The atmosphere within the bamboo pavilion seemed to have solidified instantly. Both Xiao Yan and Medusa were staring in open astonishment at the senior elder, who had delivered such an astonishing revelation. No matter how composed they usually were, they were now completely stunned, as if directly knocked into a state of stillness. Pregnant? Xiao Yan's mouth twitched repeatedly, and he found himself almost on the verge of jumping up in disbelief—this was the very first time this had happened, and it was so perfectly coincidental! Medusa's reaction was no better. Her usual decisiveness and sharpness had vanished entirely. Her delicate lips parted slightly, and her graceful neck moved gently, yet she could not utter a single word due to the overwhelming shock. For a woman who had once faced battle and even taken lives with unwavering composure, this moment felt utterly like a flustered little girl, completely at a loss for what to do. "Um... did the senior elder perhaps misjudge?" Well, that is... almost a year and a half since the last incident beneath the earth, according to what I know... doesn't pregnancy usually take that long?" It took Xiao Yan a while to regain his composure, speaking hesitantly. "The Serpent People are different from humans, and moreover, the current evolved form of the clan leader is the ancient beast, Tianming, a far more ancient creature. Naturally, it's not unusual for them to have pregnancies lasting one or even several years." The Senior Elder shook her head and said. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's cold sweat immediately began to trickle down his forehead. "Senior Elder, I must have misunderstood—perhaps you sensed something incorrectly. Why should I not have been aware of this at all?" Medusa finally came out of her dazed state, speaking urgently. "The life energy was quite faint. Without our special techniques to detect it, we would have hardly been able to sense it at all. It's entirely normal that you didn't notice." "The Elder explained, 'As for whether this subtle life energy truly signifies early signs of pregnancy, we still need to investigate further. However, should this indeed be true, then our Serpent Clan will welcome a descendant bearing the Medusa lineage—a matter of the utmost significance within the clan!' By the time he finished speaking, a gentle flush had spread across his face, and a spark of excitement shone in his eyes. Hearing that the Elder had not yet confirmed the matter, both Xiao Yan and Medusa exhaled deeply, relieved—perhaps it was merely a coincidence after all. 'Regardless of whether this is true or not, you must remember to remain especially cautious. Perhaps after a while, we'll be able to determine the exact cause within you.' Observing Medusa's demeanor, the Elder furrowed his brows and said seriously. 'How long exactly would this period be?' Xiao Yan asked with a dry smile. 'The Serpent Clan differs from humans, especially those bearing the Medusa lineage. If pregnancy is confirmed, the duration will surely be considerable—three to five years would be quite normal.'" "The Senior Elder spoke calmly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, if the matter had been settled within the next few months, he would have had to jump off the city walls. At this moment, he still hadn't the slightest inkling of being a father. "However, this is an outstanding matter for our Serpent Clan. The Medusa lineage is exceptionally strong, so even while the infant is still in the mother's womb, it requires countless elixirs and medicinal potions for nourishment. As a result, once the child is born, both its strength and potential will be far more formidable." The Senior Elder glanced at Xiao Yan and added. "According to the clan's secret method, the nourishment for a Medusa infant is categorized into three grades—upper, middle, and lower. Infants nurtured with these different grades possess varying potentials. Those nourished with the lower-grade method typically stagnate at the Battle Emperor level unless they encounter extraordinary fortune. Those nurtured with the middle-grade method have sufficient potential to reach the Battle Sovereign level, while those with the upper-grade method exhibit even greater potential." Hearing this seemingly unusual grading of nourishment, Xiao Yan felt slightly curious and asked, "Then, what grade of secret method is used for Medusa?" "The middle grade," the Senior Elder smiled. "Of course, this is not absolute—should the infant possess both fortune and talent, they can certainly advance further. However, the effort required would be several times greater than that of infants nurtured with the upper-grade method." "Is she really only middle-grade?" Xiao Yan was taken aback. "Medusa's current strength is undoubtedly strong—indeed, even when compared across the entire western and northern regions—so why is she only considered middle-grade?" The conditions required for the secret method of nourishment are extremely stringent. When she was initially treated with an intermediate-level secret method, it depleted most of the Snake People's reserves, and only after a senior alchemical master, hired specifically for the task, devoted considerable time and effort was the nourishment successfully achieved. The senior elder shook his head helplessly and