Chapter 48: The Monkey Immobilizes the Seven Fairies (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

The Green Lotus Core Flame continuously circulated within Qin Sheng's body, baptizing his flesh and providing a significant enhancement to his Dou Huang physique.

He immersed himself in these changes until a massive, yet freezing aura—one that felt completely out of place in this world of magma—came rushing toward him at high speed.

A snake-person arrived at a distance from Qin Sheng. Her countenance was enchanting and seductive, featuring a pair of long, narrow, pale purple eyes that possessed a natural charm. A purple brocade robe draped over her exaggeratedly curvaceous body.

Without a doubt, this was the Medusa Queen of the Snake-People tribe, possessing a cultivation at the peak of the Dou Huang realm.

"Someone has beaten me to it..."

Medusa looked at Qin Sheng, her eyes filled with both joy and apprehension at the sight of the flowing green flames.

"Queen Medusa? When did you arrive?"

A soul voice rang out. Qin Sheng did not open his eyes, but his majestic soul power surged forth, sweeping directly toward Queen Medusa.

"Stay still."

The Snake-People Queen, whose fearsome reputation and legendary beauty echoed throughout the Jia Ma Empire, was frozen in place by Qin Sheng. Only her eyeballs could move.

*You can't move right now, can you?*

*Then I'll just...* Qin Sheng stopped paying her any mind.

As time passed, the Green Lotus Core Flame eventually entered his Nascent Spirit, settling down quietly and concealing all its power.

Carefully contemplating the power of the Heavenly Flame, Qin Sheng was pleasantly surprised, thinking to himself

"The Heavenly Flames of the Dou Qi Continent are quite extraordinary. They are not composed of pure energy; they also contain the power of rules."

Had Qin Sheng's realm not been high enough, he might not have discovered this.

"That's right. In the neighboring Tianxuan Continent, there are the eight Great Ancestral Symbols such as Space, Life and Death, and Devouring. Those are clearly products of rules. As divine objects that are no inferior to Ancestral Symbols, Heavenly Flames naturally wouldn't fall short either."

"The ability of the Devouring Flame to drive the evolution of the Flame Mantra is likely precisely because of the laws of heaven and earth contained within the Heavenly Flame."

It made sense. The *Flame Mantra* was a cultivation technique—a form of knowledge—not a living organism. Pure energy alone could not spontaneously cause "knowledge" to evolve.

It was inevitable that during the process of the *Flame Mantra* devouring a Heavenly Flame, it absorbed the profound mysteries of the laws within the fire to achieve sublimation.

Qin Sheng stood up, lost in thought.

"Regarding the Green Lotus Core Flame, I have only just subdued it. I can borrow its power at any time, but the rules it contains have not yet opened up to me."

Normally, alchemists would subdue a Heavenly Flame, and if an accident occurred, the flame might backlash against them.

But the *Flame Mantra* was different; this technique directly refined and devoured the Heavenly Flame!

From then on, the person and the flame became one, and the origin of the Heavenly Flame would belong entirely to the master of the *Flame Mantra*.

As his thoughts raced, Qin Sheng formed a few ideas and then looked up ahead.

There sat an eight-petaled green lotus. Its petals were like perfect precious jade, and upon the lotus platform were lotus seeds formed from the purest fire-attribute energy.

"What a treasure."

Qin Sheng smiled, took out a jade knife, cut through the middle of the lotus stem, and took the object away.

This lotus platform had the effect of increasing cultivation speed; for a Dou Shi or Da Dou Shi, it could easily provide a three-to-fivefold boost.

As for those lotus seeds, they were treasures that even a Dou Huang would covet, as the energy contained within them was immense.

Both items were fire-attribute, making them perfect for Qin Sheng.

He glanced at the remaining green lotus stem and saw that at the cut, green energy was once again gathering, swirling in a misty haze.

"In a thousand or so years, perhaps another Green Lotus Core Flame will be nurtured here, but by then, it will have nothing to do with me."

The stem itself was also a treasure, but according to the rules of the alchemist profession, one should not be too greedy when harvesting natural treasures; one must always leave a way for things to continue.

Only in this way could one follow the cycle of heaven and earth and the path of endless regeneration.

After dealing with these flame treasures, Qin Sheng caught a glimpse of Medusa out of the corner of his eye.

