[The Dou Realms in BTTH are as follows: Dou Disciple – Practitioner – Master – Grandmaster – Spirit – King – Emperor – Ancestor – Venerate – Saint – God (Dou Di).]
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"Heh… I've been waiting for you."
When Renzo saw Queen Medusa, he wasn't the least bit surprised. With just a casual flick of his sleeve, Medusa's combat technique was stopped dead in its tracks, as if it had slammed into an invisible wall. It couldn't even get within a meter of him.
At the same time, an unseen force blasted against her, hurling her through the air. She flew back dozens of meters before she finally managed to steady herself.
"You… who exactly are you? And that flame below… did you take it?"
Medusa's expression turned grave as she looked at Renzo, regret gnawing at her heart.
"Damn it. I should've taken the risk earlier. Now look at the mess I've made."
She had discovered the Green Lotus Core Flame long ago. But back then, her strength hadn't reached the limit needed to withstand its power and use it for her evolution, so she had chosen to wait. She never expected someone else to swoop in and claim it first.
"You guessed right."
Renzo nodded without denying it. "You must be Queen Medusa of the Snake-People Tribe, correct? If I'm not mistaken, you wanted to use that flame to evolve your bloodline and push through to the next realm."
Medusa's heart skipped a beat. "How do you know that?"
That was supposed to be a top-secret matter. Even within her tribe, very few knew about it.
Renzo smiled faintly. "I know plenty of things. And if you're willing, I can help you evolve your bloodline. The choice is yours."
"You? Help me?" Medusa's brows furrowed. "What, are you planning to hand the flame back to me?"
She had no reason to trust some stranger she had just met—much less a human. And besides, using a Heavenly Flame to evolve one's bloodline was insanely dangerous.
"Return it to you? That's impossible. Once something's in my hand, I don't give it away. But I am a tier 7 alchemist, and I've already mastered this flame completely. Helping you evolve wouldn't be difficult."
As he spoke, Renzo secretly used his Uchiha technique—Omniscient Analysis—to scan through every detail of Medusa's bloodline.
"A tier 7 alchemist? Why not just claim you're a Dou Ancestor while you're at it?" Medusa scoffed coldly. "I'll admit you're strong, but don't try to fool me."
On the Jia Ma Empire, the titles of Dou Ancestor and tier 7 Alchemist had long faded into legend. She wasn't an alchemist herself, but she knew enough. Without the strength of a Dou Ancestor—or at the very least an Ancestor-level soul—reaching such a level was practically impossible. And this boy standing before her looked barely twenty. Could that really be true?
Renzo didn't bother arguing. Words weren't enough. Instead, he released his aura in full force, letting it surge over Medusa like a tidal wave.
The suffocating pressure made her knees buckle. She felt as though death itself loomed over her. Her body was forced down against the ground, pinned so tightly she couldn't even twitch a finger.
Renzo looked down at her with a teasing smile. "Now tell me—does someone like me really need to lie to you? If I wanted something from you, I wouldn't need tricks. Absolute power makes them pointless."
Only after saying this did he withdraw his aura. Slowly, Medusa managed to get back on her feet, her face pale with lingering fear. She stared at him in shock.
"Just… what kind of cultivation do you have? And what you said earlier—about helping me—was that true?"
"Just call me Renzo. I'm nothing more than an ordinary young man." He grinned. "As for helping you, of course I meant it. My word is my bond. So, do you want it or not?"
"I… want it."
Medusa clenched her teeth, then nodded heavily.
"Good. Then let's begin."
Without further hesitation, Renzo drew out the Green Lotus Core Flame. In just a few breaths, he refined it completely. After a moment of thought, he conjured several bottles of pills and tossed them over to Medusa.
She scrambled to catch them, staring blankly at him. "Here? You're doing this here?"
Wasn't this a little too reckless?
"Why not go to the Snake-People's holy city instead? I've already prepared plenty of materials for my evolution back there," she pressed, suspicion flickering in her eyes. For some reason, this man was starting to feel unreliable.
"No need for all that trouble. Here is fine. It's nothing difficult."
Renzo shook his head and waved his hand. Instantly, the surroundings transformed. A grand hall rose into existence, complete with a massive pool at its center, brimming with luminous life essence.
"This…"
Medusa's eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she didn't even know what to say.
"Alright. Get into the pool. We can start now."
"…Fine."
Though hesitant, she bit her lip, stripped away her garments, and transformed into her true form—a massive serpent—before slipping into the pool.
"Swallow all the pills I gave you," Renzo reminded her. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the azure flame surged forth, engulfing Medusa completely.
"Ahhh!"
Her scream tore through the chamber.
The Heavenly Flame's burning agony was enough to drive her insane. Just when she thought she would be consumed alive, the life essence surged into her body, healing her wounds at a furious pace.
Then came the fire again. Burning, healing. Burning, healing.
The cycle repeated endlessly, trapping her in a nightmare worse than death. If not for her iron will and desire for strength, she would have broken long ago.
Yet, amid the torment, Medusa felt a hidden power stirring deep within her blood. Her very genes seemed to be unraveling and reshaping themselves.
"It's… working!"
Joy flickered in her heart—only to be crushed as the Heavenly Flame flared hotter, searing her even more viciously.
Remembering Renzo's instructions, she hurriedly summoned the pills he had given her and swallowed them all at once. Relief came swiftly. The medicinal energy wrapped around her meridians, shielding her from the fire while nurturing her bloodline's metamorphosis. Even her exhausted spirit began to recover.
The burning ordeal dragged on for over an hour before Renzo finally recalled the flame with a wave of his hand. The conjured hall dissolved as well.
At that very moment—
Boom!
Dark clouds had already gathered outside. Lightning writhed through the heavens.
Medusa, now in the form of a massive violet python, shot into the sky, straight into the heart of the tribulation.
Thunder roared as bolts of lightning crashed down one after another, tearing into her body. Each strike burned away the remnants of her old flesh, accelerating her transformation.
At last, from within the charred remains of the great serpent, a slender, radiant snake no longer than two meters burst forth. Its scales shimmered with seven dazzling colors. In the blink of an eye, it morphed into human form, her aura soaring uncontrollably until it finally steadied at the level of a five-star Dou Ancestor.
"She… succeeded?"
Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin stared in awe, their faces flushing as they took in Medusa's reborn form.
"…Thank you."
Medusa, her cold gaze flicking briefly toward Renzo, forced out the words. But her consciousness, drained to its limit, wavered. Overcome with exhaustion, she collapsed into slumber.
Her body shrank down into the form of a tiny seven-colored serpent, which fluttered through the air and landed weakly before Renzo.
.
.
.