Tribulation Breaking Pill Formed, Returning to Dou Emperor.

Inside the Ancient Map Workshop:

Hai Bodong held a teacup, taking a light sip.

"Refining a Sixth-grade Pill—but you look far too young. I find it truly hard to believe."

"A bit presumptuous, but how old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Pfft!"

The tea he hadn't yet swallowed sprayed out in a burst.

"How much!?"

Even with his cultivation sealed, he still had peak Dou Ling strength.

But at this moment, he wondered if he'd misheard.

Fifteen? A Sixth-grade Alchemist?

Put those two words together, and somehow he couldn't make sense of them.

If he said this out loud, people would think he'd lost his mind.

Good heavens, this kid was definitely the Young Master of some hidden clan!

Or else the disciple of some monstrously powerful old freak!

Hai Bodong trusted his instincts, and besides, it was a reasonable guess!

After a long moment, he recovered and skipped past the age topic.

He stroked his beard, voice hoarse.

"All these years, I've been gathering the ingredients for the Tribulation Breaking Pill."

"But I've always lacked one key herb—the Sand Mandara."

"Because of Medusa's seal, the moment I step into the deep desert, she senses me."

"And the Sand Mandara only grows in the depths of the Tagor Desert."

"So..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes at him, tone exasperated.

"So besides refining the pill for you, I have to go find the ingredients too?"

"Do you take a Sixth-grade Alchemist for an errand boy?"

At Xiao Yan's words, even Hai Bodong felt a bit awkward.

After all, this was indeed a bit unreasonable.

But before he could speak, the youth's tone shifted.

"Still, it's not impossible."

"I can handle the ingredients, but after you recover your cultivation."

"You'll have to come with me into the deep desert to obtain the Strange Fire."

"How about it?"

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Hai Bodong's body stiffened abruptly.

He couldn't help but think of that domineering red figure.

Hesitation crept in.

"What's this? The mighty Ice Emperor, one of the Jia Ma Empire's top ten powerhouses, after recovering his cultivation."

"Doesn't even dare to charge into a Snake People Clan? That cowardly!?"

Stung on the matter of pride, Hai Bodong couldn't hold back.

"Fine."

But the moment he agreed, Xiao Yan flipped his palm and revealed a Jade Box.

Xiao Yan flicked the lid open with a finger.

Blood-red petals shimmered with sand patterns under the sunlight.

The unique, pungent, sweet scent of the Sand Mandara instantly filled the shop.

Hai Bodong couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth—so this was the setup all along!

The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it was.

How did this kid seem to know everything about him?

Xiao Yan wore a faint smile. This Sand Mandara.

He'd found it in Gute's secret chamber in Black Rock City.

Let's just say he and Gute had a certain fate.

Otherwise, how could it be that whatever he lacked, Gute happened to have in hand!

Seeing this medicinal ingredient appear, the hope of breaking the seal was right before his eyes.

Hai Bodong could no longer maintain his aloof image and hastily cupped his hands in salute:

"Master, when shall we begin refining the pill?"

"Now."

Hai Bodong's expression was stunned:

Shouldn't one bathe, burn incense, and adjust one's state before refining a Sixth-grade Pill?

But Xiao Yan's face was calm, for him:

Refining a Sixth-grade Pill was no different from refining a Second or Third-grade Pill.

The difficulty was merely going from 1+1 to 1+2.

In the center of the secret chamber within Hai Bodong's courtyard:

The Black Demon Cauldron shimmered with radiance, Xiao Yan's palms pressing down in the void like an old monk in meditation.

Fire Cloud Water Flame transformed into nine swimming dragons, holding the medicinal ingredients in their jaws.

Xiao Yi Xian and Hai Bodong stood guard outside the door.

Though Hai Bodong was puzzled by Xiao Yan immediately starting the furnace to refine the pill, He did not stop him, after all, Xiao Yan was his only hope.

He just paced anxiously back and forth outside the room, since there was only one set of main ingredients.

Xiao Yi Xian, on the other hand, sat calmly to the side, eating pastries:

Since she had known Xiao Yan, she had never once seen him fail at pill refining.

