Gazing up at the magnificent Queen Medusa appearing in the sky, both ancient River and the stern, thunderous-sounding Yan Shi instinctively took a quiet step closer to the silent, cloaked figure beside them—here, only she held the potential to stand equal to the fearsome Queen Medusa, whose renown had long intimidated the entire Gamma Empire. The Queen of Medusa glanced at the enigmatic black-robed figure by the side, smiled, and said, "Speak then. What brings you here? Though your sudden intrusion into our domain was most impolite, we serpents are no uncivilized people." Observing the subtle relief in the ancient river's expression, a sly gleam passed through the Queen's clear, liquid eyes. She murmured softly, "Moreover, Master Guo He, the renowned alchemist of the realm, is celebrated throughout the Gama Empire. Should you merely pledge a few assets, these minor losses can easily be compensated. Isn't that right, Master Guo He?" "Hmm..." A slight embarrassment touched Guo He's face, yet fortunately, he was a seasoned traveler and diplomat. With a generous gesture, he adopted a humble air, and said, "Indeed, our intrusion upon the noble houses was unseemly. These losses, I shall personally cover." "Ah, Master Guo He truly has a most generous spirit." The jade hands gently covered the rosy lips as she smiled softly. Queen Medusa, with her long, elegant eyelashes, blinked and light-heartedly remarked, "Master Kodai, could you please tell me now—why did you invite so many friends, and go to such lengths to visit our Serpent people?" As the conversation settled on its main point, Kodai's face grew serious, and he paused, carefully choosing his words. Though the Queen before him appeared cheerful and harmless, he was well aware that during the war between the Serpent people and the Gamma Empire, she had single-handedly obliterated three top-tier Du-Ling-level warriors, reducing them to nothing but splattered flesh—so fierce and decisive that even those who often fought for their lives would have been shaken. Moreover, Kodai knew that Queen Medusa's strength at the Du-Huang level was among the very best in her realm. Indeed, if the Gamma Empire hadn't had three Du-Huang-level warriors, no one would have been able to defeat her alone. Even the specially summoned enigmatic cloaked figure by her side, ancient River clearly understood: she had been invited not to fight the Queen of Medusa, but rather, should the Queen harbor murderous intentions, only she could withstand that threat and protect the people around her from being cut down. Hearing Guhe's words, both Mo Bas and Yue Mei standing atop the city walls were filled with astonishment, clearly unaware of Queen Medusa's acquisition of the Qinglian Earth-Core Flame six months prior outside the Stone Desert City. "What exactly is Queen陛's purpose in seeking out this rare flame?" Yue Mei blinked in bewilderment. After a moment, as though suddenly recalling something, her face turned pale, and she swiftly turned to meet Mo Bas's gaze, whispering in awe, "Could it be…?" "It must be. Otherwise, Queen Medusa wouldn't have taken such great pains to seek out this flame—there's no other reason I can think of." Mo Bas breathed out softly. "But… heavens! The success rate of this flame is notoriously low! Should Queen Medusa meet with any unforeseen mishap, then our entire Serpent People lineage…" Yue Mei waved her hands frantically in front of her, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Oh... Princess, the Queen has remained at the Battle Emperor level for many years now. Perhaps she's growing a bit impatient. Though she often appears indifferent, I know she truly desires to grow stronger. Once she reaches the Battle Master level, the Serpent People's influence will expand rapidly, and they'll no longer be confined to this endless desert. After all, despite years of adaptation, our people simply aren't suited to this climate—our blood is inherently cold." Kebas sighed softly. "Six months ago, I was also journeying through the desert in search of a medicinal herb, and just as I sensed the presence of the strange fire, I followed its trail. Though I didn't see the Queen's form, I did collect several seven-colored snake scales stained with blood along the way. These seven-colored scales appear only when the Queen is engaged in full combat, and upon examining them, we detected the scent of the strange fire. It must have wounded the Queen when she first extracted the strange fire." Ancient River spoke softly. Queen Medusa gently licked her red-lipped mouth, her unusual