"Damn, I can't swim, I can only float on my back."
As Chen Mo plunged into the lake, he suddenly realized that, whether in his previous life or now, he had never learned how to swim.
So, he could only flip over, lying on his back on the surface of the lake, awkwardly "floating" toward the shore.
The lake's water was highly toxic, with strands of nearly imperceptible dark purple liquid slowly appearing. However, when they touched the lightning and fire surrounding Chen Mo, they were instantly burned into wisps of black smoke.
Using his hands as paddles, Chen Mo's arms moved in a spiral motion, leaving a trail in the water as he gradually approached the small island.
Just as he was about to reach the shore, a giant serpent covered in emerald green scales with a triangular head emerged from the lake behind him, its gaping maw full of sharp teeth speeding toward him.
"Shit!"
In an instant, his legs turned into something like an electric motor, and with a somewhat clumsy dive, he scrambled onto the island, rolling and crawling.
The giant serpent, wary of the island, did not come ashore but continued to circle the island's perimeter.
The island was not large, but its vegetation was extraordinarily lush.
Despite being far away, Chen Mo could still feel the intense heat of the Heavenly Flame.
Following the heat, he moved forward, passing through a bamboo grove and winding along a few paths until a circular clearing appeared before his eyes.
[Ding! Green Lotus Core Flame detected. You can spend 130,000 fortune points to plunder it.]
[Ding! Large quantities of Ice Spirit Cold Spring detected. You can spend 8,000 fortune points to plunder it.]
[Ding! Sixth-tier magical beast detected, partially evolved Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. You can spend 9,999 fortune points to plunder it.]
The system's voice rang out, but the steep prices made Chen Mo feel they were out of his reach.
"You can just take a break," he muttered to himself, hiding behind a large boulder as he watched Queen Medusa dance gracefully on a crystal lotus pedestal.
Queen Medusa was dressed in an expensive purple robe that clung to her enchanting figure. Her slender, pale waist was exposed, and her voluptuous curves moved sensuously with each step, exuding a seductive charm.
Most notably, Queen Medusa was wearing makeup.
Chen Mo didn't know what kind of makeup it was.
But it was beautiful, and that was all that mattered.
Chen Mo slapped himself hard. "You pervert, you're even attracted to a snake..."
At that moment, Chen Mo realized that Battle Through the Heavens featured all kinds of beauties.
There were lolis, mature women, the girl-next-door, princesses, and queens...
Unfortunately, Chen Mo wasn't a collector.
As the dance came to an end, Queen Medusa's beautiful eyes locked onto the azure flame in the small pool, a rare trace of hesitation flashing across her bewitching face.
But it was only for a moment before her resolve strengthened.
Her hands formed seals.
In the next instant, her perfect, jade-like body was laid bare before Chen Mo.
Chen Mo recited the Purity Mantra to himself, "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil..."
But his eyes were glued to the scene.
You dirty old man...
Chen Mo felt a stirring somewhere within him, a reaction that was not just a natural response for a man but also a testament to the innate charm Queen Medusa possessed.
Suddenly, Chen Mo felt a pang of envy toward Xiao Yan.
This kind of pleasure was beyond anyone else's imagination.
Finally, Queen Medusa clasped her hands together, her delicate hands constantly changing through intricate seals. As the seals shifted, the energy in the surrounding area grew chaotic, forming a massive vortex above the island that pierced the sky.
Queen Medusa's body began to transform.
Then, a massive purple serpent, over ten meters long, hovered in mid-air.
This was Queen Medusa's true form.
Outside...
The crowd stared in awe at the pillar of energy that shot toward the heavens.
All the Serpentfolk in the tribe fell to their knees, as if partaking in a solemn ritual.
"Queen Medusa is beginning her evolution," the black-robed figure floating in mid-air outside the city walls muttered softly.
"You should all leave. Although this evolution is unpredictable, if she succeeds, even I won't be able to protect you," the black-robed man continued. "As for the Heavenly Flame, if Medusa fails, I'll retrieve it for you if I get the chance."
"And you..."
"I want to stay and witness this crucial moment."
...
Chen Mo watched in silence as the giant purple serpent swallowed the Green Lotus Core Flame whole.
What the hell?
What's going on?
In the novel, didn't Queen Medusa dive into the Heavenly Flame?
Why did she swallow it?
What exactly happened?
Chen Mo had so many questions.
After swallowing the Heavenly Flame, the purple serpent quickly dived into the small pool filled with Ice Spirit Cold Spring.
Soon, agonized screams echoed from the pool.
Chen Mo could vaguely see the massive body of the purple serpent writhing in the pool, the scorching heat causing the water to boil and steam to rise.
Then, azure flames burst from the pool, enveloping the purple serpent in an instant.
Scales fell off in pieces, and crimson blood oozed out.
The intense pain twisted the serpent's body into a corkscrew shape as the Heavenly Flame coiled around its entire form.
Moments later, the enormous body of the purple serpent was charred black by the Heavenly Flame, its massive head crashing into the pool with a splash.
The violent energy dissipated, and the enormous vortex hovering above the island vanished, as if everything had returned to normal.
"In the end, she still failed," the black-robed figure outside sighed quietly. Ignoring the despairing Serpentfolk, he flew away from the city.
"Your Majesty!" Inside the city, the Serpentfolk began to pray fervently for their queen.
The violent energy had disappeared, and the queen's screams had ceased, all signs pointing to Queen Medusa's failure to evolve.
The Serpentfolk also realized that their queen might have failed, but they refused to accept it.
"Could she have really failed?" Chen Mo also began to doubt. Queen Medusa was not supposed to fail in her evolution, but since she had swallowed the Heavenly Flame, Chen Mo wasn't so sure.
This wasn't following the original plot at all.
Chen Mo cautiously approached the small pool. Even if Queen Medusa had failed to evolve, he hoped the Green Lotus Core Flame was still there.
In the small pool, the charred, massive serpent's body lay motionless in the water, and the azure flames that had burned on its body had vanished.
"Seriously? The Green Lotus Core Flame is gone too? Did I come here for nothing..." Chen Mo was dumbfounded by the sight.
"Wait a minute. If Queen Medusa failed to evolve, why hasn't the system notified me of a mission failure?" After a moment of stunned silence, Chen Mo realized something was off.
Sure enough.
A while later...
A sound like an eggshell cracking came from the charred serpent's body, with small cracks appearing along its surface.
As the serpent's body began to break apart, brilliant, multicolored lights burst forth from within.
When the light finally faded, a small, seven-colored serpent slithered out from the blackened corpse.
There were no grand phenomena.
Queen Medusa had successfully evolved, just like that.