123: Yue Mei

Instructor Ruo Lin's light blue mentor's robe shimmered under the cool moonlight, like the only flowing water in the desert.

She tightly gripped a heavily worn leather map in her hand, a small ball of light blue Dou Qi condensed at her fingertips.

Like the most precise carving knife, she carefully etched a new, almost imperceptible burn mark next to a snake-shaped totem, marked with dark red pigment to signify extreme danger, on the map's surface.

With each pause, an unresolvable solemnity gathered between her beautiful brows.

"Yu Han, stay close."

Her voice was extremely low, like a whisper, yet it pierced through the howling wind and sand with exceptional clarity, "Ahead is the core area of the Charm Snake Tribe; Yue Mei's palace is deep within that Oasis.

Reincarnation Grass... the map indicates it's near the crescent-shaped lake in the center of the Oasis."

She paused, turning her face. The moonlight outlined the soft yet resolute lines of her profile, and her eyes, usually filled with a gentle smile, were now sharp as an eagle's, "Remember, conceal your aura; even a tiny fluctuation of Dou Qi could awaken those Snake-People Tribe guards.

Yue Mei is a Dou King level expert, not someone we can confront directly."

Mo Yuhan nodded vigorously, his face, which had gradually shed its childishness, now filled with a solemnity beyond his years.

Within his body, the Xuan Huang Purple Flame flowed slowly through his meridians like a dormant beast, bringing warmth while also emitting an ancient and violent aura.

The air was filled with an indescribable mixture of scents.

The dusty smell of hot sand stirred by the night wind, the decaying woody scent of dead poplars under the moonlight, and that faint, pervasive, cold, slippery, fishy smell that seeped into his nostrils—

This scent made Mo Yuhan's skin involuntarily tighten, and his hair stood on end.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword at his waist; the cold touch brought a sense of calm.

They moved like two ghosts merging into the night, cleverly bypassing the sand ridges where Snake-People Tribe patrols were bound to pass, using the secret routes marked on the map, which countless predecessors had discovered with their lives.

They avoided the Snake-People Tribe sentinels who stood like stone statues, vigilantly looking out from the highest points of the dunes.

Under the moonlight, the Snake-People Tribe warriors' muscular upper bodies were covered in scale patterns, their lower halves were thick snake tails, and their cold vertical pupils gleamed with a faint green light in the darkness; each sweep of their gaze made the hearts of the two lurking in the shadows stop.

Time blurred under the highly tense mental state.

After an unknown period of trekking, they crossed the last steep sand dune, and the scene before them suddenly opened up.

A miraculous Oasis, like an emerald embedded in a golden sea of death, lay quietly in the embrace of a huge sand valley.

Unlike the dead silence of the surrounding desert, this place was full of life. Lush, drought-resistant shrubs stubbornly took root, and tall date palm trees spread their feathery leaves, rustling softly in the night wind.

In the center of the Oasis, a crescent-shaped lake, like the purest sapphire, reflected the myriad brilliant stars and a bright full moon.

The lake water was incredibly clear; even in the darkness, one could clearly see the smooth pebbles and swaying aquatic plants at the bottom.

Cool, moist water vapor wafted over, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, instantly washing away the dryness and dust from their lungs.

Mo Yuhan took a greedy deep breath; his taut nerves relaxed for a moment.

Reincarnation Grass! The final target marked on the map was right by this lake!

The two exchanged a silent glance, seeing both excitement and vigilance in each other's eyes.

They cautiously lowered their bodies, using the dense bushes as cover, and stealthily moved towards the area by the lake that shimmered with a strange silver glow under the moonlight, like the most seasoned hunters.

Pushing aside the last low-hanging, broad-leafed, unknown plant, the full view of the crescent lake was revealed without reservation.

The lake surface was calm and unruffled, like a single, huge, extremely smoothly polished crystal, clearly reflecting the deep blue velvet-like night sky and the large silver moon.

However, right in the center of this dreamlike beauty, a presence capable of eclipsing heaven and earth captivated the full attention of Mo Yuhan and Ruo Lin.

In the clear lake water, about ten zhang from the shore, a breathtaking jade-white figure was slowly rising from the bottom.

The moonlight poured over her without reservation, as if draping her in a flowing silver veil.

First to break the water was a cascade of wet purple long hair, like the most luxurious silk, clinging tightly to her snow-white, rounded shoulders.

Drops of crystal-clear water, like playful water spirits, rolled down her smooth, delicate, porcelain-like skin, tracing the exquisite and alluring collarbones, gliding over the full and breathtaking that gently rose and fell with her breathing.

Then, following the flat, taut, and perfectly toned body, they finally slid towards the enticing curve of her waist, which connected to the mysterious snake tail beneath the water, dropping back into the calm lake surface, rippling outwards in silent circles.

Her body seemed to have been sculpted by the Creator from the purest white jade, in the most perfect proportions; every line was filled with breathtaking allure.

Full and proudly exposed to the cool night air, like a flower bud under the moonlight, like newly bloomed cherry blossoms, trembling slightly with her movements as she emerged from the water.

Her slender yet strong waist connected to the faintly visible snake tail beneath the water, covered in fine purple scales, outlining a wild and enchanting, fatal curve.

When her face fully emerged from the water, the moonlight clearly illuminated a countenance capable of captivating all beings.

Charming, enchanting.

This was the most direct impact.

A standard oval face, with skin as delicate as the finest mutton-fat jade.

Diamond-shaped, beautiful eyes, with outer corners slightly upturned, outlining a naturally alluring curve.

At this moment, deep within those purple eyes, ripples of rosy color, like the misty air of spring, were hazy and intoxicating.

Beneath her straight nose was a full, luscious, slightly upturned cherry-red lip, the corners of which seemed naturally to hold a faint, soul-stirring smile.

Water droplets slid along her smooth forehead, her upturned nose, and her slightly parted lips, adding a few more points of breathtaking, wet Charm.

Yue Mei.

One of the eight tribal leaders of the Snake-People Tribe, the Queen of the Charm Snake Tribe.

At this moment, she was stretching her body as if no one else was present, enjoying the caress of the moonlight and the lake water, completely unaware that her unparalleled enchantment had fallen entirely into the eyes of two uninvited guests.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Mo Yuhan's mind went blank.

The blood coursing through the ten-year-old boy's body rushed to his head in an instant, then froze into ice the next second.

The unparalleled impact of the scene before him, like the most violent thunder, fiercely assaulted his mind.

That astonishingly full curve, that slender and alluring waist, the water droplets rolling down her snow-white skin, the hazy moisture on her enchanting and charming face...

Everything, everything, carried a primal and powerful impact, forcefully branding itself onto his retina, shattering all his rational defenses.

An indescribable heat surged up from below, instantly sweeping through his entire body; his heartbeat pounded like a drum in his eardrums, his mouth went dry, his palms gripping the sword hilt instantly became drenched with sweat, and even his breathing completely stopped.