Chapter 260: Three Dou Ancestors
Hearing this, Xiao Ming's lips twitched wordlessly as he gave Yue Mei a strange look.
Were all members of the Snake-People race so dedicated?
Unlike the ugly faces of the Snake Men, the Snake Women were all very beautiful, with bewitching faces and a different body structure from humans that had always made them highly sought after.
This was one of the reasons why they were so hostile to humans.
Yue Mei, as Commander of the Snake-People Tribe, was one of the most beautiful, with an elegant figure and the status of a Dou King powerhouse.
It was estimated that not many people could refuse her offer.
Being observed by Xiao Ming, a faint blush appeared on Yue Mei's smooth cheeks.
Unlike other humans, Yue Mei had always held a positive impression of Xiao Ming. Moreover, Xiao Ming looked very much in line with her standards; he was incredibly strong and had a good personality. Otherwise, she would not have taken the initiative to offer herself as a slave.
"I'm not interested in something like a slave," Xiao Ming finally said. Although Yue Mei was quite charming, he was not someone particularly fond of this kind of approach. Moreover, he didn't lack female affection, and he had even less need to force himself on her.
If male-female relations were put aside, although Yue Mei's strength was quite decent, her future growth was practically limited by her bloodline, and taking her to the Central Plains would not only endanger her life but also become a hindrance to him. Moreover, even if his female companions did not object outwardly, it would surely weigh heavily on their hearts.
"Please, think about it some more, Master Xiao Ming" pleaded Yue Mei, staring at Xiao Ming with a flushed face. "If I become your slave, we could..." Her voice trailed off suggestively, and she bit her lip in a seductive manner, her eyes daring him to resist her charm. But before she could finish her sentence, a shiver ran through her body, and she turned to look fearfully at the fairy-like woman standing beside Xiao Ming, sensing an invisible force that made her tremble with fear.
Xiao Yi Xian, who had not intervened in the entire conversation, finally couldn't take it anymore.
"This won't do," she said sternly, shooting a warning glance at Yue Mei. "Xiao Ming is not that kind of person."
As the closest person to Xiao Ming, she knew his character very well.
Despite having been in moments of confusion and weakness before, Xiao Ming had never taken advantage of her.
From this, it could be deduced that he was not that kind of person.
In normal times, Xiao Yi Xian was a woman of few words and would only give her opinion when she felt it was necessary, but would not actively interfere in the decisions Xiao Ming made.
However, since Xiao Ming had already refused, she would not allow this woman to continue to seduce her man so blatantly.
Yue Mei swallowed a mouthful of saliva and nodded quickly, indicating that she understood. But a trace of disappointment couldn't help but flash in her heart.
More than that, she began to be filled with anxiety. If Xiao Ming did not agree to help them, then where should the Snake People Tribe go in the future?
In desperation, Yue Mei looked at Zi Yan, who had acted as if she knew her Queen very well. She hoped that Zi Yan would still insist on helping Medusa.
"Hmph!" Zi Yan let out a snort of dissatisfaction, and her expression twisted into a frown at Yue Mei's behavior. But since her sister had taken it upon herself to put the vixen in her place. Zi Yan ignored her and turned her pitiful gaze back to Xiao Ming.
"Xiao Ming, can you please go check on Sister Medusa? Pleaseee, woo..." Zi Yan blinked her big eyes and threw herself at Xiao Ming's arm, shaking it and pleading pitifully. Yue Mei couldn't help but smile at the sight of Zi Yan's adorable antics.
However, as she looked at Zi Yan pleading with Xiao Ming to help her Queen, Yue Mei could not help but feel a pang of envy. It seemed that this little girl had Xiao Ming's attention and affection. Inwardly she wondered if she had missed any chance she might have had with him.
"This..." Xiao Ming hesitated.
"Xiao Ming..." Zi Yan hung on Xiao Ming's arm and nuzzled it.
Xiao Ming sighed, feeling a bit helpless. "Alright Alright, I'll go check on her."
Zi Yan immediately stopped her movements and stared at Xiao Ming with shining eyes.
"Don't look at me like that, although I promised to go to the Snake-People Tribe, I still have important things to take care of first," Xiao Ming added, his tone serious.
"It's okay, Master Xiao Ming. The Snake-People can wait a little longer," Yue Mei said, relieved that Xiao Ming hadn't completely turned down her request for help.
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow. "Don't be happy so soon, I'm not going to your Snake-People Tribe for free, you know you'll have to pay me, right?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Understood, my previous proposal is still-... it's nothing." Yue Mei trailed off when she noticed the sudden change in Xiao Yi Xian's expression, causing her smile to freeze.
Her proposal to become his slave naturally remained valid, but she knew that she couldn't pursue the matter with Xiao Yi Xian around.
"Well, you can forget that proposal, the payment I'm talking about isn't about you either, anyway, follow me to the Black Mountain Fortress first."
After speaking, Xiao Ming took the lead and flew north. Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan flew on either side of him, and Yue Mei naturally wouldn't fall behind. With a flap of her wings, she flew in the direction Xiao Ming had left.
...
On the vast plains, a towering fortress stood proudly between two imposing mountain ranges, guarded by soldiers in uniformed armor who patrolled the walls with orderly steps.
In the center of the wall, a dozen figures of high reputation in the Empire stood, gazing out at the distant horizon with a hint of concern. A massive army had appeared, seemingly overnight, and it had grown in size by more than half in just a few days.
