Putting the First Elder in Her Place, the Ice Coffin in the Secret Chamber

She knew all too well how stubborn the First Elder was.

Whenever the queen had pushed through reforms over the years, the First Elder had dragged out tribal rules to stand in her way.

The two of them had once agreed with the First Elder that tribal rules must not be broken lightly.

But as the years passed, their views had gradually changed.

Now only the First Elder remained trapped in the past. She insisted on following every outdated rule and openly challenged the queen at every opportunity, large or small, in the name of tribal law.

She had stirred up resentment throughout the entire Snake-People Tribe.

As far as they were concerned, those useless old rules should have been abolished long ago.

If they had not been bound by those rules, that incident years ago would never have happened. The Snake-People Tribe would have been stronger than it was today.

They felt deeply guilty about it, but there was little they could do.

They had come around themselves, but changing someone like the First Elder was another matter, especially when those beliefs had taken root in her heart and hardened like iron.

Once they had finished talking, the four flew toward the Snake-People Tribe together.

Along the way, the two Elders naturally noticed Xiao Yan's Flying Dou Technique. They marveled even more at him. He even possessed something so rare.

What was more, Xiao Yan flew almost as fast as they did, and his reserves of Dou Qi far exceeded those of an ordinary Dou Ling. He could sustain flight for an astonishing length of time.

Taken together, his abilities made the two Elders realize that this human was far more than the Pretty Boy the queen kept around.

After a swift journey, the four finally returned to the Snake-People Holy City.

The moment they entered the temple, they saw two figures standing in the center of the hall. Both looked older than the Third Elder and Fourth Elder. They were the First Elder and Second Elder.

The two hurried forward at the sight of Medusa.

One looked kind and gentle; the other wore a stern, rigid expression.

"Your Majesty, where have you been all this time? You had us old women worried sick!" The Second Elder looked Medusa over carefully from head to toe, her voice full of concern.

Medusa felt a warmth in her heart at the Second Elder's genuine worry.

Of the four Elders, the Second Elder had watched her grow up and treated her best. She was practically family.

The Second Elder was gentle by nature and open-minded.

When Medusa had introduced those reforms years ago, the other three Elders had opposed her. Only the Second Elder had stepped forward to support her.

It was also thanks to the Second Elder's repeated persuasion that the Third Elder and Fourth Elder had gradually changed their minds and begun to side with the queen.

Medusa held the older woman in particular esteem.

"I went away for a few reasons and got held up." Medusa glanced at Xiao Yan, her voice a little unnatural.

She could hardly explain what had happened. She certainly could not admit in public that she had spent all this time as someone's maid.

Following Medusa's gaze, the Second Elder noticed Xiao Yan as well.

Surprise crossed her face. "Your Majesty, who is this?"

Medusa repeated what she had told the Third Elder and Fourth Elder.

This time, to keep the First Elder from saying something that might anger Xiao Yan, she made a point of emphasizing how powerful he was and that he had come to help her break through to Dou Zong.

The Second Elder reacted just as the Third Elder and Fourth Elder had. First came surprise. Then she looked at Xiao Yan's excessively young face and instinctively wondered if he was the Pretty Boy the queen kept around.

When she heard that Xiao Yan could help Medusa break through to Dou Zong, she found it hard to believe. After all, he appeared to be no more than a Dou Ling, and he was far too young.

She was about to ask more when the First Elder, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.

Her hoarse voice rang out heavily. "A mere human at the Dou Ling level is to be our honored guest? And he claims he can help the queen break through to Dou Zong? Your Majesty, according to tribal law, what you have done—"

"Enough!" Medusa snapped. She feared Xiao Yan would lose his temper, but she could not contain her own rising anger either.

The pressure of a Peak Dou Emperor was about to descend on the First Elder.

Her fierce reaction was not only because she feared the First Elder would provoke Xiao Yan. The words "tribal law" had also stirred up many deeply unpleasant memories.

But Xiao Yan was not the sort to swallow an insult in silence. He had never liked being mocked to his face.

The instant the First Elder opened her mouth, he had quietly asked Yao Lao to lend him power.

The Dou Qi surging around him climbed rapidly. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the Dou Zong Realm.

The sudden change shocked everyone present.

At last, they understood why the queen had repeatedly stressed how strong Xiao Yan was.

Then, under the Elders' horrified gazes, Xiao Yan reached out from afar and closed his hand around the empty air before the First Elder's neck.

An invisible force seized her by the throat and lifted her bodily into the air.

The First Elder's face turned red as she hung there, struggling desperately.

Worst of all, caught in Xiao Yan's grip, she could not draw on a single trace of the Dou Qi within her.

It was utterly one-sided.

Everyone in the hall watched in silence. Not one dared plead for her.

Medusa stood quietly to the side as well, with no intention of speaking up for the First Elder.

She had stressed Xiao Yan's strength again and again. The First Elder had chosen to step forward and make trouble anyway. She had no one else to blame for angering him.

Besides, from what Medusa had learned of Xiao Yan lately, he would probably only punish the First Elder a little. He would not actually take her life.

Sure enough, after forcibly placing a Soul Imprint on the First Elder and crippling one of her arms, Xiao Yan withdrew his power.

He lowered her to the ground and said evenly, "Do your job as an Elder. Stay out of what doesn't concern you.

"If you bring up those tribal rules again... I won't mind lifting a finger to end you."

He did not raise his voice, but the threat behind his words made everyone present shudder.

Medusa knew at once that Xiao Yan had done this to put the First Elder in her place for Medusa's sake.

Warmth surged through her heart, and when she looked at Xiao Yan again, her gaze had softened.

The First Elder sensed that something had been done to her soul. Fear finally appeared on her deeply lined face.

Cradling her ruined arm, she repeatedly promised she would never do it again.

Once he had dealt with the First Elder, Xiao Yan became that seemingly harmless young man again, as though nothing had happened.

The decisive ruthlessness he had just shown stood in stark contrast to the carefree rascal Medusa knew.

And after he had stepped in to curb the First Elder for her sake, Xiao Yan came to mean a little more to Medusa.

There was no reasoning with someone like the First Elder.

She needed someone like Xiao Yan to act directly and crush her arrogance.

Simple and direct.

With the matter settled, Medusa issued instructions for every part of the preparations for her evolution.

With the First Elder, her greatest obstacle, out of the way, Medusa's was now the only voice that mattered in the Snake-People Tribe.

At her command, the whole tribe sprang into action with unprecedented efficiency.

After giving her instructions, Medusa personally led Xiao Yan to a place where he could rest.

"About what happened just now... thank you," Medusa said sincerely.

"How do you plan to thank me?" Xiao Yan watched her, that familiar wicked smile returning to his lips.

Under his gaze, Medusa could no longer maintain her queenly composure. She blushed and could not meet his eyes.

"You can owe me for now. I'll tell you when I've thought of something." Seeing the queen so uncharacteristically shy, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled.

The look on Xiao Yan's face made Medusa's heart flutter with unease. Yet beneath it lay a faint anticipation she could not explain.

After seeing Xiao Yan to his room, Medusa took her leave and returned to her own quarters alone.

She passed through a hidden door and several winding passages before reaching a Secret Chamber that gave off a faint chill.

She opened the Secret Chamber door with practiced ease and slowly slithered inside.

The Secret Chamber was frighteningly cold.

An ice coffin rested in the very center of the Secret Chamber.