Chapter 198: The Overbearing Queen!
Hearing Jiang Yun directly address the clan leader by name, the two eighth-rank magical beasts at the Dou Zun level exchanged puzzled glances. Still, they replied respectfully, "My Lord, the Clan Leader is within the Underworld Hall."
"Mm." Jiang Yun nodded. His figure then blurred and gradually dispersed.
The two Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons, who had witnessed the entire scene, stared blankly at what had just happened before their eyes. Coming back to their senses, they gazed with awe and reverence at the place where Jiang Yun had vanished.
The deep abyss of the earth's depths—the Serpent Earth Vein.
At the current headquarters of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan, Yao Ming's expression was filled with deference as he gazed at that green-clad woman standing quietly by the window. In a deep voice, he spoke, "Mistress, the commotion that Mistress Medusa caused last time has alerted the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. I've heard that this time, the Clan Leader of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan is personally leading the force and marching straight for our Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan!"
Qing Lin withdrew her gaze from the direction of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. A flicker of worry passed through her eyes. With grave seriousness, she said, "I've already sent word to the Ancient Dragon Clan. Once Jiang Yun gege finds out, he'll come to reinforce us. Right now, the most important thing is that nothing must happen to Sister Medusa. Otherwise, Jiang Yun gege would be heartbroken!"
"Something has happened to Medusa?" Just then, a voice abruptly rang out within the great hall. Yao Ming and Qing Lin simultaneously turned their heads to look. When they clearly saw who it was, looks of utter disbelief surfaced in their eyes.
Qing Lin reacted swiftly. Her lotus steps shifted lightly, and in an instant, she had thrown herself into Jiang Yun's embrace. With surging excitement, she cried, "Jiang Yun gege—I've missed you so much!"
With warm, fragrant softness in his arms, a faint smile on his face, Jiang Yun reached out and wrapped his arms around her soft, boneless, slender waist. Gently, he said, "Qing Lin's strength has grown so quickly. Already a two-star Dou Sheng!"
"In the Beast Domain, Qing Lin unexpectedly discovered the remnant soul of a Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have reached two-star Dou Sheng so quickly!" Qing Lin raised her head from Jiang Yun's chest with a cheerful, giggling smile. Her face slightly flushed, she spoke in a bright, lively tone.
"Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent!" Jiang Yun fixed his gaze upon Qing Lin's eyes. His deep, profound pupils seemed to pierce straight through the space of the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes and see the countless slumbering figures of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons within, as well as that colossal Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent.
Sensing that it could not pose any threat to Qing Lin, Jiang Yun set his heart at ease. Looking at Qing Lin, he asked, "You said something unusual has happened with Medusa. What exactly is going on?"
At this moment, Yao Ming stepped forward and bowed with the utmost respect. "Yao Ming pays respects to Master!"
Jiang Yun nodded. Pulling Qing Lin along, he seated himself on the throne at the center of the great hall. Waving his hand, he said, "Rise!"
"Yes!"
Looking at the now-standing Yao Ming, Jiang Yun asked with solemn gravity, "Explain. What has happened?"
"After Master gave his orders, your subordinate guarded vigilantly by the Nine Serene Yellow Spring day and night, protecting Mistress Medusa's safety..."
"On that day, a heaven-startling, nine-colored radiance suddenly erupted from within the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. Your subordinate believed that the Mistress was about to emerge from seclusion. Yet now, over half a month has passed, and there is still not the slightest word or trace of Mistress Medusa."
"Just as your subordinate was burning with frantic anxiety, our clan's scouts learned that Huang Tian of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, who knows from where he obtained the news, is leading his forces and will arrive to invade within days. Your subordinate's strength is meager and lowly. For the safety of the two Mistresses, your subordinate had no choice but to send word to Ancient Dragon Island seeking reinforcements!"
After listening to Yao Ming's wholehearted, fervently devoted report, Jiang Yun furrowed his brow slightly. The unusual phenomenon from half a month ago should have been the sign of Medusa emerging from seclusion. Yet why had there been no further movement for so long?
At the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring, logically speaking, there should have been nothing capable of threatening her existence. Why had her emergence been delayed for over half a month?
