Qi Recovery Pill: Quickly restores Dou Qi.
Windwalking Pill: Increases movement speed.
Essence Gathering Pill: Enhances Dou Qi absorption rate.
After transcribing the ingredients for these three pills onto a piece of paper, Chen Mo went to find Elder Baru.
"These are all Tier-Three pill ingredients... Can you already refine Tier-Three pills?"
Baru held the paper Chen Mo handed him, scanned the listed ingredients, then looked at him in shock.
Chen Mo rubbed his nose and said, "It's been a while now. Being able to refine Tier-Three pills isn't that surprising, is it?"
Baru's mouth twitched before handing the paper back. "I don't have these ingredients."
"Hm?" Chen Mo looked at him, confused.
"The Tageer Desert is already lacking in resources, and with the constant high temperatures, only fire-attribute medicinal ingredients grow well. Other types of herbs struggle to survive," Baru explained, his expression turning serious.
"On top of that, the humans' blockade against our Snake-People Tribe prevents any medicinal ingredients from human nations from reaching us."
Chen Mo didn't know how to respond to that, so he could only ask, "Then what about the ingredients I asked you for last time?"
"We looted them from a human caravan," Baru answered bluntly.
Seeing how straightforward Baru was, Chen Mo's forehead twitched.
He felt like Baru didn't see him as human.
I'm a human too, and I'm standing right next to you. Could you not say it so openly?
Realizing the awkwardness of the situation, Baru quickly apologized. "Sorry, I wasn't referring to you. You're different from other humans—you're a good person."
After casually chatting for a bit, Chen Mo left.
As soon as he was gone, Baru immediately went to see Queen Medusa.
When Medusa wasn't in her chambers, she was usually handling affairs in the council hall. Seeing Baru enter, she instinctively said, "Did Chen Mo come asking for ingredients again?"
Baru nodded. "He's still asking for Tier-Three pill ingredients."
"Oh?" Queen Medusa raised an eyebrow, pausing her work to look up. "He can refine Tier-Three pills now?"
"Yes. He admitted it himself."
Baru then asked, "Your Majesty, have you considered the matter I brought up earlier?"
Medusa knew he was referring to making Chen Mo one of their own. She replied, "I'm already working on it. I've appointed him as my personal guard. Once his strength improves, I'll promote him to vice commander of the palace guards."
Baru's pupils contracted as he hesitated. "Making a human the vice commander of the palace guards... Will the council approve of this?"
"I am the queen!" Medusa declared proudly before continuing, "Since we're treating him as one of our own, we shouldn't dwell on his human identity. We'll take it slow."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Baru bowed respectfully before asking, "We're out of ingredients again. Should we raid another caravan?"
Medusa's eyes narrowed slightly as she pursed her lips. "No. Stop these actions from now on. Let's first try easing relations with the humans. If they continue to be aggressive, then I won't hesitate to wage war once more."
Though it was said that Chen Mo followed Queen Medusa everywhere, the reality was that he often slacked off.
Whenever Medusa was in the council hall dealing with affairs, Chen Mo would stand guard for a while before sneaking off.
At first, Medusa reprimanded him, but later, she simply let him be.
Because no matter how much she scolded him, Chen Mo wouldn't listen.
Their cohabitation was still a secret, known only to Medusa's most trusted aides.
In the Royal Bedchamber
Initially, Chen Mo's bed was positioned directly across from Medusa's, but over time, the two beds mysteriously ended up right next to each other.
Of course, this was entirely Chen Mo's doing.
Lying on his bed, Chen Mo had successfully cultivated the Iron Body Stage of the Indestructible Mystic Art to completion. The next stage was the Bronze Body Stage.
Like the Iron Body Stage, the Bronze Body Stage required a drop of blood essence from a Dou Spirit-level or higher Magic Beast, meaning a Tier Four or above beast.
It also required a Tier Three or higher gold-attribute Magic Core, along with several rare medicinal ingredients that the Snake-People Tribe didn't possess.
Naturally, the higher the quality of the materials, the stronger the Bronze Body Stage would be.
Chen Mo didn't dare—and was too embarrassed—to ask Queen Medusa for them.
He decided to leave the Snake-People Tribe and visit Rock Desert City.
When Queen Medusa returned, Chen Mo honestly told her his plan—except for the part about the blood essence.
Medusa rejected him outright. She was worried he might try to escape.
"Why not?" Chen Mo didn't think his request was unreasonable.
"No means no." Medusa showed no room for negotiation.
Chen Mo wasn't one to back down easily.
Seeing her firm stance, he hardened his own resolve. He suddenly stood up on the bed and shouted at her:
"I'm informing you, not asking for your permission."
Queen Medusa, lying on the adjacent bed, raised an eyebrow coldly. "You're itching for another beating?"
"Come on! Suppress your cultivation to my level, and let's see how I teach you a lesson!"
Chen Mo was feeling confident again.
Unsurprisingly, he was beaten once more.
Queen Medusa wasn't foolish enough to suppress her cultivation just to humor him.
Lying bruised on the bed, Chen Mo—who had already mastered the Iron Body Stage—shrugged off his injuries and stubbornly declared:
"If you have the guts, kill me! Otherwise, I'm going to Rock Desert City no matter what!"
Medusa's beautiful eyes narrowed as she stared at him, her bewitching face showing no emotion.
She kept staring until Chen Mo started feeling uneasy.
Then, she finally spoke. "I'm going with you."
Chen Mo was stunned before responding, "That's not a good idea. That's human territory. If you go, they'll think you're declaring war."
After all, with Medusa's long serpent tail, no disguise could fully conceal her identity.
Her phoenix-like eyes flashed coldly. "Near Rock Desert City, at the border of the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, there's a Magical Beast Forest. What you need can be found there."
Chen Mo hesitated. "But if you leave, what about the Snake-People Tribe?"
"The tribe has the Three Grand Elders and the Eight Great Leaders. My absence for a while won't be an issue," Medusa assured him.
Chen Mo felt warmth in his heart.
Then, he suddenly grinned, stood up despite his bruises, and said, "Your Majesty, after working all day, you must be tired. Let me massage your shoulders."
Without waiting for a response, he climbed onto Medusa's bed and positioned himself behind her, gently massaging her fair shoulders.
Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained 2 Favorability Coins.
Triggered intimacy bonus—obtained the location of the Green Lotus Core Flame!
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