Four-Star Dou Huang! Mortal Realm Peak Soul!

Ye Xiu reached out and patted Little Doctor Fairy, "Alright, let go."

Little Doctor Fairy released her grip, "Master, be careful on your journey."

Ye Xiu nodded and pushed the door open.

Ye Xiu wasted no more time. With a "boom" behind him, a pair of purple-gold flame wings unfurled. He pushed off the ground, and his entire body shot into the sky, drawing a continuous stream of gasps from the surrounding crowd.

Little Doctor Fairy stood by the window, watching the purple-gold streak of light grow farther and farther away until it finally disappeared at the horizon.

Ye Xiu flew westward.

Not long after leaving Stone Desert City, the greenery beneath his feet gradually diminished, eventually turning into nothing but yellow sand.

Looking around, he could only occasionally spot a few bare rocks, their shapes distorted by the wind and sand.

After flying for about half a day, he felt he had gone far enough and reduced his altitude to avoid being too conspicuous and becoming a target.

In a short while, Ye Xiu saw a small patch of green appear below.

He retracted his Dou Qi Wings and descended.

This oasis was not large, with a small lake in the center surrounded by poplar trees and shrubs. A few tents were pitched by the lake, with cooking smoke curling upwards.

Ye Xiu took a distant look. This was likely not a Snake-Person tribe, but merchants temporarily camped here.

These merchants, seeing Ye Xiu flying in the sky, were instantly terrified, prostrating themselves on the ground and begging for mercy as if they had seen a deity.

Ye Xiu didn't know why they reacted this way, but he didn't ask further, instead inquiring about the recent situation in the desert from the merchants.

Upon learning that the Snake-Person Race in the Tagor Desert had suddenly become active recently, Ye Xiu didn't linger and continued flying westward.

In the evening, Ye Xiu spotted another city.

Stone Desert City.

Its city walls were earth-yellow, smaller than Stone Desert City, but appeared sturdier. The city gate was bustling with people, mostly mercenaries carrying weapons, with fierce expressions.

Ye Xiu observed the city from mid-air, a thought crossing his mind.

This place was the last stop before entering the depths of the desert. Another half-day's journey west would lead to the territory of the Snake-Person tribe. If he truly clashed with Queen Medusa and couldn't win, he could flee this way.

He noted the location and continued westward.

After flying for a short while, a faint, dry heat began to permeate the air. It wasn't the heat from the sun, but rather heat emanating from underground.

Ye Xiu narrowed his eyes.

He was close.

He retracted his Dou Qi Wings and landed on the ground.

Ye Xiu looked up at his surroundings. The sky had already darkened, and faint dark figures could be seen moving in the distance.

He scanned with his soul power and discovered they were several Snake-People.

They had human upper bodies and snake lower bodies, holding weapons as they patrolled.

Ye Xiu didn't alert them and quietly skirted around them.

After walking forward for another hour, a large area of light slowly appeared ahead.

It was a massive city, built entirely of stone. Torches were planted on the city walls, illuminating the surroundings brightly. Two rows of Snake-Person guards stood at the city gate, holding spears, their backs straight.

The Snake-Person tribe!

Ye Xiu crouched behind a rock, observing the city from afar.

The city was vast, much larger than he had imagined. Faint lights flickered within the city, and sounds of revelry could be heard, suggesting that the Snake-People's lives were similar to humans, eating and drinking as usual.

Ye Xiu remained hidden behind the rock, staring at the Snake-Person tribe in the distance.

The city walls were brightly lit by torches, with two teams of Snake-Person guards patrolling back and forth, holding spears, their backs ramrod straight. Two more stood at the city gate, clearly elites, at least at the Da Dou Shi level.

"The guards are quite strict."

Ye Xiu muttered, but he didn't take it too seriously.

He was currently a four-star Dou Wang. If a fight broke out, these Snake-People wouldn't be able to stop him. But the problem was, he wasn't here to fight; he was here to sign in. Causing too much of a commotion and drawing out Queen Medusa would be troublesome.

