Under Xiao Yan's gaze, the rigid, lifeless, blackened body of the colossal serpent lying on the ground suddenly began to shed its blackened outer skin slowly... the shedding speed gradually accelerated, until finally, Xiao Yan could faintly make out something within the serpent's body about to burst forth. "Gurp." Watching this strange and mystical scene, Xiao Yan's hair on his arms stood up slightly, he swallowed hard, then slowly turned around, fixing his eyes firmly on the serpent whose blackened skin was continuously peeling off, taking careful steps backward, his mind urgently asking, "Master, what's going on?" "A new breath is emerging within the serpent's body..." The elder's voice now carried a touch of seriousness. "Has she successfully evolved?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, his voice dry and strained. "...It seems so. Be careful." "The old pharmacist was somewhat unclear about what had happened, so his response was a bit vague. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart sank slightly. Moments later, he turned his gaze toward the jade-colored flames floating in the air and decisively said, 'Master, how do we collect the unique flames? Quickly—there's no time left. Once that thing emerges, we might—'" "Caution!" Before Xiao Yan had finished speaking, the old pharmacist's urgent cry resonated sharply within his mind. As soon as the cry reached him, Xiao Yan's heart tightened abruptly. Over the past year and a half of rigorous cultivation, he had developed the steadfast discipline of always remaining alert. Now, his face paled, and with a light tap of his foot on the ground, he swiftly retreated. "Boom!" As Xiao Yan retreated, the massive serpent's body lying on the ground suddenly erupted in a violent explosion. Dark scales shot out in all directions, and within moments, the entire body turned to fine powder. At the very instant the colossal serpent's body turned to powder, a vast and terrifying aura surged forth, expanding with a speed that left everyone in awe and swiftly enveloping the entire city. "Has the Queen succeeded?" Feeling a subtle, familiar resonance within this powerful aura, the countless serpent people throughout the city exchanged stunned glances, then burst into ecstatic joy, their thunderous cheers echoing into the heavens. At the exact moment this mighty aura erupted, the ancient river beyond the purple light experienced a sudden and dramatic change in expression, retreating almost involuntarily by nearly forty meters. As he hurried backward, his face pale, he shouted urgently at the tall, cloaked figure standing motionless in the air: "Rush! The Queen of Medusa has successfully evolved!" "Don't panic!" Faced with the suddenly surging, terrifying aura, the cloaked figure remained calm. While others found it difficult to detect any unusual quality in the aura, she clearly sensed that though it was powerful and overwhelming, it subtly showed signs of waning strength. Her perception had not failed—after the aura erupted, within just a few seconds, it indeed receded rapidly, like a tide withdrawing, back into the luminous barrier. As the aura vanished, the cheers throughout the city abruptly ceased, and all the serpents stood in astonishment, filled with both surprise and anticipation. As the breath of the atmosphere faded, it also left Xiao Yan somewhat astonished. Yet at this moment, he could no longer afford to be careless. He narrowed his eyes, fixating intently on the area where black dust had settled from the explosion of the serpent's body, his palms now slick with sweat. The black dust gradually fell, and then, at a sudden moment, a vibrant streak of seven-colored light burst forth from the mist, racing through the air with such speed that it seemed to pierce through the very fabric of space—so swift that it left even him momentarily stunned. Within his dark eyes, the seven-colored light flickered gently. Xiao Yan stood wide-eyed, unable to make physical contact with the figure until he understood exactly what it was. "Damn! It's moving too fast!" Despite his efforts to dodge, the seven-colored light moved with such astonishing velocity that even the swiftest cloud mushroom he had ever witnessed in the Beast Mountains paled in comparison. The Qi within him had just begun to stir, and already, the sharp, rushing sound carried by the seven-colored light had reached his ears. "Boom…" At the very moment when the situation hung in the balance, a pale, silver flame surged suddenly from within Xiao Yan's body, its intense heat distorting the surrounding air continuously. "Click!" Perceiving the power of this silver flame, the seven-colored light that had been rushing toward Xiao Yan with great urgency halted instantly at his front, its body freezing in place—transformed seamlessly from extreme motion to stillness, as if perfectly rounded and undistorted. Stilled just a few centimeters in front of Xiao Yan, the seven-colored light finally revealed its form to his eyes. Still flushed with the