"Eh? Why haven't you left yet?"

Medusa did not answer, merely glaring at Qin Sheng with her eyes.

"Oh, you can't speak right now," Qin Sheng smiled. "Queen Medusa, I will release your restraint. I hope you remain rational; after all, I believe you are aware of the gap in strength between us."

"You wouldn't want the Snake-People tribe to lose their Queen, would you?"

Having said that, Qin Sheng slowly withdrew his soul power and added

"You want a Heavenly Flame, right? Everything is negotiable."

Three breaths later, Medusa was able to move. Her chest heaved violently with fury.

A mere human had actually frozen her. If this human had wanted to do something to her just now, she would have been completely unable to resist.

However, Medusa was clearly not mindless; the massive disparity in strength prevented her from acting rashly.

"Qin Sheng of the Misty Cloud Sect?"

"You have heard of my story?"

"The youngest Dou Huang of the Jia Ma Empire, the youngest Tier 6 Alchemist... of course this King knows of you."

She just hadn't expected Qin Sheng to be so strong!

"You flatter me," Qin Sheng smiled.

"Is that a Heavenly Flame?"

"Yes, the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame List," Qin Sheng admitted candidly.

A flash of heat passed through Medusa's eyes. A lower-ranked Heavenly Flame would be more suitable for her.

Qin Sheng laughed, "What? Does the grand Queen of the Snake-People tribe intend to rob me of my Heavenly Flame?"

"The Snake-People are all Yin-attribute with cold bloodlines, which naturally clashes with Heavenly Flames. It is impossible for you to subdue one."

"But you desire one. It seems you have been searching for a Heavenly Flame for some time? You arrived the moment there was movement on my end. Let me think..."

"I heard that your Snake-People tribe has a method to use Heavenly Flames for evolution. Are you here with that intention?"

Queen Medusa narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected the youngest Dou Huang of the Jia Ma Empire to be so intelligent.

In this short moment, he had seen through everything about her, which made her very uncomfortable, causing her tail to curl up instinctively.

"What I use a Heavenly Flame for is none of your concern," Queen Medusa said after a moment of silence. "I wish to borrow a Heavenly Flame from you."

"I am glad you can communicate properly."

Qin Sheng thought to himself that the Queen Medusa, who was rumored to be so fearsome in the outside world, wasn't actually that fierce.

"As for borrowing the flame..." Qin Sheng thought for a moment and agreed.

"Fine, but I have one condition."

Queen Medusa's expression remained unchanged. "Speak."

"Mobilize the entire strength of the Snake-People tribe to search the Tagor Desert for me to see if there are any other Heavenly Flames."

Qin Sheng continued, "The priority is the Wind-Fury Dragon Flame, ranked eighteenth on the list."

"This flame is born in the eye of a fire tornado in the ancient desert. It has no fixed location; during the hottest days of every year, it appears randomly in any part of the desert."

The Tagor Desert could certainly be called ancient; it had existed long before the humans of the Jia Ma Empire began venturing here.

Queen Medusa asked in confusion, "You already have the Green Lotus Core Flame. Why search for the Wind-Fury Dragon Flame?"

The common understanding in the Dou Qi Continent was that a person could only possess one Heavenly Flame.

"You don't need to worry about that. As long as you agree, our transaction can proceed."

Qin Sheng added, "Perhaps you could also try to find the Wind-Fury Dragon Flame to evolve, without borrowing my flame."

Queen Medusa pondered and finally made her choice.

"I agree to your request."

Abandoning the Green Lotus Core Flame to search for the Wind-Fury Dragon Flame involved too much uncertainty.

Who knew if such a flame even existed in the Tagor Desert?

Qin Sheng was also just acting on a whim to try; regardless, he wouldn't have to do the traveling himself.

"Very well. A pleasure doing business with you."

Qin Sheng approached Medusa, causing her body to tense up.

*Is this human going to turn on me?*

In the end, Qin Sheng brushed past her, leaving behind a single sentence.

"I will come looking for you later. I believe you will need some time to prepare."

"Don't be so nervous. I am a good person."

Medusa stiffened; her very fists tightened.

Once Qin Sheng disappeared, she lashed her snake tail, slamming her Dou Qi into the magma, incessantly venting the fire in her heart.

*A powerless Queen.*

(End of Chapter)