Eating Medusa

"Sir, this concerns the future of our Snake-People Clan. It is not something I can decide alone. Could you allow me to discuss it with several elders of the clan?"

Ling Yuan said, "You may, but I will only give you one day!"

"Very well. We will give you an answer within a day." Faced with such an overbearing Ling Yuan, Medusa could not be defiant in the slightest.

The main reason was that Ling Yuan had displayed his formidable background and strength from the very beginning. Medusa simply could not speak with him as an equal.

Afterward, Medusa arranged for Ling Yuan to stay in the finest guest room.

Ling Yuan was fully confident in the terms he had offered and believed Medusa would not refuse.

He summoned his clone, and both his main body and clone circulated their cultivation techniques at once, beginning a doubled cultivation regimen.

Meanwhile, Medusa was nowhere near as composed as Ling Yuan. Her thoughts were in turmoil.

Reason told her to agree at once. This was a tremendous opportunity for the Snake-People Clan to rise to greatness.

Yet the pride she had upheld for decades made her hesitate.

In the end, Medusa summoned the four great elders.

All four elders were extremely old, their bodies carrying faint traces of deathly aura. Their lifespans were clearly nearing their end. Unless something earth-shaking happened, they would never leave seclusion so easily.

They spent most of their time in seclusion. On one hand, they were striving for that final sliver of hope to break through to a higher realm.

On the other hand, they wished to reduce the consumption of their lifespans, endure a little longer, and guard the Snake-People Clan for a while more.

And Ling Yuan's matter was undoubtedly a momentous event.

The moment he entered, the Second Elder was the first to speak. "Your Majesty, have you summoned us because something major has happened within the clan?"

The Third Elder also looked grave. "Could it be that the neighboring human empires can no longer hold back and intend to attack our Snake-People Clan?"

With their lifespans nearing their end, what they feared most was the Snake-People Clan being attacked by the human empires.

Medusa shook her head. "Neither."

The Great Elder asked, "Then why has Your Majesty summoned us?"

Medusa did not conceal anything. She told them all about the strength and purpose of Ling Yuan and his companion.

After hearing this, the four elders could no longer remain calm.

"Your Majesty, is what you said true? That young man actually has a Saint Realm expert as a guard? You are not joking with us, are you?"

Although they knew Medusa had always been steady and did not enjoy joking, this matter still exceeded their understanding.

Medusa said, "A powerhouse of that level has no need to deceive me. They most likely came from the Central Plains."

Dou Zuns and Dou Saints were both existences the Snake-People Clan could not resist.

Next, Medusa sought the opinions of the four elders.

"Do you think I should agree?"

Whether she followed Ling Yuan was no longer a matter for her alone. It concerned the entire Snake-People Clan.

"Your Majesty, since he is a young clan master, his status must be extraordinary. Why not follow him?"

"This may well be an opportunity for our Snake-People Clan to rise!"

The four elders spoke one after another, their attitudes completely aligned. They all believed this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.

The Snake-People Clan could leave the Tagor Desert, and their queen could receive his support and become even stronger.

And if their queen earned his favor, she might even obtain some benefits from Ling Yuan to help them break through their bottlenecks and extend their lives.

To them, if their queen could follow Ling Yuan, it would bring nothing but benefits!

In their eyes, a young man like Ling Yuan—powerful and backed by heaven-reaching influence—was an opportunity one could only encounter by chance.

If they were not so old, they would not be able to resist throwing themselves at a young man with both strength and background like his.

Everyone was talking about benefits. No one was talking about love.

That sort of thing was far too ethereal. Besides, their queen had always been indifferent toward romance. After all these years, she did not even have someone she loved.

Talking about love now was simply absurd.

Seeing that Medusa was still hesitating, the Great Elder said, "Your Majesty, whoever you follow, you are still following someone. Does the Snake-People Clan have a better choice? At the very least, if we follow him, our Snake-People Clan can truly leave this Tagor Desert."

"Has that not always been Your Majesty's dream?"

Those words struck straight at the heart. They were blunt, but true.

The conflict in Medusa's heart instantly dissipated by more than half.

That was right. Leaving the Tagor Desert and allowing the Snake-People Clan to live in peace had been her lifelong dream. For that dream, what did it matter if she set aside a little pride?

