Green Lotus Core Flame, You're Mine

"The Medusa before us is only a clone. If we want to make a move, now is our only chance," Wu Changqing said.

His words immediately made surprise and anger flash through Medusa's eyes.

She had not expected this man to see through her clone!

"Who are you?" Medusa asked.

Wu Changqing did not answer. He merely raised his sword, and with a flash of sword light, split the Medusa before him in two.

There was no blood. Medusa turned into a cloud of purple Dou Qi and dissipated into the air.

It truly was only a clone.

"Insolence!"

Yue Mei and Mo Ba Si were both enraged.

Even if it was only a clone, it was still their queen!

Wu Changqing's disrespect toward their queen was disrespect toward the Snake People!

"Are we charging in, or leaving?"

Wu Changqing ignored the two of them and looked at Gu He.

He wanted to charge in himself, but he could not seize the Heavenly Flame alone. He needed them to act as well and create chaos.

"Old Gu, just give the word, and we'll charge right in!" Yan Shi shouted from the side.

Gu He pondered for a long while before finally nodding heavily. "Charge in!"

They had already come this far. If they returned now, he would regret it.

Even if there was only the slightest chance!

Even if it meant completely offending the Snake People... the Jia Ma Empire and the Snake People had always been mortal enemies. There was no question of whether they could afford to offend each other.

"Then let's do it!"

Yan Shi and Feng Li rushed in first.

Wu Changqing did not stand idly by either.

He had to help. Otherwise, these people would not hold out, and it would be detrimental to his plan.

"Damn humans!"

Mo Ba Si and Yue Mei took the initiative to confront Wu Changqing, two against one.

The other Snake People experts also began fighting Yan Shi and the others.

Meanwhile, Gu He took the opportunity to fly deeper into the Snake People Royal City. He was going to find the Heavenly Flame.

"You two should stop getting in my way."

Wu Changqing looked at Mo Ba Si and Yue Mei, gripping his sword.

"Sword Extremity: Star Extinction!"

He thrust his sword. In an instant, sword radiance blazed like shifting stars in the heavens.

Before Mo Ba Si and Yue Mei could even understand what had happened, a powerful force sent them flying, slamming them heavily into the buildings below.

At the same time.

Within the Snake People Forbidden Ground, Medusa had already begun evolving.

She knew what was happening outside, but this was the most crucial stage of her evolution. She could not stop halfway.

Once this queen evolves successfully, I will make these humans remain in the desert forever!

Boom—!

A massive purple pillar of light shot into the sky, dyeing the entire firmament purple.

Medusa had begun evolving!

"It looks like Gu He failed to find the Heavenly Flame. Hold them off while I go support him."

After giving them these instructions, Wu Changqing flew toward the depths of the Snake People Royal City.

The other Snake People tried to stop him, but they were no match for him.

Before long, he met Gu He at the center of the royal city.

"Elder Wu, it seems we were too late. Queen Medusa has already begun evolving. We have no chance now," Gu He said with a bitter smile.

"You go meet up with the others and retreat for now. I'll go take a look at Queen Medusa's situation."

"If we all leave, what will you do alone?" Gu He asked.

"Don't worry. As long as Queen Medusa hasn't evolved successfully, I can still retreat safely on my own. Hurry and leave."

With that, Wu Changqing flew toward where Medusa was evolving.

His mission was to protect Gu He while he searched for the Heavenly Flame, not to help him find it.

If Gu He could not find the Heavenly Flame, it was because he lacked the ability.

Since that was the case, Wu Changqing would have to subdue the Green Lotus Core Flame himself.

Seeing this, Gu He could not say much more and hurriedly retreated.

At this point, Medusa's evolution was nearing its end.

Her massive true form let out shrill screams beneath the scorching Heavenly Flame, and her body began rapidly shrinking.

When the screams abruptly stopped, the enormous purple serpent had been burned into a charred corpse that fell to the ground.

In a bamboo grove not far away, a figure watched this scene in shock.

"Teacher, Queen Medusa... failed her evolution?"

Xiao Yan was stunned. He had never expected Queen Medusa's evolution to fail!

That infamous woman had died just like that?

"Evolving with a Heavenly Flame was already an incredibly dangerous endeavor, with nine chances of death for every chance of survival. Failure is normal."

Old Yao's tone carried a hint of regret.

He rather admired Medusa's courage.

But Medusa's failed evolution was bad news for the Snake People and good news for them.

Because now they had a chance to obtain the Heavenly Flame!

The Green Lotus Core Flame was in the clearing ahead.

"Little Yan, hurry and take that Heavenly Flame."

At Old Yao's reminder, Xiao Yan quickly rushed out.

But at that moment, a figure appeared before the Green Lotus Core Flame ahead of them.

It was Wu Changqing, who had arrived later!

"That was close. You nearly took the Heavenly Flame."

"You're one of the Snake People? No... you're the Dou Emperor expert among Gu He's group?!"

Xiao Yan recognized Wu Changqing's attire.

He had originally slipped in secretly while Gu He and the others drew the Snake People's attention.

He had not expected Wu Changqing to come too?!

What were those Snake People doing? How had they let such a huge living person get in??

"You want the Heavenly Flame too, but unfortunately, so do I."

"So..."

Wu Changqing plunged the Evergreen Sword in his hand into the Green Lotus Core Flame beside him.

An ordinary sword would have been melted into molten iron by the Heavenly Flame's heat.

But his would not.

And besides,

"Sword Furnace, absorb!"

Using the sword as a furnace, the Evergreen Sword became like a vortex and swallowed all of the Green Lotus Core Flame.

[Successfully absorbed the Green Lotus Core Flame!]

[Cultivation increased to four-star Dou Emperor!]

[Comprehended "High-tier Earth-Class Dou Technique: Burning Heaven Sword"!]

He already possessed the ability to refine all forms of energy, so refining the Green Lotus Core Flame was not difficult.

Xiao Yan, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded.

In just an instant, how had Wu Changqing absorbed the Green Lotus Core Flame?!

That was his Heavenly Flame!

"Teacher, he absorbed the Heavenly Flame?!"

Not only Xiao Yan, even Old Yao was stunned.

To absorb the Heavenly Flame, he had even made Xiao Yan gather medicinal ingredients to refine pills, making it easier to subdue the Heavenly Flame.

Yet Wu Changqing had absorbed it so casually?!

In all his years of experience, this was the first time he had seen someone absorb a Heavenly Flame in such a... simple and brutal manner.

Was this guy cheating?!

"Teacher, should we take it from him?" Xiao Yan asked.

Although the Heavenly Flame was inside Wu Changqing, as long as they killed Wu Changqing, they could still extract it!

"Something's wrong. The Snake People experts are coming. Leave quickly," Old Yao warned.

Since Wu Changqing had appeared here, the Snake People experts would certainly follow.

Xiao Yan cursed and could only flee first!