Chapter 200: The Angry Queen Medusa!
In a head-on clash, an immense, colossal force came pouring and crashing down, causing Huang Tian's body to jolt and shake violently. His footsteps staggered and stumbled backward several paces in rapid retreat. And Qing Lin and the others, whose strength was at a disadvantage, suffered even more intensely and miserably.
The many elders of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Pythons maintaining the grand array all, one after another, violently coughed up large mouthfuls of fresh blood. Their auras instantly wilted and withered. Even Yao Ming, a two-star Dou Sheng, turned deathly pale, his insides churning and roiling like an overturned sea.
Yet Qing Lin paid no heed whatsoever. Her expression cold and indifferent, she once again formed hand seals and drew and extracted the Dou Qi from within everyone's bodies. Under ordinary relationships and circumstances, with Qing Lin 'exploiting' and 'oppressing' them like this, people would likely have long since grown dissatisfied and fled. But with the control of the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes—even if she commanded them all to go to their deaths, they would not hesitate or waver in the slightest. Let alone a mere trifle like Dou Qi?
With everyone's support, black mist filled and pervaded the sky. The Ancient Heavenly Serpent once again manifested and appeared in the world.
At the same time, Huang Tian stared at Qing Lin and the others with an exceedingly grim and ugly expression. He—a dignified, majestic five-star Dou Sheng—had actually been forced back and repelled by the methods and means of a mere two-star Dou Sheng. This was nothing short of an utter, absolute, monumental disgrace and humiliation!
"Demon Phoenix Sacred Image!"
Huang Tian coldly, icily glared at the Ancient Heavenly Serpent in the sky above. Abruptly, he raised his head to the heavens and let out a furious, raging roar.
Then, his body rapidly, swiftly swelled and expanded. Amidst the violent, explosive bursts of golden light, an enormous, colossal demon phoenix—a full several thousand zhang wide—appeared beneath this firmament, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.
Wave after wave of terrifying, dreadful, oppressive might spread forth like an avalanche, overturning mountains and seas.
Gazing at that colossal, titanic entity in the sky above, Qing Lin's expression also gradually, increasingly grew solemn and grave.
The physical bodies of magical beasts were inherently terrifying and dreadful. Though the Heavenly Demon Phoenix's physical body was not quite equal to that of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, it was still exceedingly, exceptionally formidable and powerful. Now, having revealed and manifested his true form, Huang Tian could likely already completely disregard and ignore any attacks beneath the four-star Dou Sheng level.
He had become even more troublesome and difficult to deal with!
Still—no matter how troublesome and difficult—she would not retreat or yield even a single step!
Taking a deep, heavy breath, within Qing Lin's jade-green pupils, the Jade-Green Snake Triple Flower Eyes were pushed and driven to their absolute, utmost extreme. Wave after wave of faint, subtle, stabbing pain transmitted into her mind. Yet she paid it no heed whatsoever.
At this moment, within the Ancient Heavenly Serpent's blood-scarlet, crimson eyes, a hint and glimmer of lively, spirited intelligence seemed to flicker and flash.
Huang Tian's twin wings gently, lightly beat and fanned. Fierce, violent gales immediately howled and raged between heaven and earth. His sharp, piercing, keen pupils fixed dead upon Qing Lin. A flash of cruel, vicious, merciless light flickered through his eyes.
"Boom!"
As this thought flashed through his mind, Huang Tian's twin wings—each a full thousand zhang wide—abruptly, violently shuddered and quaked. Instantly, this entire stretch of sky seemed, in that very split instant, to darken and dim. That enormous, colossal silhouette tore through space and moved with an astonishing, shocking speed.
An enormous, massive black spatial rift—with a single flickering flash—hung suspended and stretched across the sky above.
Sonic booms, like furious, raging thunder, resounded and echoed. The towering, lofty mountain peaks below also, under that kind of terrifying, dreadful, impacting air current, were forcibly, violently blasted and exploded into flying ash and scattered dust.
"Sss—!"
Faced with the ferociously, menacingly advancing Huang Tian, the Ancient Heavenly Serpent similarly let out a furious, raging roar. As its silhouette flickered and moved, a terrifying, dreadful black vertical line shot from its mouth straight toward Huang Tian.
"Bang!"
The pitch-black energy beam blasted and bombarded Huang Tian's body. And Huang Tian's speed was also slowed and impeded as a result.
