But in the next second, the red light began to fade.
In just a few moments, the crimson vanished completely, replaced by a flash of white light!
The light was not pure white, but a pearlescent glow that held all seven colors of the rainbow within it.
"ROAR!"
The instant the seven-colored light appeared, a terrifying beast's roar echoed through the heavens and the earth. The violent sound waves spread out like ripples from a stone dropped into water!
Under the impact of the sonic boom, the countless green bamboo stalks in the forest bent low, swaying violently.
Even more terrifying, the roar seemed to have angered the heavens themselves. Endless dark clouds began to gather in the sky!
In an instant, heavenly lightning crackled and flashed. The sky grew dim, exuding an oppressive weight, as if the very heavens were about to collapse upon them!
Below, Zhou Changqing felt the pressure of the celestial phenomenon, finding it more terrifying than any thunderstorm he had ever encountered!
As the energy dissipated, the thundercloud above the center of the pond vanished, revealing a colossal snake approximately a hundred zhang long.
The snake's eyes were tightly shut. Its body was a pearlescent white, and its scales shimmered with a seven-colored luster. A rich, exotic fragrance emanated from its body, suffusing the bamboo forest.
BOOM!
At that moment, a deafening peal of thunder exploded from the sky!
A terrifying bolt of lightning, a full ten meters in diameter, struck straight down!
Its target was the giant snake!
Just as the heavenly lightning was about to strike, the giant snake's closed eyes snapped open. A pair of enormous eyes met the celestial might head-on!
Within those massive eyes, a pair of purple pupils remained calm and indifferent, as if this terrifying heavenly thunder was nothing to be concerned about.
"ROAR!!!"
Its massive maw opened, letting out a ferocious roar that shook the heavens!
Then, a colossal phantom that blotted out the sky coalesced in the firmament.
The phantom's form was identical to the giant snake's, and it mirrored its every movement!
Its mouth opened wide, aimed directly at the heavenly lightning!
The next second, the thick bolt of lightning was swallowed whole by the phantom.
Immediately after, a terrifying shockwave of sound and air tore a hole through the vast expanse of dark clouds, revealing the azure sky behind them!
This magnificent phenomenon of a giant serpent swallowing lightning was witnessed by nearly every snake-person in the Sacred City.
Gazing at the massive serpentine phantom in the sky and feeling its terrifying, unparalleled might, the eight tribal leaders stationed in the eight directions of the city broke into joyous expressions.
"Did... did she succeed?"
"Hahaha! I told you the Queen would succeed! See? I was right!"
"Get lost! The Queen succeeded because she is blessed by the heavens and possesses profound strength. What does that have to do with you, you old fool?"
"Yes, yes. To see Her Majesty the Queen successfully break through her shackles in my lifetime... I can now die without regrets! Even if I were to pass away now, I would have nothing left to wish for!"
In an instant, every leader was overcome with excitement, unable to hide their elation.
...
*Gulp*
Watching the terrifying heavenly lightning—a bolt that could have blasted him into dust—being swallowed so easily, Zhou Changqing couldn't help but swallow hard.
Terrifying!
Absolutely stunning!
After that first bolt of lightning was dealt with, the dark clouds in the sky seemed to have exhausted their energy and began to slowly dissipate.
As sunlight once again scattered across the land, the pearlescent scales of the giant snake shimmered, reflecting the light into a multitude of rainbows that arched across the sky.
Zhou Changqing focused his gaze on the giant snake, observing it carefully. He was now certain: Medusa's evolution was a success!
Her body was seven-colored!
Her pupils were violet!
Her body was fragrant!
Her power could pierce the heavens!
The Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python!
Although this giant snake was vastly different in size from the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python Medusa evolved into in the original story, there was no doubt that this was her true spiritual form.
"Continue releasing your lightning qi!"
Suddenly, the massive snake's head swooped down, its gaze landing on Zhou Changqing with immense pressure. A familiar voice issued from its mouth.
"Alright."
Snapping back to his senses, Zhou Changqing complied, though he didn't understand Medusa's intentions.
He raised his hands, and the lightning qi he had recovered during Medusa's evolution flowed out continuously, surging toward the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
At the same time, the python began to shrink, and in just a few moments, it had reduced to a size of about three feet.
The lightning qi once again enveloped it, and the crackling of electricity filled the air. This time, however, there were no agonizing screams.
Time passed, second by second.
Medusa didn't tell him to stop, so Zhou Changqing could only draw upon the ambient lightning-attribute energy of the world to replenish his own Dou Qi and maintain the constant output.
This was one of the greatest differences between a Dou King and a Dou Spirit.
A Dou Spirit might lose their ability to fight after exhausting their Dou Qi.
But a Dou King could not only manipulate the elemental energy of the world to amplify their attacks, but also use that same energy to rapidly recover their own Dou Qi. Their endurance was on a completely different level.
In the blink of an eye, the sun dipped toward the west. The sky gradually darkened, and one by one, shining stars began to appear.
"Still not done? Hasn't she already evolved successfully? Is she trying to consolidate her new bloodline?"