said, "For the lowest-grade secret method, merely ordinary potent medicinal pills and elixirs are sufficient. For the medium-grade method, the primary ingredient is a six-rank pill known as 'Snake's Medullary Bone-Transmutation Pill.' For the highest-grade method, a particularly difficult-to-manufacture seven-rank pill, the 'Heavenly Soul Blood-Bone Pill,' is required. This pill maximizes the potential of the Medusa infant, enabling extraordinary achievements in the future—indeed, truly formidable. However, this pill is extremely hard to produce, and due to its extraordinary nature, it is accompanied by a pill's calamity upon completion. Should anything go wrong, the pill may shatter, resulting in the death of the patient. Over the years, our snake people have never once produced a single Medusa descendant nurtured by such a superior secret method..." As he spoke, the elder's tone carried a clear sense of regret. After hearing the elder's explanation, Xiao Yan's face also flashed with astonishment. He had never imagined that the Serpent People possessed such an intricate secret technique—thus explaining why the generations of Medusa had always been so formidable. It seemed that even while still in the womb, the Medusa's tiny body had been infused with the medicinal essence. Whispering his admiration, Xiao Yan then offered a dry smile. "However, this might actually be a misunderstanding. Medusa once merged the soul of the Tian-Swallowing Python. Perhaps the faint life energy we're sensing is actually that of the Tian-Swallowing Python." "That does indeed hold some plausibility," the elder replied. "Yet since this matter concerns the continuity of our Serpent People lineage, even if the likelihood is only slight, we must begin applying the secret technique immediately. Otherwise, if we delay too long, we'll lose the optimal window of opportunity." The elder nodded and spoke slowly. Xiao Yan smiled politely, glancing at Medusa with subtle eyes. At this moment, Medusa's delicate hands were gently resting on her abdomen, her facial expression rather strange—perhaps she hadn't expected to suddenly sense such a faint life energy here. Upon hearing this, the Senior Elder's face fell into a rather unpleasing smile. He chuckled, saying, "This matter is also closely tied to Xiao Yan, the Master of the Alliance, so you too must take responsibility." Xiao Yan was taken aback, then his mouth slightly twitched—were these old men really expecting him to shoulder the responsibility? "Um... what exactly does the Senior Elder intend?" "If Medusa is truly pregnant, then you are the child's father. Therefore, you must do what is required of you—something that is both natural and unavoidable," the Elder said warmly, completely ignoring the sudden crimson flush spreading across Medusa's face. "This relationship…" Xiao Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, momentarily at a loss for words. According to the Senior Elder's account, if this were indeed true, then the child in Medusa's womb would surely carry one strand of his bloodline—making it, in essence, his own biological child. After all, it was only natural that he should do something for his son. "Then, what does the Senior Elder intend?" After a moment, Xiao Yan carefully asked. "Heard this, Xiao Yan finally realized—apparently, the old man had been trying to extort something from him." "Since Xiao Yan Master now understands, I won't waste any more time. I've heard you're a Sixth-Rank Alchemist?" The Senior Elder suddenly smiled and asked, his eyes glowing warmly as he mentioned the Sixth-Rank Alchemist. "Hmm." Xiao Yan glanced at Medusa beside him and nodded slightly—clearly, it was she who had informed the Elder of these matters. "Then, would it be possible for Xiao Yan Master to help us prepare a pill—specifically, the 'Snake's Gelatinous Bone-Revitalizing Pill'—that would nourish the future Medusa lineage with a mid-level secret technique?" The Elder smiled warmly, looking at Xiao Yan with genuine enthusiasm. Upon hearing this, even though he had already suspected something, Xiao Yan couldn't help but roll his eyes. Indeed, so much effort for something still uncertain. "Senior Elder, the matter hasn't been finalized yet. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?" And isn't it just a simple "Snake's Gel-to-Transform-Bone Pill"? With my current strength, it's far from impossible to request a sixth-rank alchemy master to assist me." Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, Medusa coldly snorted, speaking up. "Better to be safe than sorry—this matter mustn't be overlooked. If it truly is as serious as we suspect, and we miss the optimal timing, who will bear the consequences?" The Senior Elder furrowed her brows, speaking with firm authority. "What do you think, Master Xiao Yan?" Xiao Yan frowned, pondering for a while before gently shaking his head. Upon seeing this, the four senior elders and Medusa all subtly grew more serious—Medusa in particular tightened her lips, her gaze on Xiao Yan slowly turning icy. "Though the Snake's Gel-to-Transform-Bone Pill is a sixth-rank pill, it's still a bit on the basic side. In my opinion, the Heavenly-Soul-Merging-Blood Pill might be more suitable... what do you think?" Xiao Yan stroked his chin, lifted his head, and said it with a touch of hesitation.