From within Wind and Thunder City, a graceful and stunning figure slowly emerged. She wore a dark red battle skirt armor trimmed with gold (similar in style to Qing Yi's Thunder Emperor Armor, only differing in color). With each step she took, the void seemed to ripple. In the blink of an eye, she arrived before the people of Boundless Heaven Hall.
The newcomer's exquisite beauty was breathtaking. Her phoenix eyes swept across the scene, carrying an inherent majesty that looked down upon the world. It was none other than Queen Medusa, who guarded Wind and Thunder City.
Queen Medusa's jade-like fingers gently brushed a wisp of hair from her temple. Her long, narrow, beautiful eyes slightly lifted as she glanced at the Second Heavenly Venerable not far away. Her gaze held an indifferent nonchalance, as if she wasn't looking at a powerful enemy pressing down, but rather some low-grade circus act.
The Second Heavenly Venerable's deep gaze locked onto Medusa below. His voice was hoarse, like the grinding of bones: "Boundless Heaven Hall, by invading Wind and Thunder Pavilion—a force under my Hall of Souls—and defying the will of the Hall of Souls, you shall be annihilated."
This was why they sought cooperation with Wind and Thunder Pavilion; it made their actions legitimate, something even the Ancient Clan couldn't fault.
Normally, such a minor matter wouldn't require him to act personally, but due to the inexplicable death of the Third Celestial Venerable, and among those in the Hall of Souls capable of dealing with a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun, he held the lowest position, so he was dispatched this time.
Medusa scoffed. "I never thought you in the Hall of Souls would actually start using your brains."
The Second Heavenly Venerable's expression hardened, and the pressure of a Half-Saint— like a vast heavenly might—overwhelmingly pressed down on Medusa!
"I will claim the souls of your Boundless Heaven Hall. I can feel your soul is very powerful. This Saint will take it."
However, facing this terrifying might, which was enough to make an ordinary Dou Zun collapse, Medusa didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
Her long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and her red lips curled into a cold and enchanting arc. "Oh? Then we'll have to see if you have the strength."
The green flames in the Second Heavenly Venerable's eyes suddenly flared, and he lightly struck the void with the skull staff in his hand.
"Woooo—!!"
Immediately, an ear-piercing, pained shriek of a soul erupted from the staff. The mournful wail transformed into a tangible gray-black sound wave, tearing through space and sweeping toward Medusa.
Medusa's expression subtly hardened. With a flick of her delicate hand, a golden-red rapier appeared in her grasp.
The rapier in her hand suddenly slashed down, and a dazzling colorful arc of light met the gray-black sound wave.
The arc of light and the gray-black sound wave collided violently, yet there was no earth-shattering roar. Instead, space seemed to rip open, and the two energies devoured and annihilated each other, emitting a grating, sizzling sound.
Countless distorted human faces emerged within the gray-black sound wave slash, emitting silent wails and continuously tearing at the colorful arc of light.
The colorful arc of light, however, emitted a purifying force. Under its radiance, the sound wave slash was continuously purified and dissipated.
"Somewhat interesting." The Second Heavenly Venerable's skull-like face showed no expression, but the green flames in his eyes flickered more intensely. He hadn't expected a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun to be able to withstand his attack.
"Little girl, if you could advance to Half-Saint, you might truly cause me quite a bit of trouble. But alas, you won't have that chance. A Nine Revolutions Dou Zun is ultimately just an ant before me."
"Oh? Is that so?" Medusa's red lips parted slightly, softly uttering a rhetorical and somewhat mocking remark.
The next moment, a pressure no less than the Second Heavenly Venerable's—even more vast and carrying an ancient, primordial aura—burst forth from her delicate body!
Medusa's entire body glowed with dazzling colorful light. Gorgeous multicolored rays soared into the sky, subtly intertwining behind her into the phantom of a sky-devouring giant python, looking down indifferently upon all living beings.
The previously dim sky was completely cleared by this phantom, revealing a terrifyingly azure sky.
"And now?"
"Speak!"
Medusa exuded a terrifying aura. Her enchanting and beautiful face held a hint of cold arrogance.
The snake eyes of the illusory giant python behind her also looked down on the Second Heavenly Venerable from above.
The green flames in the Second Heavenly Venerable's eyes flickered violently. His previously calm face for the first time showed an incredulous astonishment, and he cried out, slightly losing his voice: "High-level Half-Saint? Sky-Devouring Python?!"
He had never expected that Medusa, who was merely a peak Nine Revolutions Dou Zun according to intelligence, had now transformed into a high-level Half-Saint, on par with himself, and a top-tier demonic beast—a Sky-Devouring Python at that.
If it were a beginner or intermediate Half-Saint, he wouldn't feel much, as the gap between each realm of Half-Saint was immense.
Even facing a Half-Saint of the same level, he would only be slightly wary. But facing a Sky-Devouring Python of the same realm, the Second Heavenly Venerable no longer had such confidence.
After all, demonic beasts possessed an inherent advantage: powerful physical bodies.
Medusa watched the Second Heavenly Venerable's suddenly changed expression. Her slender finger lightly stroked the blade of the golden-red rapier. The blade hummed, and seven-colored flowing light coiled around it, emitting a terrifying aura of destruction.
"Who told you that this Queen… is merely a Nine Revolutions Dou Zun?"
The Second Heavenly Venerable, Bone Ghost Saint, fell silent for a moment. He tightened his grip on the staff, clearly thrown off balance by this sudden turn of events.
But then, the astonishment in his eyes transformed into an even more intense killing intent and greed.
"Good! What a Medusa! To hide so deeply!" His voice grew even hoarser and more grating. "The soul of a high-level Half-Saint… is an unprecedented great tonic! If I can capture you today, the Hall Master will surely reward me handsomely!"
Although the Second Heavenly Venerable said this, he had become serious internally. In a battle between those of the same level, a single oversight could lead to being completely disadvantaged, and even potentially dying on the spot.
"Kill me? You old, decrepit thing can't do that!" Medusa's enchanting face was full of disdain.
The skull staff in the Second Heavenly Venerable's hand slammed heavily into the void. Gray-black energy surged out. This time, it was not a slash, but condensed into countless ferocious skeletal ghost figures, overwhelming and carrying a chilling death aura that devoured everything, rushing toward Medusa.
"There's no need to display such petty tricks; they only amuse this Queen." Medusa sneered coldly, and with a casual flick of her rapier, she slashed forward.
"Rip!"
A colorful sword beam, only about ten feet wide but condensed to the extreme, appeared out of thin air. Carrying terrifying power, wherever it passed, space wasn't torn, but silently annihilated!
Those seemingly ferocious skeletal ghost figures, upon touching the sword beam, were directly annihilated before they could even let out a wail.
The sword beam's momentum was undiminished, striking directly at Bone Ghost Saint's face!
Bone Ghost Saint's green eyes narrowed. Not daring to be negligent, he pointed his skull staff at the sword beam.
"Clang—!!"
A deafening clang of metal reverberated throughout the universe. A violent energy shockwave spread out in a ring, directly knocking away everyone nearby!
The Second Heavenly Venerable's figure also retreated dozens of feet, dissipating the force.
This was also the result of their probing. Otherwise, the ground below would have been scraped away a layer.
The Second Heavenly Venerable felt the immense force from the staff and the incredibly sharp offensive. The green flames in his eyes were completely replaced by solemnity.
---
Let me know when you have the next chapter ready! Just paste the raw text.