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--- Chapter 233 ---
"What, you're only a Dou Spirit?!" Hai Bodong was dumbfounded when he learned about Han Yuan's cultivation. After all, the power didn't match the realm.
Han Yuan shrugged, "Believe it or not, I am currently only a 7-Star Dou Spirit."
"How the fuck is that even possible..." Hai Bodong looked at Han Yuan from top to bottom.
Although Hai Bodong is old, his senses weren't dull at all. The intensity he felt from Han Yuan's Dou Qi has reached, if not surpassed, the realm of Dou Emperor. Yet, here, he told him he is only a 7-Star Dou Spirit?
'Stop joking around!!!'
"Hey, hey, don't give me that look. Having a 7-Star Dou Spirit cultivation at twelve is already a feat, you know?" Han Yuan dropped another bomb of fact.
Hai Bodong froze on the spot, "D-Did you just say twelve?"
"Impossible! Your tall ass can't be twelve!"
"Wow, that's rude." Han Yuan gave Hai Bodong a chuckle. "But I'm twelve, though."
"Yafei could confirm it."
Yafei descended from the sky and confirmed, "Xiao Yuan is indeed twelve years old, Grand Uncle."
"His birthday was a few months ago."
"Unbelievable..." Hai Bodong shuddered. "Has the world changed so much when I was cursed by that bitch..."
"People called me a genius and a monster back then, but even I didn't have such cultivation at twelve."
In fact, Hai Bodong was embarrassed to tell Han Yuan and Yafei that he was barely a Dou Master at a similar age. Of course, he couldn't really compare to a cheater like Han Yuan.
Han Yuan and Yafei glanced at each other knowingly as the business girl opened her mouth, "Grand Uncle, Xiao Yuan's case is really complicated, but with the help of Martial Union, you can reach Dou Ancestor Realm, or even higher."
Yafei skillfully painted the bigger picture, giving Hai Bodong hope to reach a higher realm. Then, again, it wasn't really a trick as Han Yuan has skills to back it up.
Sure enough, Hai Bodong straightened his sore back and started stroking his beard pretentiously, "Hmm, Kid Yuan, your Martial Union is interesting, this old man couldn't wait to see its wonder."
"..." Han Yuan. Just a while ago, you complained I slammed you a bit too hard.
Yafei giggled, "Hehe, Grand Uncle is such a joker. Martial Union welcomes you wholeheartedly."
Yet, suddenly, Hai Bodong jolted in panic. His body froze like a statue as an overwhelming presence arrived at their location.
He gradually looked up in horror, "Queen..."
"Medusa."
"Hoh, so it's you, puny Ice Emperor." An unconcerned yet feminine voice echoed in the ruined desert. "As I thought you were living like a rat somewhere in the desert."
Weirdly enough, neither Han Yuan nor Yafei was surprised by this sudden arrival of a newcomer.
They calmly looked up and saw a beautiful snake woman hovering above them.
She had a graceful, alluring figure, dressed in a stunning purple robe that exposed skin. Her body was curvy and lovely, reminiscent of a ripe, juicy peach, with a subtle, enticing aura surrounding her. She had long black hair that flowed down to her narrow waist and a purple snake tail that added to her enchanting appearance.
Yafei was calm, but inside, she was shocked. After all, she had never seen such a stunning woman in her life. For once, she felt inferior, whether it was charm or figure.
"Hmm, interesting..." Queen Medusa moved her predatory gaze to Han Yuan.
"Boy, aren't you afraid of this queen?"
Han Yuan smiled calmly, "Why should I? Just because you're Queen Medusa, the ruler of snake people here in the Tager Desert?"
"Just because of your peak Dou Emperor cultivation?"
"You're a bit too cocky, aren't you?"
Instantly, the atmosphere froze. Queen Medusa's aura fluctuated as the wind in the desert moved and became colder than Hai Bodong's ice.
'Oy, you gotta be joking, brat, don't escalate the situation!' Hai Bodong was glaring at Han Yuan in disbelief.
Yafei gave Han Yuan a knowing expression before sighing inwardly, as this was like the Gu Xun'er all over again. Someone is going to get humbled very soon.
