In the spacious room, Xiao Yan, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. His fists slightly clenched, and he muttered, “It’s time for the final step.” Gently stroking the black ring on his finger, he then gently picked up the playful Heavenly Devouring Serpent coiled on his thigh and placed it on the bed. Tapping its little head with his finger, he smiled, “Little one, stay still and don’t cause any trouble. If you can, help guard me and make sure no one disturbs me, okay?”
At this point, the Heavenly Devouring Serpent, having undergone its first evolution, had already developed a rudimentary intelligence. So, it could understand some of Xiao Yan’s words. It blinked its light purple snake eyes and nodded repeatedly, its forked tongue flickering, making a soft hissing sound.
Smiling, Xiao Yan patted the cool body of the Heavenly Devouring Serpent. He then beckoned, and a green lotus seat slowly emerged from his storage ring, floating in mid-air, radiating a faint green light. Lifting his body, Xiao Yan leapt nimbly onto the lotus seat and sat cross-legged. Taking a deep breath, he once again reviewed the information left by the Pharmacist Elder in his mind. Gently tapping the storage ring, a small, green object enveloped in a dense, green light appeared in his palm. Upon closer inspection, it was a tiny lotus seed.
“Is this so-called Fire Spirit Essence really as miraculous as Teacher said?” Looking at the emerald green lotus seed in his palm, Xiao Yan murmured doubtfully. He vividly remembered the high praise the Pharmacist Elder had given it during their time beneath the lava.
This Fire Lotus Seed was the precious treasure Xiao Yan had discovered when searching for the Heartfire of the Blue Lotus. Who would have thought that the final step of the treatment mentioned by the Pharmacist Elder would require it?
Gently pinching the slightly soft lotus seed, Xiao Yan found it hard to imagine that this seemingly unremarkable little thing required a hundred years to form. What immense energy did it contain?
Shaking his head in amazement, Xiao Yan quickly formed the cultivation seals with his hands and closed his eyes, gradually entering a state of cultivation. His spirit also slowly sank into his body.
As he entered the cultivation state, Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and the Fire Lotus Seed shot accurately into his slightly open mouth.
The moment the Fire Lotus Seed entered his mouth, Xiao Yan’s fair face turned bright red, as if it were a volcano. White mist rose from his head, creating a rather frightening sight.
Xiao Yan now had no time to worry about his appearance. As soon as the Fire Lotus Seed entered his mouth, it quickly transformed into a searing energy, rushing down his throat with a brute force.
The searing energy from the Fire Lotus Seed flowed rapidly into his meridians, causing the meridians, which Xiao Yan had painstakingly nurtured for nearly half a month, to contract violently like a small snake being stepped on. The intense pain made Xiao Yan clench his teeth, letting out a cold breath through his clenched teeth. His body, seated on the green lotus, trembled slightly, and all his pores contracted sharply under the pain.
As Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and endured, the initial intense pain in his meridians gradually weakened after a few moments.
By now, Xiao Yan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he finally let out a sigh of relief. He continued to stabilize his spirit and examine his internal condition.
The searing energy from the Fire Lotus Seed was indeed terrifyingly potent. As it passed through, the meridian membranes, which Xiao Yan had carefully formed after absorbing over a hundred doses of medicinal liquid, were burnt away by the intense heat. However, although the membranes were burnt, the next action of the Fire Lotus Seed dissipated the bitterness on Xiao Yan’s face.
Wherever the searing energy passed, it left behind drops of liquid, resembling emerald, each no larger than a thumb. These liquids clung to the walls of the meridians, moving like living things, and then, visible to the naked eye, they merged into them. As these liquids, filled with powerful life energy, merged, the red-hot bare meridian walls began to dissolve, forming a layer of pale green, unknown liquid. After being roasted by the Fire Lotus Seed’s energy, this liquid solidified into a layer of green keratin.
This layer of keratin firmly covered the walls of the meridians, providing a protective strength far greater than the previous membrane. With the appearance of these green keratin layers, the intense pain in Xiao Yan’s meridians finally disappeared entirely. Evidently, the Fire Lotus Seed had reinforced Xiao Yan’s meridians to an extent even more robust than before his injury.
After covering his main meridians with a layer of green keratin, the searing energy from the Fire Lotus Seed diminished somewhat. It was clear that those seemingly simple emerald-colored liquids contained the essence of the Fire Lotus Seed.
After forming a protective layer over the meridians, the Fire Lotus Seed’s energy continued to rush wildly, like a blind buffalo. Although Xiao Yan’s spirit tried to guide its direction, it was difficult to control such a massive amount of energy.
The searing energy continued to circulate tirelessly within the meridians. As it circulated, a fine, moist, pale green gas gradually emanated from it. This slightly damp gas, in a strange way, penetrated the keratin layer and smoothly approached the most fragile parts of the meridians, slowly repairing the damage.
As more and more of this gas was produced, some of it leaked out of the meridians, wandering aimlessly inside Xiao Yan’s body.
Sensing the nourishing substances floating within his body, the muscles, cells, bones, and other organs that had been injured inside Xiao Yan’s body suddenly came alive, greedily absorbing the moist gas.
