Taking Disciples, Ten-Thousandfold Returns: Starting from Battle Through the Heavens Chapter 44

A look of immense excitement immediately appeared on his face.

Not long after, under Hai Bo Dong's tense and expectant gaze, the door to the room opened from within, and Qin Hao walked out.

"Master Qin Hao..."

Seeing this, Hai Bo Dong hurriedly trotted over.

"I have fulfilled my mission."

Without wasting words, Qin Hao directly handed Hai Bo Dong a porcelain bottle.

Hai Bo Dong quickly took it and eagerly inspected it. At the bottom of the bottle lay a milky-white medicinal pill.

"Huh? This is... a pill pattern!? This pill actually has a pill pattern!?"

The moment he saw the cloud-like marking on the pill, Hai Bo Dong froze in shock. He recognized it at once—the marking was unmistakably a pill pattern.

He knew very well what it meant for a medicinal pill to develop a pill pattern.

At the same time, Hai Bo Dong gained an even more direct understanding of Qin Hao's alchemy skills.

Though he was not an alchemist, he knew some basic facts. He knew that, generally speaking, if a sixth-tier alchemist had a thirty percent success rate when refining sixth-tier pills, they could already be considered qualified.

A fifty percent success rate would make them outstanding.

As for the quality of the refined pills, an ordinary sixth-tier alchemist would be lucky if they had even a one percent chance of producing a sixth-tier pill with a pill pattern.

Even a peak sixth-tier alchemist would likely have no more than a ten percent chance of refining a sixth-tier pill with a pill pattern. This showed just how rare such pills were.

"Thank you, Master Qin Hao!"

After coming back to his senses, Hai Bo Dong immediately spoke with gratitude.

"No need to be polite. You earned it."

Qin Hao waved a hand.

[Some readers previously commented that the protagonist's pill yield was a little too high, so from now on, each batch the protagonist refines will only produce one pill!]

"Hm?"

Just as Qin Hao was about to say something else, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. He immediately looked toward a certain direction outside the courtyard.

Just then, Qin Hao had sensed an obscure and unfamiliar fluctuation of Dou Qi coming from that direction.

In fact, because of the heavenly phenomenon caused by the completed pill, quite a few people had gathered around the small courtyard.

The reason Qin Hao paid special attention to this aura was that its strength had actually reached the Dou Emperor level.

And it was no ordinary Dou Emperor—it had reached the peak Dou Emperor level.

"What is it, Master Qin Hao? Did something happen?"

Seeing this, Hai Bo Dong seemed to realize something. His expression changed slightly as he hurriedly stored the porcelain bottle in his storage ring, a wary look appearing on his face.

He had also noticed many people approaching his courtyard. However, after he released the aura of a Dou Spirit, those people had been intimidated and did not dare come closer.

But the one who had drawn Qin Hao's special attention could not possibly be one of those small fry. Since Hai Bo Dong had sensed nothing, there was clearly an even stronger presence hiding in the shadows.

"Since you are here, why not show yourself?"

Qin Hao's voice rang out, and his powerful soul force instantly erupted, locking onto the hidden aura.

Buzz...

As soon as Qin Hao finished speaking, an obscure fluctuation of Dou Qi spread out. Then, a figure slowly emerged from the distance.

The instant he saw her, a flash of astonishment crossed Qin Hao's eyes.

The newcomer wore a luxurious purple brocade robe. Her face was incomparably beautiful, almost bewitchingly so. Her long black hair cascaded casually over her fragrant shoulders and fell straight to her slender willow-like waist.

Her narrow light-purple eyes shimmered with an innate charm.

Beneath the brocade robe, her body was voluptuous and exquisite, like a ripe peach, exuding a faint seductive allure. Below the hem of her robe, a section of purple snake tail was exposed. It swayed gently, carrying a wild and enchanting charm.

Almost instantly, Qin Hao guessed her identity. That section of purple snake tail was simply too distinctive.

Coupled with her peak Dou Emperor cultivation, there could be no one else in the Jia Ma Empire with such traits besides the notorious Medusa Queen of the Snake-People Tribe.

"Medusa!"

While Qin Hao was merely somewhat surprised, Hai Bo Dong beside him reacted as if he had seen a ghost. His pupils contracted sharply, and the fear and apprehension in his eyes could not be concealed.

To Hai Bo Dong, Medusa was practically a nightmare. He held an instinctive fear of Medusa Queen deep in his bones.

"Hm? I was wondering who it was. So it's you! Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong. I never expected you to be hiding here!"

Medusa had been focused on Qin Hao all along. Only after hearing Hai Bo Dong did she notice him. After studying him for a moment, she sensed the aura of the seal she had left within him and immediately recognized his identity.

"Medusa, why are you here? What do you want?"

Hai Bo Dong forcibly suppressed the apprehension in his heart and spoke.

"Must I report my whereabouts to you? Don't worry. I have no interest in making a move against a defeated opponent."

Medusa Queen's icy voice sounded out, her tone filled with indifference. Clearly, she did not take Hai Bo Dong, her defeated opponent, seriously at all.