"Let's go. We'll take a look!" Jiang Yun made a prompt, decisive decision. Rising to his feet and pulling Qing Lin along, he headed straight for the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. Behind them, Yao Ming's figure swiftly followed.
In the very deepest part of the Serpent Earth Vein, Jiang Yun brought Qing Lin past an enormous, dark abyss and arrived beside the vast Nine Serene Yellow Spring. That bone-chilling, sinister cold—sufficient to freeze the very Dou Qi within a person's body—surged forth continuously, yet it could no longer bring him the slightest harm now.
The waters of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring were still deep yellow, intermingled with faint, thread-like traces of blood-scarlet crimson—as if unchanging since time immemorial. Wisp after wisp of pale-yellow airflow, mixed with faint traces of blood, continuously seeped out from within, ultimately rising and surging upward, howling as they shot toward the sky.
"Jiang Yun gege, look over there. Ever since Sister Medusa caused that commotion, the calm waters of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring have formed a small whirlpool right there!"
Standing on the shore of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring, Qing Lin held onto Jiang Yun's arm. Her jade-like finger pointed into the distance. In one section of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring, a tiny water whirlpool—less than a meter in diameter—had appeared, looking somewhat out of place.
"I'll go down and take a look. If the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan comes to attack, crush this—and I'll come out on my own!" After observing for a moment, Jiang Yun spoke in a deep voice. At the same time, he handed Qing Lin a silver jade stone.
"Alright. Jiang Yun gege, be careful!" Knowing she could not stop Jiang Yun, Qing Lin, ever understanding and considerate, accepted the jade stone and spoke softly.
Jiang Yun nodded. Turning his head, he cast a glance at Yao Ming, who had followed them. His figure moved, and he directly plunged straight into the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. Then, his form shot with lightning speed toward the very bottom of the spring.
"Fizz!"
Within the murky, turbid yellow waters of the lake, a figure shot past with lightning speed. The sinister, chilling cold power pervading the surroundings of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring invaded and encroached upon Jiang Yun's body from all directions. Yet it could never, ever break through that layer of black-and-white Dou Qi defense on the surface of his body.
Heaven Realm Great Perfection soul power swept and scanned in all directions. Jiang Yun's speed once again surged and skyrocketed. A deep, distinct water scar emerged and appeared wherever he passed. Only after he had swept past did the lake waters surge and come flooding in, submerging and erasing that scar.
"Ssss!" Suddenly, a faint, subtle, unusual sound reached his ears. The surrounding water currents abruptly accelerated and quickened.
Jiang Yun whipped his head around. Within his deep, profound pupils, intangible soul power swept forth. Instantly, a terrifying, dreadful soul force ruthlessly and fiercely bombarded a black silhouette, blasting it apart in a single, violent strike.
Paying no mind to what manner of creature he had blasted to death, Jiang Yun's speed abruptly skyrocketed. Transforming into a flash of lightning, he forcibly, violently tore through the lake waters and shot with lightning speed toward the very bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring.
A short while later, Jiang Yun arrived at the bottom of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. What met his eyes was an exceedingly vast, expansive floor of sand and gravel. Countless fist-sized fragments of rock were spread and scattered everywhere. From within these rock fragments radiated a glimmering, glistening light. And it was precisely because of this that this pitch-black, dark lake bottom appeared exceptionally, extraordinarily bright and well-lit.
Finding no trace of Medusa, Jiang Yun's figure swiftly shuttled and darted across the lake bottom, searching for any lair or nest of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python that might exist here.
And his search in this manner continued for a full ten-plus minutes—yet he still found nothing at all.
"Hm?"
Just then, Jiang Yun's expression suddenly flickered. The spreading, extending soul power seemed to have detected something. His gaze hurriedly turned toward the lower-left position. Then, his figure shot forth violently. His body streaked through the water currents, producing loud, splashing, whooshing sounds.
Jiang Yun's speed was exceedingly fast. Several minutes later, he arrived at the place he had sensed. What met his eyes was a pitch-black cave entrance at the lake bottom. Faint, subtle spatial power coiled and wreathed around it. Jiang Yun's expression was calm and composed. Abruptly, he shot toward the cave entrance.
"Tch!"
After a moment of spinning dizziness, what appeared before Jiang Yun's eyes was a seven-colored great hall. Before Jiang Yun could carefully observe his surroundings—a terrifying, dreadful, nine-colored sword light slashed furiously down toward him.
