Desert

Hai Bo Dong smiled bitterly and sighed. He raised a hand and swept it over his Storage Ring, and a Fragmented Map appeared in his hand. He handed it straight to Xiao Tian. Xiao Tian took it, casually glanced it over, then put it into System Space.

"I can agree to join your faction, but I'll only listen to you. And you can't make me do anything against my conscience or make me kill innocents indiscriminately," Hai Bo Dong said after pondering for a while.

"Of course. You don't need to worry. I'm not some bloodthirsty person either. I'm only creating a faction so I can establish a foothold and protect the people I want to protect. I won't restrict your freedom either."

"Good. I agree."

"Welcome aboard, Hai Lao. When you look back on this in the future, you'll feel this was the wisest decision you ever made." Xiao Tian stood up and said with a smile, "What level of strength have you recovered to now?"

"Hall Master Xiao, before I was Sealed, I was a Five-Star Dou Huang. At present, I have the strength of a Two-Star Dou Emperor," Hai Bo Dong said, changing the way he addressed him.

"Just call me Xiao Tian for now. Don't call me Hall Master for the time being. Since you've joined us, I won't keep things hidden from you. As for your strength, I have a pill that can help you recover it, but I don't have the Medicinal Herbs right now, so I can't refine it for the time being." Xiao Tian threw out a lure, and a list he had prepared long ago appeared in his hand, filled with all kinds of Medicinal Herbs.

"This is the Rejuvenating Spirit Purple Pill, a High-Grade Fifth-Rank Pill. Its effect is to restore cultivators whose strength has declined because of a Seal or hidden injuries in their bodies to their strongest former state. But you'll need to gather the Medicinal Herbs yourself. If I come across any, I'll also help collect them for you."

When Hai Bo Dong heard the pill's effect, his eyes lit up. He reached out and took the list, carefully looked it over, memorized the required Medicinal Herbs, then put it into his Storage Ring.

"Since everything's been settled, let's head out first. It's pretty cold in here." Xiao Tian took Xiao Yi Xian, who had been quietly listening to their conversation at the side, by the hand and walked back the way they had come.

They returned to the shabby shop.

"Hai Lao, do you plan to keep staying here, or do you have other plans?" Xiao Tian asked Hai Bo Dong.

"There's no meaning in staying here any longer. I only stayed here to seek a way to break the Seal. Now that the Seal has been broken, I also need that Rejuvenating Spirit Purple Pill you mentioned. And since you're both an Alchemist and the Hall Master, I'll follow you for now. You won't mind, will you?"

"Not at all. You're familiar with the surrounding area, so with you leading us, we'll get lost less often. We'll also have a Dou Huang escorting us. Hahaha."

Xiao Tian changed the subject. "Hai Lao, do you still have anything to pack? If not, let's set off."

"No. The important things are all in my Storage Ring. Everything else was already shattered earlier."

"In that case, let's set off. We'll go to Stone Desert City. We can train a bit along the way too. I'll have to trouble Hai Lao to lead the way."

As Xiao Tian summoned the Thunder Peng Wings, Hai Bo Dong carefully observed them. "This Flying Dou Skill of yours seems different from ordinary Flying Dou Skills, but I can't quite say how."

Xiao Tian knew what Hai Bo Dong meant, because the Thunder Peng Wings had one more attack ability than other Flying Dou Skills. "Hai Lao will know in the future."

Seeing that, Hai Bo Dong did not ask further and summoned his own Dou Qi Wings. He glanced at the wings condensed from icy blocks behind him, then at Xiao Tian's gorgeous wings, which were one or two grades above his own in splendor, and suddenly felt that his Dou Qi Wings were no longer appealing.

Xiao Tian pulled Xiao Yi Xian into his arms. Xiao Yi Xian also held Xiao Tian tightly. Because there was now one more person on this trip, making such an intimate gesture left Xiao Yi Xian blushing as she buried her head in Xiao Tian's chest. Xiao Lan stood on Xiao Tian's shoulder and clung to him.

