Above the sky, Xiao Fan's figure was so light it seemed unbound by anything in the world. The wind roared past his ears, yet couldn't shake him in the slightest.
His clothes snapped in the wind, accentuating his otherworldly air.
He moved at an extreme speed, leaving only a blurry streak of light behind him, like a silver thread connecting all the places he passed.
Having just acquired the Secret of Travel, Xiao Fan began roaming freely across the Jia Ma Empire, yet no one could notice his presence.
That was because a mysterious jade pendant hung at his waist, its surface intricately engraved with a powerful concealment formation.
The formation was quite potent. Anyone below Dou Zun couldn't detect him.
And Dou Zun experts... why would they come to this remote place, the Jia Ma Empire?
Besides, even if one did come, it wouldn't matter. He was itching to try his hand at a fight. Since reaching the Dou Zong realm, he still hadn't truly had a hearty brawl with anyone.
Whoosh!!
A figure streaked across the sky above the Jia Ma Empire like a shooting star.
In less than half a day, he had toured the entire Jia Ma Empire.
Even a Dou Huang expert flying day and night would need several months to complete such a journey.
Though the Secret of Travel was still only at the entry level, the speed it granted was already quite impressive.
Xiao Fan thought smugly, With this speed, I can go anywhere under heaven!
"Hm?"
Just then, Xiao Fan, who had been leisurely flying through the air, suddenly stopped. He had keenly sensed an extremely terrifying surge of energy.
"Is that... a Heavenly Flame?"
Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. The Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art was exceptionally sensitive to energy that could be devoured and converted into his own power.
He glanced down at the landscape below.
A desert... the Tagor Desert?
So... it's that Heavenly Flame?
The Green Lotus Core Flame, nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
At that moment, in the Tagor Desert.
Beneath the blazing sun, the scorching light mercilessly baked the vast, boundless desert. The burning sand seemed ready to catch fire.
The Snake-Person Tribe was hidden deep within the desert.
Medusa, queen of the Snake-People Tribe, appeared among her people, her presence noble and cold.
Her upper body was that of a graceful, alluring woman, with snow-white skin and breathtaking features; her lower body was a long, powerful serpent's tail.
Her scales flashed with dazzling light, and every sway carried an air of authority and strength.
Her black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, swaying gently with her movements.
At that moment, Medusa was incredibly excited.
Just moments ago, one of her subordinates had reported the exact location of a Heavenly Flame.
"I've finally found it! This Heavenly Flame will surely help me break through my bottleneck!"
Medusa thought to herself, excitement gleaming in her eyes.
The Snake-People had lived in this desert for ages and knew something of its many secrets.
Moreover, the birth of a Heavenly Flame caused unusual changes in its surroundings, such as abnormally high temperatures and violent fluctuations in energy.
The desert was the Snake-People's territory. Through years of observation and exploration, a powerful member of the tribe at the Dou Wang level had sensed the peculiar energy radiating from the Green Lotus Core Flame and discovered its existence.
Why was Medusa so excited? Because she had been stuck at the Peak Dou Emperor level for a long time.
She had set her sights on a Heavenly Flame in the hope of breaking through to the Dou Zong realm.
"With the Green Lotus Core Flame, I'll surely break through to Dou Zong!"
Medusa was filled with anticipation.
Deep in the Tagor Desert, in a barren, scorching world, there was a place that seemed especially strange.
It was a sunken hollow, its surrounding dunes charred black, as if they had been scorched by endless flames.
The air warped violently nearby, blurring the view. The temperature was so high that the space around the place visibly distorted.
Medusa moved like lightning, reaching her destination in the blink of an eye.
When she entered the cave's central area, her gaze was immediately drawn to a brilliant, frenzied mass of flame: the legendary Green Lotus Core Flame.
The Heavenly Flame blazed fiercely, unleashing a terrifying energy that made the heart tremble.
That energy surged like turbulent waves, crashing again and again against Medusa's defenses.
She trembled all over despite herself, a deep fear rooted in her serpentine instincts instantly taking hold of her body and mind.
"What should I do?"
Medusa narrowed her long, alluring eyes, hesitation filling her gaze.
She bit her lip, her thoughts in turmoil.
The Heavenly Flame was far too powerful. One careless mistake, and it might devour her, reducing her to ashes.
But if she gave up now, her hope of reaching Dou Zong would once again become distant and uncertain.
Just as she stood there, torn by indecision...
A sudden voice rang out in the silent cave.
"Oh~ this energy's pretty good..."
Xiao Fan's excited voice drifted through the cave.
He stood straight as a pine, his black robe snapping in the searing current of air.
His steps were firm and unhurried as he headed straight toward the frenzied Heavenly Flame, chin held high.
It was as if nothing in the world could stop him from moving forward.
"Human..."
Medusa was startled. Her jewel-like eyes instantly filled with shock.
This was supposed to be a secret place. Where had this human come from?
And when had he sneaked in?
Medusa's willow-shaped brows knit tightly. She bit her lower lip, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.
In the end, however, she chose to remain silent, merely fixing her gaze on the figure drawing closer to the Heavenly Flame.
Hmph! What a foolhardy human.
Medusa sneered inwardly, the corner of her mouth lifting into a cold curve.
She could already picture the human being mercilessly devoured by the Heavenly Flame and reduced to ashes.
Yet in the very next instant, a shocking scene unfolded.
In the blink of an eye, the Green Lotus Core Flame, which had been surging wildly and could incinerate everything, seemed to be bound by an even more powerful force.
The frantically dancing flames gradually lost the power to resist. Like a tame lamb, they were slowly drawn into Xiao Fan's stomach.
A deep, indescribable satisfaction welled up inside Xiao Fan, as if a parched land had been blessed with a life-giving rain.
He could clearly feel his Innate Sacred Body Dao Fetus acting like a bottomless black hole, greedily drawing in the Heavenly Flame's vast energy.
With each wisp of energy it absorbed, it grew fuller and more powerful...