eyes fixed intently on Ancient River, a subtle chill radiating around her. Noticing the faint displeasure in the Queen Medusa's eyes, Kodai carefully stepped back behind the black-robed figure, offering a wry smile. "Your Majesty, I have no other intentions. How vital an unusual flame is to a pharmacist, I'm sure you well understand. To find this flame, I've nearly traveled to every remote corner of the Gamma Empire... However, the serpentine bloodline is naturally cold, and the unusual flame holds little benefit for you. Therefore, I kindly request that Your Majesty allow me to exchange it for something else—some other item of value—so that I may secure the flame from your hands." "An exchange?" The Queen Medusa lifted a subtle, mocking smile at the words, her tone gentle yet sharp. "As a pharmacist, you must surely be more aware than I of the power of the unusual flame. Then, what would you offer—what would be worthy of its worth?" Slightly frowning, Gokou pondered for a while, a rare expression of discomfort crossing his face. He then looked up, his voice steady and serious: "I am willing to offer two sixth-rank Battle Spirit Pills and one seventh-rank Transformation Pill in exchange for the Unique Fire. What do you think, Your Majesty?" As soon as Gokou spoke, the strict lions and others around him widened their eyes, stunned, gazing at him in disbelief. Even the cloaked figure slightly turned her head, sending a look of astonishment from within her dark robe. Clearly, none of them had expected Gokou to be so generous in offering such a substantial exchange for the Unique Fire. That is to say, if a Two-Star Dou Wang consumes a Dou Ling Dan, he can ascend to a Three-Star Dou Wang within just a few days. After all, at the Dou Wang level, each star represents a significant leap—many Dou Wang cultivators, despite years of dedicated practice, still remain stagnant at a certain star. This is no rare occurrence, underscoring just how precious a Dou Ling Dan truly is. Of course, while the effect of a Dou Ling Dan is highly desirable, it comes with strong resistance: once someone has consumed one, the second Dou Ling Dan typically offers little to no benefit. In other words, a Dou Wang can only consume one Dou Ling Dan throughout his entire life. Nevertheless, even so, the Dou Ling Dan remains one of the most coveted medicinal elixirs among the elite. Countless individuals are willing to make substantial sacrifices merely to obtain a single Dou Ling Dan. As for a Seven-Star Hua Xing Dan—compared to the Six-Star version—it is truly astonishing. This pill is sufficient to drive countless phoenix-level beasts into frenzy, for once they possess it, they can completely shed their beastly forms and gain both the long lifespan of beasts and the cultivation potential of humans. The synergy of these two effects may birth a legendary figure—someone capable of reaching the level of a Cultivator or even a Saint. The two items presented by Gǔ Hé have nearly driven some people mad, which is no surprise given the astonishment of Yan Shī and the others nearby. "By the gods... this guy's ambition is simply enormous!" In the midst of the scattered rocks, Xiao Yan stared in open amazement at Gǔ Hé high above, only gradually regaining his composure after a while, murmuring to himself, "No wonder he's hailed as the foremost alchemist of the Jiāmǎ Empire—having such a rare and precious pill as the Form-Shaping Pill, which is truly a gem among gems. It's clear he truly intends to secure that strange flame." "Indeed, the offer is quite substantial. However, with his current alchemy skills, while there's a slight chance of successfully crafting a Battle Spirit Pill, a Form-Shaping Pill—well, that's absolutely beyond his reach. The old pharmacist first sighed, then spoke with a touch of disdain. Back in his day, he had personally crafted a Form-Shaping Pill himself, and thus he knew firsthand just how difficult and intricate this type of medicine was—so demanding that it seemed almost miraculous. Had it not been for the unique fire power he possessed, success would have been far from certain. All those who shared Xiao Yan's thoughts, including Kuron, cast tense glances upon the silent Queen Medusa, awaiting her words. Under the weight of countless eyes, the Queen Medusa remained silent for a while, exhaled softly, and gently pressed her sensuous red lips. With a touch of regret in her gaze toward Kuron, she spoke with a sense of resignation, "I must admit, your conditions are very appealing. Yet..." "Sorry, I still won't exchange with you!"