Nature's Gift

In the night sky, Yue Mei beat her wings and raced through the air. She had already sent word to the tribe to prepare, but... even with her there to hold the fort, they would be helpless against an enemy of that level.

Lu Bu sat on Yue Mei's waist as fierce winds howled past him and the world below rapidly receded. Yue Mei was no slow flyer. She specialized in Wind Attribute Dou Qi, making her incredibly fast, and she had no reservations holding back.

Such blatant flight had already been detected by the Snake People cities below, but when they looked up and saw the long snake tail, they immediately ceased their attacks.

That was the advantage of capturing Yue Mei. Not only could Lu Bu fly without concern, no one would attack or stop him.

"My lord, my Dou Qi is nearly depleted," Yue Mei called out.

"Here!" Lu Bu flicked his finger, sending a medicinal pill flying neatly into Yue Mei's mouth.

Two pills per hundred kilometers—fairly energy-efficient. The only downside was its limited passenger capacity. Of course, he was its only passenger, so that flaw could be ignored.

Yue Mei: "..."

You're the transportation tool!

I'm beautiful and capable. What a waste of your eyes.

Lu Bu ignored Yue Mei's expression and stroked his chin in thought. With his speed, he would certainly arrive ahead of Gu He's group. And with Yue Mei acting as his guide, there should not be much of a problem.

But he could not forget that the Snake People had quite a few experts. There were four former Medusas at the Peak Dou Huang level, along with the Grand Commander who was away from the tribe and the current Medusa—a full six Peak Dou Huangs in total.

He still needed to be careful. Otherwise, Lu Bu would have simply brought Qing Lin along. One glare from her would be enough to take down all eight commanders. Soloing the entire Snake People race would not have been a problem.

"At the end of the day... I'm still not strong enough..." Lu Bu sighed, patting downward to signal Yue Mei to go faster.

"%...&￥%#)--)*%...&"

Yue Mei cursed furiously inside, but she could only swing her tail and send her speed soaring once more.

Half an hour later, Snake People Holy City!

In a corner somewhere, Lu Bu and Yue Mei quietly made their way to a corner of the temple at the center of the Holy City.

With Yue Mei present, Lu Bu flawlessly evaded the patrols, the snakes' scent detection, and the formation restrictions... He did not need to worry about the last one. Lu Bu did not think much of the Snake People's formations, but it was still better not to make a move if he could avoid it.

Lu Bu was somewhat surprised by what he saw along the way. Although the Snake People's defenses were average, their detection methods were truly impressive, especially their ability to control snakes for scouting. Without Yue Mei, he really would not have been able to sneak in.

"Looks like Gu He and the others haven't arrived yet..." Yue Mei nodded as she looked over the orderly Holy City. Though all its defensive forces had been deployed and it had entered a state of combat readiness.

That was only because of the message she had sent. The enemy had not arrived, and the battle had yet to begin.

"So this is the temple..." Lu Bu slightly poked his head out and quietly marveled at the temple towering into the clouds.

Snake People Holy City had been built around a mountain range, with a mountain at its very center. The temple stood atop that mountain.

"I'll take you inside..." Yue Mei whispered. "Remember what you said. You only want the Heavenly Flames. You won't harm Your Majesty the Queen."

Yue Mei wore a solemn expression. She did not trust Lu Bu, but she could not think of anything in the Snake People's territory that a Sixth Grade Alchemist would covet. Combined with the appearance of Gu He's group, she had no choice but to believe him eight parts out of ten.

Moreover, this man had even revealed the Queen's plan to use the Heavenly Flames. After hearing that, Yue Mei completely believed Lu Bu.

Lu Bu curled his lip. If the Heavenly Flames hadn't been taken, I wouldn't have come here at all!

With Yue Mei guiding the way, Lu Bu twisted and turned through the temple, while she conveniently knocked out quite a few guard snakes along the way.

Since the temple had sent out much of its forces due to the state of combat readiness, this gave Yue Mei considerable convenience.

"You're very familiar with this place..." Lu Bu said in surprise.

"The temple was built jointly by the eight great tribes," Yue Mei whispered. "I have a palace here as well."

"I knew I was right about you!" Lu Bu grinned, feeling immensely pleased.

Yue Mei's face darkened. Was he praising her, or praising himself?

Just then, two powerful auras approached from afar together.

Yue Mei's expression changed slightly. She whispered, "It's Mo Bass and Yan Ci..."

"Mo Bass, Yan Ci..." Lu Bu's gaze flickered. The leaders of two of the Snake People's eight great tribes—he remembered they had appeared before, though they were clearly just cannon fodder.

"Your Majesty the Queen really is planning to do that. She still hasn't appeared..." Yue Mei murmured. Using the Heavenly Flames to evolve was a decision that gambled with her life!

"With me protecting her, she can at least preserve her soul," Lu Bu said with a light smile.

That was why Yue Mei had been so cooperative. Lu Bu had told Yue Mei about Medusa's plan and promised to lend Medusa a hand at the critical moment, preserving her soul.

Medusa would succeed in the end anyway. Lu Bu could be generous with someone else's resources and make a profit from nothing, all without suffering any loss.

Having witnessed Lu Bu's attainments in the soul, Yue Mei believed him on this point. If not for that... hmph!

Lu Bu controlled her soul, but he could not alter her will. Yue Mei had plenty of ways to contact and warn the Snake People, and plenty of methods to deal with Lu Bu. Even if she could not kill him, she could still drag him down with her.

Thus, rather than master and servant, their relationship was more like business partners forced into a transaction.

As for that Soul Fire Seal... Yue Mei wanted to keep it, but Lu Bu did not want it either. I'm going to become a Dou Di. How could I possibly be attached to some mere Charm Snake leader? If I'm going to enslave anyone, it should at least be someone on Medusa's level.

After he had made his disdain abundantly clear, Yue Mei agreed to the unavoidable deal with a dark expression and gritted teeth.

Not long after Mo Bass and the other three appeared, several powerful auras erupted from afar and swept over the area.

At once, alarms blared throughout Snake People Holy City. Countless Snake People soldiers climbed onto the walls, while a Dou Wang-level aura shot out from the temple.

"Human, you trespassed into our territory without permission. Aren't you taking us far too lightly?" A furious voice exploded, and the auras of three Dou Wangs surged into the sky.

"Hehehe, you must be Mo Bass, leader of the Black Serpent Tribe?" A clear voice followed. "I am Gu He. Greetings, Chief."

"Gu He, the Pill King of the Jia Ma Empire? Your name is truly renowned!" Mo Bass replied with a cold laugh, though inwardly he was somewhat shocked. He might have a violent temper, but he was not a fool.

A Sixth Grade Alchemist was absolutely a top-tier figure in the neighboring nations. Everyone had to show him some respect.

"Gu He, why have you trespassed into our Snake People Holy City?" A cold female voice followed, her tone extremely sharp and utterly devoid of courtesy, as though she could not wait to kill Gu He.

"She is Hua She, one of the temple's commanders," Yue Mei said to Lu Bu as she dealt with the restrictions. "She answers only to Your Majesty the Queen. She treats us the same way."

"Let's go. Hurry up and lead the way," Lu Bu said. He had no interest in any of this.

But when he turned his eyes, he saw a huge storeroom before him, filled with all kinds of medicinal ingredients, scrolls, and cultivation techniques.

"Th-this..." Lu Bu was stunned, then overwhelmed with delight. Was this nature's gift?