Dragon Phoenix Soul-Shattering and the Lone Shadow in the Sand Sea

The core of the Snake-People Holy Temple, the altar area.

At this moment, this place had completely devolved into the center of a violent energy vortex, resembling a battlefield trampled upon by demons! The ancient altar originally used to bind the Green Lotus Core Flame had long since been torn asunder in the fierce combat, reduced to countless ruins. Massive boulders were tossed and pulverized within the raging energy turbulence like fragile toys caught in a gale, emitting dull, earth-shaking sounds. The air was thick with the pungent stench of sulfur, a smell akin to the foulness of hell; the heavy scent of blood, thick as viscous plasma, was nauseating; and there were those chilling soul-force fluctuations that stung the spirit, piercing deep into one's soul like countless cold needles.

Queen Medusa's condition was abysmal, truly wretched!

The magnificent gown she had meticulously condensed from cyan flames was now tattered in many places, like a gorgeous robe torn apart without mercy. Through the rents, one could see skin covered in fine purple scales, those scales marred by charred marks like scars from a raging fire, alongside deep, bone-exposing wounds from which golden blood continuously seeped. Yet, as soon as this blood flowed out, it was instantly vaporized by the cyan flames burning on her body, turning into wisps of golden smoke. Her face was as pale as paper, as if drained of all color, and deep within her purple eyes, the two flickering cyan flames were dim, like candles about to be extinguished, filled with exhaustion and a suppressed, extreme rage that felt like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

The two who besieged her possessed terrifying strength that chilled the heart!

One of them was Protector Wu. Although his aura was significantly weaker than before—clearly having suffered a great loss in his intense clash with Queen Medusa—the black mist roiling around him had become more solid and venomous, like a cloud of toxic fog from the underworld. Countless shrill, vengeful spirits flickered within the black mist, emitting piercing shrieks; the sound was like countless sharp blades constantly assaulting Queen Medusa's mind and soul, attempting to disrupt her thoughts and plunge her into chaos.

The other was a mysterious figure shrouded in even deeper, ink-like viscous black mist. His frame was hunched, like an old tree bent by the passage of time, or as withered as dry bones. He wore a mask carved with a distorted ghost face, revealing only a pair of eyes burning with ghastly green soul-fire; that gaze was like a spectral light from hell, causing one to shudder. He did not strike directly, but hovered at the edge of the battlefield, steadily cradling a constantly rotating, pitch-black vortex composed of pure soul power. The vortex emitted a terrifying suction, like a bottomless black hole, crazily tearing at and devouring the soul power and Green Lotus Core Flame energy leaking from Queen Medusa. It was this evil and powerful force that left Queen Medusa constrained, as if bound by ropes, unable to unleash her full power.

This was the Soul Hall Venerable Elder! His strength was at least that of a five-star Dou Zong, specializing in soul secret arts with methods extremely insidious and difficult to deal with, like a ghost hidden in the darkness, impossible to guard against!

"Hehehe... Medusa, stop wasting your energy resisting! Obediently offer that Heavenly Flame and the essence soul of your Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python to the Soul Hall; that is your only destination!" Protector Wu let out a shrill, grotesque laugh, the sound like the screech of an owl, making one's hair stand on end. He waved his hands, manipulating the surging black mist of vengeful spirits, which instantly transformed into countless ink-black chains. These chains, like hideous venomous snakes, carried a sinister aura as they clawed and swiped toward Queen Medusa.

"In your dreams!" Cyan flames erupted from Queen Medusa's purple eyes like two sharp bolts of lightning. With a light wave of her jade hand, a blade of cyan flame, condensed to the extreme, slashed out. The fire blade flashed with a sharp luster like a meteor piercing the night sky, easily severing the incoming chains of vengeful spirits. However, more chains swarmed up like maggots on rotting bone, impossible to fend off entirely. At the same time, the suction of the soul vortex in the Soul Hall Venerable Elder's hand suddenly intensified, acting like an invisible black hole that caused Queen Medusa's figure to stall abruptly, while a tearing pain erupted deep within her soul, as if thousands of steel needles had pierced her simultaneously.

"Pfft!"

