Faced with the pressure and questioning of two eighth-tier magical beasts in human form, Chu Zhou remained perfectly calm.
His gaze swept over the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, then returned to the two snake women with their markedly different temperaments. He spoke evenly. "I am Chu Zhou, husband of the Heavenly Snake Empire's Empress. I have just wiped out the Heavenly Snake Mansion's upper ranks. Who are you two, and what are you doing here?"
Chu Zhou's words struck like a boulder dropped into a still lake, instantly changing both snake women's expressions.
"Wiped out the Heavenly Snake Mansion's upper ranks?!" the sultry snake woman in black cried out, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. "You—is that true? You killed that venomous woman, Fu Ling?"
The aloof snake woman in white said nothing, but her icy serpentine eyes flickered violently, betraying her inner turmoil.
They exchanged a glance, each seeing shock and fierce satisfaction in the other's eyes.
Watching their reactions, Chu Zhou considered something and said calmly, "You must be serpent-type magical beasts contracted to the Heavenly Snake Mansion's Dou Zun. If you don't believe me, try sensing whether the restrictions within you have loosened."
The snake woman in black immediately checked. The curse mark remained, but it was indeed no longer as firmly anchored as before.
She drew a deep breath and bowed to Chu Zhou. "I am Chi Lian. Greetings, sir."
"My younger sister, Qing Luo, and I possess the royal bloodline of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan. Experts from the Heavenly Snake Mansion captured us when we were young and imprisoned us in this sacred land!"
As Chi Lian spoke, deep-seated hatred and the weariness of long torment flashed through her eyes. Qing Luo beside her looked much the same.
"The Heavenly Snake Mansion burned our