Chapter 775: The Four Great Elders
The person who appeared in front of Xiao Yan was a male Snake-Person who was strongly built. His appearance was quite fierce, and his hand had an enormous black python tattoo. When his hand moved, the enormous python appeared as though it was a living creature that emitted threads of violent, dark aura.
At this moment, the latter was using a pair of fierce eyes to look at Xiao Yan. Powerful Dou Qi repeatedly writhed over the surface of his body. The hard rock surface where he had landed had cracked open. Clearly, this was due to the force of the earlier confrontation.
"Who are you?" Xiao Yan"s observed this fierce male Snake-Person. He could sense that the latter was an expert at the peak of the Dou w.a.n.g cla.s.s. However, he was not considered to be an opponent that was troublesome to deal with in Xiao Yan"s opinion. Nevertheless, Xiao Yan felt some anger at the other party"s sudden sneak attack.
"Commander Mo Ba Si of the Snake-People Tribe!" The male Snake-Person"s eyes stared intently at Xiao Yan. The enmity within his eyes was exceptionally obvious, "You are that Xiao Yan?"
Xiao Yan indifferently nodded. A fierce glow immediately flashed across the eyes of that Mo Ba Si when he saw Xiao Yan nod. His fist was suddenly clenched and the strong muscles on his arm wiggled, causing the enormous black python tattoo to appear alive. It seemed like it was unleas.h.i.+ng an evil aura that rushed to the sky.
"I will no longer hold back if you come again." Some hatred also appeared in Xiao Yan"s eyes when he saw this stubborn fellow. A jade-green flame rose on his hand as he slowly replied.
"In that case, this commander shall ask for advice!" Mo Ba Si furiously cried out. However, his body was just about to pounce over when a cold voice was transmitted over. It caused his entire body to stiffened.
"Enough, enough. This Queen orders you to stop!"
Medusa turned her head and spoke to Mo Ba Si with vertical eyebrows. She reprimanded, "Mo Ba Si, your manners are worsening. He is a guest of our Snake-People Tribe. How can you just randomly launch a sneak attack?"
The strongly built Mo Ba Si did not reveal the slightest impatience upon being reprimanded by Medusa. He helplessly nodded. However, the gaze he was using to look at Medusa with was filled with dense adoration and respect.
Mo Ba Si threw another dark, solemn gaze toward Xiao Yan before unwillingly withdrawing to one side.
Xiao Yan finally scattered the jade-green flame on his fist after watching that fellow withdraw. Perhaps it was possible to tell the reason for the other person"s displeasure toward him from the way that fellow was looking at Medusa. However, this did not cause Xiao Yan to feel any concern. His gaze swept over this compound only to knit his brows slightly. This compound that was quite big had quite a number of Snake-People figures. From the looks of the aura of these people, they were clearly the top experts of the Snake-People Tribe. Yue Mei, whom he had rescued, was also among them.
These experts from the Snake-People race were looking at Xiao Yan with eyes that were filled with some curiosity. Clearly, his act of forcing back Mo Ba Si with a punch had attracted the interest of quite a number of people. The thing that caused them to feel most surprised about was Medusa"s att.i.tude toward Xiao Yan. Although her face did not reveal too much gentleness, her tone was protective of him. This was indeed an extremely incredulous thing when remembering Medusa"s extreme hatred of humans.
"Follow me." Medusa softly spoke to Xiao Yan who was standing at the entrance. After which, she took the lead in walking to the deeper areas of the compound. Behind her, Xiao Yan hesitated for a moment, but could only follow as the many surrounding gazes that were looking at him filled with ill intent.
The compound finally became much more lively after Medusa and Xiao Yan entered the inner compound. Everyone became talkative as they began to discuss what happened.
Xiao Yan followed Medusa as they walked down a couple of serenely quiet paths. A while later, the two of them stopped in front of a bamboo building that was hidden in a bamboo forest deep in the compound.
Medusa paused in front of the bamboo house and a solemness appeared on her face. After which, she lightly knocked on the door.
"Enter."
An elderly voice was transmitted from the bamboo room after the door had vibrated.
