Breaking the Seal, Dou Wang!

Before long, inside the Ancient Map shop, Hai Bodong rubbed his hands together, his face piled with an ingratiating smile as he prepared to say something more.

"Master Ice..."

At that moment, the Young Girl in the red dress bit her lip lightly and stood uneasily in the corner. Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

The old man frowned, a trace of impatience flashing through his clouded eyes. "Go back. And tell your father while you're at it that his little tricks..." He paused, his withered fingers tapping a dull rhythm against the tabletop. "...are truly clumsy."

The Young Girl trembled, her red lips bitten pale by her teeth. Tears smeared her carefully applied makeup, leaving two dark streaks down her cheeks. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only lowered her head deeply.

Hai Bodong sighed and took out a yellowed scroll from his Storage Ring. The three words "Profound Ice Strength" flickered indistinctly across its surface beneath the lamplight.

"Take it." With a flick of his finger, the scroll drifted lightly into the Young Girl's arms. "You and I have no master-disciple fate."

The Young Girl's hands trembled slightly as she held the scroll. In the end, she bowed, then staggered out of the shop.

Once her footsteps had faded into the distance, Hai Bodong swept his sleeve. Invisible Dou Qi shut the front door. He turned and moved the wooden table piled high with maps and books to the center of the room. Wherever his sleeve passed, ink stains and scraps vanished without a trace.

"I've made you laugh, little friend."

Hai Bodong gestured for him to sit, then took a white jade wine pot from his Storage Ring. Ice Crystal patterns were carved upon its body, and it faintly exuded a chill.

He carefully filled a cup with amber-colored wine. A rich medicinal fragrance mixed with the crisp scent of liquor and spread through the room. "This wine is called Ice Heart Jade Brew. I brewed it using thousand-year snow lotus as the main ingredient, supplemented by three rare ice-element medicinal herbs."

"I have treasured it for more than thirty years and never opened it. You expended quite a bit of Dou Qi earlier, little friend. Why not have a taste?"

Lu Yu accepted the cup. Fine Ice Crystals floated within the wine, making it resemble flowing amber. After taking a small sip, a crisp chill surged down his throat straight to his dantian. Even his originally restless Strange Fire calmed somewhat.

"Fine wine!"

Lu Yu's eyes lit up slightly. He set down the cup and praised, "Crisp and mellow, with a lingering finish. What is even rarer is that it can soothe the agitation of a Strange Fire..."

As he spoke, his gaze had already fallen involuntarily upon the white jade wine pot.

Hai Bodong's hand holding the pot stiffened slightly, and his aged face twitched imperceptibly—he had only intended to let this young man have a small taste to show his sincerity.

Who would have thought that the other party would set his sights directly on this fine brew he had treasured for years?

"Hahaha..."

Hai Bodong was first stunned, then burst into laughter, though the corner of his eye twitched slightly. "Since little friend likes it, then this pot of wine shall be a gift to you."

"How could I possibly accept that..."

Though Lu Yu protested with his mouth, his right hand had already unconsciously reached for the wine pot. Hai Bodong's expression stiffened, but he still slowly loosened his fingers. "After little friend finishes the wine, I hope you will promptly break my seal. Break as much of it as you can..."

"Rest assured, Senior."

Lu Yu nodded with a smile, then suddenly exerted force and pulled the wine pot in his hand—

"Hmm?"

The wine pot did not move at all. When he turned to look, Hai Bodong was giving an awkward laugh, his five fingers still tightly clamped around the pot's neck. The moment their gazes met, the old man finally released his fingers reluctantly.

Whoosh!

Lu Yu reacted swiftly, and the white jade wine pot instantly disappeared into his Storage Ring.

This medicinal wine was his now!

Before long, inside a side room of the Ancient Map shop.

Two figures sat facing one another, and a solemn atmosphere permeated the room. Lu Yu's ten fingers moved rapidly, forming one profound hand seal after another. Crimson runes slipped into Hai Bodong's body like swimming fish.

