Fragment Map in Hand, the Ice Emperor Leads the Way

"So that was it. Young friend, you sensed that this little shop of mine had something related to a Strange Fire, and that was why you came in to investigate."

Hai Bodong stroked his beard, a glint flashing through his cloudy eyes. "I wonder if you have found that item, young friend?"

Lu Yu shook his head and said, "I was busy fighting those blind fools just now, then occupied with lifting Old Hai's seal, so I haven't had time to search carefully yet."

"I see..." Hai Bodong pretended to ponder, then suddenly slapped the table and said, "Since this old man promised to do ten things for you, young friend, how about this—feel free to search the shop, and every item you take will count as one matter. How does that sound?"

At that, Lu Yu glanced at Hai Bodong with a half-smile. "Old Hai, that is quite the clever calculation. In this shop of yours, what object could possibly be worth a favor from a Dou Huang?"

Before Hai Bodong could respond, Lu Yu had already risen to his full height. "Forget it. This junior won't quibble over it."

As he spoke, he had already strode toward the display shelves outside.

Seeing this, Hai Bodong hurried after him.

"Not this one..."

"This one isn't right either..."

"This one seems..."

Lu Yu's slender fingers sifted through a pile of Fragment Maps, shaking his head and putting each piece down after picking it up. Hai Bodong stood to the side, his wrinkled face filled with anticipation. "Did you find anything?"

"Not for the moment." Lu Yu regretfully put down the last Fragment Map, his fingertip tapping lightly on the table. "Don't be anxious, Old Hai. Allow this junior to look a little more carefully."

The old man's mouth twitched, and he slumped back into the Rattan Chair. "Search as you like. These old bones of mine can't keep you company anymore."

Lu Yu's gaze swept over a worm-eaten, mottled wooden shelf in the corner. The yellowed maps piled on it were covered in mildew, clearly abandoned defective mapmaking products. He casually stirred through those fragile sheets of paper, and the smell of mold mixed with dust spread through the air.

"Rustle—"

The instant a stack of scrap paper was lifted, a palm-sized fragment silently drifted down. Lu Yu caught it between two fingers, and the blurred patterns on the fragment flickered in and out of view beneath the sunlight.

"Found it?" Hai Bodong's lazy voice came from behind him.

Lu Yu did not answer. A crimson blaze suddenly rose from his palm. The flames licked the fragment, yet not the slightest scorch mark appeared. Hai Bodong sprang up from the Rattan Chair, his old eyes going round.

"This should be the item, Old Hai."

Lu Yu gently stroked the completely undamaged Fragment Map and spoke with deep implication.

"Do you know this object's origins?"

Hai Bodong's cloudy eyes stared fixedly at the Fragment Map that remained unharmed in the firelight, his wrinkled face shifting between light and shadow. After a moment of silence, he suddenly let out a hoarse chuckle.

"So it was this thing. To be honest with you, young friend, this item was something this old man obtained in the Tagor Desert back then after narrowly surviving nine deaths."

"What you hold in your hand, young friend, is only half a Fragment Map."

Hai Bodong stood with his hands behind his back, a trace of craftiness flashing through his cloudy old eyes. His other withered hand took out a similar half Fragment Map from his Storage Ring. When the two Fragment Maps were placed together, they formed a complete piece without the slightest flaw.

"After I obtained this map back then, I divided it in two." As Hai Bodong spoke, just as Lu Yu reached out to take it, he swiftly put the Fragment Map back into his Storage Ring.

Lu Yu raised his sharp brows slightly. "What does Old Hai mean by this?"

"Forgive me, young friend." Hai Bodong revealed a meaningful smile. "When the day comes that you completely lift this old man's seal, I will naturally present the other half with both hands."

He lowered his voice and explained, "It is not that this old man does not trust you, young friend. It is just that when traveling outside, one cannot be without caution against others."

Lu Yu smiled and nodded. "Since Old Hai has said so, then I'll do as you wish."

With that, he put the other half of the Fragment Map into his Storage Ring.

After putting away the Fragment Map, he changed the subject and continued, "However, I heard that there does seem to be news of a Strange Fire appearing in the Tagor Desert..."

At that, Hai Bodong took out a yellowed Parchment Map from his robe. "Though this old man did not see it with his own eyes, while drawing maps over these years, I did indeed collect some clues."

He spread open the map, his fingertip lightly tapping over three eye-catching flame marks. "On the map, the eastern, western, and northern directions are the places where the Strange Fire is most likely hidden. Though I cannot say I am completely certain, it is still better than searching for a needle in the sea."

Lu Yu carefully studied the detailed routes and landmarks on the map, then suddenly looked up. "Then for this second matter, I'll have to trouble Old Hai to accompany this junior on a trip. How about it?"

Hai Bodong's expression stiffened, his withered fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the map. After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded. "...All right."

"Then let's choose a place first."

"Let's go try our luck near Stone Desert City first." Lu Yu's fingertip lightly tapped the flame mark on the eastern side of the map, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "It just so happens I also have people over there to receive us."

Hai Bodong stroked his grizzled beard. "Then I shall follow your wish, young friend."

Three days later, Eastern Tagor Desert.

With the scorching sun high overhead, two figures left footprints of varying depth across the burning sand dunes.

Suddenly, Lu Yu's steps paused. The crimson flame in his palm abruptly swelled, transforming into a fire snake that hissed and pointed toward the sand beneath his feet.

"Something's wrong here."

Seeing the abnormal movement from the Earth Core Flame, Lu Yu narrowed his eyes and said gravely, "Old Hai, please open a path below."

With that, he tapped the ground with his toes, the Purple Cloud Wings behind him spreading as he shot straight into the air.

Hai Bodong was not surprised either. During their previous journey, he had already seen Lu Yu use this strange Flying Dou Skill.

Immediately, he also rose into the air, a sharp gleam bursting from his cloudy eyes. Dou Wang-level ice-attribute Dou Qi erupted with a boom. He shook both arms and shouted, "Come!"

"Bzzzz!"

In an instant, the moisture in the surrounding air swarmed over and condensed into countless ice crystals. Amid an ear-piercing hum, a spiral ice spear, fully a zhang thick, abruptly took shape.

"Go!"

With the old man's explosive shout, the spiral ice spear plunged into the sand with a shriek that tore through the air. Amid violent tremors, the ice spear spun downward at an astonishing speed, and sand, stone, and ice crystals collided, bursting with dazzling blue light.

"Rumble—"

A muffled explosion came from underground. The layer of sand pierced through by the ice spear collapsed with a crash, revealing a deep, dark opening. Spiral ice steps wound downward along the path carved out by the ice spear, forming a blue ice crystal passage.

"What an exquisite ice-control technique."

Lu Yu praised him, then snapped his fingers. A ball of crimson flame rose from his fingertip, lighting up the deep passage before them. On the rock walls, traces of sand and stone frozen by frost were clearly visible.

"Interesting..." Hai Bodong landed at the edge of the passage and bent down to investigate. "This passage existed long ago. It was just buried by wind and sand before."

Amid the rising heat, the crimson flame at Lu Yu's fingertip cast the passage in flickering light and shadow. He turned to look at the old man. "Old Hai, want to go down and take a look together?"

"Naturally." Hai Bodong tugged helplessly at the corner of his mouth, bitterness filling the wrinkles on his face. "If something happens to you, young friend, then this seal of mine will..."

Before he finished speaking, he shook his head and took the lead onto the ice steps, clearly intending to put himself in front of any danger.

The corners of Lu Yu's mouth lifted slightly, and he followed close behind.

Adjusting the update time. From now on, updates will be at ten o'clock in the evening.