25: Chapter 25 ate Medusa

"Young Master, this matter concerns the future of my Snake-People Tribe, and it is not something I can decide alone. Could you allow me to discuss it with several Elders of the tribe?"

Ling Yuan: "Very well, but I will only give you one day!"

"Alright, I will give the Young Master an answer within a day." Facing such a domineering Ling Yuan, Medusa could not maintain any trace of her usual toughness.

Primarily because Ling Yuan had displayed a powerful background and strength from the very beginning, Medusa was simply unable to converse with him as an equal.

Afterward, Ling Yuan was arranged by Medusa to stay in the best guest room.

Ling Yuan was confident enough in the price he offered, believing Medusa would not refuse.

He began to bring out his Clone; his main body and the Clone simultaneously circulated their Cultivation Technique, initiating a double-speed Cultivate mode.

...

On the other hand, Medusa was not as composed as Ling Yuan; her heart was in total disarray.

Reason urged her to agree quickly, as this was a great opportunity for the Snake-People Tribe to prosper.

But the pride she had maintained for decades made her hesitate.

Finally, Medusa called for the four Elders.

The four Elders were very old, with traces of Death Qi on their bodies; clearly, their Lifespan was nearly exhausted. Ordinarily, unless a world-shaking event occurred, they would never easily emerge from seclusion.

Most of their time was spent in closed-door cultivation, on one hand grasping for that last sliver of hope to charge toward a higher Realm.

On the other hand, it was to reduce the consumption of their Lifespan, hoping to hold on for a bit longer to guard the Snake-People Tribe for a while more.

And this matter regarding Ling Yuan was absolutely a monumental event.

As soon as she entered, the Second Elder spoke first: "Queen, you have summoned us; has some major event occurred within the tribe?"

The Third Elder also had a solemn expression: "Could it be that the surrounding human Empires can no longer restrain themselves and are about to move against our Snake-People Tribe?"

With their Lifespan nearing its end, their greatest worry was the Snake-People Tribe being attacked by human Empires.

Medusa shook her head: "Neither."

Grand Elder: "Then why has the Queen summoned us?"

Medusa did not hide anything and revealed the strength and purpose of Ling Yuan and his companion.

After listening, the four Elders were no longer calm.

"Queen, are you speaking the truth? That young man actually has a Saint Realm expert as a guard? You aren't joking with us, are you?"

Although they knew Medusa had always been steady and did not like to joke, this matter still exceeded their understanding.

Medusa: "An expert of that level has no need to deceive this Queen. They likely come from the Central Plains."

Dou Zun and Dou Sheng were both existences the Snake-People Tribe could not resist.

Next, Medusa sought the opinions of the four Elders.

"Do you think this Queen should agree?"

Whether to follow Ling Yuan was no longer a matter for her alone; it concerned the entire Snake-People Tribe.

"Queen, since this person is a Young Clan Leader with an extraordinary status, why not follow him?"

"For our Snake-People Tribe, this might just be an opportunity to rise!"

The four Elders spoke one after another, their attitudes completely unanimous; they all felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The Snake-People Tribe could leave the Tagor Desert, and the Queen could receive the other party's nurturing to become even stronger.

And if the Queen gained his favor, she might even obtain some benefits from Ling Yuan to help them Breakthrough their Bottlenecks and extend their lives.

To them, if the Queen could follow Ling Yuan, there were only benefits!

In their eyes, a man like Ling Yuan—young, powerful, and with a background that reached the heavens—was something one could encounter but never seek out.

If it weren't for the fact that they were old, they wouldn't be able to resist clinging to such a young man with strength and background.

Everyone was talking about interests; no one mentioned love.

That thing was too ethereal; besides, their Queen was very cold regarding emotions, having not had a single sweetheart in all these years.

Speaking of love at this moment was nothing but nonsense.

Seeing Medusa still hesitating, the Grand Elder said: "Queen, who isn't someone to follow? Is there a better choice within the Snake-People Tribe? At least by following him, our Snake-People Tribe can truly leave this Tagor Desert."

"Hasn't this always been the Queen's dream?"

These words hit the nail on the head; the words were blunt but the logic was sound.

Most of the conflict in Medusa's heart instantly dissipated.