Yet the enormous, colossal wind pressure generated by the beating and shuddering of his twin wings—carrying an incomparably, immeasurably sharp and piercing cutting, slicing force—forcibly, violently severed and cut apart that black beam of light. And the price and cost he paid was merely that the feathers on his body—which were like refined, tempered steel—were flipped and overturned somewhat.
"Boom—!"
Huang Tian tore apart the energy beam of light. Under the beating and shuddering of his twin wings, his enormous, colossal body this time appeared directly, straight ahead, several hundred zhang before Qing Lin.
Terrifying, dreadful air currents madly, frenziedly tore and ripped at Qing Lin's body. The Dou Qi churning and surging on the surface of her body was, practically in an instant, shaken and blasted apart and scattered by those chaotic, turbulent currents—which could effortlessly, easily destroy and obliterate mountain peaks.
"Jiang Yun gege..." Seeing this scene, there was not the slightest trace or hint of fear in Qing Lin's eyes. Instead, she cast a regretful, rueful glance in the direction of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring. In her heart, she murmured quietly.
"Boom—!"
Suddenly, the calm, placid surface of the Nine Serene Yellow Spring abruptly, violently burst and blasted open. A heaven-piercing, nine-colored pillar of light shot forth violently, horizontally interposing and inserting itself directly between Qing Lin and Huang Tian.
The enormous, colossal nine-colored pillar of light thrust and stabbed straight into the distant sky. Its dazzling, brilliant, gorgeous, multi-colored luster made this entire stretch of heaven and earth become vibrantly multi-hued and richly colorful.
"Bang!"
Huang Tian's enormous, colossal demon phoenix body crashed directly and squarely into that nine-colored pillar of light. Instantly, a heaven-startling, earth-shaking, deafening, thunderous crash abruptly, violently resounded and echoed from the sky above. The entire sky and ground both trembled and quaked violently under this kind of fierce, ferocious, brutal impact.
"Pfft—!"
After being shaken and jolted back in retreat, Huang Tian reverted and transformed back into his human form. Clutching and pressing his chest, he abruptly, violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. His face filled and brimming with horrified shock and terror, he stared at that nine-colored pillar of light.
"That's... that's the commotion and disturbance from half a month ago?!"
The sudden, unexpected, abrupt turn of events drew and attracted the gazes of every single person present. And among them, Yao Ming and the other elders of the Nine Serene Deep Earth Python Clan stared at that pillar of light with expressions of sheer, horrified shock. From within that pillar of light—they felt an oppressive, pressuring might that originated from the very depths of their bloodline and soul.
"What a foolish, silly girl... Even if your sister slaughtered every last member of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan—it still couldn't possibly make up for the slightest, smallest loss to you!"
Suddenly, a lazy, languid, indolent female voice rang out from within the nine-colored pillar of light. Strangely and eerily—though the words were clearly ordinary, common, and unremarkable—they caused quite a few of those present to reveal expressions of intoxicated, entranced fascination. Their breaths could not help but grow heavy and ragged.
The nine-colored pillar of light dispersed and scattered. A beautiful, alluring, captivating silhouette—possessing enchantingly seductive, bewitching curves—also appeared within gaze after countless gaze.
Cold and enchanting. Alluring and bewitching. Devastatingly, kingdom-topplingly beautiful.
When Medusa's gaze fell upon Qing Lin, a trace and hint of gentle, tender warmth surfaced and emerged. Raising her hand, she rubbed and tousled the top of Qing Lin's head. In a soft, gentle voice tinged with light, mild reproach and blame, she said, "Don't ever do something like this again. If anything had happened to you—Jiang Yun and I would be consumed and wracked with guilt and remorse for the rest of our lives!"
As she spoke—unnoticed and unobserved by anyone—Medusa's neck faintly, slightly flushed and reddened. If it weren't for her and Jiang Yun having been entangled and entwined in passionate, intimate bliss for so long, Qing Lin would never have nearly been placed and put in such dire, perilous straits. Thus—these words were also exactly what was in her own heart.
Yet Qing Lin would never, ever know the full, hidden story and circumstances behind it. She merely took it as Medusa and Jiang Yun both caring and worrying about her. Nodding softly and gently, she spoke in a light, quiet voice, "I understand, Sister Medusa!"
Seeing this, Medusa nodded with satisfaction and contentment. Only then did she turn around and gaze into the distance at Huang Tian and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. In the very instant she turned around—all of the gentle, tender warmth on her face completely and utterly vanished and disappeared.
