Breaking the Seal on Queen Medusa; Hai Bodong Gets Carried Away! / Clues to a Heavenly Flame; Heading into the Depths of the Tagor Desert

"You...!"

At his words, Hai Bodong felt his blood rush straight to his head. Veins instantly bulged on his forehead as the rage he had suppressed and the humiliation of being toyed with surged back into his heart.

He clenched both fists, and the ice-attributed Dou Qi within him faintly showed signs of erupting.

If not for his fear of Xiao Qing's unfathomable Soul Power, he would have attacked long ago!

One Mystic Ice Dragon Soar would have frozen this brat, who had repeatedly "amused" himself at his expense, into icy fragments!

"However..."

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Xiao Qing suddenly changed his tone. A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as he continued.

"Although I can't refine a Tier 6 Medicinal Pill yet, my teacher can!"

Those casual words were like cold water poured over flames about to ignite.

Hai Bodong's raging fury was instantly extinguished by those unexpected words.

The way he looked as though he wanted to explode yet forcibly held himself back was rather comical.

Xiao Qing chuckled softly at the sight.

That feeling of wanting to beat someone up but being afraid you could not win—who understood it?

Only the current "Ice Emperor," that was who!

Hai Bodong stared fixedly at Xiao Qing, his chest heaving violently several times as though he were about to cough up blood from anger.

In the end, he forcibly swallowed it back down.

There was no helping it. He could not beat him, and the current circumstances were against him!

What was more, behind the other party stood a high-tier alchemist teacher capable of refining Tier 6 Medicinal Pills and, most likely, possessing Heavenly Flames!

That gave him a far more tangible and urgent hope than a Fragmented Map that meant nothing to him.

Break the seal and return to his peak!

A rare trace of embarrassment appeared on Hai Bodong's aged face.

He coughed dryly, his voice unconsciously lowering. "I have exhausted much effort to gather the ingredients required for the Break-Edict Pill, and I have assembled three sets! It's just..."

"It's just that all three sets are missing the most crucial primary ingredient—the Sand Mandala!"

He tried to force out a helpless smile.

However, the muscles on his face had been frozen for years. His smile only made him appear even more frightening.

"It's only one missing ingredient. No matter."

Xiao Qing waved his hand lightly, speaking as though it were an utterly trivial matter.

He continued with words that made Hai Bodong's heart pound. "Give me the pill formula and the ingredients you already possess, and I can remove your seal immediately."

"Is that true?!"

The Secret Art for Breaking Queen Medusa's Seal; Hai Bodong's Swelling Confidence!

At his words, light instantly burst forth in Hai Bodong's cloudy eyes, and his heart filled with wild joy.

He had just assumed Xiao Qing possessed the Sand Mandala needed to refine the Break-Edict Pill!

The flames of hope burned fiercely once more!

However, Xiao Qing merely looked at him meaningfully and said in a slightly teasing tone, "If you do not believe me, then Xiao shall leave now."

With that, he made as though to depart.

"Don't—!"

Hai Bodong hurriedly called out to stop him, even unconsciously taking half a step forward.

"Everything can be discussed!"

Xiao Qing was his only hope of breaking free from his predicament. How could he let him leave just like that?

A wave of frustration rose in his heart as he realized this youth had him completely in his grasp, leaving him unable to resist.

When had he, the mighty Ice Emperor, ever suffered such humiliation?

"Sigh! Fine..."

After struggling for a moment, Hai Bodong finally let out another heavy sigh. As though resigning himself to fate, he gritted his teeth.

He extended his withered hand. With a flash of light, an ancient-looking Storage Ring appeared in his palm. With reluctance and resolve, he handed it to Xiao Qing.

His voice was full of helplessness as he said, "Within this Storage Ring is the pill formula for the Tier 6 Medicinal Pill, the 'Break-Edict Pill,' as well as... three sets of corresponding ingredients missing the Sand Mandala. I hope you will keep your promise!"

Xiao Qing accepted the Storage Ring and lightly ran his fingertips over its surface. Then, a strand of Soul Power entered it.

After a brief inspection, a satisfied curve formed at the corner of his lips.

Not bad. Another Tier 6 pill formula and three sets of precious ingredients.

He was secretly delighted.

Perhaps because he had become an alchemist, collecting various high-tier pill formulas and rare medicinal ingredients had already become one of his greatest hobbies and pleasures.

"Alright, I have accepted the payment, so there is no need to waste any more time..." Xiao Qing put away the Storage Ring, his expression turning serious as he spoke directly.

"Let's begin now. Find somewhere quiet so we can remove the seal on your body."

"Huh? Th-this..." Hai Bodong was stunned by the sudden pace and instinctively asked in confusion.

"Th-this... don't we need to refine the Break-Edict Pill first?"

Xiao Qing found his bewildered expression somewhat amusing and asked in return, "Did I ever tell you that removing your Snake Sealing Curse required the Break-Edict Pill?"

"Uh..."

Hai Bodong was instantly left speechless. He opened his mouth, only to discover that he had nothing to say.

Indeed, no one had ever explicitly stated that lifting the seal had to rely on a medicinal pill.

