Hai Bodong: I Lack Nothing Now!

PS: Although Hai Bodong was from the Mite'er Family in the Imperial Capital, he had opened a shop called "Gu Tu" in Desert City and was considered settled there, meeting the system's criteria.

Hai Bodong was undoubtedly proud.

If the Hai Bodong portrayed in Song of Sand served as the model, then the clear-minded and refreshed Ice Emperor would not yield even before the Medusa Queen, much less cast aside his dignity for the mere promise of a pill to break his seal.

However, Hai Bodong was also wise.

There were at least ten Dou Wang-level powerhouses in the Jia Ma Empire, yet only five had reached the Dou Emperor realm. His talent might even have surpassed Yun Shan's and Jia Xing Tian's.

Yun Shan had the Misty Cloud Sect behind him, Jia Xing Tian possessed the resources of the entire Jia Ma Empire, and Fa Ma was the president of the Alchemist Guild who had received Yao Chen's guidance in his youth. Hai Bodong, meanwhile, was merely an ordinary Grand Elder of the Mite'er Family.

Looking over Hai Bodong's life, whether in his choices or the choices made for him, his vision and judgment had undoubtedly been exceptionally accurate.

Even the mysterious young man Xiao Yan from the original plot had been worth betting everything on. Now, standing before him was a Peak Dou Huang who appeared to be only twenty years old and had even subdued the Amethyst Winged Lion King, a beast that Hai Bodong himself had to fear.

If someone told him Chen Yang had no background and was merely a young man who had cultivated his way up on his own, he would not believe it at all.

Coupled with the temptation of having his seal removed, Hai Bodong did not hesitate in the slightest. He simply bowed his head and pledged allegiance.

A person would encounter countless opportunities in a lifetime, but perhaps only one or two could truly be seized.

Many years ago, he had seized one such opportunity and used it to break through and become a Dou Emperor.

And now, laid before him might be a path toward an even broader future.

"I'm still missing two ingredients for the Star Shattering Pill. Xiao Yan, see if you have them on your side."

"If not, go ask at the Mittel Auction House and the Alchemist Guild."

After introducing themselves, the group came to sit in the rear courtyard of "Gu Tu." Chen Yang took out paper and a brush, wrote down the two ingredients, and handed the list to Xiao Yan.

"I have Bell Ringing Grass here. As for Hollow Fruit, we may have to ask at the Auction House or the Alchemist Guild." Xiao Yan glanced at the pill recipe and said.

"Hollow Fruit? I have some!" Hai Bodong suddenly said upon hearing that.

Seeing the curious looks Chen Yang and Xiao Yan gave him, Hai Bodong smiled awkwardly. "Over the years, I've also been running all over the place because of this seal. In the end, through the Mite'er Family's resources, I found a Sixth-grade Pill Recipe called the Calamity Breaking Pill. It requires Hollow Fruit as one of its ingredients, and I happened to collect some!"

"Then that works out perfectly." Chen Yang nodded, took the Bell Ringing Grass and Hollow Fruit from Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong, then brought out the materials for the Star Shattering Pill that he had gathered in the Monster Mountain Range. He took out his Medicine Cauldron, sat down in the courtyard, and immediately began refining.

"This..." Hai Bodong was dumbfounded when he saw Chen Yang start Open Furnace Alchemy without a word.

Though he was not an Alchemist, he had interacted with the empire's high-level Alchemists. Both Gu He and Fa Ma had refined pills for him before. Before opening their furnaces, those two would always burn incense, bathe, adjust their condition, and even take calming pills when refining Fifth-grade Pills or Sixth-grade Pills.

Yet when it came to Chen Yang, never mind adjusting his condition—he did not even consider the environment?

"Elder Hai, don't worry. Brother Yang's Alchemy is incredibly skilled. There's no need to be concerned!"

"Your courtyard is quite spacious, Elder Hai. How about the two of us have a spar?"

The last time Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian had sparred while Chen Yang was refining pills, they had both won and not won.

After another month of cultivation, his strength had improved considerably.

Xiao Yan wanted to see exactly how large the gap was between himself and a Dou Ling powerhouse.

"Since Little Brother Xiao Yan wishes it, This Old Man naturally has no objection!"

"However, although most of This Old Man's Dou Qi is sealed, I still possess the strength of a Dou Ling. Little Brother, you should be careful!"

Hai Bodong said with a smile.

"No problem!"

Xiao Yan nodded.

However, Hai Bodong ultimately did not fight Xiao Yan directly in the courtyard. Instead, the two left Desert City together and headed outside the city.

The pill refinement went very smoothly. Even though the desert environment was not particularly good, it was only a Fifth-grade Pill to Chen Yang.

About an hour later, Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong returned one after the other.

Chen Yang could clearly see that Xiao Yan wore a smug expression, while Hai Bodong looked as though he had seen a ghost.

"Sigh... I'm old, I'm old!"

