Nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Green Lotus Core Flame

Tagor Desert.

Two figures streaked across the sky. Neither possessed the Dou Qi wings typical of their level; instead, they trod upon the void, their bodies radiating formidable auras that whipped up violent sandstorms in their wake.

Yellow sand filled the sky, scorched by the blazing sun.

In the hand of the man in black robes, a wisp of black flame flickered.

"This is the place."

Shen Shihuang came to a halt and looked down. The woman in purple silk robes beside him stopped as well, her bare feet resting on the air. Her snow-white legs were striking, and the twin peaks of her chest exuded an endless allure that could leave any man in this world spellbound.

Three thousand strands of dark hair cascaded to her waist, her figure lush and exquisite—a masterpiece of humanity.

"Husband, are you saying the Heavenly Flame is located here?" The woman was none other than the Queen of the Snake-Person Tribe in this vast desert.

Queen Medusa.

Queen Medusa frowned slightly, gazing at the yellow sands below. "There is indeed a powerful scent of flame. Could this be the Heavenly Flame you spoke of, Husband?"

Shen Shihuang nodded.

He retracted the black flame into his palm and descended to the ground in an instant. "We will know once we find the entrance."

Taisui Flame.

Although it was not ranked on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, Shen Shihuang could roughly guess how it had come to him. When he transmigrated into this world, he must have touched the origin of time, resulting in him arriving with a Heavenly Flame born from the void of time itself.

The Taisui Flame was still in its nascent stage, and there were only two ways for it to grow stronger.

The first way.

It was simple. Such a miraculous object naturally grew stronger through the accumulation of time; as the saying went, it gains spirit in a century and takes form in a millennium...

Clearly, this method was almost impossible for Shen Shihuang.

He did not have that much time to wait for a single flame to mature.

There was a second way for the Taisui Flame to grow.

It stemmed from the Taisui Flame's own innate ability: to absorb the origin energy of other Heavenly Flames. This would not only allow the Taisui Flame to grow rapidly but also grant it the abilities of the flames it consumed.

If it were the origin of the Void Devouring Flame, the Taisui Flame would simultaneously possess the power of consumption—a truly terrifying prospect.

Shen Shihuang knew that there was a Heavenly Flame hidden within this Tagor Desert.

The Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.

Moreover, given the current situation, Queen Medusa had already achieved a perfect evolution thanks to the flame he possessed, so she naturally had no need for the Lotus Core Flame. It was quite possible the flame was still where it belonged.

Therefore.

Shen Shihuang had brought Queen Medusa to wander the vast desert, searching for the location of the Lotus Core Flame.

They arrived at a certain spot.

Shen Shihuang's expression suddenly shifted.

Seeing the change in his face, Queen Medusa hurried forward. When she saw the scene before them, she asked, "Husband, has someone beaten us to it?"

Before them lay a massive crater, from which waves of scorching heat continuously radiated.

"It is of no consequence."

Seeing that the crater still existed, it meant Xiao Yan had only just obtained the flame. A thought suddenly occurred to him.

In his past life.

He had often seen readers evaluate and joke about the various protagonists in novels.

One of those points concerned Xiao Yan.

Better to be Xiao Yan's lackey than the brother of a certain Third Brother.

The latter needed no explanation, but the former was enough to prove just how upright the protagonist Xiao Yan's character was. No matter your strength, as long as you were Xiao Yan's friend, he would sit and drink with you even if he were a Dou Di.

And if you needed help?

Heh.

Before you were on the verge of death, Brother Yan would save you one hundred percent of the time.

If I rely on myself to obtain a Heavenly Flame, even if I know where it is, it is almost impossible, Shen Shihuang thought. Although Heavenly Flames were miraculous treasures of heaven and earth, they were also the most volatile things in existence. Once tainted by one, even a Dou Zun would risk losing their life, let alone him in his current state.

It was nearly impossible to obtain one on his own.

Besides.

Even Xiao Yan had required incredibly complex and cumbersome preparations to absorb a Heavenly Flame, and that was with the guidance of a senior.

"Husband, since someone has beaten us to the flame, should we...?" Queen Medusa's expression turned ruthless.

Shen Shihuang shook his head.

"There is no need. I only require the origin energy within it. As long as the other party is willing, I can obtain it."

"That is far safer than absorbing it myself."

Queen Medusa was stunned.

I don't quite understand.

"We're good friends, after all. If there's a need for help, I'll naturally step in."

"For this person to have taken the Heavenly Flame from right under our noses without a sound, they must either have had an expert guiding them, or they are an expert themselves. However, as you told me, the current Jia Ma Empire doesn't possess such powerhouses."

"That means they had guidance from an expert. Making friends with someone like that is never a loss."

A hint of disappointment flickered in Queen Medusa's eyes: "If that's the case, won't you have to leave this place, my husband?"

Shen Shihuang took Queen Medusa's hand, rubbing it slowly with a smile on his face: "Naturally, I won't be gone for long. I couldn't bear to leave you, especially your..."

Queen Medusa's expression shifted, and she immediately shot a dangerous look at Shen Shihuang.

"But we don't know who took it. I'm afraid it won't be easy if you go looking for them."

As for this problem.

Shen Shihuang felt no concern. He could check the mercenary groups around the desert, or the imperial capital of the Jia Ma Empire; at the very worst, he could just wait at the Cloud Mist Sect.

It wouldn't take more than a few months.

"I'll set off in two months. I'll spend these two months properly accompanying you. Because of the Taisui Flame, your bloodline has been sublimated. If you continue to nurture it for another two months, your strength will be fully stabilized by then."

As Shen Shihuang spoke, ambition flared in his eyes: "Moreover, the most important thing is that your bloodline is too weak, which dictates your limits. There are incredibly powerful snake-clan bloodlines within the Dou Qi Continent. Once we are strong enough, we will go and seize those powerful bloodlines. Whether for you or for the entire Snake-Person Tribe, that is the best path to becoming stronger."

Although Queen Medusa was aware of her bloodline situation, she had never known just how terrifying a powerful bloodline could truly be.

"We are already Dou Zong experts now; no one in the Jia Ma Empire is our match," Queen Medusa said.

Shen Shihuang exhaled a puff of hot air.

He looked toward the distance: "Above Dou Zong is Dou Zun, above Dou Zun is Dou Sheng, and above Dou Sheng is Dou Di!!"

"Since I have this Taisui Flame, our path cannot possibly stop at Dou Zong."

Queen Medusa nodded.

"Very well. Then when you leave, I will wait for you here."

Shen Shihuang gripped Queen Medusa's hand tightly: "No, when the time comes, you can come with me. I haven't been anywhere, and I want you to accompany me."

Queen Medusa: "...!"