"Whoosh!"
Windblown sand and scorching heat filled the streets of Mo City.
Lin Chen's spiritual perception swept across the row of rugged buildings like the most precise radar.
Soon, he pinpointed a place where the energy fluctuations were unusual.
The fluctuations weren't powerful. If anything, they were obscure and faint.
Yet mingled among them was a trace of intensely condensed, icy chill, utterly at odds with the scorching fire attribute all around it.
Though that chill was tightly sealed by some kind of power, it still couldn't escape Lin Chen's perception.
Following the sensation, he made his way to a rather secluded street.
He stopped in front of an unremarkable-looking shop.
Its storefront was old and worn, with a crooked wooden sign hanging above it.
The words "Ancient Map Shop" were written on it.
A thick layer of sand coated the lintel, as if no one had tended to it in ages.
He pushed the door open, and its hinges groaned.
The shop was dim inside, filled with the scent of old paper and a faint trace of ink.
Yellowed parchment maps covered the walls.
Behind the counter, a white-haired old man with a gaunt face kept his head lowered.
He was completely absorbed in drawing a map, seemingly unaware of his visitor.
His aura was restrained, making him seem no different from an ordinary old man nearing the end of his days.
But Lin Chen's gaze fell directly on him.
The corner of his mouth curled in a barely noticeable smile.
Hai Bodong, once the Ice Emperor—he was doing a fine job hiding himself in this state.
His gaze swept over the counter.
Soon, it settled on a stack of battered maps that seemed to have been left there carelessly.
One of the fragments was made of noticeably different material.
Its edges were ragged, and a vague route was drawn across it.
More importantly:
The Karma Fire Red Lotus in Lin Chen's dantian sent a faint trace of yearning toward the fragment!
There was no mistaking the aura of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame!
It was this!
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map!
Lin Chen walked straight over and reached for the fragment.
"Cough..."
The old man behind the counter finally looked up.
His cloudy eyes glanced at Lin Chen, and he spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Kid, those are all useless scraps. They're not for sale."
Lin Chen didn't stop. His fingers had already closed around the fragment.
"I'll take this one."
Hai Bodong furrowed his brow, a trace of displeasure flashing through his eyes.
More than that, he was wary.
He set down his brush and said sternly:
"I said it's a useless scrap. It's not for sale."
"If you want a map, there are complete ones over here..."
"Name your price."
Lin Chen cut him off.
His tone brooked no argument as he looked calmly at Hai Bodong.
His gaze seemed to see right through everything.
Hai Bodong felt an inexplicable chill in his heart.
The boy looked no more than twelve or thirteen, still with a child's youthful air.
Yet his eyes were far too sharp and calm, nothing like those of someone his age.
Suppressing his unease, he said coldly:
"Not for sale! Leave!"
A faint Dou Ling aura began to emanate from him, meant to intimidate the other party.
Though his cultivation was sealed, his experience let him barely bring out the strength of a Dou Ling.
But to Lin Chen, that aura felt like a gentle breeze.
Lin Chen shook his head, seeming a little disappointed.
"If talking nicely doesn't work..."
Before he had finished speaking, the hand holding the fragment remained still.
His other hand shot out like lightning, reaching straight for Hai Bodong's throat!
"Whoosh!"
"How dare you!"
Hai Bodong was both shocked and furious.
He hadn't expected this green boy to actually attack him!
Though his cultivation was sealed, how rich was his combat experience?
A thin layer of ice instantly covered his withered palm.
Like an eagle's talons, it met Lin Chen's wrist, icy energy surging from it!
"BOOM!!!"
This was the limit of the power he could use:
Ice Claw!
He was confident this strike could freeze and crack forged iron!
Yet—
"Crack!"
The moment their palms collided, what rang out was the teeth-grating sound of breaking bones!
The ferocious sneer on Hai Bodong's face instantly twisted into agony and disbelief!
The instant his ice-covered claw touched the other hand—which looked pale and slender, with the fine-boned build of a boy—
He felt as if his fingers had struck a rapidly spinning diamond drill!
The icy energy shattered in an instant, and his finger bones gave a groan under the unbearable strain.
Three or four of them cracked at once!
Then, a terrifying force that he couldn't possibly resist surged along the other person's arm!
The Dou Qi strength contained in that force had faintly reached the Peak Dou Ling level!
"Thud!!"
Hai Bodong was struck head-on like he'd been hit by a battering ram. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
His body flew backward beyond his control and slammed hard into the wall behind him!
With a crash, a web of cracks spread across the wall.
Countless maps came fluttering down!
On the ground, he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
His face was filled with shock and terror!
One move!
Just one move!
He had once been a Peak Dou Emperor. Even with his cultivation sealed, he still had the strength and experience of a Dou Ling.
And yet a boy who looked only twelve or thirteen had... gravely injured him with a casual strike?!
How was that possible?!
A Peak Dou Ling at twelve or thirteen?!