Yes, leaving the Tagor Desert and allowing the Snake-People Tribe to live in peace was her lifelong dream. For this dream, what did it matter if she set aside a bit of pride?

What exactly was she conflicted about?

Even if she didn't look highly upon the men in the tribe, when she reached a certain age, as the Queen, she would have to be with the most talented man in the tribe for the sake of responsibility...

Was there any man in the Snake-People Tribe better than Ling Yuan? No, and it was impossible.

...

The next day, Medusa had already prepared herself. She had shed a bit of her Queen's majesty and added a trace of imperceptible restraint as she headed alone to the guest room where Ling Yuan resided.

After discussing with the four Elders yesterday, she already had a clear choice in her heart.

In truth, she had known all along how she should choose; it was just that lingering bit of pride in her heart that made her hesitate to make the decision. The Elders' analysis and persuasion had merely served to wake her up.

Just as Medusa was about to knock, Ling Yuan's casual voice came from inside: "Come straight in."

Inside the guest room, Ling Yuan was still sitting cross-legged, his Clone already put away.

Seeing Medusa's unnatural expression, Ling Yuan guessed her choice.

A playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Have you made up your mind?"

Medusa walked up to Ling Yuan and lowered her head slightly: "I agree, but I have one small request."

"Oh? Let's hear it." Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Medusa: "I want to spar with you."

Ling Yuan glanced at her with some surprise. He had just thought Medusa was pushing her luck, wanting more benefits from him, but he hadn't expected this.

Seeing the determination in Medusa's eyes, Ling Yuan seemed to understand her intention in challenging him.

Medusa was proud to her core; even if she was to submit herself, she wanted to submit to a man stronger than herself.

A small matter. Ling Yuan decided to satisfy her request and make her lose convincingly.

Someone like him who specialized in Soul cultivation was the ultimate counter to Demonic Beasts!

"I agree!"

The two went outside, and Ling Yuan suppressed his strength to the Nine-Star Dou Huang Realm.

"Come!"

This detail actually caused Medusa to feel a bit more favorable toward Ling Yuan.

The battle began. Medusa proactively charged toward Ling Yuan with an aggressive Aura.

Ling Yuan wasn't flustered at all and slowly released his Soul Attack.

A wave of sound spread out with extreme speed.

Medusa was startled; it was actually a Soul Attack!

She wanted to resist, but Demonic Beasts were inherently not good at Soul cultivation.

Affected by this sound wave, Medusa only felt her head spinning.

Then, Ling Yuan's figure flashed, closing in on Medusa directly.

Ling Yuan reached out and grabbed her wrist; the force wasn't great, yet it left her unable to move.

His other hand gently circled her waist, the posture appearing extremely intimate.

A moment later, Medusa's dizzy feeling vanished.

Her whole body stiffened, and a flush instantly appeared on her cheeks. She struggled for a moment but simply couldn't break free from Ling Yuan's restraint.

She could clearly feel the temperature of Ling Yuan's palm and the sensation from the hand on her waist; a trace of panic rose in her heart.

Ling Yuan lowered his head, leaning close to her ear: "This time, are you convinced?"

His warm breath hit Medusa, making her delicate body feel itchy.

She bit her lower lip, the stubbornness in her eyes completely fading.

"Yes, you are stronger than me!"

In just a single round, she had been defeated.

Medusa had no choice but to submit; Ling Yuan's strength was far greater than hers; the two were simply not on the same level.

Seeing her soften, Ling Yuan did not let her go. Instead, he pushed his luck, his fingers gently caressing her waist, his movements becoming increasingly casual as he felt downward toward her smooth snake tail.

Such intimate contact made even someone as cold as Medusa feel flustered.

She also guessed what Ling Yuan wanted to do next.

Medusa said tremblingly: "I... I'm not ready yet."

"What preparation do you need? For every extra day you wait, your tribesmen will suffer for another day in this desert.

As Queen Medusa, you wouldn't want your tribesmen to suffer, right?"

Holding Medusa in one arm, Ling Yuan flashed back into his room, his large hand still resting on her smooth snake tail, which felt cool and comfortable.

The snake tail was Medusa's sensitive spot, and her beautiful face had already begun to turn red.

"Can we... another day?"

"There's no day like today. Today, offer up your loyalty..."

Ling Yuan's large hand moved upward, finding the sash of her brocade robe, and gave it a forceful pull...