BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

"Queen Medusa?"

Upon hearing that name, the previously cheerful expression on Qing Lin's small face turned pale in an instant. For those who lived near the desert, there wasn't a single person unfamiliar with Queen Medusa's terrifying reputation. Qing Lin was no exception. Even with a trace of serpent blood in her veins, her body began to tremble uncontrollably at the sound of that name.

"Your perception is sharp," a seductive figure slowly emerged from the tunnel above. With a graceful yet chilling presence, Queen Medusa's eyes fell upon the massive black ruler in Xiao Yan's hand. Her gaze narrowed as she said calmly, "You're the one who fought me in Rock Desert City, aren't you? I didn't expect… you're just a child?"

During their earlier clash, Queen Medusa had been drawn to the unique shape and aura of the heavy black ruler. Its strange design was hard to forget after just one glance. So the moment she saw it again, she immediately confirmed Xiao Yan's identity.

Still, she was surprised. Judging by appearance, Xiao Yan couldn't be older than twelve. At that age, most were still struggling in the Dou Qi Foundation Stage. Yet this boy had already stepped into the Dou Wang realm?

That kind of talent… was terrifying. If he was allowed to grow without restraint...

"Looks like your injuries haven't fully healed, Queen," Xiao Yan remarked, eyes narrowing slightly as he examined her carefully composed expression.

Only a single night had passed since their battle. Queen Medusa had taken a direct hit from Mountain Splitting Seal and had been injured considerably. There was no way she could have fully recovered, especially without a high-tier alchemist among the snake-people to treat her. Even if there were one, their rank likely wasn't very high.

Xiao Yan, on the other hand, was an advanced alchemist. With the help of powerful pills and the additional benefit of having broken through another star level, he was now stronger than he had been during their battle the night before. Add in the fact that this underground magma world offered him environmental advantages through Flame Mantra, and he was more confident than ever.

As he quietly assessed the current balance of power, Queen Medusa was also contemplating whether she should eliminate Xiao Yan here and now. His talent was too frightening. If he turned his attention toward the serpent tribe in the future, their scattered tribes would be unable to withstand him. But the thought of attacking gave her pause—because if they fought again, she wasn't confident she could kill him.

Just then, her gaze landed on Qing Lin, who was nervously hiding behind Xiao Yan. As a serpent queen, she could immediately sense the trace of serpent bloodline within the girl. Her expression darkened.

She also recalled hearing the word "Young Master" from the girl earlier.

"You dare to enslave a woman of my snake-people tribe? You must be seeking death!" Queen Medusa's voice turned icy as she raised her multicolored longsword. She had seen too many humans abducting serpent women as concubines or slaves, taking advantage of their exotic beauty.

Although Qing Lin didn't have the physical features of a serpent woman, the bloodline within her made Queen Medusa regard her as kin. And hearing her respectfully address Xiao Yan as "Young Master" only confirmed her worst assumptions.

Sensing the growing surge of power from Queen Medusa's body, Xiao Yan furrowed his brow and began preparing to activate Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Change. But before he could act, Qing Lin rushed in front of him.

"It's not like that!" she cried out in panic. "Young Master Xiao Yan never enslaved me! If it weren't for him, I would have died already. I'm his servant because I'm grateful, not because he forced me!"

"...What?" Queen Medusa froze in place, stunned by the girl's outburst. She stared at Qing Lin, who trembled but stood her ground.

"He saved me," Qing Lin continued, her voice soft yet firm. "And he treats me kindly—like a younger sister. He's never forced me to do anything."

Though she was visibly terrified, hearing Queen Medusa accuse Xiao Yan of something so vile had stirred something in her. Somehow, she had found the courage to speak up. Once her words were said, however, she lost all boldness and quickly retreated behind Xiao Yan again.

"Xiao Yan? I thought your name was Yan Xiao?" Queen Medusa lowered her sword and murmured thoughtfully, repeating the two names, "Xiao Yan… Yan Xiao… That's a lazy alias if I've ever heard one."

"It's just a name," Xiao Yan replied, sensing the murderous aura fading from her. He was slightly surprised that Qing Lin's unexpected defense had turned the situation in his favor. Although he wasn't afraid of a fight, it would still be troublesome—Queen Medusa was, after all, a peak Dou Huang.

"If possible, avoiding a direct confrontation would save a lot of unnecessary effort."

"You've come all this way, Queen. I assume you're here for the Heavenly Flame too?" Xiao Yan asked casually.

"You're quite perceptive," she replied, nodding slightly. "In fact, I should thank you for leading the way. Without you, I probably would've spent years trying to locate this place."

"Tch. Didn't think I'd almost get outflanked like that." Xiao Yan shook his head with a smile. "Since we both came here for the same reason, how about a temporary cooperation?"

Queen Medusa paused. "And how exactly do you want to cooperate?"

"I've read some ancient texts—I know why you want the Heavenly Flame. That being the case, I'm willing to let you use it for your evolution. Once you're finished, whether you succeed or fail, the Heavenly Flame returns to me. How about that?"

He was well aware that the snake-people's cold blood made it virtually impossible for them to absorb Heavenly Flames directly. Given that, there was no reason for them to clash to the death.

"That's a generous offer. But why should I cooperate with you? I could just kill you and take it myself."

"Simple—because you can't kill me." Xiao Yan smiled calmly as a purple-black flame ignited in his palm. "Don't be so quick to deny it. You've fought me before. You know as well as I do, the best result you'd get from a rematch is mutual destruction. But if we work together, neither of us gets hurt, and we both get what we want. That sounds like the better deal, doesn't it?"

Queen Medusa fell silent for a long moment.

Finally, she nodded slightly. "Fine. Just this once… I'll cooperate with you."

(End of Chapter)

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