The Myriad Snake Queen bit her lip but did not stop Yan Zhen, letting him indulge his mischief.
Only when Yan Zhen finally stopped, thoroughly satisfied, did the Myriad Snake Queen release her hand. Mystic power wrapped around the white glob of pulp, drawing it into her sleeve.
She glanced down and saw that her chest was covered in his saliva and kiss marks. After a moment’s thought, the Myriad Snake Queen chose not to circulate her energy to dispel them, as if intent on preserving Yan Zhen’s “evidence of the crime.”
“Sorry,” Yan Zhen said softly. “I-I couldn’t control myself again.”
The Myriad Snake Queen was instantly displeased, letting out a cold snort and ignoring him.
Yan Zhen thought he had angered her and awkwardly lowered his head.
The Myriad Snake Queen immediately sensed his misunderstanding, which only made her more irritated. She glanced back to check the positions of Yun Xiu and Jiu Youyue, then picked up her pace slightly to widen the gap between them. At the same time, she adjusted her angle to keep them from seeing.
She parted her collar a little farther, exposing more of her snowy, tender cleavage, then arched her back to press it against Yan Zhen’s face. Her red lips brushed his ear as she whispered:
“If you want to bite, then bite. Anyway… it’s all yours.”
Yan Zhen thought he had misheard. He looked up at the Myriad Snake Queen and met her gaze.
Her eyes held a mix of shyness and stubbornness that struck him straight to the heart.
In that moment, Yan Zhen suddenly felt as though the Myriad Snake Queen was a wife he had been married to for many years.
He blinked, and on impulse, he kissed her lips.
The Myriad Snake Queen’s heart warmed. She suddenly regretted tempting him so boldly—this wasn’t their bedchamber, after all, but out in the open, with Yun Xiu and Jiu Youyue trailing behind.
Before she could take back her words, the sensitive tip he’d been eagerly awaiting was gently caught between his lips. A tingling pleasure, like an electric shock, coursed through her body, leaving her soft and limp in an instant.
Watching Yan Zhen lose himself completely in her embrace, the Myriad Snake Queen’s gaze grew even gentler. One hand wrapped around his waist, the other lightly stroked his hair.
—Only in moments like this did he act so obedient around her, just like her own daughter.
The Myriad Snake Queen hugged Yan Zhen tightly, her legs pressed firmly together as she glided calmly through the underground currents.
Behind them, Jiu Youyue sidled closer to Yun Xiu and whispered:
“If I’m not mistaken, She Ji is definitely sneaking some intimate fun with Little Zhen Zhen right now~”
Yun Xiu, who had been sulking and ignoring her, couldn’t help but perk up at those words.
“Why do you say that?”
“Little Zhen Zhen is under the influence of the Evil Spirit Dragon Breath Flame right now—like a powder keg that ignites at the slightest spark. After being held by She Ji for so long, he must be unable to hold back. And She Ji suddenly sped up earlier—she’s clearly trying to shake us off and satisfy Little Zhen Zhen in secret. If we speed up and catch them now, we’ll give She Ji a real scare.”
“This…”
“Senior Sister, she got an eyeful of you last night. Don’t you want payback? Then we’ll all be embarrassed together, and she won’t have any grounds to mock you anymore.”
Yun Xiu might have let it slide if Jiu Youyue hadn’t mentioned last night, but now her face burned with shame. To shut down any more of the girl’s nonsense, she reluctantly agreed and quietly accelerated to catch up with the pair ahead.
Immersed in their “marital” bliss, the Myriad Snake Queen sensed the two women closing in from behind. Yan Zhen was still blissfully sucking away with his eyes closed, and she couldn’t bear to interrupt him. With a burst of mystic power, the Blood-Colored Giant Snake enveloping them flared with intense crimson light as it surged forward at full speed.
The sight only convinced the two women that she was acting guilty. They sped up in pursuit as well.
“She Ji Sister, why are you rushing so fast? Wait for me and Senior Sister!”
Jiu Youyue called out as she chased, her voice dripping with mischief.
For once, Yun Xiu was aligned with her and stayed silent—no lectures this time. Seeing She Ji on the back foot was too satisfying to pass up.
The Myriad Snake Queen cursed the demoness inwardly for stirring trouble, but she replied coolly:
“Time is—uh—pressing. Hurry up and keep pace!”
Her Snake God Bloodline was perfectly attuned to water. In these underground currents, only she could harness the flow to boost her speed. Yun Xiu’s Wind Mystic Power offered no edge here, and while Jiu Youyue was a Mystic Ancestor, she wasn’t built for speed—she couldn’t catch up.
Mystic Ancestors could only “borrow force to shift positions,” excelling in close-quarters combat but gaining nothing for long-distance travel. They lacked the Mystic Venerables’ repeated “teleports” or the Mystic Saints’ ability to “shuttle through space” between distant points.
But Jiu Youyue had a trick up her sleeve. She channeled the chilling yin aspect of her Yin Mystic Power to freeze a layer of ice over her body, slashing water resistance and boosting her speed dramatically.
Yun Xiu was even craftier. She drew her sword, Wind Splendor, and sent it slicing ahead through the currents, riding its wake as her own speed surged.
The two women closed in rapidly, flanking the Myriad Snake Queen and Yan Zhen from both sides.
The Myriad Snake Queen’s expression flickered. Cursing her miscalculation, she intensified the crimson glow of the Blood-Colored Giant Snake, veiling the interior from view.
Jiu Youyue’s voice floated over soon after:
“She Ji Sister, why make your mystic power snake so vivid and lifelike? You’re wasting energy for no reason.”
The Myriad Snake Queen gritted her teeth.
“This Sovereign—uh—this Sovereign likes a bit of flair. What’s it to you!”
“But aren’t we traveling in secret? What’s with all the flair?”
“No one else is around!”
“But there are water beasts! I sensed several King Tier ones earlier.” Jiu Youyue sounded like she was analyzing in earnest. “What happens if we hit trouble and your mystic power runs dry?”
“The water beasts here fear this Sovereign’s Snake God Bloodline—they won’t attack rashly!” The Myriad Snake Queen responded with equal seriousness. “Besides, aren’t you two here? This Sovereign—er—trusts in your abilities.”
“So She Ji Sister trusts me and Senior Sister that much? I’m honored. Here I thought you were hiding yourself and Little Zhen Zhen behind mystic power out of a thief’s guilty conscience. You’re even stumbling over your words.”
“…”
The Myriad Snake Queen glanced down in flustered annoyance, wondering if Yan Zhen was deliberately colluding with the demoness to toy with her. Why did he always nip at just the wrong moment when she spoke!
Yet she had invited him to bite as he pleased earlier. Letting him cling to her was still better than having his thoughts wander to other (Yun) women (Xiu).
The Myriad Snake Queen fell silent, and an awkward chill settled over the group.
Jiu Youyue quickly lost her enthusiasm. She cupped her breasts—respectable enough, but paling next to her rivals’ overflowing assets. No way they’d draw Little Zhen Zhen’s eye. Oh well.
Yun Xiu fixed her gaze on the Blood-Colored Giant Snake, picturing Yan Zhen nestled in She Ji’s arms, suckling away. A sour jealousy twisted in her chest. She regretted not seizing the chance to carry him herself—if she had, he’d be lavishing that attention on her right now—
/(//o/ω/o//)/
In this bizarre harmony, a full day and night passed before the four emerged from the underground currents. They reached a stone pool at the oasis’s edge, surfacing smoothly and finally breaking free of the Sand Scorpion Army’s encirclement.
