The Tagor Desert is extremely vast. With Chen Yang's speed, he could naturally fly from Stone Desert City to the Snake-People Tribe's Divine Temple within a day, but Xiao Yan was not nearly that fast.
Furthermore, he had to endure six hours of beating every day, so he had even less time available for flying.
On the first day, after flying for over two hundred miles, the two found a sheltered spot and landed.
"Little Yan Zi, for the next few days, we will advance two hundred miles daily. In about a month and a half, we should reach the Snake-People Tribe's heartland!"
"You don't need to rush for that flame. Even if Queen Medusa obtains it, it's only for evolution, so it will definitely still be there. Just follow the routine and take your beatings. After half a year, absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame will be much simpler when combined with the blood lotus pill and the ice heart pill!"
Looking at the gradually darkening sky, Chen Yang gave Xiao Yan a simple set of instructions.
"Kid Chen is right. The Snake-People are yin-aligned. Even if Queen Medusa obtains the Green Lotus Core Flame, she won't be able to use it. Just focus on Cultivating. Strive to raise your Dou Qi cultivation by another one or two stars by the time we reach the Snake-People Tribe's heartland!" said Yao Lao.
"I understand!" Xiao Yan nodded heavily, then stripped off his shirt and pants, leaving only his underwear, and squatted in a horse stance, waiting for Yao Lao's lashing.
"Smack!"
"Ah!"
"Smack!"
"Hiss!"
"Smack!"
"Damn it, you old bastard, f*ck your mother..."
The fire whip condensed from the Bone Chilling Flame lashed fiercely onto Xiao Yan's body. The first two hours were merely flesh wounds, but the middle two hours struck straight at his internal organs and Xiao Yan's groin. Chen Yang stood watching, his teeth chattering. This Yao Lao was truly ruthless; wasn't he afraid of giving Xiao Yan trauma?
Four hours passed, and Xiao Yan was already covered in blood and gore, spitting up blood, and bleeding from all seven orifices was standard procedure; he no longer looked like a Human.
However, the six hours of beating still weren't over.
For the final two hours, Yao Lao directly condensed the Bone Chilling Flame into a hammer, essentially smashing every part of Xiao Yan's body except for his head.
As the beating ended, a miraculous scene occurred.
Xiao Yan's injuries began healing at a visible speed. By the time Chen Yang finished drinking a cup of tea, Xiao Yan was fully recovered, and both his Physical Body strength and Dou Qi cultivation had improved.
"Brother Yang, these two Medicinal Pills of yours are truly miraculous! After recovering, they not only eliminate the pain but also remove the lingering effects of Soul spasms caused by the agony. I don't feel a trace of fatigue!" Xiao Yan changed his clothes, used the Purple Flame steaming in his hand to burn away the bloody underwear, and ran excitedly toward Chen Yang.
"You are quite a character if you can endure this kind of pain. If you don't become a Dou Di, it would be unforgivable by the laws of nature!" Chen Yang looked at Xiao Yan with emotion.
In the original plot, although Xiao Yan suffered early on, it was completely different compared to this.
Even the pain endured when swallowing a Heavenly Flame was far less than this.
What normal person has their balls crushed and bones shattered every day?
"Heh heh... Dou Di is just a thought for now. My current small goal is to surpass Teacher, become a Dou Sheng, and be qualified to marry Xun'er!" Xiao Yan chuckled, took out a cushion, spread it on the yellow sand, looked up at the star-filled night sky, and grinned as he spoke.
"Keep going!" Yao Lao looked at his Disciple with heartache, floated over to Chen Yang, and began discussing Queen Medusa's evolution.
"According to the information from my Family, this generation's Queen Medusa has the body of a Sixth-Tier Purple-Nether Flame Serpent, but the Purple-Nether Flame Serpent's limit is the Sixth-Tier. If Queen Medusa wants to Break through to Dou Zong, she must activate the hidden Bloodline within the Purple-Nether Flame Serpent's body and evolve into the legendary Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python!"
"For the Purple-Nether Flame Serpent to evolve, it must completely burn away the impure Bloodline within its body, leaving only that last trace of the pure Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python Bloodline!"
Combining this with the original work, Chen Yang stated his analysis.
"Purple-Nether Flame Serpent? Then there's no mistake!"
Yao Lao nodded upon hearing this. He also knew this legend, but the chance for the Purple-Nether Flame Serpent to evolve into the Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python was far too small; if it failed, nothing would remain.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Xiao Yan, who had initially been listening with great interest, gradually started snoring and fell into a deep sleep.
"Although his Physical Body and Soul have been restored by the Medicinal Pills, he is mentally exhausted."
"This kid truly deserves to be the one that person favored!"
Chen Yang sighed, confusing Yao Lao?
That person?
Which person???
Although he was confused, he didn't ask. Some secrets are better known only by one person; if too many people know, it might bring disaster... For the following period, Chen Yang and Xiao Yan traveled slowly through the desert. Occasionally, when they encountered an oasis, they would go in and have a killing spree, either eliminating a few ignorant Snake-People or wiping out some mercenaries planning robbery and plunder.
