Nine Star Dou Ancestor! Medusa Appears!

Xuan Jin had originally cultivated the Burning Art Fragment in Han Feng's possession. Now that he had obtained the complete version, cultivating it came naturally.

Without hesitation, he immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating the new cultivation route.

His Dou Qi was somewhat sluggish at first, but before long, that same-origin aura allowed the new cultivation route to perfectly merge with the Dou Qi within his body.

In less than half an hour, Xuan Jin had completely mastered the complete Burning Art.

As the technique circulated, Xuan Jin could feel his affinity for fire-attributed energy between heaven and earth rise to another level.

Even the sealed Bone Spirit Cold Flame beside him sent out waves of joyful excitement.

"We can begin."

Xuan Jin stood and glanced at Qing Lin, who was sitting quietly beside him.

What came next would be extremely dangerous.

He could not let the little girl remain here.

Xuan Jin's voice was gentle.

"Qing Lin, go outside first."

"Young Master, I want to stay with you!" Qing Lin raised her little face and stubbornly shook her head.

She could sense that what her young master was about to do was dangerous. She could not rest easy.

Xuan Jin crouched down and rubbed her head.

"Be good. The lava outside is nothing to me, but it is far too dangerous for you."

"I'll be fine. I just need an absolutely quiet environment."

"That big snake will protect you outside. Nothing will be able to hurt you."

Xuan Jin pointed at the enormous Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in the lava lake.

Under Xuan Jin's persuasion, Qing Lin nodded despite her extreme reluctance.

She knew that if she stayed, she would only become her young master's burden.

"Then... Young Master, you have to come out quickly."

Xuan Jin smiled. Carrying Qing Lin in his arms, he flashed several times and returned to the cave entrance on the surface.

He settled Qing Lin atop a huge boulder. The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake also followed Qing Lin to her side and began guarding her.

Once everything was arranged, Xuan Jin returned to the underground cavern.

Only he and the quietly floating Bone Spirit Cold Flame remained in the cave.

Xuan Jin took a deep breath, removed a jade bottle from his Storage Ring, and poured out a jade-green pill overflowing with medicinal fragrance.

A seventh-grade pill, the Pulse Protecting Pill.

Even with the Burning Art, devouring Heavenly Flames was still an extremely dangerous matter. Even he did not dare let down his guard in the slightest.

The pill entered his stomach, and a gentle yet majestic medicinal force instantly spread through his body like a tough membrane, firmly protecting every one of his meridians.

Having done all this, the hesitation on Xuan Jin's face vanished completely.

He walked before the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, extended his hand, and pressed it directly onto the pale-white flames.

"Come. Let me see what power the eleventh-ranked Heavenly Flame possesses!"

The Burning Art within his body began circulating madly!

An incomparably tyrannical suction force erupted from his palm.

The docile Bone Spirit Cold Flame no longer resisted at all. It transformed into a streak of white fire and entered his body through his arm!

The instant the Bone Spirit Cold Flame entered his body, an extreme chill erupted with a thunderous crash!

A layer of pale-white frost instantly condensed over Xuan Jin's body.

It felt as though his blood was about to freeze at that very moment.

Even though he had already taken the Pulse Protecting Pill, that tearing agony still made his body shudder violently.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of pain on Xuan Jin's face.

He firmly guarded his mind and pushed the Burning Art to its limit.

The deep-blue Sea Heart Flame surged from his Qi vortex, transforming into a massive net that wrapped around the invading pale-white flame.

The two entirely different Heavenly Flames began their most primal clash and devouring battle within his body.

At the same time, the energy disturbance deep underground triggered a drastic change outside.

The entire lava world began to churn violently.

A visible pillar of energy, mixed with pale white and deep blue, shattered through the surface and shot straight into the heavens!

This terrifying energy fluctuation instantly swept across the entire Tagor Desert.

Deep within the desert, inside the Snake People Clan's Holy City.

Atop a magnificent palace, an incomparably beautiful snake-woman clad in a crimson brocade robe suddenly raised her head.

Her violet snake pupils looked toward the rising energy pillar, her face filled with shock.

"This is... the aura of a Heavenly Flame?"

A stormy sea of emotion surged within Queen Medusa's heart.

