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"Sigh… what a tragedy…" Yao Lao sighed softly.
His gaze turned to Wei Yang.
Wei Yang shook his head with a helpless look. "Senior, if you have something to say, just say it. How could I possibly refuse? Tell me—what do you need me to do?"
"Hehe." Yao Lao seemed to have been waiting for that response and quickly said, "Although I don't know how much Queen Medusa can weaken the Green Lotus Core Flame in the end… I estimate that no matter how much she consumes it, the Green Lotus Core Flame should still retain at least the power of a mid-to-high-tier Dou Wang."
Upon hearing that, Xiao Yan opened his mouth, and an immense unease welled up in his heart. He couldn't help but swallow hard.
It sounded reasonable enough…
But in reality?
It still retained the power of a mid-to-high-tier Dou Wang?
That thought alone sent chills down his spine. His whole body shivered.
This wasn't even a matter of "a slim chance of survival"—it was practically a death sentence!
He was just a mere two-star Dou Shi. What right did he have to attempt such a feat?
Wei Yang nodded silently.
Just like the original story.
After being weakened by Queen Medusa, the Green Lotus Core Flame still had strength between mid and high Dou Wang.
The fact that Xiao Yan could successfully devour it in the end—other than calling it divine luck—there was no better explanation.
…
"So, Senior wants me to weaken it again?" Wei Yang asked.
"Exactly." Yao Lao nodded. "Right now, I'm just a soul body. I can barely handle the Bone Chilling Flame, but once two Heavenly Flames clash, I won't be able to suppress them. On the contrary, I'll likely suffer a backlash. Soul bodies are especially vulnerable to Heavenly Flames."
Wei Yang nodded.
Given Yao Lao's current state, trying to use the Bone Chilling Flame to suppress the Green Lotus Core Flame was basically suicidal.
"So you're the only one who can act!" Yao Lao continued. "Use the Black Sun Burning Heaven Flame to further weaken it, while being careful not to damage the core of the Green Lotus Core Flame!"
"Weaken it further? How much do you want me to reduce its strength?" Wei Yang raised a brow.
"Dou Ling!" Yao Lao gritted his teeth.
"Master!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened, blurting out in shock.
That—was way too much!
"Foolish!"
Yao Lao glared at Xiao Yan. "You're just a Dou Shi! No matter how well we prepare, we can't hide the fact that your level is far too low! That's why we have to be ruthless—only by weakening it to the Dou Ling level can you even have a fifty or sixty percent chance of refining it!"
"Besides, you're just a Dou Shi. What would you need such a powerful Heavenly Flame for?"
"Heavenly Flames are double-edged swords. They can harm your enemies—but also yourself! The stronger they are, the harder they are to control. The best-case scenario is when the Heavenly Flame and the user are closely matched in strength and can complement each other."
"That way, you'll be able to control it smoothly and effortlessly, without any risk of backlash! So, weakening it to the Dou Ling level is just right."
"And as long as the Green Lotus Core Flame's core isn't damaged, its lost strength can be regained in the future as your cultivation improves—or if you supply it with enough energy."
"It's just some energy. Compared to your life, which is more important? Can't you do that simple math?" Yao Lao scolded.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only nod reluctantly. He lowered his head in silence, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Silly child… truly foolish," Yao Lao shook his head with a sigh.
But he could understand. After all, no one would want their Heavenly Flame to be weakened for no reason.
Right now, it held Dou Huang power. Watching it drop to Dou Ling after two stages of weakening—anyone would find that hard to accept.
"How about this—what if I weaken it just enough to barely match a Dou Wang?" Wei Yang proposed.
"Barely match a Dou Wang? That works!" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up at once, looking at Yao Lao expectantly.
That outcome… was at least acceptable.
"Hmm… barely Dou Wang level… in that case, there's still about a forty percent chance of success…" Yao Lao frowned, stroking his beard as he considered it. Looking at Xiao Yan's eager expression, he finally nodded. "Fine, we'll go with that."
"Thank you, Master. Then it's settled." Xiao Yan grinned.
"Brat." Yao Lao snorted, glaring at him.
