Xiao Yan Arrived, Visitors from the Heavenly Snake Mansion!

[In the first year, the Ice Emperor found you the medicinal ingredients for refining the Crimson Flame Barrier-Breaking Pill and the Three-Turn Flame Spirit Pill, as well as most of the ingredients for the Marrow-Burning Liquid.]

[The Ice Emperor felt deeply apologetic about failing to find flame marrow, one of the main ingredients for the Marrow-Burning Liquid. Flame marrow was a special ore that grew deep within magma and contained extremely violent fire energy. Although the Tagor Desert abounded in fire-attribute medicinal ingredients, this kind of magma ore was uncommon.]

[You reassured the Ice Emperor that he need not be discouraged. Since a Heavenly Flame had appeared in the Tagor Desert, there had to be a place rich in fire energy here. Perhaps flame marrow grew there as well.]

[The Ice Emperor nodded helplessly, then asked whether you needed him to do anything else.]

[After a moment's thought, you told him to go to Stone Desert City, visit the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, and bring back a little girl named Qing Lin. You stressed that he must treat her courteously.]

[The Ice Emperor looked at you in confusion and asked how she was related to you.]

["She's my long-lost younger sister!" you said with a solemn expression.]

[The Ice Emperor was utterly shocked and repeatedly promised to handle the matter properly and find your long-lost younger sister.]

[In the second month, you successfully refined the Crimson Flame Barrier-Breaking Pill and the Two-Turn Flame Spirit Pill. After swallowing both pills, your cultivation shot straight up to four-star Dou Wang. You could not help sighing, "This is the fruit of my hard work!"]

[Then Hai Bodong brought Qing Lin back, along with a piece of news.]

["Your sister knows where the Heavenly Flame is!" Hai Bodong said solemnly. He then told you that Qing Lin had recently sensed unusual fluctuations east of Stone Desert City.]

[This was very likely a sign that a Heavenly Flame had emerged.]

[You nodded gravely, but inwardly thought little of it. As someone with the Azure-Eyed Three-Flowered Pupils, Qing Lin had always been keenly sensitive to the auras of snakes. What she had sensed was probably Queen Medusa's aura, not the Green Lotus Core Flame.]

[There was no need to reveal that information to outsiders, however.]

[You then settled Qing Lin at your side and began teaching her to cultivate. Curious, Zi Yan asked how she was related to you.]

[With a solemn expression, you declared, "She's my long-lost younger sister. Dragons and snakes are kin, Zi Yan. Tens of thousands of years ago, we shared the same bloodline."]

[Utterly shocked, Zi Yan pulled Qing Lin aside and gave her a stern warning. She said that some alchemists had peculiar tastes and were especially fond of young children, and told Qing Lin to be extremely careful.]

[In the third month, Hai Bodong obtained a piece of flame marrow through an auction. You successfully refined the Marrow-Burning Liquid and had Qing Lin wear specially made gloves to apply it to you. Just then, a black-robed youth came to the Ancient Map Shop to buy a map and stumbled upon what you were doing.]

["In broad daylight, beneath these clear heavens, how could such a villain exist!" The black-robed youth, Xiao Yan, looked aghast. Staring at your exposed skin, which was red all over, he cried in anguish, "Using a fifth-tier medicinal liquid to cultivate! You filthy rich bastard! You filthy rich bastard!"]

[After all, the Burning Blood Yao Lao had refined for him was only a fourth-tier medicinal liquid. In both efficacy and grade, it fell short of the fifth-tier Marrow-Burning Liquid.]

[You waved a hand, displeasure showing on your face. "Little brother, what brings you to my Lin Chen Map Shop?"]

["Isn't this the Ancient Map Shop?" Xiao Yan asked, looking bewildered.]

["It's been renamed," you said calmly, then instructed Hai Bodong beside you to put up a new sign.]

[After a conversation with you, Xiao Yan eventually traded his precious companion amethyst source for your fifth-tier Marrow-Burning Liquid.]

[As a treasure comparable to ice spirit cold spring, companion amethyst source was even more precious. Greatly satisfied, you invited Xiao Yan to join you for a foot soak at the Flower-Arranging Residence in the eastern part of the city.]

