However, Hun Changqing was wrong this time. It was Xiao Yan who came here to take away the Fire Serpent and the Azure Lotus Platform.
It turned out that after arriving in the Magical Beast Mountain Range several months ago, Xiao Yan successfully befriended Little Fairy Doctor and eventually entered the cave on the cliff, seizing the opportunity.
Afterwards, without Yao Chen's presence, Xiao Yan only sought out some low-level magical beasts to hone his skills. Since the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King had already been killed by Hun Changqing, Xiao Yan was destined to have no further interaction with the Cloud Mist Sect Master.
Even if there were any, it would only be due to the enmity stemming from the marriage agreement with the Nalan family.
After training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range for a while, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a surge of emotion and wanted to go to the desert to find his brothers—not his good older brother Hun Changqing, but his two older brothers!
After spending some time, Xiao Yan arrived in Desert City, reunited with his two brothers, and also developed a close relationship with Qing Lin, the owner of the Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil.
Xiao Yan overheard rumors of a strange fire in the desert and immediately began investigating. With the help of Qing Lin and his two brothers, they finally found the underground cave and discovered the fire serpent. Naturally, they were no match for it. In the final moment of crisis, Qing Lin awakened her Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupil and controlled the fire serpent.
Ultimately, Qing Lin had the fire serpent bring up the Azure Lotus Platform from beneath the molten lava. Xiao Yan also discovered the seven-colored serpent scales left by Medusa when she used fire on the platform. With a do-or-die mentality, Xiao Yan disregarded his brothers' and Qing Lin's objections and resolutely headed towards the Serpent City.
He found Queen Medusa entangled with several powerful figures. He quickly moved closer to the heart of the Serpent City, eventually reaching the island in the lake where Queen Medusa was. There, he found Medusa, who had transformed into a giant purple serpent and was evolving using the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire.
At this moment, the island where the giant purple serpent was located emitted violent energy fluctuations, eventually forming a massive energy vortex that frantically absorbed the energy of the entire desert, with ripples of energy spreading across the sky.
At this moment, Hun Changqing, who was frowning and pondering the whereabouts of the fire serpent on the lava lake, also sensed the enormous energy fluctuations emanating from the center of the desert.
This immense energy spread throughout the desert, like a fire in the darkness, guiding Hun Changqing's direction.
Hun Changqing stopped thinking about the fire serpent; a glint of light flashed in his eyes, and in a flash, he disappeared from the cavern, appearing above the desert. He then transformed into a black streak of light, rushing towards the center of the desert at top speed.
As he increased his speed and approached the center, Hun Changqing could increasingly clearly feel the terrifying energy emanating from the sky above the desert center, and he could faintly hear rumbling thunder. Seeing this, Hun Changqing increased his speed again, rushing towards the center.
...
When Hun Changqing arrived at the small island at the center of the energy's emission, the terrifying energy had completely dissipated, leaving only a shattered island.
Hun Changqing stood on the island, looking at the devastated, charred island, ravaged by lightning and flames, now only a barren wasteland.
In the center of the island was a dark, hollow cavity, at least tens of meters deep, emanating a faint smell of blood and a burnt odor.
At the very bottom of the cavity lay a giant, charred, and lifeless snake, its body ice-cold, unmistakably dead.
Hun Changqing stared at the ruined island, veins bulging on his forehead, his face ashen. Who could tell him what he had missed this time? Why was he always a step too late?
Well, actually, it was Xiao Yan. After seeing Medusa struck dead by lightning, Xiao Yan used the Azure Lotus Platform to collect the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. Because Xiao Yan didn't possess the accompanying Purple Crystal Source, the Seven-Colored Devouring Python within Medusa's remains hadn't hatched and remained quietly within the massive snake's body.
After Xiao Yan left, a fierce battle erupted among the people outside. Finally, the five leaders of the snake-people tribe unleashed a combined fighting technique—the Five Serpent Poisonous Seal—forcing back the invading human powerhouses. In the end, Xiao Yan emerged as the biggest winner.
"Crack!" Just as Hun Changqing was about to leave in a fit of rage, a faint sound suddenly came from the huge pit.
Hun Changqing's ears twitched, and he paused, focusing his gaze on the snake's body deep within the pit.
"Could it be that Medusa wasn't taken away?"
Hun Changqing wondered.
At this moment, the black skin on the stiff, limp, charred giant snake's corpse began to slowly peel away.
The peeling speed gradually increased until finally, Hun Changqing could vaguely see something about to burst out from the giant snake's corpse, and a faint aura was already emanating from the giant snake's body.
Hun Changqing narrowed his eyes, quietly watching this scene.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the snake's body deep in the pit exploded with a loud bang, black scales flying everywhere, and a section of the corpse instantly turned into powder.
The shockwave from the explosion, along with the flying black scales, swept towards Hun Changqing.
Hun Changqing lightly pointed forward, and a grayish-white light flashed. A terrifying chill instantly enveloped the explosive shockwave approaching him. In an instant, the violent shockwave was completely annihilated by the Taiyin True Qi, and the black scales turned into specks of black light, disappearing into the world.
The moment the giant snake's corpse turned to dust, the previously weak aura within it surged dramatically, transforming into a terrifying and vast aura that burst forth, rapidly enveloping the entire city.
Hun Changqing sensed this aura, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, dust settled due to the snake's explosion, and in a split second, a seven-colored light suddenly shot out from the mist.
The light seemed to pierce through the barriers of space, its seven-colored light flickering in the air, hurtling towards Hun Changqing at an invisible speed. A sharp whistling sound rang in Hun Changqing's ears.
Seeing the seven-colored light shooting towards him, a cold glint flashed in Hun Changqing's eyes, and terrifying Yin energy slowly rose from his body.
"Squeak!"
As if sensing the power of the terrifying Yin energy, the seven-colored shadow shooting towards Hun Changqing abruptly stopped in front of him without any hesitation. The transition between extreme movement and extreme stillness was almost seamless, without the slightest distortion.