Chapter 28

"What?!"

The coldness and killing intent on Queen Medusa's face instantly froze, replaced by intense shock and disbelief.

Her furious strike had actually been so casually neutralized by him?

Only then did Queen Medusa suddenly react, staring fixedly at the two flames slowly swirling before Xiao Qing.

The white flame emitted an ultimate chill, as though even space itself were about to freeze...

The green flame carried the heaviness of the earth and a familiar scorching heat...

The crimson-gold flame gave her the feeling of heavenly might...

"Heavenly Flames?! And three kinds of Heavenly Flames!!"

Queen Medusa's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints. Violent shock appeared on her cold face for the first time, and a flash of blazing desire passed through her eyes.

The Heavenly Flames she had sought so desperately yet never found had now appeared all at once—three of them, in the hands of this mysterious human youth!

Xiao Qing naturally did not miss the shock and greed that erupted in Queen Medusa's eyes.

He knew why Queen Medusa sought Heavenly Flames.

It was to use the power of Heavenly Flames to complete her bloodline evolution and break through to the Dou Zong realm!

"You want the Heavenly Flames in my hands?"

A faint curve rose at the corner of Xiao Qing's lips. He also happened to want to test exactly what level his strength had reached after breaking through to Three-Star Dou Wang, entering the Spirit Realm with his soul, and gaining control over two Heavenly Flames and the Law of Devouring.

"Since you struck first, stay and test it out!"

Before his words had even faded, Xiao Qing instantly entered his Crimson Gold Law Form. Crimson-gold flames burned around him, and even his hair and eyes turned crimson-gold. He raised his hand and casually sent out a palm strike.

In an instant, the winds and clouds changed color!

The energy of heaven and earth gathered madly, and an enormous flaming palm radiating white, green, and crimson-gold light instantly condensed into form, wrapped in streams of destructive energy!

The palm blotted out the sky, its lines clearly visible, like the hand of a god. Carrying the terrifying will to burn the eight wastelands and suppress all things, it slammed down upon Queen Medusa!

Wherever the palm wind passed, space twisted violently and let out an overloaded hum!

Low-Level Earth-Rank Dou Technique—Great Heaven Red Sun Palm!

"An Earth-Rank Dou Technique!!!"

Queen Medusa's lovely face paled. From that palm, she sensed an unprecedented crisis of death!

How could a Dou Wang possibly unleash such a terrifying Earth-Rank Dou Technique?

And it even contained the destructive power of three Heavenly Flames!

Queen Medusa no longer dared to hold anything back. The Dou Qi within her surged out like floodwaters bursting through a dam!

Dense purple Dou Qi shot into the sky, vaguely gathering behind Queen Medusa into the shadow of a massive purple serpent that emitted an ancient and savage aura!

Queen Medusa had used the Snake-People Tribe's secret technique, raising her power to its peak!

Purple Nether Obsidian Snake Strike!

With a sharp cry, the blood-colored longsword in her hand burst with dazzling purple light. She and sword became one, transforming into a purple streak that tore through the heavens as she fiercely met the enormous blue-white palm descending upon her!

Boom—

It was like thunder exploding in the ninth heaven!

The two terrifying energies collided fiercely in midair!

Blinding light instantly swallowed everything, while a destructive shockwave swept in every direction like a tsunami.

The already devastated basin was plowed through once more. Countless rocks, sand, and dust were swept high into the sky, forming a massive mushroom cloud.

Pfft!

From the heart of the energy storm, Queen Medusa's graceful figure flew backward. One hand covered her chest as a thread of crimson blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

Queen Medusa steadied herself and raised her pale, beautiful face. Looking at the youth still floating where he stood, his robes fluttering and completely uninjured, her light-purple eyes were filled with horror and incomprehensible shock.

She—the Peak Dou Emperor Queen Medusa—had used a secret technique, yet had been injured by a single palm from a Three-Star Dou Wang...