A particularly cunning vengeful spirit chain seized the opportunity, breaking through Queen Medusa's defense like a sharp whip and lashing fiercely across her back. In an instant, scales shattered and blood sprayed out like a fountain. She let out a muffled groan, her already weak aura plummeting once more, flickering like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

"Your Majesty!" Yue Mei's desperate cry came from the periphery, filled with helplessness and grief. At this moment, she and several other Snake-People experts were being tightly entangled by two Soul Hall Dou Emperors; the two sides were locked in a stalemate, and they were unable to break away to support the core battlefield, forced to watch helplessly as their Queen fell into a desperate situation.

Just as Queen Medusa was pushed to the brink, and the ghastly green soul-fire in the eyes of the Soul Hall Venerable Elder flickered violently, preparing to launch that fatal strike!

"ROAR--!!!"

A majestic and domineering dragon roar, seemingly from the ancient primordial era, filled with soul-tearing fury, suddenly exploded in the heart of the Holy Temple. The sound was like rolling thunder, shaking the entire space.

A crimson-gold figure, like a meteor tearing through the night sky, carrying an unstoppable momentum that crushed everything in its path, slammed headlong into the layers of vengeful spirit barriers set up by Protector Wu. Those barriers were as fragile as thin paper before it, instantly shattered upon impact. This figure charged into the center of the battlefield like a war god descended from the heavens.

It was Xiao Zhan!

His body seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mysterious and magnificent crimson-gold dragon scale phantoms, each scale shimmering with a brilliant light that seemed to contain endless power. Within his eyes, golden flames burned fiercely, like materialized fire, exuding a chilling heat and majesty. A dragon-phoenix pressure, originating from the depths of his bloodline and transcending all living things, erupted like a surging tide, sweeping toward the surroundings and instantly dispersing the cold soul force filling the air, causing the very space to tremble.

He did not even glance at Protector Wu. With a punch containing the peak power of the Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body Art, carrying the terrifying force to shatter the vacuum and shake the heavens, he struck squarely at the Soul Hall Venerable Elder who was manipulating the soul vortex. This punch seemed to condense all the power between heaven and earth, like a furious strike from an ancient deity.

"Dragon Phoenix Tyrant Body! Shatter Space!"

This punch was unleashed by Xiao Zhan in his fury! It fused his profound cultivation as a Dou Zong, his pure and powerful dragon-phoenix bloodline, and his monstrous killing intent and hatred toward the Soul Hall. Every shred of power contained his resolve and rage, determined to utterly crush the enemy before him.

Where the fist passed, space shattered inch by inch like fragile glass, emitting crisp and shocking sounds. The cracks spread rapidly like a spiderweb, revealing the pitch-black and chaotic spatial turbulence behind, as if opening a terrifying passage to another world.

The soul-fire beneath the Soul Hall Venerable Elder's mask jumped violently, like a panicked star flickering in the night sky. He clearly had not expected Xiao Zhan to break through the outer layers of obstruction so quickly, nor had he expected the momentum of this punch to be so terrifying, as if an insurmountable mountain were pressing down upon him. In his haste, he could only thrust the soul vortex in his hand toward Xiao Zhan's fist, attempting to block this fatal blow, while his figure retreated violently like a black bolt of lightning, desperate to escape the dangerous zone.

"BOOM--!!!"

The sound was like a thunderclap from the nine heavens exploding in a confined space, causing ears to ache as if the whole world were trembling at this moment. The crimson-gold dragon-phoenix fist print slammed fiercely into the pitch-black soul vortex; the violent physical strength and pure dragon-phoenix energy intertwined like a searing iron rod plunging into ten-thousand-year-old ice, instantly erupting with a blinding light.

"Sss-sss-sss--!"

A piercing sound of dissolution and a shriek on the soul level erupted simultaneously, like a painful wail from the depths of the spirit. The vortex, capable of devouring the soul of a Dou Zong, met its nemesis in the face of the yang-dominant, unyielding power of the dragon-phoenix origin. The pitch-black soul force was rapidly evaporated and purified, gradually dissipating like dew under the sun. The vortex twisted and collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally turning into nothingness.

"AH--!" The Soul Hall Venerable Elder let out a shrill, inhuman wail, a sound of agony from the deepest part of his soul; clearly, his soul origin had suffered a severe backlash. His retreating figure became even more hunched, as if his spine had been completely broken by time and pain. From beneath his mask, a wisp of black smoke slowly drifted out—the manifestation of a soul injury—like toxic fog exhaled by a demon, permeating the air with gloom and terror.