Queen Medusa giggled, "What a fearless boy..."
"I prefer being called handsome these days. After all, the boy sounds weak." Han Yuan replied immediately.
"Haha, hahaha~! You're indeed something else!" Queen Medusa's giggle turned into cold laughter.
"Amusing, truly amusing..."
"But even then, boy..."
"I can't forgive you for that insolence..."
"Brat, FUCKING RUN!" Hai Bodong shouted while mustering his Dou Qi to the fullest.
However, before Hai Bodong could move, something wrapped around his waist and threw him away from the battlefield. As Hai Bodong stabilized himself in the air, he saw Han Yuan standing firm only on the ground with an unravelled "Storm's Belt" bandage off his right arm.
"Fuck! You're courting death, literally! What are you doing??!" Hai Bodong couldn't believe his eyes.
"Believe in him, Grand Uncle." Yafei's voice snapped Hai Bodong from his panic.
Hai Bodong looked to the left and saw Yafei calmly hovering behind him with butterfly wings. And she said, "Han Yuan is strong..."
...
...
Queen Medusa squinted her eyes at Han Yuan's right arm, "Your arm is quite novel."
"I can feel its mysterious power."
"Is this your source of confidence, boy?"
"Oh?" Han Yuan tilted his head in amazement. After all, the mysterious power Queen Medusa mentioned is none other than "spirit power" from the Douluo Plane, yet she could sense it?
'Some people are really born with the talent to sense the change in the world, huh?'
Han Yuan had been calculating how much the Douluo Plane and the Dou Qi Plane affected each other in the last five years. He already sensed the 'little' change in the atmosphere, which helped his success in copying the spirit ring's system as runic tattoos.
Some sensitive individuals may feel the change but lack the skills to harness this newfound force.
Still, it's just a matter of time before they learn something, and before that happens, Han Yuan plans to monopolize it.
Han Yuan held Storm's Belt and replied, "Well, you can think of it like that if you want."
"I won't tell you..."
Queen Medusa's eyes brightened in fervor, "Oh, you will."
BOOM!
Queen Medusa lashed her tail toward Han Yuan like a whip, breaking the speed of sound. The tailwhip missed by an inch as Han Yuan gazed at her slitted eyes peacefully.
"You really are not afraid of this queen..." Queen Medusa smiled faintly.
"Said someone who almost lost her snake tail." Han Yuan patted Queen Medusa's tail, which had a faint golden line due to Storm's Belt. Using the belt's edge like a blade, he almost cut off her tail.
Queen Medusa pulled her tail back and observed the wound, "That belt is an artifact above Dou Ancestor, no, it might be more powerful than that."
"As expected, you're an odd one, human boy."
"But..."
The wound on Queen Medusa's tail recovered instantly.
"It's not enough to defeat me..."
Swoosh!
Queen Medusa clenched her hand as she attacked Han Yuan with her fierce Dou Qi. This Dou Qi isn't only toxic, but also dense and heavy.
Han Yuan swung Storm's Belt, creating a barrier between him and the incoming attack.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The belt swayed left and right perfectly, protecting Han Yuan.
"T-This is..." Far away, Hai Bodong couldn't believe his eyes.
"That brat..."
Yafei smiled, "Xiao Yuan's belt is special. While it is a weapon, it is also a tool that can affect gravity."
"When he fought you, his own gravity was several times stronger."
"That's why when he slammed you down, it feels heavier."
"No wonder..." Hai Bodong finally realized how Han Yuan's body could possess such raw power.
Han Yuan and Queen Medusa clashed violently. They launched one attack after another, creating a storm of sharpness and explosion as the desert plunged into ruin.
One side used a flexible yet sharp belt like a bendable spear, sweeping the area with extreme cutting power.
And the other side used an overwhelming heaviness of Dou Qi to crush everything on its path into dust.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes!
Both sides never stopped, even if their movement slowed drastically as time passed.
It's not until Han Yuan made a flaw that Queen Medusa pushed her attack even harder.
"Be proud, boy, you're the most talented human I've ever fought!" Queen Medusa shoved her left palm as if she were grasping something.
"Snake-Wave Palm."
