Evolution Successful, Preparing to Leave the Jia Ma Empire

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day agreed upon with Medusa for her evolution.

Inside the Snake-People Clan's secret chamber, Ling Yuan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them.

He raised a hand and fired a stream of Dou Qi at the clone cultivating nearby. The clone immediately stopped cultivating, and the Dou Qi around its body flowed endlessly into Ling Yuan's body.

All the Dou Qi the clone had accumulated over these three days and during its previous cultivation returned to the main body through Source Return.

The instant the Dou Qi entered his body, Ling Yuan's aura began to surge. His original one-star Dou Zong aura steadily rose, quickly breaking through the bottleneck and reaching two-star Dou Zong.

A powerful Dou Qi pressure swept through the entire secret chamber. Even the stone walls trembled faintly, while the pills and spirit stones in the corners shook slightly.

This delighted Ling Yuan. Having a clone cultivate for him was simply incredible!

If he had still been using that ordinary Ling Clan cultivation technique, without the clone's assistance, he could never have broken through so quickly. It would have taken at least several months, perhaps even longer.

He stood up and patted the clone on the shoulder, telling it to continue cultivating here.

It was time to evolve Medusa.

A small Lake Heart Island stood surrounded by lake water, its surroundings quiet and serene.

This was the place Medusa had prepared for her evolution.

At the center of the island was a spring. Pale white vapor drifted from its surface, and cold air rushed toward anyone nearby. It was the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, used to cool the Heavenly Flame and assist with evolution, ensuring Medusa would not be burned to death.

Medusa had long been waiting beside the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, still dressed in that magnificent purple brocade robe.

Although she had spent the past three days doing her best to adjust herself and had already resolved to evolve, now that the moment had truly arrived, she could not help feeling nervous.

Ling Yuan simply stood there quietly, calm and composed.

He knew that as long as nothing unexpected happened, Medusa would certainly evolve successfully, so he was not nervous.

Medusa feared that if she failed, not only would the Snake-People Clan lose its queen, but Ling Yuan would leave as well.

Medusa fixed her beautiful eyes on Ling Yuan and asked in a faintly pleading tone:

"Ling Yuan, if I fail to evolve and do not survive, could you let Yue Mei replace me as your maid?"

Though they had only intimately joined twice, Medusa had already become somewhat dependent on Ling Yuan.

She wanted to leave the Snake-People Clan a way out. If she died and Yue Mei replaced her, Ling Yuan could still protect the Snake-People Clan.

Ling Yuan had met Yue Mei. Although that woman was fairly attractive, she was not to his taste. Compared with Medusa, she was inferior by far more than a little.

More importantly, Yue Mei's talent was too poor. She had no room for evolution at all. Ling Yuan would not take such a woman.

Ling Yuan did not agree. He feared that giving Medusa a way out would make her slacken, affecting the result of her evolution.

"Evolve with peace of mind. You will succeed. Do not think about such pointless things."

Medusa gritted her teeth. It seemed there truly was no way back.

She encouraged herself inwardly. I must succeed!

Medusa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. There was no longer even a trace of fear in her eyes, only determination. She looked up at Ling Yuan.

"Let's begin!"

Ling Yuan nodded. No longer wasting time, he raised his hand, and with a thought, a cyan lotus platform appeared in his palm.

At the center of the lotus platform, the Green Lotus Core Flame burned slowly. Cyan flames gave off scorching heat, intertwining with the chill of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring to form a faint mist.

Medusa no longer hesitated. Raising her hand, she slowly removed her purple robe, revealing her flawless jade-like body. Her skin was fair, and her curves exquisite.

She turned and stepped into the Ice Spirit Cold Spring one step at a time. The spring water rose past her waist, cold air enveloping her body.

This entire area had long been covered in layers of seals at Ling Yuan's instruction. Ling Yun was quietly guarding outside the seals at this moment, preventing anyone from disturbing them.

Even Yao Chen had been firmly sealed inside the ring by Ling Yuan's Dou Qi and tossed outside.

Only he was allowed to look at his woman. He would never permit anyone else to spy on her.

Ling Yuan alone enjoyed the sight of Medusa bathing.

Though he had seen Medusa's jade-like body more than once, the icy white vapor rising from the Ice Spirit Cold Spring now shrouded her body, creating a hazy beauty more visually striking than ever before.

Ling Yuan could not help sighing inwardly. This Medusa truly is the finest work of art Heaven has ever created. Every movement she makes radiates seductive charm.

He even began wondering what she would look like once her evolution succeeded and her snake tail turned into a pair of beautiful legs.

Just as Ling Yuan was secretly pondering this, Medusa suddenly let out a soft cry, and the Dou Qi around her surged.

Her body began to change, continuously lengthening and growing larger. Moments later, she transformed into a massive purple python.

The purple python let out a hiss. Its enormous body shot into the air and circled once overhead before charging fiercely toward the Green Lotus Core Flame in Ling Yuan's palm.

"Hiss—!" An incomparably shrill scream of agony rang out instantly, echoing across the entire Lake Heart Island. Even the lake water rippled faintly.

