The three women lifted their gazes to the colossal serpent that dominated the firmament, eyes fixed upon the shimmering scales that gleamed with nine distinct and resplendent hues. They began to count in unison, voices rising with each number:
"One… eight… nine!!!"
"Nine-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python?!" Yun Yun — the graceful intellectual beauty of Eternal Heaven Palace, ever poised and serene — could not suppress a soft cry of astonishment. "Fei Yan has truly evolved… and directly to the Nine-Colored stage?"
Xiao Jietian gave a light nod, the corners of his lips curving faintly.
Ya Fei and Qing Lin's pupils contracted slightly. Qing Lin, still retaining that gentle, delicate innocence beneath her mature allure, tilted her head and asked in a soft voice:
"Young Master… the Nine-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python has not appeared for countless ages. How exactly did Sister Fei Yan achieve this evolution?"
These women had long been steeped in profound knowledge and secret lore; their horizons had broadened far beyond the common people of the continent. They understood that such a bloodline ascension was no simple matter of accumulation — it required heaven-defying fortune and methods bordering on the forbidden.
The Little Fairy Doctor reached out and gently tapped Qing Lin's forehead, smiling indulgently.
"What is there to guess? Of course it is your Young Master's doing — the very same person you think about day and night."
Though Qing Lin had grown into a graceful woman of breathtaking beauty, that trace of pure, childlike naivety still lingered in her clear eyes, making her all the more endearing.
"Precisely." Han Yue chimed in with a soft laugh. "Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, only Junior Brother Xiao Tian possesses such heaven-defying means and karmic fortune. Otherwise, how could an ordinary man arrive in the Southern Region and chance upon a Nine-Colored Raw Stone — a treasure whose birth conditions are so stringent it was long thought extinct — and guarded only by magical beasts of middling strength? It was practically delivered into his hands by the heavens themselves."
The nine-colored colossus in the sky finally finished devouring the surrounding heaven-and-earth qi. Its enormous head slowly lowered, snake eyes — vast as lakes of liquid gold — gazing down upon Xiao Jietian and the gathered women. There was no serpentine coldness in those eyes, only boundless tenderness and a faint, knowing smile.
Yet the moment her gaze fell upon the "pendant" still clinging tightly to Xiao Jietian's body — Han Xue wrapped around him like an ornament — a playful glint flashed through Medusa's pupils. Satisfaction and a trace of jealousy mingled in her expression.
This little vixen… seizing every opportunity to take advantage of my man, always hanging on him like that.
Her vertical pupils narrowed into dangerous crescents. The massive tail drew a graceful arc through the void. A ribbon of nine-colored energy shot forth from its tip — dazzling and swift as a shooting star — hurtling downward.
Xiao Jietian sensed no killing intent within the stream. Curious, he chose to wait and see what Medusa intended.
The others shared his calm; their bonds ran deeper than blood. They trusted Fei Yan would never truly harm any of them — though when it came to ganging up on Xiao Jietian, she was undoubtedly the most devious instigator and fiercest infighter.
Han Xue, still dangling from Xiao Jietian, watched the ribbon of nine-colored light streak toward them with wide-eyed curiosity. Only when it drew close did she realize — with dawning alarm — that it was aimed squarely at her.
Before she could even cry out, the energy ribbon coiled around her waist like a silken cord and lifted her high into the sky, depositing her gently before Medusa's enormous head.
"Little Xue'er," Medusa's voice echoed through the heavens, gentle yet carrying an unmistakable teasing edge, "since you enjoy clinging to Xiao Jietian so much, allow this Queen to take you on the 'roller coaster' he once spoke of."
Han Yue instinctively tensed, about to intervene — but then remembered who it was and relaxed. Fei Yan would never truly hurt the girl. Moreover, Xiao Jietian himself had made no move to stop it.
Xiao Jietian reached out, stroking Han Yue's silken hair in reassurance.
"Don't worry. You know Fei Yan's temperament — she's mischievous to the core."
