Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System at the Start, Part 29

Long before Yue Mei arrived at the walls of the Snake People Sacred City with Xiao Ling and Zi Yan, a Snake Person had used a special sound-transmission Secret Art to relay Yue Mei's words to Queen Medusa.

Perhaps hearing that Xiao Ling was a Sixth-grade Alchemist who wished to make a deal with the Snake People Race had piqued the Snake People Queen's interest. She had arrived at the usual Council Hall ahead of time, saving Xiao Ling from having to wait.

Looking into the hall, Xiao Ling saw an alluring woman with a snake tail reclining sideways atop a luxurious chair at the head of the chamber. Beside her stood a snake woman armed with a long spear, guarding her closely. As expected, these two snake women were Queen Medusa, whose beauty and ferocity were equally renowned, and Hua She'er, commander of her personal guard.

Xiao Ling curiously studied Queen Medusa and could not help feeling surprised. Medusa's beauty had nearly reached the level of bewitching enchantment. Her narrow, pale-purple eyes flowed with captivating charm, seeming capable of drawing in every man's gaze. She wore an elegant purple brocade robe, beneath which her curvaceous and delicate figure resembled a ripe peach, radiating faint seductiveness. Her long black hair cascaded carelessly from her fragrant shoulders to her slender willow waist. Beneath her robe, a section of purple snake tail was exposed, swaying gently. That wild, seductive allure inexplicably made one's entire body burn hot.

After a brief daze, Xiao Ling regained his composure before the others noticed. He was not some country bumpkin who had never seen the world. Xiao Ling could not embarrass himself outside. He had no intention of becoming some reckless hero just yet. At the very least, he would need the strength of a Dou Zong or above before this beautiful snake woman might take notice of him.

Queen Medusa, reclining on the Amethyst Throne atop the platform, slowly opened her half-closed eyes when Yue Mei entered with Xiao Ling and Zi Yan. Her gaze fell upon the two standing behind Yue Mei.

With her cultivation already at the Dou Emperor Peak, she easily discerned Xiao Ling and Zi Yan's strength without Xiao Ling using his "Camouflage" skill: one was a Four-Star Dou Wang, and the other was at the Dou Wang Peak.

Narrowing her long eyes, Medusa sensed that these two were far from ordinary, relying on her years of intuition and abundant battle experience. If they truly fought, they would definitely not be as simple as their apparent strength suggested.

Yue Mei stepped forward first, respectfully bowing to Queen Medusa before saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Withdrawing her gaze from Xiao Ling and Zi Yan, Queen Medusa replied indifferently, "Rise." She then pointed at several nearby chairs and said, "I generally understand why you have come. Sit first, then we can talk."

Hearing this, Yue Mei replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty." She swayed her snake tail and took a seat. Xiao Ling also held Zi Yan's little hand and sat opposite Yue Mei.

Once everyone was seated, Xiao Ling spoke to Medusa. "Greetings, Queen Medusa. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Xiao Ling, an elder of the Alchemy Department at Jia Nan Academy. I have come to the Snake People Race uninvited because I wish to make a deal. I would like to exchange for a Sand Mandala. It is one of the medicinal ingredients I need to refine a pill."

After speaking, Xiao Ling discreetly signaled Zi Yan. Their years together had given them a tacit understanding, and Zi Yan instantly understood what he meant. He wanted her to boast about him from the side.

Thus, in her childlike voice, she said to Medusa on the platform, "Snake People sister, Xiao Ling is a Sixth-grade Alchemist. As long as you are willing to give us that Sand Mandala, you will definitely receive satisfactory compensation."

Medusa, who had been reclining moments ago, slowly sat upright. After hearing Xiao Ling speak, she had originally intended to make things difficult for them and raise the value of the Sand Mandala. Yet when the little girl in purple spoke and called her sister, Medusa felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. Looking more carefully at the purple-clad girl, she felt that the child had somehow perfectly matched her tastes. The more she looked, the cuter Zi Yan seemed. Medusa had been about to bargain, but before the words could leave her mouth, she swallowed them back down.

She then studied the purple-clad girl across from her with curious eyes and asked, "Little one, what is your name? You are a Magical Beast who has taken Human Form, aren't you?"

Hearing Queen Medusa ask about her, Zi Yan recalled what Xiao Ling had quietly told her earlier. "Zi Yan, Queen Medusa of the Snake People Race is rich. She controls all the medicinal herbs within the Snake People Race. You need to build a good relationship with her. When she is in a good mood later, she might casually take several herbs from the Snake People Treasury for you. Would you still need to worry about not having medicinal herbs to eat?"

