For centuries, the war between humans and snake-people had never ceased.
Though the snake-people were fierce warriors, the humans, with their superior numbers, had forced them into the inhospitable Tagor Desert.
But the conflict was far from over. The hatred between the two races had only intensified.
"It's been three days... Am I really going to be the first transmigrator in history to die in a desert?"
On the endless golden sands, a lone figure crawled up a dune. His facial features were sharp and well-defined. Before stepping into the desert, he had the chiseled, striking looks of a noble swordsman—thick brows, bright eyes.
But now, after who-knows-what hardships, his lips were cracked and bleeding, and his face was marked by sunburnt patches.
Chen Mo was not a native of this world. He was from Earth and had arrived in the Dou Qi Continent three days ago after being bound to a system.
At first, he had been overjoyed.
After all, this was Battle Through the Heavens!
As a web novel enthusiast who had read thousands of stories, he was intimately familiar with this legendary series that had taken the world by storm.
Just thinking about that iconic line—"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, don't look down on a young man's poverty!"—was enough to set one's blood boiling.
And what about Xiao Xun'er, Medusa, Yun Yun, Little Doctor Fairy... Weren't they all waiting for him to rescue them?
After all, he was a transmigrator with a system! His rise to power was supposed to be nothing short of legendary!
But reality hit hard.
Because as soon as the system activated, it issued a binding mission.
[Goddess Favorability System Activated]
[For every point of favorability you gain from a goddess, the system will grant you a corresponding reward. The rewards will be determined by the goddess's temperament, status, bloodline, strength, etc.]
[Current host level: Lv1. Only one goddess can be bound at this stage.]
[Binding mission initiated. Please bind a goddess within three days. Failure will result in system removal.]
And so, Chen Mo had spent the last three days searching for someone—anyone.
But in the vast, empty desert, he hadn't even seen a shadow of a person, let alone a goddess.
Three days had passed, and he had searched relentlessly, yet he hadn't even found a single man.
Fortunately, the system had granted him a starter pack, which instantly boosted his cultivation to Nine-Star Dou Zhe and provided him with a divine-tier technique called the Primordial Chaos Art.
This had allowed him to survive in the desert for three days, avoiding venomous creatures.
But now, with only one hour left before the mission deadline, Chen Mo was starting to panic.
He was self-aware enough to know that without the system, having Nine-Star Dou Zhe strength and a single technique wouldn't be nearly enough to command the world with a wave of his hand and enjoy the embrace of beauties.
At most, he could rely on his good looks to find a rich lady to take care of him.
After all, the previous transmigrator, Xiao Yan, had Yao Lao to guide him.
And he... had nothing but the system.
So, for the past three days, he hadn't even searched for food or water—only people.
"Heavens, earth, just give me a goddess! No, forget that—just give me a woman!"
Chen Mo howled at the sky before climbing up a higher dune to scan the surroundings.
And then, just as he reached the top, he spotted something in the distance—a caravan.
"Did the heavens hear my plea?"
Chen Mo immediately sprinted toward the convoy.
"Hurry up! Stop dawdling!"
"I'm talking to you! Do you want a beating?"
"Move it! Move it! I'm dying of thirst here!"
A whip cracked against the sand, stirring up dust clouds.
It was a group of mercenaries, armed with various weapons, escorting a group of captured snake-people.
Suddenly, a snake-woman, seemingly too frightened or weak to continue, collapsed onto the ground and pleaded with a mercenary, "Water... Can you spare me some water?"
But the mercenaries had long since drained their supplies. The scorching sun had baked them under its relentless heat, leaving them irritable and short-tempered.
Just as one of them was about to raise his whip and lash the snake-woman—
A breathless voice called out from nearby:
"Finally, some living people!"
The rolling sands parted, revealing a short-haired young man in strange attire sprinting toward them.
"Boss, someone's coming," a mercenary said.
"Shut up. I have eyes," growled their leader, a scar-faced middle-aged man with a ruthless expression.
He raised his broadsword and pointed it at the approaching youth, his voice cold. "Who the hell are you? Stop right there!"
But Chen Mo completely ignored him, dashing past and scanning the caravan instead.
"Damn... They're all snake-women?"
His gaze swept over the captives—there were women, yes, but every single one of them was a snake-woman. His mouth twitched.
"I asked for a woman, sure... but couldn't you at least give me a human one?!"
"All snake-women? Seriously?"
Those long, coiling tails... Just looking at them was a bit unnerving.
But at that moment, the system chimed in.
[Ding! Target goddess detected—Die Ba! The host may bind by mentally confirming 'Yes'.]
Following the system's guidance, Chen Mo's eyes landed on a snake-woman who had collapsed in the sand.
And he was instantly captivated by her beauty.
Her figure was flawless, her skin as delicate as jade, glowing under the sunlight. Her cherry lips, though unpainted, were a striking shade of red. Strands of silky hair brushed against her cheeks, adding a touch of allure to her already mesmerizing presence.
If only she didn't have a snake tail...
Without hesitation, Chen Mo mentally confirmed: Yes.
It wasn't because he was tempted by her beauty.
It was because... she looked just like Queen Medusa's younger sister!
Yes! This snake-woman looked exactly like Die Ba from the Battle Through the Heavens anime special "Song of the Desert".
And of course, she also bore a striking resemblance to Queen Medusa herself.
Chen Mo had seen that special before his transmigration.
[Ding! Goddess bound—Die Ba. For every point of favorability she has toward the host, rewards will be issued. System shop unlocked.]
Die blushed slightly under Chen Mo's intense gaze.
Suddenly, her eyes widened in alarm.
"Watch out behind you!"
It turned out the scar-faced leader had been enraged by Chen Mo's blatant disregard for him. He swung his broadsword at Chen Mo in a furious arc.
Chen Mo's brows furrowed. With his Nine-Star Dou Zhe cultivation, his senses had heightened significantly. He had already detected the incoming attack.
With a swift dodge, he evaded the strike and countered with a full-force punch to the leader's chest.
Caught off guard, the leader was sent flying.
Chen Mo had dared to step into the center of this convoy because he was confident. With the system's assistance, he could see everyone's cultivation level.
And among these mercenaries, the strongest one was... a mere Seven-Star Dou Zhe.
Which was none other than the man he had just sent flying.
Without hesitation, Chen Mo helped Die Ba to her feet and smiled.
"I'll take you away from here."
Die's face flushed as she felt his hand touch hers.
[Ding! Favorability +1. Reward: Tier-1 Accumulation Pill. Hand-holding bonus triggered—one incense stick's worth of enlightenment granted. Items have been stored in the system inventory. The host may retrieve them via thought command.]
Chen Mo froze for a moment.
"Wait... There are special bonuses too?"
Then he turned to the leader, who was just struggling to stand, and smiled.
"I'm taking her with me. You got a problem with that?"
The leader's face twisted in rage.
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