The tumultuous noise created by Queen Medusa was overwhelming, and her piercing screams echoed throughout the entire underground cavern.
Countless Snake-People were agitated, their faces etched with worry as they gazed towards the source of the commotion.
Some of them attempted to rush into the secret room where Medusa was evolving, but her personal guards stopped them, and they could only stand outside, feeling anxious and waiting for the outcome.
Outside the secret room, the Snake-People Commanders and Elders listened to Medusa's screams with clenched hands and concerned expressions.
"The evolution has begun, all we can do now is wait for the final result," one of the Elders said, voicing their collective thoughts.
"I hope Her Majesty the Queen can succeed..." another added with a sigh.
Even Zi Yan's usually cheerful face was replaced with a serious expression, as she too felt the gravity of the situation.
However, Xiao Yi Xian remained unaffected, as she had no personal connection to Medusa.
...
Inside the open cave, Xiao Ming had already retreated to the edge. The stone platform where he was originally standing had turned into a pitch-black hole, at least a dozen meters deep, with spider-web-like cracks spreading in all directions.
The energy required for Medusa's evolution was not a small amount, so Xiao Ming did not hesitate to input large amounts of Dou Qi into the Green Lotus Core Flame from time to time.
The Green Lotus Core Flame, which had received sufficient Dou Qi supply, emitted a terrifyingly high temperature, resulting in the current situation.
Inside the green flames, Queen Medusa's piercing screams gradually weakened after almost half an hour of intense shouting.
At this point, perhaps because its strength had been exhausted, the huge body of the purple snake had almost stopped tumbling. Its once lustrous purple scales had been charred to an unrecognizable black, and the thirty-meter-long body had been reduced to a mere two or three meters. It was a gruesome sight, and it was impossible to fathom how many bones and how much blood had been consumed by the Heavenly Flame.
As the echoes of Queen Medusa's screams faded away, all the Snake-People rose to their feet in unison, hoping against hope for a miracle.
But as time passed, a sense of despair began to set in. Suddenly, a mournful howl echoed through the cave, casting a gloomy pall over the entire area.
"Did Her Majesty the Queen fail?" Yue Mei asked with a bitter expression as she perceived no movement in the secret room.
"..."
The Snake People around clenched their hands tightly, unwilling to believe it.
"Master Xiao Ming has not come out yet, so she hasn't failed. Keep on waiting." The Snake People's First Elder finally spoke up.
Xiao Ming, mentioned by the Snake People's First Elder was closely watching Medusa, judging her condition.
In the green flames, Queen Medusa lay motionless, allowing the Green Lotus Core Flame to burn continuously on her body.
A faint burnt smell slowly emanated from her body, but Xiao Ming could not find any signs of life in her.
'Failed?' After observing for a while with a frown, Xiao Ming suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky which had suddenly become much darker and slightly silent.
'This Medusa is quite lucky.'
Outside the secret room, Zi Yan waited anxiously, her eyes tearing up.
"The energy of heaven and earth burst forth." Suddenly, the cold voice of Xiao Yi Xian rang out, and her eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the walls as she looked towards the sky.
Outside, the originally bright moonlight became extremely dim, and clouds of unknown origin slowly enveloped the entire sky.
Boom!
In the clouds, thunderous booms suddenly rang out, and silvery lightning flashed like silver snakes.
The sudden sound of thunder surprised everyone, leaving them all looking confused.
The First Elder was the first to react, his eyes widening with excitement. "Did she succeed?"
According to the Snake-People's records, a race with a noble enough bloodline and successful evolution would attract heavenly thunder. The current scene fit this description perfectly.
As soon as the First Elder finished speaking, a deafening rumble echoed through the sky, followed by a massive silver lightning bolt that shot out of the clouds.
The lightning illuminated the world, striking the ground before crashing into the purple light screen. The green flames within the screen were also hit by the lightning, causing a brilliant flash of light.
The thundercloud came and went in a flash, and the dark clouds rapidly dissipated. The bright moonlight once again poured into the secret room.