An icy, cold, frosty gaze slowly, unhurriedly swept and surveyed this entire stretch of heaven and earth. That appearance and bearing—it was like an empress scrutinizing and examining her subjects and subjects-to-be. Cold, indifferent, and majestically, imposingly dignified.
When her beautiful eyes fell upon Huang Tian, a cold, chilling, frosty gleam flickered and flashed within them. Killing intent surged and churned.
"You have made this King feel exceptionally, exceedingly, utterly displeased and unhappy. Tell me—how should this King deal with and dispose of you?" Medusa fixed her gaze dead upon Huang Tian and spoke in an indifferent, cold, detached tone. Between her words—killing intent was openly, blatantly revealed and displayed.
If not for Huang Tian's invasion and assault—with her and Jiang Yun's strength, would they have emerged and come out in less than ten days to half a month?! Now, they had actually been compressed and shortened to a mere, scant three days. It was truly, utterly, a complete and absolute spoiling and ruining of one's mood and interest.
Right now, Medusa was like a powder keg about to be ignited and detonated. She urgently, desperately needed someone to vent and unleash upon. And Huang Tian and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan were the absolute, optimal, most perfect targets for her venting and unleashing.
"Who—who are you?!" Feeling the oppressive, pressuring force and weight Medusa brought and imposed upon him, Huang Tian's heart clenched and tightened. Clutching and pressing his heavy, stifled, oppressed chest, he stared at Medusa with guarded, wary vigilance and spoke in a deep, heavy voice.
"Weren't you searching and looking for this King? And now—you ask this King who she is?" Medusa's long, narrow, beautiful eyes fixed and locked dead onto Huang Tian. Between her words—a trace and hint of mockery and derision was revealed and exposed.
"That day's unusual phenomenon and disturbance—it was caused by you?!" Hearing this, Huang Tian stared at Medusa with utter, horrified shock and disbelief. A surge of uneasy, unsettled, ominous emotion and premonition abruptly, violently rose and swelled within his heart.
Medusa did not answer Huang Tian's question any further. The cold, chilling, frosty intent in her eyes did not diminish or fade in the slightest. On the surface of her body, a nine-colored luster and sheen once again surged forth.
"Not good—!" A sense and feeling of impending, imminent danger and peril abruptly, violently surged and arose within Huang Tian's heart. He swiftly, rapidly sought to retreat and withdraw backward. But Medusa's speed was even faster.
"Roar—!"
A terrifying, dreadful, furious, raging hiss and roar rang out and transmitted forth from within the void. The nine-colored luster and sheen on Medusa's body abruptly, violently surged and skyrocketed. A nine-colored giant python—its form and silhouette seeming to stretch and extend beyond all visible bounds and limits—appeared with utterly, immensely, shockingly, stunningly before countless, innumerable gazes.
"Hiss—"
Gazing at that nine-colored giant python that stretched and spanned across the heavens and the earth, the sound of sharply, fiercely indrawn breaths of cold air immediately, instantly, continuously and successively rang out and rose. Within gaze after countless gaze—all surged with looks of sheer, utter, horrified shock and awe.
"The Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python?! How is this possible?! How can a Nine-Colored Devouring Heaven Python still possibly exist on this continent?!" Gazing at the nine-colored giant python that had appeared and manifested, a look of sheer, utter shock and horror also surged forth within Huang Tian's eyes. Unable to believe or accept it, he roared and howled in a strangled, cracking voice.
Yet what answered and responded to him was a nine-colored serpent's tail—a full, nearly, almost a thousand zhang wide.
"Demon Phoenix Step!" His pupils abruptly, violently, fiercely constricting and shrinking, a great, furious, raging roar erupted and burst forth from Huang Tian's mouth. His twin wings behind his back abruptly, violently shuddered and beat. Low, deep, heavy, muffled sounds of tearing, ripping wind instantly, immediately rumbled and boomed thunderously in the sky above. Streak after streak of afterimage and residual shadow was left behind and remained within the void. Yet his figure and silhouette withdrew and retreated backward at a speed utterly, completely imperceptible and undetectable to the naked eye.
"Can you escape?" Seeing this, a look and expression of cold, sneering, mocking laughter surfaced and emerged within Medusa's eyes. Huang Tian's speed was indeed truly, genuinely impressive and formidable. As a late-stage five-star Dou Sheng—if he exerted and pushed himself with full, complete, absolute force—not even a six-star Dou Sheng could necessarily match or keep up with his speed. What a pity—Medusa was equally, similarly well-versed and proficient in spatial power and manipulation. Her speed was not slow or lacking in the slightest. Adding to that her even greater, more powerful strength—Huang Tian's speed, in Medusa's eyes, was utterly, completely beneath notice and not worth a single mention.
