Lin Chen twitched a finger, and a lustrous, gently glowing sixth-grade medicinal herb—the Soul-Nurturing Wood—floated into view.
Skyfire Venerable's soul had long since taken up residence inside it. At this moment, he was fast asleep, completely unaware of everything around him.
The brilliant seven-colored light around Lin Chen's wrist did not immediately fade.
Instead, it flashed fiercely, bright and dim in turn, like the beating of a heart. With every flash, an even more powerful, ancient, and noble aura spread out, rendering the entire stretch of magma bizarre and kaleidoscopic.
That tiny snake's body seemed to have become a bottomless pit.
It frantically absorbed the remnants of Fallen Heart Flame energy in the surrounding Magma World, along with the pure Dou Qi naturally radiating from Lin Chen.
Lin Chen could clearly feel the little life coiled around his wrist.
The soul within it was undergoing the final—and most perfect—fusion with the body of the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python.
Normally, the process would have taken much longer.
But the source of the Fallen Heart Flame had catalyzed it, and the energy Lin Chen had unwittingly provided had nourished it, greatly shortening the time required.
At last, when the seven-colored light shone so brightly that even the unseen magma seemed unable to block its radiance—
"Bzz—!"
A faint hum, as if from ancient times, rang out.
The blinding light abruptly withdrew!
Lin Chen felt a sudden lightness at his wrist. That familiar, cool sensation was gone.
In its place came the startling sensation of a soft, fragrant body suddenly filling his arms!
A graceful, heart-stirring figure with breathtaking curves pressed against him, their bodies separated by nothing.
Her long purple hair spilled down like a waterfall, the ends playfully brushing his arm and raising a faint tickle.
Her skin was dazzlingly fair.
Against the crimson backdrop of the magma, it gleamed with a heart-stirring, seductive sheen.
Her features were the perfect blend of bewitching beauty and nobility.
Her brows were like distant mountains brushed with dark green, her eyes like autumn waters rippling beneath the moon. Now, however, they were veiled in a hazy mist. Her red lips parted, and her breath smelled sweet as orchids, carrying a scorching heat that seemed capable of igniting the soul.
It was Queen Medusa, who had completed her perfect evolution, fused soul and flesh, and emerged from her cocoon transformed into a butterfly!
Yet her condition was clearly abnormal.
The vast amount of Fallen Heart Flame source she had devoured during her perfect evolution—the invisible, formless heartfire that struck straight at the soul—not only had tempered her body and spirit, but seemed to have kindled the primal wildness and burning passion hidden deep in her bloodline, belonging to the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python.
Her mind hovered between wakefulness and delirium.
Her pale purple eyes glimmered with moisture, reflecting Lin Chen's figure. Her gaze was so feverish it seemed ready to melt him.
"Hot... So hot..."
She murmured unconsciously, her delicate body shifting as she searched for somewhere cooler.
Her slender arms were supple as vines.
Naturally, they wound around Lin Chen's neck and pulled him closer.
Their bodies pressed tightly together.
Lin Chen could even feel her hurried heartbeat and scorching body heat. The heat stirred a faint ripple in his own heart, though he still kept his expression calm.
The next moment, before Lin Chen could react—
Medusa rose slightly onto her toes and tilted up her breathtaking face. With an almost instinctive, irresistible resolve, she pressed her full red lips against his.
"Mmph...!"
Even with a will as firm as stone, Lin Chen couldn't help but falter for a moment.
Their lips met in an impossibly soft touch, warmed by the unique heat of the Fallen Heart Flame. It felt like an electric current shooting through him.
A faint fragrance, like red sandalwood blossoms, mingled with the distinct aura of a Heavenly Flame.
It lingered at the tip of his nose.
Her kiss was awkward and urgent, devoid of any skill.
Yet it was full of the most primitive, unrestrained passion, like a blaze that would consume them both.
Lin Chen did not push her away.
Only a complicated emotion flickered in the depths of his eyes—surprise, and a faint indulgence he scarcely noticed.
Lin Chen quickly came back to himself.
He could clearly sense the unceasing heartfire surging within Medusa and the emotions it had magnified without limit.
This was not what she truly wanted.
It was a side effect of her evolution.
His gaze cleared. He did not lose himself in this sudden trap of tenderness, but neither did he rudely interrupt her.
With a thought, a trace of exceptionally pure and gentle Red Lotus Karma Fire energy, imbued with supreme purifying power, quietly passed from his lips into hers. It flowed into Medusa like the clearest spring water.
Wherever the karma fire passed, the restless Fallen Heart Flame energy, on the verge of running wild, seemed to meet its natural enemy.
It quickly settled into a calm, docile state.
