Separation (Collections, recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, investments—the more, the better)

No matter how powerful Medusa's bloodline was, Dou Zong remained the bottleneck restricting them. With only the strength of a Dou Huang, she could not withstand the Inner Mansion elders who possessed Dou Zong strength. That was Lü Man's reasoning.

Medusa narrowed her beautiful eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, she said directly, "I have said it before—no one can threaten me! If I cannot protect these two, then I will destroy them myself! If I wish to destroy them, the two of you alone will not be able to stop me!"

At those words.

Mo Yun: "!!"

Qing Lin: "!!"

Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor: "!!"

Beneath her light veil, a trace of panic finally flashed across Lü Man's resolute face. Her tone shifted from its initial confidence to uncertainty. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Lü Man, this woman is insane. She might really be capable of doing something like that..." The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor spoke as though he knew Medusa well, unable to hide his concern.

After some thought, Lü Man snorted. "I don't believe you would destroy the two of them!"

Yet just as Lü Man's words fell, Medusa Queen's purple figure instantly appeared before Mo Yun and Qing Lin. With a sweep of her sleeve, two fingers shot toward Mo Yun's eyes. Purple Dou Qi reinforced her fingertips, and there was not the slightest hesitation or mercy in her movement.

At the critical moment, Qing Lin stepped sideways in front of Mo Yun even more decisively...

"Stop!"

Lü Man and the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor shouted in unison.

As the two spoke, Medusa Queen halted her movement. Her two fingertips had already stopped before Qing Lin's eyes, less than a centimeter away. Had Lü Man and the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor not stopped her, there was no doubt those fingers would have pierced straight into Qing Lin's eyes.

"Qing Lin, are you all right?" Mo Yun pulled Qing Lin into his arms. In that brief instant, he had never expected the little girl to suddenly shield him.

In his arms, Qing Lin gently shook her head.

"Are you insane?" Mo Yun could not help roaring at Medusa Queen, no longer caring about the overwhelming strength with which she could crush him at will.

He had originally thought they were on the same side. After all, he had already joined the Snake-People Tribe. But judging from her attack, she clearly had no intention of treating him as one of her own.

"Crazy woman!" The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor's snake pupils shifted constantly, the battle intent within them greatly diminished.

Lü Man said nothing, but her trembling eyes likewise looked as though she were staring at a madwoman. "Medusa Queen, continuing this stalemate will benefit neither side. How about we each take a step back?"

Medusa Queen's face instead showed an amused smile. "And how would we do that?"

Seeing that Medusa Queen was no longer acting impulsively and was willing to negotiate, Lü Man secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She feared Medusa would truly destroy those two pairs of Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. If she had to search again, who knew how long it would take to find another?

"These two little ones both possess Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. How about each side takes one?" Lü Man said slowly, before emphasizing, "The boy goes with us, and the little girl goes with your Snake-People Tribe!"

The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor slowly wriggled its body. Negotiation was not its forte, so it did not interrupt, though it thoroughly agreed with Lü Man's suggestion.

Given the situation today, taking both holders of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils was clearly unlikely. Taking one would be enough to complete their task. Moreover, with that boy's cultivation talent, the clan would certainly value him greatly, and it and Lü Man would gain considerable benefits as well.

But before long, that hope was shattered.

Medusa Queen slowly shook her head, making it clear that she disagreed.

Lü Man's expression darkened as well, and she snapped, "Medusa, we have already made concessions. If you still insist, then even if you destroy the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, once Heavenly Snake Mansion learns of this, it will make your Snake-People Tribe pay the price!"

Medusa seemed unconcerned by the threat. She merely said calmly, "One for each side is acceptable. But the little girl goes with you, and this brat goes with me!"

The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor finally could not hold back and leered. "Hehe, Medusa, the Snake-People Tribe is mostly female. Yet you want this boy? Could it be that, just as the rumors say, snake people are lustful, and you..."

Before the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor could finish, fury surged across Medusa's pretty face. Its mouth was far too foul.

With a sweeping motion of her long arm, a streak of purple radiance instantly burst forth, possessing enough force to even tear through space.

The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor shuddered at once. Medusa's furious strike far surpassed their earlier exchange.

Lü Man inwardly cursed the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor for its foul mouth as well. Immediately, she slapped the ground with her jade-like hand. Countless trees instantly sprang up before the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor, transforming into one green wooden gate after another.

Screech!

After a brief slicing sound, the wooden gates were neatly severed.

Though the purple radiance had weakened, it still flew toward the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor. It struck the spiraled horn atop its head and cleanly sliced off half of it.

Fortunately, Medusa did not attack again. Lü Man hurriedly said, "Medusa, Bai Ya may speak crudely, but as it said, if we truly must choose, we will naturally choose the boy!"

"Impossible! My Snake-People Tribe cannot suffer such humiliation!" Medusa said firmly.

The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor kept rubbing its snake tail against the broken horn, apparently wondering whether it could be reattached after returning. Then it said to Medusa, "Do you even know how to reason, woman? What humiliation has your Snake-People Tribe suffered? We have both seen that boy's talent. Why shouldn't we choose him?"

Medusa lifted her eyes to glance at the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor and said coldly, "This boy has already joined my Snake-People Tribe. He is one of us. You are asking me to hand over my own tribesman. If that is not an insult to my Snake-People Tribe, then what is?"

"You say he joined your Snake-People Tribe, so he joined your Snake-People Tribe? I could just as easily say the two of them entered Heavenly Snake Mansion long ago!" The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor said indignantly.

The coldness on Medusa's face deepened. "I disdain lying. You may take the little girl, but the boy is absolutely impossible. This is my bottom line!"

Lü Man and the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor had dealt with Medusa before, and they knew her character well. She was certainly not the sort to play tricks. Since she said so, it was probably true.

The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor was still unwilling, but Lü Man replied, "Since you have put it that way, the little girl will go with us, and you may take the boy."

Mo Yun and Qing Lin, who had watched the entire exchange unfold, naturally understood what it meant.

Learning that she would be separated from Mo Yun, Qing Lin's eyes filled with reluctance. Knowing she could do nothing about it, waves of sadness rose in her heart as well.

But after a moment, the little girl wiped her eyes with her small hands and revealed a smile that looked somewhat forced. "Young Master's talent really is much greater than Qing Lin's. But even so, Qing Lin will not admit defeat. Qing Lin has the same eyes as Young Master. In the future, Qing Lin will definitely catch up to Young Master!"

"Young Master needn't worry. Those two already said they would not harm Qing Lin. They only want to take Qing Lin back to cultivate. Once Qing Lin becomes stronger through cultivation, Qing Lin will come find Young Master again..."