"Hehe…" Xiao Yan scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
Wei Yang also smiled faintly.
Weaken the Green Lotus Core Flame?
Not a bad job at all.
Because all the energy stripped away from it would become nourishment for the growth of the Black Sun Burning Heaven Flame.
Don't forget its trait—
It could absorb fire- and yang-attributed energy to strengthen itself.
It could even devour others' Dou Qi and convert it into its own power.
Even though the process had to avoid damaging the core of the Green Lotus Core Flame, it was still a Heavenly Flame that had accumulated pure energy over countless years deep within underground magma. For the Black Sun Burning Heaven Flame, this was a supreme feast.
Far superior to absorbing ordinary Dou Qi or natural energy—no comparison at all.
…
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, ten days went by.
Today, the core city of the Snake-People Clan was under full lockdown, a solemn atmosphere hanging over the vast city.
Even the eight major clans around the core territory followed suit.
All Snake-People were on high alert, fully prepared.
Deep within the eastern part of the city lay a sacred forbidden ground—home to Queen Medusa's temple.
And behind that temple—
In the middle of the lake, there was a small, crystal-clear body of water.
At its center stood a tiny island, gently surrounded by rippling waves, with no bridges or pathways leading to it.
Above the lake, the space shimmered with faint distortions—clearly, some kind of formation was in place, one that restricted aerial movement. It was impossible to fly across easily.
Beneath the seemingly clear lake water, faint streaks of purple liquid could just barely be seen—an extremely deadly venom that permeated the entire lake.
A long, massive dark shadow slid through the water below, swimming slowly.
Upon closer inspection, it was a giant serpent, its body covered in emerald-green scales and its triangular head gliding silently through the depths.
Standing at the edge of the lake island, this was the scene Wei Yang perceived with his senses.
Beside him, Xiao Yan was curiously looking around, completely unaware of the hidden danger.
The island itself was covered with dense bamboo groves, creating patches of lush greenery.
The two of them strolled down a small path winding through the bamboo forest. Ahead of them, a beautiful female serpent-woman was leading the way.
This woman was the captain of Queen Medusa's royal guard.
The atmosphere around them was silent and still. Aside from the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the wind and the soft crunching of footsteps on the grassy path, there were no other sounds.
Their pace was unhurried as they followed the winding path through the bamboo, and after a few turns, the view ahead gradually opened up.
At the end of the last turn, they arrived at the very center of the small island.
Before them lay a circular clearing. The surrounding bamboo and flowerbeds had been meticulously trimmed. Smooth, rounded pebbles were scattered across the ground, crunching gently underfoot.
The pebbles spread out across the open space.
At the very center was a small sunken pool, filled with crystal-clear liquid.
A faint mist hovered above the surface. Even from a distance, Wei Yang and the others could clearly feel the biting cold radiating from it.
"Ice Spirit Cold Fountain!" Their eyes were fixed on the crystal-clear, frosty liquid.
Only after a moment did they inhale the chilly air and slowly come back to their senses.
Exchanging glances, both men had twitching expressions.
This… was simply too extravagant.
Even Wei Yang, who had mentally prepared himself, couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
He remembered how, in the past, he had dragged Xian'er along just to rob someone for a single bottle of Ice Spirit Cold Fountain.
And even accompanied Xiao Yan to the Snake-People Clan—all for just a bit of it.
But now…
The Ice Spirit Cold Fountain they had once schemed so hard to obtain was here, filling an entire pool.
Such a lavish display left both of them utterly speechless.
Damn, and Medusa had the nerve back then to say she was barely able to scrape together a small amount?
Tch. Women…
Their eyes shifted forward as a graceful figure in purple slowly stepped out from the bamboo grove.
With the gentle sway of her serpentine tail, she left faint trails across the pebbles as she approached them. Stopping a short distance away, she slightly bowed and spoke in a pleasant voice:
"Mister Wei, Young Master Xiao Yan. Thank you for waiting."
"We just arrived," Wei Yang nodded in reply.
"Not long at all," Xiao Yan added, also nodding.
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