However, a faint green mist began to seep out of the purple giant snake, obscuring Xiao Ming's vision.
'The green mist is the result of the collision between the lighting and the Heavenly Flame. It can't be penetrated by soul power, and the situation inside has been completely isolated. If I want to know more, I'll have to go inside.' Xiao Ming concluded after scanning the light screen with his soul perception. At this moment, his body was covered with a thick layer of Dou Qi.
The thunder strike had a significant impact on him, who was standing close to Medusa. As a result, the entire secret room was deepened by more than 20 meters.
As Xiao Ming moved closer to the center of the room where he remembered Medusa was, the Green Core Lotus Flame he had released earlier reappeared. However, the flames had shrunk to the size of a fist and were floating in the air, constantly changing shape.
Xiao Ming could feel that the Qi he had input into it was almost exhausted. With a wave of his right hand, he collected the Green Core Lotus Flame and looked down at the ground.
There, a giant snake covered in black charcoal lay silently, its body cold and lifeless.
Before Xiao Ming could make any moves, a slight cracking sound suddenly rang out.
The blackened skin on the snake's body began to peel off slowly under Xiao Ming's gaze. The peeling gradually accelerated, and in the end, something seemed about to break out from inside the snake's corpse.
Boom!
Suddenly, the snake's body exploded with a loud boom, and its jet-black scales flew in all directions, turning the body into powder.
As the snake's body turned to powder, a vast and terrifying aura burst out, quickly enveloping the area.
"Did Her Majesty succeed?"
Feeling a familiar energy, countless Snake-People looked at each other and then erupted into wild joy, and the sound of earth-shaking shouts of joy echoed through the clouds.
However, in just ten seconds, the energy that had erupted dissipated like a tide.
As the energy dissipated, the Snake People's cheers also abruptly stopped. All of them had looks of shock filled with anxiety.
The explosion of the snake's corpse raised a cloud of black dust, which fell like snowflakes, gradually drifting down.
In a split second, a rainbow light burst out from the mist, piercing through the barriers of space and moving so fast that it caught people off guard.
Xiao Ming could clearly discern the outline of the rainbow light, but he didn't move a muscle. He let the light, accompanied by the sharp sound of breaking wind, flash past him.
As the rainbow light shot towards Xiao Ming at a breakneck speed, it suddenly came to a halt just a few centimeters away from him. Its motion and stillness were so perfectly blended that there was no sense of distortion whatsoever. The light seemed to have transformed into a perfectly rounded shape, suspended in mid-air with a serene stillness that belied its earlier frenzied movement.
The rainbow light came to a halt just a few centimeters away from Xiao Ming, revealing a small snake that was only about twenty centimeters long.
Its body was covered with tiny seven-colored scales, and its pale purple snake pupils gave off a strange feeling. An unusual and refreshing fragrance wafted around its body. Although it had a small and delicate appearance, it exuded elegance and nobility that would make many people forget their fear and disgust towards snakes.
Even though the small snake didn't have many sharp attack parts on its body, it exuded a terrifying power that even Dou Emperor powerhouses would not dare to underestimate.
The small snake floated in front of Xiao Ming, and its pale purple eyes showed no signs of killing intent, but rather a purity and cleanliness.
The seven-colored snake slightly shook its tail, stared at Xiao Ming with its large pale purple eyes, and cautiously moved forward a little bit.
When it saw that Xiao Ming did not react, it swayed its tail and spun around once, sliding onto Xiao Ming's shoulder. It curled up its body slightly, and its pale purple eyes looked at Xiao Ming with a bit of pitifulness. During that time, it even used its small head to lightly nudge against Xiao Ming's cheek.
"Body of seven colors, pupils slightly purple, emitting a fragrant aura, a power capable of reaching the heavens... Hehe, it really is the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python." Xiao Ming said as he extended a finger and lightly stroked the little creature's head.
The Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python seemed to enjoy being touched by Xiao Ming's hand. After a moment, the small snake suddenly lifted its crystal-clear eyes and emitted a few soft hissing sounds towards Xiao Ming, the gentle tone sounding as if it was acting coquettishly.
Seeing the little seven-colored snake's behavior, a smile appeared on Xiao Ming's lips.
"This little girl is quite likable," he said as he flipped his hand, revealing a small jade bottle filled with purple liquid.
Since obtaining it, Xiao Ming had rarely used the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence. Instead, he just kept it as a collection item.
As the jade bottle appeared, the small snake, which had been coiled in mid-air, instantly appeared in Xiao Ming's palm as if it had teleported.
It then stuck its small head into the bottle and licked it greedily with its tongue, quickly reducing the amount of Amethyst Lion Birth Essence inside by almost one-fifth.
It was merely a collectible item, so Xiao Ming didn't feel any regret as the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python consumed some of it.
The little snake didn't excessively indulge in the consumption, and after a few licks, it withdrew its head. In its crystal-clear snake eyes, excitement and satisfaction could be seen.
Perhaps due to absorbing the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence, the little seven-colored snake's affection towards Xiao Ming grew stronger as it gazed into his eyes.
After giving the little snake's head another pat, Xiao Ming took it and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
...
¡Rumble!
The stone gate leading to the evolution site slowly opened, and Xiao Ming's figure appeared in everyone's sight.
Zi Yan was the first to rush to his side, tiptoeing to look behind him, but only saw a blank space.
"Xiao Ming! Where's Sister Medusa?" Zi Yan asked anxiously, blinking.
Before Xiao Ming could answer, the Snake-People gathered around him.
"Wait, I know what you want to ask. Here, this is Medusa." Xiao Ming preemptively spoke and then took the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python off his shoulder.
As everyone looked at the colorful little snake in Xiao Ming's hand, their eyes were full of amazement.
"This... is Her Majesty the Queen? How did Her Majesty become so small?" Yue Mei asked in surprise, her lips slightly parted.
"According to the records, it is indeed possible for this situation to occur," the Elder of the Snake-People, who had more knowledge, explained to everyone.
"So cute!"
Zi Yan looked at the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python in Xiao Ming's hand, her eyes shining brightly. She carefully took it from Xiao Ming's hand and examined it closely.
Perhaps due to the influence of Medusa's soul, or perhaps for some other reason, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python did not feel repelled by Zi Yan's actions. Instead, it seemed to accept her touch with some sense of ease.
As they watched the comfortable-looking seven-colored snake close its eyes in contentment, the faces of the Snake-People showed a strange expression.
"Her personality doesn't seem like that of Her Majesty the Queen. Could something be wrong?" one of them asked.
Zi Yan also noticed something was off and asked Xiao Ming, "Has Sister Medusa succeeded? Why can't she transform into human form and speak to us?"
"Currently, it's the soul of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python that dominates her body, not Medusa's soul. The evolution process consumes a great deal of energy, and Medusa's soul has fallen into a deep sleep. As for why Medusa has two souls, it's due to the secret technique of the Snake-People." Xiao Ming explained.
After giving Zi Yan a brief explanation, Xiao Ming said, "Alright, Zi Yan, hand over Queen Medusa to the Elder."
Upon hearing this, the Elder of the Snake-People showed an expectant look and turned to look at the seven-colored snake in Zi Yan's hand.
Zi Yan's expression was reluctant as she stroked the little colorful snake.
This little snake was too cute, too cute to let go.
After struggling for a while, Zi Yan slowly handed the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python over to the Elder's waiting hands.
But just as she was handing it over, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python whipped its tail and glided through space like lightning, then landed on Xiao Ming's shoulder.
"Master Xiao Ming, this...?" The Elder's face was filled with astonishment.
"Uhm, maybe this little girl saw me first, like a newborn baby, so it's somewhat dependent on me." Xiao Ming said.
"But what do we do now?" The Snake-People were a bit helpless as they watched the little snake coil around Xiao Ming's shoulder. They didn't dare to use forceful means.
