The Next Day.
Xiao Bai awoke from his cultivation, his eyes opening as a faint silver lightning flickered within them before vanishing.
"Eight-Star Great Dou Master!"
Exhaling a slow breath, he felt the stabilized Dou Qi crystal in his dantian and murmured softly.
Over the past three months, even while studying alchemy, he had never neglected his cultivation. After all, alchemy was merely a means to enhance his strength—he couldn't put the cart before the horse.
In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, strength was the foundation, the top priority. This was the truth Xiao Bai had always believed in.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Sir Xiao, the Queen requests your presence."
The voice of Medusa's personal guard commander, Hua She'er, sounded from outside the hall.
Rising to his feet, Xiao Bai stepped out and nodded at the woman waiting for him. "Lead the way."
Entering the temple through a side door, they walked down a long, winding corridor for about ten minutes before the path suddenly opened up.
A lake appeared before Xiao Bai's eyes, its surface shimmering under the light. At its center lay a small island.
"Sir Xiao, the Queen awaits you on the island. I can only accompany you this far."
Hua She'er bowed before turning and leaving.
Once she was gone, Xiao Bai's feet flickered with lightning as he lightly tapped across the water's surface, stepping onto the island in the middle of the lake.
His gaze swept across the island—it wasn't large, but it was lush with vibrant flowers of various colors and clusters of verdant bamboo, creating a lively and beautiful scene.
"I never expected such a picturesque place to exist in the middle of this desert."
After a moment of appreciation, he followed a bamboo-lined path toward the island's center.
The surroundings were eerily silent. After navigating a few winding trails, Xiao Bai glimpsed an open area through the gaps in the bamboo.
It was a circular clearing, devoid of any plants or bamboo, instead covered in smooth, tiny pebbles. At its center lay a small pool.
At this moment, the pool was shrouded in white mist, and a chilling aura emanated from it.
"You've come."
A bewitching figure stood by the pool, staring at its surface without turning around.
Xiao Bai observed Medusa's back, sensing something different about her today.
**Lonely. Resolute.**
These traits had always been present, but never as pronounced as they were now.
"Place the Heavenly Flame on the crystal platform in the pool."
Seeing that he remained silent, Medusa continued indifferently.
"Alright."
Xiao Bai stepped forward, retrieving the lotus pedestal. A red glow enveloped the flickering flame within as he used his soul power to lift and place it onto the crystal platform submerged in the Ice Spirit Cold Spring.
"If you have no other matters, would you wait nearby?"
Once the flame was in place, Medusa suddenly spoke again.
Xiao Bai blinked in surprise but agreed.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved Medusa's lips before vanishing.
At least someone would witness her determination—her loyalty to the Snake-People Tribe, her resolve to lead them out of the desert.
Even if she failed and perished in this evolution, she would die as their queen, with no regrets.
Her eyes sharpened as she raised her left hand, crimson light gathering in her right—
"Wait!"
Medusa frowned slightly, turning to Xiao Bai in confusion.
He summoned Yi Wood Righteous Thunder, cradling the green lightning in his palm as he stared at her.
"Last night, you seemed like you had something to say. Was there anything on your mind?"
Medusa's gaze fell on the green lightning in his hand, her bloodline trembling in response, but she remained silent.
Xiao Bai sighed at the stubborn woman before him.
Morphing Yi Wood Righteous Thunder, he guided it into her body with a thought. Medusa didn't resist.
As the lightning entered her, she felt her bloodline surge with vitality. An instinctive certainty arose—her chances of success had just increased.
Noticing the slight relaxation in her brow, Xiao Bai sighed and retreated to a distance.
After Xiao Bai stepped back, Medusa turned and walked to the very center of the clearing. She brought her hands together, her jade-like fingers weaving a series of intricate hand seals. As she did, complex patterns lit up on the ground—this was a formation she had set up to help mitigate some of the damage.
With one last glance at Xiao Bai, her body erupted in a blinding crimson light. The surrounding energy of heaven and earth grew turbulent, the fluctuations growing increasingly violent until a massive energy vortex formed above the island.
Under the intense glow, Xiao Bai narrowed his eyes. When the light finally faded, a purple serpent over thirty meters long hovered in the air above the island.
The serpent's body was slender and elegant, its amethyst eyes no longer cold but instead filled with a serene calm.
With a clear, low cry, the purple serpent plunged decisively into the flickering green flames below.
The green flames seemed to sense the intrusion and surged violently, roaring into an inferno.
The moment the serpent entered the sea of fire, Medusa's agonized scream tore through the air—so raw and piercing that it was hard to imagine the pain she was enduring.
Xiao Bai stood atop a boulder, his body shrouded in a yellow-gray glow as he watched the scene unfold calmly.
He had done all he could. Once the evolution began, the outcome was out of his hands. Impatience would serve no purpose now.
The purple serpent writhed in the flames, its scales charring and peeling away. Fresh blood spilled out, only to be instantly incinerated by the Heavenly Flame.
Xiao Yi worked tirelessly within her body, repairing the damage—but destruction was always easier than restoration. At best, it could only prolong her endurance, ensuring she wasn't instantly consumed by the flames.
Medusa's cries grew weaker, her voice fading. Xiao Bai frowned, a flicker of anxiety rising in his chest.
Was she really going to fail?
Then—his expression shifted.
Amid the cycles of burning and healing, Medusa's bloodline had begun to change. A faint, almost imperceptible seven-colored light emerged.
At first, he hadn't noticed it. But as this wisp of light passed through Xiao Yi, it grew slightly stronger—just enough for Xiao Bai to sense it.
"Is this... success?" A surge of joy rose within him.
As time passed, that strand of bloodline continued to be nurtured by Xiao Yi, steadily expanding.
By now, the purple serpent seemed lifeless, no longer making a sound—only the sizzling of the flames remained.
Yet Xiao Bai remained calm. He could sense it—success was near.
The bloodline had stopped growing, but a new, profound aura began to emanate from it.
Then—
The clear sky darkened abruptly. Thick clouds gathered, swirling ominously overhead.
BOOM!
A deafening thunderclap shook the air as silver lightning snaked through the blackened heavens.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai exhaled in relief. He remembered this scene from the original story—it was the sign of Medusa's successful evolution.
But when he looked up, his expression froze.
"Wait... why is there golden lightning too?!"