Another month passed.
The desert was bitterly cold at night, and the entire Snake-People Holy City fell silent.
Inside the Sacred Hall, Chen Xuan and Queen Medusa switched souls again, leaving Queen Medusa in control of the body.
"At our current cultivation speed, we should reach Peak Dou Emperor in less than two months."
Queen Medusa felt the terrifying Dou Qi contained within her body and spoke with a faint smile.
"Indeed. We only need two months to reach Peak Dou Emperor. Thanks to the pills, the Eight Leaders and the Four Elders have all gained one star as well. Elder Snake Ji's long accumulation finally bore fruit: the Emperor's Extreme Pill helped her break through two stars, reaching Eight-Star Dou Emperor."
"The Snake-People Tribe finally has a second high-level Dou Huang expert."
Hearing Queen Medusa's words, Chen Xuan's voice slowly rang out. "It's just a pity that each of these pills can only be taken once in a lifetime. With Gu He here, pills will no longer be a problem for us."
Chen Xuan sighed softly, feeling a little helpless.
These strength-enhancing pills all had limits on their use. Each could only be taken once in a lifetime.
"If powerful pills like these had no restrictions, that would be the real problem."
Hearing this, Queen Medusa reclined on the bed, her eyes gleaming.
If powerful pills that raised one's strength by a star could be taken without limit, wouldn't the strength of those top alchemists defy the heavens?
Chen Xuan naturally understood that reasoning. He merely felt it was a pity, since the Snake-People Tribe urgently needed to grow stronger.
"The Snake-People Tribe's strength has already increased considerably. Pill King Gu He also gave us the Pill Refining Insights, and he's now helping us refine some Dou Wang-Breaking Pills. If he succeeds, our tribe may gain several more Dou Wang experts over the next few years."
"What should we focus on next?"
Queen Medusa narrowed her beautiful eyes and couldn't help asking.
After all, the Snake-People Tribe was now on the right track. Pill King Gu He could help them refine all sorts of pills, so it was time to begin the next stage of their plan.
They were, after all, planning to leave the Jia Ma Empire and head to the Black-Corner Region within the next six or seven years.
"Our strength is still far from sufficient. At this stage, our main priority should remain strengthening the Snake-People Tribe, especially its top experts at the Dou Emperor level," Chen Xuan said after a moment's thought.
"Dou Emperor experts? How could breaking through to that level possibly be so easy? The Eight Leaders are still nowhere near that point." Queen Medusa looked a little helpless as well.
How could reaching the Dou Emperor level be that easy? Otherwise, why would there be so few experts of that level in the entire Jia Ma Empire?
A single Dou Emperor could easily tip the scales of victory in a war between great nations.
"Raising a Dou Huang expert is naturally difficult, but doesn't the Jia Ma Empire already have one ready for us? And he's right here in the Tagor Desert!"
"Oh? Who?" Queen Medusa's interest stirred at Chen Xuan's words.
"The Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong!"
Chen Xuan answered calmly.
"Hai Bodong! So it's him."
At the mention of Hai Bodong's name, anger surfaced on Queen Medusa's face.
That man had played a part in her younger sister's death. More importantly, he had snatched a map fragment from her back then.
Although Queen Medusa didn't know what that map fragment was, she could sense that it was extraordinarily special. Yet that man had stolen it.
"He's here in the Tagor Desert? He certainly has nerve, daring to stay in the Tagor Desert after stealing from me!"
Medusa radiated terrifying killing intent, her fury surging to the heavens.
Unfazed by Queen Medusa's furious expression, Chen Xuan said, "That's right. Hai Bodong was struck by your seal, so his current strength is only at the Dou Ling level."
After hearing Chen Xuan's words, Queen Medusa forcibly restrained her killing intent. "That old bastard Hai Bodong may have the strength of a Dou Emperor, but with his temperament, he'll never submit to our Snake-People Tribe."
"If he refuses to submit to the Snake-People Tribe, then his time to die has come!" A cold look crossed Chen Xuan's face. "Besides, he isn't our only objective. He also has something we need."
"What is it?!" Medusa asked, puzzled.
"The map fragment he took from you back then. It's a map to a heavenly flame!"
"And it's one of the top three heavenly flames in this world. It's terrifyingly powerful. This heavenly flame has already developed intelligence, and its strength has even reached the Dou Sheng level."
A trace of excitement appeared on Chen Xuan's face.
That was the purifying lotus demon flame!
It was one of the world's top three heavenly flames, with strength terrifying beyond measure.
Chen Xuan would never let something so powerful and terrifying slip past him for nothing, even though the Snake-People Tribe's current strength was insufficient to travel to the Central Plains Continent and subdue such a fearsome heavenly flame.
But being unable to do it now didn't mean they couldn't do it in the future!
In the original story, Xiao Yan had gained several stars after devouring the purifying lotus demon flame-and those were stars at the Dou Sheng level. He had also gained an intelligent heavenly flame, effectively acquiring a Dou Sheng-level fighter.
A Dou Sheng practically handed to him on a platter wasn't something he could easily come across.
"A heavenly flame map fragment? What that old bastard stole from here was a map fragment for a heavenly flame, and one of the top three at that?"
Even Queen Medusa was stunned by Chen Xuan's words.
Although she had sensed something unusual about the map fragment back then, she had never imagined it was a map fragment for a heavenly flame, much less one of the world's terrifying top three.
With that map fragment, even if Queen Medusa couldn't obtain the heavenly flame herself, putting it up for auction would still bring in an astronomical fortune.
"Hmph! Whatever that old bastard swallowed, he'll have to spit it all back out. I hope he knows what's good for him this time. Otherwise, I'll leave him dead without a place to bury him."
A cold glint flashed through Medusa's eyes as she spoke icily.
"There's no hurry. He can't escape," Chen Xuan continued. "For now, our priority is to reach Peak Dou Emperor, then devour the green lotus core flame."
"As long as we successfully devour the green lotus core flame, we'll reach Dou Zong. By then, never mind one Hai Bodong-even ten of him would have to die."
Hai Bodong posed no threat to the Snake-People Tribe as it stood. Any Dou Wang could capture him and bring him back now.
What mattered now was increasing their own strength: reaching Peak Dou Emperor, devouring the heavenly flame, and advancing to Dou Zong.
Once they reached Dou Zong, the Snake-People Tribe would have no rivals in the entire Jia Ma Empire.
I didn't get a recommendation today, so I'm feeling down. Just one update today; I'll make up for it tomorrow.
Before you continue