The primitive impulses stirred by the heartfire and magnified to their limit—
like a parched land refreshed by cool rain, they slowly shed their heat and returned to clarity.
The haze in Medusa's eyes gradually faded.
Her feverish gaze regained its usual composure and depth.
When she had fully awakened and realized what she was doing—
and the intensely intimate, almost unbearably suggestive position they were in—
"!!!"
Her pale purple eyes flew wide open.
Shock, embarrassment, disbelief, and a hint of secret panic surged through her like a tide!
She abruptly shoved Lin Chen away.
The force was so great that even the surrounding magma rippled outward!
A blush rapidly spread across her peerlessly beautiful face, visible to the naked eye.
It ran from her cheeks to her ears, then down her long, snowy-white neck, like a ripening fruit.
In a fluster, she summoned her Dou Qi.
A splendid, regal purple robe instantly formed around her, concealing the breathtaking beauty that could drive every man in the world mad, leaving only her dazzling face, flushed with shame and anger, exposed.
"You... What did you do to me?!"
Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly. She glared at Lin Chen with a complicated expression—anger and accusation in her eyes, but with a strange feeling hidden deep within that even she had not noticed.
The lingering touch and scent made her heart pound like a drum.
"You were the one who took the initiative."
Lin Chen wiped his lips, his tone as calm as if he were remarking on how pleasant the magma's temperature was today. A faint smile flickered in his eyes.
"The Fallen Heart Flame affected your mind and magnified certain instinctive emotions."
"I purified it for you."
His gaze was open and clear.
Yet there was a subtle warmth in it.
At his words, Medusa immediately examined herself inwardly.
Sure enough, the restless heartfire within her had subsided. All that remained was a gentle, pure flame nourishing her meridians, and her soul was perfectly clear.
Then she recalled her daring actions just moments ago...
In an instant, crushing embarrassment nearly overwhelmed her.
She was Queen Medusa, of all people. When had she ever behaved so disgracefully?
And with a... with a young man, no less!
She took several deep breaths.
Her ample chest rose and fell slightly before she managed to suppress the exclamations and even more indignant words nearly spilling from her mouth.
He had indeed saved her and helped her out of an embarrassing predicament.
That left her with nowhere to direct her anger.
In the end, she could only force her exquisitely cold face into a stern expression.
She tried to recover her former queenly dignity, but the blush that had yet to fully fade greatly diminished its effect.
"Th-thank you."
She forced the words through her teeth, then immediately changed the subject, glancing around without daring to look at Lin Chen again.
"Where are we?"
"How long was I asleep?"
Her voice still carried a faint, barely perceptible tremor.
"Beneath the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, at Jia Nan Academy."
"You were asleep for several months."
Lin Chen answered tersely, as if the alluring scene from a moment earlier had never happened. Yet when she looked away, he quietly gave her another couple of glances.
He looked at her calmly.
"Now that you've awakened, what do you plan to do? You're a Three-Star Dou Zong now, far stronger than before."
Medusa slightly furrowed her delicate brows.
She felt the vast, oceanlike power within her, far surpassing what she had possessed before—a Three-Star Dou Zong!
She had truly reached the realm she had dreamed of, and her foundation was exceptionally solid.
The benefits of her perfect evolution were almost beyond imagination!
Amid her joy, she understood all the more clearly that—
without the young man before her, she would have been reduced to ashes during her evolution, let alone achieved what she had now. His kindness was as weighty as a mountain.
She drew a deep breath, suppressing the myriad thoughts in her heart.
Then she looked at Lin Chen again, her gaze complicated but earnest.
"You granted me a new life. I'm not one to forget a debt of gratitude."
Her voice still held a queen's pride, but her attitude had softened considerably.
"What would you like in return?"
"As long as it's within my power and doesn't violate my principles, I can agree to it."
"Come with me."
Lin Chen's answer was direct, almost domineering, without the slightest attempt to beat around the bush. His eyes, however, were gentler than before.
"Join the faction I intend to establish in the future."
"For now, just stay by my side. That's all I ask."
He had already planned to take her under his wing.
But bringing it up as repayment for her debt of gratitude made it seem more natural.
Medusa's gaze suddenly sharpened.
Her purple eyes fixed on Lin Chen's calm expression, which nevertheless carried an indisputable force of will.
In the past, anyone who dared speak to her that way—
would have been made to taste the Snake Seal.
But now, after witnessing Lin Chen's unfathomable methods and astonishing potential—
after experiencing the flame of his that purified all things, and after the "accident" just now that had left her heart in turmoil... she found herself unable to refuse him outright.
She pondered for a moment.
Freedom was important, of course, but she had to repay her debt.
Besides, the secrets and potential of this young man were enough to leave even her shaken.
Staying by his side might not be a bad thing. It could even be the beginning of a greater opportunity.
