Chapter 96: Medusa Hidden Power

"Damn that human! That filthy dog took advantage of her!"

"My Queen, my dear Queen…"

"If he dares not to be gentle with Her Majesty, I'll… I'll… damn it!"

"Bastard! Our Queen… has been taken by someone else."

In the Sacred City of the Snake-People, countless male serpent-folk were in agony, pounding their chests in frustration. Particularly when they heard the seductive moans of Queen Medusa echoing from her temple, their hearts ached even more.

But they were powerless, mere weaklings unable to stop their Queen from being conquered by a human. Even the eight commanders of the snake tribe seemed to have accepted it, leaving the Sacred City as if to avoid witnessing the disgrace, tacitly allowing the human to claim their Queen.

This outcome filled them with both pain and helplessness. Even Hua She'er, the captain of Queen Medusa's personal guards, had gone outside the temple to stand watch for that human and the Queen. The gesture wounded them deeply.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed, and the male snake-people had endured seven long nights of restless torment.

Boom!

"Bastard! You liar!"

A furious roar echoed as Queen Medusa, her hair in wild disarray, chased after Gu Changqing, fury blazing in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, I never promised you that calling me 'Daddy' would earn you the seventh-tier pill. If your Snake-People want such a pill, gather the ingredients yourself. I'm done here!"

Gu Changqing bolted from the temple, hastily putting on his clothes while speaking loudly.

"Scoundrel! Don't ever come back! Get as far away as you can!"

Queen Medusa roared in anger, sending the Black Magic Cauldron in the center of the city flying with a single swipe.

"It's over. Her Majesty has been tricked by that human!"

"She even called him 'Daddy'! Damn it!"

"And she didn't even get the seventh-tier pill in return. That human is despicable!"

The male serpent-folk were furious, but their anger was futile. They couldn't defeat Gu Changqing, and none of them dared comfort their enraged Queen.

Meanwhile, Gu Changqing found Qing Lin, Liu Mei, and their companion, who had been waiting for him. Together, they strolled through the Sacred City, taking in the sights.

Despite the desert surrounding the city, the Snake-People had created an oasis-like paradise, lacking mountains but filled with clear waters.

Qing Lin and her friends had never seen such a place, let alone the Sacred City of the Snake-People. They quickly lost themselves in the beauty and excitement, forgetting their surroundings.

While Gu Changqing and the group enjoyed their leisure, Queen Medusa was summoned by the four Elders of the Snake-People to inquire about Gu Changqing.

Upon learning that Gu Changqing might have aided in Her Majesty's evolution, the Elders' eyes lit up with interest.

However, when they heard how he helped her evolve—through what they deemed a shameful method—the Elders were outraged.

"Nonsense!"

"Your Majesty, you're over a hundred years old! Though still young by our standards, evolving through… mating? That's absurd! How could you fall for such a deception?"

"The sly human tricked our Queen into giving up her body! We must teach him a lesson!"

The Elders, consumed with fury, could no longer sit still. The pride of their race, their beloved Queen, the goddess in the hearts of countless men—human and snake alike—had been defiled by a lowly human. It was a disgrace that stung deeply.

Though that human happened to be a seventh-tier alchemist, his deceit could not be forgiven.

"Wait, Elders," Queen Medusa quickly interrupted, halting their righteous anger.

"If the Elders doubt my words, we have the Bloodline Stone. Let's test my bloodline concentration. See for yourselves if there's been any change."

Queen Medusa spoke with authority.

"Very well! If we're to confront this man, we'll need proof to shut him up once and for all."

"Indeed! The Bloodline Stone will show whether your bloodline concentration has changed. Her Majesty's bloodline was already the highest among our people—six feet nine inches, just shy of the seven-foot mark. That puts Her Majesty at the pinnacle of nine-star Dou Emperor. If your bloodline concentration hasn't increased, then this man is undoubtedly a fraud."

"Our bloodline is not so easily altered. We've spent our entire lives barely pushing it to six feet nine inches, exhausting all our potential. Without that limitation, we'd have long surpassed Dou Ancestor, and the Jia Ma Empire wouldn't dare to challenge us."

"Your Majesty, please begin the test."

The Elders summoned the large, ancient stone, its surface engraved with mysterious serpentine patterns, as though a great serpent lay sealed within. When the blood of a Snake-Person was placed on the stone, the patterns would glow, revealing the purity of their bloodline.

Without hesitation, Queen Medusa bit her finger, drawing out a drop of vibrant, slightly iridescent blood, and let it fall onto the Bloodline Stone.

As her blood was absorbed, the serpentine patterns on the stone began to glow.

One foot.

Two feet.

Three feet.

Six feet.

Six feet five inches.

Six feet seven inches.

Six feet nine inches.

The stone's gauge quickly reached the six-foot-nine mark—her previous record.

"It's stopped at the same level as before. I knew it! Wait… the color is changing? It's darkening?"

"The gauge is moving again, slowly but surely!"

"Could it really be true?!"

The four Elders watched in disbelief as the bloodline gauge continued to climb.

Queen Medusa, too, held her breath. Though she had felt a significant change after her interaction with Gu Changqing, she was still nervous to see the result.

Before their eyes, the serpentine patterns on the stone grew deeper in color, eventually transforming into a vivid blood-red serpent. Its length extended to six feet nine and nine-tenths inches, just shy of the seven-foot threshold.

Yet, this last tiny increment seemed like an insurmountable barrier, holding back the full breakthrough, as if the water had reached the brim of a cup but couldn't quite overflow.