NOVEL NEXT Chapter 357 Do You Want Heavenly Fire?
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Yunlun Sect, Main Hall.
A middle-aged man wearing a dark blue robe with handsome features slowly walked in. On his chest, he wore a cauldron-shaped badge with six golden stars emblazoned on it.
This signified his identity as a Tier-6 alchemist, and in the Jia Ma Empire, there was only one person qualified to wear this badge – Alchemist King Gu He.
Inside the hall, an old man dressed in moon-white robes, with white hair, was staring at the wall carved with complex patterns, remaining motionless for a long time.
"Sect Leader, you summoned me." Gu He bowed slightly, offering a casual greeting. With his status as a Tier-6 alchemist, he was fully qualified to be on equal footing with Yun Shan and did not need to be overly respectful. This greeting was largely out of respect for Yun Yun's teacher.
"Elder Gu He, you've come…" Yun Shan said in a gentle tone, with a smile on his face.
"May I ask what instructions you have for me, Sect Leader?" Gu He asked.
Yun Shan placed his hands behind his back and said in a calm tone, "Do you… desire a Heavenly Flame?"
Gu He's pupils shrank, his heart rate quickened uncontrollably, and his breathing became rapid. He suppressed the excitement in his heart:
"What do you mean, Sect Leader? Do you perhaps have a Heavenly Flame in your possession?"
Yun Shan shook his head. "If I had a Heavenly Flame, I would have already taken it out for you. After all, in our Yunlun Sect, you are the only one qualified to use it, Elder Gu He…"
"Although I don't have a Heavenly Flame, I have obtained information about one. However, obtaining it is not easy, so I am asking for your attitude. If you are willing to pay a great price to exchange for it, I can risk accompanying you on a trip.
"If you feel that it is not worth spending so much effort on, then we shall drop the matter."
Gu He shook his head and smiled helplessly. "Which alchemist would give up on a Heavenly Flame? That is a treasure that all alchemists dream of… Even if I have to spend my entire fortune, I am willing to try."
"What conditions do you have, Sect Leader?" Gu He knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch, so he asked.
He guessed that Yun Shan probably wanted him to refine pills for him, and difficult ones at that. Combining that with the realm Yun Shan was currently in, then the answer was obvious…
Without waiting for Yun Shan to answer, Gu He said to himself, "If the Sect Leader's request is for me to refine a Breakthrough Pill for you, I cannot give you a definite answer. With my current level, there is almost no chance of successfully refining a Breakthrough Pill. However, if I had the help of a Heavenly Flame, then I could give it a try."
Yun Shan smiled. "Breakthrough Pills are indeed tempting, but I know the rules of alchemists. I cannot produce three sets of medicinal herbs right now… Let's not mention this matter for now.
"Gu He, do you have any thoughts about Yun'er?"
He asked abruptly.
Gu He's heart skipped a few beats again, and he asked in surprise, "Does the Sect Leader mean…?"
Yun Shan chuckled. "I intend to match you with Yun'er. I think in this Jia Ma Empire, only a talented young man like you is worthy of Yun'er. Of course, the reverse is also true. Only Yun'er is worthy of you…"
"However, Yun'er doesn't seem to have much affection for you at the moment. You need to put in more effort… She herself cannot have too much opposition, otherwise, it will be difficult for me to speak up."
Gu He knew that Yun Shan wanted to completely tie him to the Yunlun Sect's chariot, and not just as an Glory elder…
However, this was not bad for him either. He had always been fond of Yun Yun. If he married Yun Yun, would he still be able to separate himself from the Yunlun Sect? He had long been mentally prepared for this. Yun Shan's proposal was exactly what he wanted.
"Thank you, Sect Leader, for your kindness…"
Yun Shan had a gentle smile on his face. "Yun'er's side will mainly depend on you. I will also help you… As for the Heavenly Flame…"
Yun Shan's expression became slightly solemn, and he said in a low voice, "The Heavenly Flame… is in the hands of Queen Medusa."
"Queen Medusa?" Gu He's pupils shrank, and he frowned. Regarding that woman whose fierce reputation and beauty were equally well-known, no one in the Jia Ma Empire would not be wary of her.
"Yes, according to the information I have obtained, the Heavenly Flame has fallen into her hands. Forcibly snatching it has a low chance of success, so we can only use a transaction… If you want to exchange for the Heavenly Flame from her, you may have to prepare for a great loss."
Gu He gritted his teeth and said, "I understand. I will go and prepare the items needed for the transaction… At that time, I hope the Sect Leader can accompany me on a trip, otherwise, I wouldn't dare to trade with her."
"That's natural…" The smile on Yun Shan's face became more sincere.
Gu He left the main hall.
Watching the direction he left in, Yun Shan pinched his eyes and slowly curled the corners of his mouth upwards: "Heh, the bait is ready, the fish is about to bite, next, all that's left is to reel it in."
…
In the center of the Tager Desert, a huge city stood tall. On the city walls, snake-man guards with their tails coiled, holding weapons, stood indifferently. Mixed in were some snake-men with larger builds and more brightly colored clothes. The other ordinary snake-men looked at them with a hint of reverence.