"Ugh..."

Hai Bodong suddenly let out a muffled groan. Dark cyan Snake Patterns emerged across his body. The patterns wriggled as if alive, eventually gathering between his brows to form a ferocious snake-shaped seal that tightly imprisoned his surging Dou Qi.

Lu Yu's gaze sharpened, and crimson light flared between his palms. A lifelike phantom of a fire snake condensed in the air, hissing as it drilled into the old man's forehead.

Sizzle—

Cyan and crimson light clashed fiercely across Hai Bodong's body, and the cracking of the dark cyan Snake Patterns breaking apart inch by inch could be heard clearly. As the runes continuously disintegrated, the temperature in the quiet room plummeted, and Ice Crystals silently spread across the floor.

"Hah!"

After releasing the final hand seal, Lu Yu withdrew his hands with a face as pale as paper. The Snake Patterns around Hai Bodong's body had faded by one-tenth, while the dark cyan snake seal had dimmed somewhat as well.

Boom—

The old man's eyes flew open, tangible rays of brilliance shooting forth. Dou Qi that had lain dormant for decades surged like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam, his aura rising steadily. Ice Crystals condensed into dazzling snowflakes in the air as the pressure of a Dou Wang swept through the entire room.

"One-Star Dou Wang..."

Hai Bodong held out his trembling hands and stared at the ice-blue Dou Qi dancing in his palms. His voice quivered slightly as he said, "This power... I can finally feel it again!"

He slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze shooting toward Lu Yu like blades. Cold air curled around him, and the temperature in the room abruptly dropped. Fine frost condensed over the ground. The former Ice Emperor had finally regained a fraction of his former dominance.

Yet Lu Yu, seated opposite him, wore the same faint smile throughout. Cupping his hands, he said, "Congratulations, Old Hai, on recovering your Dou Wang cultivation. This is truly cause for celebration!"

Hai Bodong's gaze flickered uncertainly as his heart waged an inner battle. He wanted to capture this boy and force him to reveal the complete method of breaking the seal, yet he also feared ruining everything and completely losing any hope of lifting it.

After a long while, Hai Bodong sighed inwardly, then plastered a smile back onto his face and said amiably, "It is all thanks to you, young friend. This old man promised you before that once the seal was broken, I would do ten things for you."

"Now that part of the seal has been lifted and this old man has recovered some of his strength, is there anything I can help you with?"

His words were filled with ingratiating intent.

Seeing this, Lu Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief. While lifting the seal earlier, he had already secretly planted an improved Snake Pattern within the old man's body.

If that old fox dared make any suspicious moves, Lu Yu could reseal him in an instant and send him back to the Dou Ling realm—then, with the Purple Cloud Wings spread, there would be plenty of time to settle this score later.

"As it happens, there is indeed something I would like to ask Old Hai to help with." Lu Yu's expression turned serious as he said solemnly, "To be honest, this junior came here specifically in search of a Strange Fire."

"A Strange Fire?" Hai Bodong frowned slightly and studied Lu Yu suspiciously. "Have you not already subdued one Strange Fire? As far as this old man knows, it is difficult for one person to bear two kinds of Strange Fire..."

A wisp of crimson flame danced at Lu Yu's fingertips as he chuckled. "Naturally, the more of such wondrous treasures of heaven and earth, the better. Even if I cannot refine it myself, it would still be good to give it to friends, family, or disciples. To be honest, when I passed by your shop today, the Strange Fire within me suddenly sensed something..."

He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping meaningfully around the room. "There are naturally mysterious connections between Strange Fires."

"My little shop is hiding a Strange Fire?"

A sharp glint flashed through Hai Bodong's clouded eyes. His withered fingers unconsciously rubbed against the edge of the table. "This old man has been here for decades. How could I not know?"

"Not a Strange Fire. The sensation was not very strong—it should be something related to one."

Lu Yu shook his head and replied calmly.