Queen Medusa looked at the young man before her, whose face now carried a trace of cunning as he calculated against Gu He. He seemed to have an extremely clear objective, and for the sake of that goal he had been taking the initiative all along—scheming against others and preparing for new challenges. A sharp, aggressive spirit permeated his entire being.
Thinking of this, Queen Medusa felt a faint sense of envy in her heart. That proactive, enterprising sharpness was something she no longer possessed. She had once been like this as well, but over the long years of leading the Snake-People and engaging in prolonged struggles and games of power with the surrounding empire, it had gradually been worn away.
She studied Lin Yuan's face carefully. His appearance was quite handsome, yet Queen Medusa suddenly had an inexplicable intuition, this face was probably not his true one.
The name "Alchemist" he used was undoubtedly fake. If so, was this face also fake? That seemed entirely possible.
With this suspicion in mind, Queen Medusa scrutinized Lin Yuan's face even more closely. The sense of disharmony in her heart grew stronger. She was now seventy percent certain that this was not his real appearance. Presumably, only those eyes always gleaming with a hint of cunning, were genuine.
Although Queen Medusa harbored some doubts, she did not voice them, nor did she ask. This was the bearing of a queen. She understood clearly that for both sides, the current relationship limited to the identity of an alchemist elder was the optimal state. Once the other party's true identity was exposed, it might drag the Snake-People into an unpredictable storm.
"Your Majesty, is there something on my face?" Sensing the slightly unusual gaze Queen Medusa was directing at him, Lin Yuan asked.
Queen Medusa smiled, a hint of playfulness appearing in her eyes. After discovering the other party's little secret, although she could not say it out loud, she found herself becoming unconsciously more composed when facing him. "Nothing. I was merely sighing at the fact that Alchemist Elder has a very beautiful pair of eyes."
"Hmm?"
"Alchemist Elder, this time, are you really only doing this to scheme against Gu He? Or is scheming against Gu He merely the first step of your plan?" Queen Medusa took the initiative to change the topic and asked with some suspicion.
Although their contact had not been long, Queen Medusa did not believe Lin Yuan's calculations would be so simple. She increasingly felt that her defeat back then, as well as the series of events that followed, were not coincidences, that everything which had unfolded so smoothly had all been within the calculations of the man before her.
Her question was both a doubt and a reminder, reminding Lin Yuan not to forget the agreement between the two of them.
Hearing this, Lin Yuan sighed inwardly. Sure enough, everyone in this world possessed their own wisdom. He absolutely could not look down on everything simply because of an information advantage. He then said sincerely, "There are some small schemes, but I will not violate the agreement between you and me."
"Of course, some of those storms originally belonged to the Jia Ma Empire. They were already within the Jia Ma Empire, it's not as if I brought them here," Lin Yuan added silently in his heart.
Queen Medusa waved her hand upon hearing this and turned to leave. "That is good. I'll leave the matter of the pills to Alchemist Elder, then."
"It's my duty. Your Majesty is too courteous." As he spoke, Lin Yuan glanced at Qing Lin in the distance, who had just defeated another opponent, then turned and headed toward the medicinal materials treasury. It was about time for him to properly consolidate and refine his alchemy skills.
Lin Yuan thought of the inheritance of an eighth-grade alchemist he had obtained through a transaction with Yao Lao. Some of the pill-refining techniques within it were quite different from what Lin Yuan had previously learned and had been very enlightening to him. This was the perfect opportunity—using the chance to refine pills within the Snake-People to practice these techniques with the vast medicinal reserves of the Snake-People Empire.
"Such an opportunity is rare. Before Gu He and the others arrive, I'll focus on secluded cultivation of my alchemy for a while."
Jia Ma Scared City. Deep within the residence that served as the headquarters of the Miter Family, a wave of icy aura swept outward from a certain estate before rapidly converging back in.