[Xiao Yan was sorely tempted, but firmly refused. He declared that a true man knew what to do and what not to do. Cultivation came first; he had to seize every moment to cultivate, then slap the face of a certain woman who had broken off their engagement.]

["I, Xiao Yan, have no interest in women," Xiao Yan said by way of refusal.]

[You expressed your regret, then had Qing Lin massage your feet and Zi Yan pound your back, enjoying the two little ones' service at home.]

[In the fourth month, following Qing Lin's directions, you went to the magma cavern where the Green Lotus Core Flame was located. You gave the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake a thorough lesson and made it Qing Lin's "contract beast," then took the Earth Fire Lotus Platform, eleven earth fire lotus seeds, and the Snake Scale Queen Medusa had left behind.]

["Who's there? Get out here!" As you emerged from the magma cavern, your expression suddenly changed, and you shouted angrily toward an empty patch of ground.]

["Brother Lin, it's me, Xiao Yan." Xiao Yan stepped out, looking embarrassed. It turned out that he had followed you, also hoping to find the Heavenly Flame.]

[You told him that someone had already taken the Heavenly Flame. Xiao Yan did not believe you and immediately went down to check. He then came back up looking disappointed, his words tinged with dejection.]

["Don't worry, Brother Xiao. Heavenly Flames aren't common. There are plenty of alchemists in this world without one. There's no need to lose heart over this." You comforted Xiao Yan, hoping the Flame Emperor would regain his spirits so he could trade elbow blows with Hun Tiandi in the future while you slacked off in the rear.]

["You don't have a Heavenly Flame either, Brother Lin?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and hope stirred in his heart.]

["A Heavenly Flame? Who doesn't have one?" You snapped your fingers, and the dazzling sea heart flame gushed out, forming a large character for "fire" in the air. It was quite a pretty sight.]

[Xiao Yan left looking desolate. Just before he departed, a faint glimmer could be seen flashing across the ring on his hand. A certain old fellow seemed to have recalled something, and his anger could no longer be contained.]

[Not long afterward, you took Zi Yan to the Snake-People Holy City, planning to steal sand mandala and the Green Lotus Core Flame. You left Hai Bodong at home to look after Qing Lin.]

[Hai Bodong readily agreed, declaring that if a single hair on your sister's head was harmed, he would write his title of Ice Emperor backward!]

[In the fifth month, a great battle erupted in the Snake-People Holy City as Gu He led a surprise assault on it. You and Zi Yan slipped inside. Relying on Zi Yan's all-capable spatial power, you emptied the Snake-People Tribe's treasury, then headed to Queen Medusa's residence.]

[There, you saw a Beauty Snake undergoing a tribulation and transformation. You and Zi Yan swiftly fled with an entire pool's worth of ice spirit cold spring and the Green Lotus Core Flame.]

[During your escape, a black-robed female Dou Emperor chased after you, bristling with killing intent and radiating a menacing aura.]

[You could smell that this woman was unusual-her black robe carried Xiao Yan's scent! You immediately shouted, "Is that Miss Yun Zhi? I'm Yao Yan's elder brother, Yao Chen. Please do me the courtesy of letting me off today!"]

["I have the companion amethyst source my second brother Yao Yan gave me as proof!" You then tossed out a bottle of companion amethyst source. The female Dou Emperor caught it and looked stunned. For a moment, she hesitated, actually not daring to advance.]

[Greatly reassured, you hurried away with Zi Yan and soon escaped the Snake-People Tribe's territory.]

[In the sixth month, you returned to the Lin Chen Map Shop and found it in complete disarray. Hai Bodong was slumped on the ground, utterly dispirited. When he saw you arrive, his face went deathly pale. "My lord, I failed you. Your sister Qing Lin was taken by people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion."]

["They only just left, heading west. Hurry after them and see what you can do. Be extremely careful-they have two Dou Huang experts!"]

["The Ice Emperor is useless! It seems I must come out of seclusion!" Furious, you took a deep breath, crushed the Communication Jade Slip Xun'er had given you, and sent her a message.]

["The plan has changed. Gather the Dou Shengs at once and attack the Heavenly Snake Mansion with me!"]

["Once it's done, I'll hand over all the Heavenly Flames as promised!"]