"Medusa?" Surprise and doubt flickered through Jiang Yun's eyes. Yet his hands did not slow in the slightest. A pitch-black black hole appeared in his palm and swept forth to devour that sword light.
"Jiang Yun?!" Just then, a voice—calm and even, yet tinged with delight and surprise—reached Jiang Yun's ears.
Raising his head, he saw a cluster of dazzling, brilliant seven-colored light blooming and spreading open.
And within that light, a jade-like body—as pure and fair as the finest mutton-fat jade—lay quietly and peacefully. A cascade of black hair flowed and spilled down from behind her. Seen from afar, she looked like a mermaid within the water.
Add to that—that cold, enchanting, alluring, devastatingly, kingdom-topplingly beautiful, icy, and seductive face—and a peerless, ultimate, exquisite temptress was thus born.
At this moment, she gazed at Jiang Yun. Her pair of eyes was filled and brimming with wild joy and delight, and faint traces of utter disbelief.
In the next instant, upon that enchantingly alluring, exquisite face, a faint, subtle arc slowly, gradually lifted. Like a peony flower blooming and unfurling—seductive, captivating, stirring. And what was more—beautiful to a heart-stopping, breathtaking degree.
"What are you doing here?" Seeing Jiang Yun, Medusa had completely, utterly forgotten that she currently wore not a single stitch of clothing. She gazed at him with a face full of surprised delight and asked.
"Half a month ago, Yao Ming detected unusual activity from the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. After that, seeing that you still hadn't emerged from seclusion, he thought something might have gone wrong and sent word to me. That's why I rushed over to check!" Jiang Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the stirring, restless strangeness within his heart. A light, easy smile surfaced on his face as he spoke.
"Half a month ago?" Hearing this, Medusa was momentarily stunned. Then, lowering her head and looking at her own state, an alluring, captivating blush surfaced on her exquisite, beautiful face, adding yet three more parts of seductive, irresistible charm.
Belatedly realizing the strangeness Jiang Yun had shown just moments ago, the shyness and embarrassment in Medusa's heart was instantly suppressed and pushed down. Wearing a smiling, captivating expression that was a mixture of feigned anger and genuine delight, she gazed at Jiang Yun with an overwhelmingly oppressive, pressuring air. A dazzling, radiant, eye-catching smile emerged at the corner of her lips. "Enjoying the view?"
Hearing this, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Jiang Yun slowly, unhurriedly walked toward Medusa. At the same time, he asked aloud, "So... what is your current situation? Have you already emerged from seclusion?"
The surrounding space was exceedingly vast. Enormous serpent-shaped skeletons lay crisscrossed and intertwined across the great earth. Presumably, these were the fallen Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Pythons.
Jiang Yun's actions caught Medusa completely off guard and beyond all expectation. In her heart, she subconsciously flustered and panicked. Yet on her face, she forcibly maintained her calm and composure. Pointing toward a seven-colored cluster of light further in the distance, she said, "I already emerged from seclusion half a month ago. Right now, I'm waiting for that little one!"
Following the direction of Medusa's finger, a nine-colored cluster of light could be seen floating and bobbing there, radiating a familiar soul aura.
"That's... Little Nine?" Sensing that familiar soul fluctuation, Jiang Yun spoke quietly.
"Correct. I discovered the lair and nest of our predecessors here. Little Nine has always shared a single body with me. This time, breaking through to Dou Sheng—it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this chance and, relying on the legacy and bounty left behind by our predecessors, thoroughly and completely condense a physical body. In another month's time, it will be complete!"
Nodding, Jiang Yun then shifted his gaze back toward Medusa. Looking her jade-like body up and down, he asked with keen, amused interest, "And what exactly is your situation?"
Medusa gave a radiant, captivating smile. Her long, narrow, beautiful eyes slowly swept over Jiang Yun's form. Then, her slender, crescent-moon-like elegant brows arched and lifted slightly. "Come closer—and I'll tell you!"
Jiang Yun's expression flickered faintly. The smile at the corner of his lips deepened. Slowly, unhurriedly, he walked toward Medusa.
"Tap. Tap. Tap."