"You seek death!" Protector Wu was both shocked and furious, his eyes flashing with madness. He made a split-second decision, abandoning his attack on Queen Medusa as the black mist around him surged like a rising tide. In an instant, the black mist condensed into a massive ghost claw that blotted out the sky, exuding a chilling aura that corroded the soul, as if it could freeze all life. It struck toward Xiao Zhan's back with the force of a thunderbolt, intending to crush his heart directly.

"SCRAM!" Xiao Zhan did not look back, letting out a roar that sounded like a great bell, causing the surrounding space to tremble. He threw a backhand punch with his other hand, the crimson-gold fist print shining with a scorching light like a burning sun, colliding fiercely with the pitch-black ghost claw.

"BOOM!"

With a loud bang, an energy storm exploded once more, like brilliant fireworks blooming in the night sky, yet containing lethal danger. Protector Wu was shaken, his black mist roiling like storm clouds, constantly churning. He let out a muffled groan, a look of pain appearing on his face; clearly, he had suffered a significant loss in this clash of power. Xiao Zhan, utilizing the recoil, moved like an arrow released from a bow, closing in even faster on the injured Soul Hall Venerable Elder.

"Dragon Phoenix Soul-Binding Chain!" Xiao Zhan's hands moved rapidly, forming seals as the dragon-phoenix energy within his body surged out like a broken dam. In an instant, it transformed into several energy chains burning with crimson-gold flames. These chains, like bindings from an ancient deity, ignored spatial distance and instantly wrapped around the Soul Hall Venerable Elder's body. The chains burned fiercely, exuding a sacred and majestic aura.

"AH! Damn it! What is this power?!" The Soul Hall Venerable Elder was terrified, his voice filled with despair and fear. He felt his soul body, under the restraint of these crimson-gold chains, being cast into a searing furnace; his soul power was dissolving rapidly, like snow melting under the scorching sun. He struggled desperately, his ghastly green soul-fire burning wildly, flickering like a candle in the wind as he tried to break free from this terrifying restraint.

"Queen! Now!" Xiao Zhan shouted sharply, his voice like a war horn, filled with resolve and power.

Cold light erupted from Queen Medusa's purple eyes like two sharp bolts of lightning. This was the moment she had been waiting for; like a hunter lurking in the darkness, she had finally found the perfect opportunity to strike. The remaining Dou Qi and the origin power of the Green Lotus Core Flame within her body erupted without reservation, like a volcanic eruption, unstoppable.

"Seven-Colored Poisonous Evil Seal!" (This was a top-tier secret technique of the Snake-People, containing hidden toxins and soul-corroding power capable of chilling all things to the bone.)

Queen Medusa's jade fingers moved lightly, like lightning cutting through the night sky. A tiny finger seal, condensed from the origin poison of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python and soul-corroding power, shot out with sharp momentum. Like a bolt of lightning crossing space, it pierced with absolute precision through the center of the brow of the Soul Hall Venerable Elder, who was tightly bound by the dragon-phoenix chains and unable to dodge in the slightest. The movement was so swift and precise, it was like a stroke of divine inspiration, leaving one in awe.

"Sss--!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a faint sound like a bubble bursting. This sound was particularly abrupt on the tense battlefield, yet carried a chilling, eerie quality.

The Soul Hall Venerable Elder's struggling movements froze instantly, as if time had been fixed. The ghastly green soul-fire that had been burning beneath his mask was extinguished instantly, like a candle blown out by a gale, leaving only wisps of cyan smoke drifting away. A thick, seven-colored poisonous mist, mixed with dead soul fluctuations, spread crazily from the small hole in his brow, like a surging tide, instantly eroding his entire soul body. Wherever the poison passed, the soul body rapidly dimmed, as if all life had been drained away.

"Im... pos... sible..." The Soul Hall Venerable Elder emitted one final, blurred mental fluctuation, his voice filled with despair and unwillingness. Immediately after, his entire soul body, like a wax figure corroded by strong acid, rapidly dissolved and disintegrated, turning into wisps of seven-colored poisonous smoke and shattered soul fragments that drifted and danced in the air, finally dissipating completely as if they had never existed.

A five-star Dou Zong level Soul Hall Venerable Elder had fallen! His demise was like the extinguishing of a brilliant star in the night sky, leaving one unable to help but sigh.

"VENERABLE ELDER!!!" Protector Wu let out a roar of shock and fury, the sound like the howl of a wounded beast, filled with endless rage and resentment. His gaze toward Xiao Zhan and Queen Medusa was filled with boundless fear and venom, as if he wanted to tear them to pieces.