However, the pride of a queen and her desire for Heavenly Flames kept her from admitting defeat.

A trace of determination flashed through Queen Medusa's eyes. The secret art within her body activated once more, and her aura forcibly broke through its barrier, temporarily reaching the Half-Step Dou Zong level!

Though the price was enormous, she could no longer care about that now!

Snake Emperor Secret Art: Heaven Snake Slash!

Queen Medusa gathered all her Dou Qi and bloodline power. The blood-colored longsword erupted with unprecedented radiance, condensing the full force of a Half-Step Dou Zong!

It instantly stirred a resonance with the energy of heaven and earth. That gigantic purple serpent-shaped sword energy roared toward Xiao Qing with the force to tear apart everything!

This strike had already faintly touched the threshold of the Dou Zong realm!

Facing this even more powerful attack, Xiao Qing's expression did not change. He merely slowly raised the index finger of his right hand.

In an instant, the energy between heaven and earth erupted again, gathering at his fingertip with even greater madness!

A terrifying intent that could wither all things and bring all living beings to Nirvana instantly condensed. The space around his fingertip slightly collapsed, as if it could not bear that ultimate destructive power!

Low-Level Earth-Rank Dou Technique—Finger of Nirvana!

It represented the ultimate single-target attack power, specially made to break powerful defenses and Energy Cores!

One finger pointed out!

A gray beam only as thick as an arm, dull in color and utterly unremarkable, silently shot forth to meet the overwhelmingly powerful purple serpent-shaped sword energy.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any dazzling burst of energy...

Before Queen Medusa's shocked gaze, her supreme strike, containing the power of a Half-Step Dou Zong...

The instant it touched the gray beam, it was like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser. Beginning at the sword tip, it crumbled inch by inch and vanished without a sound!

Even the residual energy failed to spread before it was completely Devoured by the Will of Nirvana!

Though the gray beam's power had diminished slightly, it still instantly pierced through the remaining sword energy and struck toward Queen Medusa!

How is this possible... Another Earth-Rank Dou Technique?!

How could he possess so many Earth-Rank Dou Techniques?!

He absolutely cannot be a Dou Wang!!

Queen Medusa's mind shook violently, and her thoughts went blank.

No matter how hard she thought, she could not understand why a Three-Star Dou Wang was this absurdly powerful!

In her haste, Queen Medusa held the blood-colored longsword horizontally before her. Every last bit of Dou Qi in her body poured into it without reservation, forming a thick purple shield of light—her strongest defensive method!

Boom!

The Finger of Nirvana beam struck the shield, and terrifying Nirvana energy erupted!

The shield shook violently and shattered with a bang after lasting only an instant!

The blood-colored longsword let out a mournful cry and flew from her hand.

The remaining finger force slammed fiercely into Queen Medusa's abdomen!

Pfft—

Queen Medusa spat out a mouthful of blood. Her graceful body became like a kite with its string cut, plummeting rapidly from the sky before crashing heavily into the scorching sand below, sending dust flying.

Xiao Qing withdrew from his Crimson Gold Law Form. With a flash, he instantly appeared at her side.

Queen Medusa lay in a sand pit, her face white as paper and her aura weak.

At her flat, snow-white lower abdomen was a horrifying bloody hole that had pierced through her body.

The flesh around its edges was mangled. Threads of gray Nirvana energy clung to the wound like gangrene, preventing any form of healing. Crimson blood continuously flowed out, dyeing the golden sand beneath her red.

Xiao Qing had long controlled the power of that finger strike. He had not directly taken her life, but serious injury was unavoidable.

Queen Medusa: What Ten-Year Agreement?!

Queen Medusa struggled to raise her head. Blood flowed continuously from the corner of her lips as she covered the wound that would not heal.

Queen Medusa's expression was incomparably complex. Shock, unwillingness, and despair intertwined in her enchanting purple eyes as she stared blankly at the youth approaching step by step.

