"This... I didn't do much, just brought a snake out to get some fresh air."
A colorful little snake emerged from Chen Mo's sleeve, first rubbing against Chen Mo's thumb, then looking at the group with a fearful expression.
Seeing the colorful snake, Gu He and the others felt a familiar aura from it.
Yun Yun frowned, recalling a description she had read in ancient texts. A possibility emerged in her mind, and she spoke in a serious tone, "This colorful little snake in front of us... Could it be Queen Medusa?"
Yun Yun hoped to hear Chen Mo deny it.
However, the result was quite the opposite—Chen Mo nodded.
Upon seeing this, Yun Yun, Gu He, and the others all looked at the colorful little snake in shock.
After a moment, they collectively took a deep breath.
Queen Medusa... has successfully evolved.
After a long while, Yan Shi patted Chen Mo's arm, then extended his thumb and said, "Goodness, no wonder the eight tribe leaders are so hostile towards you. You even brought out the queen of the snake people. Impressive."
"I can't believe that the once-famous Queen Medusa has now become such a cute little creature."
Feng Li found the little snake adorable and reached out to touch its head, but the snake's body suddenly bristled, and the flame mark on its forehead flashed. In the next moment, a cyan flame, a hundred times more terrifying than the one used against Yan Ci, spewed from the snake's mouth.
Fortunately, Feng Li dodged quickly, and the flame only burned part of his robe, sparing his body from harm.
"Is this... an exotic flame!" Gu He exclaimed in horror.
Chen Mo was shocked by the scene, murmuring to himself, "So you've been pretending all along?"
Feng Li, now finding the little snake far less cute, looked at it with apprehension, exclaiming, "As expected of Queen Medusa, even in this small form, she's still terrifying."
"Haha, Old Li, that's what you get for being reckless. You almost didn't make it," Yan Shi laughed heartily, showing no concern for Feng Li.
Feng Li immediately punched Yan Shi and then turned to Gu He, saying, "Old He, it seems that exotic flame is beyond our reach."
"Indeed," Gu He replied, a hint of dejection in his voice. He hadn't expected that not only had Queen Medusa successfully evolved, but she had also refined the exotic flame.
Gu He didn't dare to harbor any thoughts about Medusa, even in her current form.
After witnessing the earlier scene, he knew better.
"But how did you manage to bring out someone as terrifying as Queen Medusa?" Gu He asked in amazement.
"Yes," Yan Shi, who was usually quite carefree, also noticed the issue and looked at Chen Mo, who was playing with the little snake, full of curiosity.
"This little one followed me willingly. Maybe it's because I'm handsome," Chen Mo said, of course not revealing that he had tricked Medusa.
"Uh..." The burly, rugged Yan Shi, who couldn't be associated with the word "handsome," felt a tinge of envy.
"Let's go. After all, we're still in the snake people's territory," Yun Yun suddenly interjected.
"Indeed, Sect Master Yun is right. The Grand Priestess of the snake people hasn't appeared yet, and their fusion technique is not to be trifled with. Let's retreat for now." The group nodded in agreement.
As the group took to the skies, Chen Mo looked at them pitifully and said, "Um, I can't fly."
The Green-beak Eagle, tethered in the oasis, was probably already a meal for the snakes, and even Chen Mo had forgotten its exact location.
After speaking, Chen Mo thought Yun Yun might offer to take him along, but instead, Yan Shi, with a confident expression, said, "No problem, leave it to me."
He grabbed Chen Mo and tucked him under his arm, soaring into the sky.
This horizontal style of high-altitude flight left Chen Mo with a head full of black lines.
Mo City.
After a few hours of persuasion by the Lingyan Pavilion, more than half of the mercenary groups and gangs in the city agreed to be incorporated.
It was only a matter of time before the rest followed.
There wasn't much resistance. Among these mercenary groups, the highest cultivation level was only that of a Master, with not even a Grandmaster among them.
Sha Luo alone could easily sweep through them.
The highest tavern in Mo City.
On the rooftop.
A young girl stood outside the window, her beauty beyond compare. She wore a deep green brocade dress, simple yet elegant. Her three thousand strands of black hair were held up by a finely carved phoenix hairpin.
However, at this moment, the girl's beautiful eyes were fixed on the depths of the Tagore Desert, the direction of the snake people's tribe, with deep worry etched on her brow.
Behind her, Sha Luo and Xue Lan were momentarily entranced. Even as women themselves, Xue Lan, who was also exceptionally beautiful, couldn't help but feel inferior.
"The Pavilion Master must be extraordinary to have such a woman pining for him," Xue Lan sighed.
"Do you think the Pavilion Master might be in danger? After all, that's the snake people's tribe, and their Queen Medusa is a peak Emperor-level powerhouse," a subordinate whispered.
"Impossible. The Pavilion Master's abilities are vast. Have you forgotten the battle outside the city?" replied a burly man who had been rewarded with two three-grade pills.
"What are you all discussing? The Pavilion Master is not someone you can casually talk about," Sha Luo scolded. The Pavilion Master's senior disciple was right in front of them, and they dared to gossip behind his back.
The two men quickly lowered their heads, not daring to speak further.
At that moment...
Outside Mo City, five streaks of light flashed across the dark night sky.
Seeing this, everyone was shocked.
Dou Qi Wings—five King-level experts!
In this small Mo City, in just one day, so many powerful individuals had been drawn here.
The five streaks of light ignored the city guards and flew straight into the city.
As they drew closer, everyone could clearly see that one of the streaks of light had the Pavilion Master being carried by someone.
"Sixth Elder, Elder Gu He..." Nalan Yanran recognized two of the figures among the five streaks of light.
"The Pavilion Master's senior disciple knows them... Could it be..."
While Sha Luo and the others were still in shock, one of the figures in the light heard the exclamation, recognized Nalan Yanran, and flew towards the tavern.
The aura exuded by these King-level experts caused the city's citizens to peer out curiously, including some mercenary groups that had not yet been incorporated by the Lingyan Pavilion.
When they saw that the five streaks of light were all heading towards the tavern under the Lingyan Pavilion's control, and then landed and conversed amicably, their jaws dropped.
The Lingyan Pavilion, which had only just gained some notoriety today, seemed to have hidden depths, possessing so many powerful individuals.
City Lord's Mansion.
"Prepare a generous gift, and tomorrow morning, accompany me to pay respects to the Pavilion Master of the Lingyan Pavilion."
"Wait, also notify the young lady to join me tomorrow."
...
"Teacher, Junior Brother, why are you together?" Nalan Yanran asked in confusion when she saw the black-robed figure remove their hood, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
"Could it be that the place Teacher and Elder Gu He were going to was the snake people's tribe?"
"And as for Junior Brother, was it a coincidence? Or did he know beforehand that Teacher was going to the snake people's tribe?"