His body surged forward like a fish breaking through the surface of a clear lake. Xiao Yan glanced at the dense, pale flames shimmering just beyond his skin, and involuntarily swallowed hard. Under the peculiar temperature of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the surrounding lake water had begun to ripple violently, as if boiling, continuously rising in white bubbles. Subtle, deep-violet liquid—barely visible to the naked eye—slowly emerged. Yet, as these droplets approached the pale flames, they were instantly frozen into fine, delicate strands of ice by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, then gently settled to the lakebed. Watching the steady emergence of these thin, purple ice filaments around him, Xiao Yan felt a growing sense of unease. He hadn't expected such a serene lake to harbor so many lethal toxins. "Time is of the essence," he murmured. "These toxins are extremely potent. While the unusual flames protect me from their penetration, they are placing a tremendous strain on my spiritual energy." As Xiao Yan was marveling, a deep, resonant voice from the Elder of Medicine suddenly echoed in his mind. "Hm." Nodding urgently, Xiao Yan leapt with both feet, his head breaking the surface of the water. He gazed at the small island in the center of the lake, exhaled gently, and then swiftly moved his arms, drawing a trail of water behind him, gradually approaching the lake. The giant serpent's furious assault sent Xiang Yan roaring in anger. With a heavy palm strike upon the water's surface, ripples burst outward, propelling his body completely clear of the surface. Slightly leaning forward, he formed a near-parallel arc with the lake, then lightly pointed his toes at a cluster of surging water waves. Instantly, his body erupted like a cannonball, shooting out along the surface with a resounding "thump." "Thump, thump, thump!" As he surged forward with explosive momentum, several sharp waves exploded behind him—echoes of the serpent's missed attacks. Unbothered by the lingering gusts of sharp, fishy air trailing behind, Xiang Yan used the force of the impact to evade the serpent's repeated assaults. When he was only ten meters from the small island, he glanced back and saw the colossal serpent, its massive jaws agape, breaking through the water in relentless pursuit. 萧炎微微冷笑，指尖轻弹纳戒，一块木板从中落入湖面。就在木板即将被湖水中的毒液侵蚀的瞬间，他脚尖轻点其上，身体微沉，随即再度疾射而出，瞬间便进入小岛范围，凌空一翻，双脚微蹲，双掌轻按地面，稳稳落地。 脚掌稳稳踩在小岛上，萧炎回眸望去，发现自进入小岛十米范围后，那条狰狞的巨蛇便显出畏惧，不敢再前行，蛇尾在小岛之外摇摆徘徊，不断吐出猩红的信子，目光锐利地凝视着他良久，最终无奈地再度沉入湖底。 望着湖面渐渐恢复平静，萧炎这才松了口气，转身凝视这座小岛。小岛面积不大，四周遍布郁郁葱葱的竹林与各类花草，生机盎然，景色清雅宜人。 "The aura of the Strange Fire... " Taking a deep breath, this close proximity seemed to allow even Xiao Yan to sense the presence of the Strange Fire hidden within the island. The black pupils of his eyes flickered with intense flames as he clenched his fists tightly, silently vowing in his heart that this time, no matter what, he must secure the Strange Fire—because for it, he had already sacrificed so much. Gradually, the pale, silver flames on his body began to fade away. The voice of Yao Lao resonated once more: "Be careful—Queen Medusa is also inside, though she likely has no current interest in you. I'll perfectly conceal your presence. Proceed as the situation demands." "Understood," Xiao Yan nodded slightly. His breathing settled into calm rhythm. Standing by the lake's edge, he took a few moments before stepping lightly and steadily into the bamboo grove. ... Walking along a quiet path through the bamboo grove, the only sound was the faint, barely perceptible rustle of Xiao Yan's footsteps on the grass leaves. Though Master Yao had ceased speaking to guide the way, Xiao Yan could still sense the subtle, unusual flame aura drifting through the air, allowing him to steadily find the most accurate path. Taking his time, he turned the corner of several narrow lanes, and as the view gradually opened up, he suddenly bent forward at the moment of turning, quickly concealing himself within a cluster of grasses. Through the gaps in the leaves, he gazed at the open space at the center of the small island. Here lies an open, circular space, with the surrounding bamboo and flower beds neatly cleared. Fine, smooth stones are scattered throughout, their surfaces slightly depressed to form a small, shallow pond. Within this pond, a clear, transparent liquid is held, its surface veiled in a delicate layer of white mist. Even from a distance, Xiao Yan can clearly sense the intense cold radiating from the liquid. "Ice Spirit Cold Spring..." staring intently at the shimmering liquid, Xiao Yan took a long, deep breath, his eyes widening. The Ice Spirit Cold Spring—a small bottle he had painstakingly secured from Guti—had now been