The door opened with the voice. Medusa glanced at Xiao Yan before she turned around and entered the building.
Xiao Yan stood at the entrance and hesitated for a moment. He could faintly sense that there were four obscure auras within the bamboo room. Although they were not as strong as Medusa, they could not be underestimated. After all, these four auras were slightly stronger when compared with Jia Xing Tian and Hai Bodong. Of course, these four people had yet to breakthrough to the Dou Zong cla.s.s. They were merely at the peak of the Dou Huang cla.s.s.
Xiao Yan sighed in relief within his heart after he sensed the strength of these four auras. As long as they were not elite Dou Zongs, he would not need to be afraid. With his ability, there should not be many people in the Dou Huang cla.s.s who would be able to retain him.
Xiao Yan"s body moved after his heart calmed down. He also slowly walked in. When he did so, the door of the bamboo house automatically shut.
A faint light suddenly rose after Xiao Yan entered the bamboo house. Four old figures immediately appeared in Xiao Yan"s gaze within that s.p.a.cious room. Medusa was quietly sitting on a futon by the side.
An old figure within the house opened her eyes after she seemed to have sensed Xiao Yan"s footsteps. Triangular shaped eyes were locked onto Xiao Yan like how a poisonous snake would study its prey, causing a chill to rise on his skin.
The remaining three old women also suddenly opened their eyes after she did so. Four dark, cold auras rose before finally gathering together. Their auras actually agglomerated into an enormous black python above them. The enormous python"s emotionless eyes stared intently at Xiao Yan and an invisible pressure quietly rose. Finally, it turned into a thousand kilogram force that cl.u.s.tered around Xiao Yan"s body.
Xiao Yan"s expression became increasingly more solemn as he sensed the pressure of that powerful aura. He suddenly let out a soft cry. A jade-green flame suddenly rose and immediately wrapped around his entire body.
The temperature within the room suddenly rose the moment the jade-green flame appeared. That dark coldness that was created by the four old women immediately and completely disappeared. That enormous dark-black python seemed to have been affected as it became much more illusionary.
"It is indeed a "Heavenly Flame"… it is actually a "Heavenly Flame"."
The eyes of the center old woman in the room displayed surprise as she observed the jade-green flame that lingered over Xiao Yan"s body. The enormous python aura above her head gradually began to disappear as she slowly said, "You are the chief of the Yan Alliance, Xiao Yan?" Her voice was awful, appearing as though a rock was scratching gla.s.s. It caused an uncomfortable feeling to spread over a person"s entire body.
Of course, given Xiao Yan"s strength, he was naturally able to filter out this kind of feeling. He bowed to the four old women courteously before saying, "Xiao Yan from the younger generation greets four senior Snake-People Tribe Elders."
"How unexpected… you are able to reach the Dou Huang cla.s.s at such a young age. You are indeed someone blessed with great talent." That center old woman revealed an ugly smile toward Xiao Yan. She quickly said,"This old woman is the First Elder of the Snake-People Tribe. This is the Second Elder, the Third Elder, and the Fourth Elder."
Xiao Yan"s eyes followed the movement of the shriveled finger of the First Elder. He courteously greeted every single one of them. No matter how one put it, he should at least follow etiquette properly.
"Today, I have called chief Xiao over partly because there is something that I wish to inquire." The First Elder"s triangular-shaped eyes moved after completing the introductions. Her voice was hoa.r.s.e and awful when she spoke.
"First Elder, please speak." Xiao Yan dryly laughed.
"This matter is related to our tribe leader Medusa." The First Elder"s voice was without ripple, appearing much like an old well. There was not much change in her tone. However, it was because of this that Xiao Yan did not dare to slight her even a little within his heart.
"Our clan"s leaders are all virgins before they are able to transform into a human form. Of course, Medusa has currently transformed into a human form. However, she must undergo the baptism at the altar within the tribe before she can have any intercourse with anyone. However, when the clan leader had returned this time, she was no longer a virgin. I have heard that this is related to chief Xiao?" The voice of the First Elder had suddenly become stern at the end. Four pairs of cold, grim eyes were shot over, locking onto Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan"s expression changed a little. His feet took a step back without leaving any traces. He immediately laughed in a bitter manner, "Four Elders, this was not Xiao Yan"s intention. The matter is quite complicated…"
"In that case, chief Xiao has admitted to taking Medusa"s virginity?" The First Elder questioned in a deep voice.