Inside the room:

"The third ingredient, Leaf Beard Dragon Ginseng."

"Lower the temperature a bit more."

Old Yao's phantom floated within his body, personally guiding him.

Though Xiao Yan didn't really need it.

Suddenly, Crimson Flame burst open within the cauldron.

The liquid medicine rapidly coalesced together, forming a round, smooth pill.

Hai Bodong's footsteps continued in the courtyard, his frosty hair fluttering.

Even Xiao Yi Xian was a bit speechless:

"Old sir, can't you calm down and wait patiently?"

"Pacing back and forth like this won't improve the pill-forming rate either."

Hai Bodong stopped in his tracks, his tone a bit impatient:

"What do you, a little girl, know?"

"The Tribulation Breaking Pill is the most difficult among Sixth-grade Pills..."

Before he could finish, a crimson beam of light suddenly shot from the room straight into the sky!

It caught the eyes of everyone in Desert City.

Pill-forming phenomenon!

A rich Pill Fragrance instantly filled the courtyard.

Hai Bodong couldn't suppress the excitement in his pupils:

It worked!?

He quickly pushed open the door and stepped inside, As he crossed the threshold, a Jade Bottle was tossed over by Xiao Yan:

"Luckily, I didn't fail the task."

"Take it as soon as possible."

"Many thanks, Master!"

Hai Bodong's excitement was too overwhelming to contain, and he didn't want to waste time on pleasantries.

He directly uncorked the bottle, took out a golden pill, and swallowed it.

The moment the pill entered his stomach, a surge of potent medicinal power exploded.

Ice Rings burst open around Hai Bodong.

Medusa's serpent-shaped seal twisted and roared on his chest, but was shattered inch by inch by the golden locks formed from the pill's power.

The Dou Emperor's aura erupted like floodwaters bursting through a dam!

Tiles along the entire street fluttered "clatter-clatter" like butterflies.

Behind Hai Bodong, two Dou Qi ice wings suddenly unfurled.

His figure shot into the sky!

"Two-Star Dou Emperor."

As the surging energy receded, the old man stroked the fresh skin on his cheek.

He was now a completely different person from before.

His body was robust and tall, his eyes gleaming with sharp light:

"Decades..."

An Ice Spear condensed into solid form in his palm, the tip's icy gleam tearing through the air itself.

Xiao Yan leaned against the broken doorframe with a light laugh:

"Want that lost cultivation back faster?"

"Over here, I offer a one-stop service for breaking seals and restoring strength!"

"A Fifth-grade Purple Spirit Restoration Pill—you deserve it!"

The Jade Bottle he tossed arced through the air:

"The condition? One year as a guard."

"Think it over. For now, stabilize your cultivation first."

"Three days from now, at dawn, meet me at Desert City's gate."

With that, Xiao Yan turned and left with Xiao Yi Xian.

He wasn't the least bit worried about Hai Bodong going back on his word—after all, inside that pill, he'd slipped in a little extra—a Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame Split Fire.

Besides, this was an angel investor.

To be honest:

Xiao Yan was already looking forward to seeing Hai Bodong in the deep desert, reopening their peak showdown.

Hai Bodong watched Xiao Yan walk away, his gaze growing heavier by the moment:

To so openly leave his back to a Dou Emperor, and show no fear of betrayal—such poise was truly rare.

Powerful in cultivation, and even more skilled in alchemy.

Perhaps, he should take a gamble...

On the other side, in the inn:

Xiao Yi Xian was tidying Xiao Yan's clothes, her fingertips brushing unintentionally across his chest:

"So formal?"

"Off to trick another girl?"

The girl lifted her face, starlight flickering in her eyes:

"Or is it to meet someone important?"

Xiao Yan looked into her eyes and, without thinking, slid his hand around her waist.

Feeling her soft touch, he pulled Xiao Yi Xian closer.

Leaning near her ear:

"That's right—to meet my brother, your future brother-in-law."

A flicker of surprise and a trace of nervousness flashed in the girl's eyes.