"Snake woman?"
Suddenly, Xiao Tian spotted a green snake tail behind her fair-skinned bottom and froze.
With his soul perception, he could tell that the snake woman before him was at least a Dou Wang.
"Giggle. Do you think big sister's pretty?"
The snake woman turned around and beckoned to him with a finger, her eyes brimming with charm.
Her voice was enchanting, as if it held some kind of magic that made people want to approach her despite themselves.
But none of it stirred the slightest feeling in Xiao Tian.
Whoosh!!
Just then, the snake woman slapped the water with her slender hand. A jet of water shot toward him, and she parted her red lips, releasing a streak of green poison that blended into it before it hurtled toward Xiao Tian.
The water jet was incredibly fast. Even a peak Dou Wang would be hard-pressed to withstand a direct hit.
Smack!!
But just as it was about to strike, a fist as big as a sandbag punched the air. The water jet exploded instantly, scattering droplets in every direction.
"How is that possible?!"
The snake woman's expression shifted. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Xiao Tian. "You actually stopped it?"
She had laced that attack with poison. Not only should a mere Dou Qi cultivator have been unable to stop it, even a peak Dou Wang might have struggled. Yet he had dispelled it with ease.
Only then did the mercenaries from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group beside Xiao Tian finally notice the snake woman.
"There's a Snake People member here! Everyone, be careful!"
"Go inform the captain! Hurry!"
They shouted one after another.
But it was already too late. The snake woman's lithe body sprang into the air, moving with such speed that she reached Xiao Tian in the blink of an eye.
What was more, the moment she came ashore, countless venomous snakes with triangular pupils and more than a dozen members of the Snake People Race emerged all around them.
"Lady Yue Mei, is he the person Queen Medusa is looking for?" one of the Snake People respectfully asked.
"Mm!" Yue Mei replied. Then she ran her slender fingers through the damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead, revealing a bewitching face. She smiled at Xiao Tian and said:
"Little human, listen to big sister. Hand over everything you took from underground!"
"Otherwise..."
A cruel smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "You'll become a meal for the Snake People, their food!"
Hearing this, Xiao Tian rubbed his chin and murmured to himself:
"So they're after the treasure underground."
He had dug up every Green Lotus, roots and all. The Snake People must have found out.
"If you want the treasure, you'll have to be alive to take it!"
Xiao Tian shrugged.
"Stubborn fool!" Yue Mei's expression turned icy. She waved her hand, and the dozen or so Snake People and the swarm of venomous snakes charged at once.
"Everyone, be careful!!"
The mercenaries around them paled in alarm. They tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing to fight.
But just then, Xiao Tian drew the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword from his back and smiled faintly at Yue Mei.
"Perfect timing. I can try out my new Dou Technique!"
As soon as he finished speaking, surging Dou Qi enveloped the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword. Then Xiao Tian lifted his right foot and stomped hard. His whole figure vanished from the spot.
"Great Sun Burning Heaven Slash!!!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz!!
With his sharp shout, a vast, scorching wave of fire appeared out of nowhere, forming a massive pillar of flaming sword energy that swept across the area.
Pfft!
The instant the blazing sword energy passed, the Snake People and the snakes were scorched by the searing flames. Their flesh was mangled, and their cries of pain rang out without end.
Yue Mei sucked in a sharp breath. Her beautiful eyes brimmed with shock, and disbelief filled her face. "A Dou Qi cultivator can be this powerful?"
From what she could sense, Xiao Tian was clearly only a Dou Qi cultivator. Yet the Dou Technique he had just unleashed was astonishingly powerful.
"No wonder Her Majesty personally named you as someone to capture. You really do have some skill."
She took a deep breath, then resumed her charming smile and slowly approached Xiao Tian. As she walked, she spoke in a sweet, sultry voice. "Little human, big sister's patience is limited. If you hand over the treasures you found underground, perhaps big sister will spare your life~~"
After speaking, Yue Mei sauntered closer, pressing toward Xiao Tian. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with an alluring light, making it hard to resist falling under her spell.
"Heh."
But Xiao Tian only gave a cold laugh and swung the Zi Wu Qi Xing Sword. A dazzling beam of sword light shot forth.
As if it had a mind of its own, the golden sword light streaked straight toward Yue Mei's head.
The sudden attack startled Yue Mei, but as a Dou Wang, she quickly dodged.
Boom!!
The sword light struck the ground, blasting a massive crater into it. Shattered rocks flew everywhere as dust billowed and smoke filled the air—a terrifying sight.
"Who exactly is this guy? How can a mere Dou Qi cultivator threaten me?" Yue Mei's expression grew increasingly grave.
But she was still excited. The stronger Xiao Tian proved to be, the more thrilled she became. Besides, he was handsome. Wouldn't it be delightful to capture him and make him her slave?
However, just as Yue Mei was about to unleash her full strength, six figures suddenly sped toward them from nearby.
In the blink of an eye, the six figures appeared above Xiao Tian and Yue Mei.
"Heh, I didn't expect to find people here!" a hearty voice called from among them.
Then six black-robed figures came into view.
At the sight of these unexpected arrivals, a trace of wariness appeared on Yue Mei's bewitching face, and she instinctively stepped back a few paces.
Even Xiao Tian was slightly taken aback. The six newcomers were incredibly powerful.
From what he could sense, three were Dou Lings and two were Dou Wangs. As for the last one, completely shrouded in a black robe, that person was a Dou Emperor!
This was the strongest lineup Xiao Tian had encountered so far.
While everyone stood stunned, a middle-aged man among the six smiled at Yue Mei and said:
"Miss, could you take us into the depths of the desert to meet your Queen?"
Yue Mei narrowed her beautiful eyes and replied coldly, "Your people have been at war with ours for years. Why do you want to meet Her Majesty?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a burly man beside the middle-aged man sneered.
"Old He, why waste your breath on them? I know this woman. She's one of the Snake People's eight tribal leaders. When the war started, that fellow Reina even fought her. We should just capture her. If we hesitate any longer, the thing you want might be gone for good!"
The burly man glanced at the alluring Yue Mei, a cold smile on his face.
"Fine, Feng Li, Old Lion. She's yours," said the middle-aged man known as Old He.
At that, an old man and a burly man immediately stepped forward.
"Wind Walker Feng Li, Lion King Yan Shi. I wondered who it was—turns out it's you mongrels!" Recognizing the two, Yue Mei's face filled with murderous intent.
When the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake People went to war, the two men had both taken part. They were also among the Jia Ma Empire's Ten Great Experts!
But they were outnumbered, so Yue Mei naturally didn't dare act rashly. Besides, their side had a Dou Emperor.
At that moment, Xiao Tian was staring intently at the Dou Emperor shrouded in a black robe. He had noticed that the person had been watching him the entire time!
"Why does this feel so familiar? Could it be her?" Xiao Tian frowned, rubbed his chin, and wondered.
Before you continue