Crisp, clear, distinct footsteps echoed and reverberated throughout the great hall, inexplicably causing both of their hearts to beat faster and quicken.
Arriving beside Medusa, the nine-colored energy was like a thin, fine layer of gauzy clothing shrouding and enveloping Medusa's jade-like body, outlining and tracing every alluring, seductive curve.
"Now can you tell me?" Forcibly suppressing the restless, stirring turmoil in his heart, a flash of red light flickered through Jiang Yun's eyes as he spoke in a deep, heavy voice.
"Boom—"
Medusa gave Jiang Yun a radiant, captivating, enchanting smile. She did not answer. In the next instant, a slender, delicate jade-like finger, carrying an intoxicating, alluring, fragrant breeze, shot with lightning speed toward Jiang Yun. At her fingertip, a nine-colored luster flickered faintly, now visible, now hidden. A strange, peculiar, wondrous energy quietly, silently spread and diffused.
Seeing this, Jiang Yun could not help but shake his head. Clenching his palm, a pitch-black devouring black hole slowly rotated within it. And Medusa's jade-like finger also came to a halt just outside that black hole. Casting Jiang Yun a sidelong glance, Medusa laughed, "Your strength has also advanced quite rapidly! You've already broken through to three-star Dou Sheng!"
That was correct—Jiang Yun, at the peak of two-star Dou Sheng, had smoothly and naturally broken through to three stars after refining the Thunder Tribulation Pill.
Jiang Yun shook his head helplessly. This time, upon emerging from seclusion, Medusa seemed to have once again reverted back to that untamable, indomitable Queen Medusa of the past—cold, enchanting, alluring, seductive, and possessing an even greater, more powerful confidence.
In the very next instant, before Jiang Yun could even speak, Medusa suddenly gave a smug, triumphant, self-satisfied laugh. "What a pity—a three-star Dou Sheng is no match for me at all!"
As her voice fell, Jiang Yun instantly felt an immense, colossal, heaven-reaching force transmitted from his waist. In the very next moment—space shifted and translocation occurred—the two of them appeared together within a stretch of void space.
At this moment, a massive, enormous bed, wrapped and enveloped in purple curtains and canopies, was already arrayed and laid out within.
Through the enormous, massive purple gauze curtains, two figures—one above, one below—could faintly, indistinctly be seen.
"Spatial translocation—six-star Dou Sheng!" Sensing the abnormality in his surroundings, Jiang Yun stared in astonishment at Medusa, who was pressing down atop him. After entering, he had never once probed or investigated Medusa's strength. He had never imagined she would give him such a tremendous, delightful surprise.
Just now—he absolutely had not perceived wrongly. That was unmistakably the spatial translocation that only a six-star Dou Sheng could execute—not something prematurely comprehended and grasped through innate spatial talent.
"At a time like this—you actually have the mind and heart to care about something like that?!" However, Jiang Yun's question left Medusa somewhat displeased and dissatisfied. At this moment, with a single hand, she seized and pinned both of Jiang Yun's hands above his head. Looking down from high above, she gazed at Jiang Yun with an overwhelmingly oppressive, pressuring air.
This pose and posture displayed and showcased Medusa's full, voluptuous curves and seductive, alluring contours to the most vivid, exquisite, and thorough extreme.
Hearing Medusa's words, feeling the tactile sensation transmitting from his body, the wicked, evil fire Jiang Yun had suppressed and pushed down in his heart instantly, once again, surged and blazed upward.
Sensing the change in Jiang Yun, Medusa gave a radiant, captivating, enchanting smile. Leaning down, she drew close beside Jiang Yun's ear. A voice brimming and saturated with alluring, seductive, irresistible charm rang out: "Although it was indeed that lass Zi Yan who first appeared by your side... in this aspect and regard—she is no match for me."
As she finished speaking, within Jiang Yun's eyes, Medusa's face rapidly, swiftly magnified and enlarged. A pair of red lips—simultaneously icy cold and blazing hot—landed domineeringly, overbearingly upon his lips.
"Boom—"
Nine-colored energy surged and blazed upward, transforming into a nine-colored sphere of energy that tightly, closely wrapped and enveloped the two of them within.
Inside the cave, that nine-colored cluster of light also simultaneously erupted with wave after wave of dazzling, brilliant, shimmering radiance.