The Situation Takes a Sharp Turn

The air in the great hall seemed to freeze as time slowly passed amid Medusa's struggle.

In the end, her tightly clenched jade fingers slowly loosened. She said softly, "...Fine. This Queen agrees."

She raised her eyes to Shen Wen, her tone carrying her final insistence. "But the Four Elders of my clan are fierce by nature and will never readily accept submission to a human.

Could you... wait until you help me Purify Bloodline and achieve a Breakthrough Dou Ancestor, then let me personally convince them with the strength of a Dou Zong?

By then, there will be far less resistance."

Hearing this, Shen Wen shook his head without the slightest hesitation. "Impossible.

If I help you become a Dou Zong and you go back on your word, wouldn't I be doing all this for nothing?

Why should I take that risk?"

Medusa urgently stepped forward. "This Queen can establish a Soul Contract! If I go back on my word after succeeding in my breakthrough, I will willingly suffer the punishment of soul annihilation!"

Soul Contract.

The moment those words were spoken, a blush instantly rose on Cao Ying's bewitchingly beautiful face as she stood beside Shen Wen.

Her fate with Shen Wen had begun with a contract that bound both their souls.

Now that she had successfully refined the Green Lotus Core Flame, that contract had long since dissolved on its own.

Yet hearing Medusa bring it up now inexplicably filled her heart with bitterness and unease.

She subconsciously glanced at Shen Wen beside her, whose expression remained calm.

Shen Wen nodded. "Fine. We'll do as you say."

He turned to Cao Ying and gestured. "Wife, the contract scroll."

Cao Ying gathered her thoughts and took out a Soul Contract from her Storage Ring.

Shen Wen looked at Medusa. "The terms are as follows: Cao Ying will take the lead and use the Green Lotus Core Flame to help you Purify Bloodline.

If successful, you, Medusa, must lead the entire Snake People Clan in submitting to me, Shen Wen, without fail.

If the purification fails and you die as a result, the contract will automatically be voided. What do you say?"

Medusa drew a deep breath, knowing this was already Shen Wen's final limit.

"...Fine."

Without another word, she acted at once.

Cao Ying unfurled the Soul Contract scroll. Medusa forced out a drop of essence blood containing her Soul Aura and merged it into the scroll.

As profound runes lit up, an invisible shackle of the soul instantly formed, branding itself deeply onto the Soul Origin of both parties. The contract was established!

With the contract made, Medusa wasted no time and immediately led them to the most heavily restricted core area of the Snake People Holy City.

It was a vast Bamboo Forest.

Medusa led the five of them into the Bamboo Forest. After going deeper inside, their view suddenly opened up.

The surrounding bamboo encircled a small, crystal-clear lake.

At the center of the lake was a small island, its surface shimmering with ripples and no bridge leading to it.

There was another grove of bamboo on the island. Dan Chen held Qing Lin as the five of them descended onto the island.

"It's here. This is the cultivation ground of the Queens of my clan throughout the generations," Medusa said.

Then she removed the robes from her body.

Within the lush green Bamboo Forest, her flawless, full, jade-white body radiated a temptation that left mouths dry.

Her slender willow waist seemed as though it could be grasped in one hand, yet beneath its slight delicacy was a supple resilience. Her flat, tender abdomen did not bear a trace of excess flesh.

"What are you doing?"

Cao Ying instinctively stepped in front of Shen Wen, intending to block his view, but Shen Wen had already seen everything clearly.

Cao Ying glared at Medusa. This beautiful snake was truly shameless, actually taking off her clothes in front of Shen Wen!

Medusa rolled her eyes at Cao Ying. "I'm taking off my robes so they won't be burned..."

"You! Can't you see Shen Wen is still here?" Cao Ying gritted her silver teeth. This woman.

Should I just burn her to death while she's evolving?

"If I succeed, I'll be his woman. If I fail, I'll die. Do I really have the leisure to care about that?"

Medusa gave a light laugh.

Purple radiance blazed around her body as her graceful figure rapidly stretched and transformed within the light. In the blink of an eye, she returned to her true form.

