The Great Elder smiled faintly. Without speaking, she simply raised her hand.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a streak of black energy shot toward Su Tian.
Seeing the Great Elder launch such a fierce attack without a word, Su Tian's expression changed abruptly.
Again? You old crone, are you really treating me like a monkey to toy with?
Even so, Su Tian could only curse indignantly in his heart. He dared not let the slightest displeasure show on his face.
After all, with his strength, he could gain no advantage whatsoever against the First Elder.
"Dou Qi Armor, form!"
Su Tian drew a deep breath, his expression grave. His hands abruptly shifted into a seal, and fiery-red Dou Qi surged out of his body, covering its surface.
Strange flame patterns seemed branded upon it. As the fiery-red Dou Qi churned, a wave of scorching heat washed outward.
Su Tian lowered his head slightly and examined the Dou Qi Armor on his body, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
As expected of the Dou Qi Armor that only a Da Dou Shi can possess!
Compared with a Dou Qi gauze robe, this Dou Qi Armor greatly enhanced Su Tian's overall defense.
Even in battle, the boost it provided Su Tian was clearly apparent.
Sooner or later, I'll let this old crone taste my power!
Feeling the aura he now possessed, far stronger than before, Su Tian narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, murmuring inwardly.
Then Su Tian abruptly raised his head. The streak of black energy was already upon him.
His face cold and stern, Su Tian snorted. With a thought, he activated the Flame Mantra, instantly circulating it along a specific route through his meridians.
At the same time, Su Tian abruptly clenched his right hand into a fist. With another thought, fiery-red Dou Qi gushed from his Dou Crystal and gathered entirely around his right fist.
"Break!"
Seeing the streak of black energy right before him, Su Tian did not hesitate. With a furious shout, he drove his right fist forward.
The punch had no flourishes. It was utterly straightforward.
Yet it contained all the strength Su Tian had gathered for this strike.
At that instant, without the slightest retreat, Su Tian's right fist collided head-on with the streak of black energy.
Boom!!!
A deafening crash reverberated through the palace like thunder out of a clear sky. Even the ground seemed to tremble.
Outside the palace, the tremendous commotion immediately drew the attention of every member of the Snake-People in Temple City. Their gazes turned toward the palace where Queen Medusa resided.
"What was that sound just now?"
"It sounded like the shock waves from a fight, didn't it?"
"Such incredible power! For an instant, I felt terror rise from the depths of my heart!"
"..."
The Snake-People whispered among themselves, looking toward the palace, but not one dared take a step closer.
After all, within the Snake-People Tribe, Queen Medusa's name carried far greater intimidation.
Inside the palace.
At the point where Su Tian's right fist met the streak of black energy, an extremely violent surge of residual energy erupted and swept outward in all directions.
At the sight, Su Tian's eyes flashed. His face remained cold and stern, without the slightest trace of panic.
Thump!
Su Tian pushed off with his feet, his figure retreating swiftly like a light breeze.
At the same time, the Dou Qi within him quietly gathered once more.
"A mere shock wave-disperse!"
Su Tian gave a cold snort and drove his right fist forward again. A fierce blast of wind from his punch instantly shot toward the wave of residual energy sweeping at him.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
With the momentum of splitting bamboo, the blast from his fist obliterated the residual energy sweeping toward him in the blink of an eye.
This alone offered a glimpse of a Da Dou Shi's might.
Had it been Su Tian before his breakthrough, he would inevitably have been somewhat flustered when dealing with such a fierce attack from the Great Elder.
Of course, this also showed that Su Tian's combat experience was improving at an astonishing rate.
Tap!
Su Tian lightly planted his foot and sprang into the air. With a nimble flip, he landed steadily on the ground.
Lightly brushing the dust from his clothes, Su Tian raised his head. His expression perfectly normal, he looked at the Great Elder and the others, that seemingly obedient smile returning to his face.
"Great Elder, you really do enjoy your jokes."
Su Tian spoke with a smile, making no mention whatsoever of the Great Elder's sudden attack.
Naturally, he knew what the Great Elder meant by it. She merely wanted to test his current strength.
Or rather, to Su Tian, it seemed more like a test of his potential.
As for why the Great Elder would do this, Su Tian could not figure it out. After turning it over in his mind, he could only attribute it to the so-called Emperor Clan bloodline within him.
"Interesting."
The Great Elder said little in response to Su Tian's words, merely giving him a long, searching look.
After a long while, an ugly, even sinister smile appeared on the Great Elder's aged face, and she spoke in a hoarse voice that grated on the ears.
"Very well. Within Temple City, you may move freely anywhere except certain forbidden grounds of our tribe."
If you encounter advertisements such as "Are you a real person?", simply ignore and close them. Do not scan any codes or send text messages!
