.
Feeling the Dou Huang pressure emanating from the black demon beast before her, Yue Mei asked in disbelief, "Has this demon beast always been by your side?"
Nodding, Xiao Ling smiled and said, "It has indeed always been by my side. As long as I restrain my own aura and help conceal it, ordinary people will be able to detect its presence from me."
With a slight flap of his Dou Qi wings, Xiao Ling landed on Liekongzuo's head. Zi Yan,
standing beside him, followed suit, riding on Liekongzuo's neck. Waving at Yue Mei, Zi Yan playfully said, "Come on, Akong is incredibly fast, definitely much faster than you, slowly flying with your Dou Qi wings."
Hearing this, Yue Mei first said to Liekongzuo, "Then please give me a ride."
Seeing that Liekongzuo didn't seem to object to her words, she slowly sat sideways on his back.
Feeling the icy chill beneath her, Yue Mei muttered to herself, "Riding a sixth-rank magical beast is truly an amazing feeling! In all my life, this is the first time I've ridden such a high-ranking beast."
Seeing everyone ready, Xiao Ling patted Liekongzuo's head, pointed in the direction of the Mei Snake Tribe, and said, "Head in that direction and get that snake girl home first."
Upon hearing Xiao Ling's words, Liekongzuo let out a long howl, signaling his understanding. Then, he turned and flew towards the Mei Snake Tribe.
This time, Liekongzuo's flight was not as fast as before, but rather smoother. Sitting atop it, the jolt was barely noticeable.
Xiao Ling sat cross-legged, removed the medicine cauldron from his storage ring, and unearthed the herbs for refining the Douling Pill, placing them aside.
Taking a deep breath, clearing his mind, he reached out and touched the cauldron's vent. The Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame flowed through his veins, emerged from the Doujing, and leaped into the cauldron.
Suddenly, a blazing heat permeated the surroundings. If Xiao Ling hadn't controlled it, the alchemy cauldron might not have been able to withstand the burning of the Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame.
As Xiao Ling summoned the Golden Emperor's Burning Heaven Flame, Yue Mei behind him couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort. The Snake People's constitution tended to be cold, and they were quite resistant to fire, let alone the most fiery fire on the Dou Qi Continent.
Gazing at the golden flame in the medicine cauldron in front of Xiao Ling, Yue Mei muttered in her heart, "I didn't expect that there was a strange fire in this man's body. No wonder he has such high alchemy skills at this age. Before, Her Majesty the Queen sent people to search for the strange fire in the Tagor Desert, but they haven't found any news about it for so long. Xiao Ling is really lucky to be able to refine such a rare treasure of heaven and earth as the strange fire."
Thinking of this, Yue Mei shook her head again, thinking, "Now Her Majesty the Queen should take the Breaking Sect Pill to break through the bottleneck of the Dou Zong level. In this way, she won't have to risk her life to use the strange fire to evolve her bloodline and break through the Dou Zong level. It does eliminate a lot of hidden dangers. But the news that Xiao Ling has the strange fire must be told to Her Majesty the Queen..."
With a thought, a small snake crawled out from Yue Mei's sleeve, nodded to Yue Mei, and flew towards the direction of the Holy City.
Xiao Ling naturally noticed Yue Mei's actions, but he wasn't particularly concerned. After all, once Mu Tie relayed the news back to the Imperial Capital, those with some influence would naturally know about his possession of the Strange Fire. Even if one more Serpent People knew about it, it wouldn't matter. With his own means, he could still come and go freely around the Jia Ma Empire.
At most, Medusa might want to borrow his Strange Fire to evolve her bloodline, but Xiao Ling wasn't sure if she would agree.
Even if Xiao Ling agreed, he could still get a Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python as a pet. Why not?
If this Medusa behaved well, Xiao Ling wouldn't mind training her. Later, she could even go to the Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python's lair to receive inheritance. Raising to Dou Sheng would be easy, given the Nine-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python's talent, which is among the highest among all Warcraft species.
If this Medusa disobeyed him, Xiao Ling could simply extract her soul and raise the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python himself. At most, he could refine a body for her, out of respect for Zi Yan. He stopped dwelling on
these unsettled events and focused his attention on the medicine cauldron before him. Using his spiritual perception, he guided the herbs one by one into the cauldron, and began extracting the essence of the liquid with the strange fire...
...
Jama Empire, Imperial Capital.
This was a quiet little courtyard, built on the very edge of the imperial capital. Within the Jia Ma Empire, only a few knew who resided within it. Mu Tie, who had served the imperial family for most of his life and now served as the Grand Commander of the Ghost-Suppressing Pass, was one of them.
In a study within the courtyard, a dazzling array of books lay piled on a desk. An elderly man in a linen robe sat in a chair behind the desk, flipping through a book with one hand while raising a cup of tea with the other, sipping it gently, appearing remarkably relaxed and at ease.
This linen-robed elder was none other than Jia Xingtian, the current protector of the Jia Ma Empire and a man who had reached the peak of the Dou Huang realm.
Just then, in the corridor outside, the sound of shoes tapping against the ground was heard with great urgency, evidently someone wishing to relay important information.
With a wave of his hand, a burst of Dou Qi swung the study door open, revealing an armored figure.
Seeing this person, Jia Xingtian said with some confusion: "Mu Tie, shouldn't you be stationed at the border in Zhengui Pass now? Why did you come to the imperial city to find me?"
Jia Xingtian's voice was not loud, but it entered Mu Tie's ears accurately.
Mu Tie, who was outside the door, first took a breath, then bowed to Jia Xingtian and said, "I have come here to report something important."
Hearing Mu Tie's answer, Jia Xingtian couldn't help but cheer up, put down the teacup and books in his hands, and asked Mu Tie, "Then tell me, what kind of important news is it that you, the commander-in-chief of the Ghost Gate, have come here in person? If you can't explain it clearly, I will accuse you of deserting your post."
Hearing Jia Xingtian's question, Mu Tie didn't delay any longer and said directly, "Xiao Ling, who was known throughout the imperial capital a few years ago as the "first genius of the Jia Ma Empire in a thousand years", returned to the Jia Ma Empire three days ago. Now his cultivation has broken through the Dou Wang level and he is also a sixth-grade alchemist. He is accompanied by a Dou Wang powerhouse this time. I heard that he is his companion. Xiao Ling has now headed towards the eastern part of the Jia Ma Empire, but his exact location is still unclear."
(End of this chapter)