Without hesitation, he spat out a mouthful of pure black soul blood; the blood mist merged instantly into the roiling black mist around him like black smoke. In an instant, the black mist became even thicker and more eerie.

"Soul Escape: Blood Shadow Ten Thousand Miles!"

Protector Wu's figure, along with the black mist, instantly became illusory, as if shrouded by a mysterious veil. He transformed into a streak of blood-red light, fast to the extreme, like a meteor crossing the night sky, ignoring spatial obstacles as he fled desperately toward the outside of the temple's damaged barrier. His speed was so great it seemed to transcend the limits of time, leaving even Xiao Zhan unable to intercept him, forced to watch helplessly as he vanished into the distance.

The core battlefield fell into a deathly silence, as if time had frozen at this moment. Only the chaotic energy turbulence whistled and traversed, emitting sharp sounds like a lingering dirge of the battlefield; the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood, like a dense blood mist that made it hard to breathe.

"Pfft!"

Queen Medusa could no longer hold on. Her delicate body shuddered violently, and a mouthful of golden blood, flecked with seven-colored light, sprayed from her lips, tracing a poignant arc through the air. Her form fell helplessly from the sky like a kite with a snapped string, resembling a beautiful flower wilting in a gale.

"Your Majesty!" Seeing this, Xiao Zhan felt his heart burn with anxiety. His figure flashed like a bolt of golden lightning tearing through the sky, appearing instantly beneath Queen Medusa. He extended his arms steadily, gently catching the scarred yet still breathtakingly charming body into his embrace.

Where he touched her, he felt a cool, slick sensation—the unique texture of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python's scales, as if he were holding the world's most precious treasure. At the same time, the thick scent of blood and the scorching heat of the Heavenly Flame rushed toward him, causing Xiao Zhan's heart to tighten. Queen Medusa's breath was faint, like a candle flickering in the wind. Her purple eyes struggled to open a tiny slit; the gaze within held the exhaustion of one who had survived a catastrophe, as if she had endured a thousand years of vicissitudes. There was a monstrous hatred for the Soul Hall, burning like an inextinguishable flame, and a trace of faint reliance she herself had not yet realized, like a dim star twinkling in the night sky.

"Tha... thank you..." Her lips moved slightly, her voice as soft as a passing breeze. After uttering these two words, she lost consciousness entirely. Forcing herself to trigger the origin secret technique to kill the Soul Hall Venerable Elder had already exhausted her heart and soul; combined with her previous injuries, she was like a lamp with its oil spent, her flame of life hanging by a thread.

Xiao Zhan held the heavily wounded, unconscious Queen Medusa tightly, feeling the chaotic and violent energy within her rampaging like a surging tide, her aura on the verge of collapse like a flame about to be extinguished. His brows locked together like two insurmountable peaks, his heart filled with worry. Although the Soul Hall Venerable Elder had perished on the spot, Protector Wu had escaped. This was undoubtedly like a time bomb buried in the shadows, promising endless future trouble. Queen Medusa's current state was even more critical, as if she were standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall into an abyss of no return at the slightest misstep.

[Detection: Queen Medusa (Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python) has suffered severe damage to her origin. Her soul is on the verge of disintegration, and the Heavenly Flame backlash is intensifying! Immediate treatment required!]

[Option 1: Consume 50% of the host's essence blood and Dragon-Phoenix origin to forcibly stabilize her injuries. Risk: The host will suffer severe vitality damage, and cultivation may regress.]

[Option 2: Guide the residual Heavenly Flame and Dragon-Phoenix contract power within her to perform the "Nirvana Seal." This will plunge her into a deep slumber, allowing her vitality to recover slowly in the silence. Risk: During the sealing period, she will be extremely fragile, like a candle in the wind, and her awakening time is unknown, like a journey into the unknown mist.]

The system's prompts were cold and cruel, like a sharp ice blade piercing straight into Xiao Zhan's heart.

Xiao Zhan looked down at the pale yet still peerlessly beautiful face in his arms. Those tightly closed eyes and trembling eyelashes seemed to be telling of endless pain and struggle. He felt the faint palpitations from the bloodline contract, like a distress signal from afar, and the vague call from the depths of his soul—it was Medusa's remaining will to survive, like a faint star flickering in the darkness. His gaze gradually became firm, like an unshakable mountain.