What exactly had she been agonizing over?

Even if she had no interest in the men of her clan, once she reached the proper age, as queen, she would have no choice but to be with the most gifted man in the clan for the sake of her duty...

Were there any men in the Snake-People Clan better than Ling Yuan? No. Nor could there ever be.

The next day, Medusa had already made herself presentable. A few traces of her queenly majesty had faded, replaced by a hint of barely noticeable restraint as she made her way alone to the guest room where Ling Yuan was staying.

After discussing it with the four elders yesterday, she had already made her choice.

In truth, she had known long ago what she should choose. It was merely that lingering pride in her heart that had prevented her from making up her mind. The elders' analysis and persuasion had only awakened her.

Just as Medusa was about to knock, Ling Yuan's casual voice came from within. "Come in."

Inside the guest room, Ling Yuan was still seated cross-legged. He had already withdrawn his clone.

Seeing Medusa's unnatural expression, Ling Yuan guessed her decision.

A teasing smile curled across his lips. "Have you thought it through?"

Medusa walked before Ling Yuan and lowered her head slightly. "I agree to your terms, but I have one small request."

"Hm? Let's hear it." Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Medusa said, "I want to spar with you."

Ling Yuan gave her a surprised look. Just now, he had thought Medusa was trying to push her luck and obtain more benefits from him. Who would have expected that this was not the case?

Seeing the determination in Medusa's eyes, Ling Yuan seemed to understand why she wished to challenge him.

This Medusa was still proud to her bones. Even if she were to give herself to someone, she wanted that man to be stronger than she was.

It was a small matter. Ling Yuan decided to fulfill her request and make her concede wholeheartedly.

Those who specialized in cultivating the soul were the greatest counter to magical beasts!

"I agree!"

The two went outside, and Ling Yuan suppressed his strength to the realm of a Nine-Star Dou Emperor.

"Come!"

This detail gave Medusa a slightly more favorable impression of Ling Yuan.

The battle began. Medusa took the initiative and charged toward Ling Yuan with imposing momentum.

Ling Yuan did not panic in the slightest. He slowly released a soul attack.

A wave of sound spread at astonishing speed.

Medusa's heart jolted. It was actually a soul attack!

She wanted to resist, but magical beasts were inherently poor at cultivating the soul.

Struck by the sound wave, Medusa felt dizzy and disoriented.

Then Ling Yuan flashed forward and closed in on Medusa directly.

Ling Yuan reached out and seized her wrist. His grip was not forceful, yet she could not move at all.

His other hand gently wrapped around her waist, making the posture seem exceedingly intimate.

A moment later, Medusa's dizziness faded.

Her entire body stiffened, and a flush instantly spread across her cheeks. She struggled once, yet she could not break free from Ling Yuan's restraint at all.

She could clearly feel the warmth of Ling Yuan's palm and the sensation of the hand at her waist, causing a trace of panic to rise in her heart.

Ling Yuan lowered his head and leaned close to her ear. "Are you convinced now?"

His warm breath brushed against Medusa, making her delicate body feel ticklish.

She bit her lower lip, and the stubbornness in her eyes finally vanished.

"Yes, you are stronger than me!"

In merely one exchange, she had been defeated.

Medusa had no choice but to concede. Ling Yuan was far stronger than she was; the two of them were simply not on the same level.

Seeing her yield, Ling Yuan did not release her. Instead, he pushed further, his fingers lightly stroking her waist before sliding down to her smooth snake tail.

Faced with such intimate contact, even Medusa, cold and aloof as she was, became somewhat flustered.

She had also guessed what Ling Yuan wanted to do next.

Medusa said tremblingly, "I... I'm not ready yet."

"What is there to prepare for? For every extra day you wait, your clansmen will suffer one more day in this desert.

"As Queen Medusa, you do not want your clansmen to suffer either, do you?"

With one arm around Medusa, Ling Yuan flashed into his room. His large hand still covered her smooth snake tail, cool and pleasant to the touch.

The snake tail was Medusa's sensitive spot, and her stunning face had already begun to flush.

"Could we do it another day..."

"Why wait for another day when today will do? Today, offer up your loyalty..."

Ling Yuan's large hand moved upward, found the sash of her brocade robe, and tugged hard...