"Fine."
Medusa finally nodded, her voice regaining its usual coolness.
"I agree."
"Until your faction is established, I'll stay by your side and protect you, to repay my debt."
She had deliberately added "protect you" and "repay my debt."
It was as if she were emphasizing that this was merely a transaction, trying to reclaim some of her queenly authority. She failed to notice that her voice had already lost its initial chill.
Lin Chen nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
But a hint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. The deal was done.
He said no more.
With Medusa, he floated upward.
After leaving the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, Lin Chen arranged a secluded, luxurious courtyard for Medusa in the Inner Academy. It even had its own training grounds.
Medusa had little interest in the human academy. She spent most of her time secluded in the courtyard, cultivating, adapting to her newfound Dou Zong strength, and familiarizing herself with the many innate abilities brought by the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python bloodline.
Only occasionally would she pause in her cultivation.
Her gaze would drift toward the tower where Lin Chen lived, complicated thoughts in her eyes. She did not know what she was thinking—but her gaze no longer held its initial wariness. Instead, there was a hint of concern she herself had yet to notice.
Lin Chen, meanwhile, began a steady and efficient routine of cultivation and alchemy.
He applied to the Inner Academy for its highest-grade alchemy room.
His alchemy this time was primarily for himself, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin.
For himself, he refined an improved version of the Imperial Extreme Pill. Its effects were gentler and longer-lasting, making it suitable for consolidating his Dou Huang Realm and steadily increasing his strength.
He also refined several types of Spirit Nourishing Pills and Soul Condensing Liquid, which tempered the soul and nourished the Spirit Realm.
For Xiao Yi Xian, he carefully refined several batches of Heavenly Poison Pills.
These pills could guide the power of the Woe Poison Body more efficiently and safely.
They transformed it into controllable poison-attribute Dou Qi. He also prepared several rare antidotes and restorative medicines, including Jade Clarity Pills and Hundred Herb Pills, to balance the poison within her body and protect her heart meridians.
For Qing Lin, he refined Green Spirit Pills to strengthen her spiritual perception and specially nourish her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
He also prepared Snake Control Powder and Spirit Communication Liquid, which could subtly influence snake-type magical beasts' emotions and facilitate communication and contracts.
He never concealed himself when refining pills.
The Red Lotus Karma Fire surged and blazed, bathing the pill chamber in a sacred yet eerie crimson glow.
The pill fragrance was so rich it seemed almost solid.
It often pierced through the chamber's insulating array and spread over nearly half the Inner Academy, making countless students and elders there drool with envy and click their tongues in wonder.
His Spirit Realm soul power gave him exquisite control over the flame's intensity and the fusion of medicinal properties.
And with the Karma Fire's cheat-like purifying ability, refining these fifth- and sixth-grade pills was as natural to him as breathing. His success rate was one hundred percent, and every pill that came out was top quality, with Pill Patterns forming on their own.
That nearly uninterrupted, daily fragrance of top-quality pills
soon attracted a special "guest," notorious throughout the Inner Academy and yet someone no one dared provoke.
One day, Lin Chen had just finished refining a batch of Green Spirit Pills and was about to open the furnace and retrieve them.
The heavy door to the pill chamber was silently pushed open a crack.
A little head cautiously poked inside.
It was a girl who looked about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a slightly oversized white dress, her purple hair tied into two lively ponytails.
Her large, glossy black eyes were like the purest black gemstones.
At that moment, she stared unblinkingly toward the pill furnace, full of longing, sniffing hard at the fragrance in the air. A suspicious glimmer of drool even hung at the corner of her mouth.
"Gurgle..."
The clear sound of someone swallowing echoed especially loudly through the quiet pill chamber.
"Th-this smells so good..."
"Even better than all the medicinal herbs Zi Yan has ever eaten..."
The little girl murmured unconsciously.
She had no idea she'd already given herself away.
Lin Chen had sensed her arrival long ago.
A sweep of his soul power told him that this was Zi Yan, the freakishly strong little girl who ranked first on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking. Her true form was an Ancient Void Dragon.
She had an innate sensitivity to energy-rich things and an intense craving for them.
"Want some?"
Lin Chen picked up a freshly finished Green Spirit Pill, round and glistening, giving off a soft green light and a cool aura. He turned toward the doorway, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
"Ah!"
Zi Yan jumped in fright, like a startled little rabbit. She instinctively tried to pull her head back, but her gaze was glued to the pill, unable to move away.
She nodded her little head vigorously.
Her round, dark eyes brimmed with anticipation, and she did her best to put on an "I'm really strong" look.
"Mm! I want some!"
"If you give it to me, I... I, Zi Yan, will help you fight from now on! Whoever bullies you, I'll beat them flat!"