"System, execute Option 2! Nirvana Seal!" Xiao Zhan's voice was low and powerful, carrying unquestionable resolve.

[Command confirmed! Immediately guiding the host's Dragon-Phoenix contract imprint and the residual energy of the Green Lotus Core Flame... meticulously constructing the Nirvana Seal...]

Xiao Zhan's hands rapidly formed profound and complex seals, each one like a mysterious rune, flickering with strange light in the air. The contract imprint between his brows lit up like a brilliant star, and strands of gentle power containing the aura of the Dragon-Phoenix flowed like a babbling brook, mixing with his pure Dou Qi and slowly pouring into Queen Medusa's body. This power acted like a gentle guide, leading the violent residual energy of the Green Lotus Core Flame within her to circulate along a strange trajectory, as if weaving a mysterious web of life.

Gradually, the bleeding from Queen Medusa's wounds stopped, the gushing blood halted by an invisible hand. The violent energy fluctuations were forcibly suppressed and internalized, like a tamed beast, obediently lying dormant. A faint cocoon of light, woven from green flames and crimson-gold runes, lit up around her, wrapping her entire body like a dreamlike bubble. Inside the cocoon, her form slowly shrank and shifted within the flames, as if undergoing a mysterious metamorphosis.

Finally, the cocoon dissipated. What appeared in Xiao Zhan's palm was no longer the peerless, majestic, and domineering queen, but a small snake only a foot long, covered in seven-colored scales and exquisite to the extreme. The little snake was in a deep sleep, her breath faint but stable, like an infant dreaming. On her seven-colored scales, green flame patterns flowed vaguely, like mysterious stars twinkling in the night sky, exuding a unique and charming allure.

The mysterious and magnificent true form of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python had manifested! The Nirvana Seal technique was successfully completed, as if opening a mysterious ritual of rebirth for Queen Medusa.

Xiao Zhan carefully cradled the sleeping seven-colored snake, her exquisite scales shimmering with dreamlike colors in the dim light, as if she were the world's most precious work of art. He truly felt the faint life force contained within—a breath like a candle flickering in the wind, weak yet tenacious—and the contract connection closely linked to his own, like an invisible thread binding their fates together. His heart was a tumult of emotions: the relief of surviving a catastrophe, worry for the future, and, even more, a deep concern for Queen Medusa. He gently placed the little snake into the inner pocket of his robe, as if it were the safest harbor in the world.

"Yue Mei!" Xiao Zhan shouted in a deep voice, the sound echoing like a great bell across the battlefield.

"Elder Xiao!" Yue Mei was covered in blood, her clothes tattered, resembling a flower drifting in the wind and rain. She had barely managed to repel the two Soul Hall Dou Emperors; now that the Venerable Elder had fallen and Protector Wu had fled, those two Dou Emperors had long since lost the will to fight. Yue Mei stumbled over, every step seemingly exhausting all her strength. When she saw the seven-colored snake in Xiao Zhan's palm, her emerald vertical pupils were instantly blurred by tears, reflecting deep worry and sorrow for her queen: "Your Majesty..."

"Her Majesty the Queen is currently out of danger, but she needs to sleep to recover. The Holy City is destroyed, and the Soul Hall may return at any time, like a venomous snake hidden in the shadows, ready to launch a fatal strike!" Xiao Zhan's tone was heavy, pressing down on everyone's hearts like a massive mountain. "Immediately gather all surviving tribesmen, abandon the Holy City, and retreat to the 'Snake Abyss Oasis' deep in the desert! Seal the news, recuperate, and plan for the great cause another day!"

"Yes! Elder Xiao!" Yue Mei suppressed her grief and nodded heavily, a firm light flickering in her eyes. Xiao Zhan had killed the Soul Hall Venerable Elder and saved the Queen; at this moment, his words were the highest command, like a beacon in the darkness, guiding the direction for everyone to move forward.

Deep in the Tagor Desert, the Death Sand Sea.

The merciless sun hung high in the sky like a giant fireball, scorching the rolling sand dunes. The burning sand felt as if it had been placed in a massive furnace; the air twisted and steamed, and heat waves rolled in like a surging tide, making it impossible to breathe. Fine sand was whipped up by the gale, forming a sandstorm that blotted out the sky and sun. The storm was like a giant yellow dragon, raging and roaring between heaven and earth, burying everything in its path.

