Accompanied by ear-piercing shrieks, the massive purple serpent twisted in agony, its enormous body convulsing violently.
The moment Queen Medusa entered the Heavenly Flame, the violet scales covering her body began to distort and twist at an alarming rate. Moments later, they were scorched black by the flame's terrifying heat and peeled off one by one, dropping lifelessly to the ground.
Wherever the scales fell, bright red blood surged forth. Yet the blood never got far—before it could even drip, it was instantly vaporized by the flame's heat, leaving behind only gruesome, bloodied streaks across her charred form.
The loss of blood was swift and severe. The once colossal serpent body began to shrink at a visible pace.
That a proud and powerful ruler could be reduced to such shrill, tortured cries—one could only imagine the level of pain Queen Medusa was enduring. The Heavenly Flame did not simply burn her body; it torched her soul. The agony was not merely physical but spiritual, a torment that few in the world could bear.
The intensity of the commotion she caused was staggering. Her cries of torment echoed through half the city.
Countless serpentfolk warriors rushed onto rooftops, their expressions aghast as they looked toward the radiant burst of purple light in the distance. Some tried to rush toward it, but were repelled by an oppressive violet aura. In the end, they could only stand afar, staring anxiously at the giant serpent writhing in the midst of the azure flame.
High above in the sky, a streak of light flew toward the commotion and stopped just outside the violet glow. Gu He's face was heavy with concern.
'So Queen Medusa has begun her evolution…' he murmured, eyes fixed on the flame burning within the distant temple. His fists clenched tightly. 'Is all we can do now wait and see the result?'
The once-glorious serpent body was now blackened from head to tail. The proud purple scales had been reduced to ash, and her once-mighty form had shrunk from more than ten meters to barely two or three. It was impossible to imagine how many bones and how much blood had been incinerated.
Above, the sky darkened ominously as ominous clouds gathered out of nowhere.
The energy of heaven and earth began to stir chaotically.
Her evolution was nearing its critical point.
From the dark clouds, thunder began to rumble. Silver lightning slithered through the heavens like serpentine streaks.
Then, with a thunderous roar, the heavens flashed. A massive bolt of silver lightning erupted from the clouds and plunged directly into the core of the green flame below.
"Such resolve… such audacity and willpower. Perhaps that is the true reason she can evolve at all," Lin Ran murmured with admiration as he watched Queen Medusa twist within the Heavenly Flame.
But just as he spoke, his brow furrowed.
That bolt of lightning should have signaled her rebirth—her breaking free from the cocoon of fire to become a Seven-Colored Devouring Serpent. But instead, after the strike, the purple serpent plummeted into the pool below with a splash.
Her vitality was fading.
"Why? Did she fail?"
Lin Ran's frown deepened. His spiritual perception clearly sensed Queen Medusa's life force slipping away. It wasn't the sign of transformation or rebirth. It was the approach of death.
She had failed.
The enchanting beauty who had once ruled the serpentfolk was not, as the original story had described, reborn from fire and thunder. Instead, she teetered on the brink of annihilation.
"Something's off…"
In the original plot, Queen Medusa had made exhaustive preparations for her evolution. But now, with Gu He and the others arriving ahead of schedule, she had been forced to begin her advancement prematurely—nearly a full month earlier than planned.
That month was her critical window.
"So close… just a little more time and she might have succeeded."
Lin Ran sighed and involuntarily recalled the breathtaking image from earlier.
"Ah, forget it. High-grade magical beast blood is hard to come by. And seeing her in such a pitiful state, how could someone as compassionate as me let her die?"
Chuckling to himself with a hint of shamelessness, Lin Ran took a step forward and appeared beside the scorched remains of the serpent.
With a flick of his palm, he opened a gash near her chest. A single droplet of rich, dense essence blood floated out.
His storage ring flashed as he retrieved a jade bottle and carefully preserved the droplet within. Once it left her body, Queen Medusa's already-flickering life force weakened even further—now like a candle flame trembling in the cold wind, ready to vanish at any moment.
With a metallic hum, Lin Ran sliced open his own palm.
Scarlet-gold blood flowed freely, dripping into the gaping wound on the serpent's charred body. As the blood entered, it instantly merged with her internal systems, bringing with it an overwhelming surge of life force.
The scorched serpent corpse suddenly trembled. Then the heavens stirred again.
Lightning boomed. Thunder cracked. The skies seemed to protest in fury, as if warning of some unnatural act.
Yet beneath the lightning-streaked heavens, the charred husk of the serpent began to flake away.
Cracks spread across her burnt body like a breaking eggshell.
And then, with a deafening bang, the entire corpse exploded into pieces. Blackened scales flew in all directions, disintegrating midair.
At the very instant her body collapsed into dust, a terrifying aura surged forth, expanding outward at an incredible rate and engulfing the entire city.
From the heart of this destruction, a cascade of seven-colored light burst into the sky.
A rainbow-hued silhouette emerged.
'She did it.'
Lin Ran's lips curled upward in satisfaction.
The new serpent was significantly smaller than the one before. Its entire body shimmered with exquisite, multi-colored scales. Its eyes, still faintly violet, gleamed with an otherworldly glow. A strange, fragrant aroma wafted from its body. Though still in serpent form, its presence radiated grace and nobility.
It wasn't ferocious in appearance—but it was breathtakingly beautiful. And no one, not even a fool, would dare look down on this creature. The aura it exuded far surpassed the strength of the previous purple serpent.
With rainbow-colored scales, violet eyes, a fragrant body, and boundless power…
A Rank Seven Magical Beast—Seven-Colored Devouring Serpent!
Thanks to Lin Ran's Pure Yang Blood, the failed evolution had been reversed, and Queen Medusa had successfully completed her transformation.
The serpent danced once through the sky before its body glowed faintly.
In a flash, her beast form dissipated.
Standing there in the air, completely bare, was the stunning figure of Queen Medusa—newly reborn and impossibly beautiful.
'Medusa thanks you for your assistance.'
Lin Ran gave a calm smile. There was no lecherous expression on his face as he raised his hand. A swirl of scarlet-gold Dou Qi condensed into a beautiful gown of red and gold, which gently draped over her figure.
'You have half an hour to deal with what's happening outside. After that, I'll be waiting for you in your temple.'
He paused for a moment and added, 'Oh, and that human Dou Huang—make sure he stays alive. I need him.'
'Medusa understands.'
(End of Chapter)