As Medusa's voice fell and faded, the space all around the retreating, withdrawing Huang Tian underwent a strange, eerie, bizarre, uncanny transformation and change.
With a single ripple and undulation of space—his body actually, directly, was forced and compelled backward and reverted to his previous, former position and orientation. And Medusa—like a phantom, ghost, or specter—appeared and materialized directly, straight before him, a mere three meters away.
"Spatial translocation—six-star Dou Sheng?! You're a six-star Dou Sheng!!!" Huang Tian stared blankly, dazedly, numbly at Medusa's enchantingly alluring, bewitching, captivating face. A split second later, he abruptly, violently came back and returned to his senses. With a face full of horrified shock and terror, he cried out in a strangled voice.
"Boom—!"
Huang Tian did not receive or obtain Medusa's answer and response. Instead, what he received was that descending, crashing, smashing nine-colored serpent's tail heavily, ruthlessly, ferociously blasting and bombarding against his chest. Instantly, under that terrifying, dreadful, heaven-reaching, colossal, immense, giant force—the bones within Huang Tian's body—which were like refined, tempered steel—were forcibly, violently shaken and blasted apart and broken.
The strange, eerie, bizarre, grotesque sounds of bones creaking, cracking, snapping, and fracturing continuously, unceasingly rang out and transmitted forth from within Huang Tian's body. Even that entire stretch and expanse of space, at this very moment, became somewhat warped, twisted, and distorted.
"Pfft—!"
Huang Tian's figure and silhouette shot and hurtled backward toward the distant horizon like a cannonball or artillery shell.
Yet Medusa would not, could not, let him off and spare him so easily and lightly. The several dozen seven-colored serpent scales beneath the nine-colored Heaven-Devouring Python's serpent mouth suddenly, of their own accord, detached and fell away.
Then, with a single shake and transformation of her body, before countless, innumerable horrified, shocked gazes—they transformed and became several dozen incomparably, immeasurably, colossally, gigantically enormous Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Pythons. Then, their serpent tails mutually, reciprocally entwined and coiled around one another—like a serpent net—and caught up to and overtook the hurtling, tumbling, flying-backward Huang Tian with lightning speed.
They tightly, closely encircled, surrounded, and besieged Huang Tian. Finally... the several dozen Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Pythons simultaneously, in perfect unison, raised their heads to the heavens and let out long, piercing, ringing cries. The serpent net, at a speed visible and perceptible to the naked eye, abruptly, violently contracted and shrank!
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The speed at which the serpent net contracted and shrank was terrifyingly, horrifyingly, shockingly fast. And in the midst and course of its contraction and shrinking—an indescribable, unutterable, compressing, crushing force and power took form and shape within that serpent net. So much so that even that entire stretch and expanse of space, in that very split instant, completely and utterly collapsed and crumbled.
"Ah—!" Huang Tian—who had already been battered, dazed, dizzy, and disoriented by that single, sweeping tail lash—once again, continuously and successively, suffered and endured Medusa's fierce, ferocious, violent, brutal attacks. Even with Huang Tian's strength and power—he was still severely, gravely, heavily wounded and injured. He let out a miserable, agonized, wretched, pain-filled howl and wail.
"Swoosh—!"
The compressing, crushing force transmitting and conveying from all around and every direction caused and made Huang Tian suffer and ache with unbearable, excruciating, exquisite agony and torment. Instantly, his enormous, colossal body gave a strange, eerie, bizarre, uncanny shudder and shake. First, he struggled and wrenched free and loosened the serpent net somewhat. Immediately after—golden light surged forth violently, ferociously. His figure and silhouette once again contracted and shrank. The sounds and noises of wind and thunder surged and churned and roiled. His form and silhouette then pierced and penetrated through space, shooting and hurtling violently, ferociously toward the distant, far-off Demon Phoenix Grand Array.
"Clan Leader—!"
