122: He kidnapped a beautiful woman!

Xiao Yan had been feeling quite frustrated these past few days.

After returning to his simple temporary residence in Fentian City, he downed three pots of cold tea in a row just to suppress the evil fire in his heart.

Thinking back to the battle at the rift entrance of the Tianyan Mountain Range three days ago, his chest still felt a faint, aching pain.

With the Pill Emperor teacher possessing him, his cultivation had been forcibly pushed to the Perfection of the Void Return Stage. Going head-to-head with those three from the Fentian Sacred Valley had indeed produced powerful combat prowess, but the consumption was also terrifyingly high.

The teacher's last words before falling into a slumber carried a weak sigh: 'Little Yan, that girl leading those three isn't simple... She held back at the end; otherwise, even if we risked being heavily injured again, we might not have been able to escape...'

He had escaped, but what about the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire?

He hadn't even touched a single hair of it!

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

While they and the people from the Fentian Sacred Valley were fighting to the death, some unknown figure had quietly made off with the true Immortal Fire!

The frustration was so great he nearly suffered internal injuries.

'Teacher, who do you think it could be?'

Xiao Yan whispered to the simple black ring on his finger.

The ring didn't react at all. The aged remnant soul inside had overexerted itself and fallen into a deep slumber once more; over these few days, he was only occasionally awake between long periods of sleep.

Xiao Yan scratched his hair irritably.

He had planned for years and prepared for months with the Sub-flame induction, only for it all to come to nothing.

His biggest regret now was why he hadn't hidden himself better at the rift entrance back then!

It was all the fault of those three from the Fentian Sacred Valley arriving too quickly!

'Forget it, the fire is gone, but one must look forward.'

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The Immortal Fire Opportunity was lost, but the Alchemy Convention was just around the corner.

This was the best stage for him to wash away his humiliation and fulfill the oath he made back then: 'Thirteen years on the east bank, thirteen years on the west bank!'

Yan Linger... and all those who had mocked him, he would slap their faces righteously on the Alchemy platform!

The priority now was healing and adjusting his state.

Fortunately, he still had stocks of several types of healing and recovery Medicinal Pills that his teacher had guided him to refine when he was awake before.

Xiao Yan swallowed a few pills, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

Though his aura was still somewhat unstable, the unyielding flame in his eyes burned even brighter.

Inside the magma cavern, the aura on the cyan-blue flaming lotus platform had just settled down.

Lu Yu put on his robes and looked at the Yan Lingluo nearby, who still had a cold face but whose killing intent had mostly dissipated and whose injuries were largely recovered.

He knew this was the best time to negotiate terms. He couldn't wait for Her Majesty to fully recover; by then, she would have more schemes, making it harder to talk.

'Your Majesty.'

He cleared his throat, his tone becoming serious.

'My name is Lu Yu, and I come from the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect.'

Yan Lingluo's eyelids lifted as her red pupils glanced at him. She didn't speak, but the meaning in her eyes was clear: So?

'The Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect is a hegemon Sect among the top three of the Nine Domains.'

Lu Yu continued, appropriately showing off some of his background.

'My visit to the Blazing Sun Domain this time is to represent my Sect at the Fentian Sacred Valley's Saintess succession ceremony and the Alchemy Convention. Afterward, I will be returning to my Sect.'

Yan Lingluo gave a cold snort. 'What does that have to do with this Queen?'

But the tip of her tail moved almost imperceptibly.

'It has everything to do with it.'

Lu Yu looked directly into her eyes.

'Your Majesty needs the power of the Pure Lotus Heavenly Clear Fire to nourish your Bloodline and assist your ancestral Breakthrough. Since the Immortal Fire has merged with me, it goes wherever I go.'

He paused, observing her expression. Seeing her vertical pupils contract slightly, he knew he had hit the mark and threw out his proposal:

'If Your Majesty wishes to use the power of this fire, the best way is to temporarily stay by my side. I will periodically use the Immortal Fire Origin to nourish Your Majesty's Bloodline until you complete your ancestral return or find another more stable method.'

'Follow you back to a Human Race Sect?'

The corner of Yan Lingluo's mouth curved into a sarcastic arc.

'To have this Queen follow a human boy like a pet? Where would the dignity of the Yan Lingluo be?'

'Not a pet, but a collaborator, an ally.'

Lu Yu corrected her, his tone sincere. 'Your Majesty can transform into human form to hide your identity. To the outside world, you could be my... well, a friend from afar, or a fellow cultivator met on the path of cultivation.'

'In the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect, as long as you don't actively cause trouble, my status is enough to guarantee your safety and freedom. And as for the Immortal Fire nourishment you need, I will never break my word.'

Seeing that Yan Lingluo still had a cold face and remained noncommittal, Lu Yu added more fuel to the fire:

'Your Majesty, the path of ancestral return is exceptionally dangerous. Your previous attempt to forcibly devour the Immortal Fire is proof. If I am by your side to protect you with the same source of Immortal Fire, it might provide an extra layer of security at the critical moment.'

'Moreover, the Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect has a deep foundation. The library might even have ancient records regarding the ancestral return of ancient Bloodlines, which would also benefit you. This is much more stable than staying under this magma alone or returning to your tribe for isolated cultivation.'

These words truly struck at Yan Lingluo's concerns.

The path of ancestral return was a narrow escape from death; her last failure had left her with lingering fears.

If she could have a stable supplier of Immortal Fire and the potential resource support of a powerful Sect... the temptation was too great.

She remained silent for a long time, so long that Lu Yu thought she was going to flatly refuse, before she finally spoke. Her voice was still cold, but it had lost some of its sharpness:

'This Queen can temporarily follow you, but there are several conditions.'

'Please speak, Your Majesty.'

'First, this Queen is not your subordinate. I have freedom of action and can leave or stay as I please; you shall not restrict or command this Queen in any form.'

'Naturally.'

'Second, the nourishing of my Bloodline with the Immortal Fire must be done at regular intervals and in fixed amounts; you must not be perfunctory.'

'I, Lu Yu, swear upon my Dao Heart that I will do my utmost.'

'Third.' Yan Lingluo's red pupils stared sharply at him.

'In front of outsiders, if this Queen hears any gossip, or if those... female confidantes of yours come to cause trouble, do not blame this Queen for turning hostile.'

Hearing the words 'female confidantes,' Lu Yu's scalp felt a bit numb, and he quickly nodded:

'Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will handle it properly.'

Only then did Yan Lingluo nod slightly, considering the agreement reached.

She turned her face away, looking at the cyan-blue fire lake flowing slowly beneath the lotus platform, her voice lowering slightly:

'This Queen will transform into a complete human form and restrain my aura. Until we return to your Sect... as you said, we shall be traveling companions.'

'Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty.'

Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the matter was settled.

Yan Lingluo spoke no more. Fiery light flowed over her body as that immensely shocking fiery-red snake tail gradually retracted and transformed, turning into a pair of straight, slender human legs covered with faint red scale patterns.

These long legs were simply incredibly tall!

She stood up, her fiery-red long hair falling down. Her queenly majesty was undiminished, yet she now looked no different from a human woman, though the vertical pupils in her eyes and the faint wildness and fire around her still manifested her extraordinary nature.

'Let's go.'

She said indifferently, taking the lead toward the cavern exit. Her back was still proud, but she had already tacitly agreed to the upcoming journey together.

Lu Yu looked at her figure walking ahead, smiled, and followed.

Bringing such a queenly ally with a significant temper back to Fentian City... the days ahead would likely not be boring.