Hearing the Queen Medusa's words of rejection, many were left stunned. Though the power of the hetero-flame was immense, it seemed to hold little appeal for the serpent people. After all, compared to their cold, delicate bloodline, the fierce and destructive hetero-flame was as incompatible as water and fire—utterly unharmonious. When the Queen Medusa spoke her rejection, slightly tinged with regret, ancient River and the strong companions beside him—Yan Li and Feng Li—were all visibly taken aback. "This woman must have gone mad," Yan Li shook his head in resignation, murmuring softly, "Why keep a hetero-flame that serves her so little? Wouldn't it be better to exchange something useful to her? That would be a true win-win." Feng Li, standing by, also shook his head slightly, looking deeply puzzled. Compared to their astonishment, Moon Mei and Mo Ba was far more composed. Under the Queen of Medusa's clear refusal, they now fully understood exactly what she intended to do. "Ah, indeed, it seems the Queen truly intends to pursue this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have rejected the proposed exchange so decisively." Moon Mei sighed softly. Mo Ba nodded gently, a touch of concern and bitterness etched upon his pale features. "Hmm, no wonder she's the Queen of Medusa. Such an ample offer, and yet she's rejected it so firmly." Crouching beneath the massive stone, Xiao Yan raised his head and gazed at the radiant beauty, unable to help but chew on his lower lip. "Indeed, it's rather unusual. By normal expectations, the异fires should hold considerable appeal for the Serpent People. Yet she has rejected them outright." Could it be that they're afraid that once Kuroha acquires the hetero-fire and strengthens significantly, he will threaten the Serpent People? Yet that explanation also doesn't quite hold water—considerable强者 like Kuroha usually rarely participate in the battles between the two sides. Otherwise, Queen Medusa would have already launched a full-scale assault the moment she arrived. The old pharmacist's voice was filled with doubt. After a long pause, as if something suddenly struck him, he murmured softly, "Could it be?" "What is it, Master?" Xiao Yan slightly furrowed his brows, quietly asking in his mind. "I'll explain everything in detail later," the old pharmacist replied swiftly, then fell silent, remaining unresponsive even as Xiao Yan called out mentally. Once again calling out, Xiao Yan shook his head with a look of mild bewilderment, murmuring softly, "So mysterious..." Gǔhé sighed, his expression rather defeated. He was very clear that if Queen Medusa didn’t wish to exchange her hetero-fire, no matter how strong their forces were, they would absolutely be unable to force her hand. "Could you tell me why you so desperately want to keep the hetero-fire?" Gǔhé chuckled weakly. "Sorry, I can't," the queen replied, shaking her head slightly and lazily waving her hand. "Well, Master Gǔhé, you and your people—just go where you came from. As for that mysterious compensation, let it go. Simply leave here as soon as possible. Our eight tribal leaders from the Serpent Clan are already en route. Some of them hold strong reservations about your human beings. So, make your departure now, before further complications arise." Hearing the queen’s words, Gǔhé sighed again, shaking his head with a look of resignation, and turned to his companions, his face full of helplessness. "Old Gǔhé, are we really just going to leave like this?" Yan Shi glanced toward the Queen of Medusa, furrowed his brow. "What else can we do? How strong the Queen of Medusa is, you all know well. Do you really think we can manage a strong takeover?" Goh sighed. In truth, he too didn't want to leave empty-handed, but the opponent's strength was simply too formidable, and they were on foreign ground. Should they press forward, the outcome would likely not be favorable. Hearing Goh's words, Yan Shi and Feng Li both paused. With their own capabilities, they simply couldn't challenge the Queen of Medusa head-on. Their eyes shifted toward the cloaked figure beside them, and in a low voice, they asked, "What does Master Yun suggest?" Seeing Yan Shi and Feng Li's actions, Goh also turned his gaze to the cloaked figure, waiting for her to speak. The cloaked figure remained silent, not immediately answering Yan Li's question. As she did not speak, everyone else had to wait in quiet stillness, with the Queen of Medusa and the others likewise fixing their attention on the cloaked figure. Under all the eyes, after a while, the black robe shifted slightly, and the figure slowly advanced one step. The robe lifted gently, revealing a slender, elegant jawline of snowy white. A quiet, cool voice, delicate and clear, murmured, "I