34: News from the Xiao family in Wutan City

The brief tranquility of the Snake-People Clan outpost was thoroughly stained red by the blood of Elder Viper. The scent of rust lingering in the air had not yet dissipated before a new, more oppressive undercurrent began to surge between the stone walls and gravel.

Medusa used thunderous means to execute the rebels, temporarily deterring the restless forces within. Elder Yin Shi took over the authority and began to reorganize the outpost with full effort, and following Medusa's orders, spared no cost to collect various supplies for healing and repairing the Origin. Squads of Snake-People scouts were sent deep into the desert, even risking approaching areas of human activity, just to find a glimmer of faint hope.

However, whether it was the medicinal herbs and Demonic Beast cores sent by Elder Yin Shi, which the Snake-People Clan considered treasures, or Li Ao's slow and steady recovery relying on the "Black Iron Hegemon Body" and the "Nirvana" Concept, for Medusa's Origin damage involving the level of rules, it was all like a drop in the bucket.

In the quiet room, Medusa sat cross-legged. The cyan flame lotus mark on her forehead remained dim, and the tiny spatial crack at its edge, like a vicious curse, firmly locked away most of her power. She had tried countless times, but every time she attempted to invoke the Origin of the Heavenly Flame, she would be ruthlessly interrupted by the cold, deathly Spatial Power leaking from the crack, even suffering backlash herself. After a few days, progress was minimal, and her complexion had instead become a few shades paler than before.

Li Ao finished a round of Cultivation and opened his eyes to see Medusa's tightly furrowed brows and the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth that had not been completely wiped away. He stood up, walked to her, and without speaking, simply extended his finger, pointing it towards the mark on her forehead.

Medusa was slightly startled and raised her eyes to look at him.

"Don't move." Li Ao's voice was low. At the tip of his finger, a trace of extremely fine energy, silver-gray mixed with a hint of dark iron luster, slowly extended, carrying a cold, suppressing Concept, cautiously touching the spatial crack.

This was not his first attempt. Ever since discovering that the "Nirvana" rule power could have some effect on that spatial crack, he had begun trying to use his own power to assist her.

The moment that wisp of mixed energy touched the crack, Medusa's body shuddered violently. A coldness and tearing sensation, far clearer and more bone-deep than before, surged forth, making her unable to help but let out a suppressed groan. But at the same time, the spatial stagnation that had always hindered her from communicating with the Heavenly Flame seemed to loosen a bit!

It worked!

Li Ao's eyes narrowed, his full attention focused as he manipulated that wisp of energy like the most precise carving knife, extremely slowly "scraping" and "smoothing" along the edge of the thorny rule crack. This process was extremely taxing on his spirit and power, and in just a moment, fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, and his face turned slightly pale.

Medusa could clearly feel the intense pain in her forehead from being forcibly "combed," and she could also feel the determination contained within Li Ao's wisp of energy, willing to deplete his own power to open a path for her. She closed her eyes, enduring the discomfort, and cooperated with all her might, guiding the weak seven-colored energy within her body, attempting to follow the guidance of his energy to touch and fuse with the imprisoned cyan flame.

Time passed in silent torment.

I don't know how long it had been when Li Ao suddenly withdrew his finger. The wisp of energy at his fingertip was already completely exhausted, and even his own Aura had withered significantly. He took a half-step back, panting slightly as he looked at Medusa.

Medusa slowly opened her eyes. A faint, yet real, cyan flame flashed in her seven-colored eyes. Although it was fleeting, compared to the complete silence before, it was a world of difference! The crack on her forehead also seemed to have shrunk by an imperceptible amount!

"How do you feel?" Li Ao's voice carried fatigue.

Medusa looked within herself, feeling the power of the Heavenly Flame, which, although still weak, could finally be stirred by her a little. An indescribable excitement welled up in her heart. She looked at Li Ao, at his pale face and the sweat on his forehead. In those cold, seven-colored eyes, his reflection was clearly cast for the first time, carrying a complex emotion that even she herself had not noticed.

"...It's better." Her voice was a bit dry. She paused and added, "Thank you."

Li Ao waved his hand, walked to the side, sat down, and began to regulate his breath to recover. "It's just a temporary measure. Without eradicating that crack, it will always be a hidden danger."

Medusa was silent. How could she not know? But eradicating damage at the rule level was easier said than done.

Just then, the door to the quiet room was gently knocked.

"Your Majesty, Young Master Li Ao, Yin Shi requests an audience."

"Come in."

Elder Yin Shi pushed the door and entered, a trace of gravity on her face. In her hands, she held a black Jade Slip that emitted weak spatial fluctuations. "Your Majesty, Young Master, the scouts we sent towards the Jia Ma Empire have sent back the latest intelligence."

She respectfully presented the Jade Slip.

Medusa took the Jade Slip and probed it with her Soul Power. A moment later, a trace of surprise flashed in her seven-colored eyes. She then looked at Li Ao, her tone somewhat strange: "It's news about... the Xiao Family in Wutan City."

