Seeking a Heavenly Flame

Seeing how sensible the two were, the last trace of his faint, intangible pressure vanished completely. Su Baichen casually waved a hand and said in a relaxed tone:

"Alright, let's put this matter behind us."

Then he changed the subject, his gaze turning toward the depths of the cave as though it could pierce through the stone walls and see the boundless desert beyond.

"I came to the Tagore Desert this time to seek something—a Heavenly Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty as he began describing the legendary wonder of heaven and earth:

"This flame is born deep within the earth, tempered by lava, and burns unextinguished for a thousand years. It takes ten years to gather a single wisp of Fire Spirit, a hundred years to begin taking shape, and a thousand years to become a green lotus pedestal. At the heart of that lotus lies the source flame of the Green Lotus Core Flame. Once fully matured, it takes on a bluish hue and possesses boundless power, capable of burning mountains and boiling seas."

After the detailed explanation, a perfectly timed trace of "trouble" appeared on Su Baichen's face. He withdrew his gaze and looked again at Queen Medusa and the Great Elder, his long fingers lightly tapping against his knee as he spoke with a touch of "helplessness":

"I have great need of this Heavenly Flame. Unfortunately, the Tagore Desert is simply too vast. Even with my Soul Power, it would be difficult to pinpoint its exact location in a short time. Searching this endless sea of sand is like looking for a needle in the ocean. What should I do?"

Having said that, he stopped tapping his knee. His deep eyes quietly settled on Queen Medusa and the Great Elder. His gaze was calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure, and its meaning was obvious—on this desert, was there any force more familiar with this land, or more skilled at finding spiritual treasures of heaven and earth, than the Snake-People Tribe?

Queen Medusa and the Great Elder were no ordinary figures. They instantly understood the deeper meaning in his gaze.

The two exchanged another glance. This time, the fear and unease from before were gone, replaced by resolve and a barely restrained excitement.

This was an opportunity to serve a senior whose strength was unfathomable—an Eighth-tier Alchemist!

Without any hesitation, Queen Medusa stepped forward. Almost in unison with the Great Elder, she answered firmly:

"Rest assured, Senior. The matter of finding the Heavenly Flame is the Snake-People Tribe's duty! The Tagore Desert has been our people's home for generations, and we know its terrain like the backs of our hands. We will certainly spare no effort, mobilize the entire tribe, and find the Green Lotus Core Flame for you!"

Seeing this, the corner of Su Baichen's mouth lifted into an imperceptible, satisfied curve. His goal had already been achieved. He nodded inwardly. These two are quite perceptive. They've saved me a lot of explaining.

"Not bad. You're very sensible." A hint of approval entered Su Baichen's voice. Then he lightly brushed a finger over his Storage Ring, and two jade bottles appeared in his hand.

With a thought, his Soul Power supported the two jade bottles and sent them drifting lightly toward Queen Medusa and the Great Elder.

"I naturally won't have you work for nothing. There are a few pills here, an advance on your reward. They should be of some help to your current cultivation."

"Once you complete the task, I can help you break through to Dou Zong!"

Queen Medusa and the Great Elder fixed their eyes on the two jade bottles. When they sensed the immense energy and unique medicinal fragrance emanating from the pills within, their pupils suddenly contracted, and their faces instantly filled with unbelievable shock!

"These are... Dou Ling Pills! And... Huangji Pills!" The Great Elder's voice trembled, nearly failing her.

Dou Ling Pills were peak fifth-tier medicinal pills that could help a Dou Wang expert steadily advance by one star!

Huangji Pills were peak sixth-tier medicinal pills, with an even more terrifying effect. They could raise a Dou Emperor expert's cultivation by one star!

These two kinds of pills were priceless treasures wherever they appeared, enough to incite countless experts into frenzied competition.

For the Snake-People Tribe, whose high-level combat strength was mainly concentrated among Dou Wangs and Dou Emperors, the value of these pills was simply immeasurable. They were enough to raise the overall strength of the tribe's upper ranks by an entire level!

Moreover, judging from the quantities in those jade bottles, there was more than one pill of each kind!

"Th-thank you for your generous gift, Senior! The Snake-People Tribe will never forget your great kindness! We will certainly devote the full strength of the tribe to finding the Heavenly Flame for you as swiftly as possible. We will never fail the task you have entrusted to us!"

Queen Medusa was the first to recover from her overwhelming delight. She forcefully suppressed the excitement in her heart, bowed deeply, and spoke with utmost solemnity.

At the same time, she sharply noticed that the wild joy in the Great Elder's eyes seemed not to include another piece of information—the promise Su Baichen had just made about helping someone break through to Dou Zong seemed to have been heard by her alone!

What did that mean? It meant that this senior valued her, Medusa, personally! Breaking through to Dou Zong!

That was the barrier she had dreamed of crossing, yet found incomparably difficult to overcome! Compared to that promise, the "treasures" she had offered earlier and the precious pills before her, though immensely important as well, were simply not on the same level!

The nature of this matter had completely changed. What had begun as settling old grievances and offering compensation had become serving an unimaginably powerful expert and receiving unimaginable rewards in return! The fate of the Snake-People Tribe might be utterly transformed because of this!

The Great Elder recovered as well and hurriedly bowed in thanks alongside the queen. However, after the successive shocks—first terror, then ecstatic joy—her body still trembled faintly beyond her control.

"Oh, right!" As if recalling something, Su Baichen added casually, though his eyes became more serious. "My existence, as well as my identity as an alchemist, must not be publicized. If anyone asks, just say that I am an ordinary mid-tier alchemist. Understood?"

He naturally understood how much attention the Snake-People Tribe would attract if word spread that an Eighth-tier Alchemist was on friendly terms with them, and such attention would inevitably include malicious scrutiny.

It was not that he feared trouble. He simply did not want those lingering rats from the Soul Hall to fix their eyes on him too early and alert the enemy.

There had been a Dou Zun leading the force that had hunted him last time. Who knew what level of monster would come next time? He might not fear them, but the Snake-People Tribe certainly could not endure the aftermath of a conflict at that level. They would very likely suffer utter destruction.

Besides, this Snake-People Tribe could at least be considered the family of his little maid. He was reminding them to keep a low profile so they would not become carried away, provoke an enemy they could not handle, and ultimately bring disaster upon themselves.

Queen Medusa was quick-witted and immediately understood Su Baichen's concerns and deeper meaning. She answered solemnly, "Yes, Senior! This junior will remember. I will never reveal a single detail of your true information!"

"Mm, go. Once you have news, have Caidie inform me." Su Baichen waved a hand, closed his eyes again, and reentered that profound state of cultivation.

Queen Medusa and the Great Elder respectfully bowed once more. Then they carefully put away the jade bottles floating before them, suppressed the excitement and shock in their hearts, and silently withdrew from the cave.

The sunlight outside fell upon them, yet it was far less scorching than the flame called "hope" burning within their hearts.