Vast and desolate, dozens of fully armed serpentine warriors, each wielding venomous spears, scanned the area with sharp, vigilant eyes, ready to annihilate any non-serpentine life forms they encountered. These squads moved in interlocking patrols, leaving behind trails of disturbed sand stirred by the sweeping motion of their tails. "These damn humans! They've dared to push so deep into the desert! Once we catch them, we'll make them feel what it's like to be devoured by a thousand serpents!" one of the leaders, appearing to be in charge, wiped sweat from his brow and muttered under his breath, braving the scorching heat. "Captain, what's going on? Why has the entire tribe suddenly gone into full alert? I've been dragged out at dawn and have been searching across the entire desert ever since—what's all this about?" another serpentine warrior, impatiently flicking his tail, cast his gaze across the open expanse of sand, his expression one of genuine curiosity. Upon hearing the question posed by the serpent human, several dozen nearby serpent humans also turned their puzzled glances toward the leading serpent. Clearly, despite not holding particularly high status, they too were uncertain about the full details of what had transpired. "Hmph. What's going on? Last night, a group of human strongholds suddenly broke through the defense of the Mei She tribe and penetrated deep into the desert. According to reports from the Mei She tribe, among those humans, there appears to be one Duke-level warrior, three King-level warriors, and several Spirit-level warriors." The leading serpent human emitted a slightly cold, disdainful hum. At this, the faces of the surrounding serpent humans instantly grew tense. One Duke and three Kings? Heaven's sake—does the Human Empire intend to go to war again? Such a formidable force was simply beyond the capacity of any large serpent tribe to withstand alone. "All the major and minor tribes of the Serpent People have now entered a state of martial alert. According to the latest information I've received, the chieftains of the Eight Great Tribes have been summoned by the Queen and are en route to the sacred temple at the heart of the desert. The fastest should arrive by evening, while the slowest may not reach until tomorrow." When speaking of the Queen, the leading Serpent Person radiated a fervent devotion, reminiscent of a devout believer. "As long as three chieftains arrive at the temple, the Queen will issue orders for a thorough search. Hmph! What can three Battle-Emperors do? A bunch of overconfident fools. Once my Serpent People warriors have gathered, I'll make sure to drive them into complete disarray!" The leading Serpent Person sneered, then raised his head to gaze at the vast, lifeless desert, shook his head in resignation, and waved his hand, calling out, "Come, let's move. It seems there's no trace of human presence here." As the leading serpent people called out, the small squad gradually searched onward, leaving behind a vast expanse of empty desert. After the squad vanished beyond the horizon, a dune suddenly began to shift subtly. A moment later, a figure emerged from within the dune, carrying a storm of yellow sand, and landed steadily on the sandy ground. Gazing toward where the serpent people had disappeared, the figure sighed with a touch of resignation, saying, "It's becoming increasingly troublesome. Now, this desert seems to have a serpent patrol team arriving almost every few days..." "Moreover, as they mentioned earlier, the stronger members of the serpent people are rapidly arriving as well. Though the forces of Guxue and their companions are formidable, once the full strength of the serpent people converges, I believe they'll have no choice but to retreat." The figure slightly raised their head, revealing a refined face beneath their black robe—none other than Xiao Yan, who had forcibly broken through the Mishi tribe the night before. "If everything goes as expected, I believe Ancient-River's faction will take action by this afternoon. They must be well aware of the Snake Clan's strength—the longer they delay, the more dangerous it will become for them." A deep, weathered voice emanated from within the ring. "Hm." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan withdrew a detailed map from the ring, his eyes fixed on a prominent serpentine head symbol located at the center of the desert. He spoke softly, "This is the sanctuary of Queen Medusa. Surrounding it are numerous smaller and medium-sized tribes. The sanctuary is heavily fortified, and it's garrisoned by Medusa's personal guard—the Medusa Serpents, a highly elite force. During the great war between the Gamma Empire and the Snake Clan, this unit achieved remarkable victories. Even the empire's top generals commanding elite legions held them in high regard." "Hmph. It seems that recovering the Qinglian Heartfire smoothly will indeed prove to be a challenging task." "Inhaling a long, weary breath, Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead with growing frustration. Even with the support of the Medic Hermit, he couldn't move freely in such perilous circumstances—since the Hermit was currently only in a spiritual state, his past strength could not be fully unleashed. Moreover, the Queen of Medusa was a legendary powerhouse renowned for her formidable prowess. If Xiao Yan were to be targeted by her at this moment, the outcome would likely be unfavorable. Furthermore, the overall strength of the