"You..."

Hearing Medusa's words, Hai Bo Dong felt relieved, yet also stifled. He was the mighty Ice Emperor, yet he was being ignored so completely.

"You must be Master Qin Hao from Canaan Academy?"

Medusa's gaze soon fell upon Qin Hao. She looked him over from head to toe before finally speaking.

"That's right. I did not expect to encounter Her Majesty the Queen here."

Qin Hao replied.

Qin Hao was clearly quite surprised by Medusa's appearance here as well.

"I was merely passing through Desert City and happened to be drawn here by the heavenly phenomenon from the completed pill. I came only to take a look. I bear no ill intent."

Medusa's voice followed.

In truth, Medusa really had just been passing by. She had been stuck at the peak Dou Emperor realm for many years. As the queen of the Snake-People Tribe, Medusa had always wanted to completely change the living conditions of her people.

That required great strength. Although her current peak Dou Emperor cultivation was powerful, maintaining the present situation was already her limit. In the current Jia Ma Empire, peak Dou Emperor cultivation was clearly insufficient to completely alter the empire's balance of power.

To truly change the fate of the Snake-People Tribe, she needed to reach at least the Dou Ancestor realm.

Unfortunately, due to the shackles of the Snake-People Tribe's bloodline talent, Medusa's difficulty in breaking through to the Dou Ancestor realm was far greater than that of a human peak Dou Emperor.

To break through to the Dou Ancestor realm, she needed more than just sufficient Dou Qi. More importantly, she needed to shatter the shackles of her bloodline. That was the hardest part.

Just as in the original story, Medusa had found a method in an ancient tome to break through her bloodline shackles: using the power of a Heavenly Flame to awaken the ancient bloodline within her.

The process was unimaginably dangerous. Calling it a near-death experience would not be an exaggeration.

But as someone with ambition and courage, Medusa was unwilling to remain mediocre like this. Thus, she had been searching everywhere for clues about Heavenly Flames.

In the original story, Medusa found the Green Lotus Core Flame in the underground lava world outside Stone Desert City. But now, Qin Hao had beaten her to it, so she naturally had no chance of obtaining it.

"I see."

After hearing Medusa's words, realization appeared on Qin Hao's face. He had not sensed any ill intent from her.

"Does Your Majesty have anything else to discuss?"

Seeing Medusa's hesitant expression, Qin Hao's thoughts stirred, and he immediately asked.

"This... I have something I wish to ask Master Qin Hao about in private. Would that be convenient for you, Master?"

Medusa's expression shifted. Soon, a look of determination surfaced in her eyes as she spoke.

"Master Qin Hao, you must be careful. Medusa's strength..."

Upon hearing Medusa's words, Hai Bo Dong hurriedly warned him. He knew Qin Hao was powerful, but this was the infamous Medusa Queen.

Medusa's expression did not change much at Hai Bo Dong's warning. She did not even glance at him, keeping her eyes fixed on Qin Hao.

"Very well."

Seeing Medusa's manner, Qin Hao did not refuse and directly nodded in agreement. He naturally wanted to see what Medusa intended.

Besides, even if Medusa truly meant him harm, he was not worried in the slightest.

Though Medusa was not weak, she was far inferior to Qin Hao's current strength. He could easily suppress her.

Qin Hao then temporarily entrusted Xiao Yan and the others to Hai Bo Dong's care.

He was not worried about Xiao Yan and the others' safety. After all, Ling Ying, a high-level Dou Emperor, was still protecting them in secret.

After making the arrangements, Qin Hao and Medusa rose into the air and soon arrived outside Desert City.

"Alright, Your Majesty. Say what you wish to say."

Qin Hao spoke directly.

"Master Qin Hao, you are a sixth-tier alchemist. May I ask whether you possess a Heavenly Flame?"

Medusa did not waste words and asked bluntly.

"A Heavenly Flame? Why are you asking about that? Wait... could it be that Your Majesty intends to use the power of a Heavenly Flame to break through the shackles of your bloodline?"

The moment Qin Hao heard her question, he quickly understood her intentions.

"Hm? I did not expect Master Qin Hao to guess it. That is correct. To be honest, I do intend to use the power of a Heavenly Flame to break through my bloodline shackles."

Medusa was surprised that Qin Hao had guessed her intentions at once, but she did not hide anything and directly nodded in admission.

"Your Majesty truly has courage. The Snake-People Tribe's bloodline is of the yin-cold attribute. Drawing a Heavenly Flame into your body would be a near-death endeavor."

Qin Hao said.

"I naturally know that. But rather than remain trapped forever at the peak Dou Emperor realm without making any progress, I would rather take a gamble! Succeed or die!"

Medusa spoke with a resolute expression.

"I do possess a Heavenly Flame. But what price is Your Majesty willing to pay?"

Qin Hao asked.

"You truly have a Heavenly Flame!?"

Upon hearing Qin Hao's words, a flash of delight immediately appeared in Medusa's eyes.