That miserable scream made even Ling Yuan, standing by the spring, feel his scalp tingle.

Medusa's endurance had always been formidable. Even during their previous intimate encounters, when she could no longer bear it, she had merely bitten her lips and endured silently, never crying out easily.

For her to scream so miserably now, it was obvious just how unbearable the pain caused by the Green Lotus Core Flame's burning was.

Yet no matter how much Medusa suffered, Ling Yuan could not help her.

No one else could interfere with evolution. Medusa could only endure it herself, using the Heavenly Flame to temper her bloodline and complete her transformation.

Even if he possessed pills capable of easing her pain, he could not let Medusa take them.

Giving her even a single pill might disrupt the Heavenly Flame's tempering of her bloodline and cause her evolution to fail. Then all the pain she had endured would have been in vain.

The purple python was tightly enveloped by the Green Lotus Core Flame. The fire constantly scorched its body, its scales curling and falling away. Its flesh was roasted black, and blood flowed from its wounds, only to be instantly dried the moment it touched the flames. The air filled with the stench of burning flesh.

The python's hissing and struggling gradually weakened. Its body grew feebler, its struggles becoming less and less forceful. In the end, it floated motionlessly in the flames, as though it had already lost all life.

Just as Ling Yuan was beginning to worry that he might lose Medusa, this stunning beauty, the skies suddenly changed. The previously clear heavens were instantly blanketed in dark clouds.

Thick clouds blocked out the sunlight, plunging the entire Lake Heart Island into darkness. Fierce winds howled, and faint thunder rumbled in the distance.

Ling Yuan looked up at the sky. Seeing this sudden heavenly phenomenon, he finally relaxed.

A heavenly phenomenon—this had been brought about by Medusa evolving into a Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python.

Immediately afterward, a thick bolt of lightning tore through the black sky. Accompanied by deafening thunder, it struck viciously toward the purple python floating in the flames.

"Boom—!" With an explosive crash, the lightning slammed into the python's body, splitting it open and scattering several pieces of shed skin across the area.

Ling Yuan sensed something and walked over to one of the pieces of skin, gently lifting it.

A beautiful little snake covered in seven-colored scales slithered out.

Medusa's evolution had been dangerous, but fortunately, she had survived without disaster.

The seven-colored little snake stared at Ling Yuan warily, flicking its tongue and hissing out a warning.

"You are only a Dou Wang, yet you dare act so arrogant? If I were not afraid of losing a beautiful snake woman to warm my bed, I could slap you to death with one hand."

The little snake seemed able to understand Ling Yuan's words and fearfully retreated several steps.

Seeing that he had intimidated the little snake, Ling Yuan was quite satisfied.

Having read the original story, he understood perfectly how to make this little snake submit.

He took out many medicinal ingredients and Spirit Liquid from his Storage Ring.

There was no Companion Amethyst Source. Zi Yan, with her greedy appetite, had drunk it all as though it were sweet water.

But none of his things were inferior to the Companion Amethyst Source. Ling Yuan refused to believe he could not tempt a little snake.

Sure enough, the moment the items were brought out, the seven-colored little snake stopped retreating warily.

Its snake eyes fixed tightly upon several ice-blue fruits among them.

After Ling Yuan indicated that it could eat them, the seven-colored little snake slowly approached, then swallowed an Ice Spirit Fruit in a single bite.

Ling Yuan stroked its head in passing. "That's more like it. Eat more and return to human form sooner so you can serve this young master."

A few fruits were enough to make the seven-colored little snake lower its guard around him. It affectionately coiled around Ling Yuan's hand and fell asleep while refining the Ice Spirit Fruit.

With Medusa's evolution successful, matters in the Jia Ma Empire were basically settled.

Ling Yuan did not intend to remain here any longer. He planned to take Qing Lin and find Zi Yan so they could leave together.

On the way, Ling Yuan encountered the Snake-People Clan's four elders.

Medusa had told them everything before her evolution, even leaving behind her final instructions.

Although the four elders did not understand why their queen, who had clearly attached herself to Ling Yuan, still insisted on taking such a risk,

they could not stop her and could only pray that their queen would succeed.

Yet when they saw Ling Yuan, who had entered with the queen, coming out alone, they immediately felt as though the sky had collapsed.

"Could it be... the Queen failed?"

The Great Elder stepped forward with the last trace of hope and respectfully asked Ling Yuan.

"My lord, may I ask how Her Majesty the Queen is doing now?"

"She evolved successfully. Wait here for my people to arrive, then you may relocate your clan." Ling Yuan replied indifferently, without slowing down in the slightest.

Of the Snake-People Clan, Medusa was the only one Ling Yuan valued.

Everyone else was useless in Ling Yuan's eyes.

Ling Yuan had already decided that he would simply find them a territory among the affiliated clans outside the Ling Realm.

If Medusa performed well and pleased him, he would not mind occasionally giving the Snake-People Clan some benefits.

After all, to Ling Yuan, it was merely the tiniest strand of fur on nine oxen.