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Northern Continent.
A man with chestnut, slightly curly long hair, blue eyes, a high nose, thin lips, two well-groomed small mustaches, wearing a dark red coat embroidered with gold threads, and a monocle over his right eye, walked across the vast grasslands.
The slightly acrid scent of green grass wafted on the wind, clouds shifted in the sky, and the sun hid behind the thin cloud cover.
A massive city appeared ahead.
Among the Northern Barbarian tribes, typically, a medium-sized tribe would have a Dou Ancestor or Dou Emperor present, building cities with walls to reside in. Smaller tribes would be affiliated with the city, scattered sparsely over a large area.
The smaller tribes were governed by the larger tribes they were affiliated with, but this affiliation was not strong. If a smaller tribe felt its rights were being excessively infringed upon, outweighing the value provided by the larger tribe's protection, they would choose to leave and migrate.
An eleven or twelve-year-old girl sat on the back of a black and white ox with small, sparse scales on its legs, gazing with longing at the faintly visible city walls in the distance.
Her name was Bai Li, and she was the daughter of the leader of the small tribe closest to the city. In the Barbarian Serpent Tribe, only the leaders of medium-sized or larger tribes that had built cities and constructed temples were qualified to be called "Queen Medusa."
This title was a symbol of honor and responsibility. Her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother had all strived for this goal, but it remained elusive. In the future, this responsibility would also fall upon her.
Bai Li didn't dislike it; it was also her dream.
The black and white scaled ox, which had some demonic beast serpentine blood, buried its head in the green grass, continuously eating. Suddenly, its ears twitched, it raised its head, turned in a different direction, and watched ahead vigilantly.
"What's wrong? Don't suddenly turn; I almost fell off!" The girl sitting on its back shuddered, holding onto the ox's back, complaining.
"Moo..."
A long, low roar sounded, seemingly reminding Bai Li to be cautious.
Bai Li's eyes narrowed slightly. She saw a strange, rather peculiar-looking man slowly approaching in front of them.
He was different from anyone she had seen before, and his attire was also different. The two small mustaches above his lips made her want to laugh.
Bai Li wasn't afraid; she looked at the strange man with curiosity.
The "Scaled Ox" she was riding was a fifth-rank demonic beast, a powerful existence on par with her mother, the leader of this Snake-People Tribe. Furthermore, they were not far from the city built by the medium-sized tribe they were affiliated with. If a battle occurred, the city guards would arrive immediately.
The man suddenly disappeared, and a gentle, magnetic voice echoed: "Where is your tribe's Queen Medusa?"
Bai Li was first startled, her eyes wide, then she realized this might be a powerful individual beyond her comprehension; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to get on the Scaled Ox's back before it reacted.
Without hesitation, she quickly said, "Our tribe doesn't have a Queen Medusa. Only the leaders of medium-sized tribes and above can be called that..."
"Then take me to your leader."
Is it just a difference in title? Or does it have some special meaning?
Bai Li's eyes darted, and she responded, "It's too much trouble for you to go find her. I'll call her over to meet you."
Saying that, she patted the ox's back.
The black and white Scaled Ox let out a low, urgent roar, its sound spreading throughout the entire Snake-People Tribe.
Soon, a woman with a coiled single bun and an apricot-colored gauze dress flew from low altitude. She stopped a few meters away from the blue-eyed man.
Bai Li pointed at the blue-eyed man and said, "Mother, this very formidable uncle is looking for you."
The apricot-clad woman's yellow-black patterned snake tail swayed slightly with unease, and she asked softly, "I am Bai Hua. How should I address you, esteemed sir?"
The blue-eyed man jumped off the Scaled Ox, took a few steps forward, and said with a light chuckle:
"Just call me Huang Tao... I'm looking for a Queen Medusa, any Queen Medusa will do... I've met a Queen Medusa before, and she felt a bit different from you."
To ensure the other party would speak to him calmly, Huang Tao released a bit of his aura.
This aura was fleeting, yet it made Bai Hua's face turn pale, her eyes filled with terror.
That terrifying aura, she had never even felt it from the Medusa Empress Borough or Elders of the medium-sized tribes!
Her expression involuntarily became more respectful, and she asked, "I don't know what difference you are referring to, esteemed sir."
"The Queen Medusa I met had already completed her evolution by borrowing a Heavenly Flame... Is that why?" Who had completed their evolution using a Heavenly Flame? Bai Hua was startled, then immediately understood what Huang Tao might be referring to as different, and said:
"A Queen Medusa is different from us, the leaders of small tribes. She is nurtured by secret methods even before birth, possessing the potential for evolution. We ordinary Snake-People, even if we find a Heavenly Flame, cannot evolve.
"And the evolved Queen Medusa you mentioned is probably even more special. I have never seen anyone complete an evolution, so I don't know much about it."
Huang Tao asked, "So only the leaders of medium-sized or larger Snake-People Tribes can be called Queen Medusa? Because they possess the potential for evolution?"
"Yes... We small tribes simply cannot bear the cost of the secret methods." Bai Li's face showed a hint of helplessness.
"Is that so..."
The voice dissipated with the wind, and with it, Huang Tao's figure disappeared.
Bai Hua, left standing there, scanned her surroundings and, seeing no sign of Huang Tao, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Bai Li murmured softly, "Mother, what could that uncle have wanted with a Queen Medusa?"
Bai Hua shook her head: "I'm not sure, but it's likely not good... Don't think too much about it; the affairs of those important figures have little to do with us."
...
Huang Tao reappeared at the city gate.
The city guards, seeing a person without a snake tail, asked with some confusion, "A human?"
The Snake-People guard, whose body was covered in dark snake scales, was about to step forward to question him but found that the human who was there had suddenly disappeared.
He was stunned, looked around, turned, and exchanged bewildered glances with his companions: "I'm seeing ghosts."
Magnificent white buildings stood in the center of the city, and Snake-People squads patrolled orderly around the white buildings.
Their auras were stronger than those of the Snake-People guards defending the city walls, clearly indicating they were elites among the Snake-People.
Huang Tao walked directly past them, but those Snake-People seemed not to see him at all, showing no reaction.
He warped space, bypassing the Snake-People guards' inspection.
Not long after, he walked into a spacious hall inside the building.
At the very front of the hall was a platform with nine steps. Above the platform, a golden snake head was carved, and beneath the snake head was a wide chair covered with a red velvet blanket. Reclining elegantly, alluringly, and with a touch of wildness on the chair was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
A white, spotted snake tail extended from beneath her red dress, hanging naturally and lazily from the side of the chair down to the steps.
She slowly opened her eyes, her serpentine body shifted, propping herself up, and her narrow eyes held a hint of confusion.
After looking around and finding nothing, she murmured softly, "A hallucination?"
"Not a hallucination, oh." A voice echoed through the hall, and beside her, a figure quickly outlined itself from the void.
This Queen Medusa's fighting qi surged, her gaze fixed intently on the side, on the figure emerging from the void, her eyes showing a hint of solemnity.
She almost instinctively waved her hand, and a dark red energy beam shot forward.
The figure emerging from the void made no movement, but the energy beam automatically disintegrated upon approaching him.
"Who are you? Forcibly entering my Snake-People's sacred temple like this is not polite behavior."
Huang Tao chuckled indifferently, "But I'm not a polite person... My name is Huang Tao. What's yours?"
"Bai Lin... What is your purpose?" Bai Lin's expression wasn't very good.
"I want you," Huang Tao said with a hint of frivolity.
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