Chapter 100: Don't You Want to Drink Big Sister's Bathwater?
The vast sky was cloudless, with a blazing sun hanging high, casting scorching rays down upon the golden sands of the desert. The tiny grains of sand baked under the heat, sizzling like red-hot iron beads.
In the middle of this endless expanse of yellow, waves of heat shimmered and distorted the air. The distant horizon looked warped and illusory beneath the sun's fury.
Two figures slowly emerged from the rolling dunes. Their wind-worn and dust-covered faces made it clear—they had been in the desert for quite a while.
Moments later, the two reached the peak of a towering sand dune. One of them took out a sheepskin map from his storage ring and carefully traced their current route.
"According to this map, we should be close to the heart of the Tagor Desert," Xiao Yuan muttered, licking his parched lips as he spoke to Xiao Yan beside him.
"Sigh… this damned desert is absurdly big," Xiao Yan replied with a bitter chuckle. "It's taken us a whole month just to get here from Stone Desert City. If it weren't for Hai Lao's map marking every supply point along the way, we'd be in serious trouble by now."
After departing from Stone Desert City, the two brothers had followed the map's route deep into the desert. Due to the unpredictable weather and terrain, they chose to travel on foot—advancing steadily while cultivating.
Aside from lurking magical beasts, the greatest danger in the Tagor Desert came from the snake-people. Few dared provoke them, for their venomous ambush tactics made them notoriously deadly.
But for Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan—who had both a precise map and Yao Lao's powerful spiritual perception—none of these threats posed much of a problem. Each time danger approached, they preemptively avoided any patrols or snake-people settlements.
Of course, the occasional accidental encounter did happen. In those instances, the brothers wasted no time—they struck swiftly and silently, eliminating their foes before an alarm could be raised. In this desert, being surrounded by the snake-people meant certain doom.
Given they had to cultivate along the way, their pace had been slow. It had taken them a full month just to reach the desert's interior.
Their current location was close to one of the eight major snake-people tribes. At the very least, each of those held Dou Ling powerhouses—and perhaps even Dou Wang guardians. It would be impossible for Xiao Yan to sneak past undetected.
Xiao Yuan was confident he could suppress his aura and go unnoticed, but even he couldn't guarantee they wouldn't run into a patrol. If that happened, a fight would be inevitable, and stealth would be lost.
Thus, they had no choice but to detour around the settlement. A confrontation with a Dou Wang-level snake-woman was not something they could afford.
Even with Yao Lao's protection, he couldn't cover both of them entirely if things got dicey. Neither brother was foolish enough to think that having Yao Lao on their side meant they could act with impunity in snake-people territory.
For now, they needed to find one last oasis and resupply. Beyond this point, all sources of water were likely under snake-people control.
Xiao Yuan's gaze swept over the map and landed on the closest oasis.
"Uh… this one seems awfully close to a snake-people tribe," Xiao Yan said, frowning as he compared the green oasis marker with the large red dot beside it—the symbol of one of the eight major snake tribes.
"No choice. This is the only oasis within a hundred miles. The risk is real, but circling back for another supply point would cost us too much time and energy," Xiao Yuan replied, shaking his head. "Besides, those markers might look close on the map, but that's still a decent distance. If something does happen, we should have time to escape."
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. "Fair point."
They continued walking beneath the searing sun, step after step.
As expected, the seemingly short journey took them nearly three hours. Only when dusk began to fall and the temperature dropped did a hint of lush greenery finally appear on the horizon.
Entering the oasis, the sweltering air turned cool and refreshing. Both men extended their soul perception, scanning the area thoroughly before stepping into the dense foliage.
To be honest, desert life was awful. The endless sand, the mind-numbing repetition—if not for the need to cultivate, they would've gone crazy just from boredom.
Half a month ago, Xiao Yuan had broken through to Seven-Star Dou Shi. Just yesterday, Xiao Yan had reached Three-Star.
Thanks to Yao Lao's personalized training regimen, their progress had been excellent.
Xiao Yan wore a layer of Flaming Blood ointment.
Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, used Flaming Paste—an upgraded version of Flaming Blood that enhanced the absorption of both fire and earth-element Dou Qi.
Of course, this only worked for someone like Xiao Yuan, whose Qi held multiple elemental properties—something practically unheard of across the continent.
Splash, splash…
Just as they searched through the trees for water, the sound of rippling water echoed from nearby.
