Planning for Sky Serpent Mansion

Lu Xia looked at the Third Elder, who was bristling with hostility, his expression unchanged. The terrifying pressure of a Two-Star Dou Zong descended upon the Third Elder like Mount Tai crashing down!

"Bang!"

The Third Elder only felt as though a great mountain had slammed into him. His knees gave way, and he crashed to the ground.

Every bone in his body creaked. His face flushed red, veins bulging across his forehead. He struggled with all his strength to stand, only to discover that he could not even move a finger.

The gap between a Dou Zong and a Dou Emperor was like an insurmountable chasm!

The four Dou Wang-level Snake-People behind him fared even worse. They were suppressed so thoroughly that they could not lift their heads, each of them pale with fright.

A Dou Zong! This human was actually a Dou Zong expert!

The Third Elder's heart turned cold. He understood why the Queen had ordered him to stop. An expert of this level was simply not someone they could afford to provoke.

"Lu Xia!"

Seeing this, Medusa hurried forward and pleaded softly to Lu Xia.

"He was only agitated for a moment and did not understand the situation. Spare him this once. I'll have him leave immediately. He won't disturb you again."

She knew that Lu Xia was decisive and ruthless. If he had truly offended him, the Third Elder would definitely not survive today.

Although the Third Elder was somewhat reckless, he was still an elder of the Snake-People Tribe and fiercely loyal to her. She could not watch him die here.

Lu Xia glanced at Medusa. Seeing the pleading look on her face, his heart stirred, and he withdrew his pressure.

As though pardoned, the Third Elder collapsed on the ground and gasped for breath. The clothes on his back were already soaked through with cold sweat.

When he looked at Lu Xia again, his eyes were filled with fear. None of his former arrogance remained.

Medusa turned toward the Third Elder, her queenly aloofness returning to her face.

"Third Elder, take your men and return. Tell the First Elder and the others that I am safe now and will be leaving for a while."

"During this time, the First Elder will take full charge of the tribe's affairs."

"Your Majesty!"

The Third Elder panicked and struggled to climb to his feet.

"Our Snake-People Tribe cannot be without you! Give the order, and I'll return to find the First Elder and the others at once. Even if we must expend the strength of the entire tribe, we will definitely rescue you!"

In his eyes, Medusa had certainly been coerced by this Dou Zong expert. Otherwise, why would she say such things?

"There's no need."

Medusa's expression darkened. She assumed the authority of the Snake-People Queen, her tone firm.

"Lu Xia and I are currently partners. He will help me break through to Dou Zong. Once this matter is finished, I will naturally return."

"You need not say another word. Just relay my words to the First Elder exactly as they are. This is an order!"

Seeing Medusa's gaze, the Third Elder opened his mouth, but in the end, he could only lower his head helplessly.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He glanced at Lu Xia, not daring to say anything more. With the four Snake-People, he turned and vanished into the depths of the desert.

He had to hurry back and inform the First Elder of this news. A Dou Zong expert was a formidable enemy to the Snake-People Tribe!

Only after the Third Elder and his group had completely disappeared did Qinglin look at Medusa in shock.

"Sister Medusa... You... you're actually the Queen of the Snake-People Tribe?"

She had only thought Medusa was beautiful and carried a cold, noble air. She had never expected her to be the legendary Queen of the Snake-People Tribe!

Before Medusa could speak, Lu Xia smiled and explained.

"Surprised? Your Sister Medusa really is the Queen of the Snake-People Tribe, but you don't need to fear her. Just treat her as your older sister normally. She wouldn't dare bully you."

Lu Xia looked at Medusa as he spoke, amusement in his eyes.

Medusa quietly gritted her silver teeth, but she did not dare refute him. She could only glare fiercely at Lu Xia.

She was under another's roof and had no choice but to bow her head. Once she broke through to Dou Zong, she would definitely make this man understand the Queen's power!

Watching their interaction, Qinglin suppressed the shock in her heart and nodded obediently.

"Mm! I understand, Brother Xia!"

Medusa looked at Lu Xia. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke softly.

"Thank you... for earlier."

If Lu Xia had not shown mercy earlier, the Third Elder would already have been dead.

Lu Xia raised an eyebrow and looked at her in surprise. He had not expected this proud queen to actually say thank you.

He did not say much, merely waving a hand.

"Let's go. We'll keep traveling and try to leave the desert before nightfall."

Yellow sand filled the sky.

The three figures rose and fell among the dunes. After traveling for most of the day, the endless desert before them finally came to an end.

Scattered drought-resistant shrubs stood stubbornly against the wind.

"We finally made it out..."

Qinglin wiped away a fine sheen of sweat, relief appearing in her smile.

This was the first time in her life that she had traveled such a long distance.

Although she was now a Nine-Star Dou Zhe and this distance was nothing much, the scorching heat and dryness of the desert still left her somewhat unable to bear it.

Lu Xia stopped and looked around.

This was the edge of the Tagor Desert. Beyond it lay the Jia Ma Empire, where people would gradually become more numerous.

"Let's find a place to rest first."

Lu Xia found a sheltered earthen slope with several enormous boulders that happened to block the hot wind blowing through the desert.

"Okay!" Qinglin's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.

Medusa merely gave a slight nod, still wearing that cold and lofty expression.

The three walked beneath the rocks. Qinglin obediently took out waterskins and dried rations from her Storage Ring, handing them first to Lu Xia and then to Medusa.

Leaning against a rock, Lu Xia's gaze fell upon the two girls beside him, his eyes gradually deepening.

Qinglin was eating, her cheeks puffed out.

Noticing Lu Xia's gaze, she lifted her head and gave him a sweet smile.

Ever since Qinglin had begun following Lu Xia, the smiles on her face had become more frequent.

But...

Lu Xia frowned slightly.

Although Qinglin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had already begun to awaken, and she had even subdued the fourth-tier Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, he did not possess a cultivation technique truly suited to her.

He cultivated poison-based techniques, which were unsuitable for Qinglin.

The Snake-People Tribe's cultivation techniques that Medusa practiced could be used as well, but they were not the best match for the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.

As a supreme eye technique passed down from ancient times, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils would only have their top-tier potential wasted if she made do with an ordinary cultivation technique.

Suddenly, inspiration flashed through Lu Xia's mind.

Sky Serpent Mansion!

According to the original plot, Qinglin had originally been taken away and trained by the people of Sky Serpent Mansion.

Sky Serpent Mansion not only possessed the Heaven Tier cultivation technique best suited to the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, the "Sky Serpent Art," but also held the complete inheritance of those pupils.

Across the Northwestern Continent, there was no place more suitable for Qinglin's growth than Sky Serpent Mansion.

Sky Serpent Mansion had searched for an inheritor of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils for many years.

If he delivered the disciple they had dreamed of finding to them, they would probably worship Qinglin like an ancestor and devote all their efforts to nurturing her.

Lu Xia lightly tapped his knee with his fingers, his mind racing.

The more he thought about sending Qinglin to Sky Serpent Mansion, the more feasible it seemed.

Once she grew strong in Sky Serpent Mansion, given how dependent she was on him, wouldn't the entire Sky Serpent Mansion effectively be in his hands?