An oasis outside Stone Desert City, a source of water for many magical beasts in the desert for years, and a temporary resting place for mercenaries.
Today, however, the atmosphere here was somewhat serious, due to the constantly moving figures, each exuding a powerful aura.
With the support of powerful battle qi, a temporary city was completed in a short time. Indeed, these powerful individuals, at least Battle Masters, were merely low-level workers.
"Howl!"
After the city was completed, the leader suddenly fired a signal flare into the sky. Soon after, a row of tall griffins slowly flew in from the distance.
Leading them was Lin Feng, the head of several major forces in the capital. The Yunlan Sect members did not come; this was a tacit understanding between the Yunlan Sect and the royal family.
After the people from the Jia Ma Empire landed, more than a dozen figures flew in from a distance. The woman at the head, however, was different from the others; she stood in mid-air.
Seeing this, Jia Xingtian and the others' eyes narrowed sharply. Despite having received the news from the letter and being mentally prepared, seeing it in person still made Jia Xingtian's expression turn ugly.
"Your Majesty's breakthrough to the Dou Zong realm is truly a cause for celebration!"
After the snake-people landed, Jia Xingtian changed his demeanor, offering warm congratulations.
"Thank you for the compliment!"
One doesn't hit a smiling face, and even with an absolute advantage, Queen Medusa didn't appear overly arrogant since she had decided not to resort to force.
Seeing that Queen Medusa indeed intended to obtain a place to live through negotiation, as stated in the letter, Jia Xingtian and the others all showed joy.
"Your Majesty, what are your plans regarding finding a living space for the snake-people, as mentioned in your scroll?"
After chatting for a while, seeing Queen Medusa's impatience, Jia Xingtian's expression turned serious, and he got down to business.
"I don't need the Gama Empire to make any major concessions, just cede the territory adjacent to the Monster Mountain Range."
Queen Medusa waved her hand casually, and a map of the Gama Empire's terrain appeared before everyone, highlighting the area in question with a special color.
"This..." Looking at the territory Queen Medusa pointed to, Jia Xingtian hesitated. This area occupied almost a third of the Gama Empire's territory, and the valuable resources within the Monster Mountain Range were a major source of the empire's economy.
"After the Snake-People occupy this land, they will not prevent the people of the Gama Empire from entering; in fact, the two sides can even form an alliance. However," Queen Medusa paused, her expression turning somewhat sinister,
"all the captured Snake Women must be released, and the Gama Empire must enact a law prohibiting the hunting of Snake Women, otherwise the empire and the Snake-People will jointly attack them."
Seeing the grim expressions on Jia Xingtian and the other people from the Gama Empire's faces, the Snake-People were somewhat excited; this was the powerful aura brought by a Dou Zong level expert.
"Of course, if the Gama Empire and the Snake-People Clan sign an alliance, the Snake-People Clan naturally will not invade you."
Hearing this, Jia Xingtian and the others' expressions softened. If both sides refrained from aggression, it was indeed the proper course of action.
"Since the Queen has put it this way, I am not one to be ignorant of fate. Of course, I still need to arrange for the evacuation of the residents of this region. Please grant me half a month, Queen."
Queen Medusa naturally granted Jia Xingtian's request. The Snake-People Clan needed time to prepare for their migration, and half a month was just right.
With the two leaders reaching an agreement, the Jia Ma Empire remained oblivious, while the Snake-People were overjoyed, their faces beaming with excitement and their eyes sparkling.
After hundreds of years of hardship, the Snake-People finally had a territory suitable for their survival again.
"Your Majesty, I have a question. May Your Majesty enlighten me?"
After the Snake-People's cheers subsided, Jia Xingtian hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Speak freely." Despite her own excitement, Queen Medusa's tone remained as calm as ever.
"In my memory, Your Majesty, like myself, should have remained at the peak of the Dou Huang realm for many years. Why did Your Majesty..." After a moment's hesitation, seeing no change in Queen Medusa's expression, Jia Xingtian gritted his teeth and voiced his question. "Why did Your Majesty suddenly advance?"
Before Queen Medusa could say anything, Mu Chen, Nalan Jie, and the others beside him changed their expressions. The Serpent Clan would never reveal such a confidential matter as the opportunity to advance to the Dou Zong realm, and Jia Xingtian's words would undoubtedly strain the recently eased relationship between the two sides once again. Jia Xingtian,
who had blurted out the question, broke out in a cold sweat. If Queen Medusa, who had already broken through to the Dou Zong realm, were angered, she could even annihilate them all. He quickly spoke, trying to salvage the situation.
"Your Majesty, I..."
"No need for that!" However, Queen Medusa's reaction was unexpected.
"Regarding my opportunity to break through to the Dou Zong realm, there's nothing to hide. To be honest, it's all thanks to the Jia Ma Empire. Otherwise, given my character, I certainly wouldn't be negotiating with you."
Hearing the meaning behind Queen Medusa's words, Jia Xingtian and the others first breathed a sigh of relief, then felt somewhat puzzled. "The blessing of the Togamar Empire, what does that mean?"
"My advancement to the Dou Zong realm was due to consuming the Breakthrough Pill! And you are all aware of the Snake-People's situation."
Queen Medusa's red lips parted slightly, captivating all who heard her. However, everyone present focused their attention on one word:
"Breakthrough Pill!!!"
"What does Your Majesty mean?" Jia Xingtian and the others exchanged glances. There wasn't a single person in the Togamar Empire capable of refining the Breakthrough Pill. Even the highest-ranking Gu He and Fa Ma were only low-level sixth-grade alchemists.
Indeed, since receiving the opportunity bestowed by Lin Feng, Fa Ma, after a long period of research, finally achieved his long-held wish, advancing to the sixth-grade realm.
Wait, there was one more person... A young figure flashed through Jia Xingtian and the others' minds. When he left, his alchemy skills were already on par with Fa Ma's, and a year was enough time for a genius to undergo tremendous changes.
"That's right, just as you thought." Queen Medusa nodded slightly. "It is indeed Lin Feng, the Breakthrough Pill that Master Lin Feng refined for me!"
As her voice fell, Queen Medusa seemed to sense something, slightly raising her head to look at the distant sky. Seeing Queen Medusa's action, Jia Xingtian and the others seemed to realize something and also looked up.
They saw two figures, one large and one small, slowly flying in from the distant sky. One of the figures was the one they remembered.
"Master Lin Feng!"