"As expected, they're working together."
The eight leaders united, their hands forming intricate seals.
They believed that if it weren't for these humans, Her Majesty's evolution would have gone smoothly, and she wouldn't be in her current state. What enraged them the most was the cunning of these humans—pretending to leave while secretly sending a spy into the city. They had even used some strange method to take Her Majesty out of the city.
Unforgivable.
As the eight completed their seals, a faint black-green energy shield materialized, enveloping them securely.
"Eight Serpents Shura Seal, activate!"
Led by Yue Mei, the light in the palms of the eight grew blinding, and in an instant, eight massive black-green energy beams shot out from their hands, converging above them to form a colossal black-green energy serpent, hundreds of meters long.
As the energy serpent appeared, the sky darkened, the wind howled, and the full moon was quickly obscured by clouds.
"What the... isn't it supposed to be the Five Serpents Poison Slash Seal? How did it turn into the Eight Serpents Shura Seal?" Chen Mo's face was filled with surprise as he looked at the energy serpent, which was several times larger than what he had read about in the novel.
"An Earth-Tier Fusion Battle Skill," Yun Yun murmured, her elegant brows furrowing, a look of seriousness in her eyes. The aura emitted by the energy serpent far exceeded her own.
"Let's go." Yun Yun grabbed Chen Mo by his robe, while he quickly scooped up the little snake, taking the opportunity to wrap his arm around her slender waist.
Yun Yun's toes lightly tapped the desert sand, and behind her, a pair of cyan wings formed from battle energy. With a powerful flap, their figures shot into the sky.
"Hmph, trying to escape?"
Yue Mei sneered, and the eight simultaneously adjusted their seals. The enormous energy serpent above them coiled its massive body and swiftly pursued Yun Yun and Chen Mo.
The speed of the energy serpent as it streaked through the air was astonishing, even making Yun Yun, a Dou Emperor, feel taken aback.
Sensing the intense sound of the serpent cutting through the air behind them, Yun Yun gripped her sword hilt tightly, her entire demeanor turning sharp and fierce. With a swift turn, she swung her sword, releasing a thin, almost invisible beam of deep light that shot out in an instant.
"Wind's Extremity, Falling Death."
As the light appeared, the night sky brightened considerably.
Chen Mo could feel that Yun Yun's ultimate move had grown much stronger since their time in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, likely due to the effects of the Purple Spirit Crystal.
When the beam sliced into the serpent's head, its speed noticeably slowed.
But the next moment, both Yun Yun and Chen Mo gasped.
The beam had only managed to make a small cut on the serpent's massive head. Compared to its size, the cut was as insignificant as a paper cut on a human finger.
The serpent shook its head as if the attack had merely tickled it, then surged forward with renewed speed, hurtling towards them with undiminished force.
The sound of the serpent's movements roared through the desert.
Yun Yun's expression shifted; realizing her attacks were ineffective, she focused on dodging with Chen Mo in tow.
Fortunately, at that moment, Gu He and the others arrived.
"What in the world is that?" Gu He sensed the danger emanating from the serpent.
"It's a fusion battle skill of the Serpentfolk leaders. Teacher's attacks aren't working on it. You need to target the eight of them down below!" Chen Mo pointed towards the eight leaders, his voice urgent as Yun Yun couldn't afford to be distracted.
Just then, the serpent's tail whipped through the air towards Yun Yun, the force of the strike causing ripples in the void where it passed.
It was then that the others noticed the eight Serpentfolk leaders below, their expressions serious. They had heard of the Serpentfolk's fusion battle skills, which were quite renowned on the Dou Qi Continent, but they hadn't expected them to be this powerful.
"You sure have caused quite a stir, kid, making all eight tribe leaders come out to deal with you. Even I couldn't get such a reception," Yan Shi remarked with a hint of admiration. His body surged with fierce battle energy as he dove towards the leaders. "Let me see what you're made of."
Feng Li followed close behind.
"Thousand Thunder Technique!"
In the night sky, thunder rumbled as a fierce bolt of lightning descended, aiming for the already weakened Yan Ci.
As a mage, the Sixth Elder wasn't about to engage in close combat.
Seeing two renowned Dou Kings charging at them, the faces of the eight Serpentfolk leaders darkened.
The Eight Serpents Shura Seal required all eight of them to maintain its full power. If even one of them was disrupted, the serpent wouldn't disappear, but its strength would be significantly reduced.
"Damn it! Green Luo, Tu Yan, Yan Ci, you handle them. We'll switch to the Five Serpents Poison Slash Seal," Yue Mei ordered. Immediately, three of the leaders broke away from the formation, their battle energy forming wings as they flew to confront Yan Shi and the others.
With three people missing, the serpent shrank dramatically, from over a hundred meters long to just over ten meters.
But even so, its aura was still formidable.
"Oh? Are you underestimating alchemists?"
Seeing that everyone else had opponents, leaving him overlooked, Gu He felt a flash of anger.
"Fireball Technique." Gu He's voice rang out as he swung his hand, summoning a pale blue fireball that flew towards the remaining five leaders.
The appearance of the pale blue flames caused the temperature around them to rise sharply. While not as intense as a Heavenly Flame, it was still far superior to ordinary fire.
Although the five leaders looked down on Gu He's combat ability, they knew that as a Dou King, his involvement could still disrupt their formation.
If the Five Serpents Poison Slash Seal was broken and the Dou Emperor above was freed to attack, they could be picked off one by one, with no chance of survival.
If only the High Priestess were here.
In just a few moments, the five realized the situation was turning against them. Continuing to fight would put their lives at risk.
"The enmity you've incurred with our Serpentfolk today will be repaid tenfold in the future," Yue Mei declared coldly, glaring at Chen Mo to memorize his face before ordering, "Retreat!"
"But Her Majesty..." Yan Ci, locked in battle with Yan Shi, hesitated upon hearing Yue Mei's command. However, realizing the dire situation, he shot a resentful glance at Chen Mo, who looked innocently back, then formed a seal with his hands. His body erupted, sending several small energy snakes flying in all directions.
Yue Mei and the others did the same.
Yun Yun and the others didn't pursue them but instead turned their gazes towards Chen Mo.
The meaning was clear.
What exactly did you do?
Why were they so filled with hatred towards you even as they fled?