16: Queen Medusa, please lead the way.

The outline of Sand Scorpion Town had long been swallowed by the surging dunes behind them, like a forgotten remnant dream of yesterday.

The Tagor Desert revealed its most fundamental appearance—boundless, scorching, and dead silent. The blazing sun hung high, baking every grain of sand until it was scalding hot. The air warped in the heatwaves, and distant scenery shimmered as if viewed through water, ephemeral like a mirage. The wind was the only eternal sound here, carrying sand particles and emitting an endless wail.

Two figures, one in front of the other, walked silently through this golden sea of death.

Li Ao walked ahead, his blue cloth garment flapping in the hot wind. His left arm was still wrapped in a crude strip of cloth, bracing his injury, yet his steps were exceptionally steady. Each step sank deep into the sand and was easily pulled out, leaving two clear lines of footprints, which were then mercilessly erased by the wind and sand. His spine was straight, like a solitary blade honing its edge in the sea of sand.

Queen Medusa followed a few steps behind him. She had changed into a new purple brocade robe, concealing her graceful curves and deadly snake tail, but the queen's inherent elegance and cold beauty could not be hidden by any garment. However, at this moment, her stunningly beautiful face lacked its usual majesty and ruthlessness, showing instead a pallor typical of recovering from a serious illness, and a hint of indescribable complexity. Her purple eyes occasionally lifted, falling upon the tall yet slightly lonely figure ahead, her gaze flickering, wondering what she was thinking.

Since the day they reached that fragile cooperation agreement in the cave, the two had left that dangerous place. There was no explicit verbal communication, only an unspoken mutual understanding—first, escape the peril, then plan the next steps.

Silence was the main theme of the journey over the past few days.

Li Ao was naturally taciturn. Most of his attention was focused on circulating the Black Iron Hegemon Body to heal his injuries and remaining vigilant about the surrounding environment. The dangers in the desert were far more than just the intense heat and lack of water; the poisonous scorpions lurking beneath the sand, the well-camouflaged sand pythons, and even the elusive sand bandits could all pose fatal threats.

Medusa, meanwhile, seemed not to have fully recovered from the backlash of the Heavenly Flame and the shock of that day's upheaval. She needed time to regulate the somewhat disordered energy within her body, and even more time to process the bizarre relationship she had with this mysterious human, which had shifted from a life-or-death struggle to forced cooperation.

Occasionally, Li Ao would stop. Relying on senses far exceeding those of ordinary people, he would locate a hidden waterskin beneath a wind-eroded rock (perhaps the relic of some unfortunate traveler) or identify the root of a certain desert plant that could replenish moisture and had slightly sweet sap, silently sharing a portion with Medusa.

Medusa would frown slightly at first. As a Peak Dou Huang and the Queen of the Snake-People Clan, when had she ever needed to rely on others to obtain such basic survival necessities? But seeing Li Ao's calm, unwavering gaze, as if he were merely completing a necessary procedure, she eventually accepted it silently. The water, tasting faintly of sand and dirt, and the bitter plant roots genuinely alleviated her body's thirst.

A peculiar, fragile bond, built upon the necessity of survival, quietly formed between them.

At midday that day, when the blazing sun was at its fiercest, a continuous cluster of buildings, constructed from massive yellow rocks, appeared on the distant horizon. This was not the style of a human town; the rocks were carved with numerous snake totems, exuding an aura of primitiveness and severity.

It was a large settlement of the Snake-People Clan.

Li Ao stopped, his gaze sweeping over the settlement before he looked at Medusa.

A measure of her former coldness and majesty returned to Medusa's purple eyes. She nodded slightly, her voice carrying a hint of hoarseness from disuse: “Ahead is Stone Desert City, one of the eight major tribes of my Snake-People Clan. We need supplies, and we also need an absolutely safe place to discuss our next steps.”

Her tone had reverted to the habit of a queen giving orders.

Li Ao made no comment, merely saying indifferently: “Lead the way.”

Medusa glanced at him, her snake tail swaying slightly, and proceeded toward Stone Desert City first. Her pace was not fast, perhaps accommodating Li Ao's injuries, or perhaps adjusting her mindset for her return to the role of Queen.

The closer they got to Stone Desert City, the stronger the musky scent belonging to the Snake-People Clan became in the air. The Snake-People warriors guarding the city gates were stunned when they saw Medusa's figure from afar, immediately erupting into earth-shattering, fervent cheers and reverent hisses!