"Then let's set off. Hai Lao, lead the way."

Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong nodded. After fixing on a direction, his wings shook and he flew out. Xiao Tian quickly followed.

Two streaks of light swiftly flew out of the city. Hai Bo Dong deliberately kept accelerating, wanting to see Xiao Tian's limits, but no matter what, Xiao Tian followed closely behind him. Looks like his Flying Dou Skill and cultivation method are both very high grade. What clan raised this monster?

As the two of them competed and flew at high speed, they looked down at the golden desert below. It stretched endlessly at a glance, and aside from raging wind and sand, not even the shadow of anything else could be seen.

"Hai Lao, stop for a moment."

Xiao Tian's body hovered in the air, and Hai Bo Dong also stopped at once.

Following the direction Xiao Tian was looking, Hai Bo Dong saw only a Second Order Magic Beast, a Sand Jade Scorpion.

"Isn't that just a Second Order Magic Beast? Is there something special about it?" Hai Bo Dong asked in confusion.

"There's nothing special about it, but this Magic Beast happens to be suitable for Xian Er."

"Suitable for me? But this Magic Beast is way too ugly. My Xiao Lan is much prettier than it."

Xiao Yi Xian glanced at the yellow-bodied scorpion with green pincers and frowned, while Xiao Lan also chattered a few times to express agreement.

"I'm not telling you to subdue it. I'm telling you to defeat or kill it. This is the opponent I picked out for you."

Xiao Tian flew above the Sand Jade Scorpion, then landed nearby. After setting Xiao Yi Xian down, he instantly left and arrived on a sand slope to the side.

Standing on the sand slope with his hands clasped behind his back, he quietly watched Xiao Yi Xian face off against the Sand Jade Scorpion.

"System Check-in."

[Ding, check-in at the Tagor Desert successful. Obtained: Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python Heart Blood*1, Thunder Origin*1]

When Xiao Tian saw this reward, the figure of a domineering yet somehow Silly Sweet Purple Snake Tail surfaced in his mind, and a plan gradually formed in his heart.

Hai Bo Dong came to Xiao Tian's side. "You just threw her in front of the Sand Jade Scorpion like that?"

"Hai Lao, don't talk nonsense. I'll sue you for slander. I'm doing this to train her. Jade cannot become a useful vessel without being carved. She's a mainstay of our faction. Xian Er might give you a huge surprise in the future."

Xiao Tian said confidently to Hai Bo Dong.

"Oh? Then I'm quite looking forward to it." Hai Bo Dong's interest was also piqued, and he looked over as well.

The Sand Jade Scorpion, which had been comfortably basking in the sun, saw someone intrude into its territory and could not help standing up, raising its massive scorpion tail as it faced Xiao Yi Xian ferociously.

Xiao Yi Xian also circulated her Dou Qi to stay on guard. The Sand Jade Scorpion charged straight toward her.

The girl and the scorpion clashed in an instant, and for a time, yellow sand flew everywhere.

On the other side.

Hai Bo Dong saw Xiao Yi Xian's purple Poison Dou Qi and turned to look at Xiao Tian.

"This little girlfriend of yours is a Poison Master?"

Xiao Tian smiled and nodded.

"How strange. You're an Alchemist, yet you're actually looking for a Poison Master—though that little girl is rather pretty."

Hai Bo Dong turned his head in surprise and looked at Xiao Tian.

"Whether they're a Poison Master or some other cultivator makes no difference to me. All cultivators under heaven reach the same destination by different paths. What's more terrifying than a Poison Master is the human heart."

Hearing Xiao Tian's words, Hai Bo Dong was startled. "Then I suppose my horizons were narrow. It seems you understand human nature very clearly."

Xiao Tian smiled and said nothing.

While the two of them were talking, Xiao Yi Xian was also constantly exchanging blows with the Sand Jade Scorpion. She swallowed Poison Cores as she fought, swinging out attacks of Dou Qi.