Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong

On the broad back of the Thick-Winged Bird, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian admired the clouds drifting past them. In the distance, the sun that illuminated all things seemed close enough to touch. Such a wondrous sight could not help but refresh the spirit.

"Brother Xiao Yan, where are we going?" Xiao Yi Xian suddenly asked.

"We're going to Mo City on the eastern border of the Jia Ma Empire. It's the place closest to the Tager Desert." Xiao Yan rubbed Xiao Yi Xian's head.

Three days later.

"Mm, the customs here really are worlds apart from those in the Empire's interior." Xiao Yan held Xiao Yi Xian's hand as they walked along the streets of a city built from yellow earth, feeling the dry, scorching weather.

"So the best map shop in the city really is called Ancient Map." After asking a passerby for directions and learning this, Xiao Yan smiled meaningfully.

"By this time, Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong should have only recently been sealed by Queen Medusa."

"Hehe, come on, Xiao Yi Xian. Brother Xiao Yan will take you to see a down-and-out old man." With that, Xiao Yan took Xiao Yi Xian's little hand and headed toward the Ancient Map shop.

"Mm, this is the place." Xiao Yan looked at the shop ahead and walked inside, where he saw a white-haired old man in white robes lying across the counter.

"What do you want?" the old man asked lazily, raising his head. A long scar stretched from his left cheek to the corner of his eye, and though his face was calm, his gaze was rather proud and unruly.

Xiao Yan could not help but laugh inwardly. That made sense. Hai Bo Dong had only recently been sealed by Queen Medusa. He had not yet endured those eleven years of silence and hardship, so it was only natural that his temperament was still overbearing and arrogant.

"Xiao Yi Xian, could you wait outside for Brother Xiao Yan for a while?" Xiao Yan did not answer him, instead turning to Xiao Yi Xian.

"Okay, Brother Xiao Yan." Xiao Yi Xian nodded obediently, then turned and stood outside the entrance, watching the two men in the shop.

Seeing this, the old man's lazy expression began to turn serious.

"Hmm?" the old man asked seriously.

"What do I want? I want you, Ice Emperor Hai Bo Dong." Xiao Yan's calm face uttered a startling name.

"Who are you?" The old man's gaze suddenly turned sharp. A shocking aura seeped from his body and slowly locked onto Xiao Yan. The hanging calligraphy and paintings in the shop began to sway without wind, while the temperature inside rapidly dropped.

"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that I have something you want." Xiao Yan remained completely unfazed by the sharp aura locking onto him.

"Hmph, you're courting death!" Hai Bo Dong snarled when Xiao Yan ignored his question and continued acting mysterious.

"I'll take you down first and talk later." Hai Bo Dong flew out from behind the counter and brazenly attacked Xiao Yan.

Mystic Ice Whirlwind Kill! Following Hai Bo Dong's furious shout, the temperature in the shop suddenly plummeted. More than a dozen rapidly spinning ice cones appeared around him, then shot fiercely toward Xiao Yan.

Prajna Palm! A massive golden palm, roughly three meters wide, suddenly appeared before Xiao Yan and slammed toward the incoming ice cones.

With a loud bang, the palm blocked most of the ice cones. Though the remaining cones continued toward Xiao Yan, he had already covered himself in a layer of purple Dou Qi gauze and dodged to another position.

"Yan brat, it's my turn to act. Though this sealed Dou Emperor currently only has the strength of a Dou Ling, you're still no match for him at your current level," Yao Lao, who had been silently observing from within the Storage Ring, suddenly said.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Teacher," Xiao Yan replied. Immediately afterward, an ancient and profound aura rapidly enveloped his entire body.

"Xiao Yan" indifferently glanced at Hai Bo Dong, who was warily watching him from a distance, and said, "Who gave you the nerve to attack me first?"

Hai Bo Dong had been about to mock this arrogant brat whose aura had suddenly become somewhat strange, but then he abruptly lost sight of him. Terror filled his heart as his expression changed drastically and he retreated at top speed. But it was already too late.

"Urgh... urgh..." A fair hand appeared before Hai Bo Dong, then tightly gripped his throat, leaving him unable to speak.

Looking at the "Xiao Yan" who had suddenly appeared before him, whose aura was even stronger than his own at his peak, the calmness on Hai Bo Dong's face slowly gave way to fear.

Threads of pale, illusory flame suddenly surged from "Xiao Yan's" palm. Under Hai Bo Dong's terrified gaze, they transformed into fine strands and burrowed into every part of his body.

With a bang, Xiao Yan tossed Hai Bo Dong aside like trash.

"Heh! The Ice Emperor? Nothing special." "Xiao Yan" smiled disdainfully, then slowly closed his eyes as his aura gradually returned to normal.

"Alright, Xiao Yi Xian, you can come in now." Xiao Yan turned and waved at Xiao Yi Xian, who had calmly watched the battle from the entrance.

Xiao Yi Xian stepped over the wreckage scattered across the floor. She glanced at the old man on the ground, who had gone from a "fierce tiger" to a "sickly cat," then slowly walked up to Xiao Yan. "Brother Xiao Yan, you're amazing."

Xiao Yan smiled silently, walked over to Hai Bo Dong, and crouched down. "Now we can have a proper talk, right?"

"Where were we? Oh, right. I said I have something you want. You must know that to break Queen Medusa's seal, you'll need the sixth-tier medicinal pill, the Break-Ero Pill." Xiao Yan continued speaking to himself, completely ignoring Hai Bo Dong's suddenly horrified expression.

"I've already collected most of the ingredients for the Break-Ero Pill. As for the Heavenly Flame needed to refine it, you must have fully felt the power of the flame that just entered your body. That is the Bone Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking." Xiao Yan smiled.

Hai Bo Dong's expression suddenly became excited.

"Speak. Don't play dead. I only sealed your movements just now, not your mouth." Xiao Yan pulled Hai Bo Dong up.

"Can you really refine a Break-Ero Pill for me? That's a sixth-tier medicinal pill." Hai Bo Dong suddenly asked eagerly.

"Hmph, do I need to lie to you?" Xiao Yan snorted coldly.

"Then what exactly do you want?" Hai Bo Dong asked bitterly.

"I want the fragment of the map you obtained in the desert back then. And after I help you break the seal, you must serve me for twenty years," Xiao Yan suddenly said.

"How could you...?" Hai Bo Dong's pupils involuntarily contracted.

"You should think this through carefully. In the Jia Ma Empire—or rather, throughout the Northwest Continent—I'm currently the only Alchemist who possesses a Heavenly Flame. Not just anyone can refine a Break-Ero Pill," Xiao Yan continued, ignoring Hai Bo Dong's question.

"But you're only a mere Dou Master. You expect a dignified Dou Emperor like me to serve you?" Hai Bo Dong finally gave up pressing the matter and said in despair.