Red Lotus Purifying Demon Body, North to Black Rock City!

Inside the temple chamber, the scent of pills curled in the air, yet a near-stagnant silence permeated the room.

Hai Bodong gripped the golden, shimmering Imperial Extreme Pill tightly in both hands, his aged face flushed red with excitement, his breathing heavy and ragged.

It was as if he were holding not just a medicinal pill, but his very lifeline to a higher realm.

He glanced alternately between the pill and Lin Chen, who had picked up a book once more, his expression light and indifferent.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but he could not utter a single word.

This gift was too heavy! So heavy that even he, the former Ice Emperor, felt it was almost too hot to handle, yet he accepted it with sweet willingness.

Queen Medusa's slender fingers lightly brushed over the purple-glowing Purple Spirit Recovery Pill.

The cold surface of the pill seemed to contain a scorching heat, causing her heart—long tempered by storms and cold as iron—to ripple with an indescribable emotion.

Her old wounds and hidden ailments had plagued her for years, even hindering her from breaking through to a higher realm.

Now, the solution was in her hands, and the one who had bestowed all this was a ten-year-old boy whose mystery was truly terrifying.

She raised those bewitching, enchanting eyes, her complex gaze landing on Lin Chen.

She attempted to discern some clue from that calm, ripple-free profile, but found nothing.

What exactly was he after?

Yun Yun's aura was becoming steady and powerful at an astonishing speed.

The efficacy of the Top-Grade Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill was beyond imagination, and a dense green light enveloped her.

As it repaired the trauma within her body, her long eyelashes trembled more and more violently.

Finally, after a soft moan, she slowly opened her eyes.

Her beautiful eyes held a trace of confusion and weakness at first, but they quickly regained their clarity.

This was immediately replaced by deep shock; she could clearly feel that the severe injuries within her body, which should have left her bedridden for months, were now seven or eight parts healed! The residual medicinal power was still nourishing her meridians.

It had even caused her cultivation to advance!

Is... is this the effect of that top-grade pill?

She subconsciously looked toward Lin Chen at the table, that "little brother" she had previously mistaken for an ordinary child.

Looking at him now, that calm profile, those deep eyes, and the god-like means of casually refining a peak Tier 6 pill... everything was shattering her perception.

She struggled to sit up, and although there was still a slight twinge of pain in her movements, it was no longer a major issue.

"You... who exactly are you..."

Yun Yun's voice carried the hoarseness of one who had just recovered, yet it could not hide the shock and confusion within.

Lin Chen put down the book in his hand and looked at her.

"Are your injuries healed?"

Yun Yun nodded subconsciously, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Many thanks... little... senior, for the grace of saving my life and gifting this medicine."

"Yun Yun will never forget this. May I ask for your esteemed name, Senior?"

"This grace..."

She could no longer treat the other party as an ordinary child; in the path of cultivation, the capable are teachers. Given his strength and ability, calling him Senior was not an overstatement.

"Lin Chen."

He calmly interrupted her words.

"It was just a casual act, no need to take it to heart."

A casual act?

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Yun Yun's mouth.

Casually refining a top-grade Tier 6 pill?

Casually saving her from the aftermath of a siege by four Dou Emperors?

This "casual act" was far too shocking to the world.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the raging waves in her heart, and stood up.

She bowed solemnly toward Lin Chen.

"Regardless, Senior Lin's grace in saving my life is engraved in Yun Yun's heart."

"If there is any command in the future, Yun Yun of the Misty Cloud Sect will certainly not refuse."

She knew that staying here was not appropriate; the Holy City of the Snake-People was, after all, a forbidden zone for humans.

Although she did not know what method Lin Chen had used to allow her to heal here in peace, staying too long was ultimately inconvenient, and there were matters within her sect that needed to be handled.

"Senior Lin, Elder Hai, Queen Medusa,"

Yun Yun turned toward the people in the room, her etiquette impeccable.

"This junior's injuries are no longer of any concern. It is inconvenient to impose further, so I shall take my leave now."

Queen Medusa merely cast a faint glance at her, offering no response.

Hai Bodong was still immersed in the joy of the Imperial Extreme Pill, nodding his head absentmindedly.

Lin Chen also gave a simple "Mn," and said nothing more.

Yun Yun bowed to Lin Chen once again, casting a deep look at him.

It was as if she wanted to carve the image of this mysterious youth into her mind before turning away.

She transformed into a streak of cyan light, departing the Holy City of the Snake-People Tribe.

The impact of everything that had occurred today would take her a long time to digest.

After Yun Yun left, the room fell silent once more.

Hai Bodong tucked the Imperial Extreme Pill away as if it were a treasure, then rubbed his hands together and sidled up to Lin Chen.

His face was wreathed in smiles.

"Kid Lin... er, Senior Lin?"

"What shall we do next..."

