I just realized that we already reached 20+ power stones lmao, well, a promise is a promise, bonus Chapter ahead.
"It really is a Heavenly Flame..."
Queen Medusa's massive serpent pupils stared at the green-blue flame, her gaze slightly dazed.
To her, that Heavenly Flame symbolized both danger and temptation.
"The Green Lotus Core Flame... Ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Born deep within the earth, it takes ten years to form a spirit, a hundred years to take shape, and a thousand years to bloom into a lotus. When it reaches maturity, its color turns emerald, and a cluster of green flame is born at the lotus core—thus named the Green Lotus Flame."
Due to her need for evolution, Queen Medusa had studied Heavenly Flames to some extent.
"Then, Your Majesty, what should we do now?"
In the original story, it never explained how the Green Lotus Core Flame was subdued within the magma—only that the lotus seat remained.
However, Queen Medusa was injured while facing the Green Lotus Core Flame.
"Heavenly Flames possess a spirit, but since it was born from the lotus, its core won't stray far from it. I'll suppress the flame spirit it summons. You take that chance to retrieve the lotus seat," Queen Medusa said coolly.
Chen Mo nodded. Just as he layered himself with Dou Qi and two beast flames for triple protection and descended from Queen Medusa's back—
She extended her serpent tongue and spat a stream of pure energy toward him, forming a protective barrier that enveloped his entire body.
When Chen Mo looked up at her, she was already swimming toward the Green Lotus Core Flame.
His lips curved into a smile.
With a flap of his wings, he darted forward like a small fish, heading swiftly toward the area bathed in green light.
As his body drew nearer to the green glow, Chen Mo could clearly feel the temperature around him rising sharply.
The outermost layer of his protective shield was already showing signs of melting.
As Queen Medusa approached, the flames gathered atop the green lotus suddenly stirred. With a slight tremor, they transformed into a green flame spirit and lunged toward her.
This flame spirit resembled a flood dragon, and its body was not much smaller than Queen Medusa's.
The two sides quickly clashed in battle.
And Chen Mo quietly slipped into the area shrouded in the green light.
Unexpectedly, the intense heat he had anticipated never arrived. Instead, the temperature around his body dropped in a strange and eerie way.
Startled for only a moment, Chen Mo quickly turned his attention to the green lotus at the center.
The lotus had eight jade-like petals—perfectly shaped and glistening like flawless emerald. It looked as if it had been crafted by nature itself.
Atop the lotus sat a platform roughly two or three feet in diameter, dotted with glowing holes. From the largest central hole, a flame the size of a clenched fist rose, flickering softly.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Mo stealthily crept toward it from below the lotus stem, planning to cut it off at the root.
But the Green Lotus Flame noticed him. The flame trembled slightly, as if harboring a hint of fear, and urgently summoned back the flame spirit that was battling Queen Medusa.
Sensing this, Queen Medusa intensified her entanglement with the flame spirit, preventing it from escaping.
Trapped, the Green Lotus Flame grew even more anxious. Jets of magma erupted around it, and the flame spirit's strength suddenly surged, clearly trying to break free and return to protect its origin.
Queen Medusa blocked its path.
Chen Mo glanced back at the scene. Holding Tian Yuan, he slashed toward the lotus stem of the Green Lotus Flame.
Just as the sword was about to reach it, a surge of emerald fire burst from the flame above the lotus seat.
With a single swing, Chen Mo split the flame in two. The fire passed harmlessly on either side of his body.
Aside from a faint red glow on Tian Yuan's blade, there were no other effects.
Seeing that even its flame couldn't burn through a sword, the Green Lotus Flame grew agitated. Its light intensified.
From the size of a fist, it swelled to that of a human head.
Meanwhile, the flame spirit fighting Queen Medusa also grew larger, nearly a full tier stronger.
With a violent strike of its tail, it lashed Queen Medusa.
Queen Medusa was sent flying.
But the flame spirit didn't pursue her—instead, it rushed back toward the green lotus.
Blood spurted from Queen Medusa's mouth. Seeing the flame spirit charging toward Chen Mo, she shouted in fury:
"By my command—stop right there!"
Opening her jaws wide, she unleashed a crimson energy beam that blasted the flame spirit square in the body.
The flame spirit was slammed into the rocky wall. The entire cavern shook as the impact triggered a collapse. Countless stones fell into the magma, and in that instant, the previously calm lava erupted into chaos.
Chen Mo used a special jade dagger to cut through the lotus stem, enduring the pain of searing heat as he grabbed hold of it.
Once the lotus was severed from its root, the surrounding emerald light began to shrink. The eight jade-like petals retracted, wrapping around the Green Lotus Flame seated at the center.
As the Green Lotus Flame was sealed, the flame spirit embedded in the wall instantly dissipated.
But just then, the magma began to surge, and the entire cavern shook violently. Cracks split across the ceiling, and a massive boulder broke loose, plummeting downward.
Chen Mo noticed at once and was about to slice it in half when a purple serpent tail lashed out, shattering the rock instantly.
"This cavern's collapsing—get up here!" Queen Medusa's cold voice now carried a trace of urgency.
With a powerful flap of his wings, Chen Mo leapt onto her back.
Since the Green Lotus Flame didn't yet "belong" to Chen Mo, he couldn't store it in his system inventory. His current storage ring was also too low-grade.
He had no choice but to hold it for now.
Fortunately, with the lotus petals wrapped around it, the stem was no longer unbearably hot.
Chen Mo noticed several scales had fallen from Queen Medusa's serpent body, and fresh blood was flowing from the wounds.
"None of your concern."
Queen Medusa carried him toward the exit without slowing.
Chen Mo took out a jade bottle from his storage ring and poured an entire bottle of medicinal powder onto her wounds.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said gently, softly caressing the scales around her injuries, as if easing her pain.
[Ding! Favorability +2. Gained 5 Favorability Coins. Intimacy Bonus Triggered: Received a One-Star Dou Wang Experience Card.]
"I only acted because I don't want my sister to come out of seclusion and see you dead," Queen Medusa said coldly.
Chen Mo smiled slightly without replying, his hand still gently stroking her scales.
Not far from the city of Mo, the violent energy fluctuations had already drawn the attention of powerful experts.
Hai Bodong arrived first. Two other Dou Wang experts followed shortly after.
Sensing the residual energy at the cave entrance, Hai Bodong gasped in shock, "It's Queen Medusa!"
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