"If we fail, the Snake-People will be completely wiped out of the continent. Have you considered this?"
Upon hearing this, Queen Medusa's expression subtly changed. She stopped and turned to look at Jiang Cheng.
Yes…
if she failed, could the Snake-People escape their millennia-long predicament?
Although they could cultivate a next Queen Medusa, it would require a great deal of time and effort. By the time they produced their next queen, the Snake-People would likely have been exterminated by their enemies.
Medusa pursed her red lips and said, "Therefore, I place all my hopes on you. If I find out you are deceiving me, even if I cannot defeat you, I will make you experience the feeling of being completely drained."
Cough cough cough…
Jiang Cheng wasn't angry. He smiled elegantly, shifting his gaze from the pendant on Queen Medusa's chest to the stagnant pool before him.
A small island stood upright in the water, enveloped in a breathtaking aura of flames. This energy was extremely violent; anyone below the Dou Huang level who touched it without protection would face a 100% mortality rate.
Medusa extended a slender finger, pointing to the island not far away: "The strange fire is inside. If you have the ability to obtain it, I will naturally allow you to leave the Snake-People Clan with the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame."
Jiang Cheng looked at the clear pool of water. This was supposed to be a stagnant pool, yet its clarity was truly unexpected.
Beneath the pool lurked a fourth-tier serpentine magical beast, equivalent to a Dou Ling level. Like an assassin, it waited for its prey to walk into its encirclement, its long tongue constantly flicking out, making a rustling sound.
Simultaneously, the green leaves that fell onto the water's surface instantly turned into ashes, as if they had never existed.
Queen Medusa's lips curled into a smile. With a powerful leap from her serpentine tail, she plunged into the water with the smoothness of a fish entering the ocean. Her body, weighing over eighty pounds, merged seamlessly with the water, creating a few graceful splashes.
The poison in the water was nothing more than a drizzle to Queen Medusa, utterly harmless. In fact, the poison intensified as she entered the water.
Once she surfaced, she gave Jiang Cheng a wicked smile. "What, too scared to come closer? Didn't you say you were a Dou Sheng (Battle Saint)? You're afraid of this little bit of poison?"
Jiang Cheng smiled. A man wouldn't admit his weakness. He took a step forward, and as his right foot touched the water, his body was supported by the water without a ripple, as if Jiang Cheng's body were less heavy than a gentle breeze.
Seeing this, Medusa was completely convinced that Jiang Cheng was indeed a Dou Sheng. To leave no trace on the water's surface—what level of power control could achieve such a feat?
Don't be fooled by the seemingly simple scenario; in practice, it's incredibly difficult. Not only must one control their battle aura, but they also must shield themselves from the surrounding poison—it's practically impossible.
The fourth-tier magical beast beneath him lunged at Jiang Cheng like a madman, but before it even reached within three meters of him, its body was frozen in place.
Then, with a deafening bang, the fourth-tier magical beast exploded, transforming into a cloud of blood mist that sank to the bottom of the valley.
Seeing this, Queen Medusa let out an awkward laugh. This was her beloved pet, dead just like that…
without even a chance to test its abilities, without even seeing a chance for the opponent to attack.
Jiang Cheng quickly and smoothly crossed the poisonous lake, nodding and smiling slightly. "Now, you can believe me, right?"
"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Jiang Cheng, the Confucian Sage of the Academy. People call me 'Master.'"
"You mean I should call you 'Master'?" Medusa disliked being subservient and immediately refused. Even though the other party's strength far surpassed hers, it couldn't change the arrogance of the Snake-People Queen.
"Whatever. I treat everyone kindly, but only those who are amiable. Anyone who disobeys me will be punished accordingly."
Jiang Cheng was already quite merciful. If it were someone else at the Dou Sheng realm, they would probably have directly pinned Queen Medusa down and used their power on her, taking not only the Strange Fire but also Medusa herself.
Thus, the title "Confucian Sage" originated.
"Is this the Strange Fire?"
Before him, a lotus flower emitting blue flames appeared. The intense heat emanating from the lotus completely shielded the surrounding space, preventing enemies from seeing its true form.
This is the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Strange Flame Ranking. This flame exists within the molten lava of the Earth's core, born deep within the earth, and tempered, fused, compressed, and sculpted countless times by the earth's fire. It takes ten years to form a spirit, a hundred years to take shape, and a thousand years to become a lotus.
At its peak, its color is bluish, with a cluster of blue flames emerging from the lotus's heart. It is called the Azure Lotus Flame, also known as the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. This flame's power is unpredictable; near volcanic areas, it can even trigger volcanic eruptions , creating a destructive force in nature!
Just as Jiang Cheng was about to approach, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame seemed to sense an unprecedented enemy and frantically fled, its flames, comparable to those of a Dou Zong, bursting forth.
However, this flame was still too weak in front of a Dou Sheng. Although it lacked an Azure Lotus pedestal, subduing the strange flame was not difficult. Before absolute power, any attempt to counterattack was futile.
Jiang Cheng picked up the wine gourd hanging at his waist, took several large gulps, and then grabbed the frantically attacking Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. An invisible Dou Sheng realm burst forth from him.
The powerful energy instantly caused the Snake-People tribe's territory to shake violently, houses to tremble, dust to billow, and a sandstorm to form, shaking the entire Tagor Desert as if a magnitude 9 earthquake had occurred.
"As expected of a different kind of fire, it actually tried to resist." Jiang Cheng squeezed it forcefully, and the different kind of fire ultimately had no choice but to submit under the overwhelming power, trembling slightly as if lamenting its fate.
After subduing the different kind of fire, the system's reward arrived.
[Congratulations, host, for successfully obtaining the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire and acquiring the Yellow-Rank Low-Level Cultivation Technique, the Burning Technique!]
Although the Burning Technique is only Yellow-Rank Low-Level, its strangeness lies in its evolutionary potential. This
evolutionary potential manifests in the fact that this technique can infinitely evolve by devouring different kinds of fire, eventually even surpassing the Heaven-Rank.
This is also the only thing that can devour all different kinds of fire; with it, there's no need to fear the internal struggles between different kinds of fire when devouring them in the future.
Queen Medusa, seeing the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire so stable in Jiang Cheng's hands, was quite moved. Was this the true strength of a Dou Sheng powerhouse?
Even the strange fire formed by heaven and earth avoids it like the plague; it's truly astonishing.
(End of Chapter)