Tengshan, one of the Jia Ma Empire's top ten experts, stood outside the estate. Sensing this aura, which was clearly much stronger than before, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly as a smile rose from the bottom of his heart.
Not long after, an elderly man with a fierce appearance but a hint of joy on his face walked out of the estate. It was none other than Hai Bodong.
Tengshan stepped forward and said with a smile, "Elder Hai, your aura is much stronger than before. It seems your strength has recovered quite a bit."
"Hahaha! Tengshan, your perception is correct. That person really didn't lie to me. After he helped me suppress Queen Medusa's seal, I've been constantly impacting the seal and wearing down its power during this period. I've already recovered to the level of a five-star Dou King. Before long, this old man should be able to return to the Dou Emperor realm once again."
"Congratulations, Elder Hai. You'll soon return to your peak." Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Tengshan was visibly excited. Once Hai Bodong returned to his peak, the foundation of the Miter Family which had long relied on him alone as a Dou King would increase at an astonishing rate.
Feeling the Dou Qi surging throughout his body, Hai Bodong could not help but sigh from the depths of his heart at that person's extraordinary talent. After studying the Snake Curse Seal for only a few hours, the other party had already grasped the principles of the seal and devised a targeted method to remove it. A seal that had tormented him for so many years had actually been resolved in such an ingenious manner.
However, among all the people he had met, he estimated that only that person himself could make use of such a method. Only someone who was already a master of sealing techniques, combined with powerful perception, could so smoothly locate and seal all the crucial nodes. If it were himself, even if he understood the principles, he would not be able to do it, his own Dou Qi and sealing techniques were simply incapable of suppressing Queen Medusa's Snake Curse Seal.
After deeply sensing Lin Yuan's extraordinariness, Hai Bodong took the matters Lin Yuan had entrusted to him even more seriously. He looked solemnly at Tengshan and asked, "Tengshan, how are the things I previously instructed you to handle coming along?"
Sensing how seriously Hai Bodong regarded this matter, Tengshan replied in a deep voice, "Elder Hai, rest assured. I personally oversaw both matters you entrusted to me. First, regarding the items listed in the notebook that need to be collected, there has already been some progress with illusion-type Dou Techniques and sound-wave Dou Techniques. Combined-attack techniques are simply too rare, and there are no leads on those for now. Second, as for that piece of information, I activated some of our hidden agents. I believe the news will be delivered to Gu He without him even realizing it."
"Very good. You've worked hard." Hai Bodong let out a breath and nodded in satisfaction. With Tengshan personally overseeing things, he could be at ease. He was well aware of the other party's ability to get things done. With him taking charge, he believed the matter would be completed satisfactorily.
"In this way, I can be considered to have lived up to the trust placed in me."
Misty Cloud Sect.
"Has the information been confirmed?"
On a cloud-shrouded peak, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea of clouds below. His tone was calm, yet there was a hint of barely suppressed excitement in his eyes. How many years had it been? At last, he had obtained information about a Heavenly Flame.
Below him, a figure dressed in white knelt on one knee. Looking at the back of Gu He—the renowned sixth-grade alchemist of the Northwestern Continent—the figure replied excitedly, "Reporting to Grandmaster, the information regarding the Heavenly Flame has been confirmed. The news that a Heavenly Flame exists in the Tager Great Desert is very likely to be true."
"Good, well done. This matter will count as a great merit for you. Mobilize some more manpower and investigate thoroughly. Do not overlook any details. You may go." Gu He waved his hand.
"Yes!"
After the white-clad figure withdrew, a look of wild joy surged onto Gu He's face. "So many years… finally, finally I've discovered traces of a Heavenly Flame. This time, no matter who it is, no one will be able to stop the Heavenly Flame from falling into my hands."
Gu He paced back and forth atop the cloud peak, deep in thought.
"If the Heavenly Flame is in the Tager Desert, then I may have to deal with Medusa. That woman's temperament is unpredictable. It seems I'll need to find a few helpers."
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