Chapter Forty-Seven: Devouring the Bloodline

“Are you threatening me?”

Medusa had not expected Lin An’s demeanor to change so abruptly; just moments ago, he had been speaking to her amicably. At the same time, she was inwardly shaken. How could she have imagined that this young man, who barely looked seventeen or eighteen, possessed such formidable power in his hands?

The snake tribe in the Tagore Desert, despite their deep-seated enmity with humanity, had never erupted into a catastrophic war—precisely because the Jia Ma Empire had always guarded against the colossal presence of the Cloud Mist Sect. Troops were stationed at the foot of the Cloud Mist Sect’s mountain, so the Jia Ma Empire dared not provoke the snake tribe excessively.

Now, however, both the Jia Ma Empire and the Cloud Mist Sect were controlled by one man, and with the influence of two grand alchemists, Medusa could scarcely imagine the extent of this power. Most crucially, Yun Shan stood right before her; since he did not object, it meant the matter was true.

“That’s right. Since gentle words are wasted on you, I have no choice but to resort to these means,” Lin An declared.

Medusa still wished to protest, but soon sank powerlessly onto her throne. At this point, she likely had no other options left. Yun Shan alone was a force she could not contend with.

“I accept your terms,” Medusa finally agreed to Lin An’s demand.

“If you’d done so earlier, we could have avoided all this unpleasantness.”

“Relax your mind, do not resist.”

With that, Lin An led Medusa into the Hall of the Yama King.

In the blink of an eye, they found themselves in another realm. Medusa’s gaze toward Lin An brimmed with renewed wariness. He was young, but his methods were extraordinary.

Lin An appeared directly upon the throne of the Yama King, and the Bloodline Market manifested instantly before him. Yun Shan, Medusa, and the others stood quietly by, awaiting his actions.

Lin An eyed the myriad exorbitant bloodlines in the market, his heart filled with longing. He knew that these powerful bloodlines were nothing but a distant dream for him; even if he sold himself, he could not afford even a fraction.

He then filtered for bloodlines requiring fewer Soul Points, and those that suited the snake tribe identity.

[Devouring Bloodline, Basic: 3,000 Soul Points]

[Devour the origin of bloodlines, absorb their power, refine one’s own bloodline; the maximum bloodline that can be devoured is Intermediate.]

[Nine Infants Bloodline, Basic: 2,000 Soul Points]

[Jiaolong Bloodline: 6,000 Soul Points]

[Jiaolong Bloodline is one evolutionary path for the snake tribe across the myriad worlds; those possessing it can ascend directly into the Jiaolong clan.]

...

Lin An glanced at the bloodlines appropriate for Medusa, and found himself at a loss, unable to decide. According to the rebirth-as-a-snake novels he’d read in his previous life, pursuing dragon transformation was the optimal route; even the system rated it as a prime evolutionary path for the snake tribe.

Finally, Lin An decided to let Medusa choose for herself.

Medusa was stunned that Lin An could offer her so many bloodline options. As he described them, she realized any would be a tremendous upgrade, and her future achievements might even reach the level of a Dou Saint.

Knowing the difficulty of the choice, Lin An did not hurry her.

“I wish to choose the Devouring Bloodline. Since I am queen of the snake tribe in this life, I will not chase after so-called dragon transformation. I want to know how powerful a snake tribe can become if it evolves to its utmost.”

In the end, Medusa chose the Devouring Bloodline.

Lin An nodded; if he had to choose, he would also opt for devouring.

With Medusa’s decision made, Lin An redeemed the Devouring Bloodline from the system.

A strange vibration accompanied the process, and in Lin An’s palm appeared a pitch-black ball of blood, morphing at intervals into various magical beasts.

The Devouring Bloodline was not a fixed type, but would change according to its host. For the snake tribe, it would assume a serpentine form; for other races, it would adapt accordingly.

“So this is the Devouring Bloodline?”

Medusa spoke softly, feeling a deep-seated yearning for this mysterious bloodline.

“Since you trust me, relax your mind and do not resist. Only then can the Devouring Bloodline successfully merge into your body.”

Medusa nodded. Now that her mind was made up, she would not waver, especially as her own life was at stake.

The next instant, the Devouring Bloodline turned into a streak of black light and entered Medusa’s body.

Sinister black markings rapidly formed upon Medusa, writhing like living black blood. At first glance, they were unsettling.

Yun Shan and Yao Chen sensed the atmosphere was off and quietly left the Hall of the Yama King, leaving only Lin An and Medusa.

Medusa’s lips uttered a captivating sound, causing Lin An’s mind to waver.

He had not expected the fusion of the Devouring Bloodline to be so stimulating.

He intended to leave the hall, but Medusa clung to him.

“Master... do you think I am beautiful?”

Medusa’s gaze was hazy; she had always possessed the power to enchant, and now, after merging the Devouring Bloodline, this ability seemed magnified several times.

She was nearly wrapped entirely around Lin An.

Helpless, Lin An departed the Hall of the Yama King.

He truly feared he might lose control; after all, he had been in the Dou Qi continent for so long and had never touched a woman!

Under normal circumstances, Lin An believed he would not flee, certainly not!

The issue was, despite Medusa’s soul-stirring beauty, before breaking through to Dou Zong, her lower body remained a serpent’s tail, which made Lin An feel extremely awkward.

Lin An appeared on Medusa’s throne, eyes closed, resting, not wanting Yao Chen and Yun Shan to witness his embarrassment.

He must always maintain a cold, aloof impression.

Two hours later, Medusa emerged from her dazed state.

“Have I... broken through to the Dou Zong realm?”

Medusa murmured in disbelief.

She had long chased this breakthrough, even prepared to sacrifice her life for it, yet now she had advanced so easily, within such a short span.

Previously, even she would never have imagined such a thing possible.

But now, it had truly happened.