The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's Misunderstanding

Medusa Queen's exquisite, bewitching eyes swept repeatedly over Yang Chen before she glanced at Lei Na and Lin Sen standing some distance away, seemingly understanding something.

Yang Chen ignored the inscrutable serpent-people queen. He cast a deep gaze over the training grounds below and called out without turning his head.

"Lei Na, Lin Sen."

"Second Master, we are here!"

Summoned, Lei Na and Lin Sen immediately stepped forward. Though they were responding to Yang Chen, their gazes were also fixed on the training grounds below—more precisely, on the two young men at the front.

"Do you both remember?"

"Rest assured, Second Master. Leave it to us!"

Lei Na patted his chest and answered solemnly. Though Lin Sen said nothing, he nodded as well. Yet Yang Chen merely snorted upon hearing them.

"Leave it to you? What I want are dragons soaring through the nine heavens, not weak, useless worms. Don't talk to me about mercy. As long as they aren't trained to death, train them to death!"

Lei Na and Lin Sen's expressions changed at Yang Chen's rebuke. They stared at him in disbelief for quite some time before their faces turned grave and they nodded.

"Yes, Second Master. We'll make those two brats understand what devil training is!"

"However, Second Master, those mercenary groups..."

Lin Sen suddenly recalled something and spoke up, but before he could finish, Yang Chen raised a hand to interrupt him. Yang Chen's voice was cold as he said,

"Pay them no mind. As long as they don't die, it's enough. If they can't overcome even this little hardship, they might as well spend their lives as ordinary people."

As he spoke, Yang Chen gazed into the distance toward the northwest, in the direction of Salt City—the Mo Family's territory. The Mo Family was one of the forces supported by the Yunlan Sect.

"Hai Bodong, there is a girl of mixed serpent-people and human blood in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. She should be easy to identify; green snake scales grow on her arms. Bring her out, and while you're at it, frame the Mo Family of Salt City for this."

"Yes, Second Master!"

Hai Bodong solemnly cupped his fists. Looking down at the Xiao Ding and Xiao Li brothers, who were leading the training below, he let out a strange chuckle. The next moment, he turned into a streak of light and vanished from where he stood.

After taking another look at the training grounds below, Yang Chen withdrew his gaze and turned into a streak of light, flying toward the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Medusa Queen hurriedly followed.

"What is so special about that little girl that she is worth such effort from you?"

Medusa Queen tilted her head slightly and looked curiously at Yang Chen beside her. Given Yang Chen's strength and discernment, the girl he had specifically instructed someone to bring back could not simply be a serpent-people and human hybrid.

"If I remember correctly, hybrids of serpent-people and humans usually die young, don't they?"

Rather than immediately answer Medusa Queen's question, Yang Chen posed one of his own. Medusa Queen nodded faintly.

There had always been great friction and deep hatred between serpent-people and humans. Some humans liked to keep serpent-people women in captivity for their pleasure, while many serpent-people men would claim the human women they abducted.

Naturally, many children of mixed serpent-people and human blood were born from such circumstances. Yet the vast majority did not live beyond a few years before dying young. Thus, such hybrids had always been regarded as a curse, cursed and scorned by both races.

"But what if I told you that girl is already over ten years old?"

"That's impossible!"

The moment Yang Chen finished speaking, Medusa Queen rejected it without hesitation. As the queen of the serpent-people, she knew even more clearly that this was not merely true for the majority. Every hybrid of the two races died within a few years, without exception.

"Whether it is true or not, we'll know once we see her."

Faced with Medusa Queen's doubts, Yang Chen did not argue. Without seeing the girl in person, he could not be completely certain that Qing Lin possessed the Jade Snake Three-Flower Pupils.

But Yang Chen was certain that the mysterious fluctuation he had sensed in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group had come from Qing Lin. That distinctive aura of mixed blood could not be mistaken.

As he spoke, Yang Chen ignored this inexplicably clingy beautiful snake and flew onward in silence. Medusa Queen was not angered by this. Instead, a radiant smile appeared on her face, with a hint of smugness to it. Perhaps she felt she had successfully teased this seemingly proper little man again.

Before long, a towering mountain appeared before Medusa Queen. Immediately afterward, a massive purple beastly silhouette appeared in the distance. Before Medusa Queen could speak, the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, which had flown out after sensing Yang Chen's aura, released a thunderous growl.

"Master!"

As its enormous, blood-filled maw opened and closed, the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's gaze fell upon Medusa Queen beside Yang Chen. Shock flashed through its huge beast eyes.

As a peak Dou Huang, Medusa Queen had actually managed to fully transform into human form? This was something only a Dou Zong powerhouse could accomplish.

But the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King understood the next moment. This must have been its master's work. Even it could now barely assume human form, though it was still unskilled and thus maintained its beast form.

Looking again at the famous serpent-people queen, who followed closely at its master's side, the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King was shaken. Its gaze toward Medusa Queen gained several degrees of respect.

"Master?"

Medusa Queen had initially assumed Yang Chen intended to pass through the Magic Beast Mountain Range. She had not expected his destination to be the mountain range itself, much less that this man had subdued a sixth-tier magic beast king.

Magic beasts were exceedingly proud, especially high-tier ones. Many would rather die than be enslaved by humans. Subduing such a magic beast king was no ordinary feat.

But when she remembered that Yang Chen was the one who had subdued the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, Medusa Queen found it perfectly natural. This fellow fought like a madman, possessed so many mysterious and extraordinary secret arts, and was even an alchemist. Putting herself in its place, she would not have refused either.

In fact, wasn't the reason she had taken an interest in this fellow—aside from his looks being so handsome that even she, a snake, found him striking—his wild fighting spirit, his talent as an alchemist, and all his other merits?

"Mm. Go down first. Someone will be arriving soon; do not stop them."

Yang Chen landed directly outside the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's cave. The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King had always loved cleanliness, so its cave made for a good landing spot.