At the Great Elder's words, Su Tian's eyes lit up. Before he could speak, however, he saw a hint of mockery in her gaze as she continued.
"However, you should understand the enmity between humans and our Snake-People Tribe. If you do not wish to die, this old woman advises you to behave yourself in Temple City."
Su Tian merely shrugged at the Great Elder's warning, offering no comment.
Perhaps, just as the Great Elder had said, if Su Tian dared show his face in Temple City, countless Snake-People would immediately seek to kill him and relish his death.
Su Tian was indeed afraid of dying.
But he felt no concern over the threat in the Great Elder's words.
"Thank you for your kind intentions, Great Elder!"
Just as the Great Elder and the others turned to leave, Su Tian smiled faintly, cupped his hands toward her back, and spoke in a clear voice.
"But I believe that even if some of the Snake-People truly wished to take my life, you would not allow it, would you, Great Elder?"
"Tap..."
At Su Tian's words, the Great Elder abruptly halted.
A moment of silence followed.
The Great Elder slowly turned around, that ugly smile surfacing on her face. "What? Because I spared you earlier, you believe this old woman would not dare kill you?"
"I would not dare!"
Su Tian smiled faintly, without the slightest panic on his face, seeming like an entirely different person from his earlier flippant self.
"If you wished to kill me, Great Elder, I would already be lying here dead. Why waste a third-tier pill on me?"
Su Tian paused, looking at the Great Elder, then slowly continued.
"I mean nothing else by saying this. I merely wish to tell you that you may rest assured about certain matters. I know where to draw the line!"
To an outsider, Su Tian's words might have seemed shrouded in clouds and mist.
But as far as the Great Elder was concerned, Su Tian believed she would certainly understand his meaning.
The Great Elder said nothing. She merely watched Su Tian quietly, a faint chill seeping into her gaze.
As Su Tian's words faded, time itself seemed to stand still throughout the palace.
After a long while, the Great Elder's hoarse voice slowly rang out.
"Are you threatening this old woman?"
"I would not dare!"
Su Tian smiled faintly, cupped his hands respectfully, and spoke softly.
Upon the throne, Queen Medusa watched the exchange between Su Tian and the Great Elder with interest. As her beautiful eyes shifted, she grew a little more curious about him.
If I remember correctly, it has been a long time since anyone dared speak to the Great Elder like this, hasn't it?
In Queen Medusa's memory, everyone who dared speak to the Great Elder in such a manner seemed to have become a human-shaped stone statue, standing forever in the Tagor Desert.
This little human has considerable talent for cultivation, but what exactly gives him the confidence to act so fearlessly?
Queen Medusa could not find an answer.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her.
Could he know exactly what secret lies hidden in his blood, the secret the Great Elder and the others are searching for?
At that thought, Queen Medusa looked toward Su Tian in the palace, a strange gleam seeming to flash in the depths of her eyes.
As for Su Tian.
Although he appeared calm and composed on the surface, he was secretly on the verge of falling apart.
Playing mind games with these old crones is pure torture. Every one of them has such a dirty mind-they're riddled with schemes from head to toe!
Su Tian could not help ranting furiously inwardly, but he still had to force himself to look calm and collected.
At that moment, Su Tian felt he could win a golden statuette for best actor.
His own capacity for scheming naturally could not compare with that of the First Elder and the others.
However, to secure his life, Su Tian could no longer afford to worry about all that.
While Su Tian struggled inwardly, the Great Elder gave him another long, searching look. A sinister smile appeared on her aged face, as dry and withered as tree bark.
"Let us leave it at that."
Huh? Leave it at that? At what?
At the Great Elder's words, Su Tian was momentarily bewildered. He blinked, his face blank with confusion.
The Great Elder offered no further answer, however. In an instant, her figure vanished from the palace.
Only Su Tian remained standing there in uncertainty.
Damn it! They're all cunning old foxes! Compared with them, I'm nothing but a pure, innocent little lamb!
Su Tian seethed with indignation, yet he could only gnash his teeth silently in his heart.
After all, Su Tian understood that when beneath another's roof, one had no choice but to lower one's head.
Still, Su Tian now knew that at least until he lost all value to the Great Elder and the others, he would remain safe.
Just as Su Tian had said earlier, some matters required knowing where to draw the line.
As long as Su Tian did nothing too excessive within Temple City, the Great Elder would not allow his life to be endangered.
His verbal probing just now had been aimed at obtaining precisely such a token of immunity from death.
Only then could Su Tian stay in Temple City with some temporary peace of mind.
Forget it. Since I'm here, I might as well settle in. I should find a chance to escape as soon as possible.
Su Tian sighed helplessly and quickly made up his mind.
Naturally, Su Tian did not dare stake his safety entirely on those old crones of the Snake-People Tribe.
Before you continue