"How is this possible? Other than the Green Lotus Core Flame, how can there be a second Heavenly Flame in that region?"

Queen Medusa frowned tightly.

She was currently preparing to devour the Heavenly Flame. There absolutely could not be any mistakes.

The sudden disturbance in that area gave her a faint sense of unease.

Should she go take a look?

The thought flashed through her mind before she forcibly suppressed it.

No.

The Heavenly Flame was already in her hands.

Right now, refining the Heavenly Flame and breaking through to Dou Zong was the highest priority.

As long as she successfully evolved, she would possess the absolute strength to protect her people and even lead the Snake People Clan out of this barren desert.

As for that sudden anomaly...

It would not be too late to investigate after she became a Dou Zong powerhouse.

Queen Medusa withdrew her gaze, ignored the distant phenomenon, and turned to enter the Divine Temple behind her.

At the entrance to the underground cavern.

Qing Lin stared worriedly at the sky-piercing pillar of energy, her little hands clenched tightly together.

She could sense just how terrifying the energy within that pillar was.

Her young master was down below.

Would he be in danger?

"Hiss..."

The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake beside her extended one enormous head and gently rubbed the top of its head against Qing Lin's arm, letting out a soothing hiss.

It could sense its little master's unease.

Qing Lin stroked the Fire Spirit Snake's cool scales, but the worry in her heart did not lessen at all.

All she could do was pray for Xuan Jin again and again in her heart.

"Young Master, you must be safe..."

Time quietly passed amid the anxious wait.

One day.

Two days.

Three days.

Three days later, the energy pillar that pierced heaven and earth finally began to slowly dissipate.

The entire Tagor Desert also returned to calm.

Qing Lin's heart leaped into her throat.

Had he succeeded?

As she watched nervously, a black figure slowly rose from the cave below and finally landed before her.

It was Xuan Jin.

His clothes were somewhat tattered, and his face was slightly pale, but his entire aura had undergone an earth-shaking transformation.

Xuan Jin's aura had grown more than twice as powerful.

"Young Master!"

Overwhelmed with joy, Qing Lin burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.

"I'm fine."

Xuan Jin rubbed her head, a hint of laughter in his voice.

He inspected his body internally. Within his Qi vortex, the deep-blue Sea Heart Flame had now perfectly fused with the pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

They had formed an entirely new ice-blue fused flame.

I'll call it the Nether Sea Ice Flame.

That was what Xuan Jin thought.

The power of this Heavenly Flame was several times greater than before.

His cultivation had also surged rapidly during this devouring process.

He had risen directly from a Five-Star Dou Ancestor to a Nine Star Dou Ancestor!

He was only one step away from Dou Venerate.

If he absorbed the Green Lotus Core Flame, he could advance to Dou Venerate. However, he could not absorb Heavenly Flames consecutively within a short period of time, as that would also place a tremendous burden on his body.

"Nine Star Dou Ancestor!"

Xuan Jin was very satisfied with this improvement. This was also why Xiao Yan had been able to become powerful so quickly in the original story.

At the same time, he thought once more of his strange bloodline.

Gu Yuan's abnormal attitude when he had seen him, along with how unexpectedly smooth it had been to devour the Bone Spirit Cold Flame after his blood had touched it this time.

Everything indicated that his blood possessed an extraordinary affinity for Heavenly Flames.

"The bloodline of the Yan Clan?"

Xuan Jin pondered.

Only the Yan Clan bloodline, and one that had returned to its ancestral origins, could explain it.

No wonder he had possessed such a strong sensitivity to fire elements since childhood.

But what exactly was the so-called "hidden ailment" inside his body?

It seemed that after dealing with matters here and raising his cultivation further, he should return to Zhongzhou and ask his master.

Xuan Jin calmed his mind and suppressed these chaotic thoughts.

He glanced at the little girl still sobbing in his arms and gently picked Qing Lin up.

"Let's go. It's time for us to leave."

With a sweep of his black robe, Xuan Jin transformed into a streak of light and shot into the sky, vanishing beyond the horizon in an instant.

Meanwhile, Qing Lin stored the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in her eyes.

