The prison van bumped along through the yellow sand, its wheels making a monotonous "crunching" sound as they rolled over the gravel.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo were each imprisoned in two small iron cages.
Not far from Xiao Huohuo cage, his heavy Heavy Xuan Ruler was also tied to a cart, clearly being used as a trophy.
Yue Mei was very confident in her self-control.
That makes sense. If a Dou Wang didn't have confidence in two humans who hadn't even reached the Da Dou Shi level, the Snake-People Tribe wouldn't have become the most troublesome enemy of the Jia Ma Empire.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo did not communicate. Inside the iron cage, Xiao Huohuo even closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, clearly treating the restless atmosphere as a trial on his path of cultivation.
However, Xiao Yan did not do so.
This was originally a Martial Soul clone, so this temperature sensation wouldn't cause any harm to his soul.
Seeing that Xiao Huohuo was cultivating, Xiao Yan also closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, ignoring the undisguised hostility of the Snake-People warriors around him.
He appeared calm, but in reality, he precisely manipulated his Soul Power, circulating it slowly and subtly, meticulously examining the purple snake-shaped mark— the Snake Spirit Lock —planted on his chest by Yue Mei.
As Yao Lao said before, this seal is indeed ingenious. It does not rudely block the meridians, but rather resembles countless tiny energy snakes, coiled around the main nodes of the Dou Qi ( Soul Power ). Once the host tries to forcefully break through, it will violently backfire, causing severe pain or even damage to the meridians.
This familiar scene triggered some unpleasant memories for Xiao Yan.
During the six months he was passively put into a deep sleep, a certain " Grandmaster " used his position to inscribe spiritual patterns on his body.
Using the same method, he restricted the return of his Soul Power.
Thinking of this, even though he had already experienced so much, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a little depressed.
Looking back, he realized he had stayed in the Battle Through the Heavens World for far too long, and the improvements he had gained under Yao Lao's guidance were something he had never experienced in the Douluo Continent.
Alchemy, Soul Power Cultivation, Dou Technique, Soul Power Control...
Moreover, given such a long period of time, if the Grandmaster truly joined forces with Bibi Dong, they would probably have to take action by now.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Xiao Yan sensed the Snake Spirit Lock sealing his body, but he already had a plan in mind.
A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit.
Moreover, he had almost become a cripple because of the Grandmaster's item, and he had already thought about how to break similar seals if he encountered them.
However, his method was rather extreme: he used his current Martial Soul to burn through the area of his body where the Snake Spirit Lock was engraved, thus breaking the seal.
However, with Yao Lao here now, he naturally wouldn't resort to such a painful method.
His main concern was to take a closer look at these sealing techniques so that he wouldn't know how to deal with them if he encountered them in the future.
Xiao Yan could also sense that the energy of the Snake Spirit Lock was mainly aimed at the unique circulation path and energy properties of Dou Qi, and its binding effect on the more ethereal and closely connected Soul Power was greatly reduced.
Therefore, Xiao Yan could feel that although the flow of Soul Power in his body was much more sluggish, he could only exert about 40 to 50% of his usual strength, but it was far from being completely suppressed like Xiao Huohuo's.
More importantly, he could still sense his Martial Soul familiarly and release it in an instant without being suppressed.
The prison cart sped southeastward along with Yue Mei's procession.
The scenery along the way gradually changes from pure sand dunes to scattered drought-resistant plants and exposed black and reddish-brown rock formations.
The fire elemental energy in the air seemed to be slowly increasing, and the temperature was becoming increasingly intense, with even the wind carrying a dry, burning sensation.
The team led by Yue Mei consisted of about fifty Snake-People warriors. Besides Yue Mei, the leader of the Seven-Star Dou Wang, there were two leaders at the Dou Ling level, and the rest were elites ranging from Dou Shi to Da Dou Shi.
Such strength would be considered the hallmark of a first-rate family even within the Jia Ma Empire.
Moreover, they were highly disciplined and carried out Yue Mei's orders meticulously. Although their eyes were filled with coldness and hatred when they looked at Xiao Yan and the other person, they did not do anything out of line because of Yue Mei's order "not to harm them".
Yue Mei herself spent most of her time riding on the back of a Tier 2 Magical Beast called " Sand-Walking Lizard Beast," which was as big as an elephant and covered in heavy bone plates, at the very front of the group.
She would occasionally glance back in the direction of the prison cart, her gaze fixed on Xiao Yan, her deep purple eyes lost in thought.
Her alluring figure swayed gently on the sand lizard's back, still drawing attention, but at this moment she exuded only the majesty and indifference of Dou Wang expert.
With a larger group, the speed naturally wouldn't be as fast as when traveling on a normal day.
After a whole day of traveling, Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo could still only see endless sandstorms.
As night fell, the desert temperature plummeted.
The team set up camp in a sheltered, rocky canyon.
The Snake-People skillfully set up makeshift tents and lit several bonfires. The firelight danced on the rock walls, illuminating their slithering snake tails and cold faces.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo were released from the prison cart, their hands and feet shackled with heavy special shackles, and imprisoned in a small, secluded tent on the edge of the camp, heavily guarded by Snake-People warriors.
It must be said that although these Snake-People hate humans to death.
However, they are also extremely humanitarian.
Fearing that Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo, who were "sealed," would freeze to death in the desert at night, they were forced to stay in a makeshift tent.
The tent was simple, but it was enough to keep out the cold night Han Feng.
Two portions of coarse food and water were brought by Snake-People —dry, hard jerky and slightly salty drinking water, clearly just enough to keep them from dying.
Outside the tent, the faint sounds of Snake-People warriors conversing could be heard.
"The two human boys that Lady Yue Mei captured this time don't seem particularly special, so why did you have to personally escort them?"
"What do you know? I heard that the young man in black is incredibly cunning; even Lady Yue Mei almost suffered a loss!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
"Whoever they are, once they arrive in the Holy City, the elders will naturally interrogate them. The clan's patrols have been significantly strengthened recently; it seems the Human Empire is planning something again."
"I heard that spies from our tribe have spotted powerful human warriors lingering on the edge of the desert. I wonder if they're plotting something."
"Hmph, humans are always so greedy! But with Her Majesty the Queen here, no matter who comes, they will never be a match for Her Majesty..."
Fragments of information reached their ears, and Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo silently memorized them.
The increased patrols by the Snake-People Tribe immediately reminded Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo of the Heavenly Flames that Queen Medusa had taken away.
She just didn't know what the other party intended to do with that Heavenly Flames, a rare and powerful yang energy that was incompatible with her bloodline.
As the night deepened and all was quiet, the camp gradually fell silent, save for the sound of patrolling footsteps.
Before even reaching the Snake-People Holy City, Xiao Yan and Xiao Huohuo wouldn't want to cause trouble, so they cooperated fully, becoming two very cooperative "prisoners."