transformed into a full pond here. Truly, the gesture was nothing short of astonishing. The profound astonishment gradually subsided, and Xiao Yan's gaze slowly shifted, finally settling on a lotus pedestal carved from an unusual crystal at the center of the small pool. At that pedestal, a cluster of jade-green flames was slowly rising. Staring at this jade-green flame, Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of needles. A passionate yearning surged through him, breaking through all his inner barriers and vividly manifesting on the clear, refined features of his youthful face. This jade-green flame was exceptionally spirited—when it gently swayed, it occasionally coalesced into the shape of a lotus, and at other times into a slender, delicate green flame serpent, floating and circling gracefully within the pedestal, its calm and gentle demeanor endearing beyond words. With eyes fixed unwaveringly on the flame's ever-changing forms, Xiao Yan, concealed among the trees, kept twitching his lips, and his palms pressed firmly against the ground, now deeply embedded into the muddy soil from the intensity of his excitement. "Finally found you..." staring intently at the jade-colored flame, Xiao Yan pressed his lips tightly together. Though he had never seen the appearance of the Qinglian Earth-Heart Flame before, having once cultivated upon the Qinglian itself, he could faintly sense a familiar resonance—something deeply aligned with the essence of the Qinglian—within the jade flame. After years of persistent effort and perseverance, this was the first time Xiao Yan had witnessed the unique flame so closely up close. Of course, the strange flame from Yao Lao remained somewhat ordinary to him; the Bone-Spirit Cold Flame, controlled by Yao Lao's soul, was so steady that Xiao Yan hardly perceived its intensity or turbulence. Clearly, the crystal lotus platform was no ordinary artifact—each time the jade flame approached the edge of the lotus seat, a sudden, delicate white light shield would emerge, instantly deflecting and pushing the flame back. Carefully scanning the pool, Xiao Yan noticed that every time the unusual flame came into contact with the light shield, the ice-magic cold spring within the pool subtly diminished by a tiny amount. Clearly, the crystal lotus seat must have drawn upon the power of the ice-magic cold spring in order to contain the green flame. After scanning the small pool, Xiao Yan shifted his gaze to the left. As a face breathtakingly beautiful—almost ethereal—came into view, his already faint aura naturally sank even further. Facing this top-tier, Du Phong-level powerhouse, Xiao Yan felt as though a massive stone had been placed squarely upon his heart, making him profoundly restrained. The current Queen Medusa radiated no difference from the energy form that had first appeared outside the city. Dressed in a luxurious, expensive purple silk robe, her graceful, full-bodied figure was wrapped in alluring charm. Her slender, fiery form exuded a captivating elegance, and her long, pale purple eyes, shimmering with mesmerizing grace, drew every man’s gaze, seemingly pulling it away from everything else. Beneath the robe, a slender purple serpent’s tail moved lazily, brushing gently, releasing a wild, exotic charm. Now, the Queen’s pale purple eyes were fixed intently on the jade-colored flames dancing in the pool. Under the reflected light, the flames danced within her eyes, flickering and shimmering. After gazing steadily at the jade flames for a long while, the Queen suddenly sighed softly, lifted her gaze to the sky, and then gently swayed her serpent’s tail, slowly rising to her full, fiery height. "It's time, isn't it..." A soft murmur escaped the queen Medusa's lush, alluring face, a rare moment of hesitation flickering across it before instantly transforming into resolve. Beneath her purple silk robe, two pale, slender arms emerged, and with delicate fingers, she slowly formed several hand seals before her. As the hand seals shifted in the queen's hands, the crystal lotus throne trembled violently. The luminous screen above it gradually faded away. Once the screen vanished, the restrained jade flames surged forth with sudden intensity, swelling into a roaring, turbulent blaze within a mere blink of an eye. Beneath this surge of vibrant green flame, the icy spring in the small pond was visibly evaporating at an accelerating pace. Ignoring the bamboo around her, rapidly withering under the heat, the queen Medusa gently bit her red-lipped lower lip and slowly unfastened the clasps of her silk robe. In an instant, her flawless, celestial form—like a masterpiece crafted by the heavens—was fully revealed, bare and radiant, against the bamboo grove.