He had made up his mind to follow Lin Chen; this was nothing less than a walking treasury and a supreme backer!

Lin Chen ignored the change in how he was addressed, his gaze shifting to the silent Queen Medusa.

"Queen Medusa,"

He spoke, his voice calm and rippleless.

"How about we make a deal?"

Medusa's heart stirred. Her bewitching eyes turned toward him, and her red lips parted slightly.

"Oh? With your capabilities, what could you possibly need to trade with this Queen for?"

Her tone carried a hint of imperceptible probing and self-mockery; since he could casually give away a top-tier rank six pill, she truly could not imagine what she possessed that could move him.

"I will purify your bloodline and assist you in achieving a perfect evolution."

Lin Chen's words were concise and clear, yet they exploded in Medusa's ears like a thunderclap!

"What?!"

Medusa's delicate body trembled violently, and for the first time, a drastic emotional fluctuation appeared on her icy face.

Those snake-like eyes constricted sharply, staring fixedly at Lin Chen.

"You... what did you say?!"

"A perfect evolution?!"

The bloodline of the Snake-People Tribe was cold and yin-natured; wanting to break through the shackles of the peak Dou Emperor realm and evolve into the legendary Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!

She knew better than anyone the agony of being calcined by Heavenly Flames and the immense risks involved.

In the original timeline, she had only barely succeeded by relying on immense luck and the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Moreover, it had left behind the hidden danger of her soul and new body failing to fully fuse.

A perfect evolution? This was something that existed only in the vague memories of her bloodline inheritance!

"That is impossible!"

Medusa instinctively retorted, but as she looked into Lin Chen's calm, rippleless black eyes—eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything—her rebuttal appeared pale and weak. This youth had already created too many miracles.

"Using Heavenly Flames to calcine yourself is nothing more than attempting to use their power to refine the impurities in your bloodline and stimulate your ancient lineage,"

Lin Chen said indifferently.

"But ordinary Heavenly Flames are violent and difficult to control; one slip-up leads to the destruction of both body and soul."

"My Red Lotus Karma Fire, however, is a fire of causality, a flame that purifies the world."

"It burns away sin, impurities, and the filth that hinders evolution."

"To a pure bloodline and the soul itself, it is not only harmless but highly beneficial."

He extended a finger, and a wisp of bewitching blood-red flame danced upon his fingertip.

The pure sense of purification and judgment made Medusa's soul feel a comfortable shudder.

"I can control the Karma Fire to precisely purify every impurity and cold, filthy energy within your bloodline."

"I will stimulate your Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python bloodline to the maximum extent. The process will be painful, but there will be absolutely no danger to your life."

"Even if the evolution does not reach the most ideal state, I can ensure your soul remains intact and your physical body is reshaped."

Lin Chen's voice carried a persuasive magic.

"The price is that you owe me a favor."

"A favor that you must repay in the future when I require it."

Queen Medusa fell silent, her inner shock, desire, suspicion, and struggle all intertwined.

She longed to become stronger, longed to lead the Snake-People Tribe out of the desert, and longed to break free from the shackles of her bloodline!

The temptation of a perfect evolution was something she could not resist.

Lin Chen's guarantee, especially the promises that there would be "absolutely no danger to your life" and "I will ensure your soul remains intact," struck at her greatest concerns.

As for the favor... she looked at Lin Chen and gave a bitter smile.

"With your strength and alchemy, what could you possibly need a 'mere' Dou Emperor like me to repay in the future?"

She truly could not fathom it.

"That is my concern."

Lin Chen's tone remained unchanged.

"You only need to answer: is the deal struck, or not?"

Queen Medusa closed her eyes, her long purple eyelashes trembling slightly.

A moment later, she snapped her eyes open, a flash of resolve and determination crossing her gaze!

"Very well! This Queen agrees!"

"If you can truly assist me in a perfect evolution, this favor—I, Medusa, and the entire Snake-People Tribe, shall honor it!"

Her voice was decisive, carrying the spirit of a queen.

"A wise choice."

Lin Chen nodded.

"Prepare a completely silent secret chamber; we begin now."

Without delay, Queen Medusa suppressed the excitement and lingering trepidation in her heart and immediately made the arrangements herself.

Soon, in the deepest part of the Holy City, inside a secret chamber filled with powerful restrictions.

Queen Medusa sat cross-legged, adjusting her state.

She raised her aura to its peak.

Lin Chen stood before her, while Hai Bodong nervously guarded the entrance (though he felt that with Lin Chen present, his protection was entirely unnecessary, he still had to show the proper attitude).

"The process will be painful. Guard your heart and mind, circulate your cultivation technique, and guide the power of your bloodline."

Lin Chen reminded her.

Queen Medusa nodded solemnly, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

Lin Chen said no more and formed hand seals.

"Hum—"

Red Lotus Karma Fire surged from his body, yet it did not erupt with violence.