Xiao Yan was silent. He immediately helplessly nodded.
"According to our tribe rules, chief Xiao must suffer the punishment of being bitten by over ten thousand snakes…" The second Elder who was seated beside the First Elder suddenly spoke with a dark murky tone.
Xiao Yan"s expression changed a little. Dou Qi slowly began to flow in his body as he said with a deep voice, "Four Elders. Although this is not something that Xiao Yan was willing to do, I do indeed have some responsibility. However, your tribe rules seem to be unable to manage me, no? If you really want to use force, Xiao Yan will not simply just allow himself to be captured!"
Medusa"s eyebrows were slightly knit when she saw Xiao Yan"s somewhat solemn face. She did not wish to see the relations.h.i.+p between Xiao Yan and the First Elder become this stiff. Moreover, the four Elders had said that they would not make things difficult for Xiao Yan. Why…
"Hei, what a tough set of bones…" The First Elder glanced at Xiao Yan before raising her eyebrows. She waved her hand and said, "Forget it, we shall not scare you little fellow. Now that the Snake-People Tribe and the Jia Ma Empire are in an alliance, our Snake-People Tribe must require your care as the chief of the Yan Alliance. I will naturally not let you suffer the whatever ten thousand snake bites punishment."
Xiao Yan felt joy in his heart when he heard this. He hurriedly laughed, "That is only natural… may I know just why First Elder has called me over?"
The First Elder exchanged looks with the other three Elders. She hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, "When we were baptising the clan leader, the four of use used a secret method. We seemed to have found a small lifeforce in the clan leader"s womb… it seems that it is a sign of pregnancy."
Chapter 776: Three Grade of Secret Technique
The atmosphere in the bamboo house appeared to be solidified at this moment. Xiao Yan and Medusa were stunned as they looked at the First Elder whose words were shocking. No matter how calm they usually were, they were undoubtedly shaken to a dull state at this moment.
Pregnant? Really?
The corner of Xiao Yan"s mouth twitched with great force. He could not control the slight impulse to jump. That was their first time. Was it really so coincidental?
Medusa"s reaction was similarly not any better. The usual decisive and killing aura of hers had completely disappeared. Her small, moist, red lips were faintly parted while her long neck pulsed a little. However, her heart was in such a state of turmoil that she could not utter a single word. A woman like her would not blink her eyes when fighting with someone or taking another person"s life. However, right now she was just like a panicked, lost little girl. She did not know how to deal with such matters.
"That… that, First Elder, are you mistaken? *Cough*, that… it has been over a year since the matter that happened underground. According to what I am aware of… a pregnancy doesn"t require such a long time, right?" Xiao Yan gradually recovered after some time before speaking in a halting manner.
"A Snake-Person is different from a human being. Moreover, the tribe leader has evolved into the Heavenly Swallowing Python, a beast from the ancient times. Naturally, there is some difference from ordinary people. It is not rare for one to be pregnant for a year or even a couple of years." The First Elder shook her head as she replied.
Cold sweat immediately began to flow down Xiao Yan"s forehead when he heard these words.
"First Elder, you should have sensed wrongly right. Why is it that even I am not aware of this?" Medusa hurriedly inquired. She had finally recovered from her dull state at this moment.
"The lifeforce is extremely weak. It is very difficult for me to sense it had we not used the Secret Method to probe. It is only natural that you have not sensed it." The First Elder explained, "There is indeed still a need to wait and check to see if the tiny lifeforce is a sign of being pregnant. However, if this matter is true, our Snake-People tribe will once again have another descendant who possesses the Medusa bloodline. This is an extremely big matter within our tribe!" A sleek redness surged onto the First Elder"s face when she spoke until this point. Her eyes had gained an additional excitement.
Xiao Yan and Medusa let out a heavy sigh of relief when they heard that the First Elder had not confirmed this matter. Perhaps this matter was just an accident…
"Whether this matter is true or not, you should remember to be exceptionally careful in the future… perhaps after another period of time, you should be able to confirm just what is in your body." The First Elder knit her brows and spoke in a deep voice when she saw Medusa"s appearance.
"How long is this period of time?" Xiao Yan dryly laughed as he inquired.
"The Snake-People Race is different from the human race. This is especially so for the Medusa bloodline. If she is really pregnant, it is likely not going to be a short one. It is common for the pregnancy to last three to five years." The First Elder spoke in a faint manner.
Xiao Yan once again sighed in relief within his heart when he heard this. It was fortunate. If she had confirmed it to be within one to two months, he might really jump down from the city wall. The current him did not have the slightest thoughts of being a father.
"However, this matter is an extremely big one for our Snake-People Tribe. The Medusa bloodline is exceptionally strong. Hence, the baby will require a countless number of elixirs to nourish it while it is still within the mother"s body. In this way, the strength of the baby will be even stronger after it is born. The baby"s potential would be extremely frightening." The First Elder glanced at Xiao Yan as she spoke.
"According to the Secret Technique within the clan, the nourishment of a Medusa baby is divided into the top, middle, and low grades. The baby that is groomed from using these three grades will also have different potential. If a low grade secret technique is used to nourish the baby, it would stop at the Dou Huang cla.s.s unless it is meet with a lucky opportunity. If a middle grade secret technique is used as nourishment, the potential of the baby is sufficient to allow it to reach the Dou Zong cla.s.s. The top grade secret technique will be even stronger…"
Xiao Yan also felt somewhat curious when he heard of the different grades of nourishments labeled by the Secret Technique. He asked, "In that case, what grade of Secret Technique was used for Medusa?"
"Middle grade." The First Elder laughed. "However, there is no absolute in this. If one has the luck and the talent, one will naturally be able to advance to a higher level. Of course, the effort that one must put forth is many times more than a baby who receives a low grade nourishment."
"She is actually only just at the middle grade?" Xiao Yan spoke in a stunned manner when he heard this. Medusa"s current strength would definitely be considered quite strong even when placed in the entire northwestern region. It was unexpected that she was only of the middle grade.
"The requirements of the Secret Technique nourishment are extremely harsh. Back then, in order to use the middle grade Secret Technique on her, our Snake-People Tribe had exhausted most of what we possess in order to hire a high tier alchemist to spend a long time to complete the nourishment." The First Elder helplessly shook her head. She said, "A low grade Secret Technique only requires some ordinary pills that possesses quite a bit of energy within them. A middle grade Secret Technique requires a tier 6 medicinal pill known as the "Snake Marrow Bone Shedding Pill" as the main medicine. The higher grade Secret Technique requires a medicinal pill known as the "Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill" which is extremely difficult to refine. This pill is a tier 7 medicinal pill. It is best able to completely unleash the potential of a Medusa baby. The baby"s future could be said to be frightening. However, it is too difficult to refine this kind of medicinal pill. Moreover, it also possesses the ability to s.n.a.t.c.h the heaven"s energy. Hence, a pill calamity will follow its birth. If one is not carefully, it is extremely common for the pill to be destroyed and the person to die. Our Snake-People Race have yet to have had any Medusa bloodline nourished by the top grade Secret Technique in so many years…" The tone of the First Elder was somewhat regretful at the end of her speech.
Surprise flashed across Xiao Yan"s face when he heard the words that First Elder had said. It was unexpected that the Snake-People Tribe would actually possess such a mysterious Secret Technique. No wonder every generation of Medusa was all so strong. Medicinal strength had already entered their small bodies while they were still in their mother"s womb.
Xiao Yan clicked his tongue and praised within his heart. He dryly laughed, "However, this matter might well be a misunderstanding. Medusa once merged with the spirit of the "Heaven Swallowing Python". This weak life force might be that of the "Heaven Swallowing Python"."
