'What is this?!'

  Xiao Yan was greatly shocked. Qing Lin's eyes were ing a strange green light. The severely injured and frewo-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent actually calmed down in a bizarre on seeing that green light.

  Only when Xiao Yan looked carefully did he discover that the huge serpent's pupils had also turhe same green color as Qing Lin's!

  Beside the green serpentine pupils, three small green dots suddenly and abruptly appeared.

  This time, the three small green dots were very clear. Upon careful observation, one could evehat these three green dots seemed to resemble three tiny flower buds.

  Simirly, Qing Lin's eyes had also ged to resemble those of the Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent. Her eyes had strangely developed the exact same three emerald green flower buds.

  Finally, two small green flowers were imprinted owo heads of the Fme Spirit Serpent.

  The eerie light in Qing Lin's eyes gradually faded as soon as the flower imprints appeared. Moments ter, the tiny flowers in her pupils quickly dissipated and her eyes returo their inal emerald green.

  Xiao Li hurriedly caught Qing Lin as her entire body went limp. Xiao Yan also ighe Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent and flew over to the cave entrao che the situation.

  "What happeo Qing Lin?" Xiao Ding asked.

  After examining her eyes and sensing her dition with his Spiritual Strength, Xiao Yan said, "It's nothing serious. She's just exhausted from overusing her Spiritual Strength. She'll be fier resting for a bit."

  Xiao Yan turned his head to look at the Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent lying on the ground motionless and dazed like a puppet. His expression was somewhat solemn as he observed the flower imprints on its forehead.

  He remembered reading about a peculiar physique iraales and a records stored in his ste ring called the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. This unique stitution could cause others to experience illusions and could even trol oppos.

  'This is more than just an illusion.' Xiao Yan looked at the Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent he had brutally beaten. How could this be expined by an illusion? If it were merely an illusion, it would have been broken when Qing Lin fainted. Yet, the Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent appeared dull-witted, as if its mind had been pletely taken over.

  This was definitely more than just a simple illusion.

  Soon after, Mao Wu returned with the stem and root of the green lotus cmped in its mouth. The little cat strutted over the magma with its head held high and its chest puffed out as it approached.

  Meow! ψ (*｀ー)ψ

  "Alright, alright. I'll share the Core-Fire Lotus Seeds with you. But this isn't the pce to enjoy them. Let's talk about it whe back."

  Only then did Mao Wu tentedly hand over the entire green lotus to Xiao Yan. After all, it was a waste to eat those Core-Fire Lotus Seeds raw. It was better to let Xiao Yan, the grandmaster alchemist chef, process them first to make them tastier!

  "Xiao-Yan-Zi, how did it go? Did you get the Heavenly Fme?" Xiao Ding asked with .

  "Sigh." Xiao Yan spread his hands and shook his head. His sigh said it all.

  "It robably taken by Queen Medusa. But at least I brought back a little sotion prize."

  Xiao Ding and Xiao Li patted Xiao Yan's shoulders to fort him.

  However, the gleam in Xiao Yan's eyes proved that he was not going to give up as easily as Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had imagined.

  Qing Lin regained sciousness not long after. But after Xiao Yan's questioning, even she herself didn't know what had happened.

  She only khat she had established a kind of tractual bond with the Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent before her, and through this e, she could trol the serpent's as.

  'tract? There's such a thing in the Dou Qi ti?' This was a blind spot in Xiao Yan's knowledge. None of the various a books and scrolls in his ste ring had any records about tracts.

  From Qing Lin's description, Xiao Yan roughly guessed that it should have something to do with the soul and possibly be reted to blood as well. But as for the specifics of the situation, he had no way to reach a definitive clusion.

  Records of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils stitution were even rarer than those of Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body.

  "Let's head back."

  Upon hearing Xiao Ding's words, Qing Lin hurriedly whistled in the dire of the magma ke. The Two-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent immediately began to climb along the rock yers as it cleared the path for everyone.

  When they were about to reach the exit, a green light fshed owo-Headed Fme Spirit Serpent's body as it rapidly shrank in size and slithered into Qing Lin's sleeve.

  Xiao Ding and Xiao Li clicked their tongues in amazement. Xiao Li sighed and said, "It seems the stro person in our merary pany now is Qing Lin."

  "Qing Li dare. The pany Leader, Sed pany Leader, and Young Master Xiao Yahe most formidable."

  Xiao Yan lightly patted her small head without saying anything.

  Once everyone had departed, this vast magma cave once agaiuro its perpetual stillness.

  After exiting the underground passage, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Big Brother, Sed Brother, you and Qing Lin should head back to Rock Desert City first. I have some busio attend to i City."

  "Desert City? What are you going to Desert City for?" Xiao Ding and Xiao Li g each other. Why was Xiao Yan running off to Desert City for no reason?

  Xiao Yan revealed a brilliant smile and said, "To visit an old friend."

  With a fp of his Eagle Wings, Xiao Yan oriented himself and transformed into a streak of fire as he flew straight toward Desert City.

  Xiao Yan didn't actually have any old friends i City. The only person he khere was Hai Bodong.

  He o find the tter to firm a few things.

  The Green Lotus Core Fme was something he hadn't given up o.

  …

  Outside Hai Bodong's shop.

  Xiao Yan stepped inside and called out with a smile, "I'm here to buy something."

  Hai Bodong was still engrossed in making maps and didn't even look up as he replied, "We're closed."

  "Old Hai, you even afford the rent with this kind of business attitude?" Xiao Yan casually closed the door and walked up to Hai Bodong.

  Only then did Hai Bodong lift his head and realize it was that fellow Xiao Yan. Hadn't he just left a few days ago? Why was he back already?

  Frowning, Hai Bodong asked, "Is there a problem with the medial ingredient?"

  "I haven't goo find the herb yet. But I found the location of the Heavenly Fme based on the clues you gave me." Xiao Yan said with a grin.

  Hai Bodong was greatly startled and said in disbelief, "You... you actually found it?!"

  "I did find it, but I only found the location. The Heavenly Fme was taken away by Queen Medusa half a year ago." Xiao Yan spread his hands.

  Realization dawned on Hai Bodong. No wu He couldn't find it no matter how hard he searched. It turned out Queen Medusa had already snatched it.

  "So your purpose in ing to find me is…?" Hai Bodong frowned. He khis Xiao Yan was not the type of person who would e looking for him without a good reason, and now that he had e, it definitely meant trouble.

  "I want to ask you about all the intelligence regarding Queen Medusa over the past half year. I think you should be the person paying the most attention to her," Xiao Yan spoke bluntly, directly jabbing at Hai Bodong's sore spot.

  If anyone was most ed about Queen Medusa, it would undoubtedly be Hai Bodong, who had been sealed by her for over twenty years.

  "You want information on Queen Medusa? Don't tell me you're after the whereabouts of the Heavenly Fme. Are you pnning to steal it from her?!!!" Hai Bodong's eyes widened in shock.

  But then he sidered the bag Xiao Yan had a a bit more at ease.

  "Wait a moment, I'll look for it." Hai Bodong took out a thick stack of intelligence reports and began flipping through them. Without a doubt, he had been keeping an eye on Queen Medusa's affairs.

  "Now that you mention it, the Snake-People Tribe has been unusually quiet for the past six months. There have been no major flicts during this period!"

  "And I heard that half a year ago, the First ander of the Snake-People Tribe went to the Chu Yun Empire to seek medie. It robably to help Queen Medusa recover from the injuries caused by the Heavenly Fme. Also, three months ago, two tribes went on an expedition to the Northern Cold Lands and only returned half a month ago. Rumor has it they went to search for the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain."

  ! ! ! ! !

  Xiao Yan's expression instantly turned solemn. He seemed to uand why Queen Medusa wao find the Heavenly Fme.

  He sat in the chair, deep in thought food while. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Hai Bodong and smiled.

  That smile made Hai Bodong's bavoluntarily turn cold.

  "Old Hai, you want to get the medial herb and remove the seal as soon as possible, right?"

  "Just say what you have in mind. I'll hear you out first."

  "I want you to find Gu He and tell him that Queen Medusa has obtaihe Green Lotus Core Fme. She will soohe Ice Spirit Cold Fountain to devour the Heavenly Fme ahe path of bloodline evolution."

  Hai Bodong abruptly stood up from his chair and excimed, "What the hell?! Are y to set the tiger against the wolf?!"