The tumultuous noise created by Queen Medusa was overwhelming, and her piercing screams echoed throughout the entire underground cavern.
Countless Snake-People were agitated, their faces etched with worry as they gazed towards the source of the commotion.
Some of them attempted to rush into the secret room where Medusa was evolving, but her personal guards stopped them, and they could only stand outside, feeling anxious and waiting for the outcome.
Outside the secret room, the Snake-People Commanders and Elders listened to Medusa's screams with clenched hands and concerned expressions.
"The evolution has begun, all we can do now is wait for the final result," one of the Elders said, voicing their collective thoughts.
"I hope Her Majesty the Queen can succeed..." another added with a sigh.
Even Zi Yan's usually cheerful face was replaced with a serious expression, as she too felt the gravity of the situation.
However, Xiao Yi Xian remained unaffected, as she had no personal connection to Medusa.
...
Inside the open cave, Xiao Ming had already retreated to the edge. The stone platform where he was originally standing had turned into a pitch-black hole, at least a dozen meters deep, with spider-web-like cracks spreading in all directions.
The energy required for Medusa's evolution was not a small amount, so Xiao Ming did not hesitate to input large amounts of Dou Qi into the Green Lotus Core Flame from time to time.
The Green Lotus Core Flame, which had received sufficient Dou Qi supply, emitted a terrifyingly high temperature, resulting in the current situation.
Inside the green flames, Queen Medusa's piercing screams gradually weakened after almost half an hour of intense shouting.
At this point, perhaps because its strength had been exhausted, the huge body of the purple snake had almost stopped tumbling. Its once lustrous purple scales had been charred to an unrecognizable black, and the thirty-meter-long body had been reduced to a mere two or three meters. It was a gruesome sight, and it was impossible to fathom how many bones and how much blood had been consumed by the Heavenly Flame.
As the echoes of Queen Medusa's screams faded away, all the Snake-People rose to their feet in unison, hoping against hope for a miracle.
But as time passed, a sense of despair began to set in. Suddenly, a mournful howl echoed through the cave, casting a gloomy pall over the entire area.
"Did Her Majesty the Queen fail?" Yue Mei asked with a bitter expression as she perceived no movement in the secret room.
"..."
The Snake People around clenched their hands tightly, unwilling to believe it.
"Master Xiao Ming has not come out yet, so she hasn't failed. Keep on waiting." The Snake People's First Elder finally spoke up.
Xiao Ming, mentioned by the Snake People's First Elder was closely watching Medusa, judging her condition.
In the green flames, Queen Medusa lay motionless, allowing the Green Lotus Core Flame to burn continuously on her body.
A faint burnt smell slowly emanated from her body, but Xiao Ming could not find any signs of life in her.
'Failed?' After observing for a while with a frown, Xiao Ming suddenly raised his head and looked at the sky which had suddenly become much darker and slightly silent.
'This Medusa is quite lucky.'
Outside the secret room, Zi Yan waited anxiously, her eyes tearing up.
"The energy of heaven and earth burst forth." Suddenly, the cold voice of Xiao Yi Xian rang out, and her eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the walls as she looked towards the sky.
Outside, the originally bright moonlight became extremely dim, and clouds of unknown origin slowly enveloped the entire sky.
Boom!
In the clouds, thunderous booms suddenly rang out, and silvery lightning flashed like silver snakes.
The sudden sound of thunder surprised everyone, leaving them all looking confused.
The First Elder was the first to react, his eyes widening with excitement. "Did she succeed?"
According to the Snake-People's records, a race with a noble enough bloodline and successful evolution would attract heavenly thunder. The current scene fit this description perfectly.
As soon as the First Elder finished speaking, a deafening rumble echoed through the sky, followed by a massive silver lightning bolt that shot out of the clouds.
The lightning illuminated the world, striking the ground before crashing into the purple light screen. The green flames within the screen were also hit by the lightning, causing a brilliant flash of light.
The thundercloud came and went in a flash, and the dark clouds rapidly dissipated. The bright moonlight once again poured into the secret room.