A slender figure struggled through the violent wind and sand. She carried an unconscious youth on her back, his body appearing so fragile amidst the storm. Every step required immense effort, as if she were fighting against all of nature. Yet, her eyes revealed a kind of firmness and persistence, as if no matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, nothing could stop her forward progress.

Xiao Yi Xian's lips had long since cracked like parched earth, the seeping blood congealing into dark red scabs. Her light green dress, once as fresh as new leaves in spring, had long been stained gray-yellow by the merciless sand, and the torn fabric snapped in the gale like a helpless sigh from her exhausted body.

Her thin frame swayed in the violent storm like a small boat drifting in a raging sea. With every step, her feet sank deep into the burning sand, as if held fast by the earth, only for her to expend great effort to pull them out, leaving behind a trail of deep, crooked footprints that were quickly buried by the wind and sand.

The unconscious Xiao Yan on her back had a breath as faint as a candle in the wind, his heavy body pressing down on her shoulders like a massive mountain. Sweat mixed with sand trickled down her temples, dripping onto the scorching sand, where it instantly evaporated, leaving only a faint circle of water marks.

She bit her lower lip hard, the force nearly breaking the skin. Her clear eyes were filled with weary bloodshot veins, but even more so with a heartbreaking tenacity, like a flame burning alone in the darkness. One hand clutched the Detoxification Spirit Bead tightly to her chest, as if shielding him from invisible dangers; the other hand gripped a crude bone dagger, fashioned from a beast bone she had found on the road—not refined, but possessing a primal sharpness. She scanned her surroundings vigilantly, her eyes as keen as a leopard's, letting no rustle escape her.

"Hold on... Xiao Yan... just hold on a little longer..." she whispered, her voice so hoarse it was barely audible, as if squeezed from the depths of her throat. Yao Lao had fallen into a deep sleep, and she could only rely on her own not-so-broad shoulders. Relying on the faint energy sensing of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and the sense of direction provided by the Detoxification Spirit Bead—which seemed to have a faint repulsion toward the Green Lotus Core Flame, consistently pointing in the opposite direction toward the depths of the desert where a safe oasis might exist—she trudged forward, step by step.

However, the sandstorm grew more violent, roaring like an angry beast. Visibility was less than ten meters; everything around was chaotic, as if she were trapped in a massive labyrinth. The sharp whistling of the wind sounded like ghosts crying and wolves howling, constantly assaulting her eardrums and filling her with fear.

Suddenly!

"Scritch, scritch, scritch..."

A dense and eerie scraping sound pierced through the howling wind and sand, coming from behind a dune to her front-left, like the approaching footsteps of the God of Death.

Xiao Yi Xian's pupils shrank, her heart tightening as if gripped by an invisible hand. She stopped immediately, held her breath, and hid her body tightly against the leeward side of the dune, curling up in the corner like a startled fawn. She peeked out, her eyes fixed on the direction of the sound.

Dozens of giant scorpions, their bodies a sandy yellow that blended almost perfectly with the grit, were slowly emerging from behind the dune! Each scorpion was the size of a calf, their hideous pincers shimmering with a metallic luster like two sharp scythes; their tails were raised high, the deep blue venomous stingers emitting a lethal cold light, like poison needles in the dark, sending shivers down one's spine.

The Tier 2 pack-dwelling magical beasts—Sand Poison Demon Scorpions—had appeared! They were like ghostly assassins of the desert, bringing shadows of death wherever they went, striking terror into all who heard of them. Their hideous appearance made them look like demons sent from hell to claim lives, every inch of their carapaces exuding a chilling coldness.

At this moment, the pack of Sand Poison Demon Scorpions seemed deeply attracted by some mysterious aura. Perhaps it was the residual scent of blood on Xiao Yan, carrying a faint metallic tang that drifted in the gale; or perhaps it was the vibrant vitality emitted by the Detoxification Spirit Bead, which was too eye-catching, like a bright spot in the darkness. They were crawling rapidly toward the spot where Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan were hiding, like a tide! The "scritch" sound was like the urging of death, growing closer and clearer.

Xiao Yi Xian's heart sank into an endless abyss, as if crushed by a massive stone, leaving her unable to breathe. Ahead were the clawing, aggressive Sand Poison Demon Scorpions; behind were the unknown Misty Cloud Sect pursuers—she was like a bird trapped in a cage, unsure if she had shaken them off; above was the lethal, raging sandstorm, with wind howling and sand flying, as if to swallow everything. This was a true dead end, a ruthless test of fate.