Occasionally, they could even find some rare medicinal herbs unique to the desert.
Because they needed to detour around oases and occasionally avoid large Snake-People Tribes, the journey that was originally planned for just over a month ended up taking two months before they finally reached the last oasis outside the Snake-People Tribe's Divine Temple.
"Hoo... now my Physical Body has the strength of an ordinary Fifth-Tier Magical Beast!" Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling the power emanating from his body, and his mood was excellent.
After more than five months, consuming a large number of Medicinal Pills and enduring beatings that were perhaps more numerous and brutal than what a Dou Sheng expert would endure in a lifetime, he finally achieved a Physical Body comparable to a Dou King expert.
During the two months traveling from Stone Desert City to this location, he also successfully Broke through to Seven-Star Great Dou Shi. Even his Alchemy Skill had improved; he could now easily refine third-grade pills. However, his Dou Qi Cultivation Technique was still insufficient to support him in refining fourth-grade pills. He figured that after absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame and his Cultivation Technique evolved, he would smoothly Break through to Fourth-Grade Alchemist!
"The Snake-People Tribe's Divine Temple is only about a hundred miles away. Next, we will wait here for a few days. Once the time is right, we will go and retrieve the Heavenly Flame!"
For Chen Yang, two months of roughing it seemed more like a vacation.
His storage ring contained lots and lots of delicacies, all personally prepared by Xiao Yi Xian.
Furthermore, Xiao Yan's barbecue skills were decent. The unique Demonic Beasts of the desert, due to the large temperature difference between day and night, not only had good meat quality but also a hint of sweetness. Coupled with the grilling by the Sixth-Tier Magical Beast's Purple Flame, the flavor was excellent.
"Mhm!" Xiao Yan didn't say much. He just quietly found a spot, sprinkled some snake-repelling medicine, and immediately fell asleep!
...Time passed quickly. Chen Yang and Xiao Yan stayed in this oasis for three days.
On this day, Xiao Yan rested as usual after finishing his beating. Since preparing to retrieve the Green Lotus Core Flame, Xiao Yan had changed his routine to take his beating first thing every day, usually finishing by nine in the morning.
Around ten o'clock, Xiao Yan and Chen Yang simultaneously looked west, where a team of Snake-People, neatly lined up, quickly arrived at the oasis.
"They are from the Snake-People Tribe, and it looks like there's a Dou King expert!"
Last night, Xiao Yan quietly Broke through another star while sleeping; he was now an eight-star Great Dou Master. The woman leading the Snake-People team had a fierce Aura, clearly indicating she was a Dou Wang.
"Judging by the scale, it must be Yue Mei!" The newcomer had a fierce physique and a naturally seductive appearance. Among the Dou King experts of the Snake-People Tribe, only Yue Mei fit the description.
"Brother Yang, you've got skills, you can even recognize women by their assets now?" Xiao Yan teased Chen Yang.
"Alright, stop joking around, someone else is coming!" Chen Yang glared at Xiao Yan, then turned to look east, where several strong energy fluctuations were flying over.
"Kid, there's an Alchemist among those approaching from that direction. If they are from the Jia Ma Empire, that should be the Pill King!" Yao Lao's voice also rang out.
"What damn Pill King? Is he as awesome as Brother Yang? Is he as awesome as you, Teacher?" Xiao Yan said disdainfully.
"Hahaha..." Chen Yang and Yao Lao chuckled upon hearing this, but their laughter caught Yue Mei's attention.
"Who's there?"
A Great Dou Master Snake-Person raised a spear and shouted at Chen Yang and Xiao Yan.
"We are just passing by, you may proceed as you wish!"
Chen Yang gently waved his hand, his Peak Dou Huang Aura completely unconcealed.
"Hiss..."
Yue Mei was instantly startled, and the other Snake-People were so frightened that their tails went limp.
Calming herself, Yue Mei regained composure, looked at Chen Yang, and first bowed respectfully: "Your Excellency, having rashly entered the territory of my Snake-People Tribe, are you unaware of the prestige of our Queen Medusa?"
Chen Yang glanced indifferently at Yue Mei: "Oh, are you threatening me?"
Although Yue Mei's hands were trembling with fear upon hearing this, she still spoke neither subserviently nor arrogantly: "This is not a threat, merely a reminder to Your Excellency that our Queen, Your Majesty, is also a Peak Dou Huang expert!"
"Nonsense!"
Chen Yang shook his head. The Long Rainbow Sword appeared in his hand, and he swung it down from dozens of meters away. Instantly, all the Snake-People present, except for Yue Mei the Dou Wang, were decapitated.
"I said I was just passing by. Leader Yue Mei, do not bring trouble upon yourself."
"Medusa is indeed notorious, but I only need one sword strike to kill you!"
After Chen Yang finished speaking, the Long Rainbow Sword vanished, and he stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance...