"Bested by you all, I, Lu Man, have nothing to say. But I must warn you!"
"Absolutely, absolutely cannot harm our Heavenly Snake Mansion's saintess, otherwise..."
"You will surely regret it!"
Lu Man was also stubborn. Even when caught, she didn't plead for mercy, but instead fiercely issued threats.
"Hmph! Are you threatening this Queen?"
Queen Medusa's gaze turned cold, and her jade-like hand exerted a slight force, gripping Lu Man's neck, making it impossible for her to breathe.
"Cough!"
Lu Man's face turned purple from suffocation, her eyes rolled back, and foam oozed from the corners of her mouth. Just as she was about to be strangled to death, Yun Tianming spoke up.
"Your Majesty, please show mercy."
"Huff!"
Upon hearing Yun Tianming's words, Queen Medusa loosened her grip. Lu Man slumped to the ground, gasping for air weakly.
"What is your purpose?"
After catching her breath, Lu Man looked up at Yun Tianming in puzzlement.
"Didn't I say it? I have no ill intentions toward Ms. Lu Man; I simply wish to negotiate a deal with you."
Yun Tianming held Qing Lin, who was unconscious, in one arm.
"A deal? What kind of deal?"
Lu Man's eyes flickered slightly, as if waiting for something.
"Ms. Lu Man, this isn't fair of you."
"I've said it already, I want to talk with you."
Yun Tianming's gaze shifted towards a distant mountain forest and continued, "Come out, there's no need to hide. After all, you're at least a Sixth Rank Magic Beast."
As Yun Tianming's words fell, after a moment, there was a roar from the distant mountain forest. Then, a colossal beast, nearly ten meters in size, suddenly soared into the sky, flying towards them from the horizon, casting a huge shadow over the ground.
The beast had a sleek body, resembling a snake-shaped Magic Beast. Despite its massive size, its flying speed was comparable to that of a high-level Dou Emperor!
With a twist and sway of its huge tail, it seemed to teleport, appearing not far from Yun Tianming and the others in an instant. Upon closer inspection, the entire body of the beast was dark, adorned with colorful patterns, appearing quite unusual. On both sides of its massive body, there were eight black wings, and atop its head, there was a black spiral horn, emitting a faint black aura, indicating its potent venom. Its triangular pupils didn't reflect wild beastly nature but rather cunning intelligence akin to that of a human.
"This is the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor?!"
Looking at the huge black snake Magic Beast in front of him, Hai Bo Dong's face changed color as he exclaimed. He wondered about the background of the Heavenly Snake Mansion. How could they easily deploy two Dou Emperor-level powerhouses?
"I was wondering why I vaguely sensed a familiar aura nearby. Turns out it's you, this flying serpent."
Queen Medusa snorted coldly, her proud demeanor not faltering in the presence of the Sixth Rank Magic Beast before her. "Long time no see, Queen Medusa. You're still as beautiful as ever!"
The massive triangular serpent eyes of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor stared at Queen Medusa before him, revealing a strong sense of admiration. For any snake-type Magic Beast, Queen Medusa, with her noble bloodline, was an object of desire. Several years ago, the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor had come to the Tager Desert to propose, only to be mercilessly beaten up by Queen Medusa, as expected.
"Bai Ya! You idiot! I told you to act covertly, why did you show up?"
Lu Man was frantic, as the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor, lurking in the shadows, was her only hope for a reversal, but unexpectedly, it emerged directly.
"It's useless, Lu Man. This human's Soul Power detected me long ago."
"You know I definitely can't defeat Queen Medusa."
"So, shall we surrender?"
The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor's massive mouth emitted a heavy sound, and its triangular serpent eyes looked extremely serious at Yun Tianming. The feeling of being completely exposed, as if one's soul were laid bare before the other, was overwhelming.
"..."
Hai Bo Dong, watching from the side, twitched his mouth uncontrollably.
"A majestic Sixth Rank Magic Beast, and you're here to surrender? You're setting an example, aren't you?"
"Bai Ya! Have you gone mad! Surrendering is one thing, but what about the saintess?"
Lu Man scolded in frustration.
"Is she truly the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?"
The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor looked at Qing Lin in Yun Tianming's arms with profound reverence. If the ancient records weren't mistaken, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils could tame all snake-type Magic Beasts on the Dou Qi Continent. However, for Magic Beasts from the Heavenly Snake Mansion, being controlled by the saintess was also a great honor.
"I'm certain! But now we can't fulfill the mission assigned by headquarters!"
Lu Man gritted her teeth.
"That may not be the case. This human lad seems quite reasonable, doesn't he?"
A hint of cunning flashed in the eyes of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor.
"Snake Emperor, you're smarter than Ms. Lu Man."
Yun Tianming's face showed a hint of surprise.
"Well! I think so too."
The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor nodded confidently.
"Hey! Whose side are you on?"
Mocked for having less intelligence than a Magic Beast, Lu Man's face darkened.
"Wise people speak plainly."
"Then I'll be direct. In principle, I don't oppose Qing Lin returning to the Heavenly Snake Mansion."
Yun Tianming stated.
"What?"
Hearing this, Lu Man looked bewildered, then asked, "If that's the case, why did you stop me?"
"I stopped you because taking without asking is not allowed."
"Just because I won't give it, doesn't mean you can take it!"
Yun Tianming's tone was calm yet firm, with an inherent assertiveness.
Is this domineering statement coming from you, the Dou Grandmaster?
Lu Man's expression turned strange. She was about to mock, but upon realizing that the opponent, relying on the power of a Dou Grandmaster, had successfully intercepted her, a Dou Emperor powerhouse, she felt utterly humiliated and ashamed!
The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor was indeed a clever serpent. Its massive serpent eyes glanced around, quickly grasping the situation.
"I see!"
"We, the Heavenly Snake Mansion, have been impolite!"
"For retrieving our Lady Saintess, you have done us a tremendous favor. We shall definitely repay this kindness in the future!"
The Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor finished speaking and respectfully lowered its pitch-black snake head as a sign of respect.
Wow! Making a fierce Sixth Rank Magic Beast bow its head, you're really putting on a show!
Hai Bo Dong muttered to himself inwardly.
However, Yun Tianming paid no attention to the surface act of the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor. He spoke frankly, "There's no need to repay in the future. Please show your gratitude now!"
At this moment, Lu Man finally understood Yun Tianming's true intentions.
"What do you want us to do for you?"
****
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