Beneath the oppressive shroud of dark clouds, the skies above Qinghong City were exceedingly dim.
Each time the sunlight pierced through, it only lasted for the briefest of moments.
But this time… it was different.
Sunlight broke through and poured down entirely upon Queen Medusa's figure. In the midst of the darkness, it was as though the heavens had lit a lamp solely for her.
At this moment, Queen Medusa stood out more than ever.
But this kind of prominence was not a blessing.
Because now, everyone could clearly see her condition—her body was covered in bloody wounds, her face pale, the crown that once adorned her head nowhere to be found.
Scarlet blood lingered at the corner of her lips, her aura feeble and flickering.
And it was then that Protector Wu's vicious energy whip lashed across her already battered body, adding injury upon injury.
"Elder Sister!"
"Your Majesty!"
Countless serpentfolk raised their heads toward the sky, their expressions heavy with worry and despair. Die, Yue Mei, and the other eight tribal leaders all wished to break free of their current battles to save Queen Medusa—
—but they could not.
Not only that—another of the tribal chiefs fell, consumed entirely by Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame, leaving not even bones behind.
"Yan Ci!" Yue Mei's anguished cry tore from her lips, her emotions on the brink of collapse.
It wasn't that she loved him—it was that he had once fought shoulder-to-shoulder with her, a comrade-in-arms. And now, without even a corpse left behind, he was gone, dissolved into nothingness between heaven and earth.
Turmoil and grief erupted within the serpentfolk ranks. Countless hearts clenched with anguish.
But the true nightmare was only just beginning.
Protector Wu's strike upon Queen Medusa was not the end—it was merely the prelude.
Immediately after, Elder Ying Shan's attack also landed squarely on her, stripping her of all remaining strength. Her body, like a severed kite, plummeted toward the ground.
And most crucial of all—her enemies did not intend to let her fall in peace.
"Queen Medusa, this ends here—Wind Shatter Annihilation!"
Yun Shan's figure appeared, his robe sleeves billowing. A torrent of vast cyan energy surged from above his head, trembling with violent fluctuations before writhing and condensing into a massive cyan longsword, more than ten feet in length.
The blade's surface was a deathly dull shade, utterly devoid of luster. Yet the moment it fully formed, the surrounding space rippled violently. Moments later, the sword emitted an ear-piercing wail.
The faces of all present changed drastically.
"No!" Die seemed to foresee what was about to happen and cried out desperately.
But Yun Shan showed no mercy. His finger pointed coldly at Queen Medusa, and the cyan longsword spun madly before tearing through the air.
Its speed was so great it seemed to pierce through space itself. Within only a few flashes, it had reached Queen Medusa.
"No!"
Yue Mei, forcing Mu Chen back, lifted a trembling hand to cover her lips as she gazed upward. Her beautiful face was drained of color.
Whistle!
The cyan longsword struck Queen Medusa.
"No!!"
The instant it hit, a heart-wrenching roar suddenly resounded from the rear of Qinghong City.
Upon a colossal magical beast lion stood a young man in white robes, a black longsword in hand. As he watched the sword cut into Queen Medusa, that face—the one capable of driving countless maidens into a frenzy—turned ashen.
The sword landed, but the resplendent golden armor upon Queen Medusa's body absorbed the fatal strike. Even so, the tremendous force sent blood spraying violently from her lips, forming a crimson mist in the air.
The impact hastened her descent.
Beneath her, the Amethyst Winged Lion King sensed Chen Mo's turbulent emotions. With a violent beat of its violet wings, it flashed forward toward the falling figure.
"Chen Mo!!"
Die roared from her serpentine mouth, her tail lashing out to force back the Gold and Silver Elders before she reverted into her humanoid form. Her gaze locked firmly upon Chen Mo, brimming with longing.
"Chen… Chen Mo? He—he's here?" Yun Yun faltered, her words catching in her throat as she froze in shock.
The moment the words left her lips, she swept her gaze around, as if realizing something, her expression shifting with sudden unease.
"It's him!!!"
"That brat has come!"
"This time, I'll tear him into ten thousand pieces!"
The skies themselves seemed to freeze in that instant. Some faces turned to astonishment, some to joy, some to hatred, and some to madness.
Han Feng and the others clenched their fists tightly, their expressions stormy.
"Protector Xuan, here comes the great merit I promised," Protector Wu sneered coldly upon spotting Chen Mo.
Down below, both sides of the battlefield erupted in commotion. Someone recognized the Amethyst Winged Lion King and gasped:
"That's the Amethyst Winged Lion King of the Magical Beast Mountain Range—a sixth-rank magical beast, king of the range!"
"A sixth-rank beast… as a mount?! Just who is that man?"
Chen Mo paid no heed to the shocked stares. Seeing that Queen Medusa would surely hit the ground before the Lion King could reach her, he didn't hesitate.
His foot pressed down, body shooting forward. With perfect timing, he caught her in his arms.
As they fell, Moyan appeared beneath his feet, supporting them both.
"My Queen… my treasure… I'm here. You—you're okay, right?" Chen Mo's voice trembled. As he gazed at the pale, bloodied Queen Medusa in his embrace, his eyes blurred with tears.
For an instant, Queen Medusa's eyes flickered with surprise upon seeing him. But it quickly hardened into coldness—she had meant to say something like 'This Queen doesn't need your help.'
Yet given her current state, the words twisted into worry. Her slender hand weakly rose, seemingly wanting to touch Chen Mo's face. Blood spewed from her lips as she whispered:
"Go… quickly…"
Her frail hand fell limply, her eyes fluttering shut at last. The golden armor cloaking her body faded back into her frame.
"No!!"
Chen Mo's roar tore at the heavens, his cry brimming with grief. The tears that filled his eyes spilled forth, unstoppable.
His bright starry eyes turned blood-red.
A boundless, overwhelming aura surged violently out of his body.
"Elder Sister!!"
"Your Majesty!!"
Cries erupted from the serpentfolk ranks as well.
Chen Mo's face hardened. Gently, he laid Queen Medusa upon the back of the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Then he raised his gaze to the skies, eyes locking upon Yun Shan, his voice icy and saturated with killing intent:
"Those who harmed her today… must die!"
****
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