Conflict

"Are you sure the thing you want is here?" Xiao Yi Xian followed beside Xiao Jin with a bitter look. The moment she opened her mouth, a mouthful of yellow sand blew in.

Xiao Jin was much smarter. Only after confirming that the headscarf wrapped around his head was still intact did he answer in a muffled voice, "Absolutely, positively, definitely. Do you remember the map fragment we found in the cave last time? It recorded information about the Pure Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. The map was originally split into four pieces. We found one in the cave, and the next one is in Mo City, in the Tagor Desert."

Xiao Yi Xian finally spat all the sand from her mouth. Hearing this, she stopped complaining and obediently followed behind Xiao Jin.

Before long, the two of them arrived beneath Mo City's walls.

Xiao Jin tossed out two gold coins as the entrance fee and brought Xiao Yi Xian into Mo City.

With the city walls blocking it, the yellow sand outside could not enter the city, and the air quality improved considerably.

Only then did Xiao Yi Xian carefully remove her headscarf, revealing her enviable Three Thousand Green Silks.

Because she had condensed the Poison Pill ahead of time and gained perfect control over her Woe Poison Body, Xiao Yi Xian had not become white-haired like she had in the original story.

Her Three Thousand Green Silks cascaded down like a waterfall, revealing the face that had been mostly concealed beneath the headscarf.

Her breathtaking beauty drew the gazes of quite a few people.

Especially with her gentle, water-like temperament, she made many people swallow repeatedly.

It seemed that as long as one was beautiful enough, one could become the center of attention anywhere.

Xiao Jin stopped a passerby and asked whether there was anywhere in the city that sold maps.

The passerby had originally looked impatient, but the instant he saw the ten gold coins in Xiao Jin's palm, he immediately revealed a bright and sincere smile.

The passerby quickly brought the two of them to the entrance of a shop. For the sake of the ten gold coins, he kindly reminded them before leaving, "The owner here has a very strange temper. Once you've bought your map, leave immediately. Otherwise, he might turn hostile."

Xiao Jin smiled and nodded in thanks before leading Xiao Yi Xian into the shop.

Behind the counter, an old man with a head of silver hair was bent over, carefully drawing a map. Although he was quite old, the withered hand gripping the black pen was steady and strong.

Xiao Jin did not disturb him. Instead, following the description from the original story, he went to an old-fashioned wooden rack in the corner.

Some yellowed maps were piled on the rack, and a faint moldy smell wafted from them, making Xiao Yi Xian frown repeatedly.

Xiao Jin grabbed the pile of maps and shook it hard twice. A palm-sized map fragment fell out.

"Is this it?" Xiao Yi Xian reacted quickly, catching the drifting fragment in one motion and examining it curiously.

Xiao Jin nodded. "Yes, but this is only one-eighth of it. The other half has been hidden by the owner."

Hearing his words, the old man, who had been completely absorbed in drawing, finally raised his head. After seeing Xiao Jin's appearance clearly, his pupils contracted for an instant.

This kid is far too young, isn't he?

Judging by his appearance, he looked only fifteen or sixteen.

With the enhancement of battle qi, Xiao Jin was not yet sixteen, but his build and appearance were not much different from his eighteen-year-old self in his previous life.

Aside from his slightly immature features, he looked every bit like an adult.

When the old man raised his head, Xiao Jin met his gaze and asked with a smile, "Old sir, would you be willing to sell me this fragment?"

"Not for sale." The old man rejected Xiao Jin's proposal without hesitation, narrowing his murky eyes as he clearly began considering Xiao Jin's origins.

Xiao Jin was not annoyed. He knew that Hai Bodong had exactly this foul temper.

Unless he beat him up, Hai Bodong would not speak properly.

"Old sir, I haven't even made an offer yet. How can you reject me already?"

"No matter what price you offer, I won't sell."

"Oh? You wouldn't sell it even for a Break Calamity Pill?"

"No... Wait a moment, what did you say?" Hai Bodong was like a duck caught by the throat, his voice turning shrill.

A faint smile hung from Xiao Jin's lips as his finger brushed over his Storage Ring. He took a Break Calamity Pill from it.

The Break Calamity Pill was merely a Sixth-Grade Medicinal Pill. With his current strength, he could refine one himself without relying on the supplies in his Storage Ring.

A burning desire flashed through Hai Bodong's eyes. "Kid, who exactly are you?"

"Old sir, the terms of our transaction are that I'll exchange this pill for the fragment in your possession. My identity is not part of this transaction. Besides, trying to learn my identity from this fragment alone is far too pathetic a bargaining chip, don't you think?"

Xiao Yi Xian burst out laughing.

Xiao Jin was really something. The way he put it made him sound as though he had an astonishing background.

Sure enough, Hai Bodong was completely bewildered by his words.

Could this kid really have some extraordinary background?

But he had once been one of the ten strongest experts who shook the Jia Ma Empire. How could the dignified Ice Emperor Hai Bodong allow a few words to throw his mind into disorder?

He quickly steadied himself and said, "Whoever you are, this fragment..."

"Old sir, if you refuse a toast, you'll be forced to drink a forfeit." Xiao Jin narrowed his eyes and interrupted him, his gaze turning dangerous.

To him, the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was not essential.

There was already a Pure Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame in his Storage Ring. As long as his strength was sufficient, he could refine it without the slightest concern about backlash.

Although its origin energy might not compare with this world's Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, and refining it would not boost his cultivation as much as the one in the Demonic Flame Space, this flame was pure.

There would be no need to worry about backlash or any aftereffects. As long as his cultivation was sufficient, he could refine it. Where else could one find such a wonderful opportunity?

The reason he wanted to collect the fragment was to see whether this world's Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was the same as the one described in the original story.

That way, he could make ample preparations before facing the Nihility Devouring Flame instead of being completely in the dark.

But if he truly could not collect all the fragments, he did not care.

Whether he could gather the fragments determined whether he could successfully subdue the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame in the Demonic Flame Space.

He had no intention of subduing it anyway. At most, he would join in the excitement when the Demonic Flame Space appeared.

All he needed was to see the difference between the two Purifying Demonic Lotus Flames.

Hearing his threat, Hai Bodong laughed in anger.

His Dou Emperor strength was currently sealed in its entirety, but he was not someone any random nobody could provoke.

Although his strength was only at the Five-Star Dou Ling level, with the insight of the Dou Emperor realm and his high-level cultivation techniques and battle skills, even a Peak Dou Ling would not be able to defeat him in a short time.

He refused to believe that this little brat, who looked only fifteen or sixteen, could be a Dou Ling expert!

"Little fellow, although my strength is no longer what it once was, if you continue acting recklessly without knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, I won't mind teaching you a proper lesson on behalf of your parents."

Xiao Jin smiled. "Good. I happen not to know who my parents are, so I've always lacked guidance from an elder. If you're willing, old sir, why don't you see whether you're qualified?"