Yue Mei had never imagined that what was supposed to be a routine bath would lead to an encounter with such a young human Dou Wang.
Since she had claimed this oasis for herself—its lake a rare gem in the heart of the desert—she had forbidden anyone from entering. It was her private sanctuary, a forbidden zone for all others.
Yet today, when she arrived to bathe as usual, she found a set of women's clothes lying on the bank. Someone had dared to trespass into her domain! Enraged, she had intended to drag the intruder out and punish her severely.
But instead of some helpless woman, she found a human Dou Wang—wreathed in an eerie blue flame that made her instincts scream danger. So she had switched tactics, intending to charm him, lull him into lowering his guard with her beauty, and then strike fatally when he least expected it.
After all, she knew all too well what went on inside a man's head.
But this man—Liu Xi—hadn't fallen for her bait. Worse, that terrifying blue flame of his completely burned away her serpent venom. Its searing purity made her skin crawl; it devoured her toxins and even began to creep toward her body. She had been forced to retreat, barely avoiding disaster.
Now Yue Mei's Dou Qi wings unfurled behind her as she rose above the lake. With a flick of her finger, a wash of teal energy materialized and condensed into a robe that wrapped around her figure. She floated in the air, gaze cold and venomous as her voice cut through the stillness:
"Who are you, human? Why have you dared to trespass into the heart of my Snake-People territory?"
The failed ambush had destroyed her confidence, and now she was on full alert.
Liu Xi stood upon the frozen surface of the lake, surrounded by the Green Lotus Core Flame, which steadily burned away the last traces of Yue Mei's poison. Before, facing venom of this intensity would have forced him to swallow antidote pills to survive—but now, with the Heavenly Flame guarding his body, such toxins were meaningless.
He met Yue Mei's glare calmly. "You want to know? Fine. My name is Liu Xi, a 5th Tier Alchemist. I came here only to find a rare medicinal herb—the Sand Datura."
"Sand Datura?" Yue Mei's eyes narrowed. Her tone turned icy. "If you were truly a 5th Tier Alchemist, you'd have an entourage. Why would a man of your supposed stature wander the desert alone in search of herbs? You must think me a fool."
Liu Xi sighed inwardly. 'If not for that old scoundrel Hai Bodong tricking me, I wouldn't be out here doing my own legwork. Who knew chasing one fragment of a Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map would get this troublesome?'
He flicked his hand impatiently. "Believe what you like. Since when can't an Alchemist collect his own ingredients? When I visit the Alchemist Association in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, you'll hear my name soon enough."
Yue Mei laughed coldly. "Hmph! Whatever your story, you've trespassed deep into my tribe's lands. Whether Alchemist or not, I'll capture you and deliver you to Her Majesty for judgment!"
As she spoke, the air around her surged with killing intent. The lake below trembled under the might of her Mid Dou Wang power.
From her palms, two streams of ghostly teal Dou Qi twisted outward, forming a pair of massive spectral serpents. These serpents were far more lifelike than before—their scales gleamed like polished jade, their fangs glinting with deadly white light. Two waves of fierce killing aura rolled off them as they lunged toward Liu Xi in a blur of motion.
Facing a fully unleashed Dou Wang, Liu Xi's expression sharpened. Dou Qi roared within his body, the Green Lotus Core Flame swelling around him. But instead of heat, a chilling aura spread through the air—ice creeping over the lake's surface, while mist condensed from the stolen warmth. The bluish halo surrounding the flame greedily absorbed all nearby heat, darkening the flame's hue to an even deeper emerald.
"Flame Blade!"
Liu Xi's eyes flashed coldly. The seething fire gathered around his right hand, condensing into a blade of shimmering blue flame, razor-sharp and humming with killing intent.
With a burst of strength, he kicked off the ground—his figure becoming a streak of lightning.
In a flash, the Flame Blade cleaved through the first serpent.
A piercing shriek echoed through the oasis as the enormous serpent split cleanly in two, the fiery edge slicing through it like a hot knife through butter. Forged from the Green Lotus Core Flame itself, the weapon's power was unmatched—truly a divine blade of destruction.
Yue Mei's eyes widened in disbelief. Her creation—a high-level technique reinforced with all her Dou Qi—had been obliterated as if it were nothing. Before she could recover, Liu Xi's flaming blade cut toward her, its afterimage reflecting in her trembling pupils.
She flung her hands up desperately. "Explode!"
The serpents dissolved into a torrent of energy, detonating midair. The explosion birthed a violent shockwave, hurling up a curtain of white smoke and shaking the entire oasis.
The surrounding Snake-People guards and Qing Lin had no choice but to retreat and shield themselves with Dou Qi. Even Ling Shuang had to expand part of her body to block the blast from reaching Qing Lin.
The power of two Dou Wangs clashing was devastating—one stray gust could have shredded them to pieces.
Yue Mei's eyes darted through the smoke, searching for any sign of her opponent. She raised her hand again, summoning dozens of multi-colored venomous snakes from pure energy. Each one radiated a deadly toxin as they shot into the mist, striking at Liu Xi's hidden form.
Seconds dragged by. When the smoke finally cleared, "Liu Xi" stood in the open, bound tightly by the snakes, his expression twisted in pain.
Seeing this, Yue Mei exhaled softly. "Hmph. Foolish human."
"Blazing Fire Palm!"
A calm voice spoke right behind her.
Yue Mei's pupils shrank. Before she could move, an explosion of scorching energy slammed into her back.
"Ah!"
Blood sprayed from her lips as the heat tore through her body, ravaging her Dou Qi flow. Her muscles spasmed uncontrollably as pain wracked her limbs.
Her wings flickered and vanished. Darkness clouded her vision before she plummeted helplessly toward the frozen lake. The "Liu Xi" wrapped in serpents faded into illusion, vanishing like smoke.
Boom!
The impact cracked the ice beneath her.
Struggling to lift her head, Yue Mei glared up at Liu Xi descending through the air, her voice trembling with hatred. "If you dare kill me… Her Majesty will never let you live…"
Liu Xi landed softly beside her, his tone mild. "Kill you? I never said that."
Her eyes widened. "You… you think you can— I'd rather die than— Serpent Art: Self-Destruction!"
"Flame Seal Technique!"
Liu Xi's hand formed a rapid series of seals, pressing down onto Yue Mei's abdomen. The runes flared, sealing her Dou Qi circulation.
He smiled faintly. "Don't be so hasty. Who knows—you might still have a chance to go home."
Then he turned his gaze toward the distant Snake-People guards, his voice ringing out across the frozen lake.
"Listen well! Return to your tribe and bring me a stalk of Sand Datura. Do that, and I'll return this woman unharmed. Fail—and don't blame me if she doesn't make it back alive!"
The guards, who had been ready to charge to Yue Mei's rescue, froze mid-step. Yue Xing—their leader—gritted her teeth. "Human! You'd better keep your word. If Lady Yue Mei suffers so much as a scratch, Her Majesty will make you pay with your life!"
She then turned toward Yue Mei, bowing deeply. "Forgive me, my lady. Yue Xing will return shortly."
With that, she and several others sped away into the desert.
Liu Xi watched them disappear into the distance, expression thoughtful.
'I hadn't planned to get this tangled with the Snake-People, but since it's already come to this… I might as well trade Yue Mei for that Sand Datura and leave this cursed desert for good.'
(End of Chapter)
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