Over the past few days, Qing Lin had absorbed the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's Dou Qi and smoothly reached Dou Disciple Stage Three.

At the same time, a travel-worn group entered the boundaries of the Tagor Desert.

At the head of the group stood a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a Sixth Grade Alchemist.

He had refined features and a gentle demeanor. He was Gu He, the vice president of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Guild, known as the Pill King.

At his side followed two burly men with powerful auras. They were clearly two Dou Wang powerhouses.

At the very rear of the group, a noble woman dressed in a plain skirt followed silently.

She was Yun Yun, the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.

"Master Gu He, we have entered the Tagor Desert. Should we find a place to rest first?"

Yan Shi, the Dou Wang powerhouse, asked in a deep, muffled voice.

The desert environment was quite exhausting for cultivators like them who did not possess fire attributes.

"No need."

Gu He waved his hand, a confident smile on his face.

"Go directly to the Snake People Clan's Holy City."

"I have brought enough sincerity this time. I believe Queen Medusa will make a wise choice."

To obtain the Green Lotus Core Flame, he had paid a tremendous price.

Not only had he prepared two precious sixth-grade pills, he had also brought a seventh-grade Shape-Shifting Pill that would drive any magical beast below the seventh rank mad!

Gu He did not believe Queen Medusa would reject such a deal.

Yun Yun followed behind the group. Listening to Gu He's confident words, an unusual feeling arose within her heart.

She thought of that black-robed young man.

Xuan Jin had also come to the Tagor Desert.

His target was surely the Heavenly Flame as well.

If they met...

Yun Yun did not dare think any further.

She only hoped that Gu He's exchange would proceed smoothly.

Otherwise, given that man's way of doing things, he likely would not be as "reasonable" as Gu He.

The group did not stop and headed directly toward the Snake People Clan's settlement deep in the desert.

Stone Desert City, inside that rundown little map shop.

Hai Bodong paced back and forth inside the room, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet. Every so often, he looked toward the door, his eyes filled with anxiety.

"This had been almost five days..."

He scratched at his graying hair, muttering nonstop.

"That Young Master Xuan... he wasn't just stringing me along, was he?"

The greater the hope, the more agonizing the wait.

Just as he was nearly about to wear a hole through the floor, two figures appeared at the shop entrance without warning, blocking the blinding sunlight.

Hai Bodong's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly looked up.

When he saw who had come, his hanging heart instantly settled. He sprang from his chair, forcing an eager smile onto his face.

"Young Master Xuan, you've finally returned!"

Xuan Jin carried the sleeping Qing Lin in his arms as he stepped into the shop.

He merely nodded faintly and set Qing Lin down on a relatively clean bed.

Hai Bodong's smile froze on his face.

His breathing halted for an instant.

The young man before him was completely different from the one he had seen days ago.

If Xuan Jin had been a bottomless ancient well a few days ago, then now he was an endless ocean.

That faint yet terrifying pressure, capable of crushing someone with ease, made every bone in Hai Bodong's body tremble.

It had only been a few days?

How could Young Master Xuan's strength have surged to such a degree!

Hai Bodong had lived for decades and considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable, but everything before him had completely surpassed his understanding.

"Qing Lin will be in your care for the next few days." Xuan Jin's voice interrupted Hai Bodong's shock.

"I need to visit the Snake People Clan's tribe and retrieve the main ingredient for refining the Po'e Pill while I'm there—the Sand Mandara."

Hai Bodong came back to his senses and hurriedly nodded. "Yes! Rest assured, Young Master."

Hai Bodong lowered his stance to the extreme, no longer daring to display even the slightest airs of a Dou Emperor expert.

Qing Lin slowly woke on the bed. Rubbing her eyes, she saw the unfamiliar surroundings and Hai Bodong's wrinkled old face. Instinctively, she shrank back and tightly clutched Xuan Jin's sleeve.

"Young Master..."

"Qing Lin, stay here for now."

Xuan Jin's voice softened.

"It's dangerous outside. If you come with me, I won't be able to focus on protecting you."

Qing Lin's little face fell, a mist of tears clouding her large eyes as she stubbornly shook her head.

"I want to follow Young Master."

"Be good."

Xuan Jin crouched down and looked into her eyes.