This was the holy land of the snake-man tribes in the desert, the location of the snake-man clan's temple, and also the place where Queen Medusa resided.
In the spacious and magnificent hall, a graceful figure leaned gently on a soft chair. No flaw could be seen on her beautiful face. Her body was full, with curves in all the right places, and her skin was as white as snow. Below her upturned buttocks were not human legs, but a purple snake tail.
She exuded a sense of enchanting beauty, while also possessing elegance and nobility. The swaying of her snake tail also revealed a wild beauty that was different from humans.
Queen Medusa, the leader of the snake-man clan, a being that made all the powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire change color.
Beside her was also a beautiful snake-woman, but compared to the noble and aloof Queen Medusa, she paled in comparison.
"Hua She'er, has there been any news yet?" Medusa asked softly.
The guard captain Hua She'er shook her head slightly: "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, we have already mobilized all the snake-man tribes to search, but there is still no news."
A trace of worry flashed in Medusa's eyes: "Alas… take your time to find it. Even if we turn the entire Tager Desert upside down, we must find the Heavenly Flame. That is our clan's last hope…"
"The ancestors settled in the Tager Desert, and they should have expected their descendants to find the Heavenly Flame and successfully evolve."
Hua She'er was silent for a while, hesitating to speak. She wanted to open her mouth several times, but swallowed the words back.
Seeing her like this, Medusa raised her eyebrows and said, "Speak if you have something to say. Don't hesitate. Being so indecisive is not like you."
Hua She'er took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "I have also consulted the information about the Heavenly Flame before. The success rate of evolution recorded in the classics is extremely low. Does Your Majesty really have to take the risk?"
Medusa said without the slightest hesitation: "That's right, I must… Haven't you noticed? The living environment in the Tager Desert is getting worse and worse. The water sources are constantly shrinking, and the places where the clan members can live and rest are decreasing year by year.
"Perhaps there will be no obvious impact in ten or twenty years, but if the time is longer, the problem will become prominent.
"I don't want to wait until our clan is forced into a desperate situation, with no way to retreat, before taking action… As long as I can advance to Dou Ancestor, then the Jia Ma Empire will not dare to refuse our requests that are not too excessive, and it will not be a problem to move the snake-man clan to a place more suitable for our survival."
Hua She'er asked again, "Your Majesty, shouldn't you discuss it with the elders first? Such a big matter…"
"No need, they won't agree… Those four stubborn old guys will definitely object. They didn't have the courage to make changes when they were young, so what can we expect from them now?" Medusa said indifferently.
Hua She'er wanted to persuade her again, but was interrupted by Medusa waving her hand: "Enough, there's no need to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind… I am the Queen of the snake-man clan!"
…
Wu Tan City, Xiao family.
Xiao Yan breathed out lightly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked slightly tired.
"Huff, finally done. I didn't expect even the simplest Tier-1 pill to be so difficult to refine."
Immediately, he revealed a look of joy: "I can be considered a Tier-1 alchemist now!"
Although Liu Xi was killed by Xun'er and Xiao Meng, the Jia Lie family still had a lot of previous inventory. They reduced the daily supply of "Rejuvenation Powder", which could last for some time. The Xiao family's situation was still not optimistic.
Therefore, Xiao Yan begged Yao Chen to help. The latter did not directly intervene, but instead guided Xiao Yan to embark on the path of an alchemist.
"Congratulations on your first successful pill refinement… But to say you're Tier-1, you're still far from it. The Blood Coagulation Powder is just a ball of medicinal liquid, without even the shape of a 'pill'. If it wasn't for the fact that there was no lower grade, it wouldn't even deserve to be called Tier-1."
Even though Xiao Yan's progress was quite pleasing, and his talent amazed Yao Chen, in order to prevent him from becoming arrogant, Yao Chen couldn't help but knock him down a peg.
After a pause, Yao Chen said again: "But it's enough to deal with the Jia Lie family. Who told your little girlfriend and maid to directly solve the root of the trouble physically…"
Xun'er… Xiao Meng… When Yao Chen mentioned the two of them, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart.
He would never forget that when he was at his lowest point, despised and ridiculed by everyone, the two of them still treated him as before.
Xiao Meng even rejected the courtyard that the family had allocated to her alone, rejected the overtures of the Great Elder's faction, and still stayed by his side…
…At that time, besides the title of a waste, he had nothing!
"Hehe, stop grinning foolishly. That girl named Xun'er has a terrifying background, and Xiao Meng's identity should not be simple either. I estimate that she must have encountered some misfortune, so she was lost and you took advantage of her. Her clansmen may have already come looking for her…"
"In these big families, there are also many messy things. Her clansmen may not be a good thing to come looking for her. If you want to support her when she encounters coercion from her clansmen, then work hard!" Yao Chen's illusory soul body patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, encouraging him.
"Yes, I will." Xiao Yan responded with a serious expression.
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