Ice Emperor's Return, Blood Sea Emerges! (2-in-1 Chapter)

Lin Chen hovered above the magma lake.

The pair of dark red, blood-crystal-like Dou Qi wings behind his back, which had been vibrating the very space at their edges, slowly retracted.

The suffocating, terrifying pressure surrounding his body receded like a tide, once again drawing inward into his physique.

Yet, the blood-colored lotus shadows that occasionally flickered in his deep eyes and the aura of a superior being that radiated naturally from him still made Hai Bodong, standing on the rock platform, feel a sense of trepidation.

He held Qing Lin and landed lightly before Hai Bodong.

His footsteps were steady, as if the earth-shattering breakthrough that had just occurred were merely a trivial matter.

Hai Bodong's throat bobbed as he swallowed with great difficulty.

Looking at the youth before him—who was excessively young yet already a Dou King powerhouse—he spoke in a dry voice.

"Con... congratulations on... breaking through to the Dou King realm..."

His tone was filled with genuine shock.

In a world where strength is respected, the power and potential Lin Chen displayed at this moment were enough to make him cast aside all contempt.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his gaze falling upon Hai Bodong.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he flipped his palm.

A gorgeous, palm-sized scale, shimmering with seven colors, appeared in his hand.

The scale was hard in texture, glowing with a dreamlike luster, and faintly exuded a unique, cold, and powerful pressure.

"I found this at the base of the lotus pedestal while refining it."

Lin Chen's tone was indifferent as he held the scale out before Hai Bodong's eyes.

"Do you recognize this thing?"

The moment Hai Bodong's gaze touched the Seven-Colored Snake Scale, his pupils contracted sharply.

The blood drained from his face instantly, as if he had seen something truly terrifying!

He staggered back a step, his voice trembling with uncontrollable fear.

"This... this is... Queen Medusa's Seven-Colored Snake Scale?!"

"She... she really has been here!"

"And... it seems she successfully took the Heavenly Flame..."

For Hai Bodong, who had once been personally sealed by Queen Medusa and beaten to the brink of death, this scale was the very symbol of his nightmares!

Lin Chen put the scale away, confirming Hai Bodong's suspicion.

"Correct, the Green Lotus Core Flame has already been taken by Medusa."

"I did not obtain the Heavenly Flame."

Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

He would not have to face Medusa immediately.

But then, his heart sank again.

If the Heavenly Flame was gone, then this deal...

"However,"

Lin Chen shifted his tone, staring intently at Hai Bodong.

"Our deal remains valid."

"I will break your seal right now and assist you in restoring your Dou Emperor strength."

Hai Bodong looked up abruptly, his eyes erupting with wild joy.

But it was immediately replaced by immense worry.

"Ri... right now? Here?"

"But..."

He subconsciously touched his chest, where the core of the seal resided.

"Medusa's seal is extremely tyrannical; if we force a breakthrough, I fear..."

"I have my own measures."

Lin Chen interrupted him, his tone brooking no argument.

"But once you are restored, you must assist me in seizing the Heavenly Flame back from Medusa."

"What?!"

"Go... go and snatch the Heavenly Flame from Queen Medusa?!"

Hai Bodong cried out, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

The wild joy that had just risen was extinguished by a bucket of ice water, and his eyes were filled with fear and hesitation.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Queen Medusa's strength is unfathomable, and now that she has obtained the Heavenly Flame... for us to seek her out is no different than courting death!"

"This must absolutely not be done!"

At the thought of facing the Snake-People Tribe queen who had left him with a lifelong trauma, he felt an instinctive terror.

Lin Chen watched his cowering appearance, his gaze turning slightly cold.

His voice carried a hint of mockery.

"What? The former Ice Emperor, one of the ten strongest in the Jia Ma Empire, has been scared witless by a mere Medusa?"

"Would you rather spend your whole life as a decrepit old man hiding in Mo City drawing maps, watching your Dou Qi wither away, than dare to face her again?"

Hai Bodong's face turned from green to white, his lips trembling.

He wanted to retort, but no words would come out.

The glory of the past stood in stark contrast to his current wretched state.

Lin Chen's words pierced his heart like a blade.

"Do you think you can live in peace by hiding here?"

Lin Chen continued to apply pressure, his voice ringing like a demonic incantation in his ears.

"Since Medusa was able to seal you once, if she finds out you aren't dead and might even recover your strength, do you think she will let you off?"

"By then, you won't even have the chance to struggle!"

Lin Chen tempted him step by step.

He naturally knew that Queen Medusa had spared Hai Bodong's life.

But he had to say it this way!

After all, this was his angel investor; he counted as a valuable asset.

"What's more..."

Lin Chen's tone softened, carrying a hint of seduction.

"Don't you want to take back everything that belongs to you?"

"Don't you want the name of the Ice Emperor to resound throughout the Jia Ma Empire once again?"

"Don't you want to... wash away the shame of that year with your own hands?"

"Dignity, power, freedom... and even the chance for revenge are now laid out before you."

