Ice Emperor Hai Bodong

After leaving Wutan City, five days later, Huo Xuan and his group headed for their next destination: Mo City, near the Tagor Desert.

Although Huo Xuan knew that the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame was in the Tagor Desert, he did not know its exact location. To find the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, he first had to find someone.

Ice Emperor Hai Bodong.

Ice Emperor Hai Bodong was one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts. Back then, he had been struck by Medusa Queen's Serpent Seal Curse and had lived in seclusion in Mo City, on the edge of the Tagor Desert, for over twenty years. No one in the Jia Ma Empire knew of it.

Huo Xuan continuously asked passersby for directions and finally found a dilapidated shop in a secluded alley.

Huo Xuan and his group slowly entered the shop. Huo Xuan's gaze settled on an old man behind the counter, his head lowered as he carefully made maps. The old man was clearly quite advanced in years, but although his hair was completely white, the withered hand holding the black drawing pen remained steady and strong.

This old man had to be Hai Bodong. Huo Xuan slowly made his way over to an antique wooden rack in the corner of the shop.

The wooden rack was obviously extremely old and worn, covered in holes left by decay. Several yellowed maps were casually piled atop it. Huo Xuan casually flipped through them, and a faint musty odor washed over him. He picked up a stack of failed works and gave it a slight shake. A damaged fragment no larger than his palm suddenly slipped out of the pile.

"Found it." Huo Xuan looked at the palm-sized map fragment, a flash of delight passing through his eyes. After examining it carefully, he placed it into his Storage Ring.

Huo Xuan's action also startled Hai Bodong. The previously absorbed Hai Bodong suddenly tightened his grip on the ink pen, and with a crisp crack, the pen in his hand snapped in two.

Hai Bodong slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed tightly on Huo Xuan. A faint chill gradually gathered in his murky eyes.

"Boy, I will not give that map fragment to anyone. I advise you to hand it over and abandon any thoughts of taking it by force. That will do you no good."

"Old man, I'm determined to get this today. You should still have another map fragment in your possession, right? Hand over that fragment and the Strange Fire map as well," Huo Xuan said blandly.

The moment Huo Xuan finished speaking, Hai Bodong lightly tapped a spot on the tabletop. With a boom, the open doors slammed shut. Staring sharply at Huo Xuan, a cold and powerful aura spread from his body.

Faced with the pressure of Hai Bodong's icy aura, Huo Xuan remained utterly calm. Hai Bodong had been struck by the Serpent Seal Curse, and his strength was now sealed at the Dou Ling level. The aura of a mere Dou Ling was not even worth resisting for Huo Xuan, a Five Star Dou Wang.

"Boy, I didn't expect you to have some ability!" Hai Bodong could not help but say in surprise as he watched Huo Xuan remain completely unaffected by his aura.

"But I said it before: I will not give it to anyone. If you truly intend to take it by force, then don't blame this old man for bullying the young."

"A mere Dou Ling dares to speak so arrogantly!" Seeing this, Yan Yang stepped forward from behind Huo Xuan and erupted with the aura of a Dou Zun. The instant Yan Yang's aura burst forth, Hai Bodong was suppressed so thoroughly that he could not move.

"You..." Fear and shock filled Hai Bodong's eyes. The person who had just acted possessed strength at least at the Dou Zong realm. Why would someone of such strength come here?

"Old man, now let's discuss business."

Huo Xuan took out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring. "Hehe, old man, hand over the other map fragment and the map to the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, and this Seal Breaking Pill will be yours."

At those words, Hai Bodong stared somewhat greedily at the jade bottle in Huo Xuan's hand. He had been afflicted by Medusa Queen's Serpent Seal Curse, with his strength sealed at the Dou Ling realm, for a very long time.

The Seal Breaking Pill possessed an extraordinary effect in breaking most seals. After taking it, it could also form a resistance within the body against seals. In the future, if one encountered the same type of seal, there would be a certain chance of ignoring it. Upon hearing of the Seal Breaking Pill, he could not help feeling excited.

Hai Bodong suppressed the excitement in his heart and calmed himself. Then, a faintly embarrassed expression appeared on his face as he said, "Well, little brother... don't blame this old man for being troublesome... It isn't that I don't believe you, but I've never seen what a Seal Breaking Pill actually looks like. So... could you let me take the pill first, then test whether it can truly help me break the seal? Hehe, if the seal really can be broken, this old man will immediately offer up the items! And apologize to you, little brother!"

"Old fool, you don't trust us? Looks like I should just kill you and search for it myself. That way, we won't waste a pill for nothing," Yan Yang said with a vicious expression.

"No, no, brother, you misunderstand. It's only that I truly have never seen a Seal Breaking Pill. To say something unpleasant, what if you simply used some other pill to pass it off as one? If I don't inspect it..." Before Hai Bodong could finish, Yan Yang seized him by the throat and lifted him up.

"When all is said and done, you old fool still don't trust us! I'd better just get rid of you!" Yan Yang said, tightening his grip even further.

"Enough, stop!" Huo Xuan said just as Hai Bodong was about to suffocate.

Hearing Huo Xuan's words, Yan Yang reluctantly released his hand.

"Old man, you need to understand that killing you would take no effort at all. You have two choices now: hand over the items, and I'll give you the Seal Breaking Pill. Refuse, and we'll kill you and search for them ourselves."

"I'll hand them over!"

Hai Bodong took out a map and a map fragment from his Storage Ring.

They were the map fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the map to the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame.

Huo Xuan put away the two items, tossed the Seal Breaking Pill to Hai Bodong, and strode out.

Watching Huo Xuan and his group leave, Hai Bodong let out a breath of relief. "They're finally gone! Looks like I need to leave this place quickly. Otherwise, if I run into that kid again, the trouble will be enormous!"

Hai Bodong picked up the jade bottle from the ground, hurriedly packed up, and rushed toward the imperial capital.