The Peach Blossom Spring

If it were the original Medusa, her lower body would be a snake tail, and since Ye Xiu didn't have any strange fetishes, he could still keep his composure.

However, the Medusa before him had now transformed into human form.

Furthermore, having just been scorched by the Green Lotus Core Flame, there likely wasn't any clothing in the entire Jia Ma Empire that could withstand the temperature of a Heavenly Flame.

At the same time, Medusa was acting incredibly intimate, trying to please him.

Not only that, but on a mental level, due to the soul contract, Ye Xiu was also suffering from its side effects, though he had been suppressing them all along.

But now, with Medusa teasing him like this, the side effects he had been forcibly suppressing erupted all at once.

And so, that night.

Ye Xiu left the Snake-Person Tribe with Medusa, and instead of flying, they walked slowly through the desert.

After walking for a while, a small stream appeared ahead.

The water wasn't deep, and the stones at the bottom were visible. Low shrubs grew on both sides, and compared to the surrounding yellow sand, this patch of green looked exceptionally soothing.

Ye Xiu looked at the stream, then at Medusa beside him, and was suddenly struck by a whim.

He rummaged through his Storage Ring and found a large boat.

He placed the boat into the stream.

Ye Xiu jumped on first, then reached out his hand toward Medusa.

Medusa looked at the large boat with some surprise, but she still placed her hand in his and followed him onto the boat.

Ye Xiu picked up the oars and began to row.

The boat moved slowly along the stream, the water splashing with a rhythmic sound, flanked by green shrubbery under the pitch-black night sky.

Medusa sat at the bow, resting her chin on her hands, staring at the fish in the water.

After watching for a while, she suddenly started humming a tune.

The melody was simple and lacked lyrics, just a soft, humming sound. But she hummed quite happily, her voice soft and delicate, like a child's.

Ye Xiu listened, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

This Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python truly had a simple nature.

The boat traveled further and further along the stream, and the scenery on both sides gradually changed. The shrubs became fewer, and green vegetation grew more abundant.

He didn't know how long they had been traveling when Ye Xiu suddenly paused.

On both banks of the stream ahead, a vast forest of peach trees appeared.

Tree after tree, they were covered in pink blossoms. Petals drifted down, landing on the water's surface and floating along with the current.

As the moonlight shone down, the petals—some pink, some white—looked as beautiful as a painting.

Ye Xiu couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

This was truly a case of "no other trees, fragrant grass fresh and beautiful, fallen blossoms scattering in abundance."

He stopped the boat and just watched the peach blossom forest.

Medusa was also stunned, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes unblinking.

The peach forest was dense, with nothing but peach trees. The ground was covered in a thick, soft layer of petals. The stream wound through the middle, petals floating on the water, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance.

Ye Xiu turned his head to look at Medusa: "Do you want to go in and take a look?"

Medusa nodded slightly.

Ye Xiu smiled and continued to row the boat, heading deeper into the peach forest.

The further they went, the more beautiful the scenery became. Some of the peach trees were uniform in size, all laden with flowers. When the wind blew, the petals fell like rain, landing on the boat and on the two of them.

Medusa reached out to catch a few petals, looked at them in her palm, and then looked up at Ye Xiu with a gentle smile.

Ye Xiu looked at her exquisite face, his heart feeling suddenly complicated.

This Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python was wearing Medusa's body; he wondered what kind of expression she would have once Medusa's soul fully merged.

But there was no point in thinking about that now.

He continued to row, weaving through the peach forest.

He didn't know how long they had traveled when the path ahead suddenly ended.

The stream reached its end at a small pool. Beside the pool was a mountain, and at the base of the cliff was an opening, not large, only about the height of a person. A faint light emanated from within the cave, looking quite mysterious.

Ye Xiu brought the boat to the shore, jumped off, and then reached out to help Medusa down.

The two stood at the cave entrance, looking inside.

Ye Xiu said: "There must be a hidden world inside; I want to go in and take a look."

Medusa hummed in agreement, obediently letting him hold her hand as she followed him inside.

The entrance was not large, initially very narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass through.

However, after walking a few dozen paces, the view suddenly opened up.

Behind the cave entrance lay a valley, absurdly vast. There were fertile fields and rows of neatly arranged houses. The fields were planted with crops, lush and green, growing quite well. The water in the pond was crystal clear, and one could see fish swimming about.

In the distance, there were mountains covered in trees, shrouded in mist and clouds.

Ye Xiu stood there watching for a long time, unable to help but remark, "This place is truly nice."

Medusa was also stunned, her eyes wide open.

Ye Xiu took her hand, and they began to stroll through the valley.

First, they looked at the fields; the soil was rich and soft, and he didn't recognize the crops, but they looked like they were thriving. Then came the pond, with grass and small flowers growing along its banks.

Medusa tapped Ye Xiu, signaling him not to walk so fast.

And so, the two of them began to walk and stop as they pleased.

Medusa was curious about everything; one moment she was pointing at the distant mountains for Ye Xiu to see, the next she was crouching down to touch the flowers on the ground, and then she was off chasing butterflies fluttering about.

Ye Xiu followed behind, watching her play.

He didn't know how long they had been wandering, but time passed quite quickly.

Nearly two hours had gone by.

Suddenly, a roar echoed from the sky.

Ye Xiu looked up to see a massive dark cloud drifting in from the distance, thick and heavy, obscuring the moon.

Before he could even react, the rain began to fall.

It poured down with a roar, as if the sky had sprung a leak.

Bean-sized raindrops pelted down, hitting the ground with a rhythmic patter.

Ye Xiu was stunned for a moment, then remembered—damn it, he hadn't brought an umbrella.

He turned to look at Medusa.

Medusa was being drenched by the rain, her hair plastered to her face and her clothes soaked, but she didn't seem to care, even reaching out her hands to catch the raindrops.

Ye Xiu hurriedly pulled her toward the nearest house.

The house looked quite old, but the door wasn't locked. He kicked the door open and pulled Medusa inside.

The room was quite dark, but at least there was no rain.

Ye Xiu closed the door and turned to look at Medusa, unable to stop himself from laughing out loud.

Medusa was soaked through, her hair in strands, with water streaming down her face. Her clothes clung to her body, revealing her curves.

But she didn't seem to notice, simply standing there, blinking as she looked at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu laughed for a while, then rummaged through his Storage Ring and tossed her a dry towel.

"Dry yourself off."

Medusa took the towel, looked at it, then at Ye Xiu, and began to wipe her head haphazardly.

Once finished, she handed the towel back to Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu didn't take it; he pulled out another one and began to dry himself.

Outside, the rain poured down, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Ye Xiu wiped his face and looked around the room.

The house wasn't large, consisting of only one room with a table, a few chairs, and a bed in the corner covered in dried grass.

It looked like something left behind by whoever had lived here before.

Ye Xiu walked to the bed and touched the dried grass; it was still quite dry and hadn't been dampened.

He sat down and beckoned to Medusa.

"Come sit, we'll wait until the rain stops before we leave."

Medusa walked over and sat down beside him.

The two sat there, listening to the sound of the rain outside.

After a while, Medusa leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Ye Xiu looked down at her, not moving.

The rain continued to fall, a steady roar that wouldn't stop for a while.

He just sat there, letting Medusa lean on him, staring blankly at the rain outside.