The image of herself following Medusa into the Snake People Treasury to pick medicinal herbs surfaced in her mind. Her eyes practically gleamed with gold as she hurriedly answered, "My name is Zi Yan. I am already a peak fifth-tier Magical Beast. Ever since I could remember, I wandered alone in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I never met anyone of my own kind and lived by myself. Later, I accidentally ate a Shapeshifting Grass and became like this. Although I gained Human Form, I cannot change back into my original form. I can only wait until I take a Shaping Pill or improve my cultivation enough to eliminate the Shapeshifting Grass's side effects before I can restore my Magical Beast body. Then I can find out what race I belong to and search for my family."

After hearing Zi Yan's introduction, Medusa could not help feeling heartache for the little girl. At least Medusa had many clansmen, while this child had wandered alone since she was old enough to remember. She must have suffered greatly. Thinking of her deceased younger sister, Medusa became somewhat sorrowful.

After watching Zi Yan's little face for a while, Medusa suddenly said, "Zi Yan, would you like to become my younger sister? As long as you are within the territory of the Snake People Race, I will never allow you to suffer any grievance."

The moment she said this, Hua She'er, Yue Mei, and Xiao Ling were all rather surprised.

Yue Mei and Hua She'er both thought roughly the same thing. Her Majesty is cold, ruthless, and proud. How could she want to become sisters with a little girl the first time they met?

After his initial surprise, Xiao Ling did not think much of it. After all, Medusa and Zi Yan had hit it off immediately in the original story and become good sisters. Now that they had met, perhaps they simply liked each other at first sight, prompting Medusa to say it aloud. Though judging by their ages, the over fourteen-hundred-year-old Zi Yan should be considerably older than the three-hundred-year-old Medusa.

Hearing that Medusa wanted her as a younger sister, Zi Yan thought briefly before answering, "As long as you give me delicious medicinal herbs to eat, I can be your younger sister. But only the kind of sisters who are friends. I will not stay with the Snake People Race."

Though it did not quite meet her expectations, Medusa still nodded and said to Zi Yan, "No problem. As long as you wish it, the gates of the Snake People Race will always be open for you."

Seeing that the two were about to stray completely from the subject, Xiao Ling gave Zi Yan a slight look. Zi Yan, who had been chatting with Medusa, noticed it and finally remembered that they still had business to finish.

She immediately stepped forward and hugged Medusa's arm, saying in her childlike voice, "Sister Medusa, Xiao Ling wants a Sand Mandala, so just exchange one with him. You can have him refine pills for you. The pills he refines are much better than other people's."

Medusa indulgently patted Zi Yan's little head before turning her gaze to Xiao Ling. She asked curiously, "Since you wish to exchange for a Sand Mandala, what bargaining chip can you offer? The Sand Mandala is a precious medicinal herb to the Snake People Race. Without one, a Snake Person with outstanding potential may be unable to merge with a suitable snake-type Magical Beast. If your offer is insufficient, then even if Zi Yan speaks on your behalf, I will not exchange it with you." Zi Yan's praise had sparked Medusa's interest. She wanted to see what sort of offer this Sixth-grade Alchemist could produce. As the Snake People Queen, she had to secure greater benefits for her people.

Hearing Medusa's question, Xiao Ling thought for a moment before saying, "As long as the Snake People Race can prepare three sets of ingredients for a Sect Breaking Pill, I can refine one Sect Breaking Pill for Queen Medusa. The payment will be that Sand Mandala. Your Majesty's cultivation has already reached its limit at the Dou Emperor Peak. With the aid of a Sect Breaking Pill, becoming a Dou Zong should not be too difficult."

At the words "Sect Breaking Pill," Medusa's pupils narrowed as turmoil surged within her heart.

She was the mighty Queen Medusa of the Snake People Race, and she had remained at the Dou Emperor Peak for decades. Because of the issues with her bloodline, she had been unable to break through to the Dou Zong realm.

The Snake People Race was hated by several surrounding empires and had been forced to live deep within the Tagor Desert. This was not something the Snake People Race was willing to accept. Snake People naturally had cold constitutions, while the Tagor Desert was exceptionally scorching. As their queen, Medusa's greatest hope was to lead her people out of this endless desert. Previously, she had intended to use a Heavenly Flame to evolve her bloodline and thereby break through to the Dou Zong realm, but that was a method with only a slim chance of survival.

Now, she had a chance to obtain a Sect Breaking Pill. Although it could not enhance her bloodline potential and cultivation talent like evolving with a Heavenly Flame, taking a Sect Breaking Pill to raise her cultivation to the Dou Zong realm carried almost no risk. Even if it failed, her cultivation would not decline.

