Hai Bodong

The moment Xiao Yan stepped into the map shop called "Gu Tu," the Fire Attribute aura he could not fully conceal alerted the old man who was drawing a map.

The old man involuntarily glanced at this unfamiliar Fire Attribute Dou Ling, then spotted the alchemist badge on his chest bearing five markings.

The old man's hand trembled, instantly ruining the map he had been drawing. Yet he paid it no mind, instead staring at Xiao Yan with slightly heavy breathing.

Once the old man saw Xiao Yan's youthful face and estimated that he was likely not even twenty yet, he finally could no longer hold himself back and forced a smile.

"As an alchemist, suddenly arriving in Snake People territory... you must have received news about a Heavenly Flame, right?"

Xiao Yan sized up the old man. A frightening scar ran from his left cheek to the corner of his eye. Though he tried hard to force a friendly smile, the scar still added a touch of ferocity to his appearance.

"Seems I misjudged you. I originally thought you were just an ordinary Dou Ling, but now it seems there's something strange about your aura?"

"Hehe, this old man was once one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts—the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong."

"Oh, I'm Xiao Yan. One-Star Dou Ling, Fifth Grade Alchemist."

...ヽ('⌒メ)ノ

...⊙_⊙

"Ahem, you don't seem very surprised?" Hai Bodong felt awkward.

"(⊙o⊙) Wow! The Ice Emperor!" Xiao Yan widened his eyes, took half a step back, and wore a terrified expression.

"...Ahem, there's no need to mention the past. I've lived in seclusion here for decades and am quite familiar with the terrain. And because my Dou Qi is of the Ice Attribute, I'm especially sensitive to Fire Attribute energy..."

Hai Bodong paused before continuing, "So I drew a map marking several places where Heavenly Flames might exist."

"Oh." Xiao Yan nodded to show that he understood, then continued searching through the shop for a map of the Tagor Desert.

... Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes. He was waiting for Xiao Yan to speak first so he could name a higher price. Ideally, he wanted to trade a map containing information about a Heavenly Flame for the aid of this immensely promising alchemist.

"How much is this map?" Xiao Yan asked, picking out a relatively detailed one.

Hai Bodong stared hard at Xiao Yan, trying to discern the emotions he was hiding, but he saw nothing. It was as though Xiao Yan truly did not care about Heavenly Flames.

But how could an alchemist possibly not care about Heavenly Flames? There was only one explanation: Xiao Yan had already obtained news of one and merely needed a map for comparison. He had no need for Hai Bodong's intelligence at all.

Thinking this, Hai Bodong put on another smile and gently rummaged through his robes, pulling out a thin sheet of parchment.

"I'm quite interested in mapmaking. I once wandered through the Tagor Desert and was fortunate enough to obtain some news concerning Heavenly Flames. After investigating the locations and routes mentioned in that information, I recorded them all on this map. I'm sure it will be of some help to you," Hai Bodong said with a smile.

"However, those are small matters. More than twenty years ago, I also found a Fragmented Map containing an enormous secret. It drew the pursuit of Queen Medusa of the Snake People Clan.

"Queen Medusa was a Peak Dou Emperor. Naturally, I was defeated by her without any surprise in that battle. Though I managed to escape afterward, I was afflicted by her Snake Seal Curse—not only did my body rapidly age, but my strength was also sealed at the Dou Ling level."

After speaking, Hai Bodong walked to an ancient wooden rack inside the shop, took down a Fragmented Map only the size of his palm, and handed it to Xiao Yan together with the parchment.

Hai Bodong sighed. "For all these years, I've been hiding here and studying the secret of that Fragmented Map, hoping to obtain something useful from it to help break my seal. But this Fragmented Map is ultimately only a small part of a complete map. No matter how experienced I may be, there's no way I could decipher it!"

Hai Bodong casually wiped away the cold sweat in his palm, praying inwardly that the Fragmented Map would move Xiao Yan.

"Mm, the secret of this Fragmented Map is indeed a great one. I can tell you, but do you dare listen?"

Just putting on airs had made Hai Bodong lose his composure and hand over even his underwear, leaving Xiao Yan in an excellent mood. A faint smile could not help appearing at the corner of his lips.

Yet in Hai Bodong's eyes, that smile looked exceptionally terrifying. He hurriedly said, "Haha, it seems this Fragmented Map is quite valuable. Perhaps it would be worth your refining a Sixth Grade Pill for me in the future?"

Seeing Hai Bodong's somewhat frightened expression, Xiao Yan instantly understood something. He burst out laughing. "Worth it? It's more than worth it! Forget Sixth Grade—even Seventh Grade or Eighth Grade pills would be worth it!"

Cold sweat immediately broke out across Hai Bodong's forehead and streamed down without stopping. "Ahem, I don't dare ask for that much. As long as you're willing to refine a Sixth Grade Pill for me in the future, that will be enough."

"Don't you want to break the seal? You also know that Queen Medusa is only a Peak Dou Emperor. If you force her to remove the seal for you, a single Dou Zong would be enough."

"Ahem... ahem, I think refining a Sixth Grade Pill is easier than asking a Dou Zong for help."

"Over these past few decades, I found a Pill Recipe capable of breaking the seal. As long as the pill described on it is refined, I'll be able to recover my strength and won't need to trouble you to find a Dou Zong." Hai Bodong's voice deepened.

"Then why not seek out Gu He? He's also Sixth Grade. With your information about a Heavenly Flame, you could definitely persuade him," Xiao Yan asked.

This puzzled Xiao Yan greatly. Ice Emperor Hai Bodong was not a member of the Jia Ma Royal Family, nor was he hostile toward the Misty Cloud Sect. Moreover, he possessed information about a Heavenly Flame. Gu He would definitely be willing to refine a pill for him.

"That pill requires an alchemist who possesses a Heavenly Flame to refine it. Pill King Gu He... does not have one."

"Uh... before today, I only suspected that those places might contain Heavenly Flames. I couldn't be certain. If there weren't any, and I exposed myself before everyone, it would be somewhat troublesome after all." Hai Bodong scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I see." Xiao Yan nodded. He did not mind that Hai Bodong had tried to fool him with uncertain information, merely saying, "Once I break through to Sixth Grade, I'll definitely refine the pill for you—by then, I hope you'll voluntarily hand over the remaining portion of the Fragmented Map."

Hai Bodong became even more embarrassed. He had originally wanted to keep the remaining half of the Fragmented Map as his trump card, but he had not expected the other party to see through it. He could only force a smile and nod in agreement.

"But you understand an alchemist's rules, right? With your current strength as a Dou Ling, can you gather the precious medicinal herbs needed for a Sixth Grade Pill?" Xiao Yan changed the subject and asked.