"Everyone, I have no desire to fight you. It would be better to let your Queen speak."
"You are aware of Gu He's status," the black-robed woman stated calmly. "So long as your Queen agrees to a meeting, he has the means to satisfy her, regardless of the outcome."
Seeing the eight leaders hesitate, she pressed her advantage. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, she had no wish to make an enemy of Queen Medusa; doing so would be a foolish move.
At her words, the eight leaders exchanged glances, discussing the matter through voice transmissions.
"Elder Yin, should we fight?"
"We don't know their objective. We can't let them find out the Queen isn't here, or who knows what they might do."
"Yue Mei, have you sent word to Her Majesty?"
"Yes, I informed Her Majesty of the situation yesterday using the secret transmission technique. With her speed, she should be back today."
"Good. Form the seal. We'll use that technique to intimidate them! Once they witness our power, they won't dare to force their way in. Then we just need to stall until the Queen returns!"
"Understood!"
As the most senior and respected of the eight leaders, Yin Shi's authority was unquestionable. He had even watched Queen Medusa grow up. Aside from the Queen herself and the four reclusive Grand Elders of the tribe, Yin Shi held the highest position among the Snake-People Race. He was also considered their greatest strategist, so the other seven leaders naturally deferred to his judgment.
"Eight-Serpent Venomous Bane Seal!"
In an instant, vast amounts of Dou Qi erupted from the eight leaders! The multicolored energies quickly intertwined, forming an energy barrier that enveloped all eight of them!
"Hmph! Stubborn fools!"
This sudden development earned a cold snort from the black-robed woman. With a wave of her hand, she summoned a strange longsword. Immediately, the tyrannical Dou Qi of a Dou Huang expert poured into the blade, materializing as a brilliant sword light that coated its edge!
"Swoosh!"
The black-robed woman slashed her sword forward!
A terrifying blade of light, dozens of feet long, shot forth and struck the energy barrier!
"Kacha~"
Under the force of the blow, the barrier cracked like shattered glass, a web of fissures spreading across its surface!
But just as the energy barrier was about to break, the eight leaders' technique was complete! Their hands flew through a series of complex seals as the surging Dou Qi beneath them traced different, profound runes upon the ground!
In that moment, a terrifying aura exploded from the eight of them! The eight distinct runes beneath their feet flared with blinding light!
Eight massive pillars of multicolored energy, each several yards thick, erupted from the runes and enveloped the leaders within! At the apex of these pillars, a torrent of energy swirled and condensed, painting a gigantic, verdant rune in the air like a masterpiece!
From within this massive rune, energy roiled and gathered, forming an enormous, green, serpentine head that pushed its way out! It was followed by a colossal snake body, which slithered out in an instant!
From head to tail, this giant energy serpent was a full hundred meters long! A terrifying pressure, so immense it felt suffocating, radiated outwards, causing the expressions of everyone within a several-hundred-meter radius to change drastically!
"A Combination Dou Technique of the Snake-People Race? Truly extraordinary. Impressive!"
Gazing at the massive green serpent looming above, the black-robed woman's aura grew significantly sharper. Gu He and the others also wore expressions of shock, a solemn light flashing in their eyes. The bloody, violent aura emanating from the green serpent, in particular, sent a shiver through their souls!
We can't beat that!
That was their first thought!
Gu He looked at the black-robed woman facing the colossal serpent alone, a trace of worry in his eyes. The power of this green serpent had likely reached the Dou Huang level. This would not be an easy fight for her!
"We'll give you one last chance," Elder Yin's aged voice echoed from within one of the pillars of light, thick with menace. "Leave the desert, and we can forget this ever happened. Otherwise…"
The black-robed woman let out a soft scoff. "A baseless threat…"
As she spoke, a青 gale of wind erupted around her, and the three-foot-long light emanating from her sword pulsed with power!
"Kill!"
Seeing their opponent's disdain, the eight leaders wasted no more time. Under Yin Shi's control, the green serpent lunged!
"Hiss!"
The giant serpent hissed, its massive body showing no signs of clumsiness. It moved with incredible agility, appearing above the black-robed woman in an instant. It opened its massive jaws, looking as if it would swallow her whole!
"Swoosh!"
With a powerful beat of her青 Dou Qi wings, the black-robed woman's figure vanished, reappearing at incredible speed to the right of the serpent's head! At the same time, she thrust her longsword with lightning speed, stabbing viciously toward its massive eye! The sword's light was incomparably sharp, piercing the eye without any resistance!
However, the giant serpent showed no sign of pain. Seizing the opportunity, its tail whipped around with tremendous force! The black-robed woman reacted instantly, clenching her hand to gather the青 gales into a solid barrier beside her!
"BOOM!"
The serpent's tail slammed into the barrier, creating a terrifying explosion! A hurricane of residual energy swept outwards, sending everyone within hundreds of meters—save for Gu He's group—flying. Fortunately, the weakest among those in the battle circle were Dou Lings, and they were at a safe distance. Their injuries weren't severe, mostly internal shock and turbulent Qi.
Under the terrifying impact, the barrier held for less than three seconds before shattering violently! But that brief moment was enough time for the black-robed woman to dodge the attack.
Though they had only exchanged a single blow, both sides understood that a quick victory was impossible. The black-robed woman and the giant serpent were on nearly the same level of power. Neither, however, showed any intention of stopping. The serpent and the woman clashed once more!
For a time, the sky was filled with the constant explosions of colliding energy. Ripples of Dou Qi swept across the heavens, violent enough to disperse the few white clouds that had been drifting nearby! On the ground below, yellow sand was whipped into the air, creating what looked like a small-scale sandstorm!
Every single person present had their eyes locked on the battlefield. A battle between Dou Huangs was a rare sight indeed.
"Gu He, are we just going to stand here and watch?"
Watching the fierce battle rage, Yan Shi felt an itch to fight. His eyes shone with a desire for combat as he sent a voice transmission to Gu He. Though he knew he was no match for the main combatants, he desperately wanted to join in.
Gu He's eyes, hiding a trace of worry, remained fixed on the battle. Hearing Yan Shi's question, he frowned. "This Combination Dou Technique is powerful. With our strength, we wouldn't be of any help even if we joined in."
"Hehe, that serpent may be strong, but it's still being controlled by people…" Beside them, Feng Li stroked his beard with a faint smile, his gaze shifting to the eight pillars of light standing where the now-shattered protective barrier had been.
Yan Shi's eyes lit up as he immediately understood. "Feng Li, you mean…"
Gu He also grasped Feng Li's meaning, but he looked somewhat disapproving. "To act in such a manner… wouldn't that be taking advantage of the situation?"
"Gu He, I don't even know what to say to you," Yan Shi said, rolling his eyes. "You're too much of a stickler for honor. Who cares if it's shameless or not, as long as we win? Besides, if we just stand here and watch, what if Sect Leader Yun gets hurt…"
At the mention of the black-robed woman, Gu He's expression flickered. A flash of conflict crossed his eyes before he gritted his teeth and made a decision.
"Alright. Let's do it. I'll have to ask for your assistance, you two!"
"Hahaha! We should have done this from the start!"
Yan Shi's eyes blazed. With a great laugh, he spread his Dou Qi wings and shot like a stream of light toward the eight leaders!
Feng Li and Gu He followed close behind!
"Shameless!"
Seeing the trio's actions, the distant Snake-People guards knew exactly what they were planning and immediately began cursing them.
Even the black-robed woman, locked in combat, noticed their movement. Her jade-like hand, gripping her sword, paused for a fraction of a second.