Watching the wretched, miserable, battered, disheveled Huang Tian—the members of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan instantly, immediately panicked and fell into utter, complete fluster and disarray. When had they ever, ever seen Huang Tian in such a state and condition?! Everything that had just occurred and transpired had happened and taken place in the mere, scant, fleeting, blinking interval between lightning flashes and sparks of fire. They simply, utterly had no time or opportunity to rush and race to Huang Tian's aid and reinforcement. Some of them had not even, still not reacted or responded yet. How—how was it that a situation and circumstance of clear, obvious, overwhelming advantage and superiority had suddenly, abruptly, all at once—and their own Clan Leader was about to plunge and fall into a deadly, fatal, mortal crisis and predicament?!
"Can you escape? Perfect timing—let's test and try out the power and might of my flame after evolving and advancing!" Medusa coldly, icily, frostily watched and observed all of this. She was not at all anxious, hurried, or rushed. It was as if everything was within her grasp and control.
With a "poof"—a jet-black flame, tinged and haloed with a crimson-red glow and radiance, blazed and surged upward from within her body. Under the mad, frenzied, frantic infusion and pouring of Dou Qi—in that very instant—the flame seemed as if it had come back to life and been revived.
"Heaven-Devouring, Earth-Consuming!"
Accompanied and followed by a single, delicate, fierce cry and shout from Medusa—under the urging and driving of her Dou Qi—the unique, distinctive beast flame that had been born and birthed the very moment she evolved and advanced into the Nine-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python instantly, immediately erupted and burst forth with terrifying, dreadful, horrifying power and might.
A jet-black, pitch-dark fire serpent sprayed and spewed forth blazing, searing flames from its mouth, pouring and cascading down into an immense, colossal, vast, boundless sea of fire. This sea of fire seemed capable and able to steam and evaporate the seas and incinerate and scorch the heavens themselves.
Everywhere and wherever the flames passed and swept through—all things were incinerated and burned to nothingness and oblivion. Crackling, snapping, shattering sounds and noises rang out and arose. Even this entire stretch and expanse of space was burned and scorched into a terrifying, dreadful, horrifying black hole!
Sensing and perceiving the immense, colossal, vast, boundless sea of fire that Medusa had unleashed and deployed—Huang Tian's pupils abruptly, violently, fiercely constricted and shrank. Then, he abruptly, violently, fiercely, sharply, harshly roared and shouted: "Demon Phoenix Sacred Image!"
As his voice fell and faded, the experts and powerhouses of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan behind him all, one after another, swiftly and rapidly took up and assumed their positions according to specific, particular orientations and arrangements. The Heavenly Phoenix Ancient Array was once again activated and initiated.
"Sacred Image—Demon Phoenix Bell!"
Huang Tian's hands, with lightning speed, formed and executed a series and succession of dazzling, eye-dazzling, bewildering hand seals. The giant phoenix that had been summoned and called forth behind him instantly, immediately became much, far more solid, substantial, and defined. That terrifying, dreadful, horrifying, oppressive might that spread and pervaded forth also, as a result, rapidly and swiftly grew dense, rich, concentrated, and intense.
A single sharp, piercing, keen phoenix cry and call rang out and arose. A short, brief moment later—an enormous, colossal, massive, jet-black, pitch-dark giant bell, a full dozen or so zhang wide, shrouded and enveloped the space above the crowd's heads.
The giant bell's surface area was exceedingly, exceptionally vast and expansive. Its entire body was jet-black, pitch-dark. On its surface was also carved and engraved a single black phoenix, wings outspread and soaring high.
Dense, rich, thick, concentrated, strange, eerie, bizarre black flames continuously, unceasingly curled and wafted upward from its body in curling, rising wisps and tendrils. The giant bell was clearly, obviously condensed and coalesced from energy—yet it looked and appeared even more real, genuine, and tangible than a physical, material, solid object. Even the jet-black, pitch-dark light that flowed and circulated across its surface was completely, utterly identical and indistinguishable from a real, genuine, physical object.
In the very instant the Demon Phoenix Bell condensed and coalesced into solid, substantial form—the sea of fire in the sky above abruptly, violently descended and crashed down upon the bell's body.
"Clang!"
In the very instant of collision and impact—a bell toll and ring, like a sudden, startling, shocking thunderclap—abruptly, violently rang out and resounded.
An enormous, colossal, massive sound wave—as if tangible, material, and substantial—madly, frenziedly, frantically spread outward from the surface of that giant bell. Everywhere and wherever it passed and swept through along its path—space instantly, immediately, inch by inch, fractured, shattered, and burst apart. The sounds and noises of sonic booms and explosions continuously, successively rang out in rapid, unending succession.