Could it be that I... Queen Medusa, who has ruled the Jia Ma Empire for so many years, will fall here today?

An intense sense of desolation and unwillingness surged in her heart.

This patch of heaven and earth seemed to fall completely silent at this moment.

Only the youth's calm, unruffled voice slowly rang out, breaking the dead silence:

"Now, can we have a proper talk, Queen Medusa?"

Queen Medusa's face was exceptionally pale from excessive blood loss, but the pride in her eyes had not fully faded. Gritting her teeth, she said:

"What is there... for you and me to discuss? The victor is king and the loser is a bandit. If you want to kill me, then kill me. Give me a quick death!"

Though her voice was weak, it carried an unyielding resolve that would not tolerate humiliation.

Xiao Qing's gaze shifted as it swept over Queen Medusa's graceful body, slightly curled from pain, and the wound that continued to bleed. Just as he was about to speak, she interrupted him agitatedly.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Filthy human! Even if I die, I will never agree to your shameless demands or submit myself as a slave!"

Anger burned in Queen Medusa's eyes. She had clearly misunderstood Xiao Qing's intentions.

In her understanding, when powerful humans captured beautiful snake-people, it was for nothing more than satisfying those filthy desires, turning them into "Snake Slaves" for their amusement!

Xiao Qing's expression remained unchanged. He did not become angry at Queen Medusa's rebuke.

He had long expected that with Queen Medusa's unyielding nature, she would rather die than suffer humiliation.

Even if Xiao Qing really had certain thoughts, he would never bring them up at this time... not to mention that he had no such intentions at present.

This was simply slandering his innocence out of thin air!

Xiao Qing ignored her words about being a "Snake Slave."

Instead, he continued speaking on his own, his voice clearly reaching Queen Medusa's ears:

"I know that every generation of Queen Medusa possesses a secret art that allows them to use the power of Heavenly Flames to undergo a strange evolution, breaking through the shackles of their bloodline..."

Queen Medusa's hand froze as she wiped the blood from her lips. Shock appeared on her exquisite face as she said in horror, "You... how do you know such a core secret?!"

Queen Medusa had initially believed Xiao Qing intended to humiliate her or imprison her in some secret chamber...

She had not expected him to reveal, with a single sentence, her deepest desire and the hidden secret of her tribe!

Could it be... she had misunderstood him before?

Xiao Qing did not answer Queen Medusa's question. He directly stated his terms, his tone calm yet carrying unquestionable force:

"Serve me for ten years. During that time, help me gather the medicinal ingredients I need. In return, I will use the Heavenly Flames in my possession to help you complete your evolution and break through to the Dou Zong realm."

As he finished speaking, Xiao Qing's gaze suddenly turned cold. A trace of terrifying killing intent spread out, shrouding Queen Medusa.

"Otherwise, I will not only kill you, but personally make a trip to the Snake-People Tribe's Holy City and make your tribe... disappear forever from the Tagor Desert!"

"This is the price you must pay for attacking me."

"Human! How dare you!"

Hearing this, Queen Medusa was truly enraged, as if someone had touched her reverse scale!

She tried to struggle to her feet, but the movement pulled at her wound, causing a violent fit of coughing as blood flowed out again.

If her words about becoming a "Snake Slave" concerned her personal dignity!

Then now... he was directly threatening the entire Snake-People Tribe she had sworn to protect unto death!

"Of course, if you keep your promise,"

Xiao Qing changed the subject, his killing intent receding as his tone returned to calm.

"Your Snake-People Tribe will naturally remain safe and sound, and you will also obtain the opportunity for the breakthrough you have dreamed of."

Queen Medusa clenched her pearly teeth. Her exquisite face was filled with struggle, humiliation, unwillingness, and a trace of complex light... the light of hope.

On one side stood the survival of her tribe and her own hope of evolution. On the other stood the loss of ten years of freedom.

Before the absolute gap in strength and cruel reality, Queen Medusa's proud head ultimately lowered helplessly.