"This is not impossible. However, this matter affects our Snake-People Tribe lineage. Hence, we must begin to use the Secret Technique nourishment now even if there is only a little possibility. Otherwise, we will lose the best opportunity if things are delayed for too long." The First Elder nodded before speaking in a slow manner.
Xiao Yan smiled with them as his eyes glanced at Medusa without leaving a trace. At this moment, the latter"s delicate hand was gently holding her lower abdomen. The expression on her face was quite strange. It was likely that even she did not expect a slight life force to appear there.
The First Elder"s face revealed an ugly smile as she laughed, "This matter is also greatly related to chief Xiao Yan. Hence, you should also take responsibility."
Xiao Yan was stunned when he heard this. The corner of his mouth immediately twitched. These few old fellows had called him over with the intention of getting him to take responsibility?
"Then… what does First Elder want?"
"If Medusa is indeed pregnant, you… will be the child"s father. Hence, the things that you are asked to do are things that you are duty-bound to do." The First Elder smiled as she replied. She did not bother about Medusa, whose face had suddenly become flushed red because of her words.
"This relations.h.i.+p… you want to tell me to take responsibility?" Xiao Yan rubbed the cold sweat on his forehead. For an instant, he was actually unsure of what he ought to say. According to what the First Elder had said, if this matter were the truth, the child in Medusa"s womb would definitely possess part of his blood. It could indeed be considered his blood-related child. It was only right and proper for a father to do something for his child.
"What does First Elder mean?" Xiao Yan finally asked carefully a moment later.
"Us old fellows will not intervene in the matter between Medusa and you. However, you must put in effort for this child. *Cough*… the Snake-People Tribe have met a great calamity this time around. We have lost much of what the tribe has stored. Hence, this time around, we can only obtain the lowest grade out of the three Secret Technique grades." The First Elder craftily smiled at Xiao Yan when she said this. "However, with chief Xiao Yan"s position and ability, I think that you would not wish for your bloodline to obtain the worst treatment, right?"
Xiao Yan finally came to a sudden understanding when he listened until this point. This old fellow was actually planning to extort…
"Since chief Xiao Yan has already understood, I shall also not say any other useless things. It is rumored that you are a tier 6 alchemist?" The First Elder suddenly smiled and inquired when she saw Xiao Yan"s expression. Her eyes immediately became somewhat heated when she mentioned the tier 6 alchemist part.
"Yes." Xiao Yan glanced at Medusa. He nodded slightly. Clearly, she was the one who had mentioned this to the First Elder.
"In that case, may I know if we can get chief Xiao Yan to help this future Medusa bloodline refine a medicinal pill that that the middle grade Secret Technique requires, the "Snake Marrow Bone Shedding Pill"?" The First Elder laughed. She was looking at Xiao Yan with a great earnestness while she smiled.
Even though Xiao Yan had already guessed this in his heart, he could not help but roll his eyes when he heard her request. As expected…
"First Elder, this matter has yet to be confirmed. Is it not a little inappropriate to make such a big fuss of? Moreover, isn"t it just a "Snake Marrow Bone Shedding Pill"? With this Queen"s current strength, it is not impossible to get a tier 6 alchemist to help refine it." Medusa by the side immediately let out a cold snort as she opened her mouth and replied when she saw Xiao Yan"s expression.
"We are taking precautions. On this matter, it is better to be mistaken than to miss it. If it is really true and we missed the most opportunate time, who will take responsibility for the result?" The First Elder knit her brows, and responded in a stern manner.
The First Elder"s eyes stared intently at Xiao Yan when she spoke until this point. She slowly said, "May I know what chief Xiao Yan"s opinion is?"
Xiao Yan knit his brows. He mused for a moment before slightly shaking his head.
The expressions of the four great Elders and Medusa involuntarily sank in a manner that was hard to notice when they saw him shake his head. The latter tightly bit her lips. The gaze she used to look at Xiao Yan slowly turned ice-cold.
"The "Snake Marrow Bone Shedding Pill" might be a tier 6 medicinal pill, but it is still a little too low in level. I think that the "Heaven Soul Blood Bone Pill" might not be bad… what do you all think?"
Xiao Yan rubbed his chin, raised his head, and spoke in a probing manner.