Arrival at the Snake-People Tribe, Mobas's Provocation

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King flew westward over the rolling golden expanse of the Tager Desert. Heat waves rose from the ground, warping the distant scenery into a shifting blur of light and shadow.

The deeper they flew into the desert, the more desolate and boundless the terrain below became.

Occasionally, several bare dark-brown rock formations rose from the sea of sand like ancient sunken ships.

Medusa's long dress snapped and billowed in the fierce wind, outlining every exquisite curve of her body. Unfortunately, Meng Chen was seated in front, doomed to miss such a wonderful sight.

After who knew how long, Meng Chen finally saw the holy city of the Snake-People Tribe ahead.

It was a vast ring-shaped dune, with a dense cluster of city buildings at its center.

The city's buildings had been constructed from local materials, all piled from massive stones and sandstone.

From the crude stone huts along the outskirts to the orderly stone towers of the inner ring, their colors shifted from pale gray to deep yellow. As it was an oasis, greenery dotted the city throughout. From above, it looked as if emerald gems had been set into gold.

At the very center stood a strange spired temple. Its entire body was built from white marble and adorned with gold, gleaming with lavish majesty beneath the glaring desert sun.

Meng Chen guided the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King downward when they were still a li from the city's edge.

Medusa took a thumb-sized purple bone whistle from her waist, brought it to her full, sensual lips, and blew softly.

The whistle was not loud, yet it was remarkably penetrating. Its shrill sound waves rapidly spread through the dry, scorching air, audible across the entire city ahead.

Meng Chen noticed that, with the whistle's