shock from the earlier intense collision, Xiao Yan's expression shifted from fear to a state of stunned wonder as he gazed upon the creature before him—remarkably vivid and striking. The creature appearing before Xiao Yan was a slender snake only about two centimeters in length, its body covered in fine, vibrant seven-colored scales. It had pale violet eyes, exuding a subtly eerie charm, with a distinct, fresh fragrance lingering around it. Though it was still just a snake, it radiated an air of grace and dignity. Although its appearance was not particularly intimidating, it was beautifully elegant—so beautiful that many women might forget their long-standing fears and aversions toward snakes. While the small creature had few sharp or offensive features, Xiao Yan could faintly sense an immense power within its slender frame—one that even a Duke-level warrior would not dare to underestimate. A small serpent floated before Xiao Yan, its pale purple eyes devoid of any trace of hostility—instead, they appeared pure and clean. Though Xiao Yan knew well that this little serpent might have been transformed from the famed Queen Medusa, whose name alone commanded awe across several empires bordering the desert, he still found himself unable to feel any resistance toward it. "Hmm..." The medicine elder nodded silently, exhaled softly, and murmured, "Her body radiates seven colors, her eyes slightly purple, her form emits a fragrant aroma, and her strength reaches the heavens... I never realized that the so-called evolution of Queen Medusa was actually the evolution of her soul—shedding her original body and forming a truly new one through the power of her soul." "...Then, what exactly is evolving now?" Xiang Yan asked, his voice filled with anticipation. "Queen Medusa's original companion soul was the massive purple serpent you previously encountered—a six-tiered beast, the soul of the Purple Azure Flame Serpent. It is said that this serpent carries a faint trace of ancient beast blood within its body. Should the right circumstances arise, this trace could awaken, allowing the serpent to evolve into its ancient ancestor species. Of course, the probability is extremely slim—so slim that it might as well be negligible." "The old medic spoke softly, 'The ancient beast capable of matching the strength of a Supreme Saint, known as the Seven-Colored Heaven-Eating Serpent. Its distinguishing features are: its body shimmering with seven colors, its eyes slightly purple, its body emitting a fragrant aroma, and its power—unstoppable, reaching the heavens.' 'Exactly like the one before me—seven colors, a hint of purple in the eyes, a pleasant scent, and power that reaches the heavens...' Thoughts of frustration flickered at the corners of Xiao Yan's eyes. 'Indeed,' the old medic sighed, 'if my assessment is correct, the young serpent before us is precisely the legendary Seven-Colored Heaven-Eating Serpent—also, the new body of Queen Medusa.' Swallowing hard, Xiao Yan stared in disbelief at the seemingly harmless, graceful little serpent. Could this be the ancient beast capable of standing against a Supreme Saint-level hero? 'Wait—hold on,' Xiao Yan said, puzzled. 'If she is indeed Queen Medusa, why don't I feel the slightest trace of hostility from her? According to the usual expectations—shouldn't a fierce woman like her have already struck me down right here, right now?' Staring intently at the small snake's eyes, which held a curiosity akin to that of a newborn infant, Xiao Yan asked with some bewilderment. "This... I don't know," the Medicine Elder stammered. "Perhaps... it was stunned by that lightning strike during its evolution?" "...Hmm." Listening to the Elder's words, Xiao Yan's forehead immediately furrowed with several lines. He licked his lips and spoke softly, "Master, I feel it seems... rather devoid of hostility. Why don't we try withdrawing the Bone Spirit Cold Flame?" "Well... alright, just be careful," the Elder hesitated before finally nodding. As soon as the Elder finished speaking, the pale, crisp flames on Xiao Yan's body swiftly faded away. Once the flames had completely vanished, Xiao Yan tightened his palms, drenched in sweat, and carefully gazed at the vibrant, multicolored snake before him, cautiously probing, "Your Majesty?" In response to Xiao Yan's cry, the small snake offered no reaction, merely blinking its crystal-clear, glass-like eyes. With a gentle sway of its tail, it slowly drifted toward Xiao Yan, floating in the air. Watching its movements, Xiao Yan could only stand still, heart pounding with anticipation. The seven-colored snake circled Xiao Yan twice, showing no signs of attack—this gave him a great relief. Then, after another tail flick and a full rotation, the snake suddenly halted above Xiao Yan's palm, its translucent eyes glistening with longing, fixed intently on the narya ring resting on Xiao Yan's finger. It then lifted its head and emitted a few soft, melodic hoots, its voice tender and gentle, as if expressing a gentle plea.