On the path leading to the water source in the Oasis they treaded, the air was cooler thanks to the surrounding lush green trees and grasses with tall leaves.
Along the path were stone pillars that stood majestically, adorned with statues of Snake-People that looked graceful and creepy at the same time.
Some of the pillars had collapsed, cracked, or even covered in thick moss, indicating how ancient this place had been.
On the path, El and Xiao Yan walked side by side, occasionally scanning the surroundings while looking for a source of clean, drinkable water.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan smelled the scent of fresh water from a distance. "Ji Lan! Over there! Come quickly, let's get some water!" Xiao Yan exclaimed excitedly.
El only let out a long sigh, already expecting the big trouble that would await them ahead. "Yes, Ji understands," he replied in a tired tone.
While Xiao Yan smelled the aroma of fresh water, El caught something more detailed, the distinctive scent of several Snake-People mixed with the air around them.
Not only that, the scent of foreboding began to grow stronger, filling the atmosphere to the point of making his throat itch.
What can we do? Xiao Yan was the MC of this world. Plus, for some reason, every Manhua or Donghua MC always had the special ability to attract trouble wherever they went.
"Here we go... Not enough bandits, Magic Beasts, and now the Queen of the Snake-People? Geez..." El sighed inwardly, trying to calm himself down. "I'll have to be stoic if I want to extract profit from this MC."
"Let's just say I'm lucky to be able to see Queen Medusa dance at close range..." El thought, trying to see the positive side of an obviously dangerous situation. "And maybe... whistle in appreciation."
El imagined a scenario where he actually did that, leaning casually against one of the moss-covered stone pillars, arms crossed over his chest, while his eyes looked straight at the graceful figure dancing in his ritual.
A small whistle sounded from his lips, not as a form of abuse, but rather a genuine appreciation of the beauty that could rarely be seen in person.
However, reality would naturally not be as beautiful as his imagination.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan stopped his steps, his expression turning serious. El, who had been trained in acting, pretended to be confused at Xiao Yan's reaction.
"Ji Lan, there seems to be someone ahead," Xiao Yan whispered in a low voice.
They looked at each other for a moment before immediately rushing to find a place to hide behind the bushes and the ruins of an old stone pillar.
Carefully, Xiao Yan and El traced the path that was increasingly filled with wild roots and moss. Curiosity drove Xiao Yan to continue forward, while El only followed with a resigned expression.
Until finally, behind a large rock and a collapsed pillar, they peered towards the water source of the Oasis, where the mysterious figure Xiao Yan was referring to was located.
In the center of a circular pond with clear water reflecting the moonlight, red flower petals floated on its surface, adding a mystical and elegant impression.
Tall pillars surrounded the pond, each bearing a now extinguished torch holder, implying the long-established age of this place.
At the center of the pond, a woman stands gracefully, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.
Her upper body resembled that of a human, while her lower body was the tail of a long purple snake, shimmering faintly in a pink mystical energy that pulsed gently every time she moved.
Although only her back was visible, her aura of majesty and attractiveness was so strong, it seemed to hypnotize anyone who looked.
The woman's slender body was beautifully curved, her narrow waist accentuated her elegance, and her shoulders were silky smooth.
Her long black hair flowed down to her waist, swaying delicately with the movements of her body that exuded a blend of softness and strength.
Without needing to see her face, it was clear that this woman was not just an ordinary member of the Snake-People tribe.
That figure was none other than Queen Medusa, the absolute leader of the Snake-People nation and Xiao Yan's future wife.
In the center of the sacred pond adorned with red flower petals, Queen Medusa began to dance the Ritual of Blessing.
Her slender waist swayed in intoxicating movements, creating gentle ripples on the surface of the water.
Each movement of her long tail etched mystical patterns in the water, like a dance in harmony with nature.
Slowly, Queen Medusa raised both hands, moving her fingers gracefully, Queen Medusa spun gracefully.
The flower petals floating on the surface began to swirl with the flow of Dou Qi that Queen Medusa emitted.
With one smooth motion, the surrounding flower petals began to lift, floating into the air before darting towards the top of one of the stone pillars surrounding the pool.
Instantly, mystical flames ignited atop each pillar's torch, casting a reddish glow that bounced off the surface of the water and created exotic shadows on the Queen's body.
However, Queen Medusa's dancing has not stopped. She continued to swing her arms gracefully, making the petals floating in the water shoot back into the air, swirling around the stone pillars.
One by one, the petals lit the still-extinguished torches, until the entire top of the pillar was now ablaze with mystical, shimmering flames.
By now, the torch cases at the pillar-tops were fully lit, illuminating the sacred pool with a golden-red glow that glowed in the middle of the night.
Queen Medusa still continued to dance, the red-colored Dou Qi in her body glowing even stronger, creating a magical aura that electrified the surrounding atmosphere.
The remaining flower petals were lifted up by the energy, swirling around her body in rhythm with the Queen's graceful movements.
Every twist and turn of her body was even more mesmerizing, as if bringing this entire place into a vortex of heightened mystical power.
A few flower petals were blown away by the wind, drifting lightly before finally being swept towards El and Xiao Yan's hiding place.
Some even slipped through the cracks in the rock, almost hitting them in the face.
From behind that gap, El gazed at the scene in front of her with a serious expression.
However, inside his mind, El was busy strategizing the best way to complete this side mission without incurring Queen Medusa's wrath or worse, without making him the target of the Queen's personal destruction.
On the other hand, Xiao Yan looked so focused, but not just because of the mystical dance. El, with his sense of smell, could clearly catch the increasingly intense scent of passion emanating from Xiao Yan's body.
Sighing softly, El patted Xiao Yan's shoulder casually before whispering seductively, "What if Sister Xun'er finds out that her favorite Gege is peeping at bathing ladies?"
Xiao Yan's solemn expression instantly stiffened. Xiao Yan instantly came to his senses, feeling something warm and standing in his groin area, unfortunately not the sword of justice.
His expression instantly turned serious as he turned his head towards El and smiled awkwardly. "Xun'er will be disappointed!"
El smiled with satisfaction as he watched the MC, the future Fire Emperor, like a husband fearing his wife. There was nothing more entertaining than this.
However, El's satisfied smile did not last long. Xiao Yan grinned slyly and whispered softly, "But... what if Xiao Yi Xian finds out that her husband is watching women bathe? I wonder."
El's smile instantly froze. El swallowed and shuddered, then reflexively took a step back.
El was not afraid of Xiao Yi Xian, but his body always reacted out of control whenever she was around her. In other words, El's situation was not much different from Xiao Yan's.
His contented expression vanished, replaced with seriousness as he turned his head towards Xiao Yan who was still grinning slyly. "Xian'er must not know. After all, Xian'er is not Ji's wife," El said in a flat tone.
However, Xiao Yan maintained his smile. "You just called her by her affectionate nickname. How could she not be a wife?"
El felt a little irritated. "You're the same, aren't you? Calling her by Xun'er."
Xiao Yan's sly smile instantly disappeared, replaced with a serious expression. "Why are you even bringing that up?"
The two of them looked at each other for a moment before sighing heavily, eyes closed for a moment as if absorbing the harsh reality that they had just realized.
Without needing to say anything, the same thought crossed their minds. "They can't know!"