Upon hearing Queen Medusa's firm refusal…
Han Feng was momentarily stunned, but soon smiled and said,
"Your Majesty, perhaps you should hear the terms I'm offering before making such a hasty decision."
"Terms?" Queen Medusa's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Now you've piqued this Queen's curiosity. I wonder what conditions the famed Dan King could possibly offer."
Han Feng furrowed his brows, seemingly hesitant for a moment. Then, with a pained look on his face, he spoke solemnly,
"I am willing to offer three Huangji Pills, and one Seventh-Tier Shapeshifting Pill as compensation."
The moment those words left his mouth, the expressions of everyone around him—Fan Lao, Jia Xingtian, and the others—shifted to utter disbelief.
They hadn't expected Han Feng to be so generous just for the sake of acquiring a Heavenly Flame.
There was no need to mention the value of the Huangji Pills—they could elevate a Dou Huang's strength by one to two stars.
And the Shapeshifting Pill, a seventh-tier treasure, could send countless magical beasts into a frenzy.
With it, a beast could abandon its original form, attaining not only the long lifespan of magical beasts but also the cultivation potential of a human.
Combining the effects of these two kinds of pills... they could potentially create a Dou Zong—perhaps even a Dou Zun-level powerhouse.
On the Snake-People's side, countless eyes turned toward Queen Medusa.
It was impossible not to admit—the offer was tempting.
But ultimately, it was up to their Queen to decide.
Yue Mei's brows were furrowed tightly, deep in thought.
Even Chen Mo was surprised. Compared to Gu He, Han Feng was being far more generous.
But despite the irresistible offer, Chen Mo's expression remained calm.
He trusted that Queen Medusa would not sell him out for a few pills.
With bated breath, all eyes fixated on the Queen.
But she didn't hesitate in the slightest. Her red lips parted, her tone firm:
"I won't deny that your offer is indeed tempting. However—"
"This Queen still refuses."
As soon as those words fell, everyone aside from Chen Mo was visibly stunned.
She had refused again.
Han Feng's face twisted in confusion. Weren't humans and snake-people natural enemies? Asking her to hand over a human with no ties to her people should have been a perfect bargain.
And yet, she declined.
"Did this woman get kicked in the head by a donkey?" Fan Lao muttered under his breath, clearly baffled.
Yuan Yi and Tu Ye both shook their heads, equally puzzled.
"In that case, don't blame me for taking him by force."
Han Feng's once warm expression grew cold, and in the next instant, a surge of overwhelming Dou Qi burst out from within him like a tidal wave.
"An eight-star Dou Huang, just as I thought!"
As that majestic aura spread out, gasps of shock rippled through the ranks. Yin Shi, Yue Mei, and the others glanced at Chen Mo in surprise.
How did he know?
Following Han Feng's burst of power, Fan Lao, Xuan Yi, Tu Ye, Jia Xingtian, and Reina all released their own terrifying Dou Qi.
Five Dou Huang and one Dou Wang—a fearsome lineup.
On the city walls, the snake-people warriors holding their venomous spears and crossbows began to tremble.
"Queen Medusa, this is your final chance," Han Feng said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You should understand how we people of the Black-Corner Region operate. If this turns into a fight, your entire royal city may be reduced to rubble."
Queen Medusa's voice turned icy cold.
"This Queen does not bow to threats!"
With a wave of her hand, she commanded,
"Kill them!"
At her order, a storm of venomous spears and bolts shot into the sky, blotting out the stars as they rained down on Han Feng and the others.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The snake-people roared in unison. In that instant, their united auras surged into the heavens.
"Hmph! So stubborn. Then let it all be destroyed!"
Han Feng waved his sleeve, and a massive sea-blue flame barrier formed in front of them, easily blocking the hail of weapons.
He turned to the others and said,
"Patriarch Yuan, you'll assist me in holding off Queen Medusa. Sect Leader Fan, I'll leave that boy to you. The rest of you—hold off their reinforcements."
"A mere Da Dou Shi? He'll be easy." Fan Lao sneered, his eyes locking onto Chen Mo with malice.
"I'll come with you," Jia Xingtian offered. "That kid's a strange one. Better to play it safe."
Fan Lao didn't mind. If someone helped lighten the load, all the better.
He glanced at Tu Ye. Their strength wasn't far apart.
"Just a few Dou Wang. Reina and I can handle them," Tu Ye said viciously.
"Then it's decided."
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With a flap of his blood-colored wings, Fan Lao soared toward Chen Mo.
Jia Xingtian followed close behind.
"Stop them!"
Seeing this, Queen Medusa's face turned frosty. Crimson Dou Qi wings flared behind her as her body flashed like lightning, charging straight at Fan Lao and Jia Xingtian.
"Heh... Queen Medusa, your opponent is us."
Han Feng and Yuan Yi appeared before her, blocking her path.
"Get out of my way!" she roared.
A blast of blazing red Dou Qi surged from her hand.
Han Feng and Yuan Yi moved simultaneously, shattering the Dou Qi wave before closing in on her.
In a blur of movement, three powerful forces clashed. Their attacks roared like thunder, echoing across the sky as afterimages flickered wildly.
Fan Lao cackled and swerved to continue his pursuit of Chen Mo alongside Jia Xingtian.
Elsewhere—
The Snake-People's Grand Elder shouted as Tu Ye and Reina charged forward,
"Form the Five-Serpent Poison Killing Seal!"
The three elders joined forces with Yin Shi and Du Qianteng to counter the assault.
Meanwhile, the injured Yue Mei stayed back, organizing the troops to resist Reina's attack.
Another earth-shaking battle erupted.
"So you're really all in on taking me down..."
Watching the two deadly blasts of force fly toward him, Chen Mo didn't dare to take them lightly.
He immediately activated a Five-Star Dou Ling card.
A powerful aura surged from within his body.
Mounted on his Heart Demon Phantom, Chen Mo shot into the sky, narrowly dodging the twin strikes.
Fan Lao's eyes widened in shock.
What kind of secret technique is this? To raise a mere three-star Da Dou Shi all the way to five-star Dou Ling in an instant?!
"I told you—this kid's full of surprises," Jia Xingtian said coldly.
"No matter how strange he is, can he really fight two Dou Huang at once?" Fan Lao scoffed, still skeptical despite the surprise.
Between Dou Ling and Dou Huang, there was an enormous, nearly insurmountable chasm.
Jia Xingtian silently agreed.
The two shared a glance, then once again charged at Chen Mo like lightning.
****
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