Securing a better living environment for the Snake People Race was what Queen Medusa cared about most, and it was why she had wanted to evolve with a Heavenly Flame. Now that there was a better method, Medusa was clearly tempted.

Nodding, Medusa replied, "I agree to this condition. Since you can refine a Sect Breaking Pill, you must have prepared the formula already. Show me the ingredients required."

Hearing Medusa agree to the deal, Xiao Ling's mood improved somewhat. He removed a list of ingredients for refining a Sect Breaking Pill from his Ring, activated his Dou Qi, and sent it floating before her.

The list contained only the necessary ingredients for refining the Sect Breaking Pill. Seeing that Medusa and Zi Yan were getting along well and that Medusa had agreed to the deal so quickly, Xiao Ling had no intention of tampering with it.

Extending a slender jade-like hand, Medusa took the ingredient list. As her eyes moved across the various medicinal ingredients recorded upon it, her expression gradually turned unpleasant.

After all, the Snake People Race lived deep in the Tagor Desert, where resources were extremely scarce. They could not gather three complete sets of ingredients for a Sect Breaking Pill. They only had one or two portions of several main ingredients.

Seeing Medusa's expression, Xiao Ling roughly guessed that the Snake People Race's resources could not provide three sets of ingredients. He said, "If Queen Medusa cannot provide three sets of ingredients for the Sect Breaking Pill, the missing portion can be exchanged with Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures of equivalent value. Furthermore, the ingredients listed are all required for the refinement. I have absolutely not added anything for personal gain."

Hearing that they could use items of equivalent value to make up the difference, Medusa breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Snake People Race did not have many resources, their accumulated wealth over the years still included some main ingredients used to refine Sixth-grade Pills.

"The Snake People Race indeed cannot produce three complete sets of Sect Breaking Pill ingredients. We only have one or two portions of several main ingredients. Please accompany me, Master Xiao Ling, to the Snake People Treasury to gather the ingredients needed to refine the Sect Breaking Pill. We will exchange the missing ingredients with items of equivalent value. As long as Master Xiao Ling takes a liking to anything, simply tell me." After saying that, she rose from her throne, held Zi Yan's little hand, and swayed her snake tail toward the Snake People Treasury.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling also stood and followed behind Medusa. Watching Zi Yan chatter endlessly around Medusa ahead of him, Xiao Ling could not help twitching his lips. I wonder if having her build a relationship with Medusa was a good thing or a bad thing. If she ends up not wanting to leave the Snake People Race, that would be a huge loss.

After walking for some time, the three finally arrived before the Snake People Treasury.

Xiao Ling released his Soul Perception from between his brows and immediately sensed several Snake People guards hidden nearby.

Most were Dou Lings, while the strongest among them was roughly a Five-Star Dou Wang.

After Medusa stepped forward and spoke with the guards, she nodded to Xiao Ling and Zi Yan, signaling that they could enter with her.

The three passed through a black gate about five meters tall. After walking for several minutes through a passage embedded with Moonlight Stones, they entered the Snake People Treasury.

Zi Yan sniffed the air and sensed the various medicinal herbs in the treasury. Her mood immediately soared. Her eyes gleamed, and she nearly drooled. Xiao Ling really did not lie to me. There are so many medicinal herbs.

Medusa first brought Xiao Ling to the area where medicinal herbs were stored. She took out a Sand Mandala, then selected the ingredients possessed by the Snake People Race that were needed to refine a Sect Breaking Pill and handed them to Xiao Ling. Afterward, she gestured for him to select medicinal herbs or treasures of equivalent value to compensate for what was lacking.

Xiao Ling swept his gaze over the herbs and found only ordinary medicinal ingredients. There was no opportunity to pick up any hidden bargains.

He selected an Earth Heart Fire Ganoderma, an ingredient that could be used to refine a Sixth-grade Earth Spirit Pill, along with several main ingredients for refining Imperial Pills and Dou Ling Pills.

As long as these herbs were refined into pills that could directly increase cultivation, their value would multiply several times over. Given Xiao Ling's exceptionally high pill success rate, selling those pills later would surely earn him a fortune.

After selecting the medicinal herbs, the three left the Snake People Treasury. What left Xiao Ling both amused and helpless was that Zi Yan held one medicinal herb in each hand as she left, while still gnawing on a fruit.

Holding the two medicinal herbs out before Xiao Ling, Zi Yan mumbled, "Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, help me refine these two herbs into tasty candy pills later."

Xiao Ling bent down, stroked her smooth purple hair, and accepted the herbs she offered. Smiling, he said, "Don't worry. I have never pocketed your medicinal herbs. Whenever I use them, I exchange them with pills of equivalent value."

