The Tagor Desert was extremely vast. At Chen Yang's speed, he could naturally fly from Stone Desert City to the Snake-People Temple within a day, but Xiao Yan wouldn't be that fast.
Moreover, he had to endure six hours of beatings every day, so he had even less time to fly.
On the first day, after flying more than two hundred miles, the two landed in a sheltered place.
"Little Yanzi, in the coming days, we will advance two hundred li each day. In about a month and a half, we should be able to reach the heart of the Snake-People's territory!"
"Don't worry about that flame. Queen Medusa only got it for evolution. It's still there. Just take the beating step by step for half a year. Then, with the Blood Lotus Pill and Ice Heart Pill, it will be much easier to devour the Azure Lotus Core Flame!"
As dusk approached, Chen Yang gave Xiao Yan a few simple instructions.
"Young Chen is right. Snake-People are Yin in nature. Even if Queen Medusa obtains the Azure Lotus Core Flame, she won't be able to use it. Just focus on your cultivation and try to raise your Dou Qi cultivation by one or two stars when you reach the heart of the Snake-People's territory!" said Yao Lao.
"I understand!" Xiao Yan nodded emphatically, then took off his shirt and pants, leaving only his underwear, and squatted in a horse stance to wait for Yao Lao's whip.
"Smack!"
"Ah!"
"Smack!"
"Hiss!"
"Smack!"
"Holy crap, Old Deng, you son of a bitch…"
The fire whip formed from the Bone Chilling Flame lashed fiercely at Xiao Yan's body. For the first two hours, it was just flesh and blood wounds, but for the next two hours, it was aimed directly at Xiao Yan's internal organs and groin. Chen Yang, standing to the side, watched with his teeth chattering. This Yao Lao was really ruthless. Wasn't he afraid of giving Xiao Yan a stress reaction?
Four hours later, Xiao Yan was covered in blood and gore, spitting out blood and bleeding from all seven orifices. He was unrecognizable.
However, the six-hour beating was still not over.
In the last two hours, Yao Lao used the Bone Chilling Flame to condense a hammer, and basically smashed everything except Xiao Yan's head.
As the beating ended, a miraculous scene unfolded.
Xiao Yan's injuries began to heal at a visible speed. In the time it took Chen Yang to drink a cup of tea, Xiao Yan was fully recovered, and his physical strength and Dou Qi cultivation had both improved.
"Brother Yang, these two kinds of pills of yours are really amazing! After recovery, not only can they eliminate the pain, but they can also eliminate the effect of the soul twitching due to the pain. I can't feel the slightest bit of fatigue at all!" Xiao Yan changed his clothes, and after burning off the blood-red underpants with purple flames in his hands, he ran up to Chen Yang and shouted excitedly.
"You're quite something, kid. You can endure this kind of pain. It would be an injustice if you didn't become a Dou Di!" Chen Yang said to Xiao Yan with admiration.
In the original story, Xiao Yan also suffered in the early stages, but it was nothing compared to this.
Even the pain endured from devouring a Heavenly Flame was far less than this.
Who has a kind soul who gets their balls smashed and fractures broken every day?
"Hehe… I can only dream about becoming a Dou Di right now. My current goal is to surpass my Teacher, become a Dou Sheng, and be qualified to marry Xun'er!" Xiao Yan chuckled, took out a cushion, spread it on the yellow sand, looked up at the starry night sky, and grinned as he spoke.
"Keep it up!" The old doctor looked at his disciple with concern, then floated over to Chen Yang and discussed the evolution of Queen Medusa with him.
"According to my family's information, the current Queen Medusa's snake body is a 6-Tier Purple Nether Flame Serpent, but the upper limit of the Purple Nether Flame Serpent is the sixth order. If Queen Medusa wants to break through to the Dou Zong level, she must activate the hidden bloodline within the Purple Nether Flame Serpent and evolve into the legendary Seven-Colored Sky-Devouring Python!"
"For the Purple Flame Serpent to evolve, it must burn away all the impure bloodlines within its body, leaving only the last trace of pure Seven-Colored Sky-Devouring Python bloodline!"
Based on the original work, Chen Yang offered his analysis.
"The Purple Nether Flame Serpent? Then it must be him!"
Upon hearing this, the old doctor nodded. He was also aware of the legend, but the chances of the Purple Nether Flame Serpent evolving into the Seven-Colored Sky-Devouring Python were extremely slim. If it failed, it would be reduced to ashes.
"Huff… huff…"
Xiao Yan, who was listening intently at first, gradually started snoring and fell into a deep sleep.
"Although his body and soul have been repaired by the elixir, he is still mentally exhausted!"
"This kid is truly worthy of being the one she's set her sights on!"
Chen Yang remarked. "Even the old doctor is confused?"
'That one?'
'Who is it?'
Although he was puzzled, he didn't ask. Some secrets were best kept to oneself; if too many people knew, it might cause trouble.
...