"Will you rot and die here like a coward, or will you bet everything and fight for a future with me?"

Hai Bodong's body began to tremble violently as a war raged within his heart.

Fear and desire, retreat and hot-bloodedness were frantically intertwined within him.

He felt as if he had returned to being the formidable Ice Emperor of the past.

But Medusa's cold snake-like pupils and terrifying strength clung to him like a nightmare.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

In the end, the thirst for recovered power, the yearning to return to his peak, and a sliver of trust in Lin Chen's unfathomable methods overcame his inner fear!

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and let out a hoarse roar.

"Fine! This old man will do it with you!"

"Damn it, I've had enough of being a coward for so many years!"

"It's just Medusa! I'll stake it all!"

"As long as you can truly help me recover my strength, this old man's life is yours! I will assist you in seizing the Heavenly Flame!"

"Very good."

A curve finally appeared at the corner of Lin Chen's mouth.

"That is the spirit the Ice Emperor should have."

He signaled for Qing Lin to step back, then gestured for Hai Bodong to sit cross-legged.

Lin Chen stood behind Hai Bodong, his expression turning solemn.

Although he had spoken lightly, and breaking the seal was indeed easy.

The greatest difficulty was ensuring Hai Bodong did not suffer too much damage.

He took a deep breath and formed a strange hand seal.

Within his Dantian, the phantom of the Karma Fire Red Lotus, which had already solidified significantly, swayed gently.

A pure, scorching crimson flame, containing the supreme will of incineration and purification, slowly surged out from his body.

It coiled around his hands as if it had a life of its own.

"It might be a little painful, hold on!"

Lin Chen let out a low shout and slammed his palms onto Hai Bodong's back!

"Boom!"

The crimson Karma Fire Red Lotus instantly engulfed Hai Bodong entirely!

It transformed into a slowly rotating red fire lotus, sealing him completely within its petals.

"Arghhhhh!!!"

Hai Bodong let out a scream of extreme agony!

The Karma Fire entering his body did not merely burn; it brought an ultimate, purifying pain that felt as if it were tearing his very soul apart.

His skin turned crimson in an instant, his veins bulged, and his body began to convulse violently.

Beads of sweat the size of peas were evaporated the moment they seeped from his pores!

Lin Chen closed his eyes, focusing his mind as he exerted full control over the power of the Karma Fire Red Lotus.

That wisp of crimson flame acted like the most precise surgical scalpel, tracing along Hai Bodong's meridians.

It accurately located the Purple Snake Seal that clung to his Dou Disciple vortex like a bone-deep parasite!

The moment the Karma Fire touched the snake seal, it was as if cold water had been dropped into boiling oil.

A violent "hissing" sound erupted!

The purple seal struggled and resisted frantically, unleashing cold energy that battered Hai Bodong's meridians.

This doubled his agony!

However, the power level of the Karma Fire Red Lotus was far too high!

It represented the ultimate flame law capable of incinerating all things!

Though Medusa's seal was strong, it was fundamentally suppressed by this power!

The crimson flames clung like maggots to bone, bit by bit burning away and purifying those threads of purple energy!

The process was slow and agonizing, and Hai Bodong's screams were incessant.

His body seemed to shrink, yet he gritted his teeth, relying on his astonishing willpower to endure it!

Time ticked away bit by bit.

Finally, when the last wisp of purple energy was thoroughly incinerated and purified by the Karma Fire:

"Hum!!!"

An aura that had been silent for ages—chilling to the bone yet vast and terrifying—awoke like a slumbering dragon.

It erupted violently from within Hai Bodong's body!

Boom!

Powerful ice-blue Dou Qi surged out of his body uncontrollably.

It froze the surrounding scorching air into countless ice crystals!

Even the magma lake below was momentarily suppressed by this sudden, extreme cold, causing its churning to cease!

Hai Bodong's originally withered and aged body seemed to find new life, like a dead tree sprouting in spring.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, he grew young!

His gray hair turned black, his wrinkles were smoothed away, and his skin regained its luster!

In just a few breaths, he had transformed from a man on the verge of death.

He was now a middle-aged man of about forty, with a stern face, sharp eyes, and an imposing, dignified air!

More importantly, his powerful Dou Emperor aura climbed steadily!

One-star Dou Emperor! Two-star Dou Emperor! Three-star Dou Emperor! Four-star Dou Emperor!

In the end, his cultivation stabilized firmly at the level of a four-star Dou Emperor!

It was even a notch stronger than before he had been sealed!

Clearly, in the process of breaking the seal, the Karma Fire Red Lotus had not only purified the stagnant seal energy.

It seemed to have also tempered his Dou Qi and healed some of the hidden injuries he had sustained years ago!

"Hahahaha! Power! This old man's power has returned!!"

Hai Bodong snapped his eyes open, his gaze erupting with wild joy and excitement!

Feeling the icy Dou Qi roaring and surging within him, he could not help but look up and howl.

The sound waves rolled out, causing the entire underground cavern to hum and vibrate!

Ice-blue Dou Qi surged behind his back, and a pair of magnificent ice-blue eagle wings instantly condensed and unfurled.

They radiated a biting, frigid chill!

The Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, had officially returned this day!

He looked at Lin Chen with excitement, his eyes filled with boundless gratitude and a trace of awe.

This youth possessed not only terrifying strength but also heaven-defying means!

To think he actually broke Medusa's seal, and even turned a disaster into a blessing for him!

"Thank you, Lin Chen!"

"This grace of rebirth, Hai Bodong will never forget!"

"I shall not forget today's words; I will assist you in reclaiming the Heavenly Flame, even if it costs me my life!"

He bowed solemnly, this time, thoroughly convinced and impressed.

Lin Chen nodded slightly, his complexion appearing somewhat pale.

Driving the Karma Fire Red Lotus to perform such delicate operations had taken a significant toll on him.

"Just remember your promise."

"Let's leave this place first."

The three of them unfurled their Dou Qi wings (with Qing Lin held by Lin Chen) and rushed out of the underground cavern, returning to Mo City.

Back at the Ancient Map Shop, Xiao Yi Xian was so astonished that her jaw dropped when she saw the youthful and powerful-aura-radiating Hai Bodong.

Lin Chen handed Qing Lin over to Xiao Yi Xian's care and spoke to Hai Bodong.

"Prepare for a few days, familiarize yourself with your restored power, and then we shall head deep into the desert to track Medusa."

"Understood!"

Hai Bodong's confidence had surged, and he was eager to test his strength.

Lin Chen returned alone to his inn room.

Breaking through to the Dou King realm was not just an increase in cultivation; it was a qualitative leap!

He needed time to carefully experience the changes within.

The greatest change came from that tiny Blood Spring deep within his soul!

Previously, he could only sense it vaguely and barely borrow a sliver of its killing intent.

But now, having reached the Dou King realm, his soul power had skyrocketed.

He finally possessed the ability to gain initial control over the introductory chapter of the "Boundless Blood Sea" divine ability!

He sat cross-legged in the center of the room, holding his breath and focusing his mind, sinking his consciousness into that slowly rotating, tiny Blood Spring.

"Boundless Blood Sea, Blood Sea... Manifest!"

As he whispered in his heart, the Blood Spring deep within his soul jolted violently!

The next moment, a thick, viscous, dark red blood exuding an endless aura of carnage and slaughter.

As if possessing a life of its own, it spread silently from beneath his feet!

This blood was not physical; it was a manifestation of his divine ability, fused from pure killing intent, the essence of devoured blood souls, and his own Dou Qi!

The dark red blood spread rapidly, crawling across the floor of the entire room like a living creature.

It slowly crept upward, as if intending to dye the entire room in a bloody hue!

Within the blood, it seemed as if countless illusory vengeful spirits were wailing and struggling.

It also felt as if monstrous waves of blood were brewing and roaring!

Lin Chen sat at the center of this spreading "Blood Sea," the master of this small sea of blood!

Within the range of this Blood Sea, he felt his perception amplified infinitely.

His strength, speed, and recovery rate had all received a terrifying boost!

He even had an illusion that, if he so desired.

He could instantly drag any living being that stepped into this Blood Sea into an endless abyss of crimson.

Devouring their flesh, blood, and soul to strengthen himself!

"Is this... the power of the Blood Sea..."

Lin Chen felt this powerful and sinister energy, his heart shaken.

Although he could currently only manifest a Blood Sea the size of this mere room.

The potential and terrifying might it contained had already begun to reveal itself!

With a thought, the spreading blood retreated rapidly like a receding tide.

Finally, it all sank back into the soles of his feet and vanished.

The room returned to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened.

"Still not proficient enough, the range is too small... but this is a perfect start!"

Excitement flickered in Lin Chen's eyes.

With this divine ability, his survival and combat capabilities would rise to a whole new level!

For the next few days, Lin Chen did not step out.

He remained in his room, familiarizing himself with the power of a Dou King and practicing the Blood Sea divine ability.

Occasionally, he would offer pointers to Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin regarding their cultivation.

Hai Bodong was also immersed in the joy of recovering his strength, constantly adapting to his power as a four-star Dou Emperor.

From time to time, he would even take the initiative to seek out Lin Chen to discuss matters concerning cultivation.

The atmosphere between the two had quietly grown much closer.

Just as Lin Chen felt that preparations were sufficient and intended to find Hai Bodong to discuss venturing deep into the desert, the door to his inn room was suddenly knocked upon violently.

Lin Chen opened the door, and standing outside was none other than Hai Bodong.

His face wore an expression of extreme excitement and urgency, his eyes gleaming.

He didn't even bother with formalities; his very first sentence struck like a thunderbolt, leaving Lin Chen momentarily stunned.

"Kid Lin Chen! We don't need to go looking for Queen Medusa anymore!"

He caught his breath, then lowered his voice in agitation:

"The Heavenly Flame you wanted has appeared!"