At this moment, both inside and outside Xiao Yan’s body, it seemed to become a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing the endless stream of green mist released by the Fire Lotus Seed.
With this frenzied absorption, Xiao Yan could clearly feel that his body was recovering at an alarming rate, constantly approaching his previous peak. At this rate, regaining his pre-injury state seemed to be just a matter of time.
After the searing energy in the meridians had completed countless cycles, Xiao Yan, after hundreds of failed attempts, finally managed to guide the Fire Lotus Seed’s energy along the path of the Burning Decree Technique.
As the energy followed the path of the Burning Decree Technique, after each cycle, it injected a stream of rich green mist into the slightly dried-up qi vortex. The massive energy, without tiring, continued to flow along the technique’s path, and with each injection, the qi vortex began to form drops of green energy liquid, dripping into the vortex. In the blink of an eye, the depleted qi vortex became abundant once again.
Cultivation has no set time limit. As Xiao Yan’s spirit swirled inside his body, he was unaware of how much time had passed in the outside world. He only knew that his severely injured body had been completely healed by the Fire Lotus Seed.
Although the repair was complete, what surprised Xiao Yan was that the searing energy continued to circulate in his meridians. Despite the significant consumption, the residual energy from the Fire Lotus Seed was still so enormous that it left Xiao Yan in awe. He guessed that fixing his almost shattered body had used up only about a third of its energy. It was truly terrifying.
The searing energy in the meridians, as if it would never run out, continuously released streams of pure energy, allowing the greedy cells and muscles to absorb it. Although Xiao Yan’s body was gradually returning to its previous peak, the muscles, bones, and cells did not stop. Instead, they continued to greedily absorb the energy, showing no signs of stopping until they absorbed every last bit.
Feeling the growing strength in his body, Xiao Yan could only sigh inwardly, reflecting on the adage that misfortune might turn into blessing. Without the severe injury, Xiao Yan would not have been able to break through his previous peak level in a short time. This severe injury had provided the opportunity for him to surpass his previous peak.
In the qi vortex, the liquid energy also became increasingly full. The pure energy released by the Fire Lotus Seed, without any reservations, was poured into it. Everything, regardless, has a limit, and the human body is no exception. So, after a period of reckless absorption, Xiao Yan, with a slight panic, realized that his muscles and other tissues had stopped absorbing, and the qi vortex was beginning to feel swollen. It was no longer converting gaseous energy into liquid energy, indicating that his body had reached a saturated state.
Despite reaching the limit, the Fire Lotus Seed continued to release massive amounts of energy, regardless of whether Xiao Yan could handle it. Noticing this change, Xiao Yan’s face turned slightly grim. He tried to forcibly stop the circulation of the searing energy but found it as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree.
A hint of panic arose in his heart, but he forced it down, knowing that without the guidance of the Pharmacist Elder, he could not afford to panic. Opening his eyes, Xiao Yan tightly clenched his hands. After a moment, he slammed his palm and muttered, “Since I can’t absorb any more, I’ll channel the remaining energy out.”
“Channel it out? But to whom? This energy isn’t something anyone can handle,” he panicked, his gaze sweeping the room. It then landed on the Heavenly Devouring Serpent, which was staring at him with its light purple eyes.
“Little one, you’re in luck…” Seeing the Heavenly Devouring Serpent, a flash of joy crossed Xiao Yan’s eyes. He felt relieved, thinking that its strength should be enough to handle the remaining energy.
Thinking this, Xiao Yan lightly pressed his palms on the lotus seat, flipped off it, and rushed to the bed. He grabbed the bewildered Heavenly Devouring Serpent and, with all his focus, guided the vast energy of the Fire Lotus Seed toward the meridians in his arm.
As the energy from the Fire Lotus Seed flowed, Xiao Yan’s arm was enveloped in a green glow. Raising his middle finger, a lush, fiery energy made his finger resemble a piece of green jade.
When the Heavenly Devouring Serpent was suddenly grabbed, it froze. But upon seeing the terrifying energy on Xiao Yan’s finger, it struggled violently, clearly uneasy about being in close contact with such a powerful force.
“Relax, I won’t hurt you,” Xiao Yan said softly, smiling at the serpent. He forced its mouth open and inserted his finger.
As Xiao Yan’s finger entered the serpent’s mouth, it suddenly stopped struggling. A bright light burst from its body, and Xiao Yan, taken aback, instinctively squinted his eyes.
The light flashed and vanished, but after it, Xiao Yan’s face changed dramatically. He could feel that the Heavenly Devouring Serpent, which he held, had suddenly grown larger and softer.
The empty feeling in his right arm was replaced by a soft, resilient presence. Touching the soft, woman-like body, Xiao Yan’s expression turned grim. Stiffly, he lowered his head and saw a pair of bright, icy, and cold eyes staring at him.
Looking at the perfect, enchanting face, Xiao Yan’s body hair stood on end. His throat moved as he swallowed, his voice hoarse and dry. “M-M-Queen Medusa?”
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