A massive, beautiful Purple Nether Flame Snake coiled in the center of the pool, its Pale Purple Snake Eyes fixed on Cao Ying.

Shen Wen said, "Wife, don't hold anything back. Directly activate the source power of the Green Lotus Core Flame and completely envelop her.

Only the most tyrannical and pure power of Heavenly Flames can thoroughly burn away the Yin Cold impurities accumulated deep within her bloodline over countless years, allowing her to Break and Stand Anew and awaken the deeply hidden Ancient Bloodline."

Cao Ying nodded.

Casting aside her earlier distracting thoughts, she actually hoped Medusa would succeed in overcoming this trial as well.

Though there would indeed be one more love rival by her side, Husband would also gain a capable helper!

She stepped forward and formed a complex hand seal. Within the Qi Sea in her body, the Green Lotus Flame trembled violently.

Boom—!

Towering Green Flame swept out from Cao Ying's body.

The terrifying heat instantly warped and boiled the air around the pool, and even ripples appeared in space itself.

The blazing green sea of fire instantly transformed into an enormous Flame Furnace, slowly closing in as it descended upon the massive Purple Nether Flame Snake in the center of the pool.

Hiss—!

As the flames engulfed her, the extreme pain made the Purple Nether Flame Snake Medusa had transformed into let out a miserable hiss.

Her enormous serpentine body twisted and thrashed madly in the pool. Her hard Purple Scales crackled beneath the scorching Heavenly Flames, even beginning to blacken and curl.

The green sea of fire roiled as the Purple Nether Flame Snake Medusa had transformed into rolled violently within it, letting out agonized hisses.

Yet after only a moment, she endured the pain of being burned alive and suddenly raised her snake head. In a pained, low roar, she cried, "Not enough! Shen Wen!

This flame... isn't enough!

It's only burning my surface. It cannot penetrate my bones and reach my Bloodline Origin at all!"

Shen Wen immediately furrowed his brows. Looking at Cao Ying, who was maintaining the flames with all her strength, he said in a deep voice, "Wife, use the Red Emperor Fire Sovereign Qi to drive the Heavenly Flames!"

Cao Ying did not dare delay upon hearing this.

Crimson-Gold Dou Qi surged from within her body and poured into the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Bolstered by the Dou Qi.

The already violent Green Flame became even deeper in color, while its temperature suddenly soared once more!

Hiss—!

The even more intense pain drew a terrifying hiss from Medusa.

Fine cracks even began appearing along her enormous body, as though the horrifying flames might tear her apart at any moment.

Yet she held on desperately. Her snake eyes were filled with unwillingness and resolve as she hoarsely roared once more, "Still... not enough! It's nowhere near enough!

At this rate... forget Purify Bloodline... I can't even touch the threshold of my bloodline... I'll only be burned alive!"

Sweat had already formed on Cao Ying's forehead. She could feel Medusa's aura beginning to grow unstable under the terrifying incineration.

She looked anxiously toward Shen Wen. "Husband! The power of the Heavenly Flames is nearly at my limit!"

Shen Wen's expression was grave. He could see that Medusa was not lying; the Yin Cold within the Snake People Clan Bloodline was incredibly stubborn.

Furthermore, the Ancient Bloodline within the Purple Nether Flame Snake itself was already extremely scarce.

With the intensity of the Heavenly Flames Cao Ying could currently wield, it truly would be difficult to shake its core.

If they forcibly prolonged this or lacked sufficient power, the backlash from the failed purification would arrive in an instant. At best, Medusa's cultivation would be crippled; at worst, she would perish on the spot!

And most importantly, the Soul Contract they had established stated that "Cao Ying would help Medusa Purify Bloodline."

If the purification process could not truly even begin, and Medusa died or suffered grave injuries due to insufficient power.

Then responsibility would be unclear, and no one knew how the Soul Contract would judge it!

If it determined that Cao Ying had "failed to help successfully," or had even "caused the failure," the consequences would be unimaginable!

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse!