BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

"Whew…" As she gazed at the lotus enshrouded in a brilliant green glow before her, Queen Medusa couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion stir in her chest. As long as she could obtain this Heavenly Flame, she would finally be able to attempt her evolution. If she succeeded, her cultivation would break through to the Dou Zong level—and at that point, the entire snake-people race would no longer have to cower in the Tager Desert.

With that thought, she couldn't contain her excitement any longer. She reached out with a jade-like hand, intending to pluck the Green Lotus in one motion. But the moment her fingers touched the green glow, a scorching heat lashed back at her, burning her skin instantly. She quickly retracted her hand and looked at the charred wound, pupils contracting slightly. "This…"

"Foolish woman," Xiao Yan sneered in his heart, even though his expression remained placid. When Queen Medusa reached out again, he finally stepped in and stopped her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said. "Even if you could remove the Heavenly Flame by brute force, you'd pay a heavy price for it. Think before you act."

"Then tell me," she said with a frown, looking at his calm demeanor. She knew Xiao Yan must have a way to retrieve the Green Lotus Core Flame safely.

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. With a flick of his finger, several small jade bottles floated out of his storage ring. Wrapped in the Nine Nether Illusion Flame, the bottles melted swiftly. Under his precise control, the impurities were separated out, and the remaining essence was fused together, gradually forming a gleaming white dagger.

The lotus platform that bore the Green Lotus Core Flame was a rare treasure of nature—ordinary weapons, let alone bare hands, were completely ineffective against it. Only tools crafted from extremely refined jade materials stood a chance of severing it cleanly. Had Queen Medusa continued her reckless approach, she might have ended up with serious injuries for nothing.

Once the jade dagger solidified, Xiao Yan grasped its still-warm hilt and gently slid the blade between the lotus and its stalk. The elegant, jade-like lotus base fell away smoothly. Queen Medusa moved to snatch it, but the lotus platform, as if guided by some force, floated straight into Xiao Yan's waiting hand.

"Let's go, Your Majesty." Xiao Yan casually slipped the lotus platform along with the Green Lotus Core Flame into his storage ring and smiled.

Normally, storing a Heavenly Flame in a spatial ring would be impossible. Its immense heat would instantly incinerate everything inside, even with a lotus platform to contain it. But Xiao Yan had prepared several empty rings precisely for situations like this. With nothing else stored inside to burn, he had no concerns.

Queen Medusa didn't know the true purpose of the lotus platform, but she instinctively understood that anything born alongside a Heavenly Flame must be extraordinary. She had originally planned to snatch it by surprise, but Xiao Yan had clearly anticipated that. Given his personality—willing to scoop up lava in jars if he could—there was no chance he would leave such a treasure behind.

Although Queen Medusa wanted to fight for it, she refrained. Not only did she harbor some wariness toward Xiao Yan's strength, but this place's environment was also disadvantageous to her. Even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to win. For now, she could only set the thought aside and wait for another opportunity after they left.

After storing away the lotus platform, Xiao Yan glanced at the still-glowing fire-infused lotus stalk absorbing energy from the surrounding magma. He hesitated. If this had been his past life, he would have pulled the whole thing out without a second thought. But after becoming an alchemist, he'd learned from Yao Lao a long-standing, unwritten rule of the pill world:

When encountering natural treasures or rare earthly creations, never cut the root—because the conditions required to form them were far too rare. Though he'd already harvested the Green Lotus, the area could still potentially form another over the next millennium. But if he pulled up the root too, this place might never produce a Heavenly Flame again.

"Let's go," Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, forcing himself to look away. For someone like him, who hated leaving behind any treasure, it was agonizing to turn away from such a find. 'Out of sight, out of mind.'

He chuckled bitterly to himself. As the saying went: "Only when one is well-fed does one think of righteousness." In his past life, when survival itself was a luxury, he would never have cared about the future of this place. He would've yanked it out without hesitation. But here and now… perhaps he had changed a bit.

When Xiao Yan and Queen Medusa emerged from the magma, Qing Lin rushed over with wide eyes.

"Young Master, did you find it?"

"Of course." Xiao Yan smiled gently. With a flick of his finger, a cluster of green flames hovered out of his ring. Wrapped in a layer of Dou Qi, he handed it toward Queen Medusa. "As agreed, the Green Lotus Core Flame will remain with you for now."

With a wave of her hand, Queen Medusa sent a surge of multicolored energy to envelop the Heavenly Flame. She stared at the lotus-like image flickering within the flame, her brow twitching slightly.

"And the lotus platform?"

"Our agreement only included the Heavenly Flame," Xiao Yan replied, raising his hands in feigned innocence. "As for other things—heavenly treasures belong to those capable of acquiring them. Since I could take it and you couldn't, it naturally belongs to me."

"Hmph, smooth talker," Queen Medusa muttered through clenched teeth. But clearly, fighting him over it now was not a wise move. She reluctantly suppressed her irritation.

"Now that you've obtained the Heavenly Flame, you'll be preparing for your evolution, right?" Xiao Yan asked. "When do you plan to begin?"

"Evolution isn't something you can rush. I'm still not ready..." Queen Medusa hesitated before saying, "It'll probably be another five years."

"Five years?" Xiao Yan's brow lifted. That was longer than he'd anticipated, but he made no objection. Glancing at the flicker of purple-black flame dancing deep within the green flame, he cupped his hands and said, "Very well. I'll wait. Five years from now—when Your Majesty begins your evolution—I'll come to the snake-people's territory and reclaim the Heavenly Flame."

(End of Chapter)

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