Seeing her greedy little face as she tried so hard to bargain and preserve the dignity of the Strong Ranking's number one,
a trace of amusement flickered through Lin Chen's eyes.
He casually tossed the precious Sixth-Grade Pill over to her.
Zi Yan's eyes lit up. She moved as fast as lightning, darted inside in a flash, and caught the pill perfectly.
Without even looking at it, she popped it straight into her mouth.
She crunched it a few times like a piece of candy. Her little face immediately bloomed with utter satisfaction and bliss, and her eyes curved into crescents.
"Wow! It's so tasty!"
"It's sweet and cool, and after I eat it, my body feels all warm!"
"It's ten thousand times better than Old Man Su's bitter, hard medicinal herbs!"
From then on, Zi Yan became a regular in Lin Chen's pill chamber and his number-one "pill apprentice" (whose main duties were taste-testing and keeping others from sneaking a bite).
Whenever Lin Chen refined pills, she sat nearby with her chin in her hands, watching him eagerly.
Now and then, he'd ask her to pass him an herb (which she often couldn't resist sneaking a bite from if it was particularly old). Whenever Lin Chen finished a batch, he always gave her one or two pills.
Lin Chen found her agreeable and thought the simple-minded little girl was amusing, so he was generous with her.
He even occasionally used rare herbs like Earth Fire Lotus Seeds and Blood Essence Demon Fruits to specially tailor some "top-quality candy pills" for her, with a wonderful taste and tremendous energy.
Zi Yan's affection for Lin Chen shot up as if she'd taken a rocket.
She practically followed him everywhere, becoming his most loyal little sidekick and his staunchest "pill guardian" in the Inner Academy.
The two quickly grew close.
It was common to see the cold-faced young man with a purple-haired little girl bouncing along behind him, eating pills. They became a peculiar sight in the Inner Academy.
Two or three months passed in peaceful, fulfilling days spent cultivating, refining pills, and occasionally giving Zi Yan and Medusa pointers (mostly because Medusa couldn't accept defeat and challenged him, only to be effortlessly suppressed).
One day, Lin Chen was in the pill chamber patiently teaching Zi Yan how to absorb the energy from pills more effectively, instead of relying on her powerful body to endure it all as if she were eating roasted beans.
An urgent communication jade slip bearing the distinctive seal of the Jia Ma Imperial Family
traversed vast distances through space and landed precisely in his palm.
It was a message from Jia Xingtian.
Lin Chen swept the jade slip with his soul power. His calm gaze instantly sharpened like a blade, and the aura around him cooled slightly.
Zi Yan, who had been trying hard to control the energy, and Medusa, sitting nearby with her eyes closed as if resting while secretly paying attention,
both sensed the change almost simultaneously and looked up at him.
There were two messages.
Their contents were enough to set off a storm:
First, several empires bordering the Jia Ma Empire, whose relations had long been strained and marked by constant friction (chief among them the Chu Yun Empire, Luo Yan Empire, and Mulan Empire),
had recently been moving large armies near the border with increasing frequency. Experts from every direction were gathering, troops were massing along the frontier, and military exercises were taking place one after another. Every sign suggested they intended to join forces and launch a major invasion of the Jia Ma Empire!
The frontier was more tense than ever.
Several small-scale clashes had already taken place. The storm was gathering!
Second, according to imperial spies who had risked their lives to investigate,
traces of the Nether Poison Fire, ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, had possibly been discovered within the Chu Yun Empire—especially in the territory controlled by its largest sect, the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect!
The Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect was keeping the matter under tight wraps.
They were searching frantically in secret and had already sealed off the suspected area. Outsiders could scarcely get near.
The Nether Poison Fire was a strange Heavenly Flame born in a land of extreme poisonous miasma.
It had fused with boundless netherworld energy, making it fiercely poisonous and exceptionally uncanny.
"Armies massing at the border... the Nether Poison Fire..."
Lin Chen slowly lowered the jade slip, tapping it lightly with a fingertip. His eyes glimmered with a bone-chilling coldness and a trace of keen interest.
Trouble always came looking for him.
But the Nether Poison Fire... that was an unexpected boon.
For that girl, Xiao Yi Xian, and her Woe Poison Body, this Heavenly Flame, containing the most extreme poison,
would be a perfect tonic and medium for controlling poison, tailor-made for her. Perhaps it could help her fully master that power and even make it her own. Her prospects were boundless.
It seemed he would have no choice but to visit the Chu Yun Empire and the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect.
He raised his head.
His gaze swept over the curious Zi Yan and Medusa, whose expression had already turned cool and sharp.
It seemed the Inner Academy's peaceful days would have to come to an end for now...
Before you continue