How could such a monster exist in this world?!
When had the Dou Qi Continent produced someone like this?!
In all his years, he had seen plenty of geniuses.
But never anyone this absurd!
What kind of freak was this kid?!
Lin Chen slowly drew back his hand, as if he'd merely brushed away a fly.
He didn't even glance at Hai Bodong, who was spitting blood on the ground. He simply placed the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map into his Storage Ring.
Only then did he turn his gaze toward Hai Bodong, who looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Now, can we have a proper talk?"
"Ice Emperor, Mr. Hai Bodong."
Lin Chen's voice was calm, yet it rang in Hai Bodong's ears like a thunderclap!
He... he actually knew who he was?!
Hai Bodong's pupils contracted, and a storm surged through his heart!
He had hidden this secret for countless years, and no one had ever seen through it!
This boy... a twelve- or thirteen-year-old Peak Dou Ling, who could even see through his disguise...
Where had this freak come from?!
"Y-You... who exactly are you?!"
Hai Bodong's voice was hoarse, filled with shock.
He looked at Lin Chen as if he were a monster wearing the skin of a boy:
"Who I am doesn't matter."
Lin Chen stepped forward and looked down at him.
"What matters is that I can help you break the seal inside your body and restore your Dou Emperor strength."
Those words struck harder than anything he'd said before!
Hai Bodong jerked his head up, an unprecedented brilliance flaring in his cloudy old eyes.
But it was soon replaced by overwhelming doubt:
"Y-You said what?!"
"You can break Queen Medusa's seal?! Impossible! That seal..."
"Medusa's seal is troublesome, but it's not impossible to undo."
Lin Chen cut him off.
His voice carried an absolute confidence that was hard to doubt:
"I can try."
"In exchange, I'll help you break the seal. Once you've regained your strength, you'll help me find a Heavenly Flame in the desert."
"A Heavenly Flame?"
Hai Bodong froze.
Then, he suddenly realized something:
"You came for information about a Heavenly Flame?!"
"You seem to know quite a bit."
Lin Chen neither confirmed nor denied it.
Hai Bodong's heart pounded. His longing to regain his strength burned like wildfire!
But he was crafty and experienced. He suppressed his excitement and said gravely:
"Why should I trust you? What if you're lying to me..."
A twelve- or thirteen-year-old Peak Dou Ling was already terrifying enough. And now he claimed he could break Queen Medusa's seal?
That was far too outrageous!
"Do you have a choice?"
Lin Chen's gaze was indifferent.
"Or would you rather spend the rest of your life as a Dou Ling old man, hiding in a corner and drawing maps?"
"Besides... you're barely even able to hold on to your Dou Ling strength."
He could tell at a glance that the seal was slowly eroding Hai Bodong.
Hai Bodong's expression shifted again and again. At last, he gritted his teeth:
"Fine! I'll trust you this once!"
"If you really can help me recover, I swear I'll help you find the Heavenly Flame!"
He was taking the gamble!
The boy's strength and insight were too strange. Perhaps... there really was hope!
"A wise choice."
Lin Chen nodded.
He walked over to Hai Bodong and touched a point along the meridian in his wrist with a finger:
"Whoosh!"
A faint wisp of Karma Fire Red Lotus power, imbued with the supreme will to purify and incinerate.
Carefully, he probed Hai Bodong's body.
Soon, he sensed a cold, domineering purple energy seal, like a parasite clinging to bone.
It was wrapped tightly around the source of Hai Bodong's Dou Qi, constantly eroding it.
The power of the Karma Fire Red Lotus lightly touched the purple seal.
"Pssht!"
Hai Bodong's body immediately convulsed in pain.
Lin Chen withdrew his power and pondered.
"The seal is very strong."
"With my current strength, if I forcefully strike it with the power of a Heavenly Flame, I'm certain I can break it."
"But there's also a chance you'll be injured."
The hope that had just risen in Hai Bodong's heart instantly cooled by half.
"However..."
Lin Chen changed tack.
"If you wait until I break through to Dou Wang, there'll be no risk at all."
"Are you willing to wait?"
Dou Wang?!
Hai Bodong looked at Lin Chen's absurdly young face.
A Peak Dou Ling at twelve or thirteen, already thinking about breaking through to Dou Wang?
How long would that take?
A few months?
Such a rate of cultivation was unheard of!
Looking into Lin Chen's unfathomably deep, confident eyes,
he inexplicably chose to trust him once more.
A peerless genius like this couldn't be judged by ordinary standards!
"Fine! I'll wait for you!"
Hai Bodong said through gritted teeth.
"In that case, I'll tell you what I know about the Green Lotus Core Flame first, to show my sincerity!"
He struggled to sit up.
He told Lin Chen in detail about several areas where a Heavenly Flame might be found, as well as the dangers to watch out for.
He even gave him several maps.
Lin Chen committed everything to memory and nodded.