Instead, it transformed into a massive, slowly rotating blood-colored lotus pedestal.

It gently lifted Queen Medusa, enveloping her within the heart of the lotus.

The Karma Fire burned, yet it lacked any trace of tyrannical, destructive intent.

There was only a purity of cleansing power pushed to the extreme.

"Ugh—ah!"

Despite being mentally prepared, the pain of purification originating from the depths of her bloodline and the source of her soul.

Still forced Queen Medusa to let out a suppressed groan of agony!

Her delicate body trembled violently, and cold sweat instantly covered her smooth forehead.

Her stunning face twisted in pain, yet she kept her teeth clenched tightly, continuing to circulate her technique.

Under the scorching of the Red Lotus Karma Fire, strands of impurities, black as ink and carrying an aura of extreme coldness.

Were forcibly expelled from her body, emitting silent screams within the flames.

They were thoroughly purified and annihilated!

On the surface of her body, seven-colored light began to flicker, growing brighter and brighter.

An aura, far more ancient and noble than before, began to slowly awaken!

Lin Chen's expression was calm, his Spirit Realm soul power precisely controlling every ounce of the fire's strength.

Like the most skilled craftsman, he carefully sculpted a peerless treasure.

Purification, refinement, stimulation... every step was flawless.

Time slipped away bit by bit.

Even Hai Bodong, outside the secret chamber, could feel the heart-palpitating, ancient aura rising steadily from within.

And that faint yet incomparably pure ripple of purification made his heart race with both trepidation and excitement.

Finally, he did not know how much time had passed.

Inside the secret chamber, the expression of pain originally on Medusa's face gradually turned peaceful, even carrying a hint of comfort and intoxication.

Her body became nearly transparent within the Red Lotus Karma Fire, with her bones and meridians faintly revealing a seven-colored luster.

Beautiful and divine.

Her body, once full of wildness and allure, seemed to reach a certain perfection of the extreme under the purification and reshaping of the Karma Fire.

And then... it began to slowly dissipate!

It was not destruction, but rather all of her essence, all of her bloodline power, and her soul origin.

Under the tempering of the Karma Fire, everything was being condensed to the extreme!

The light of the Red Lotus Karma Fire also gradually turned inward.

In the end, all the light and flames retracted completely, condensing into a single point.

Lin Chen extended his palm.

There, in the center of the lotus platform where Medusa had been, appeared a small snake only the thickness of a finger.

The little snake was a brilliant seven-colored hue, its scales crystalline and translucent, like a work of art.

The little snake kept its eyes closed, curling up quietly, its body radiating a glowing, precious light.

A pure and powerful ancient bloodline aura flowed slowly from it.

It had fallen into a deep slumber, its breathing steady.

With every breath, the seven-colored luster of its body flowed, and its aura grew faintly stronger.

This was the process of spirit and flesh merging after the perfect evolution of the bloodline.

When it awakened, it would be the moment the true, perfect Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python appeared in the world!

The evolution was a success!

Lin Chen gently cradled the sleeping seven-colored little snake.

He could feel the immense potential contained within, as well as Medusa's sleeping soul.

He walked out of the secret chamber.

Hai Bodong immediately hurried over, asking nervously.

"Did it succeed?"

When he saw the seven-colored little snake in Lin Chen's hand, his eyes widened once again.

"This... is this..."

"A perfect evolution, the merging of spirit and flesh. It only needs to sleep for a period of time to fully awaken."

Lin Chen explained briefly.

Hai Bodong gasped, staring at the little snake that radiated a heart-palpitating aura.

The look he gave Lin Chen was now filled with awe and even... fear.

Such a method of defying the heavens and changing fate was simply unheard of!

"Pack up, it is time for us to leave this place."

Lin Chen said.

"Go where?"

Hai Bodong asked subconsciously.

Lin Chen cast a glance at him.

"Have you not always wanted to restore your strength? You have the Imperial Extreme Pill now."

"As for me..."

He weighed the sleeping seven-colored little snake in his hand, carefully placing it into a jade box meant for nourishing the soul before putting it away.

"I am heading to Black Rock City first to obtain a Grade 6 Alchemist qualification certificate."

His tone was as flat as if he were talking about going to buy groceries.

Hai Bodong: "!!!"

Obtain... obtain a Grade 6 Alchemist qualification certificate?!

And he said "first"?!

He felt his heart had endured too many shocks today; it was already becoming numb.

But looking at Lin Chen's expression, which was clearly not a joke, Hai Bodong could only swallow hard.

He nodded vigorously.

"Good! This old man will go prepare at once!"

Not long after, a streak of ice-blue light and a streak of obscure blood-colored light departed from the Holy City of the snake-people in the Tagor Great Desert.

They sped off toward the large city in the east of the empire:

Black Rock City!