"Is that so?"
Zhou Changqing fell into thought. He hadn't managed to get any information out of her, but he wasn't discouraged. He would find out one day, even if Medusa never told him. For now, the most important thing was to solve the problem at hand.
Suddenly, Zhou Changqing remembered something. The change in his lightning source had occurred after he was struck by heavenly lightning. And after that, every time he was struck, the special qi within his lightning Dou Qi would grow a bit richer. Thinking about it now, the way to enhance the special qi was to draw down lightning to temper his body.
At this thought, Zhou Changqing's eyes lit up! He turned to Medusa, his voice filled with excitement. "Your Majesty, I've thought of a way."
"Oh?"
Medusa was quite surprised. For some time now, she had been absorbing a large amount of his lightning qi every day, using the special essence within it to stimulate her bloodline and increase the concentration of her dual lineage. But as she absorbed more and more, and her bloodline grew richer, the effect of the lightning qi had become increasingly weak in recent days, to the point where her progress had stagnated. After investigating, Medusa determined it wasn't that her bloodline had reached its limit, but rather that the intensity of the special qi was now too weak to stimulate her bloodline's source. She had been at a loss for what to do, which was why she had come to Zhou Changqing, hoping the master of the lightning qi might have a solution. She hadn't expected him to find one so quickly.
"What is it?"
"Get struck by lightning!"
"?"
Hearing this, Medusa was first taken aback, then the corner of her lip twitched. Seeing the speechless look in her eyes, Zhou Changqing knew she hadn't understood and quickly began to explain. "Your Majesty, the special qi within my lightning Dou Qi was born after I was struck by lightning..."
As Zhou Changqing finished his story, a look of understanding flashed in Medusa's eyes, mixed with a hint of shock. She had heard from Yue Mei that his physical body was extremely strong and that he could defeat a peak Da Dou Shi with his physical strength alone, without even using Dou Qi. She had originally assumed he cultivated some powerful body refinement Dou Technique. She never would have guessed that he tempered his body by drawing heavenly lightning into himself.
The power of heavenly lightning was terrifying. Even a typical Dou Huang would risk serious injury if struck directly. Yet a mere Dou Ling could withstand its power and even use it to grow stronger! It was unheard of! And this was something he had been doing before he was captured by the Snake-People Race, meaning he was doing it as a Da Dou Shi. That was even more incredible. No wonder he had achieved such strength at such a young age.
"Summon heavenly lightning? A pity. While my strength is considerable, it's not yet at a level where I can manipulate the weather," Medusa said, her brow furrowing as she suppressed her shock. "To draw lightning, we would need a thunderstorm, and it rarely ever rains in the desert..."
Zhou Changqing felt a twinge of annoyance at her casual understatement. Your strength is merely 'considerable'? But this was the opening he had been waiting for.
He immediately seized the opportunity. "If there's no rain in the desert, why not find a place that has plenty? Your Majesty, have you heard of the rainforest region where Aquifer City is located?"
"Aquifer City? I have. Nearly a quarter of my people's water supply comes from there. The various tribes send parties to purchase large quantities of purified water from the city periodically." The more Medusa thought about it, the brighter her eyes became. That region was known for its constant rain and abundant water. It was indeed the perfect choice.
Then she remembered. That was where Zhou Changqing had been captured. In an instant, Medusa understood his little scheme.
So that's it, she thought. Despite his good treatment here, the little fellow was still unwilling to stay with the Snake-People Race. This is the reason why. The desert was hindering his path of cultivation. It was no wonder he was unhappy. If he weren't so weak, Medusa had no doubt that this young man would turn the entire Snake-People Race upside down. Obstructing a cultivator's path was almost no different from murdering their parents. If she were in his shoes, she would probably need to slaughter them all to quell the hatred in her heart.
Thinking this, Medusa didn't expose his scheme. Instead, she went along with it and nodded. "That is indeed an excellent choice. In that case, we shall go there."
"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhou Changqing suppressed his excitement, smiling as he offered a bit of flattery.
He could finally temper his body with lightning again! Combined with the leftover medicinal pills and resources he had plundered from the Snake-People Race's treasury, Zhou Changqing was confident that his cultivation speed in the Dou Ling realm wouldn't be any slower than it had been when he was a Da Dou Shi. It might even be faster!
"When does Your Majesty plan to depart?" Zhou Changqing asked, trying his best to hide his eagerness.
He was eager, but wasn't she just as desperate for her bloodline to evolve?
She answered decisively, "Now!"
"Huh?"
Before Zhou Changqing could react, Medusa suddenly teleported in front of him. His vision blurred for an instant. The next second, he was high in the sky outside the temple!
Medusa had unfurled her wings. She held him by the shoulder with one hand while sending a telepathic message to Hua She'er and the retired elders. After giving her instructions, she gave a powerful beat of the vibrant red Dou Qi wings on her back!
In an instant, the two of them shot away like a streak of light, disappearing over the horizon in a matter of seconds.
Hua She'er, having received the message, flew out of the temple and into the air. But they were already gone. All she could see was a tiny black dot on the distant horizon.
"Why has the Queen left again? Your injuries haven't even fully healed yet!" Staring at the vanishing dot, Hua She'er grew anxious.
But there was no one to answer her. Helpless, she could only return to the temple.
...
Fast! Incredibly fast!
Medusa's speed was so immense that the ground below became a blur to Zhou Changqing, enough to make his vision swim. She was easily more than twice as fast as Yue Mei had been when she brought him to the holy city. Fortunately, he was shielded by Medusa's Dou Qi. Otherwise, the immense pressure from the wind at this speed would have left him in a sorry state, despite his formidable physique.
As time passed, a black line appeared on the edge of the endless yellow earth. In less than a day, the two of them had reached the edge of the desert! He remembered how it had taken nearly half a month to travel to the Charming Snake Tribe after being captured by Ling Sha. This alone was a testament to Queen Medusa's incredible speed!
After leaving the desert, with Zhou Changqing giving directions, the two soon entered the tropical mountain forest region where Aquifer City was located. After another hour of flight, they were within a hundred-mile radius of Aquifer City.