"Exactly." The Little Fairy Doctor, ever the keen observer of palace intrigue, immediately caught the thick undercurrent of jealousy in Medusa's tone. "Just listen to those words — pure envy because someone was hanging all over her man."
Han Yue exhaled softly, tension draining from her shoulders.
"Very well. This will also temper her mental resilience… so she won't be so easily 'broken' by a certain someone later."
She cast a playful sidelong glance at Xiao Jietian.
Xiao Jietian looked back at her helplessly.
"Yue'er… when did you learn to speak so naughtily?"
The aloof, dignified Senior Sister Han Yue of old was nowhere to be seen. Now she casually tossed out suggestive barbs without the slightest blush.
"Isn't it all because of you, my naughty Junior Brother, who taught me so well?" Han Yue rolled her beautiful eyes at him with exaggerated charm.
"Haha~ Precisely. This bad man has endless methods for tormenting people." Ya Fei burst into exaggerated laughter, clutching her sides as though she could barely stand. Whether it was genuine mirth or masterful acting, she swayed dramatically — and "accidentally" fell backward, landing squarely against Xiao Jietian's chest, her back pressing intimately against him.
The other women secretly rolled their eyes. This little vixen… always the quickest to seize any opening during "sparring."
"Then… don't all of you enjoy it?" Xiao Jietian's palm settled naturally on Ya Fei's flat abdomen, stroking lightly. His expression remained unruffled despite their teasing. "Tell me honestly."
The women had indeed tasted the sweetness — and found it very much to their liking — but admitting it aloud would only invite even more outrageous "torment" in the future. They crossed their arms in unison, voices overlapping:
"Who enjoys it? Only you enjoy it."
Ya Fei, still nestled comfortably against him, tilted her head and asked in a soft, curious murmur:
"But speaking of which… I'm far more interested in that little 'pendant' of yours just now. How does she resemble Sister Yue'er so closely?"
"She's Yue'er's younger sister — Han Xue." Xiao Jietian gestured lightly toward Han Yue.
Meanwhile, the girl in question was being whisked through the sky by Medusa's tail — sliding, dipping, soaring in wide, exhilarating arcs like a true roller coaster. Her long hair whipped wildly in the wind; surprised gasps and delighted squeals escaped her lips.
Han Xue glanced down at the group below, inwardly crying out: No one's going to speak up for me?! Yet at the same time… But why does this feel… kind of fun? It's just moving a little fast, and the wind is a bit strong…
"Tsk tsk, no wonder." Ya Fei glanced between Han Yue and the soaring Han Xue, instantly understanding. "So she's Yue'er's blood sister. The resemblance is uncanny. Tsk tsk… I never expected you to level up so quickly, Junior Brother. Already playing with sister-flowers? I have very high hopes for you~ Next time, will it be twin-flowers… or mother-daughter… or something even more exciting?"
"With his character, it might very well happen someday," Yun Yun agreed with a helpless nod. As the one who had experienced Xiao Jietian's "naughtiness" most directly, she knew better than anyone how easily he could make even the most composed intellectual lose all dignity.
"Young Master is wonderful. He's not naughty at all."
A soft, earnest voice rose from among them.
All eyes turned. It was Qing Lin — Xiao Jietian's most obedient little maid — gazing at him with pure, unwavering devotion.
Xiao Jietian shot her a warm, praising look. Good girl. Later, you must be properly rewarded.
"You're simply too deeply poisoned by your Young Master. He's completely brainwashed you!" The Little Fairy Doctor helplessly pressed a palm to her forehead. Everyone adored Qing Lin — she was so well-behaved, so adorable — but her one flaw was hopeless infatuation. In her eyes, Young Master Xiao Jietian was perfection incarnate, flawless and peerless in every way.
The nine-colored colossus above continued to circle lazily through the sky, the last traces of absorbed qi settling into her reborn bloodline. Her enormous head lowered once more, snake eyes sparkling with playful satisfaction as she watched the little drama unfold below.
And somewhere in the distance, Han Xue's delighted screams echoed across the heavens — half terror, half exhilaration — as the Queen of Snakes gave her a ride she would never forget.