The figure of the Flame Spirit swiftly darted across the sky, then suddenly halted mid-air, the pale flames enveloping his body gradually fading away. When the flames had completely dissipated, a young, refined face emerged. The black eyes blinked gently as the young boy slightly tilted his head back, the sense of weariness in his gaze swiftly melting away, replaced instead by the youthful energy and cunning of a young man. "Master, what exactly happened just now?" asked Xiao Yan, slightly twisting his neck and furrowing his brows, his question naturally centered on why the previously flawless attack from the Elder Yao had suddenly been shattered. "It was the one in your sleeve," the Elder Yao replied, with a sigh. "Had it not been for the barrier of the Bone Spirit's Cold Flame isolating your aura, both the Cloud Mushrooms and the several Serpent People—indeed, even the Queen Medusa—would have sensed it." "Her?" "Heard this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. With careful precision, he extended his hand into his sleeve and gently extracted the seven-colored little snake, which felt cool and smooth as jade, placing it gently in his palm. He fixed his gaze upon her. Noticing Xiao Yan's steady gaze, the seven-colored snake lifted its small head high, its pale purple eyes full of spirit. Its mouth slightly opened, and its slender tongue gently flicked out, as if trying to brush against Xiao Yan's face. Gently tilting his head to avoid the little creature's playful antics, Xiao Yan smiled, then, with a tone that carried a subtle sense of gravity, murmured in his heart, 'Master... do you think she has already restored the memory of the Queen of Medusa?'” "There shouldn't be... If she had regained her memories, given the proud and unyielding nature of Queen Medusa, she wouldn't have stayed by your side. I believe it was because I initially intended to strike down the five Snake King-level warriors that her soul temporarily broke free from the束缚 of the Seven-Colored Sky-Devouring Python. Now, looking at the current state of the Seven-Colored Sky-Devouring Python, I suspect Queen Medusa's soul has been once again subdued." The Elder pondered, his voice calm. Relieved, Xiao Yan gently stroked the head of the Sky-Devouring Python, chuckling softly, "This little one truly is an unpredictable bomb—any day now, Queen Medusa might burst out again." "I had said exactly that back then, yet you still kept her by your side," the Elder said with a pleased, somewhat indulgent smile. Brushed his hair aside, Xiao Yan stared at the adorable Tian-Tian Python, sighed, "How could I resist such strong allure... I hope it can keep the Queen Medusa's soul under control." From his nari-jia, he withdrew a bottle of companion purple crystal essence, dripped a few drops into the python's mouth. Then, contented, the little creature lazily waved its tongue and curled itself lazily into the sleeve of Xiao Yan's robe. After calming the python, Xiao Yan scanned the desert below, then gently descended to a specific spot, looking down at the yellow sand beneath him and softly said, "Is it here?" Slowly opening his palm toward the dune, a quiet stillness gave way to a powerful suction that surged suddenly from his palm. Under this force, the yellow sand beneath instantly rose into the sky. As the yellow sand receded, a dark void of several meters in size suddenly appeared below. Within it, the jade lotus pedestal emitted a gentle glow, floating steadily. Seeing the Seated Lotus Heart Fire unharmed, Xiao Yan exhaled in relief, then waved his hand, and the pedestal instantly transformed into a streak of jade light, shooting directly into his palm. As Xiao Yan's figure vanished into the endless yellow sands, the thrilling battle for the extraordinary fire in the Tagoor Desert finally concluded with one party securing a decisive victory. ... After soaring for nearly half a day, having consumed thirteen Qi-restoring pills along the way, Xiao Yan gradually reached the outer reaches of the Tagoor Great Desert. Since he required an extremely remote and undisturbed environment, he had chosen a route that followed the sparsely populated regions on the map. As the sun in the sky gradually set and dipped below the horizon, patches of withered grass began to appear on the otherwise uniform golden sands. After continuing his flight for some time, lush greenery reappeared in sight, and far in the distance, a majestic mountain range gradually revealed a small spur of its peak. Staring at the emerging ridges and peaks, Xiao Yan, who had journeyed for nearly all day, finally exhaled deeply, shook his arms that had grown nearly numb from fatigue, and with a renewed strength, his back wings—once faintly visible due to the waning of his ki—expanded fully. A gentle flutter of his wings sent Xiao Yan's body gliding like a streak of black light, directly into the majestic mountain range ahead. After landing, Xiao Yan, slightly pale and serious, quickly placed the Qinglian seat beside him. Without pausing to speak with the Elder Yao, he swiftly retrieved a Guiqi Pill from his storage ring, swallowed it, and immediately assumed a meditation posture, entering a state of cultivation to restore his Qi. Although the Guiqi Pills had supported him during the journey, as external supplements, they inevitably led to bodily dependency—over time, continuous reliance on them would gradually weaken the body's innate Qi-restoration capacity, and eventually, this ability might completely vanish. It was hard to imagine: if a combatant lost the ability to restore his Qi, could he still be considered a true combatant? Thus, after this prolonged journey, the first priority for Xiao Yan upon landing was to promptly activate the meridians within his body and begin restoring his Qi. The cultivation session lasted nearly an hour. Only then did Xiao Yan gradually open his eyes, exhaling a thick, slightly yellowish breath, and gently twisting his still aching and numb muscles. He chuckled wistfully, "Although the Burned Technique has evolved into a mid-level Yellow Stage due to the absorption of purple flame, it's still fundamentally only a Yellow Stage technique—far from sufficient to meet my current demands. Without the large supply of Qi-restoring pills, I would have given up long ago. Ah..." Regarding the energy contained within the hetero-flames, Xiao Yan held no doubt. Although the evolution between stages of cultivation required energy far exceeding that of mere level advancements—by dozens of times—Xiao Yan firmly believed that the Qinglian Earth Heart Flame possessed this extraordinary capacity. Otherwise, it would not have earned the profound admiration and reverence of countless powerful figures across the continent. Over three years, in pursuit of the rare flames, Xiao Yan had nearly traversed half of the Jamah Empire. When, back in the underground magma realm, he first learned of the existence of these unique flames, it was unimaginable how exhilarated he must have been. Yet, after repeatedly battling the dual-headed fire spirit serpent, he ended up with nothing but an empty Qinglian. Though deeply disheartened, Xiao Yan never chose to give up. Thus, driven by unwavering determination, he undertook a series of actions that would seem utterly mad to anyone listening. With only the strength of a Battle Master, he ventured deep into the arid desert, alone and unyielding, confronting the Serpent People—long considered off-limits by humans. On his journey across the desert, he several times narrowly escaped the death-blades of the Death God, whose cutting edges could sever a soul. Thanks to his courage and relentless efforts, this fortunate young man emerged as the greatest victor in the quest for the rare flames, a triumph even the strongest Battle Spirit-level warriors could only achieve by standing on the sidelines. For this small cluster of emerald flames, Xiao Yan had labored for three years. Today, at last, he held it in his arms—his own triumph. Gently lifting his head, he gazed upward at the crescent moon in the sky. His mouth slowly opened, and then, in a breath that was slightly hoarse, a low, resonant roar—laced with laughter—echoed across the mountain peaks. The black ring on his finger trembled slightly. Suddenly, Yao Lao appeared beside him, stepping into view. He looked down at the boy, whose body was tightly curled, trembling softly yet restrained, and a warm sense of satisfaction and tenderness shimmered in the old man's cloudy eyes. Over the past three years, he had watched Xiao Yan grow, witnessed his perseverance, his countless battles pushing beyond limits, and his steady progress in cultivation. And now, after three years of dedicated effort, the time had finally come—results had bloomed!