“It's Her Majesty the Queen!”

“Her Majesty the Queen has returned!”

“Welcome, Your Majesty the Queen!”

The guards all dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground in the most devout posture, their long snake tails pressed tightly against the earth, not daring to look up directly.

Medusa remained expressionless, merely raising her hand slightly. The guards immediately rushed to clear the path as if they had received a sacred decree. When their eyes fell upon Li Ao behind Medusa, they were filled with vigilance, hostility, and confusion, but since Medusa gave no instruction, no one dared to step forward to block or question him.

Li Ao followed Medusa, calmly enduring the gazes mixed with hatred and curiosity that scraped against his body like knives. His expression remained unchanged, as if he were walking through his own garden.

Upon entering Stone Desert City, the internal scenery gave Li Ao a direct understanding of the Snake-People Clan's civilization. The streets were wide, flanked by houses and caves carved into the rock. Various unique desert plants were cultivated in specific areas, and some low-ranking Snake-People children were playing in the sand. Seeing Medusa, they were all frightened and hid aside, peeking out secretly.

All Snake-People, regardless of gender, age, or youth, would stop what they were doing the moment they saw Medusa and respectfully prostrate themselves in salute. Queen Medusa possessed supreme authority and faith within the Snake-People Clan.

They walked directly toward the center of the city, to the tallest palace, which was entirely carved from a massive piece of yellow rock.

At the palace entrance, four powerful Snake-People Elders, whose aura reached the Dou King level, had already received the news and were waiting there, bowing. They showed relieved joy upon seeing Medusa's safe return, but when they saw Li Ao following closely behind her, the joy instantly turned into surprise, suspicion, and undisguised hostility.

“Your Majesty the Queen!” The leading Elder, an old woman whose face was covered in cyan scales, stepped forward, her gaze sharp as an eagle's, fixed intently on Li Ao. “This person is a human! Why is he traveling with Your Majesty? Please give us your command!”

The other three Elders also stepped forward simultaneously, subtly forming a surrounding posture. Their Dou King level auras locked onto Li Ao, suggesting they were ready to attack if a single word went wrong. A human appearing in the core settlement of the Snake-People Clan, and returning with the Queen, was far too abnormal!

Medusa's purple eyes swept over the four Elders, her voice regaining its usual coldness and majesty: “Elder Yin Shi, all of you, retract your hostility. This person... is my guest.”

“A guest?” Elder Yin Shi frowned tightly, clearly unable to accept this statement. “Your Majesty, humans are cunning and cannot be trusted! Furthermore, this person's origins are unknown, and his strength... Huh?” Mid-sentence, she suddenly noticed the abnormality in Medusa's aura and the faint weakness on her face that she hadn't completely concealed. Her expression changed drastically. “Your Majesty, are you injured?! Was it this human...”

“It has nothing to do with him.” Medusa interrupted her, her tone brooking no argument. “I know how to handle this matter. Prepare a quiet room, and supply fresh water and medicinal salves. Without my command, no one is allowed to approach or disturb us.”

Elder Yin Shi opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but under Medusa's icy stare, she ultimately swallowed her words and bowed: “...Yes, Your Majesty.”

She shot a fierce glare at Li Ao before turning to make the arrangements.

Medusa said nothing further and led Li Ao into the depths of the palace.

A quiet room was quickly prepared. It was located in the innermost part of the palace, with thick walls that isolated all external noise. The furnishings inside were simple, consisting only of a stone bed, a stone table, and some rudimentary Snake-People Clan style decorations.

Medusa dismissed all attendants, leaving only her and Li Ao in the quiet room.

She walked up to the stone table, turning her back to Li Ao. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke, her voice carrying a trace of barely perceptible exhaustion and solemnity: “How long do you need to recover?”

Li Ao checked the injury on his left arm, feeling the vitality rapidly healing inside his body under the system's acceleration, and estimated: “Three days, I can recover seventy percent of my fighting strength.”

Medusa turned around, her purple eyes fixed on him: “In three days, I will take you to the Holy City. There are sealing restrictions left by successive queens of my clan there, which might... temporarily suppress the Heavenly Flame's rampage and increase the chance of success slightly.” She paused, her tone carrying a warning, “But the Holy City is an absolute forbidden area for my clan, laden with restrictions. Even with me leading you, you must be extremely careful and must not touch anything without permission.”

