"Punishment?"
Mo Basi gritted his teeth. "The Queen's been deceived by that useless fool!"
"If it weren't for him, the Queen wouldn't have punished me!"
"Yue Mei, are you going to move or not?"
Yue Mei looked at him coldly. "No."
"Then don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Mo Basi flashed forward, darting around Yue Mei and throwing a punch at Xiao Chen.
Yue Mei's expression changed. It was already too late to stop him.
"Xiao Chen, watch out!"
The moment the warning left her lips, Mo Basi's fist was already in front of Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen watched the fist draw closer, his expression utterly unruffled.
He raised a hand and swept it out.
A muffled thud rang out.
Before Mo Basi's fist could even touch Xiao Chen, he was sent flying.
Mo Basi spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily to the ground.
He struggled to get back up, but every bone in his body felt as though it had come apart. He could barely move.
"Wh... How is this possible...?"
Mo Basi's eyes widened in disbelief.
The last time Xiao Chen had defeated him with a single move, it had already been humiliating enough.
But back then, at least he could sense Xiao Chen's strength. Xiao Chen had been a Nine-Star Dou Wang, and was indeed stronger than him.
But this time...
He hadn't even seen how Xiao Chen had attacked!
"Your... your strength..."
Mo Basi stared at Xiao Chen, his pupils contracting.
"Impossible... This can't be..."
"I don't believe it. Come again."
Inside the Stone Hall,
Queen Medusa sat cross-legged in the cultivation chamber as Dou Qi slowly circulated within her.
She closed her eyes and tried to break through that barrier.
Dou Zong.
She had been stuck at this bottleneck for a long time.
With her current strength, she was already among the strongest in the Jia Ma Empire.
But if she wanted to truly stand on the continent's stage, Dou Zong was only the starting point.
"Still no good..."
Queen Medusa opened her eyes, fatigue flashing in them.
She still couldn't break through that barrier.
She took a deep breath, preparing to continue cultivating, when hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
"Your Majesty!"
The First Elder's voice came from beyond the door, tinged with urgency.
Queen Medusa frowned and rose to leave the cultivation chamber.
"What is it?"
The First Elder bowed. "Your Majesty, Mo Basi attacked Xiao Chen without permission. I ask that you punish him severely at once!"
Queen Medusa's brow furrowed even deeper.
"Mo Basi?"
"Wasn't he under house arrest?"
The First Elder replied, "His confinement ended, and he was released today."
"As soon as he got out, he went to cause trouble for Xiao Chen. They're already fighting outside."
"Your Majesty, please go at once. If you're too late, I'm afraid..."
Queen Medusa didn't wait for him to finish. She headed straight outside.
The First Elder hurried after her.
By the time they arrived, Mo Basi was getting back to his feet.
He was covered in injuries, and the fury in his eyes was growing.
"Xiao Chen!"
Mo Basi roared, Dou Qi surging wildly through his body.
"I refuse to believe it!"
He launched himself forward and charged at Xiao Chen.
This time, he used all his strength.
"Die!"
Mo Basi roared and punched at Xiao Chen's head.
If that punch landed, he would die.
Queen Medusa had just arrived. Seeing the scene, she shouted, "Stop!"
Mo Basi heard the Queen's command, but instead of stopping, he only sped up.
He couldn't accept it!
Why was the Queen so kind to that useless fool?
Why, after all these years of hard cultivation, couldn't he even withstand a single move from that useless fool? He had been humiliated beyond words.
"Die!"
Mo Basi's eyes were filled with resentment.
The Second Elder stood not far away. A glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes as he watched.
He truly hoped Xiao Chen would die at Mo Basi's hands.
Xiao Chen watched Mo Basi charge at him and raised a hand.
He struck out with his palm.
His palm met Mo Basi's fist.
"Crack."
The sound of breaking bones rang out.
"Ah!"
Mo Basi screamed as he was sent flying once more.
His right arm bent at a grotesque angle. It was clearly broken.
"My arm... My arm..."
Mo Basi hit the ground, clutching his broken arm and crying out in pain.
Blood dripped down his arm, pooling on the ground.
The Snake-People around them stared at the scene, dumbfounded.
Mo Basi was one of the Eight Great Leaders, a powerful Eight-Star Dou Wang.
The Second Elder's expression darkened. He stepped forward and pointed at Xiao Chen, shouting, "How dare you!"
"Xiao Chen, you're far too bold!"
"You've harmed one of your own people. What crime do you think you've committed?"
"Mo Basi is one of the Eight Great Leaders. You've beaten him this badly. Do you have any regard for our laws?"
The Second Elder turned to Queen Medusa and bowed. "Your Majesty, Xiao Chen has harmed one of our people. His crime is unforgivable!"
"I ask that you punish Xiao Chen severely and uphold our laws!"
Queen Medusa ignored the Second Elder. Her eyes fell on Xiao Chen, and a trace of shock flashed across her face.
She could sense it.
The aura around Xiao Chen was stronger than before.
The last time she saw him, he had been a Nine-Star Dou Wang.
How much time had passed?
Now, the aura surrounding Xiao Chen...
"Six-Star Dou Huang..."
Queen Medusa was stunned.
A Six-Star Dou Huang!
His strength was already nearly on par with hers.
And it had only been a few days?
Even she had never cultivated at anything close to that speed.
Was Xiao Chen's Multi-Child Multi-Blessing fortune really this incredible?
Queen Medusa took a deep breath, suppressing her shock.
She knew that her earlier decision had been the right one.
Xiao Chen was even more valuable than she had imagined.
Yue Mei stood to the side and also sensed the change in Xiao Chen's aura.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"A... a Six-Star Dou Huang?"
Yue Mei's voice trembled.
When she married Xiao Chen, he had only been at the Three-Stage Dou Qi level.
Then, overnight, he became a Nine-Star Dou Wang. She had been so shocked that she couldn't say a word.
But now?
A Six-Star Dou Huang!
Yue Mei looked at Xiao Chen, her emotions a tangled mess.
She had married Xiao Chen on the Queen's orders, and deep down, she hadn't been willing.
But now...
She suddenly felt as if she'd struck gold.
Seeing that Queen Medusa still hadn't spoken, the Second Elder stepped forward again. "Your Majesty, Xiao Chen harmed one of our people. According to our laws, he must be severely punished!"
"Please issue your order at once!"
Queen Medusa withdrew her gaze and looked at the Second Elder. "That's enough."
The Second Elder froze. "Your Majesty..."
"I said, that's enough."
Queen Medusa's tone turned impatient.
"Mo Basi struck first. Xiao Chen was only defending himself."
"Defending himself?" the Second Elder protested.
"Your Majesty, Mo Basi's arm is broken. How is that self-defense?"
"Xiao Chen clearly injured him on purpose!"
Queen Medusa glanced at him. "Second Elder, let me ask you something."
"Where were you when Mo Basi attacked Xiao Chen?"
The Second Elder's expression changed. "I... I only just arrived..."
"You only just arrived?" Queen Medusa let out a cold laugh.
"I hear you were nearby the whole time."
"When Mo Basi attacked Xiao Chen, you didn't stop him."
"But as soon as Mo Basi was injured by Xiao Chen, you were the first to jump out."
"What exactly are you implying?"
The Second Elder's face flushed red. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
He had indeed been nearby the whole time.
He had indeed hoped Mo Basi would kill Xiao Chen.
But he hadn't expected Mo Basi to be the one who got his arm broken.
"Your Majesty, I..."
The Second Elder tried to explain, but Queen Medusa waved a hand and cut him off.
"That's enough. There's no need to say anything more."
Before you continue