"I heard that Yan Luo Tian of the Golden Geese Sect, as well as the Three Mulan Elders of the Mulan Valley came leading their troops... In addition to Xie Bi Yan of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate. The other party has a total of three Dou Ancestor powerhouses... what can we do about it?" Hai Bodong looked out for a moment and then sighed, the weight of the situation bearing down upon him heavily.
Hearing Hai Bodong's words, the figures on top of the wall fell silent.
The current situation was dire. It wasn't that the Jia Ma Empire didn't have any Dou Ancestor powerhouses; unfortunately, the former Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, had been injured in the recent battle and basically didn't have much combat power now. Master Xiao Ming of the Xiao Clan had left the Jia Ma Sacred City a long time ago and there was no trace of him to be found, which was deeply frustrating.
The Black Mountain Fortress not only had no Dou Ancestor battle power, but its Dou Emperor battle power was also inferior to that of the enemy.
Yun Yun, Serene Sea Scaly Beast, Jia Xing Tian, Hai Bodong, and Fa Ma. Only five of them stood on the wall, facing a dozen or more on the opposite side. If it were not for the Chu Yun Empire's reputation for being ruthless and bloody during its conquests, several of them would have had the idea of surrendering long ago.
"Elder Jia, still no response from the Xiao Clan people?" a Dou King asked.
"... No." Jia Xing Tian replied in a tired voice. Yao Ye had not only sent a letter to the Xiao Clan hoping that Xiao Ming would be present but also with the intention of getting the Amethyst Winged Lion King's help in case he wasn't available.
However, after so long, he ended his retreat, ran from the Jia Ma Sacred City to the Black Mountain Fortress, and there was still no news from the Xiao Family, which was really confusing since the Xiao Family was in the Northeast Province.
"Alas, it's better to send a Dou King to the Xiao Family to contact them. Judging from how the situation looks, they will soon launch an attack. Time waits for no one."
As soon as Jia Xing Tian's voice fell, a thunderous drumming sound suddenly came from the distance, spreading throughout the fortress.
"They are about to launch an attack!" At the sound of the rapid drumming, the faces of Hai Bodong and the others became solemn.
Soon after the sound of drums echoed, the earth began to shake, and the massive sea of people in the far distance, which could not be seen to its end, surged towards the direction of the fortress like waves. The thunderous sound of footsteps echoed through the sky like thunder, exerting extremely heavy psychological pressure on their minds.
"All the Dou King experts, disperse into several defensive lines and be on high alert for the Dou Kings on the opposite side!" with his face gradually turning heavy, Jia Xing Tian shouted.
After the fortress had been put on high alert, the sea of people surged forward with the deafening sound of battle. In the sky above, streaks of flowing light flew past. These were evidently the powerhouses of the three Empires and the ones who put the most pressure on the Black Mountain Fortress.
As the never-ending sea of people drew within a kilometer of the fortress, they suddenly squatted down with violent force, emitting an unparalleled murderous intent that quickly enveloped the entire Black Mountain Fortress.
After the army came to an abrupt halt, figures with Dou Qi wings on their backs emerged from the streams of light in the sky. Their eyes were filled with contempt as they looked at the heavily guarded Black Mountain Fortress.
"Hehe, if I may say so, you guys are too weak to stop our allied army, so why don't you surrender and offer us your treasures? Maybe we'll spare your lives." The army sneered, and a boisterous laughter suddenly erupted, resounding through the sky.
As the laughter subsided, a dazzling golden light suddenly emerged from the army and floated into the sky. Everyone looked up and saw a man dressed in golden robes hovering in the sky with a pair of unusually large golden-colored wings behind him, shining brightly like some kind of divine being.
After this man in gold appeared, a deafening cheer erupted from the vast army, clearly indicating that he had a high reputation among them.
'Yan Luo Tian!' Hai Bodong, Yun Yun, and the others had grim looks on their faces.
"Hahaha, Sect Master Yan, you are really merciful." Just as Yan Luo Tian's voice fell, three streams of light of different colors also came out from the army below, finally turning into three smiling old men appearing in midair.
The three old men who appeared in the sky were wearing green-colored robes. However, there was a lion, a tiger, and a bear in their respective robes. These drawings did not appear to be something created from ordinary sewing. Instead, they appeared to have been agglomerated from a certain kind of mysterious energy. Hence, when a person's eyes swept over them, the three unusually savage beasts seemed to be staring with their bright-red, vicious eyes. If someone did not have strong mental strength, their legs would involuntarily become weak under these violent gazes filled with killing intent.
Looking at these three old men, the eyes of the people in the fortress contracted.
'Three Mulan Elders!'
"Why does Sect Master Yan bother wasting words dealing with a small empire like this?" said an old voice, and then a white-haired old man with a slightly hunched back mysteriously appeared in the air.
The old man was dressed in plain clothes and had an expressionless face with murky eyes that gave off a chilling glint. He held a black walking stick, which had an exceptionally savage-looking scorpion head. A faint purple glow emanated from the head of the scorpion, almost imperceptible.
The old man stood suspended in mid-air, with all the aura around him completely contained. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary old man, but after he appeared, everyone's gaze towards him was filled with awe, including the Three Mulan Elders and Yan Luo Tian.
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A/N:
We have reached the final chapter of this volume on P(a)treon!
Also, I'll be taking a two-day break to recharge, so updates will resume on Sunday.
During this time, please don't hesitate to share your expectations for the upcoming volume or any questions you may have.
Here's a question, do you want lemons?