Seeing that night had fallen and there was no sign of things stopping within the lightning, Zhou Changqing grew puzzled.
Although a Dou King's endurance was formidable, it wasn't meant to be drained like this. His Heavenly Dipper Golden Tempering Art was only a Xuan-rank High-tier technique. The speed at which it absorbed and refined Dou Qi was slower than his output. With more going out than coming in, even he was starting to feel the strain.
Just as Zhou Changqing was about to run out of lightning qi, a figure suddenly shot out from the electric arcs and soared into the sky!
It ascended to a height of a hundred meters before coming to a slow halt.
By now, the figure was no longer that of a snake, but a snake-person. However, its body was covered in a dazzling membrane of light that obscured its appearance, making it look like a deity composed of pure luminescence.
"For me... break!"
Medusa's cold, domineering voice echoed from within the figure of light.
*Crack*
In that instant, a faint cracking sound seemed to emanate from the void itself.
Immediately after, an aura completely different from the ferocity of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python—one that was incomparably gentle, all-encompassing, and filled with profound mystery—erupted from the figure of light!
The moment he felt this aura, Zhou Changqing was plunged into a sensation like soaking in a hot spring, enveloped by endless warmth. The feeling was like being a child again, held in his mother's embrace.
Intimate, safe, relaxed...
"Huh?! Something's not right!"
A few seconds later, Zhou Changqing pulled himself from the sensation, looking up at the luminous figure in the sky with a sense of dread.
What just happened?
He had been completely immersed in that aura, without a shred of resistance! The sudden feeling of intimacy was far too strange! It was like a mother embracing her child with infinite tenderness!
It wasn't just him. The aura had spread to encompass the entire Sacred City. Every living being enveloped by it, whether snake-person, human, or animal, experienced the same sensation.
But before they could linger in it for long, all the living beings in the Sacred City witnessed a sight they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Only a few breaths after the aura appeared, a dramatic change swept through the world.
In the void, countless ethereal flowers, formed from some unknown energy and glowing with a brilliant, multicolored light, began to materialize from thin air, falling like rain.
Simultaneously, on the ground, lotuses of dazzling golden light began to form within the earth, sprouting like tender shoots breaking through the soil before slowly ascending into the air!
The scope of this phenomenon was vast, covering not only the entire Sacred City but also extending for a hundred li beyond its walls.
When these ethereal flowers and golden lotuses touched a living being, they would suddenly transform into a stream of energy and merge into their bodies.
The myriad creatures who had the phantom flowers merge with them—be they human, snake-person, bird, beast, or insect—all felt an invigorating and comfortable sensation wash over them.
Many who had been injured or suffered from hidden ailments were shocked to find that their wounds and afflictions had been instantly healed and eliminated.
Those who were already healthy found their constitutions greatly enhanced, becoming stronger and more vigorous!
"What is happening?"
"This feels so good."
"An auspicious sign! This is a heavenly omen!"
"The Queen's evolution can trigger such a grand and benevolent phenomenon? This isn't recorded in any of the ancient texts!"
"Who cares? This is a good thing, isn't it? Ancient texts are just records. None of us have ever witnessed this before, so how would you know it's not possible?"
"That's true."
...
While many beings were filled with wonder, surprise, and peaceful joy at this phenomenon, only Zhou Changqing was utterly dumbfounded.
"Holy shit! Heavenly flowers raining from the sky, and golden lotuses blooming from the earth? Is this even the Dou Qi Continent anymore?! Where the hell have I ended up?!"
Such a phenomenon was an exact match for the descriptions from the myths of his past life—a celestial celebration marking the descent of a deity or the sermon of a great sage!
It was so damn out of place!
As Zhou Changqing stood there in shocked disbelief, the luminous snake-person figure began to descend, returning to its position above the pond.
Then, the light enveloping her body began to fade, bit by bit, revealing the true form of the person within.
The moment he laid eyes on her, Zhou Changqing's eyes widened in utter astonishment. The shock and confusion from the celestial phenomenon were instantly pushed aside. At the same time, he quickly clamped a hand over his nose, as if to stop something from flowing out.
The reason was simple. Suspended above the center of the pond was a breathtakingly beautiful figure.
She was completely bare, her pearlescent, jade-like skin exposed to the air. Her stunning face held an unintentional trace of ultimate allure and charm, and the elegant curve of her long, fair neck was a sight to behold. Below, a proud and alluring curve rose and fell. Her stomach was flat and delicate, without the slightest flaw, and her navel was almost playfully cute.
Her slender, willowy waist was like that of a water snake, exuding a supple yet powerful strength. Below that waist were high, rounded hips and a pair of impossibly long, perfect legs. They were legs that seemed to go on forever, so perfect that a single fraction more would be too much, and a fraction less too little. They inspired an intense urge to admire and caress them.
On the small island, within the bamboo forest, at the center of the pond, a perfect, jade-like body radiated an allure that could parch any man's throat.
"Am I beautiful?"
"Bea... *cough cough*! Uh, would you believe me if I said I was blind?"