Li Ao raised an eyebrow and took the Jade Slip.

The information in the Jade Slip was simple: Xiao Yan, the son of the Xiao Family in Wutan City, had left Wutan City a few days ago, rumored to be heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range for life-and-death training. It is suspected that there is a mysterious powerful Soul body assisting him by his side. At the same time, Nalan Yanran, the Young Sect Leader of the Cloud Mist Sect, had returned to the Cloud Mist Sect half a month ago to go into seclusion, and it is rumored that her master, Sect Master Yun Yun, is personally acting as her Protector. The Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Family and the Mittel Family seem to have unusual movements, and the overt and covert struggles between the three major families have intensified.

The information was fragmented, yet it outlined the contours of the rising winds and clouds in the Jia Ma Empire.

"Xiao Yan... Nalan Yanran..." Li Ao whispered these two names, his eyes devoid of any ripples, only a deep, profound coldness. To him, these two were merely two somewhat eye-catching symbols on the script of fate, targets he was destined to crush and plunder. Xiao Yan has a Soul body of Yao Lao assisting him? Perfect, it saves him the effort of having to search for it later. Nalan Yanran in seclusion? Yun Yun personally acting as Protector? When his blade reaches Yun Lan Mountain, all of this will become a joke.

His goal had never been limited to a small Jia Ma Empire. Medusa's Origin damage, and the higher-level power and worlds he had glimpsed, were all urging him to become stronger faster.

"It seems the Jia Ma Empire is about to get lively." Medusa's voice carried a hint of playfulness. She looked at Li Ao, "Your 'thing' seems to be coveted by someone."

She was referring to the thing Li Ao had previously said he was going to "take back," although she was not clear about what exactly it was.

Li Ao crushed the Jade Slip, which turned into powder and spilled from between his fingers. "Clowns, not worth mentioning." He stood up and walked to the window, his gaze seemingly piercing through the stone walls, seeing that land that was about to boil because of him. "My blade has not tasted blood for a long time."

His tone was calm, yet carried a heart-palpitating Evil Qi.

Elder Yin Shi felt that invisible pressure and subconsciously took a half-step back, shocked in her heart. This human Young Master, although his Aura was not very strong, had an Aura of looking down on the world that was not at all inferior to Her Majesty the Queen in her prime!

Medusa looked at his cold, hard back, light flowing in her seven-colored eyes. She knew that this man was about to take action. The tranquility of the desert was about to be broken.

"What do you need?" she asked.

Li Ao turned around, his gaze falling on the crack on Medusa's forehead, then sweeping over Elder Yin Shi: "I need an absolutely safe place to go into seclusion for a few days. Afterwards, I will leave for a period of time."

He needed to adjust his state to the best, and completely consolidate the first level of the "Black Iron Hegemon Body," and even attempt to break through to the Middle Stage. Then, it would be time for him to return to the Jia Ma Empire and stir up the winds and clouds!

Medusa and Elder Yin Shi exchanged a look.

"Very well." Medusa nodded, "Yin Shi, go make arrangements. Open the Earth Fire Secret Chamber for Young Master Li Ao to use."

"The Earth Fire Secret Chamber?" Elder Yin Shi was startled, "Your Majesty, that is our clan's..."

"Do as I say." Medusa interrupted her, her tone unquestionable.

"...Yes." Elder Yin Shi took a deep look at Li Ao and bowed to withdraw.

The Earth Fire Secret Chamber was a Cultivation secret chamber built by the Snake-People Clan using the underground fire veins, containing the most violent and purest energy. Usually, only the Clan Chief or Elders who had performed great meritorious deeds were qualified to use it. The fact that the Queen opened this secret chamber to Li Ao showed how much she valued him.

The two were left alone in the quiet room again.

"The Earth Fire energy is violent; it may be of help to you," Medusa said, looking at Li Ao.

Li Ao nodded: "It is enough." He paused, looked at Medusa, "I will keep an eye on your injury."

Medusa was slightly startled, and then a faint, almost invisible arc curled at the corners of her lips: "This Queen is not yet so weak that I need your constant concern."

Li Ao did not respond, just gave her a deep look, turned, and left the quiet room.

Watching his receding back, Medusa gently touched the mark on her forehead that seemed to retain a trace of the lingering warmth of his power, her seven-colored eyes filled with complex emotions.

This human was overbearing, cold, and mysterious, yet he appeared again and again when she needed him most, providing her with support in ways she could not understand.

Snake and human, Queen and swordsman, Heavenly Flame and rules... Where will this intricate relationship between them eventually lead?

She did not know.

But she knew that when Li Ao's dusty blade was unsheathed again, it would surely shake the world.

And she, perhaps, would also be drawn into this storm that he had stirred up, sweeping across the continent, unable to remain uninvolved.

Outside the window, the desert wind was still scorching, whipping up sand that filled the sky, obscuring the distant horizon.

A storm is brewing.