Entering Stone Desert City, Little Girl Qing Lin!

Entering Stone Desert City, the Little Girl Qing Lin!

"Could such a genius have come from the Central Plains?"

Hai Bodong had now recovered the strength he once possessed as a Dou Emperor. With Dou Qi wings spread behind him, he hovered in midair outside Stone Desert City.

His gaze was unfocused as he watched Gu Fei and Xiao Yi Xian ride away atop the massive flying Magical Beast, the Amethyst Winged Lion King. He murmured to himself.

Naturally, Hai Bodong recognized that enormous Magical Beast as the overlord of the outer regions of the Monster Mountain Range—the Rank 6 Magical Beast, the Amethyst Winged Lion King.

A Rank 6 Magical Beast was equivalent to a human Dou Emperor. The Amethyst Winged Lion King was even at the middle stage of Rank 6; even Hai Bodong would have to be cautious in a direct confrontation.

Now that Hai Bodong's cultivation had recovered and his seal had been broken, the Ice Emperor who had once shaken the land had finally returned in full.

Medusa Queen had sealed away all his cultivation, leaving him to spend his days in a daze within Stone Desert City, guarding a small shop in miserable circumstances.

Perhaps Hai Bodong had been fortunate this time to encounter Gu Fei, or perhaps he had been unlucky enough to be extorted for a great sum by him.

Had it been in the past, the proud and unruly Ice Emperor might well have fought Gu Fei without hesitation.

But now, after so many years of tempering, he no longer possessed the same spirit he had back then.

Moreover, though Hai Bodong could not see through Gu Fei's strength, he could sense the terrifying energy hidden within that seemingly slight young man.

Therefore, even this sudden surge in strength did not give the present Hai Bodong any improper thoughts toward Gu Fei.

He was certain that Gu Fei's strength far surpassed his own.

The aura Gu Fei had released on that occasion had been much more powerful than the one Hai Bodong had felt when facing Medusa Queen in the past.

Hai Bodong's instincts told him that this unfathomable young man was extremely dangerous.

As for those fragmentary maps that hid some unknown treasure, although Hai Bodong did not know what use they had, he still understood one thing.

The secret concealed by those fragments could not possibly be insignificant.

After all, it was because of those map fragments that Medusa Queen had pursued him back then.

He had ended up in such a miserable state, his cultivation sealed as he hid from place to place.

Who was Medusa Queen? She was the absolute queen of the Snake-People Tribe.

Proud and powerful as she was, it was likely the first time she had searched to the ends of the earth in person for someone—just to find Hai Bodong and those map fragments.

"I've been gone for so long. It's time I returned to the Imperial Capital to see how my old companions are doing!"

A moment later, Hai Bodong softly exhaled a breath of stale air. His expression relaxed as he finally cast aside the matters of Gu Fei and the map fragments.

He had spent far too much energy and time on those matters.

Now that Gu Fei had taken everything away, he felt a long-lost sense of ease.

After all, guarding treasures while constantly fearing that Medusa Queen might appear before him at any moment and mercilessly kill him had been truly exhausting.

This time, Gu Fei had also relieved him of his heavy burden.

Before leaving, Hai Bodong cast one final look at the enormous city situated at the boundary between the desert and the land.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and enthusiastic crowds brushed shoulders as they passed through the streets. Everything was so familiar, yet today he had to say goodbye without warning.

Hai Bodong had once thought that he might grow old in Stone Desert City, living in constant fear. Fortunately, someone had given him the chance to return.

He let out a soft sigh, his expression somewhat forlorn. These decades of seclusion had made even someone as indifferent as him develop a measure of attachment to this place.

Hai Bodong did not look back again, and his figure gradually faded into the distance.

He did not know whether he would ever return in this lifetime.

The Ancient Map shop on the street corner quietly closed. No one knew where its old shopkeeper had gone; they only knew that the shop never opened again.

Meanwhile, as the Lion King carried Gu Fei and Xiao Yi Xian deeper into the desert, the surrounding climate grew increasingly scorching.

However, protected by the energy barrier atop the Amethyst Winged Lion King's back, Xiao Yi Xian did not feel the heat.

Sitting on the Lion King's broad back, she gazed at the scenery below.

This place was simply too different from Green Mountain Town. Even though Xiao Yi Xian had seen it several times already, she could not help but marvel at it.

Along the way, they saw much of the local customs below, as well as Snake-People, which filled Xiao Yi Xian with great curiosity.

"Are these Snake-People? Big Brother Gu Fei, it seems quite unusual for them to walk with snake tails!"

Xiao Yi Xian was not afraid of these creatures with human upper bodies and snake bodies.

Her clear eyes were filled only with innocent curiosity.

Gu Fei merely smiled and did not tell her what terrifying beings the Snake-People truly were to humans.

At one point, Xiao Yi Xian yawned and looked down again.

There, she saw a battle between Snake-People and humans in the desert below.

More than a dozen tall Snake-People had surrounded seven or eight humans.

The Snake-People were tall and physically powerful, making the humans among them appear weak and pitiful.

Only then did Gu Fei explain that most Snake-People deeply despised humans and possessed cruel temperaments. Many of them killed humans on sight.

If nothing unexpected happened, these humans would all be killed in this siege.

The Snake-People Tribe and the humans of the Jia Ma Empire hated each other, their hostility so deep that they would attack on sight.

This hatred had accumulated over time. There was no absolute right or wrong; to either side, it was a disaster.

Originally, Gu Fei had not intended to interfere in such matters.

However, when Xiao Yi Xian saw this scene, she immediately asked Gu Fei to help without hesitation.

"Big Brother Gu Fei, please help them!"

Xiao Yi Xian pleaded, her eyes filled with pity.

Because she had seen that among the humans below, there was a woman holding a child.

"Alright!"

Hearing this, Gu Fei looked at Xiao Yi Xian. The panic in her eyes made him feel her kindness once again.

Since Xiao Yi Xian had asked, how could Gu Fei remain indifferent?

Thus, he directly ordered the Lion King to fly over.

Before the Lion King even drew close, his massive size had already frightened both sides into scattering. Only then did those humans gain a slim chance of survival.

At the Lion King's speed, it took only half a day to approach Stone Desert City, the city closest to the border of the Jia Ma Empire.

Upon arriving, Gu Fei paused.

He remembered that Qing Lin—the pitiful girl with half human and half snake-person blood—was in this city.

From what Gu Fei knew, Qing Lin was kind by nature. Yet ever since childhood, she had suffered unfair discrimination and abuse.

Even though she possessed formidable talent, it had never been awakened.

Thus, an idea came to Gu Fei.

He wanted to take Qing Lin away early and have her cultivate.

Perhaps only after becoming strong would those who had once discriminated against and insulted her no longer dare to do so. Only then could she receive fairness instead of baseless abuse and humiliation.

Moreover, Qing Lin was a significant character in the original novel, so her luck was surely good. If she could remain by his side for a long time, she would also be of great help to Gu Fei in collecting Emotion Value.