"Once I break through to Dou Wang, I'll come back for you."
With that, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
Hai Bodong watched his back disappear through the doorway.
His feelings were complicated beyond measure, a mix of anticipation and unease.
In the end, all he could do was sigh.
A Peak Dou Ling at twelve or thirteen... Was this world about to change?
Having obtained the information, Lin Chen wasted no time.
He immediately followed the scant clues Hai Bodong had provided, along with his own perception,
weaving through the slums and alleys of Mo City in search of the half-snake girl with the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils:
Qing Lin.
Mo City's conditions were harsh, and relations between humans and the Snake-People Tribe were tense.
It was easy to imagine the predicament of a child with the blood of both.
Before long, in the corner of a filthy alley piled high with rubbish,
he witnessed a scene that filled him with anger.
Three human boys, around seven or eight years old and dressed a little better than most, were surrounding a small figure.
They kept shoving and insulting her.
"Monster! Get out of Mo City!"
"Ugly freak with snake scales! Disgusting!"
"Hit me! Aren't those your snake eyes? What are you staring at?"
The girl they had surrounded looked only five or six years old.
Her clothes were tattered, and she was filthy from head to toe.
She hugged her knees and huddled in the corner, her tiny body trembling.
Head bowed, she didn't dare look at the children tormenting her.
On the arm she occasionally lifted, a few faint green scales could just be made out.
It was Qing Lin!
Lin Chen's gaze instantly turned cold.
Just as one of the chubby boys tried to pull Qing Lin's hair,
"Get lost."
A voice as cold as a gale from the Nine Nether rang out.
At the same time, a terrifying killing intent, condensed almost into a tangible force, crashed down on the three little brats like an iceberg!
The three boys instantly felt as if they had fallen into an icy abyss, their blood seeming to freeze in their veins!
The arrogance on their faces turned to utter terror, and they went deathly pale.
Their legs gave way. With a chorus of wails, they burst into tears.
They collapsed onto the ground, wetting themselves, and tried to scramble away.
But their hands and feet were too weak with fear to move!
Just then, two burly, middle-aged women with fleshy faces rushed out from nearby.
They were clearly the parents of the little brats.
Seeing their children frightened to tears, they immediately bristled like cats whose tails had been stepped on.
They pointed at Lin Chen and unleashed a torrent of abuse.
"Where'd you come from, you little bastard!"
"Your parents didn't raise you right! You dare scare my boy!"
"You little punk, your balls haven't even dropped, and you think you can meddle in other people's business?"
"I'll tear that mouth right off your face!"
"They're only children! What's wrong with them playing around?"
"Why pick a fight with a little half-human, half-snake mongrel?"
"You're just like that monster, aren't you?"
"I bet the sand's blown your brains out! Get lost!"
"Or I'll make sure you leave this street feetfirst!"
Spittle nearly sprayed across Lin Chen's face.
Their words were vicious, every sentence a personal attack, and they didn't forget to belittle Qing Lin's heritage.
Lin Chen's gaze turned completely cold, without a trace of emotion.
He couldn't even be bothered to waste a single word on these shrews.
He merely willed it,
and two ancient sword phantoms, one red and one gray, appeared before him. Their auras were condensed to the utmost, radiating the slaughter of all living things and the extinction of all creation:
Yuantu, Abi.
Their terrifying aura of slaughter and death instantly spread through the alley.
The two women's curses abruptly stopped.
In their place came boundless fear and shock!
But before they could react,
two streaks of sword light crossed lightly, like the sigh of death.
"Shhk!"
A faint but bone-chilling sound of slicing rang out.
The two women who had still been prattling on, along with the three boys on the ground who had just stopped crying, their faces still marked by terror and confusion—
A perfectly smooth line of blood appeared across all five bodies, right at the waist!
Their upper halves slowly slid off, and their entrails and blood gushed out like a breached dam.
In an instant, the filthy ground was dyed red!
The five of them didn't even have time to scream.
Their consciousness sank into eternal darkness.
The Yuantu and Abi sword phantoms trembled lightly, letting out a satisfied hum.
They instantly devoured the drifting souls and faint traces of blood energy.
Then they obediently flew back into Lin Chen's body and vanished.
Only the thick, cloying stench of blood and five bisected corpses remained in the alley.
Lin Chen's face remained expressionless, as though he had merely cleared away a few buzzing flies.
"A few pieces of trash, and you still dare bark at me!"
"Dying beneath these two swords is the greatest honor you'll ever have."
He stepped over the filth on the ground and walked up to the little girl still huddled in the corner.
She was so frightened that her whole body had stiffened, her little face as pale as a stone statue.
He slowly crouched down and reined in all his killing intent.
He tried to make his voice as gentle as possible.
He held out his hand to the eyes squeezed shut in sheer terror.
"Hello, I'm Lin Chen."
"Don't be afraid. From now on... come with me."
Before you continue