BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

"Help you with something?" Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Hai Bodong's expression changed. He immediately shook his head. "Impossible!"

"Come on, Old Hai, don't you think that's a bit unfair?" Xiao Yan replied calmly. "As an alchemist, my job is simply to refine pills. But because you're missing the most important ingredient, I also have to run around and gather it for you. In essence, I'm already doing you a favor. So naturally, you should do something for me in return."

"..."

"Relax. What I'll ask you to do definitely won't go against your principles, and it'll be within your capabilities," Xiao Yan said with a smile. "Besides, I don't think there's a single powerhouse in the Jia Ma Empire who would refuse to help a Tier Six alchemist."

"You talk big, but you're not wrong. If you really can refine Tier Six pills, there might not be anyone in the entire Jia Ma Empire who'd dare refuse a favor from you." Hai Bodong sighed helplessly. "Fine, you've convinced me. If you can really refine the pill, I'll agree to do one thing for you."

"I believe you won't regret your decision, Senior Hai." Xiao Yan clapped his hands and smiled. "By the way, since I'll be heading deep into the Tager Desert, can I ask you to prepare the most detailed map you have? I'm sure you wouldn't want me to get lost along the way and delay refining your pill, right?"

"There are maps of the Tager Desert all over this shop. But the most detailed one is actually with me." Hai Bodong looked somewhat reluctant.

"Oh?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow slightly. 'This old man really does hide things.' He stepped forward and patted down Hai Bodong, soon retrieving a thin piece of parchment. Unfolding it, he found that it was indeed more detailed than the others—routes were clearly drawn, water sources were marked, and there were even symbols indicating where the snake-people were known to gather.

"What are these spots?" Xiao Yan pointed to three flame symbols on the map.

"Those are places I speculated could be hiding a Heavenly Flame, based on some signs I detected during my exploration," Hai Bodong replied after a moment's hesitation.

"There's a Heavenly Flame in the Tager Desert?" Xiao Yan asked in a casual tone. "Is it in the hands of the snake-people?"

"Are you joking? How could the snake-people possibly have a Heavenly Flame?" Hai Bodong shook his head. "There have long been rumors about a Heavenly Flame in the desert. I did some investigating out of curiosity. If it really exists, I believe it's most likely located in one of those three places."

"Tsk, that sounds tempting. It's a pity I already have one Heavenly Flame. Even if I found another, it wouldn't help me—otherwise, I'd be eager to try my luck." Xiao Yan sighed with apparent disappointment, while internally, he was quickly piecing together everything he had just learned.

He remembered hearing in his past life that the snake-people had once possessed a Heavenly Flame. But according to Hai Bodong, they didn't have it yet. That meant he wouldn't need to infiltrate their territory now.

And this map from Hai Bodong was an unexpected bonus. He had come to the Tager Desert specifically to look for a Heavenly Flame. With this map, he could save a great deal of time.

Hai Bodong didn't know Xiao Yan could absorb more than one Heavenly Flame. Otherwise, he would likely have used the map as leverage. After all, to most people, a body could only host a single Heavenly Flame—two would inevitably clash and result in death.

"By the way, when you're searching for herbs, avoid the western region. That area is close to Queen Medusa's territory. She can sense human auras, and if she detects you, even with your talent, you'll struggle to escape," Hai Bodong warned.

"We won't know unless we actually face off, right?" Xiao Yan smiled, storing the map in his storage ring. "I'll take this, then. Senior Hai, just wait for my good news. I'll be back soon."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Hai Bodong suddenly realized something just as Xiao Yan was about to leave and called out in a hurry.

"No need to see me off, Old Hai. I know the way." Xiao Yan didn't even turn his head.

"Get back here!" Hai Bodong's roar echoed behind him.

"The green mountains won't change, the rivers will keep flowing. Until next time!" Xiao Yan waved behind him without looking back and strode out of the shop. Inside, Hai Bodong, still bound by the purple-black flame threads, could only shout helplessly, "You haven't released me yet!"

Outside, Xiao Yan stretched lazily, a faint smile on his lips as he heard the shouts from within. He hadn't forgotten the bindings he left on Hai Bodong—it was just payback for the old man's earlier threats.

Those purple-black flame threads could last an hour even without his Dou Qi. That single hour would be a painful test for Hai Bodong. But Xiao Yan didn't care how the old man would suffer—what concerned him now was the Heavenly Flame.

He unfolded the map again and examined the three flame symbols marked on it. He furrowed his brows slightly. In his previous life, he had visited one or two of those locations, but not for long. By that time, the Heavenly Flame had already been obtained by the snake-people, so there had been no clues left.

But now the question arose—why would the snake-people need a Heavenly Flame?

Combining everything he knew from past and present lives, Xiao Yan recalled that Queen Medusa was currently at the peak of the Dou Huang realm and had been stuck there for quite a while. Yet in his past life, by the time he came to the Tager Desert, she had already broken through to the Dou Zong level. It was around then that the rumor of the snake-people obtaining a Heavenly Flame surfaced. There might be a connection between the two events.

'Heavenly Flame… Queen Medusa…' Xiao Yan muttered to himself repeatedly as a possibility surfaced in his mind. He had read numerous books about Magic Beasts in his previous life. Some texts mentioned the Medusa bloodline's secrets: with the right opportunity, a Queen Medusa could undergo a powerful evolution when advancing to the seventh rank—and one of those opportunities involved a Heavenly Flame.

'If that's true, then everything makes sense now…'

(End of Chapter)

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