Encounter

In the depths of the desert stood a pitch-black palace, surrounded by a multitude of serpentmen, most of whom were male. This was the residence of the Mo Snake Tribe, one of the eight major serpent tribes.

A green figure streaked across the sky, approaching the Mo Snake Tribe rapidly. On the tall walls, dozens of fully armed serpentmen stood watch with poison spears, their sharp gazes scanning the horizon.

As they sensed a powerful aura approaching, they tensed up. The leader of the guards, a burly serpentman, barked, "Who dares to enter the territory of the Mo Snake Tribe?"

His gruff voice, infused with fighting spirit, reached the green figure. Soon, the figure arrived at the wall, revealing itself to be Yue Mei, who had come to discuss the matter of the queen's missing sister with Mo Bas.

Yue Mei's cold and beautiful face regarded the serpentman commander before her. "I am Yue Mei, leader of the Charming Snake Tribe, here to see MoBas."

The commander, recognizing Yue Mei, immediately bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Lady Yue Mei. Chief Mo Bas is in the main hall."

Without further words, Yue Mei flapped her wings and became a streak of green light, heading toward the central hall.

In the grand and luxurious hall, a burly man sat atop a high platform. He wore a thin garment draped carelessly over his shoulders. His arms were covered in peculiar black tattoos, extending down to his palms and depicting two fierce black snake heads. A chilling and sinister aura emanated from him—this was Mo Bas, the chief of the Mo Snake Tribe.

Yue Mei appeared in the hall and took a seat beside the platform. With a grave expression, she addressed Mo Bas, "The queen's sister has gone missing."

Mo Bas's expression changed slightly, and he replied in a deep voice, "Is this matter something the queen personally entrusted to you?"

Yue Mei nodded slowly. Mo Bas continued in a cold tone, "Not long ago, the Third Elder of the Elder Council visited our tribe and gave me some instructions."

Yue Mei's face changed. "Was it related to the queen's sister?"

Mo Bas nodded. "Indeed. The Elder Council's order was for me to kill Die."

"Did you agree?" Yue Mei's face darkened.

Mo Bas shook his head. "I did not agree. The Mo Snake Tribe is loyal to the queen. The Elder Council must submit to the queen's authority. Unless ordered directly by her, I will never comply."

Relief washed over Yue Mei upon hearing this. However, Mo Bas added, "The eight major tribes are not united. Among the other six tribes, some remain neutral, while others side with the Elder Council. Even though I refused the Third Elder, they will seek out other tribes to carry out this order."

Yue Mei nodded. "True, but we still haven't identified the assassin sent to kill Die, and Die's whereabouts remain unknown!"

Mo Bas frowned slightly. "Perhaps no news is good news. It's normal not to identify the assassin—no one would dare to kill Die under the queen's watch."

Yue Mei pondered for a moment. "Should we inform the queen?"

Mo Bas shook his head. "Let's not disturb the queen for now. She is currently receiving a legacy and seems to have found the trace of Heavenly Flame!"

Yue Mei's eyes narrowed. "Heavenly Flame?"

Mo Bas nodded. "Yes, the Blue Lotus Earth Heart Fire would greatly benefit the queen. It might enable her to break through to the Dou Ancestor level!"

"When that happens, we will have our revenge against the human empire!" Mo Bas's voice echoed ominously in the hall.

Yue Mei sighed. "The Elder Council has been relentlessly pursuing Die. If Die has been captured by the humans and sent to the Jia Ma Empire, it will be disastrous!"

"Anyway, you should send more people to search for Die. There are many matters in the tribe. I must return now," Yue Mei said, her slender figure turning gracefully.

Mo Bas nodded. "Understood. I will inform you immediately once we have any news."

Yue Mei nodded, spreading her green wings and flying out of the hall. Mo Bas muttered, "Your Majesty, you have truly given us a difficult problem!"

As Yue Mei traversed the desert, she suddenly sensed the presence of a powerful human. She frowned and quickly ascended into the sky.

Suspended in the air, Yue Mei saw a dark spot in the distance growing larger.

"Whoosh…"

A roaring wind approached rapidly, and Yue Mei saw a massive shadow racing towards the northern horizon. Two pairs of long wings flapped vigorously, creating a massive sand trench hundreds of meters long in the desert.

As the sandstorm subsided, Yue Mei saw a flying giant beast. Her eyes narrowed as she saw two figures leaping off the beast.

"Hahaha, we've just entered the desert and found the snake woman. Perfect, we'll capture her and make her our slave!" A boisterous laughter preceded the figures' arrival.

Yue Mei's eyes turned icy as the figures grew larger. Her heart sank as she recognized their strength—"Two Dou King!"

Then, six more figures leaped from the giant beast. Yue Mei's expression shifted from shock to a hint of fear. "Three Dou King, five Dou Spirit . What could their purpose in the desert be?"

She anxiously speculated, "Old He, come and see. This snake woman seems to have some significant background. A Dou King strongman. Could she be a tribal leader?"

The group consisted of Gu He and his two Dou Wang allies, Lion King Yan Shi and Wind Walker Feng Li.

"Are you the Charming Snake Tribe's leader, Yue Mei?" Gu He stepped forward with a smile. It was clear that Frank and his team had briefed Gu He on the serpent tribe's general situation.

"Who are you? What are you doing in our tribe's territory? Don't you know that humans are forbidden here?" Yue Mei's face revealed a hint of coldness. The presence of this formidable force filled her with a sense of imminent danger.

"We heard that your queen is seeking the trace of the Heavenly Flame, so we'd like to make a deal with her," Gu He said with a smile.

Yue Mei's brows furrowed. "For the Heavenly Flame? Mo Bas did mention that the queen might be looking for it."

Understanding dawned on Yue Mei, and her eyes curved into a charming smile. "So you're here for the Heavenly Flame. Well, our queen does know about it. However, I need to inform her and see if she is willing to meet with you."

Before she could finish speaking, Yue Mei's figure suddenly darted away. Feng Li, standing next to Gu He, moved swiftly, creating a black streak as he accelerated through the air, cutting off Yue Mei's escape route.

Yan Shi laughed heartily behind them. "Competing with Old Feng in speed, that's interesting!"