Hearing it, Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief. The oppressive heat in his chest seemed to vanish with that gentle sound. He was about to rush forward when Xiao Yuan grabbed him and pulled him down.
"Shh!"
Xiao Yuan pressed his finger to his lips, signaling silence.
He pointed toward the end of a narrow path through the trees.
Following the gesture, Xiao Yan's heart sank. Several tall and alluring snake-women stood at attention, sharp eyes scanning the forest like hawks. Each gripped their weapons, fully alert and ready to strike.
Though they had dark bronze skin, their features and figures were undeniably attractive. But neither brother had time to appreciate their beauty.
They could sense it—four of them were Da Dou Shi. The rest were all at least Five-Star Dou Shi.
The brothers exchanged glances, both filled with frustration.
There was no way they could take out a group like this quietly.
And worse still—this meant the oasis water was likely unusable.
Xiao Yuan sighed, pressing his hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder. With a slight nudge, he signaled: abort the mission.
Xiao Yan hesitated but saw the seriousness in his brother's face. He nodded and quietly followed his lead, retreating without making a sound.
But just after they slipped away, a tiny snake slithered from the grass and dove into the lake.
Splash…
From beneath the surface, a sultry figure burst forth, droplets cascading from her long hair and smooth white shoulders. Water ran down her flawless skin, sliding over her waist and into the clear lake.
Beneath the water, a green-scaled tail swayed lazily. A snake-woman.
She raised her hand—where a green snake flickered and dissipated into energy. Its final moments had relayed everything to her.
A teasing smile curled her lips as the two brothers' images formed in her mind.
"Hmm… so cautious. Two little humans. Must've come for water. Not bad-looking either," she murmured, her gaze following the direction they had fled.
"Brother, what is it?" Xiao Yan asked once they were clear of the oasis.
"There's a powerful presence in that lake. Likely a Dou Wang. Those Da Dou Shi snake-women must be her guards," Xiao Yuan replied grimly.
"A Dou Wang!?" Xiao Yan shuddered and glanced back toward the oasis. "Then what now? We're almost out of water."
"If push comes to shove, I'll use my water-element Dou Qi. It's inefficient, but better than fighting a Dou Wang," Xiao Yuan said with a shrug.
He had hoped they would arrive earlier than in the original timeline and avoid Yue Mei. But clearly… no such luck.
And there was no way in hell he was drinking Yue Mei's bathwater.
Then, a playful yet cold voice rang out above them:
"My, my… such alert little things. So many people dream of tasting this big sister's bathwater, yet you just walked away without a glance? I'm hurt."
Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan both paled, looking up to see a black-robed woman floating in midair, her figure graceful and alluring, energy wings fluttering behind her.
Shit.
Even though they'd fled early, she'd still caught them.
"Teacher!" Xiao Yan shouted in his mind.
But only silence answered.
Seriously!? A Dou Wang and you're leaving us hanging!?
Xiao Yuan grabbed Xiao Yan and bolted. "Apologies, miss! We were just passing by, no disrespect intended. Your bathwater is far too sacred for us lowly mortals!"
Their figures vanished in a blur of black mist.
"Huh?"
Yue Mei was momentarily stunned by how fast they bolted. Then she chuckled and gave chase.
"Running off so quickly? Why don't you come play with big sister in the tribe? Humans love making slaves of our snake-women—perhaps I'll return the favor."
Xiao Yuan didn't even look back. "No thanks! And you're not even qualified to call yourself 'big sister' to me!"
If he was going to be captured by anyone, it'd be Queen Medusa—not Yue Mei.
"Not qualified, hm?" Yue Mei's voice turned cold. "Let's see if your mouth stays that bold once you're mine."
With a flick of her hand, five streams of green energy twisted into massive serpents and shot toward them.
Feeling the power at his back, Xiao Yuan's expression darkened. Purple Cloud Wings unfurled from his back, lifting him swiftly upward.
Yue Mei's eyes sparkled with interest. "Flying Dou Technique? You've got good luck, little one. I like you more and more."
She sent another wave of energy serpents after him.
But they pierced nothing but air—Xiao Yuan's figure had vanished.
"Later!" his voice echoed cheekily, now several hundred meters away.
Yue Mei blinked. "So fast… must be a high-level movement technique. Looks like I'll be gaining quite the prize tonight."
With a smirk, her energy wings flapped—and she vanished from sight.
(END CHAPTER)
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