She looked at the unconscious Xiao Yan in her arms, his face ashen and paper-white, his once-rosy cheeks now devoid of color, his lips cracked and peeling. Then she looked at the hideous, terrifying scorpions drawing ever closer. A flash of despair crossed her clear eyes, fleeting like a shooting star in the night sky. But immediately, a colder resolve ignited in her eyes, like a flame in the cold night, firm and scorching.

She gently laid Xiao Yan down, her movements so soft as if afraid to wake him, letting him lean against the warm sand dune as if it were the last shelter she could provide. Then, she slowly stood up. Though her figure was slender, it exuded an unquestionable firmness. She stood resolutely in front of him, facing the surging pack of Sand Poison Demon Scorpions head-on, like a brave warrior guarding her most precious treasure.

"I will not... let you hurt him..." she whispered to herself, her voice soft yet filled with power, as if speaking to herself or declaring it to the entire world. Between her slender fingers, the previously suppressed gray-white poison mist was no longer restless; like a volcano suppressed for ten thousand years, it erupted wildly at this moment, carrying endless anger and resolve. The secret technique of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture operated rapidly within her body, like a precision machine with every gear spinning at high speed. The gentle vitality emitted by the Detoxification Spirit Bead acted like a stabilizing anchor, allowing her to maintain a sliver of clarity in her mind while unleashing her poison power, preventing her from being backlashed by it.

The gray-white poison mist permeated and gathered around her, gradually transforming into twisting, writhing snakes of poison that exuded an aura of deathly silence. Those poison snakes clawed and snapped, as if to drag all living things into an endless abyss. Her pupils turned completely into eerie gray-white vortices, like two bottomless black holes, revealing endless mystery and danger.

"Come!" Xiao Yi Xian shouted, her voice wrapped in the howling wind and sand, appearing exceptionally weak, as if it could be swallowed by the vast yellow sand at any moment. Yet, this voice contained a tragic and resolute quality entirely different from her delicate appearance, like an Epiphyllum blooming in the cold night—brief, yet stunningly beautiful enough to shock the soul. She actually charged forward, headlong into the tide of scorpions!

A lonely and desperate dance of poison, performed to protect the one she loved, began quietly on the stage of the Death Sand Sea. The gray-white poison mist flew around her like dreamlike silk; the twisted poison snakes were her dance partners, dancing a tragic song of life with her in this desperate situation.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Snake Abyss Oasis.

Xiao Zhan stood tall on a towering sand dune, like a majestic mountain, overlooking the Snake-People Tribe survivors nervously setting up camp at the edge of the oasis. The camp was filled with an atmosphere of sorrow, and every face was etched with exhaustion and grief. In his arms, the seven-colored little snake seemed to sense some mysterious power and moved slightly, her tiny head gently rubbing against his chest, as if conveying some message.

Suddenly, the bloodline contract imprint in the depths of his soul felt an intensely strong palpitation, like a surging tide, wave after wave, impacting his heart. The direction of the palpitation pointed straight to the Death Sand Sea, a place filled with the aura of death deep in the desert!

At the same time, the seven-colored little snake in his arms seemed to be under some strong attraction, becoming restless. Her tiny body struggled in his pocket, trying to poke her head out and emitting a faint hiss in the same direction, the sound filled with urgency and longing.

"This feeling... is it Yan'er?!" Xiao Zhan's pupils shrank, a flash of shock and worry crossing his eyes. The call of their bloodline connection was like an invisible thread, tightly tugging at his heart; combined with Medusa's (now transformed into the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python) keen sensing of the same-origin aura (was it the lingering charm of the Green Lotus Core Flame? Or the special fluctuation of the Woe Poison Body?), the dual guidance acted like a bright lighthouse, pointing him in the right direction.

"Yue Mei! Watch over the tribesmen! I'll be back soon!" Xiao Zhan dropped the words, his voice firm and powerful, brooking no argument. Without waiting for Yue Mei to respond, his figure instantly merged into the spatial fluctuations, like a phantom disappearing into the air, and he teleported at full speed toward the direction of the palpitation!

Yan'er, hold on! Father is coming! The calls seemed to traverse the barriers of time and space, carrying endless warmth and strength as he raced toward that land of unknown danger.