That woman was a peak Dou Huang, just one step away from Dou Zong. He would avoid her if possible.

Ye Xiu observed for a while, found a gap during the guards' shift change, and with a flash of his body, he moved along the base of the city wall and slipped inside.

After entering the city, he found a secluded corner and squatted down to observe his surroundings.

The Snake-Person tribe was much larger than he had anticipated. Rows of stone houses lined the streets, which were also quite wide. It was dark now, and there weren't many people on the street. Occasionally, a few Snake-People walked by, carrying things, likely heading home after closing their stalls.

Lively sounds could be heard from a distance; there was probably a night market or something over there.

Ye Xiu wasn't in the mood to explore. He found a hidden alley, slipped into it, squatted in a corner, and closed his eyes.

"System, sign in."

"Ding! Detected that the host has arrived at the sign-in location: Tagor Desert, Snake-Person Tribe."

"Do you wish to sign in immediately?"

"Sign in."

"Ding! Sign-in successful!"

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining cultivation: Four-star Dou Huang!"

Boom!

Within Ye Xiu's body, a terrifying aura instantly exploded!

This power was more ferocious than the previous two combined, coming fast and hard. Ye Xiu felt like he was thrown into a volcano, every piece of flesh and blood, every bone undergoing a frantic transformation!

Dou Qi surged through his meridians like a bursting flood, scouring his body again and again. The previously spacious meridians were stretched to the point of pain, but with each scouring, they became tougher and tougher!

More and more Dou Qi accumulated in his Dantian, its color deepening. It slowly shifted from purplish-gold to dark gold, finally revealing a hint of crimson!

The entire process, though described at length, took only two or three breaths.

Ye Xiu opened his eyes.

He looked down at his hands, clenching them, then releasing them, then clenching them again.

That feeling of power was more than a thousand times stronger than before.

"Four-star Dou Huang..."

He murmured to himself, a slow grin spreading across his face.

How long had it been? Since he transmigrated, a few months? From a cripple to a Dou Huang?

If the Son of Destiny, Xiao Yan, knew this, he'd probably be furious enough to die.

And it wasn't over yet.

A massive amount of information suddenly flooded his mind, overwhelming him, almost bursting his head.

Po'e Pill, Dou Ling Pill, Huangji Pill, Hunyuan Bone-Shaping Pill...

Hundreds of sixth-grade pill recipes, densely packed, exploded in his mind.

Refining techniques, heat control, ingredient matching, pill formation skills...

It was as if he had been refining for hundreds of years, so skilled he couldn't be more skilled.

After a while, the information slowly subsided, settling obediently in his mind.

He took a deep breath and felt it.

His soul power had also increased significantly.

Previously, his soul power was around the late Mortal Realm. Now, it was at the great circle of the Mortal Realm, just one step away from the Spirit Realm.

Ye Xiu stood up and stretched his limbs.

His whole body crackled and popped.

"Satisfying."

As soon as he uttered the word, his expression changed.

Not good.

The commotion from his breakthrough just now was too great.

Although it only leaked for an instant, such a powerful aura was enough to alert the entire Snake-Person tribe.

As expected--

A furious roar echoed from the distance!

"Who! Dares to trespass on the territory of my Snake-Person Race!"

The voice was sharp and piercing, carrying a terrifying pressure that made the surrounding stone houses tremble.

Ye Xiu looked up.

A red figure shot up from the depths of the tribe, moving with astonishing speed, arriving nearby in the blink of an eye.

It was a woman.

She had beautiful long hair, skin as white as snow, and features so exquisite they seemed unreal, yet her eyes held a cold, sharp killing intent.

She wore a red long dress, a pair of fiery wings on her back gently fanning, hovering in mid-air, looking down from above.

Medusa!

Ye Xiu's pupils contracted.

This woman was indeed as beautiful as the legends said, but also just as dangerous.