For the rest of the time, Chen Yang and Xiao Yan traveled slowly through the desert. Occasionally, when they encountered an oasis, the two would go in and fight, either killing a few ignorant Snake-People or eliminating a few mercenaries who were planning to rob and plunder.
Occasionally, you could even find some rare medicinal herbs unique to the desert.
Because it required detouring around oases and occasionally avoiding large Snake-People tribes, the journey, which was originally planned to take more than a month, actually took two months to reach the last oasis outside the Snake-People's temple.
"Phew… My physical body is now as strong as that of an ordinary 5-Tier Magical Beast!" Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling the power emanating from his body, and was in a very good mood.
After more than five months, consuming a large number of pills, and enduring more and harsher beatings than a Dou Sheng expert could endure in a lifetime, he finally gained a physical body comparable to a Dou Wang expert.
In the two months since he arrived here from Stone Desert City, he had successfully broken through to the 7-Star Great Dou Master level. Even his alchemy skills had improved. He could now easily produce Grade 3 Pills. However, his Dou Qi cultivation technique was not yet sufficient to support him in refining Grade 4 Pills. He thinks that once he devours the Azure Lotus Core Flame and his cultivation technique evolves, he will be able to break through to the Grade 4 Alchemist level!
"The Snake-People's Temple is just over a hundred miles away. Let's wait here for a few days until the time is right before we go to retrieve the Heavenly Flame!"
For Chen Yang, the two months of living a life of hardship and sleeping outdoors felt more like a vacation.
His Storage Ring was filled with lots and lots of delicious food, all made by Xiao Yixian herself.
Moreover, Xiao Yan's barbecue skills were quite good. The unique Magical Beasts in the desert had excellent meat quality due to the large temperature difference between day and night, and they even had a hint of sweetness. In addition, the meat was roasted by the purple fire of a 6-Tier Magical Beast, so the taste was just as good.
"Hmm!" Xiao Yan didn't say much, but silently found a place, sprinkled some snake repellent medicine, and then went to sleep!
...
Time flew by, and Chen Yang and his companion stayed in the oasis for three days.
That day, Xiao Yan rested after being beaten up as usual. Since he started preparing to retrieve the Azure Lotus Core Flame, Xiao Yan had changed his routine to be beaten up first every day, and he could usually finish beating up around nine o'clock in the morning.
Around ten o'clock, Xiao Yan and Chen Yang looked to the west at the same time and saw a group of Snake-People lined up neatly and arriving at the oasis at great speed.
"A Snake-Person, judging from his appearance, is a Dou Wang level expert!"
Last night, Xiao Yan silently broke through another star while he was sleeping, and he was now an 8-Star Great Dou Master. The woman leading the Snake-Person team had a very powerful aura, and she was obviously a Dou Wang.
"Judging by this scale, it must be Yue Mei!" The newcomer was powerful and had a naturally alluring appearance. Among the Snake-People Clan's Dou Wang level experts, only Yue Mei fit the description.
"Brother Yang's got some skills, he can even tell a woman's identity from a fierce look?" Xiao Yan teased Chen Yang.
"Alright, stop joking, someone's coming!" Chen Yang glared at Xiao Yan, then turned to look east, where several powerful energy fluctuations were flying over.
"Kid, one of the alchemists coming from over there looks like he's from the Jia Ma Empire. If he's from there, then he should be that Pill King!" The old alchemist's voice rang out.
"What kind of bullshit Pill King is he? Can he be as awesome as my Brother Yang? Can he be as awesome as you, Teacher?" Xiao Yan said disdainfully.
"Hahaha…" Chen Yang and Yao Lao laughed upon hearing this, which caught Yue Mei's attention.
"Who?"
A powerful Snake-Person, wielding a spear, shouted at Chen Yang and his companion.
"We're just passing through, you can do whatever you want!"
Chen Yang waved his hand lightly, making no attempt to conceal his aura as a peak Dou Huang.
"Hiss…"
Yue Mei was startled, and the other Snake-People were so frightened that their tails went limp.
Once she calmed down, Yue Mei composed herself and looked at Chen Yang, first bowing respectfully. "Your Excellency has entered the territory of my Snake-People race so rashly. Are you unaware of the prestige of my Queen Medusa?"
Chen Yang glanced at Yue Mei indifferently. "Oh, are you threatening me?"
Although Yue Mei's hands trembled with fear upon hearing this, she still spoke with neither humility nor arrogance. "This is not a threat, but merely a reminder to Your Majesty that our Queen is also a peak Dou Huang expert!"
"Nonsense!"
Chen Yang shook his head, and the Rainbow Sword appeared in his hand. He slashed down from dozens of meters away, and immediately, all the Snake-People on the scene except for Yue Mei, the Dou Wang, were decapitated.
"I told you, I was just passing by. Yue Mei Leader, don't make a mistake."
"Medusa is indeed infamous, but I can kill you with just one sword!"
After Chen Yang finished speaking, the Rainbow Sword disappeared, and he stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance…