"Protector Wu, are you certain?"
In the dark palace, a man shrouded in a black cloak sat on the throne at the head of the hall. His features were hidden as he asked in a low voice. As the leader of the Soul Hall branch stationed in the northwestern part of the Dou Qi Continent, he was the highest-ranking person here—and the strongest among them.
"Reporting to Hall Master Mo, it's true. I only caught a glimpse from afar. The spatial barrier was extraordinarily profound, and there was also a wisp of white flame above it. It looked both holy and sinister, yet it filled me with a suffocating sense of danger."
Protector Wu clasped his hands and knelt on one knee, speaking with reverence. Even now, whenever he thought of that flame, he shuddered. If he had recklessly tried to touch the barrier without knowing his limits, he would likely have been reduced to nothing in an instant.
"Hiss... Could it be the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame?"
What Hall Master Mo couldn't understand was why a Dou Sheng Expert would come to the Jia Ma Empire, a small empire tucked away in a corner of the northwestern Dou Qi Continent. The strongest person in the entire empire was only a Dou Huang expert. There were no rare natural treasures here, nor any sacred cultivation grounds. So what could have drawn such a powerful figure here?
No, he had to report this matter to his superiors. But before that, he needed to investigate for himself. If anything went wrong, the powerful figures in the Central Plains would be displeased.
"You'll lead the way. We'll go and inspect the place together. If things are as you say, we must inform the Soul Hall headquarters in the Central Plains. Perhaps the Jia Ma Empire is hiding some unknown secret. There may even be rare natural treasures or a Secret Realm. If so, the Soul Hall in the Central Plains will surely reward us."
Those words set Protector Wu's heart racing, and he immediately agreed. A few minutes later, two black figures strode out of the palace and headed swiftly toward the Jia Ma Empire.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, not a sound came from Ya Fei's room. Zhang Nian assumed it was because Ya Fei's cultivation was weak and her bloodline was that of an ordinary human. Under the circumstances, it was only natural that she couldn't fully digest the medicinal power. Meanwhile, with the aid of two Sixth-Grade Pills, Medusa had successfully advanced to two-star Dou Emperor. Zhang Nian had also focused on cultivation; after all, he wasn't a true Dou Sheng and no longer had a Dou Sheng Experience Card.
"Phew..."
[ Ding! Your disciple Medusa is cultivating. Current cultivation speed: Dou Qi increased by 300 per hour. Returning... ] [ Ding! Current return multiplier: 2000 ] [ Ding! Returned Dou Qi: 600000 ]
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. His strength had reached three-star Dou Zun. He owed his rapid progress entirely to the Return System. After fully integrating her bloodline, Medusa's Dou Qi growth had reached 300 per hour—three times what it had been at the start. The cultivation cheat, Fallen Heart Flame, had also helped. Medusa constantly tempered her Dou Qi with the Heart Flame released by the Fallen Heart Flame.
Zhang Nian himself was even more formidable. With the Heavenly Derivation Saint Physique, his cultivation speed was already astonishingly fast. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python gained 300 Dou Qi per hour, he gained 30,000. Even so, that ridiculous speed couldn't compare to the satisfying rewards from the system.
"If Medusa keeps at it for a few more days, she'll soon reach Dou Sheng strength. She still won't be much to look at, but she'll already be enough to make most people think twice."
Zhang Nian began to work things out in his mind. He no longer had a Dou Sheng Experience Card, but he was close to becoming a true Dou Sheng himself.
"Right..."
It suddenly occurred to him that Medusa was a title of respect for the queen of the Snake-People Tribe. The original Medusa had been destined to become the tribe's new queen, which was why Granny Snake and the elders around her had called her that. Now that she had become his disciple, he ought to give her a new name.
He rose and went to Medusa's room. Just outside the door, he happened to see the maids Xiao Qing and Xiao Hong waiting. When they saw Zhang Nian, they were startled and hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Saint!"
He waved casually. "All right, get up. Is Medusa still cultivating?"
Xiao Qing lowered her head and answered timidly, "Reporting to you, Saint, yes. Miss has been inside her room the whole time. She hasn't come out for two days."
Zhang Nian already knew all this. Still, he had to ask the questions, even though the system's cultivation feedback rang in his mind at regular intervals.
"Would you like me to announce you?" Xiao Hong asked in a melodious voice, awaiting his instructions.
After a moment's thought, he decided to give Medusa a name first. Perhaps the gesture would raise her favorability. Girls always appreciated things like that, didn't they? He had quite a few disciples now, but Medusa was still his main source of cultivation gains. As for Yun Yun... Zhang Nian had already decided to give her the other pill.
"Creak..."
As the door slowly opened, the quiet beauty in the cultivation room was disturbed. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, then she opened her eyes and stared impatiently toward the door. She had assumed Xiao Qing or Xiao Hong had come in without thinking and was about to scold them when she caught sight of a familiar figure. Zhang Nian stood there in white, smiling at her. She quickly sat up and walked out of the room, her voice soft and sweet. "Master, what brings you here? Don't worry, I haven't slacked off. I've been devoted to cultivation these past few days."
I've certainly seen the results of your devotion. Zhang Nian hadn't been cultivating very seriously himself these past few days, but he had been busy breaking through new realms. It felt wonderful: his strength was rising rapidly, and his overbearing physique let him immediately grasp the mysteries of space as his realm advanced.
"Mm, I know. The maids outside told me you haven't left your room in two days. Cultivation requires a balance between tension and relaxation. Long periods of seclusion aren't very useful. Especially for you—you should be able to feel it yourself. Now that your bloodline has awakened, your cultivation speed has increased, and with the Fallen Heart Flame's help, your strength is growing far faster than before. What you need most now is to cultivate your state of mind."
Zhang Nian spoke with a perfectly straight face, making things up as he went. The beauty before him murmured thoughtfully.
"My state of mind..."
She seemed to accept her master's teaching and nodded solemnly. "Master, I'll remember that."
He smiled faintly, his gentle gaze seeming to express what he was thinking: That's right. Good girl. You're quick to learn.
"But I came to see you for another reason." He paused. Seeing Medusa watching him intently, he continued, "I only found out in the past few days that 'Medusa' is a title of respect for the queen of the Snake-People Tribe. Since you've become my disciple, you should have a name of your own. Did you have another name before?"
"Um..."
"Medusa is both a title and a name. I didn't have another one..." Medusa paused slightly, her eyes flickering for an instant. After thinking it over, she answered, though a hint of anticipation could be heard in her voice.
"Then, starting today, I'll call you..."
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