After erging from the depths of the cave, Xiao Han led Gu Xun'er and Qing Lin away from the area. They first returned to the Ancient Map Shop to drop off Qing Lin.
At this ti, Xiao Han presented her third request to Hai Bo Dong.
She asked him to travel to the imperial capital of the Gamma Empire, find Yafei, the daughter of the Miteer Family patriarch, and protect her for at least five years.
This request was not excessive. Given Hai Bo Dong's notorious reputation as the Ice Emperor, he wouldn't need to do much. Simply spreading the news that he was backing Yafei would deter almost everyone in the Gamma Empire from harming her.
Therefore, Hai Bo Dong readily agreed. For him, it rely ant staying put in one place for five years.
Of course, protecting Yafei and raising Qing Lin would need to be done simultaneously. However, Qing Lin was an obedient and sensible girl, easy to raise. Hai Bo Dong expressed that this posed no problem at all; it was practically a given.
Afterwards, Xiao Han and Gu Xun'er once again embarked on their desert journey. This ti, their destination was the royal city of the Snake People Empire deep in the desert—the palace of Queen dusa.
A few years ago, when Xiao Han ca to the desert to find Qing Lin, she had intercepted Queen dusa, who was searching for Heterogeneous Fla. The two had even engaged in combat. Of course, as a Dou Zong, Xiao Han had held back considerably. In the end, she promised to return to the desert in a few years to help the Queen breakthrough to Dou Zong, which concluded the battle.
dusa agreed primarily because of Xiao Han's evident superiority. If she had tried to forcibly take it, dusa would not only fail but also likely perish in the attempt. With Xiao Han's favorable attitude, dusa had no choice but to acquiesce.
This ti, Xiao Han had co to fulfill her promise.
After all, in the original story, dusa was one of Xiao Yan's wives and provided him with many benefits. If she didn't handle this properly, it might give Xiao Yan an opportunity to exploit. Therefore, Xiao Han dared not be careless.
As for the infant form of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python that dusa would transform into upon breaking through to Dou Zong... Xiao Han shrugged. She didn't like keeping pets, but she had already found a suitable new ho for dusa, one that wouldn't mistreat Her Majesty the Queen.
However, they were clearly in no rush, advancing at a leisurely pace. Along the way, Gu Xun'er practiced her skills on various magical beasts in the desert.
When they arrived at the fortress city of the Snake People Empire, they discovered that a massive pathway had been forcibly carved through the Snake People's stringent defense periter. All the arrow towers near the path had been reduced to rubble by powerful forces.
Xiao Han raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised that even though dusa hadn't taken the Heterogeneous Fla, human powerhouses had still co knocking.
Could it be that the traces dusa left at the Heterogeneous Fla cave led those people to believe she had taken it?
Stroking her chin, Xiao Han raised her hand to encircle Gu Xun'er's waist and said in a deep voice, "Hold on tight."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she activated her Dou Qi and disappeared from the spot with Gu Xun'er.
Xiao Han moved at an extrely fast pace. In the blink of an eye, they had passed through the eight major fortresses and arrived outside dusa's palace.
There, they witnessed the scene unfolding outside the palace.
Hundreds of ters above the city walls, a massive magical beast hovered in mid-air. Several human figures floated not far in front of the beast, emanating terrifyingly powerful auras.
In the sky before the palace, nine figures were suspended.
The woman at the forefront wore a majestic purple brocade robe. Beneath the robe, her figure was full and shapely, exuding a faint allure. Her three thousand ebony tresses cascaded casually from her fragrant shoulders, reaching down to her slender waist. Below the brocade robe, a section of purple snake tail was visible, appearing extraordinarily bewitching. Yet, beneath that enchanting exterior, there was a hint of queenly nobility and elegance.
Even without having t her before, Gu Xun'er could guess the woman's identity.
—Her Majesty the Queen of the Snake People, dusa.
Behind dusa were the eight leaders of the Snake People, though they were only Dou Wang level powerhouses.
"I've said it before, human. The Heterogeneous Fla is not in my possession," dusa's crimson lips parted slightly, her seductive voice tinged with anger, seemingly irritated by the other party's lack of understanding.
In front of the magical beast, a middle-aged man spoke respectfully but firmly, "Half a year ago, I happened to be in the desert searching for dicinal ingredients when I sensed the aura of the Heterogeneous Fla. I tracked it all the way here. Although I didn't see Your Majesty, I did find a few bloodstained seven-colored snake scales along the way... These scales only appear on Your Majesty's body during all-out battles. Moreover, we detected the scent of the Heterogeneous Fla on those scales. I assu Your Majesty was injured while taking the Heterogeneous Fla?"
