Chapter 46: The Advantage Is Mine!
"Who are you?!" Yue Mei's chest heaved as she forcefully suppressed the boiling blood in her veins. Her enchanting face darkened with anger.
"A real man doesn't change his name or his ways!" Lu Bu flicked his sleeves, threw his head back, and let out a hearty laugh, exuding confidence. "I am none other than Xiao Yan from Wu Tan City of the Jia Ma Empire!"
"Never heard of you!" Yue Mei's expression grew colder as cyan Dou Qi flared around her. She hadn't heard of this name before. Perhaps he was a recently promoted Dou King?
"You haven't heard of me?" Lu Bu clicked his tongue, feigning disappointment. "You don't know the guy who got rejected in a marriage proposal? You know, the 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, never underestimate a young man in poverty' kind of story?"
"…"
Yue Mei's face turned completely black. She finally realized this guy was mocking her.
"Human, leave the desert and the Snake People Tribe's territory, and I'll pretend I never saw you," Yue Mei warned coldly. From their earlier skirmish, she couldn't gauge this man's full strength, but he seemed to be on par with her. However, this was the desert her home turf. In this environment, the advantage was hers!
She decided to test the waters first. If she couldn't win, she still had her means of escape. There was no harm in fighting cautiously.
"Such a feisty little snake lady…" Lu Bu chuckled, preparing to retort further. But Yue Mei's eyes suddenly narrowed, and a burst of killing intent erupted from her. She let out a sharp, piercing cry without waiting for the negotiation to conclude.
"What a decisive snake woman…" Lu Bu admired her boldness. She hadn't even waited to see how the talks would end.
Following Yue Mei's screech, the sound of shifting sand filled the air. Countless vibrantly colored snakes emerged from the ground, their bodies writhing as they lunged at Lu Bu like bolts of lightning.
This was Yue Mei's confidence. In the desert, the Snake People could attack and retreat at will. Battling a Snake Person in the desert was undoubtedly unwise.
"If you won't leave, then leave your life behind…" Yue Mei sneered, preparing to launch another deadly strike. But as she glanced at the young man surrounded by a swarm of snakes, she noticed something strange. He hadn't moved a muscle.
Yue Mei's gaze sharpened, sensing that something was amiss. Her instincts flared with caution as she quickly enveloped herself with her Dou Qi wings and began forming seals to prepare a powerful Dou Technique.
However…
Boom!
A fist seemingly materialized out of nowhere and landed squarely on her face. Yue Mei felt a sharp pain, her nose stung, and then everything spun around her. She spiraled through the air before crashing into the sand like a rag doll.
"You ever seen a fist as big as a sandbag?" Lu Bu chuckled. "Next second, I'll punch you so hard you'll oh wait, my bad. You're already down for the count."
Yue Mei's vision swam with stars as she lifted her head from the sand. Her enchanting face was now swollen, bruised, and tear streaked. A thin stream of blood dripped from her nose, transforming the once goddess like figure into a pitiful sight.
"Damn it, I'm going to kill this bastard!" Yue Mei cursed, wiping her nosebleed. She gritted her teeth, furious at his lack of compassion for beauty. She mentally vowed to make him suffer a thousandfold in the future.
But beneath her anger was confusion. In their brief clash, she hadn't sensed even the slightest burst of Dou Qi from this man.
"Could it be… soul power?" Yue Mei pondered, her sharp instincts piecing together some of the mystery. As one of the eight Snake People Tribe leaders, she was well informed and quickly realized this man might be a powerful alchemist.
"Even so, isn't he far too strong for an alchemist?" Her eyes flickered with doubt.
"Now, it's my turn, little snake lady," Lu Bu said with a faint smile as he stepped forward. Invisible waves of soul power rippled from him, spreading through the air.
Yue Mei sneered inwardly. Did this fool think he could take the initiative against a Snake Person in the desert? How naive!
With a shout, she formed a strange hand seal and slammed her tail against the ground.
Boom!
The sand exploded, creating towering waves of grit that surged toward Lu Bu like a tidal wave. Hidden within the sandstorm were countless venomous snakes, their fangs glinting as they waited for the perfect moment to strike.
If he truly was an alchemist, then he wouldn't be a threat. Alchemists were notoriously fragile, and their combat skills were often laughable.
But just as Yue Mei was about to press her advantage, her expression changed drastically.
Her innate senses as a Snake Person told her something was wrong. The human's presence… had vanished.
"No! That earlier move… it was a feint!"
Fear flashed through Yue Mei's mind as she recalled his ghost like speed from before. Without hesitation, she softened her body and dropped low to the ground in an attempt to escape.
But it was already too late.
A searing wave of heat rose behind her, and a fist cloaked in purple flames appeared out of thin air. The fiery punch slammed into her smooth, jade like back with devastating force.
Boom!
"Ahhh!" Yue Mei let out a pained scream as blood sprayed from her mouth. Her body was sent tumbling across the sand, leaving deep furrows before finally coming to a stop.
Lu Bu landed lightly in her previous position, hands clasped behind his back. His calm demeanor was in stark contrast to Yue Mei's sorry state. "So, snake lady, still planning to make me your slave?"
"Ugh!" Yue Mei spat out a mouthful of blood, glaring at him with venomous hatred. "Fine! I admit defeat. You're stronger than me. I can't beat you. But if you think you can keep me here… you're dreaming!"
It was time to retreat.
Yue Mei sneered, forming rapid hand seals. Cyan Dou Qi erupted from her body, and with a loud boom, she shattered into countless tiny snakes that scattered in all directions.
"Kid, just you wait! The Snake People Tribe will hunt you to the ends of the earth!" her voice echoed as her figure dissolved into the swarm.
Lu Bu made no move to stop her. Instead, he watched with an amused smile.
"Damn human! When I get back, I'll capture you and force you to concoct pills until you drop dead… huh?" Yue Mei's thoughts of revenge abruptly halted when she realized something was wrong.
She found herself trapped within a towering column of yellow light. No matter how much the snakes scattered, they couldn't breach the barrier.
"What is this?!" Yue Mei was stunned. She sent several energy snakes hurtling toward the light, but they were like ants trying to shake a tree.
"Damn it… When did this formation get set up?" she muttered angrily, realizing she was like a turtle caught in a jar.
"Little snake lady, did you really think you could escape me?" Lu Bu's mocking voice rang out.
As the scattered snakes converged back into her humanoid form, Yue Mei glared at him. "So your earlier move wasn't a feint; you were setting up this formation!"
Lu Bu chuckled in response but didn't confirm or deny her suspicion. His figure blurred and reappeared right in front of her.
Thud!
Yue Mei instinctively crossed her arms to defend, but it was futile. Lu Bu's palm struck her abdomen with precision, his soul power surging into her.
"You…" Yue Mei's face flushed red, realizing the gap between their strength. She had underestimated him completely.
With a flick of his wrist, Lu Bu's hand transformed into a fist, releasing a burst of energy that sent Yue Mei crashing into the barrier again. Blood dripped from her lips as her body slumped against the ground.
Lu Bu stepped forward, grabbing her slender neck with one hand while raising the other to her forehead. His spirit fire surged, branding a faint, flickering seal onto her brow.
"Perfect. Snake girl slave, successfully subdued," Lu Bu said with a smirk, dusting off his hands.
(End of Chapter)
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