"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several streaks of light shot out from the underground cavern and landed upon the desert.
After a suffocating silence, Gu He—normally refined and gentle, now had bloodshot eyes and a face filled with murderous fury. His gaze toward the cave entrance was brimming with killing intent.
"Damn it! Who on earth took the Heavenly Flame here?! Who took the Green Lotus Core Flame?! Who was it?!"
His furious roar carried an irrepressible sense of loss. Everyone present was an old acquaintance of Gu He, yet none of them had ever seen him in such a state before. For a moment, no one knew what to say.
Seeing this, the black-robed Dou Emperor stepped in front of Gu He and said softly, "Master Gu He, there may still be a chance to recover things. Look at this, this is something I found inside the cavern."
As she spoke, she handed a seven-colored snake scale to Gu He.
Hearing the gentle, calm voice, Gu He was slightly startled, and a hint of regret arose in his heart. Even if he had temporarily lost the Heavenly Flame, a man should not lose his composure in front of the woman he admired.
With that thought, Gu He forcefully calmed his emotions and took the seven-colored snake scale. "Eh? This is… Queen Medusa's seven-colored snake scale? And it carries the aura of a Heavenly Flame? The one who took the Heavenly Flame was Queen Medusa? But with the cold yin constitution of the snake people, it should be impossible for them to absorb a Heavenly Flame."
"She may have another way of using it," Yun Yun pondered for a moment before sharing the secret she knew with the group.
"What? Using a Heavenly Flame to evolve? What an insane idea!" The crowd was shocked.
After thinking for a moment, Gu He glanced toward the direction of the Snake-People's Scared City deep within the desert, then turned to the others and said in a deep voice, "No matter what, I intend to make a trip to Queen Medusa's territory. Since she cannot subdue the Heavenly Flame, I still have a chance. I ask everyone to accompany me—once this is over, the reward will surely not disappoint you."
Inside the Alchemy Hall of the Snake-People Sacred City, it was currently a rest period midway through alchemy. Lin Yuan sat upright at a desk formed entirely from condensed Dou Qi, writing rapidly. A handbook was nearing completion.
Not long after
Lin Yuan checked and revised it once more, then closed the handbook. Stretching lazily, he looked with satisfaction at the several manuals laid out on the desk.
Alchemy Notes—Extraction Volume · Sixth grade · Volume Six
Alchemy Notes—Fire Control Volume · Sixth grade · Volume Seven
Alchemy Notes—Condensation Volume · Sixth grade · Volume Five
These were the new insights he had summarized after studying part of the Eighth-Grade Alchemist inheritance obtained from Yao Lao, combining it with his previous knowledge, verifying it through practice, and making full use of the Snake-People's vast medicinal material reserves.
"The gift for Teacher is ready. Writing my own alchemy notes is quite an interesting experience, I've finally reached the level where I'm qualified to do this."
Lin Yuan turned his head and loosened his neck. At that moment, Qing Lin dressed in emerald-green robes walked in. She quietly placed a cup of tea on the desk in front of him, then stood behind him, placing her hands on his temples and gently massaging them.
"Mmm~" Lin Yuan let out a comfortable hum. Having advanced to the Dou Master realm and experienced many battles over these days, Qing Lin's control over her strength had improved by several levels. The most direct result was that her massage technique had clearly become much more refined.
For a time, the spacious hall fell silent as the two enjoyed this rare moment of ease.
After a while, Qing Lin's brows furrowed slightly. She leaned down and whispered into Lin Yuan's ear, "Young Master, there's news from the familiars. Several powerful auras are approaching the Snake-People Sacred City. Among them are four experts at or above the Dou King level. They're not far away."
After becoming a Dou Master, Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had grown even stronger. Not only had the upper limit of the snake-type magical beasts she could subdue increased, but her communication range with her familiars had also expanded. Over these days, she had quietly set up her own intelligence network throughout the Snake-People Sacred City.
Hearing this, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, a playful expression appearing on his face. "Oh? After waiting all these days, the people I've been waiting for have finally arrived."
Lin Yuan stood up and stretched comfortably. Looking at Qing Lin, he revealed a gentle smile. "Let's go, Qing'er. I'll take you to watch a good show."
He then turned and walked outward.
"Young Master, wait."
Qing Lin jogged forward a couple of steps and ran straight in front of Lin Yuan. She carefully straightened his robes, then revealed a sweet smile. "All done."
Watching the changes Qing Lin had undergone without even realizing it herself, Lin Yuan smiled with satisfaction. In the past, Qing Lin would never have been this "proactive" or "bold." His efforts during this period had not been in vain.
'My judgment was right. During this time, Qing'er has constantly sparred and fought against opponents at similar or even higher cultivation levels, and kept winning. The sharpness nurtured by those victories has already helped shave away some of the unnecessary timidity in her personality.'
The two walked out of the hall together.
Inside a subsidiary affairs hall of the Snake-People Divine Temple, only Yue Mei was present today.
She leaned lightly against the back of her chair, looking somewhat fatigued as she read the intelligence report in her hands. She shook her head helplessly, a hint of mockery appearing in her playful eyes. "There really are people who aren't afraid of death, daring to come running to the Snake-People Sacred City. Do they think they're the Alchemist Elder? This time, not a single one of them will escape."
Suddenly, several powerful auras appeared within her perception. Yue Mei's long, narrow eyes turned cold as she stared into the distance. "They're here!"
Putting down the intelligence report, Yue Mei's figure flickered. In no time at all, she arrived atop the city walls, which had already entered a state of martial lockdown.
At this moment, several hundred meters outside the city walls, a gigantic magical beast hovered in midair, stopping just beyond the attack range of the flying-spear guards stationed on the walls. Several figures had unfurled their energy wings and were suspended not far in front of the magical beast, terrifying pressure radiating from their bodies.
Yue Mei spread her own energy wings and rose into the air. Her eyes brimmed with hostility as she looked at the group opposite her and said, "Humans, trespassing into my clan's territory without permission, does the Jia Ma Empire intend to go to war with my Snake-People Tribe?"
In midair, Gu He slowly flew forward to the front of his group. "You must be Yue Mei, Chief of the Mei Snake Tribe, correct?"
"And you are?" Yue Mei swept her gaze over the refined-looking middle-aged man before her, her tone icy.
"I am Gu He." Gu He smiled faintly. His gentle voice carried a trace of pride. As a rare High-Grade alchemist in the Northwestern Continent, he indeed had the qualifications to be proud.
"Gu He… Pill King Gu He?" Yue Mei examined him carefully, a hint of emotion stirring in her heart. If this had been one or two months ago, meeting this renowned Sixth-Grade alchemist of the northwest would surely have shocked her somewhat. But now
"What brings the famed Pill King to my Snake-People Tribe?" Yue Mei asked indifferently.
"Hehe, I have come uninvited only because I have a matter to discuss with Queen Medusa. I wonder if Her Majesty would be willing to appear for a conversation?" Gu He said loudly, his voice spreading in all directions.
"Oh? You wish to speak with me?"
An enchanting voice rang out. In the very next instant, Queen Medusa's graceful and seductive figure appeared before everyone.
"Your Majesty!" Yue Mei bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty!!!"
Below, atop and beneath the city walls, the Snake-People instantly knelt as one, their reverent voices surging straight into the sky.
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