once came across a brief mention of the Queen of the Serpent People in an ancient scroll. It stated that when Queen Medusa reached the peak of the Battle Emperor rank, if the circumstances were right, she would undergo a remarkable evolution. After this evolution, not only could she freely transform into human form, but her power would naturally ascend to that of a Battle Sovereign—like a river flowing into its channel. However, the success rate of this evolution appears quite low, and... most importantly, the essential element required for this transformation is the unique fire—'the Strange Fire.' " "I believe the Queen does not wish to part with the Strange Fire. She must be aiming to leverage it for this very evolution," the figure said, gently tilting his head, his tone calm and composed. "Indeed…" Hearing the sound from above, the herbal elder suddenly appeared, slightly amazed and said, "I never expected the Queen of Medusa to have made such a move... Hmm? Wait, young man, are you listening to me?" "Hmm…" Being pulled back to attention by the elder's voice, Xiao Yan murmured with a touch of confusion, "This sound... it's different from the one I heard that night. It feels both familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. Does the teacher feel the same?" "What do I need to do with those women's voices?" the elder sighed, clearly more focused on his medicines than on the women. Even the most beautiful voices seemed to fail to stir any particular interest in him. "Coughing..." Xiao Yan cleared his throat awkwardly and, deciding to set aside the question of the sound's origin, said softly, "Indeed, can the Queen of Medusa truly harness the Strange Fire to evolve into a Douzong-level cultivator?" "Indeed, it's quite risky—should anything go wrong, she might be completely incinerated and reduced to nothing by the strange flames. But if she endures, an utterly unusual evolution will take place. As for exactly what that evolution will be, however, I'm not entirely certain. Such transformations are usually only known by the ones who experience them firsthand." The Elder of the Medicine Sect smiled. "Too far apart, and afraid of being discovered, so I only roughly sensed it—something feels off," the medicine elder sighed. "Things are truly getting more complicated." After muttering this once again, Xiao Yan gradually fell silent, once more fixing his gaze upon the heavens above. As soon as the black-robed figure spoke, everyone present was slightly startled, and Yue Mei and Mo Basa were particularly alarmed, exchanging glances that revealed mutual concern. "Master Yun, you mean that the current Medusa Queen is merely an energy form?" Yan Li pointed toward the distant Medusa Queen, his face filled with astonishment. In his perception, he could not detect anything amiss. "Yes," the black-robed figure nodded slightly, then lifted his foot and gently stepped down—his form instantly... vanished. At the very moment of his disappearance, the Medusa Queen's face subtly changed, and as she prepared to move, a dark silhouette materialized instantly behind her. A pale, jade-like hand gently extended and settled upon her back, both swift and measured. "Unbelievable!" Upon seeing the black-robed figure materialize so suddenly, Yue Mei and Mo Basa's faces instantly paled. With a swift flutter of their energy wings, they launched themselves toward the figure at high speed. "Hehe, don't you dare interfere!" Two shadows flashed forward, and at the midway point, Yan Li and Feng Li blocked the two off. The atmosphere in the sky, which had previously been harmonious, suddenly turned tense and confrontational. Without paying attention to the movements around them, the cloaked figure slightly inclined forward, gazing at the rigid Medusa queen before him, and softly asked, "Did I say that correctly, Your Majesty?" "Indeed, you're no ordinary Duke-level warrior—your quick recognition of my energy duplicate is impressive," the Medusa queen remarked with a narrowed gaze, her composed demeanor entirely free of any signs of alarm. "I'm sure Your Majesty's true form must be undisturbed at this moment, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to act so boldly, hmm… quite a favorable opportunity, isn't it?" The cloaked figure smiled gently, then suddenly trembled in his palm, sending a surge of powerful qi bursting forth and crashing hard against the back of Queen Medusa. With a soft, muffled thud, the stunningly beautiful Queen Medusa instantly dissolved into a gentle purple mist, drifting upward and gradually vanishing. "Finally, it's come to battle..." Xiao Yan murmured, eyes bright with admiration, watching the cloaked figure engage in combat with nothing but seamless precision and no hesitation.