Snake-Person Yue Mei

The last wisp of green flame was completely swallowed by the crimson sea of fire.

A dull boom erupted within his dantian, and the tremors of merging energy spread through every limb and bone in Su Zhao's body.

The crimson Origin Flame swelled by a full circle, its color becoming deeper and more solid. As the flames danced, the faint phantom of a green lotus could be seen flickering deep within the firelight before vanishing.

At the same time, a vast and pure surge of energy flowed out from his dantian, coursing through his meridians and into every limb and bone. Su Zhao's aura rose steadily.

Time flowed like water, and seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Within the valley, the crimson and green flames that had lingered around Su Zhao's body for seven unmoving days gradually withdrew into him. His ever-rising aura also slowly settled after reaching a certain peak.

He opened his eyes.

Peak Nine-Star Dou Ling!

He had advanced a full five stars.

The Green Lotus Core Flame Su Zhao had absorbed was not like the one Xiao Yan absorbed in the original story. By then, that Green Lotus Core Flame had been weakened to the extreme, with little of its power remaining.

What Su Zhao had absorbed, however, was a Green Lotus Core Flame that was nearly at its peak. The immense energy contained within had directly pushed him from a Four-Star Dou Ling all the way to the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling. He was only one step away from becoming a Dou Wang!

Unfortunately, that one step was still missing. He had failed to cross directly into the Dou Wang realm.

Su Zhao rose and stretched his somewhat stiff body, then raised his right hand with a thought.

Three flames rose from his palm at once.

The Origin Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame, and the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame!

The three flames slowly revolved in his palm like three stars of different colors, reflecting one another without interfering with each other.

"With this, I already have three Heavenly Flames in hand. The three Heavenly Flames—the most crucial materials for the Poison Pill Method—have been gathered. All that remains is the magic core of a Seventh-Rank Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast and Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva. The Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva is in the Black-Corner Region, while the magic core of the Seventh-Rank Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast is in the Central Plains. But the pill formula for the Poison Pill Method isn't in his hands yet. There's still one year until the three-year agreement from the original story. I wonder whether Yao Lao has awakened by now."

Su Zhao murmured to himself.

"I should make a trip to Wutan City first. The sooner I get the Poison Pill Method, the better. It would be troublesome if something unexpected happened later."

He withdrew his hand, and the three flames vanished at once. Then he turned and headed out of the valley.

At the valley entrance, Little Doctor sat atop a rock, swinging her legs in boredom. When she saw Su Zhao emerge, she immediately jumped down and went to meet him. After looking him over, she smiled. "Looks like absorbing the Heavenly Flame went very smoothly."

Su Zhao smiled and lightly flicked the top of her head. "Of course. Who do you think was absorbing the Heavenly Flame?"

Little Doctor slapped his hand away, but she could not help asking curiously, "What realm did you reach?"

"Peak Nine-Star Dou Ling. I'm only one step away from breaking through to Dou Wang."

Little Doctor sucked in a breath. "Your rate of advancement..."

Su Zhao clapped his hands and laughed. "All right, don't forget that we still have a mission."

He had not forgotten about refining a Break-Evil Pill for Hai Bo Dong. Sand Mandala only grew in extremely hot places deep within the desert. He had no intention of personally turning the entire desert upside down looking for it. That would be far too troublesome. Why not simply ask the Snake-People Tribe for it?

He was extremely confident now. With his cultivation at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Ling, combined with his many trump cards, ordinary Dou Wangs were no match for him.

There was also Su You, a guard at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Huang, and the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, a sixth-rank magic beast, as a mount. With the strength of their group, obtaining two Sand Mandalas from the Snake-People Tribe should be easy enough.

"Let's go!"

At Su Zhao's call, everyone leaped onto the broad back of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King violently flapped its wings, stirring up a gale. Its massive body swiftly rose into the air and sped toward the heart of the desert.

It had to be said, having the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King as a mount was truly convenient.

The Snake-People Tribe of the Tagor Desert consisted of eight tribes and one holy city.

The eight tribes were spread across the desert, each led by a Snake-People powerhouse who governed a separate region.

To be safe, Su Zhao did not intend to go directly to the Snake-People holy city to seek out Medusa Queen. He was not afraid of fighting if negotiations failed, but it would be troublesome in the end.

He planned to start with one of the Snake-People tribes.

The locations of the eight great tribes were no secret and were all marked on maps.

The nearest to them at the moment was the Charm Snake Tribe, making it their natural destination.

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King was extremely fast. The endless dunes below swiftly receded, and before long, the outline of a city built among the sand dunes appeared in their sight.

It was a cluster of buildings constructed from massive blocks of sandstone. Tall stone walls stood around its perimeter, and Snake-People guards armed with spears stood along the ramparts. From afar, their vertical pupils and finely scaled skin were clearly visible.

Su Zhao patted the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's head.

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's enormous body descended before the gates of the Charm Snake Tribe like a small purple mountain. When it folded its wings, the gale it stirred up swept sand and dust into the sky like a miniature sandstorm.

The Snake-People guards on the walls immediately erupted into commotion. Their spears all pointed downward as sharp horn calls rang out, shattering the stillness of the desert afternoon.

This action quickly alarmed the entire Snake-People tribe.

From deep within the tribe, a figure shot into the sky in an instant. She was a seductive female Snake-Person with a bewitching yet icy face, her lower body covered in fine dark-red scales.

Hovering in midair, she swept her cold gaze over the massive purple lion before the gates, her brows drawing together slightly.

"The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King?"

There was a trace of surprise in Yue Mei's voice.

"Why has it come to the Tagor Desert instead of staying in the Magic Beast Mountain Range?"

Her gaze soon caught sight of the figures standing on the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's back, and her pupils narrowed.

Humans... were actually standing atop the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King? Given the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's temperament, forget allowing anyone to ride it—even approaching its territory would provoke its thunderous rage.

Yet this sixth-rank magic beast now behaved as obediently as a tamed mount, quietly crouching on the ground as those young humans steadily descended from its back.

Purple wings spread from Su Zhao's back as he rose into the air, facing Yue Mei from afar.

He did not throw his weight around. Instead, he politely clasped his hands and said courteously, "I am Su Zhao. I have come to your tribe today and caused a minor disturbance. Please forgive me."

Yue Mei's scrutinizing gaze lingered on Su Zhao for a moment before shifting to the silent black-clad figure behind him. Her pupils suddenly contracted.

The black-robed man concealed his aura exceptionally well. At first glance, he seemed like nothing more than an ordinary attendant. But as one of the eight leaders of the Snake-People tribes, Yue Mei's senses were extraordinarily sharp. She could faintly detect a subtle pressure around him, like that of a slumbering ferocious beast. Even while lying dormant, it made one's spine turn cold.

It was as though she were facing Her Majesty the Queen herself!

Alarm bells rang in Yue Mei's heart, though her expression remained unchanged. She spoke in a low voice, "Human, state your purpose."

Su Zhao smiled and did not beat around the bush. "It's nothing major. I merely wish to borrow two medicinal herbs from your tribe."

"What medicinal herbs?"

"Sand Mandala."