Seeing Medusa treat Zi Yan so warmly, Xiao Ling did not intend to make her wait any longer. Besides, he planned to leave the Snake People Race soon. Otherwise, Hai Bodong would be waiting anxiously.

Once they returned to the hall, Xiao Ling removed a Porcelain Bottle from his Ring and handed it to Medusa. "Your Majesty, since our deal has been completed, this Sect Breaking Pill is yours. Zi Yan and I still have matters to handle, so we will not remain here for long."

Seeing the Porcelain Bottle offered before her and hearing Xiao Ling say that it held a Sect Breaking Pill, Medusa instinctively seized it and impatiently removed its stopper.

Her gaze fell upon the bottle's contents. A milky-white pill rested at its center, occasionally trembling as though it possessed a spirit of its own. Medusa inhaled the pill fragrance drifting from the bottle. Though she was not an Alchemist, she could still tell that this Sect Breaking Pill was of the highest quality.

Her gaze shifted to Xiao Ling, who was laughing and talking with Zi Yan nearby. It seems this boy is quite honest after all.

After replacing the stopper and storing the Porcelain Bottle containing the Sect Breaking Pill in her Ring, Medusa said to the two, "I did not expect you to have prepared the pill in advance. I thought you intended to refine it within the Snake People Race before leaving."

Xiao Ling nodded. "This Sect Breaking Pill is the only one I have on me. I had originally intended to use it when I broke through to the Dou Zong realm myself. Since I happened to make this deal with Your Majesty, and it is of no help to me at present, there is no loss in trading it away. With these ingredients, I will still have time to refine another Sect Breaking Pill before I break through to Dou Zong."

This Sect Breaking Pill was the last of the three he had extracted from the system. In any case, Xiao Ling planned to acquire a Heavenly Flame once he reached the high-star Dou Emperor realm. At that point, he could directly break through to Dou Zong.

Taking Zi Yan's little hand, Xiao Ling continued, "I imagine Your Majesty is eager to use this Sect Breaking Pill as well, so Zi Yan and I will not disturb you further. Rest assured, I will not reveal a single word of today's transaction."

Zi Yan looked at Medusa somewhat reluctantly and said, "Sister Medusa, Xiao Ling and I will be leaving now. If I have time, I will come visit you in the Snake People Race."

Although she had only just met Medusa, Zi Yan inexplicably felt as though they had known each other for ages. In Zi Yan's heart, Medusa had already become one of her few friends.

Medusa nodded to Xiao Ling. "Then I thank Master Xiao Ling for keeping this matter confidential. I will not keep you here any longer."

She stepped forward and stroked Zi Yan's head again, saying gently, "Then it is settled. Do not turn around and forget me. Be more careful outside, and do not get hurt."

"Don't worry, don't worry. This young lady is very strong..."

Seeing that the two seemed ready to talk endlessly again, Xiao Ling directly pulled Zi Yan by the hand, leaving behind the words, "Time is of the essence. We have urgent matters, so we will leave first." After saying that, he dragged Zi Yan out of the hall.

Watching this, Yue Mei felt somewhat at a loss. She had not even received her reward yet.

Thus, she bowed to Medusa and said, "Your Majesty, this subordinate will take her leave first. There are still matters in the tribe that have not been dealt with."

Medusa nodded steadily and replied indifferently, "Mm. Then leave first."

Yue Mei did not hesitate. Swaying her snake tail, she followed after Xiao Ling and Zi Yan.

Watching the backs of the departing group, Medusa muttered, "Xiao Ling. Such a young Sixth-grade Alchemist has come from Jia Nan Academy in the Black Corner Region to the Tagor Desert. His purpose cannot simply be to exchange for a medicinal herb. I wonder what sort of storm this man's arrival will stir up across the Northwest Continent."

She took the Porcelain Bottle containing the Sect Breaking Pill from her Ring again and clenched it tightly, a resolute gleam flashing through her eyes.

"No matter what changes may come, I will find a better homeland for the Snake People Race..."

Medusa instructed Hua She'er at her side, "Not a single word of today's matter is to be leaked. Otherwise, you will answer for it. Send word that I will enter seclusion to cultivate soon. No one is to disturb me. Anyone who disobeys will be severely punished!"

After saying that, she swayed her long snake tail toward her cultivation island.

Hua She'er's voice came from behind her. "Understood. This subordinate guarantees absolute secrecy. May Your Majesty successfully break through to the Dou Zong realm."

After leaving the hall, Xiao Ling and Zi Yan heard a rustling sound approaching from behind and could not help looking back.

Seeing Yue Mei catching up, Xiao Ling remembered that he still had a Dou Ling Pill to refine. His mind had been occupied with other matters, and he had nearly forgotten about it.