Hai Bodong, the Ice Emperor

Within Shi-Mo City, Xiao Jie's vast soul power blanketed the entire city. He quickly sensed a powerhouse whose strength was sealed within their body, yet he failed to locate Qing Lin.

It was to be expected; Qing Lin was not even a Dou Practitioner yet, and her soul power was far too weak. Since he had never met her before, it was normal that he could not find her. Unlike Hai Bodong, who still possessed Dou Ling-level cultivation despite being sealed—and whose internal energy was clearly detectable under Xiao Jie's soul perception—Qing Lin's situation was not urgent. Since he had already found Hai Bodong, he would head there first; Hai Bodong happened to possess a fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map.

Xiao Jie followed the direction of Hai Bodong's location, stopping occasionally to browse the local specialties sold in Shi-Mo City, savoring the beautiful products born from the culture of this different region.

Meanwhile, at Hai Bodong's place, the man was in the middle of crafting a map when his hand suddenly paused, and his ink brush slid to the floor. Hai Bodong felt a massive soul power locking onto him. Any thought of escape vanished, and he began to weigh his options in his heart.

I don't recall ever offending someone possessing such immense soul power, do I?

Hai Bodong shook his head, thinking to himself.

This person's strength is formidable; it is simply not something my current cultivation can contend with. But since he has come, I shall accept what comes. At worst, it is just death. I have spent these few decades hiding in this desert; that is enough.

He then picked up another ink brush and continued drawing.

At this moment, Xiao Jie was mingling within a crowd watching a street performance. As he watched with interest, he suddenly sensed a hand reaching toward a scantily clad young woman standing beside him, unsure if the person intended to steal valuables or merely grope her.

A tiny flicker of flame flashed by, and one could see the man's ring finger and palm separate and fall. Not a single drop of blood flowed from the severed stump. Before the man could even feel the pain or cry out, Xiao Jie, his mood ruined, grabbed him and vanished from the spot.

When Xiao Jie reappeared, he was already in a deserted alleyway. He tossed the man onto the ground and spoke.

"Do not scream. You have disturbed my mood; severing a finger is your punishment. I have a task for you: find a young girl named Qing Lin in Shi-Mo City. She is a half-breed of the Snake-People Tribe and humanity. Come to the Ancient Map Shop by this time tomorrow. If you find her, there will be rewards for you. If you don't... heh." Xiao Jie let out a cold snort and left the area.

As Xiao Jie departed toward the Ancient Map Shop run by Hai Bodong, the reason he had tasked that man with finding Qing Lin was that such petty thieves were the most well-informed. Furthermore, he had only given him one day; if he couldn't find her, it was no matter. If he did, it would save him the trouble, and he was not stingy about giving a small reward.

Before long, Xiao Jie arrived in front of the Ancient Map Shop and happened to see a white-haired old man opening the door. He wondered if this person was Hai Bodong.

"An honored guest has arrived; please, come in," the old man said, stepping aside and gesturing.

Xiao Jie nodded and walked inside. After sweeping his gaze around the shop, he fixed his eyes on the old man and spoke.

"Are you the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the ten great powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire?"

"The honored guest overpraises me. This humble one is indeed named Hai Bodong, but I am now merely a Dou Ling; I am no longer worthy of the title of one of the ten great powerhouses," Hai Bodong replied with a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

"Hmm, since you are the former Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, that is correct. I will be blunt: my name is Xiao Jie, and I have come to make a deal with you. I want to buy five years of your time and the map fragment in your possession. Do not be in a hurry to refuse; listen to my price first. I will give you a grade six Break-Obstacle Pill, which has miraculous effects for breaking seals and can perfectly undo the seal upon you. A grade six Purple Spirit Recovery Pill, which can restore cultivation lost due to sealing to its original state. And a peak grade six Emperor-Extreme Pill—you must have heard of this one; it can raise a Dou Emperor's cultivation by one star. What do you think?"

When Hai Bodong heard that Xiao Jie wanted to buy five years of his time and the fragment, he hadn't even had a chance to refuse before he heard the words "Break-Obstacle Pill." His pupils dilated and his breathing grew ragged. Once Xiao Jie finished, he hurriedly spoke.

"I agree! I agree! But I do not know when you will hand over the pills?"

Xiao Jie raised a hand and retrieved two bottles of pills from his storage ring—the Break-Obstacle Pill and the Emperor-Extreme Pill. He tossed the bottles to Hai Bodong and said.

"I have not yet refined the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill, but you may gather the medicinal ingredients for it yourself. If you perform well in the future, I will even give you an Ancestor-Breaking Pill to help you break through to the Dou Ancestor realm. Now, give me that map fragment."

"Refine? Are you an alchemist? Very well, this is the fragment I obtained. I have never been able to figure out what it is. Does the honored guest know what this map records?"

"There is no harm in telling you. This fragment is one of the pieces recording the location of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Even if you collected the whole thing and recovered your full strength, it would be impossible for you to subdue it," Xiao Jie said in a flat tone.

"So that is how it is. No wonder you came looking for me. The attraction of Heavenly Flames to you alchemists is far greater than to the rest of us. Please rest assured, honored guest. Once I break the seal in a few days, I will send someone to deliver the materials for the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill, along with the materials for the Emperor-Extreme Pill."

When did such a young grade six alchemist appear near the Jia Ma Empire? He looks to be only in his teens, yet he is already at least a Dou King-level powerhouse, and a grade six alchemist capable of refining the Ancestor-Breaking Pill. Such talent is truly once in a millennium. I must befriend him. He just said he would consider giving me an Ancestor-Breaking Pill; as long as I have that, I have a chance to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm, Hai Bodong thought to himself.

"Then please do as you wish, honored guest. I have been sealed for decades and am truly finding it difficult to endure; I will go and refine this Break-Obstacle Pill to break the seal first. Once I emerge from seclusion, I will properly entertain you. I ask for your indulgence," Hai Bodong said, cupping his hands.

"Hmm, I understand. Please proceed, Ice Emperor. I have matters to attend to and will return later," Xiao Jie said, waving his hand with his back to Hai Bodong.