"Even with the combat awareness of a Dou Emperor, I still got caught off guard by you, kid."

"Sigh!"

Hai Bodong looked at Xiao Yan's smug grin and helplessly shook his head.

"Elder Hai, you flatter me. I only took advantage of my Flying Dou Technique. If your strength were restored, even ten of me would be no match for you!"

Xiao Yan clasped his hands and smiled modestly.

"Hahaha..."

Hai Bodong let out a hearty laugh. He could not remember how many years it had been since he had felt as happy as he did today.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a rich medicinal fragrance spread throughout the courtyard. Hai Bodong's expression brightened, but he quickly reacted and swept his hand out, using Ice Attribute Dou Qi to seal off the surroundings and prevent the fragrance from spreading.

A few minutes later, Chen Yang slapped the Medicine Cauldron, and a golden medicinal pill with three rings of pill patterns appeared in his hand.

"Not bad luck. I actually refined a three-patterned Star Shattering Pill."

"Now Elder Hai has an even greater chance of breaking his seal!"

Chen Yang tossed the pill in his hand and said with a smile.

"What effect does this Star Shattering Pill have?"

Xiao Yan asked curiously.

"It can completely break seals placed by anyone below the Dou Wang realm, and it has a fifty percent chance of breaking a Dou Emperor-level seal. But with these three patterns, the chance rises to eighty percent!"

"With you, me, and the Amethyst Winged Lion King added in, it should be certain!"

The Xiao Yan Chen Yang referred to was naturally not Xiao Yan himself, but Medicine Elder within Xiao Yan's body.

"Master Chen Yang, please rest for a while first. The pill has already been refined, so there is no need to rush for this short while."

Hai Bodong looked at Chen Yang and urged him.

"Fine. The Medusa Queen is also a Peak Dou Huang powerhouse, so we'll do it tomorrow!"

Xiao Yan had not received his beating for the day yet. If they delayed any longer, the day would be over.

That night, Hai Bodong was destined to be unable to sleep peacefully.

Several decades of hardship had nearly worn away the pride of this one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten great powerhouses—or rather, it already had.

Otherwise, with his pride, he would never have chosen to live beneath another.

"Forget it!"

"I see that the Amethyst Winged Lion King has not lost its freedom either. It can still play with that little girl. How many people would want to trade their freedom for Dou Emperor cultivation and still fail to get it? Besides, I haven't completely lost my freedom. This time, I, Hai Bodong, have seized an opportunity as well!"

Hai Bodong gazed at the night sky unique to the Tagor Desert outside the window and muttered quietly.

The next day, in Hai Bodong's secret chamber beneath "Gu Tu."

Chen Yang, Xiao Yan possessed by Medicine Elder, and the Amethyst Winged Lion King, now the size of a large dog, stood around Hai Bodong. Hai Bodong himself sat cross-legged in the center, holding the Star Shattering Pill in his hand.

"Take the pill!"

Chen Yang looked at Hai Bodong and said in a deep voice.

"Mm!"

Hai Bodong nodded, calmed his mind, and placed the pill into his mouth.

Seeing this, Chen Yang nodded at the Amethyst Winged Lion King. The Amethyst Winged Lion King activated its unsealing skill and fired a streak of purple energy into Hai Bodong's body, making Hai Bodong let out a muffled groan.

"Xiao Yan!"

Upon hearing this, "Xiao Yan" pressed his hand against Hai Bodong's back. Bone Spirit Cold Flame entered Hai Bodong's body, while precise Spiritual Power controlled the flame to envelop the medicinal power of the Star Shattering Pill. Together with the Amethyst Winged Lion King's unsealing skill, it headed toward Hai Bodong's dantian.

A moment later, Medicine Elder found a snake-shaped mark within Hai Bodong's dantian. He then struck it with the energy fused from the Star Shattering Pill and the Amethyst Winged Lion King's skill.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, a sharp female cry rang out in the secret chamber. The Medusa Queen's phantom appeared behind Hai Bodong and looked coldly toward Chen Yang and the others.

"Truly stunning!"

Chen Yang sighed in admiration, but his hand did not stop. The Rainbow Sword appeared in his grasp, and a sharp streak of Sword Qi instantly shattered the Medusa Queen's consciousness.

Crack!

At the same moment the Medusa Queen's consciousness shattered, the snake-shaped mark in Hai Bodong's dantian also broke apart. The seal that had suppressed Hai Bodong for several decades was completely undone at that instant.

Boom!

The aura of a Dou Emperor powerhouse surged from Hai Bodong's body. However, every one of the two humans and one beast standing around him was stronger than he was, so the energy wave was like mud sinking into the sea. Nothing happened...

Hai Bodong opened his eyes. As Dou Qi circulated through his body, his aged skin gradually regained its healthy color. In a few days at most, he would be able to recover the appearance of his youth.

"Whew..."

"I lack nothing now!!!"