Xiao Bai paused, his gaze lingering on Medusa for a moment before a cryptic smile curved his lips.
Watching her speak gently to Qing Lin, he strolled to a nearby dune and sat, gazing at the sunset, content to let her take her time. Human connections are peculiar, he mused. Initially, his interest in Medusa stemmed from needing her strength at the Yun Lan Sect and a fleeting attraction upon meeting. Now, though… I admire her.
Medusa's brow twitched, her peripheral vision catching Xiao Bai's actions, stirring complex emotions. If anyone else controlled me, they'd seek permanent dominion, maybe even make vile demands. Yet Xiao Bai seemed unbothered, as if her captivity was trivial. His earlier jests about pets and maids now felt like teasing, not intent. Though still irked, her fury from the underground had softened.
Reflecting on his three tasks while waiting outside the city, she realized—seal aside—she hadn't lost out. If someone offered a Heavenly Flame for evolution in exchange for three tasks, I might've agreed. This black-robed human baffled her, unlike anyone she'd encountered.
Xiao Bai, quietly admiring the desert sunset, stirred, his gaze snapping to a distant point. Two Dou Huangs? Jia Ma Empire's? Targeting her? He glanced at Medusa, who seemed oblivious, and pondered.
He sensed surging energy and two faint Dou Huang pressures rapidly approaching. Soon, Hai Bodong felt it too, turning to alert Xiao Bai but stopping—he was already looking that way. Medusa, mid-conversation with Qing Lin, lifted her head, brows arching as realization hit, her eyes icing over. That snake dares chase me? If not for the Sky Serpent Mansion, she'd have shredded him for his insolence, not just beaten him.
In their sights, two streaks of light landed nearby: a green-robed woman and a serpentine beast. The woman, Lu Man, wore a veil, her figure graceful. The beast, black-scaled with intricate patterns, bore eight tattered purple-black wings and a venomous spiral horn glowing faintly. A crown-like mark adorned its forehead, its triangular pupils glinting with cunning—undoubtedly the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor, Bai Ya.
"Lu Man, Snake Spirit of the Sky Serpent Mansion, greets Queen Medusa and honored guests," Lu Man said, scanning the trio, her eyes locking onto Qing Lin. Using a secret technique, she confirmed, The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils! Her eyes lit up, excitement surging.
Qing Lin, unnerved by Lu Man's intense stare, shrank behind Medusa. Medusa patted her head gently, her gaze cold on the intruders. "What brings you here?" she asked.
The Snake-People, once tied to the Sky Serpent Mansion in the Central Plains, had tolerated their presence in her domain, turning a blind eye as long as her tribe remained unharmed. Xiao Bai stayed silent, arms crossed, sizing them up, stroking his chin. I thought the timeline shifted, and they'd miss Qing Lin. I planned to monitor her growth and seek them later if needed. Their swift arrival suggested a special sensitivity to the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, triggered by its activation.
Hai Bodong, his seal lifted by Xiao Bai, saw himself as a hired hand, standing quietly beside him. "Queen Medusa, that girl is vital to our mansion. Could you…" Lu Man began.
"No," Xiao Bai cut in.
"Little brother, interrupting my talk with the queen is rather rude," Lu Man said softly, her eyes chilling. Unfazed by Xiao Bai—a youth—and Hai Bodong—a mere two-star Dou Huang—she focused on Medusa, noting Qing Lin's closeness to her. If the queen agrees, it's done.
"His words are mine," Medusa said coolly. Xiao Bai was key to her evolution; she'd brook no disruptions.
"Who'd have thought the fearsome queen would heed a man's whims? Could it be…" Lu Man trailed off, her gaze darting between them, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Courting death!" Medusa snapped, her peak Dou Huang aura erupting like a tidal wave. Lu Man's expression hardened, green Dou Qi flaring to counter the pressure. She'd hunted the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils for decades—she wouldn't yield easily.
She kicked Bai Ya, who'd been ogling Medusa since landing. "Stop drooling and move!" she said, exasperated. He's useless around that woman.
Bai Ya chuckled. "Medusa, let's play!" A six-star Dou Huang, his speed was unmatched among peers. Unfazed by her peak strength, he trusted his beastly resilience to weather any wounds.
His eight wings beat, his massive form flashing forward, tail lashing with space-distorting force. Xiao Bai, about to grab Qing Lin, saw Medusa scoop her up and soar, so he relented. Lightning sparked at his feet, and he dodged the strike, wings sprouting as he joined Medusa.