Li Ao nodded: “Understood.”

After the brief exchange, silence descended upon the quiet room once more.

Medusa walked to the stone bed and sat down, beginning to regulate her breathing with her eyes closed, a faint purple glow emanating around her. Li Ao walked to the corner, sat down cross-legged, and also began to circulate the Black Iron Hegemon Body with all his might to accelerate his healing.

Time flowed by in silence.

After an unknown period, a slight commotion was heard outside the quiet room, seemingly involving an argument.

Medusa suddenly opened her eyes, a trace of displeasure flashing in her purple gaze.

Li Ao also opened his eyes simultaneously, his gaze directed toward the stone door.

“Bang!”

The stone door was violently pushed open by immense force!

A male Snake-Person, extremely burly, with bronze skin, a thick snake tail, and a ferocious scar across his face, stormed in furiously! His aura was fierce; he was clearly a Dou King expert, and seemed even stronger than Elder Yin Shi outside!

“Your Majesty the Queen!” The male Snake-Person's voice was like a great bell, carrying suppressed fury. His gaze first swept over Medusa with greed and obsession, then shot like a poisoned arrow toward Li Ao in the corner. “I heard you brought back a human pretty-boy? And allowed him to stay in the Holy Palace's quiet room? What kind of propriety is this! Humans are despicable and cunning; he must have used some trick to deceive Your Majesty! Let Mo Ba Si tear him apart for you!”

Before he finished speaking, the fierce aura of a Dou King erupted from his body, locking directly onto Li Ao. His thick snake tail slammed down, indicating he was about to attack!

“Mo Ba Si!” Medusa stood up abruptly, her purple eyes filled with chilling intent. Icy pressure instantly permeated the quiet room. “Do you dare defy my command?”

Mo Ba Si, the Snake-People Dou King, froze, a hint of apprehension flashing across his face. But his gaze toward Li Ao became even more venomous, and he insisted stubbornly: “Your Majesty! My loyalty to you is witnessed by heaven and earth! But I absolutely disagree with letting a human defile the Holy Palace! Unless he immediately gets out, or... dies!”

He almost roared the final word, "dies," carrying naked killing intent.

Li Ao slowly stood up, looking calmly at the aggressive Mo Ba Si, his right hand resting casually on the hilt of the saber at his waist.

The atmosphere in the quiet room instantly became tense!

Medusa's expression was icy, and she was about to forcefully suppress Mo Ba Si.

Li Ao, however, suddenly spoke. His voice was flat, yet possessed a strange penetrative power, piercing directly into the core of Mo Ba Si's violent emotions:

“Is your killing intent due to loyalty,” his gaze was like a knife, seemingly able to dissect all of the other party's pretenses, “or is it because of... the jealousy of unrequited desire?”

Mo Ba Si's massive body violently shook. The fury on his face instantly froze, transforming into shame, indignation at having his secret exposed, and incredible shock!

“You... you are talking nonsense!” he hissed, but a trace of disorder appeared in his aura.

A strange look flashed in Medusa's purple eyes, and her gaze toward Li Ao once again became deep and inscrutable.

Li Ao ignored him, turning instead to Medusa, his tone still placid: “It seems your tribe is not a monolith.”

Medusa let out a cold snort, a sharp chill emanating from her purple eyes. The full majesty of the Queen was completely displayed: “Mo Ba Si, get out immediately! If you dare trespass again, do not blame me for prosecuting you for treason!”

The chilling killing intent stabbed toward Mo Ba Si like a physical ice pick.

Mo Ba Si's face alternated between green and pale. He looked at the frost-faced Medusa, then glared fiercely at Li Ao again, finally letting out a reluctant growl before sullenly retreating from the quiet room and slamming the stone door shut.

Silence returned to the quiet room.

Medusa looked at Li Ao. After a moment of silence, she said: “We depart in three days.”

Li Ao nodded, sat down again, and closed his eyes to heal his injuries.

Yet, after this disturbance, the fragile balance between the two seemed to have gained an indescribable hint of... alliance.

Meanwhile, Mo Ba Si, who had retreated from the quiet room, stood in the shadows of the corridor, his fists clenched tight, his face filled with venomous resentment and ferocity.

“Human... Li Ao... just you wait! The Holy City... will be your burial ground!”