and magnetic—like the whisper of a demon from the ninth hell—laden with irresistible temptation.
Instinctively Medusa reached out to seize it.
Xiao Jietian evaded with effortless grace.
Several times she lunged; each time he withdrew just enough to keep the prize beyond her fingertips.
Finally she glared at him, annoyance flashing across her features. Without realizing it, her lips had pursed into a small, aggrieved pout.
"How dare thee toy with this Queen?"
Xiao Jietian gazed upon the once-mighty queen now behaving like a sulky maiden—utterly stripped of imperial dignity—and felt his heart soften. It was about time; any further teasing and he would have to spend the rest of the night coaxing her.
Smiling gently, he placed the jade bottle into her waiting hands.
"Very well, my Queen. This treasure was prepared especially for thee from the very beginning. Thou art always so stubbornly proud… it is truly amusing, and I find it unbearably endearing."
Medusa snatched the bottle at once. She examined it carefully from every angle. The earlier look of grievance vanished in an instant, replaced by haughty arrogance—yet the joy dancing in the depths of her eyes could not be concealed.
Perhaps because of his tender words; perhaps because the gift came from him; perhaps both.
"Hmph. Thou art thoughtful after all. Rare indeed that thou hast not attempted to deceive me this time. But consider this satisfaction only temporary. Should the contents prove worthy… I shall reluctantly bestow upon thee a gift in return."
Xiao Jietian shook his head with a helpless chuckle, thinking to himself: *Just wait until thou openest it. Let us see how long that haughty air can last.*
"Yes, yes. My Queen is the most difficult to fool in all the realms. I eagerly await thy gift."
His gaze drifted once more over her heavily robed figure, curiosity deepening. The last time she had spoken of "bestowing a gift," she had bidden him approach… from behind.
Medusa clutched the jade bottle tightly, joy shimmering in her eyes. To her, the actual contents mattered little. What mattered was that it came from him. Even if it contained mere plain water, she would drink it with delight.
With utmost care she unstoppered the bottle.
Beside her, Xiao Jietian quietly enveloped the entire chamber in a protective shroud of Dou Qi.
The instant the seal broke, a dazzling burst of nine-colored radiance erupted forth.
Medusa's gaze was instantly ensnared by the prismatic liquid within. A voice seemed to echo directly in the depths of her soul:
*Take it… take it…*
"Count the colors," came Xiao Jietian's calm instruction from the side.
Medusa forcibly steadied her racing heart and began to count in a trembling voice:
"One… two… seven…"
"Eight… nine!!!!"
Her voice abruptly rose to a near-shriek. Shock and incredulity flooded her beautiful eyes.
"This… this… this is the essence blood of a Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python?!"
Xiao Jietian smiled as he watched her mouth fall open in astonishment, a surge of warmth and mischief rising in his chest.
"Precisely. Well? Did I deceive thee this time?"
Medusa's breathing grew rapid and uneven.
Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python essence blood!
If she could refine and absorb it… she would evolve from her present Seven-Colored form into the legendary Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python!
Do not be deceived by the mere difference of two colors. The gulf between them was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
A peak Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python might hope—at best—to reach the Saint realm.
A Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python… possessed the potential to ascend to Emperor!
On this continent, only the Void Ancient Dragon and the primordial Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent stood as equals to the Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python among all magical beasts.
Medusa drew a deep, shuddering breath, struggling to calm the storm within her. Yet when she spoke, her voice still trembled uncontrollably:
"Thou… how couldst thou possibly possess such a thing?"
Xiao Jietian reached out and gently stroked her hair, soothing her as though calming a startled child.
"I merely wandered through the Southern Region for a time. Deep within an underground cavern belonging to a peak eighth-tier magical beast, I chanced upon a Nine-Colored Primordial Stone. Knowing how greatly it would aid thee—how perfectly it would satisfy thy unquenchable thirst for strength—I spared no effort to seize it."
"Then I personally refined it into this single, pure drop of essence blood… for thee alone."
He spoke the fabricated tale with utter sincerity, face devoid of the slightest guilt.
When bestowing a truly precious gift—especially one of such astronomical value—one must never claim it was easily obtained, casually picked up, or acquired without hardship.
To speak too lightly would diminish its perceived worth in her heart, making it seem commonplace.
Instead, one must emphasize its rarity, the peril endured, the singular importance of the act. Only then would the gift carve itself deeply into her soul.
Hearing that he had wrested it from the clutches of a peak eighth-tier magical beast, Medusa swiftly stored the jade bottle away. In the next instant she threw herself before him, anxiety written plainly across her features.
"You… thou didst brave such danger… for this Queen?"