"Train properly with Old Hai for now. Only then will you have the ability to help me in the future. You don't want to be protected by me forever, do you?"

Qing Lin bit her lip, her large eyes filled with struggle.

She remembered the two-headed giant snake kneeling before her in that underground world of magma.

I'm not useless. I'm going to become someone who can help Young Master!

Resolve surged within her, and Qing Lin nodded hard.

"Mm! Qing Lin will be good! I'll train hard!"

Xuan Jin smiled in satisfaction, gave a few more instructions, then changed into a clean black robe and prepared to depart.

Watching this, Hai Bodong's heart churned even more violently.

This Young Master Xuan was not only unfathomably powerful; his skill at winning people's hearts was exceptional as well.

That little girl was probably already utterly devoted to him.

"Young Master, you're... leaving already?" Hai Bodong asked cautiously.

"Mm."

Xuan Jin turned around. His figure paused at the entrance, but he did not look back.

"Don't let her suffer any grievances."

As soon as his words fell, he had vanished.

Hai Bodong stood where he was, a layer of cold sweat seeping across his forehead.

For that brief instant, he had felt an icy killing intent.

He did not doubt in the slightest that if even a single hair on Qing Lin's head was harmed here, Young Master Xuan would twist his head off without hesitation.

"My heavens..."

Hai Bodong wiped away his sweat and looked helplessly at the timid little girl by the bed.

This was not taking care of a child. This was clearly serving a little ancestor.

Meanwhile, deep within the Tagor Desert.

A party struggled through the yellow sands beneath the blazing sun.

"Master Gu He, the Snake People Clan's Holy City should be up ahead." Yan Shi wiped the sweat from his face and spoke in a muffled voice.

The temperature in this damn place was enough to roast someone alive.

Gu He raised his head and gazed at the massive black city distorted by the heatwaves in the distance, a confident smile appearing on his face.

"We've finally arrived."

He adjusted the luxurious robe that symbolized his status as a Sixth Grade Alchemist, his tone calm and composed.

"Get ready. Announce our identities first."

At the rear of the party, Yun Yun wore a plain dress, her demeanor cool and aloof. Looking at the black city radiating an ominous aura, she furrowed her delicate brows slightly.

For some reason, she always felt a faint unease.

Xuan Jin's figure surfaced in her mind once again.

Yun Yun did not dare dwell on it any longer.

The party arrived beneath the Holy City, its towering black walls giving off an overwhelming sense of oppression.

The city gates were tightly shut, with savage and terrifying giant snake totems carved upon them.

"Pill King Gu He, Vice President of the Jia Ma Empire Alchemist Guild, has come to pay respects to Queen Medusa!"

Gu He circulated his Dou Qi, sending his voice echoing into the distance.

There was silence atop the city walls. No response came.

Yan Shi and Feng Li, another Dou Wang expert, exchanged glances and tightened their grips on their weapons.

Gu He's expression darkened somewhat.

He was, after all, the foremost figure in the Jia Ma Empire's alchemy world, yet they would not even open the gates for him. They were clearly showing him no respect.

Just as his patience was about to run out, the heavy city gates slowly opened with a creak.

A wild gale carrying the stench of blood and an eerie aura swept out from the city.

Several hundred Snake People Clan warriors, holding spears and bearing snake tails for lower bodies, marched out in formation, their cold gazes locking onto Gu He's group.

A murderous atmosphere instantly engulfed the entire area.

Yan Shi and Feng Li's expressions turned solemn as the Dou Wang Dou Qi within their bodies began to circulate.

At that moment, an enchantingly seductive figure slowly slithered out from the city, surrounded by numerous Snake People Clan experts.

She wore a regal and luxurious purple brocade robe that perfectly outlined her mature, voluptuous curves.

Her breathtakingly beautiful, bewitching face, paired with those narrow pale-purple snake eyes, could steal a person's soul with a single shifting glance.

Beneath her robe, her purple snake tail swayed gently, carrying an irresistibly wild charm.

She simply floated there in silence, yet the queenly aura of one who ruled all beneath heaven bore down so heavily that the two Dou Wang experts beside Gu He could scarcely breathe.

Queen Medusa!