Serpent People surpassed that of the Jima Empire by a considerable margin. Had it not been for the constant threats coming from all directions, the Jima Empire would have already suffered significant defeats in past encounters. "Ah...," Xiao Yan shook his head and murmured, "Master, what should we do now?" "Let's hurry and reach the vicinity of the Medusa Temple as soon as possible. If ancient River and the Queen of Medusa are engaged in battle at that time, we'll sneak into the temple to search for the Strange Flames. Though my current strength has significantly diminished due to my soul condition, as long as we can conceal our presence, the Queen of Medusa will likely be unable to detect us," the Elder of the Herbs said thoughtfully. Racing across the ground, though at a slightly slower pace, the snake patrols scattered deep within the desert were all preemptively evaded by Xiao Yan, thanks to the powerful soul perception of the Medic's elder. After such relentless, almost desperate, galloping for nearly several hours—navigating through dozens of patrol waves—when the blazing sun in the sky began to sink toward the west, a vast city gradually emerged on the horizon. As he drew closer, Xiao Yan noticed that amidst the otherwise uniform yellow sands surrounding the city, numerous large stones began to appear. Beyond these stones lay the divine temple city, home to the Queen of Medusa. Hiding behind a massive boulder, Xiao Yan was gasping heavily, his breath coming in rapid, labored bursts. For several hours, he had run nonstop, driven by sheer determination—without the support of the Qi-restoring pill, he would have surely collapsed from depleted internal energy. Even so, his legs now felt nearly numb, with waves of sharp pains causing subtle twitches at the corners of his mouth. Wiping the sweat mixed with yellow sand from his face, Xiao Yan lifted his head and gazed at the gradually darkening sky, taking a long, deep breath. He chuckled wistfully, saying, "For that Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame—I truly have given everything." After resting quietly behind the boulder for over ten minutes, he finally pulled out a Qi-restoring pill from his storage ring, placed it in his mouth, and waited. Only when he began to feel the internal energy flowing steadily through his body did he exhale in relief, carefully turning over on his side and gazing through the cracks in the stone at the towering city standing proudly amidst the desert. Perhaps due to the state of martial law, this vast city now has its city gates sealed. Fully armed serpentine guards patrol the walls, while above the ramparts, several dozen dark birds circle back and forth, their keen eyes constantly scanning the outer lands. Any slightest breeze or movement triggers an alert from these creatures. His gaze carefully swept across the city's walls, and Xiao Yan's face slightly looked displeased. Though distant, he could clearly see that the serpent guards of this city were overall significantly stronger than those of the Mesi Clan last night. Moreover, among these guards, he occasionally spotted some serpents dressed in rather unusual attire. These serpents stood stiffly, like pillars, upon the walls, with cold, composed expressions. Yet, upon a cursory glance, Xiao Yan noticed that no other serpent dared to enter within several zhang of these oddly dressed guards—clearly, they were deeply respectful and intimidated by them. "These fellows... must be the Medusa's personal guard, then. Indeed, quite formidable." Gently drawing his gaze back, Xiao Yan pressed himself tightly into the stone crevice, offering a quiet, wry smile. "Just stay quiet and wait here. I think Guo He and the others will arrive soon. When the commotion begins, we'll sneak in quietly. I can already sense the presence of Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire throughout this city." The voice of the Herbal Elder came through the dark, ancient ring. "Indeed, it's here..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's face brightened with a sense of relief—perhaps one of the few positive developments in his solitary journey deep into the enemy's camp. Gently suppressing the joy, Xiao Yan withdrew a golden-yellow blanket from his storage ring and draped it over himself. Instantly, his body blended seamlessly with the surrounding sand, turning a warm golden hue. Unless someone came close to observe, it would be difficult to notice that a person was concealed there. Not long after Xiao Yan had concealed himself, the Herbal Elder's steady voice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Be cautious—there's a powerful presence approaching this location." Heeding the elder's reminder, Xiao Yan's heart tightened, and his breathing gradually steadied. At the same time, the elder's spiritual energy enveloped Xiao Yan. Through the gaps in the blanket, he gazed toward the distant horizon. A sudden, dark speck emerged at the edge of the sky, and within a blink, it surged forward toward the vast city, carrying a sharp rushing sound. Shortly after the dark speck appeared, the guards atop the city walls spotted it, immediately sounding an alarm. With the alarm, countless serpent people raised their toxic spears, ready to launch them at the approaching figures. When the dark figure reached approximately one hundred meters from the city, it suddenly halted mid-air, and a slightly cold voice resonated: "Chief of the Black Serpent Clan, Mo Ba, bows before the Queen!"