Hai Podong

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Hai Podong (海坡东)
Alias(es)	Ice Emperor; Elder Hai; Old Hai
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiao Ling's companion and ally; protector of the Mote Mercenary Group
Occupation/Role	Former Ice Emperor; map-shop proprietor in Mo City
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 218

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Sealed; power limited to no higher than Dou Ling	218–219	Queen Medusa's seal had reduced the former Ice Emperor to a level comparable to Xiao Ling's displayed strength.
Two-Star Dou Huang / Dou Emperor	220–221	Xiao Ling's Break-Eruption Pill loosens and breaks the seal, restoring Hai Podong to Two-Star Dou Huang. His former peak was Five-Star Dou Huang.

Background / History

Hai Podong was once the renowned Ice Emperor, but Queen Medusa sealed his cultivation and forced him into hiding in Mo City, where he operated a map shop. He spent more than forty years gathering two sets of ingredients for the sixth-tier Break-Eruption Pill, seeking to restore his lost power. 218 220

When Xiao Ling entered his shop seeking a fragmentary map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, Hai Podong initially responded with hostility and threatened him. Xiao Ling exposed the seal's existence and offered to refine the Break-Eruption Pill in exchange for the map and Hai Podong's service. 218 219

Hai Podong attempted to test Xiao Ling twice: first by substituting a false Sand Mandala ingredient, then by attaching a full-power strike to the map he handed over after recovering. Both attempts failed, convincing him that Xiao Ling possessed strength he could not gauge. He ultimately joined Xiao Ling as a cautious but dependable companion. 219 221

Appearance

Hai Podong is an elderly man, commonly seen in blue-and-white robes. His old eyes are described as slightly turbid, though they sharpen noticeably when he is suspicious, angry, or assessing danger. 218 221

• Often carries himself with the reserved dignity of a former powerhouse.
• Can manifest icy-blue Dou Qi wings for flight. 241
• His released aura fills the air with ice crystals and bone-piercing cold. 220

Personality

Hai Podong is proud, calculating, and deeply cautious. Even while weakened, he refuses to humble himself easily and treats negotiations as contests in which each side should test the other. His attempts to conceal an ingredient substitution and probe Xiao Ling's strength reflect the survival instincts that helped earn him the Ice Emperor title. 218 221

Despite his sharp tongue and frequent complaints, he honors his commitments once convinced that breaking them would be unwise. He becomes increasingly protective of Xiao Ling's allies, guards the Mote Mercenary Group, assists in Qing Lin's rescue, and agrees to monitor the Mo Clan. 223 228 229 251 268

His greatest visible fear is Queen Medusa, whose past defeat and sealing of him left him unwilling to confront her directly. He also develops a pronounced stress reaction to Xiao Ling's Fire Lotus techniques. 222 235 253 254

Abilities & Skills

Ice-Attribute Dou Qi

Hai Podong's primary combat power is ice-attributed Dou Qi, befitting his former title as the Ice Emperor.

• Freezes enemies into ice sculptures; Snake-People Tribe warriors killed in his shop remained preserved in ice. 218
• Produces intense cold capable of forming ice crystals throughout a sealed chamber after his breakthrough. 220
• Uses icy-blue Dou Qi wings for aerial travel. 241

Combat Experience

His long experience makes him especially alert to ambushes, deceit, and the dangers posed by stronger enemies.

• Warns Xiao Ling about possible Snake-People Tribe ambushes and urges retreat before Medusa can arrive. 222
• Cripples a Dou Ling who attempts to force entry into Shi Mo City, establishing the Mote Mercenary Group's deterrent power. 229
• Forces Lei Ou and Lei Le to submit by releasing his overwhelming aura at the Mite'er Auction House. 269

Intelligence and Mapmaking

Hai Podong possesses detailed knowledge of the Tagor Desert and has spent decades pursuing the means to break Medusa's seal.

• Maintained a map shop in Mo City and possessed one half of the map connected to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. 218 220
• Provides Xiao Ling with information relevant to the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Tagor Desert expedition. 221
• Investigates the Mo Clan and reports that its revealed strength is comparable to the imperial capital's three great families. 268

Equipment / Possessions

• Fragmentary Map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame — Hai Podong held one half of the map before surrendering it to Xiao Ling after the Break-Eruption Pill transaction. 218 220
• Break-Eruption Pill formula and ingredients — The sixth-tier formula and materials accumulated over decades to remove Medusa's seal. 219 220
• Recovery Spirit Purple Pill ingredient list — Sought after his recovery to continue restoring and stabilizing his cultivation. 225 227 269

Relationships

• Xiao Ling — Initially adversaries negotiating over a map, they become companions after Xiao Ling restores Hai Podong's cultivation. Hai Podong serves as an ally, guard, investigator, and occasional source of comic panic. 219 221 228 253 254
• Queen Medusa — Former enemy who sealed Hai Podong's power thirty years earlier. He remains visibly intimidated by her and avoids fighting her unless necessary. 222 235 253
• Qing Lin — Xiao Ling introduces Hai Podong as a friend after rescuing her. His attempt at a friendly smile initially frightens the timid girl. 223
• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li — Assists their Mote Mercenary Group because of its connection to the Xiao Clan, while they help him locate medicinal ingredients. 226 227
• Ya Fei — Develops mutual respect after she learns he is the Ice Emperor; he approves of her prospects and supports her position against Lei Ou's faction. 269
• Luo Bu — His fearful reaction to Xiao Ling's Three-Colored Flame Lotus intensifies Luo Bu's panic during the public warning match. 253 254

Story Role / Major Arcs

Mo City Transaction

Hai Podong's first encounter with Xiao Ling begins as a confrontation over the map fragment in his shop. Their hostile bargaining culminates in Xiao Ling refining the Break-Eruption Pill, breaking Medusa's seal, and securing both the map and Hai Podong's cooperation. 218 221

Tagor Desert Expedition

He travels with Xiao Ling in search of the Green Lotus Core Flame. During the journey, he repeatedly tests Xiao Ling's true strength, provides intelligence, and urges caution regarding Medusa and the Snake-People Tribe. 221 223

Mote Mercenary Group Protector

After Qing Lin's rescue, Hai Podong helps protect Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Qing Lin, and the Mote Mercenary Group. He deters hostile cultivators, promises to defend the group unless Medusa personally intervenes, and faces Medusa while buying time during the Green Lotus Core Flame conflict. 225 229 233 235

Mo Clan Investigation

Hai Podong accompanies Xiao Ling in the effort to locate Qing Lin and investigate the Mo Clan's hidden strength. He agrees to scout the estate, provides support from outside, and later continues monitoring the clan's movements. 248 251 267 268

Mite'er Family Support

At the Mite'er Auction House, Hai Podong publicly reveals his strength to compel Lei Ou and Lei Le to provide the resources Xiao Ling requested. His presence confirms Xiao Ling's influence within the Mite'er Family. 269

Trivia

• Hai Podong spent over forty years collecting ingredients for only two attempts at the Break-Eruption Pill. 220
• He worries that curiosity about Xiao Ling's secrets could damage their relationship, so he deliberately avoids pressing Xiao Ling about his miraculous recovery. 253
• Xiao Ling's Fire Lotus techniques frighten him so severely that he immediately retreats when Xiao Ling forms a new Three-Colored Flame Lotus. 253 254