However, a faint green mist began to seep out of the purple giant snake, obscuring Xiao Ming's vision.
'The green mist is the result of the collision between the lighting and the Heavenly Flame. It can't be penetrated by soul power, and the situation inside has been completely isolated. If I want to know more, I'll have to go inside.' Xiao Ming concluded after scanning the light screen with his soul perception. At this moment, his body was covered with a thick layer of Dou Qi.
The thunder strike had a significant impact on him, who was standing close to Medusa. As a result, the entire secret room was deepened by more than 20 meters.
As Xiao Ming moved closer to the center of the room where he remembered Medusa was, the Green Core Lotus Flame he had released earlier reappeared. However, the flames had shrunk to the size of a fist and were floating in the air, constantly changing shape.
Xiao Ming could feel that the Qi he had input into it was almost exhausted. With a wave of his right hand, he collected the Green Core Lotus Flame and looked down at the ground.
There, a giant snake covered in black charcoal lay silently, its body cold and lifeless.
Before Xiao Ming could make any moves, a slight cracking sound suddenly rang out.
The blackened skin on the snake's body began to peel off slowly under Xiao Ming's gaze. The peeling gradually accelerated, and in the end, something seemed about to break out from inside the snake's corpse.
Boom!
Suddenly, the snake's body exploded with a loud boom, and its jet-black scales flew in all directions, turning the body into powder.
As the snake's body turned to powder, a vast and terrifying aura burst out, quickly enveloping the area.
"Did Her Majesty succeed?"
Feeling a familiar energy, countless Snake-People looked at each other and then erupted into wild joy, and the sound of earth-shaking shouts of joy echoed through the clouds.
However, in just ten seconds, the energy that had erupted dissipated like a tide.
As the energy dissipated, the Snake People's cheers also abruptly stopped. All of them had looks of shock filled with anxiety.
The explosion of the snake's corpse raised a cloud of black dust, which fell like snowflakes, gradually drifting down.
In a split second, a rainbow light burst out from the mist, piercing through the barriers of space and moving so fast that it caught people off guard.
Xiao Ming could clearly discern the outline of the rainbow light, but he didn't move a muscle. He let the light, accompanied by the sharp sound of breaking wind, flash past him.
As the rainbow light shot towards Xiao Ming at a breakneck speed, it suddenly came to a halt just a few centimeters away from him. Its motion and stillness were so perfectly blended that there was no sense of distortion whatsoever. The light seemed to have transformed into a perfectly rounded shape, suspended in mid-air with a serene stillness that belied its earlier frenzied movement.
The rainbow light came to a halt just a few centimeters away from Xiao Ming, revealing a small snake that was only about twenty centimeters long.
Its body was covered with tiny seven-colored scales, and its pale purple snake pupils gave off a strange feeling. An unusual and refreshing fragrance wafted around its body. Although it had a small and delicate appearance, it exuded elegance and nobility that would make many people forget their fear and disgust towards snakes.
Even though the small snake didn't have many sharp attack parts on its body, it exuded a terrifying power that even Dou Emperor powerhouses would not dare to underestimate.
The small snake floated in front of Xiao Ming, and its pale purple eyes showed no signs of killing intent, but rather a purity and cleanliness.
The seven-colored snake slightly shook its tail, stared at Xiao Ming with its large pale purple eyes, and cautiously moved forward a little bit.
When it saw that Xiao Ming did not react, it swayed its tail and spun around once, sliding onto Xiao Ming's shoulder. It curled up its body slightly, and its pale purple eyes looked at Xiao Ming with a bit of pitifulness. During that time, it even used its small head to lightly nudge against Xiao Ming's cheek.
"Body of seven colors, pupils slightly purple, emitting a fragrant aura, a power capable of reaching the heavens... Hehe, it really is the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python." Xiao Ming said as he extended a finger and lightly stroked the little creature's head.
The Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python seemed to enjoy being touched by Xiao Ming's hand. After a moment, the small snake suddenly lifted its crystal-clear eyes and emitted a few soft hissing sounds towards Xiao Ming, the gentle tone sounding as if it was acting coquettishly.
Seeing the little seven-colored snake's behavior, a smile appeared on Xiao Ming's lips.
"This little girl is quite likable," he said as he flipped his hand, revealing a small jade bottle filled with purple liquid.
Since obtaining it, Xiao Ming had rarely used the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence. Instead, he just kept it as a collection item.
As the jade bottle appeared, the small snake, which had been coiled in mid-air, instantly appeared in Xiao Ming's palm as if it had teleported.
It then stuck its small head into the bottle and licked it greedily with its tongue, quickly reducing the amount of Amethyst Lion Birth Essence inside by almost one-fifth.
It was merely a collectible item, so Xiao Ming didn't feel any regret as the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python consumed some of it.
The little snake didn't excessively indulge in the consumption, and after a few licks, it withdrew its head. In its crystal-clear snake eyes, excitement and satisfaction could be seen.
Perhaps due to absorbing the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence, the little seven-colored snake's affection towards Xiao Ming grew stronger as it gazed into his eyes.
After giving the little snake's head another pat, Xiao Ming took it and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
...
¡Rumble!
The stone gate leading to the evolution site slowly opened, and Xiao Ming's figure appeared in everyone's sight.
Zi Yan was the first to rush to his side, tiptoeing to look behind him, but only saw a blank space.
"Xiao Ming! Where's Sister Medusa?" Zi Yan asked anxiously, blinking.
Before Xiao Ming could answer, the Snake-People gathered around him.
"Wait, I know what you want to ask. Here, this is Medusa." Xiao Ming preemptively spoke and then took the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python off his shoulder.
As everyone looked at the colorful little snake in Xiao Ming's hand, their eyes were full of amazement.
"This... is Her Majesty the Queen? How did Her Majesty become so small?" Yue Mei asked in surprise, her lips slightly parted.
"According to the records, it is indeed possible for this situation to occur," the Elder of the Snake-People, who had more knowledge, explained to everyone.
"So cute!"
Zi Yan looked at the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python in Xiao Ming's hand, her eyes shining brightly. She carefully took it from Xiao Ming's hand and examined it closely.
Perhaps due to the influence of Medusa's soul, or perhaps for some other reason, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python did not feel repelled by Zi Yan's actions. Instead, it seemed to accept her touch with some sense of ease.
As they watched the comfortable-looking seven-colored snake close its eyes in contentment, the faces of the Snake-People showed a strange expression.
"Her personality doesn't seem like that of Her Majesty the Queen. Could something be wrong?" one of them asked.
Zi Yan also noticed something was off and asked Xiao Ming, "Has Sister Medusa succeeded? Why can't she transform into human form and speak to us?"
"Currently, it's the soul of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python that dominates her body, not Medusa's soul. The evolution process consumes a great deal of energy, and Medusa's soul has fallen into a deep sleep. As for why Medusa has two souls, it's due to the secret technique of the Snake-People." Xiao Ming explained.
After giving Zi Yan a brief explanation, Xiao Ming said, "Alright, Zi Yan, hand over Queen Medusa to the Elder."
Upon hearing this, the Elder of the Snake-People showed an expectant look and turned to look at the seven-colored snake in Zi Yan's hand.
Zi Yan's expression was reluctant as she stroked the little colorful snake.
This little snake was too cute, too cute to let go.
After struggling for a while, Zi Yan slowly handed the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python over to the Elder's waiting hands.
But just as she was handing it over, the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python whipped its tail and glided through space like lightning, then landed on Xiao Ming's shoulder.
"Master Xiao Ming, this...?" The Elder's face was filled with astonishment.
"Uhm, maybe this little girl saw me first, like a newborn baby, so it's somewhat dependent on me." Xiao Ming said.
"But what do we do now?" The Snake-People were a bit helpless as they watched the little snake coil around Xiao Ming's shoulder. They didn't dare to use forceful means.
