Snake-Person City, Divine Temple.
Two figures descended from the sky. They were none other than Gu Shenge and Medusa. After leaving Shimo City, they hadn't stopped along the way and had returned straight to Snake-Person City.
As soon as they landed, Gu Shenge took out the Serenitea Pot. Space rippled, and he released Qing Lin from inside.
Looking at the petite, pretty girl, who seemed a little confused, Gu Shenge habitually patted her head and said gently, "Qing Lin, we're here."
Qing Lin came to her senses and looked around at the buildings. A trace of confusion flickered in her blue-green eyes. Where was this?
"Big brother, where are we?"
Gu Shenge said, "This is the Divine Temple in Snake-Person City."
When Qing Lin heard that she had been brought to the Snake-People Temple, shock appeared on her tender face. She looked at Gu Shenge, wondering if Big Brother was a Snake-person. But why didn't he have a snake tail?
Seeing Qing Lin's confusion, Gu Shenge pointed to Medusa and explained.
"This is Queen Medusa. I'm sure you've heard of her."
"Queen Medusa!"
Qing Lin cried out in alarm, her small cherry lips falling open as she stared at Medusa in disbelief. She hadn't expected the beautiful big sister in red, who had been silent all this time, to be the legendary Queen Medusa. Fear showed in her eyes, and her petite body trembled slightly.
After all, a person's reputation preceded them. In the desert, the name Queen Medusa alone was enough to make children cry and adults tremble with fear—not to mention seeing her in person.
Seeing the little girl's fear, Gu Shenge shook his head helplessly and hurried to reassure her.
"Don't be afraid, Qing Lin. The things you've heard about Medusa have all been exaggerated. She isn't scary at all. In fact, she's very gentle—just a little tsundere. If you don't believe me, call her Sister Medusa and see if she answers."
When Medusa heard Gu Shenge call her tsundere, she glared at him. How was she tsundere?!
Reassured by Gu Shenge, Qing Lin looked at Medusa uncertainly and tentatively called out in a soft, clear voice,
"Sister Medusa~"
The word "sister" made Medusa pause. A trace of remembrance appeared in her beautiful eyes, along with a faint sadness. When she came back to herself, she looked at Qing Lin, her gaze gradually softening, and gave a slight nod.
"Mhm~"
A delighted smile spread across Qing Lin's little face, and she seemed much less afraid. It looked like Queen Medusa wasn't as scary as the adults said.
"Then what about you, Big Brother?" Qing Lin asked Gu Shenge curiously. If the big sister was Queen Medusa, then who was Big Brother?
At that, Gu Shenge pointed first at Medusa, then at himself, and said with a smile,
"I'm your Sister Medusa's husband. But Big Brother isn't a Snake-person; I'm human. If Sister Medusa and I have children someday, they'll be half Snake-person and half human, just like you."
After hearing this, Qing Lin gradually understood and nodded.
Gu Shenge said, "Qing Lin, from now on you'll live with Big Brother in the Divine Temple. Once you've made progress in your cultivation, you can go to Shimo City to visit Xiao Ding, Xuelan, and the others."
"Thank you, Big Brother. Qing Lin understands."
Once she made progress in her cultivation, she could go back to see the captain and Sister Xuelan. She would definitely work hard, Qing Lin encouraged herself.
Just then, Medusa parted her red lips and spoke in a cool, haughty voice. "Since you've obtained the Green Lotus Core Flame, I'm going into seclusion as well. I've entrusted the affairs of the Snake-People Tribe to the Four Great Elders. If anything happens, you can ask the elders for help."
Medusa couldn't wait to merge with the Origin of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python. She didn't want to delay any longer.
"Mm, I understand." Gu Shenge nodded and watched Medusa leave.
Afterward, he summoned Yue Mei and pointed to her as he said to Qing Lin, "Qing Lin, Big Brother will also be going into seclusion for a while. Stay with Sister Yue Mei in the meantime. Yue Mei, this is Qing Lin. I'll leave her in your care for now."
Yue Mei could tell at a glance that Qing Lin was half Snake-person and half human. Bewilderment showed in her beautiful eyes, and she instinctively assumed the girl was the daughter of the Queen and Wang Fu. But she quickly dismissed the idea. The girl looked at least thirteen or fourteen. How could she possibly be the Queen's daughter?
Besides, children of Snake-people and humans usually didn't survive past two or three. For this girl to have lived this long was a miracle. Perhaps that was why Wang Fu had brought her back.
"Of course, Wang Fu." Yue Mei nodded respectfully.
Gu Shenge patted Qing Lin's head and told her to go with Yue Mei. He would come find her once he was done in seclusion.
Qing Lin obediently nodded and left, holding Yue Mei's hand.
Then Gu Shenge found the First Elder and asked her to arrange a place for him to cultivate in seclusion.
Some time later, in a quiet stone chamber, a Green Lotus with the Green Lotus Core Flame burning upon it appeared in Gu Shenge's hands.
He placed the Earth Fire Green Lotus in front of him and sat cross-legged, rapidly forming hand seals. Wisps of Solar Dou Qi emerged across his body and gathered together as his seals changed. At the same time, a tremendous force began pulling at the Green Lotus Core Flame, drawing it out of the Earth Fire Green Lotus. The flame tried to resist, but Gu Shenge suppressed it with his Soul Power, leaving it no choice but to be forcibly drawn into his body.
Even suppressed, the energy of a Heavenly Flame was violently intense, and its temperature was terrifyingly high.
The moment it entered his body, Gu Shenge felt a terrifying heat surge within him, scorching his heart and meridians as his blood boiled. His skin turned an unusual shade of green, and the Green Lotus Core Flame burst out through his body, burning his clothes to ash. Even the stone bed beneath him and the walls around him began to melt!
The space itself warped under the scorching heat.
Gu Shenge endured the agony of his body burning, his face twisted in pain.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take pills to help him. The Nine Suns Burning World Scripture simply didn't provide for that. Instead, it relied on one's powerful constitution to forcibly refine Heavenly Flames and transform them into a Burning World Divine Sun.
There was supposed to be a process: starting with the lowest-grade Beast Flame and refining flames step by step, tempering the body with fire until it could withstand a Heavenly Flame.
But Gu Shenge thought too highly of himself. Relying on his Solar Sacred Body, he had tried to forcibly refine a Heavenly Flame. He hadn't expected it to be so powerful—even suppressed, it still possessed such might.
Gu Shenge endured the pain of his body burning and rapidly formed hand seals, using the refinement method in the Nine Suns Burning World Scripture to refine the Green Lotus Core Flame within him.
The Divine Sun within his flesh also began to revolve on its own. A faint golden light shone from his body, suppressing the green flames that spilled out and helping him refine the Green Lotus Core Flame.
The green flames coursed through Gu Shenge's body, scorching every inch of his skin, every piece of flesh, and every section of his meridians, consuming his entire body.
But then another warmth welled up from deep within him, repairing the damage to his body and rebuilding his meridians. The two forces followed one another, making his constitution undergo what seemed like endless tempering. Again and again, destruction and restoration cycled, gradually strengthening him as he endured the Heavenly Flame's refinement.
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