Innate Method (Please support with bookmarks, recommendation votes, monthly votes, and investments!!)

Such a heavy burden pressed down on Medusa that she could barely catch her breath.

The Medusa lineage had never lived for itself, but for the entire Snake-People Tribe!

Medusa wanted to attempt the method of evolution, but even she could not say what the chances of success were. Though ancient records contained successful cases, not a single such case had ever occurred in the Snake-People Tribe's actual history.

The price of failure would likely be her life. She could bear it herself, but the entire Snake-People Tribe could not.

Seeing that Medusa Queen remained silent for a long while, the Great Elder hoarsely asked the Third Elder beside her, "You have always been responsible for the clan's inheritance. How is the cultivation of the new generation of Medusa bloodline progressing?"

The Third Elder beside her could not help but sigh softly. "When we used the intermediate secret method on Medusa, we exhausted most of the Snake-People Tribe's reserves just to hire a high-tier alchemist to refine a Snake Marrow Bone-shedding Pill."

"Over the past few decades, the Snake-People Tribe's foundation has yet to recover. For the new generation of Medusa bloodline, we merely found some century-old herbs rich in energy and cultivated it with an inferior secret method. Its future achievements will likely be limited. It may stop at the Dou Huang realm, and even reaching the peak of Dou Huang will probably be difficult!"

The Second Elder spoke displeasedly, immediately adding, "Medusa, the Snake-People Tribe has given so much for you. It was not so that you could act recklessly!"

For a moment, Medusa did not know what to say. She had always placed the Snake-People Tribe above all else, carrying its rise and fall, honor and disgrace in her heart. She understood clearly what the tribe had sacrificed for her, so she dared not act too rashly and harm its interests.

The Great Elder glanced at Medusa. If anyone understood Medusa Queen best, it was herself.

Although Medusa Queen had been made somewhat hesitant by the Second Elder and Third Elder, and was no longer as resolute as before, the Great Elder knew that before long, Medusa would once again pursue the Dou Zong realm.

She was not someone set in her ways. No matter how obedient Medusa appeared before them, she was proud at heart, and proud people were often aggressive. Perhaps Medusa believed that only by breaking through to the Dou Zong realm could she bring a brighter future to the Snake-People Tribe and better repay the tribe for raising her.

The Great Elder slowly said, "Before the new generation of Medusa has fully matured, the Snake-People Tribe still needs you to lead it. So, wait a while longer before attempting the method of evolution."

"How long?" Medusa instinctively asked the Great Elder.

Before the Great Elder could answer, the Second Elder beside her could no longer hold back. She frowned and sternly said, "Medusa!"

Though Medusa's strength surpassed that of the Four Great Elders, and due to their depleted vitality, the four old women might not even be able to defeat Medusa working together, Medusa had never dared to defy the Four Great Elders verbally. She immediately lowered her head again.

Seeing Medusa's appearance, the Great Elder said calmly, "For the new generation of Medusa in the clan to be cultivated to the point where she can take over your position, a rough estimate would be at least twenty years!"

Medusa Queen's entire body trembled involuntarily at those words. Twenty years?

Could she really endure it?

The Great Elder seemed to have noticed something. Suddenly thinking of something, she could not help but smile. "There is another method that may shorten this period."

"May I ask what method that is, Great Elder?" Medusa asked.

Even the other three elders turned their heads one after another. Clearly, they did not seem to know the method the Great Elder was referring to either.

"The new generation of Medusa Queen was only cultivated using an inferior secret method, so the process is naturally more troublesome. But if we were to conceive a new Medusa bloodline of high quality, the result would be different!" the Great Elder said calmly.

Yet as soon as the Great Elder finished speaking, the Fourth Elder, who had barely made her presence felt until then, was the first to ask, "Great Elder, first we used the intermediate secret method on Medusa, and then we used an inferior secret method to cultivate the new generation of Medusa. Where would we find the resources to cultivate another high-quality Medusa bloodline?"

The Fourth Elder spoke because she was responsible for the Snake-People Tribe's supplies and reserves.

Watching the things under her management grow fewer and fewer, with only expenditures and no income, her heart bled. And now they wanted another high-quality Medusa bloodline? Where was she supposed to get the resources? If it came to it, while her vitality had not yet been completely depleted, they might as well refine her!

The Great Elder looked at the Fourth Elder, who was grumbling inwardly, and raised a hand to signal her to remain calm. Then she continued explaining, "Of course I know the clan's reserves can no longer support the cultivation of a high-quality Medusa bloodline. But we do not necessarily have to use a secret method. We can take another path..."

The three elders did not understand, much less grasp the meaning.

Medusa Queen was equally puzzled. If they did not cultivate it through a secret method, then how were they supposed to cultivate it?

Seeing the slightly eager gazes of the four, the Great Elder said, "Cultivation through secret methods is merely an Acquired Method. While the infant is still in the mother's womb, it is nourished with countless spiritual pills and medicinal herbs to improve its strength and innate potential! Though this method is effective, a great deal of medicinal efficacy is also wasted..."

The four nodded. They all knew that. The important part was what came next!

"Since there is an Acquired Method, there is naturally an Innate Method!"

"An Innate Method?"

The four cried out in unison. This was simply unheard of among the Snake-People Tribe.

"Cultivating a Medusa bloodline is, at its core, simply having a child! The reason we need secret methods is ultimately because its parents cannot provide powerful support through their bloodline inheritance. But if the parents themselves can provide powerful inheritance support, would that not be more effective than cultivation through secret methods?"

"This..." The three elders were immediately speechless.

Medusa Queen was equally speechless, and she even had a bad feeling about this.

Why did she feel that the Great Elder's Innate Method was somehow aimed at her?

The Great Elder continued, "Medusa was cultivated with an intermediate secret method, and her own strength has reached the peak of nine-star Dou Huang. In Medusa's history, this already counts as exceptionally outstanding, far surpassing the others in the Medusa lineage!"

"So the Great Elder means... Medusa should serve as the mother and conceive a new generation?" The Second Elder was no fool and had already vaguely guessed it.

The Third Elder and Fourth Elder exchanged glances. The Fourth Elder asked the crucial question, "Although Medusa was cultivated using an intermediate secret method, and her strength has reached the peak of nine-star Dou Huang, even if she can be used to produce the next generation, it still does not seem enough. Her descendants would also find it difficult to surpass her! So the other half who joins with Medusa would be needed to make up for that. Then..."

"Could it be that the Great Elder means for Medusa to join with someone and conceive a new generation? Medusa's other half would be..." The Third Elder had guessed a certain possibility.

(Have you guessed it?)