Then, Queen Medusa noticed a smirk on Han Yuan's face.
Her snake-like eyes shrank immediately.
She realized this was a trap.
However, it was too late.
As the shockwave made by Queen Medusa burst from her palm, Storm's Belt that Han Yuan let loose as a flaw tightened and bound her body like a dumpling.
Queen Medusa struggled to escape as Han Yuan swung the belt around and created a miniature tornado before slamming her down with fifty times gravity.
'My belt is rated E for everyone!' Han Yuan chuckled inwardly.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
Mushroom-shaped clouds rose to the sky. Even Hai Bodong and Yafei, who were far away, were still affected by it.
Queen Medusa slowly emerged from the crater. She appeared miserable, her robe torn, and a large portion of her milky white skin battered. Despite this, she still radiated charm, resembling a helpless maiden.
Cough!
Queen Medusa covered her mouth and coughed up some blood.
She looked at her red palm, "Who would have thought I would suffer so much because of you?"
"Are you really human, boy?"
"As I said, I prefer to be called a man, or handsome." Han Yuan calmly stood before Queen Medusa as if he had teleported to her side instantly.
Queen Medusa stared at Han Yuan warily, "Tell me what you wanted from me. I know you're much stronger than this, and could kill me anytime."
"From your body, besides that mysterious power, I also felt an intense heat..."
"You mean this?" Han Yuan raised his left palm, summoning "Enma," the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.
Queen Medusa's breath hitched slightly. She stared at the Heavenly Flame as it was the most beautiful treasure in the world., "So, it is Heavenly Flame..."
Yet, as prideful as Queen Medusa is, she knew she couldn't take this force of nature for herself. After all, the one wielding this Heavenly Flame is this anomaly of a human being.
Han Yuan opened his mouth, "I want the location of Green Lotus Core Flame, and before you could even lie to me, I know you know where it is in the Tager Desert."
"You've been eyeing that Heavenly Flame to improve your bloodline, but you're worried that it would kill you instead."
"Am I right?" Han Yuan stared at Queen Medusa calmly.
Queen Medusa sighed, "Just who are you?"
"A handsome guy." Han Yuan replied cheekily.
"Pfft, you beat me up, and now you're flirting?" Queen Medusa couldn't hold her laughter and despair. "Is this how men of your race court your other half?"
"Well, not really." Han Yuan awkwardly scratched his neck.
"I'm just trying to break the ice, you know?"
"I did beat you up, but I held back. At worst, you needed to rest for a few months."
Queen Medusa narrowed her eyes before smiling amusingly because her injuries are indeed not that bad. As Han Yuan said, she only needed to rest for a couple of months.
"Fine, I will tell you the location of the Green Lotus Core Flame."
"However, in return, I wanted your favor."
"Oh, does your majesty Queen Medusa have an interest in a young boy like me?" Han Yuan casually joked.
"Yes." Queen Medusa answered bluntly.
"I am very interested in you..."
"In fact, you're the first human I am interested in..."
"What..." Han Yuan.
'Wait, aren't you supposed to be a prideful and arrogant queen? What's with this sudden interest?'
Han Yuan's understanding of the Dou Qi Continent is 'heavily' based on the book, comics, and Donghua. However, he sometimes forgot that his circumstances were different from Xiao Yan's own encounter.
Xiao Yan's encounter is him being submissive to Queen Medusa most of the time, as he was indeed weaker and needed her protection. And his action gradually melted the cold-hearted queen.
However, Han Yuan is different. He defeated Queen Medusa!
Queen Medusa might be arrogant and prideful, as she should be. After all, she is the ruler of snake people in the Tager Desert.
Yet, that doesn't mean she was clueless or witless. If not, her 'extreme' charm will be useless!
Queen Medusa realized Han Yuan wasn't like any other human she knew. He's young, handsome, talented, mysterious, and above all else, stronger than her!
Han Yuan is also the first human who wasn't affected by her charm upon their first meeting.
Yes, he's much better than that old leader of Misty Cloud Sect and that puny Ice Emperor, who was struck dumb by her beauty.
For Queen Medusa, Han Yuan is almost the best possible mate.
And she's very straightforward with her feelings.