An instant before the wind blades arrived, Queen Medusa moved to stand in front of Zhou Changqing.
A hundred-meter-long, crimson serpent of pure energy materialized, coiling around them both protectively.
With a thunderous roar, its massive tail, as thick as a tower, swept forward, whipping through the air with terrifying force.
A cacophony of metallic clangs rang out as the serpent's tail shattered every single one of the incoming wind blades. The powerful aftershock of the impact was enough to send the crazed Feng Li tumbling back dozens of meters.
Seizing the opportunity, Medusa's left hand shot out and clamped onto Zhou Changqing's shoulder, keeping him from falling.
At the same time, before Feng Li could even regain his balance, Medusa raised her other hand and pointed her index finger at him from across the distance.
In a flash, crimson light gathered at the armored tip of her finger, and a searing beam of red energy erupted forth.
The hairs on Feng Li's entire body stood on end. An overwhelming sense of crisis snapped him out of his frenzy. But the beam was already upon him; there was no escape.
A ferocious will to survive exploded from within him. In the final moment before the ray pierced his heart, Feng Li managed to wrench his body five inches to the right.
Pshhh!
The beam, possessing horrifying penetrative power, struck his left arm instead.
The moment it made contact, his entire arm, along with the tattered sleeve covering it, was utterly annihilated, reduced to nothingness by the destructive force.
The world fell silent.
Everyone stared, transfixed by the scene.
Gu He and the others looked on in a daze, their eyes fixed on Feng Li and the empty space where his left arm used to be.
Even Feng Li himself hadn't processed it.
It was only when searing, unimaginable pain erupted from the wound that Feng Li finally registered the void where his limb had been.
"Ahhhhhh!"
The agony of a severed limb, compounded by the horrifying realization that he was now a cripple, ripped a bloodcurdling scream from his throat.
A Dou Wang could not regenerate a lost limb. Not even a Dou Zong could accomplish such a feat.
This meant that unless he could obtain a seventh-tier or higher pill capable of regenerating flesh and bone, his arm was gone forever—even if he broke through to realms beyond Dou Zong.
"Insolent!"
Feng Li's screams grated on Queen Medusa's ears, reigniting the embers of her fury. She prepared to strike again and erase him completely.
Zhou Changqing was now her one inviolable weakness. Anyone who touched him would die.
It wouldn't have mattered if it had been Yun Yun or Gu He in Feng Li's place; the result would have been the same.
The hearts of Yun Yun and the others seized with terror. The faces of Gu He and Yan Shi twisted in alarm.
"Your Majesty, please stay your hand! I am willing to offer a Dou Ling Pill in exchange for Feng Li's life!"
Gu He shot towards Feng Li, shouting his plea to Queen Medusa.
Hearing this, Medusa's hand, which had been gathering Dou Qi, paused.
Seeing this, Gu He felt a sliver of relief. Without another word, he tossed a jade bottle toward her.
Feng Li had come here at his invitation. Furthermore, he had only made a move on Zhou Changqing to create a diversion for their escape. If Feng Li died here, it would not only tarnish Gu He's reputation, but he would also be wracked with guilt, unable to live with himself.
Queen Medusa caught the jade bottle as it flew toward her. After a brief inspection with her senses, she placed it in her storage ring.
Then, she turned her head to look at Zhou Changqing. "What do you think?"
"Hiss..."
The eight tribal leaders of the Serpent Folk all sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
What were they seeing?
Their Queen was actually asking a human for his opinion!
How was this possible? This was more unbelievable than the Queen suddenly breaking through to the Dou Zong realm.
The corner of Zhou Changqing's mouth twitched.
You've already accepted the pill, what am I supposed to say? Tell the mighty Queen of the Serpent Folk to go back on her word?
"Ahem, Your Majesty can decide. It's not like I was hurt, anyway."
With so many people watching, Zhou Changqing couldn't let Medusa lose face. He could only spread his hands and feign indifference.
Medusa, of course, noticed the exasperation in his eyes and was privately amused.
She knew the boy's vengeful nature well. He was the type to turn his enemies to ash to ensure they never caused trouble again.
However, a Dou Ling Pill was clearly more valuable than Feng Li's life.
Besides, the boy had no ties and was growing stronger at an astonishing rate. Given a little more time, forget Feng Li—even a Dou Huang expert would be helpless against him.
Moreover, Medusa had no intention of letting anyone else use this Dou Ling Pill.
By now, Gu He had reached Feng Li's side and fed him a Recovery Pill, stabilizing his injuries.
The reputation of a fifth-tier pill was well-deserved. The moment Feng Li swallowed it, the bleeding from his severed arm stopped instantly. A ball of emerald-green energy enveloped the wound, beginning the healing process. His pale face quickly regained its color, and he soon looked no different from a healthy person.
"Brother Li, I have failed you..."
Despite this, Gu He's expression held no joy. He stared at the stump of Feng Li's arm, his face etched with self-reproach.
Feng Li had already regained his usual composure. He shook his head slightly. "Brother Gu, this is not your fault."
He had come at Gu He's invitation, but only for the promised reward. The plan to take the little brat hostage had been his own idea and his own execution. In return, Gu He had paid a Dou Ling Pill and a Recovery Pill to save his life. How could he possibly blame him?
As for that little brat and Medusa, he wanted nothing more than to slice them into a thousand pieces.
Even though he had initiated the conflict and the boy had done nothing to provoke him, human nature was what it was. Since he couldn't blame Gu He or himself, Feng Li naturally shifted all responsibility—and all his hatred—onto Zhou Changqing and Queen Medusa.
If he weren't clear-headed now, terrified that the fearsome Queen would end his life, he would never be acting so calm and collected. Queen Medusa truly would kill without hesitation.
After offering a few words of comfort and promising to find a way to restore Feng Li's arm, Gu He turned back to Queen Medusa. His voice was heavy. "Your Majesty, you have obtained five Recovery Pills and one Dou Ling Pill. We have been grievously wounded. Surely your anger has subsided?"
"May we be permitted to leave now?"
"Are you telling me what to do?"
Queen Medusa's beautiful face was a mask of cold indifference.
Her words sent a chill through Gu He's heart. Terrified she might attack again, he gritted his teeth and pressed on. "What will it take for Your Majesty to let us go? Surely you don't intend to have us all buried here?!"
In his heart, he didn't believe she would go that far. The consequences would be too great. But given her fearsome reputation and the ruthlessness she had displayed today, Gu He didn't dare gamble on whether she would push things to the absolute limit.
Queen Medusa still didn't answer. She didn't even look at Gu He. Instead, her gaze shifted to the distance, landing on Yun Yun, who stood hovering in the air, her chest heaving with ragged breaths.
Yun Yun felt Medusa's eyes on her and a cold dread washed over her. She immediately took a defensive stance, watching the Queen with extreme vigilance, as if expecting an attack at any second.
Gu He's heart clenched in his chest.
No! Nothing can happen to Yun Yun!
"Your Majesty! I am willing to offer another Dou Ling Pill! I beg you, please let us depart!"
Fearing that Yun Yun would suffer the same fate as Feng Li, Gu He shouted in desperation, tossing another jade bottle toward Queen Medusa.
Catching the bottle, Medusa was already contemplating just how much more she could squeeze out of the Pill King.