A female Snake Person leader behind dusa angrily retorted, "Our Queen has already said she doesn't have it. Are you humans looking for a war with your persistent badgering? We Snake People are not afraid of you!"
dusa looked at Gu He, her eyes swirling with frost.
His words reminded her of the incident from a few years ago when she failed to find the Heterogeneous Fla and was beaten. That person had even said they would co back in a few years to help her break through... but where were they now? They still hadn't shown up.
Tch, humans were all no good!
Noticing the hostility in Queen dusa's eyes and misinterpreting it, Gu He carefully retreated behind the black-robed figure. He said with a bitter smile, "Your Majesty, I ant no offense. You surely understand how important a Heterogeneous Fla is to an alchemist. In my search for it, I've traversed many strange places in the Gamma Empire... The Snake People's bloodline is cold and yin in nature, so the Heterogeneous Fla isn't of much use to you. Therefore, I hope Your Majesty would be willing to trade the Heterogeneous Fla for other valuable items."
"Heterogeneous Fla... Are they talking about the Green Lotus Core Fla?" Gu Xun'er asked in surprise.
Xiao Han nodded, a faint trace of mockery flashing in her eyes. This Gu He had been a high-level alchemist for too long, becoming too accustod to flattery and losing his direction. What gave him the right to think the Heterogeneous Fla should be his? So what if he had searched for a long ti? Throughout history, which alchemist hadn't been driven to despair searching for a Heterogeneous Fla? So alchemists spent their entire lives without ever seeing one. How long had he been searching to feel so entitled and aggrieved?
Moreover, even if dusa had found the Heterogeneous Fla, she obtained it through her own abilities. This man had no right to barge into soone else's tribe, injure their people, and arrogantly demand it.
Who did he think he was? Why should the Snake People's queen indulge a re human?
"Trade?" Hearing this, Queen dusa's eyes curved in a shallow mockery.
Gu He's brows furrowed slightly. After pondering for a good while, an expression of pain rarely seen on his face appeared. He raised his head and said in a deep voice, "I am willing to offer two sixth-grade Dou Ling Pills... and one seventh-grade Transformation Pill in exchange for the Heterogeneous Fla! What does Your Majesty think?"
As soon as Gu He finished speaking, the people around him widened their eyes, looking at him with faces full of astonishnt. Even the black-robed person beside him turned their head slightly, presumably also not expecting Gu He to be so generous for the sake of the Heterogeneous Fla.
The sixth-grade Dou Ling Pill was a type of pill that even Dou Wang level powerhouses would covet. Its effect was simple yet tempting—it could increase the star level of a Dou Wang powerhouse by one!
As for the Transformation Pill, it was even rarer, scarcely seen even across the entire continent, with a rarity comparable to eighth-grade pills.
Gu Xun'er's lips curved slightly. "This person is truly extravagant. However, judging by his badge, he should only be a sixth-grade alchemist, right? I wonder how he plans to obtain a Transformation Pill."
"If he could refine a Transformation Pill, he wouldn't still be just a sixth-grade alchemist," Xiao Han said with a cold laugh. "It's nothing but an empty promise. After all, once he gets the Heterogeneous Fla and retreats to the Gamma Empire, dusa won't be able to do anything about it. Whether he fulfills this promise or not becos aningless."
Gu Xun'er turned her head and asked, "But Senior Sister, didn't you say that integrity is the most important thing for an alchemist?"
"Those not of our kind must be of a different heart," Xiao Han's voice turned cold. "Lying to Snake People won't be criticized by humans. After all, in their eyes, Snake People are just animals, and hostile ones at that. If Gu He takes the Heterogeneous Fla from dusa without giving her the pills, it would be seen as weakening the Snake People's strength. He wouldn't be criticized; he might even be praised by so humans."
Gu Xun'er frowned slightly.
"Xun'er," Xiao Han suddenly called out to her.
"Hm?" Gu Xun'er tilted her head.
Xiao Han looked straight ahead, her voice suddenly becoming very serious: "I can't control how others think or act, but you must rember this: integrity is the bare minimum standard for being a person. No matter who you're dealing with, once you make a promise and obtain what you want from the other party, you must fulfill that promise."
"This is also a rule of our sect."
Xiao Han's gaze turned cold as she glanced at Gu Xun'er. "Those who violate it will be expelled."
Under Xiao Han's gaze, Gu Xun'er suddenly felt her body stiffen. The other's gaze was cold, as if infused with ice. An overwhelming pressure descended, making Gu Xun'er feel like she could hardly breathe.
"Yes, Senior Sister."
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Xiao Han didn't intentionally use her pressure to frighten Gu Xun'er. This was their sect's tradition, aid at instilling a sense of reverence for the sect rules in the disciples, ensuring they would keep these rules firmly in mind throughout their lives.
She was being very gentle, okay? When her master taught her back then, the pressure had made her collapse to her knees with a "thud
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