"Give me Qing Lin," he said, arms outstretched.
Medusa glanced at him, wordlessly handing her over. Xiao Bai held Qing Lin with one arm, extending his other hand. "What're you doing?" Medusa's eyes flashed with menace.
Xiao Bai rolled his eyes. "Adjusting your seal, or you'll fight like trash." Her delayed sensing of the newcomers—slower than Hai Bodong—stemmed from the seal dulling her perception.
"Don't move," he said, touching her forehead, reshaping the seal into a central mark in her sea of consciousness, preserving its hold without hindering her strength. "Now, unless you trigger the mark, your senses are as sharp as ever."
Medusa, feeling the change, gave him a deep look before turning away. "Black-robed kid, get away from her!" Bai Ya roared, jealousy flaring as he lunged skyward.
Xiao Bai's eyes sharpened. "Be careful," he told Medusa, flying aside with Qing Lin. Not my moment yet. He aimed to take both intruders down and probe the Sky Serpent Mansion's secrets.
In the sky, four Dou Huang auras clashed, the air trembling, lazy clouds shredded by the colliding pressures. In Stone Desert City, people quaked under the oppressive force, breathing labored as if crushed by boulders.
"Bai Ya, keep them busy. I'll grab the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupil, and we'll bolt!" Lu Man whispered. Against Medusa, a direct fight was a loss.
"Lu Man, hurry, or I'm out—don't blame me!" Bai Ya's cunning eyes glinted. He downplayed his fear of Medusa, but her presence unnerved him. Missing the pupil means a slap on the wrist. We've got a lead—maybe even credit. No need to die here.
"Don't worry. That youth's weak. You hold them, and I'll be quick," Lu Man said confidently.
"Move!"
Bai Ya's tail flicked, his form blurring to separate Xiao Bai and Medusa. Black flames surged, forming a massive eight-winged serpent above. With a hiss, it shot toward Medusa, laced with terrifying force.
Medusa's face remained calm. With a gesture, a vast energy ring formed behind her, a crimson python emerging to slam into the black serpent. Their collision birthed tiny black spatial cracks.
Boom! Black and red energies clashed, deadlocked briefly before exploding, sending two-toned shockwaves rippling outward.
The blast shook Stone Desert City, dislodging tiles and dust, panicking residents into fleeing crumbling homes. Lu Man toyed with Hai Bodong, luring him away from Xiao Bai. Initially unnoticed, her growing distance tipped Xiao Bai off. She's after me.
His lips curved. After the Soul Phantom Stone incident, he knew soul force had limits, so he and Yao Lao guarded Qing Lin closely. With Medusa here, I'm not worried. He watched their performance, waiting to see who'd dare snatch Qing Lin.
Lu Man, seeing Hai Bodong take the bait, struck him back and flashed toward Xiao Bai. Hai Bodong, realizing her ploy, stayed calm. With Xiao Bai's soul strength and that powerful soul, she's dreaming.
Lu Man stopped short of attacking, wary of Medusa's reaction. Hurting Xiao Bai might enrage the queen, dooming her and Bai Ya. "Little brother, can you hand over the girl?" she asked, her eyes glowing eerie green.
A Sky Serpent Mansion secret art, Phantom Spirit Pupil, inspired by the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, induced hallucinations and brief disorientation via eye contact, its potency tied to soul force disparity. Not a pure soul technique, it still carried soul attacks, rare and hard to master.
Xiao Bai's soul force tracked her, ready to strike, but her glowing eyes caused a fleeting daze. Snapping back, he roared, "Bold!" A pupil technique? He unleashed a soul shock, targeting her sea of consciousness.
"Ah!" Lu Man clutched her forehead, her mind hammered blank, her lively eyes dulling. Xiao Bai formed a seal, planting a soul seal on her brow, exhaling in relief. A soul-infused technique—first I've seen. "What did you do?" Lu Man gasped, sensing her dulled perception, now foggy and vague.
Xiao Bai watched silently, unnerving her. Gritting her teeth, she lunged to grab him, certain he'd talk if captured. "Ah!" His glance triggered piercing pain in her mind, forcing her to recoil, clutching her head.
"Wake up. You're a prisoner now. Don't waste effort resisting," Xiao Bai said leisurely.