Can This Really Be a Nine-Star Dou Ling?

The aura of a Nine-Star Dou Ling enveloped the entire shop, instantly making Hai Bodong feel an immense pressure.

It was hard to believe that this young man before him, only sixteen or seventeen years old, was actually a Nine-Star Dou Ling!

Such a young Nine-Star Dou Ling was simply unheard of!

Hai Bodong swallowed. "I take back what I said. Those two old geezers, Jia Xingtian and Yun Shan, really aren't qualified to be your teachers. But..."

Hai Bodong changed the subject. "Although I acknowledge your talent, you said you could help me. Forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid you don't even know who sealed my cultivation."

"Isn't it Queen Medusa? That isn't hard to guess!"

"Queen Medusa? You make it sound so easy, brat." Hai Bodong's mouth twitched. The image of that peerlessly beautiful woman surfaced in his mind, and his entire body shuddered.

Ever since Queen Medusa sealed his cultivation all those years ago, he had developed Medusa Phobia. Just thinking of her frightened him.

"If you trust me, I can remove the seal on you within three years at most."

Xiao Ce looked calm and confident. In truth, he was already being generous with the timeline. Why would he need three years otherwise?

Seeing Xiao Ce's serious expression, Hai Bodong's heart stirred.

"Do you know some alchemist? Or is there an expert behind you who is no weaker than Medusa?"

"That makes sense. How could a genius like you not have someone backing you? But if the expert behind you is stronger than Medusa, then they should be a Dou Zong, right?"

"Could it be that even a Dou Zong cannot remove the seal on me? As long as you can lift it, I can give you the Incomplete Map."

Xiao Ce shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't have the Dou Zong expert you mentioned behind me, nor can I remove the seal on you right now."

Hai Bodong's old face darkened. "Then why did you say you could remove it within three years? Are you messing with me, brat?"

Xiao Ce smiled faintly. "Is it difficult to surpass Queen Medusa within three years?"

Hai Bodong took a deep breath. He seriously suspected this brat had come specifically to mock him.

A mere Nine-Star Dou Ling dared claim he would surpass Queen Medusa within three years?

What utter nonsense!

If he probably could not beat this fellow, he would have thrown him out already.

"Sir, it seems you don't believe me!"

Obviously!

Hai Bodong gave Xiao Ce a cold glance but said nothing.

"Heh." The corners of Xiao Ce's lips lifted slightly. "It is only natural that you do not believe me. In that case, why not test me yourself and see whether I am qualified?"

"You should know, sir, that I clearly have the ability to take it by force, yet I am still willing to reason with you. That is an exceptionally noble virtue. So I hope you will not refuse at a time like this, or I truly will get angry."

Xiao Ce spoke with a smile, looking mild and amiable, but his words sounded especially harsh in Hai Bodong's ears.

"Good brat, do you think you've got this old man completely figured out?" A sharp glint flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes as icy blue mist spread from his body.

He had roamed the Jia Ma Empire for decades. When had anyone ever threatened him?

Bang!

With a casual wave of Hai Bodong's hand, a powerful gust instantly slammed the distant shop doors shut.

"Brat, don't think that just because your realm is a few stars higher than mine now, you can do whatever you please before this old man."

"When this old man roamed the Jia Ma Empire, you had not even been born!"

"Let this old man weigh you up and see whether you truly have the confidence to back up your words, or whether you are merely arrogant!"

After Queen Medusa sealed his cultivation, Hai Bodong could now only display the strength of a Five-Star Dou Ling.

But actual combat strength was not measured by realm alone.

Realm, cultivation method, Dou Skills, combat experience—Hai Bodong refused to believe that his decades of hard-earned experience could not make up for the gap of just four minor realms.

If Xiao Ce wanted to fight, then he would fight to the end!

Watching Hai Bodong's demeanor change completely as his aura turned sharp, Xiao Ce nodded slightly.

"Your bearing is not bad, but this strength of yours..."

"May be a little weak!"

"Good brat, you're even judging me now!" Hai Bodong showed no courtesy as his hands rapidly formed seals.

A Mystic Ice Spear immediately condensed in his hand and shot toward Xiao Ce.

Hai Bodong had considered many ways Xiao Ce might block this attack, but he had never expected him to neither dodge nor evade, simply allowing the ice spear to strike his body.

What made Hai Bodong's jaw drop even further was that the ice spear exploded the instant it hit Xiao Ce, turning into fragments that filled the air.

"It seems I did not judge you wrongly. Compared to the attacks of a Fifth-Rank Magical Beast, sir..."

"Are you scratching an itch for me?"

Xiao Ce grinned and looked down at the spot on his chest where the ice spear had struck. A hole had been punched through his robe, but the skin beneath bore only a red mark. He was completely unharmed.

"Gulp..."

Naturally, Hai Bodong saw the red mark on Xiao Ce's chest as well. His throat bobbed, and his expression changed.

Was this brat a transformed magical beast that had consumed a Transformation Pill?

He was certain his earlier strike was enough to make an ordinary Nine-Star Dou Ling take it seriously, yet Xiao Ce had blocked it through physical strength alone.

What kind of monster was this?

However, Xiao Ce's words provoked him even more deeply.

What arrogance!

Mystic Ice Whirlwind Kill!

Hai Bodong drew a deep breath, shouted low, and changed his hand seals again.

Crescent-shaped ice blades appeared one after another, spinning around him. More and more emerged until they completely obscured Hai Bodong, forming a small storm of ice blades.

The surrounding air rapidly chilled, and the cold pierced to the bone.

After witnessing Xiao Ce's physical strength, Hai Bodong no longer held anything back.

Seeing this, Xiao Ce gently pushed Xiao Yi Xian with one hand to prevent her from being caught in the attack, sending her to the edge of the shop.

Then, facing Hai Bodong's ice-blade storm alone, he remained calm and threw a punch.

The punch was plain and simple, without the slightest flourish.

Yet the instant it struck the ice-blade storm, it shattered the storm like dry wood before a gale. Then, before Hai Bodong's dumbfounded eyes, the punch slammed into his chest.

Bang—

An explosive sound rang through the air.

Hai Bodong's expression instantly twisted. A huge hole exploded through the robe on his chest, and his body flew backward.

Rumble!

The entire shop shook as Hai Bodong smashed a massive hole through its wall.

Not long after, Hai Bodong climbed back through the hole, his hair disheveled and his face covered in dust. He looked at Xiao Ce as though he were looking at a monster.

He could clearly sense that if Xiao Ce had not held back just now, that punch would have beaten him to death alive!

Could this really be a Nine-Star Dou Ling?

At this moment, he was starting to believe what Xiao Ce had said earlier!

Perhaps he truly could surpass Queen Medusa within three years.

When Xiao Ce saw Hai Bodong walk back in, he calmly approached him.

"Do you believe me now, sir?"

Hai Bodong's expression was complicated.

"I believe you!"

He had no choice but to believe him, or he might really be beaten to death!