It was merely a fixed belief he had formed over the years based on ancient records.

Only after Xiao Qing pointed it out did he suddenly realize that he might have been trapped in a misunderstanding all along.

As for the youth before him, his methods were likely far more unfathomable than he had imagined.

Seeing Xiao Qing's calm demeanor, Hai Bodong could not help but feel anticipation amid his confusion.

Inside the basement, the air seemed to have solidified.

Xiao Qing held his breath and focused. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes!

His Peak Mortal Realm Soul Power was like the finest surgical blade, transforming into countless invisible, incorporeal threads that silently entered Hai Bodong's body and headed directly toward the Snake Sealing Curse entwined deep within his Source of Dou Qi.

The seal resembled a tiny dark-purple snake and emitted a cold, sinister aura.

Not only did it lock down Hai Bodong's Dou Qi, it was also intertwined with part of his soul imprint. If it were forcibly stripped away, it would likely cause irreversible damage.

Yet before Xiao Qing's terrifying Soul Power, the seal that had driven Hai Bodong to despair for years did not seem so indestructible.

He carefully used Soul Power to infiltrate and analyze it, locating the weak points in its energy nodes and soul connections. Then... he suddenly exerted force!

Buzz—

A faint tremor that could only be sensed on the soul level rang out.

The dark-purple snake shadow seemed to let out a silent wail. Under the cleansing force of Peak Mortal Realm Soul Power, it turned into specks of purple light before completely vanishing into nothingness.

Within the deep palace of the Snake-People Tribe's Holy City—

Upon the throne, an incomparably beautiful woman reclined lazily against the royal seat.

Her figure was graceful, her curves astonishing. Her long black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making her snow-white skin appear even fairer. Simply lying there, she exuded an innate allure and majesty, possessing peerless elegance.

Queen Medusa, who had been resting with her eyes closed, lightly trembled her slender eyelashes. The jade hand supporting her forehead moved slightly.

She slowly opened her seductive light-purple eyes. A trace of coldness flashed through them first, followed by faint surprise.

Someone... forcibly broke my Snake Sealing Curse?

Her thoughts stirred, and she immediately recalled the ice-attributed human Dou Emperor who had ventured deep into the desert more than a decade ago and been personally sealed by her.

That old fellow named Hai Bodong...

As the thought turned, a barely perceptible cold smile appeared on Queen Medusa's red lips.

A Dou Emperor who had been sealed for more than ten years would struggle to recover his former strength even after the seal was lifted!

He was no longer worthy of her attention.

Right now, she had more important matters to resolve!

Namely, how to break through the Dou Emperor bottleneck and enter the longed-for realm of Dou Zong!

Perhaps... that ancient secret art is the only chance that can help me break through...

With that thought, she slowly closed her beautiful eyes again, dispersing the faint sensation from before and immersing herself in plans for the future.

Desert City, underground chamber—

At the very moment Queen Medusa sensed the seal being broken—

Boom!

A terrifying aura that had lain dormant for more than a decade, suppressed to the extreme, erupted in an instant!

The aura of a Dou Emperor suddenly swept out from Hai Bodong's aged body!

Icy blue Dou Qi light shot toward the ceiling, illuminating the entire chamber.

Fortunately, this chamber had been painstakingly built by Hai Bodong. Its walls were covered in densely packed runes that blocked the Dou Emperor aura, which was enough to alarm the entire city, and firmly sealed it inside.

"Ha ha ha ha—!"

His ecstatic laughter was so loud that the chamber trembled slightly.

Under a pair of Dou Qi Transformation Wings condensed from ice-attributed Dou Qi, Hai Bodong's body slowly rose into the air within the chamber.

He tilted his head back, his face filled with indescribable excitement and exhilaration.

All the frustration, unwillingness, and despair of these years were poured into that mad laughter.

"How many years has it been?! This damned seal... has finally! Finally been broken!"

The terrifying sensation of power once more filled every part of his body, and the Dou Qi belonging to a Dou Emperor raced through his meridians.

At this moment, he, Hai Bodong the Ice Emperor, had truly returned!

After laughing wildly for quite some time, Hai Bodong, floating in midair, suddenly stopped.

His eyes, which had grown cold again after his strength returned, looked down at Xiao Qing, who had remained calm and motionless below.

His cloudy old eyes narrowed slightly. An extremely complicated glint flashed through their depths, carrying traces of gratitude.

But more than that, there was the coldness of scrutiny and calculation that naturally arose after his strength had been restored.

Strength was the best catalyst for desire.

Clues to the Heavenly Flames; Heading Deep into the Tagor Desert

Feeling his suddenly restored strength, a dangerous thought abruptly surfaced in some corner of his heart—

Perhaps... with my restored Dou Emperor cultivation, I can take that Fragmented Map...

Below him, Xiao Qing gently raised his head. His expression remained calm, unaffected by Hai Bodong's sudden change in attitude.

His indifferent gaze met Hai Bodong's eyes, which had turned cold once more.

It was as though the Dou Emperor aura gradually returning to the other man meant no more to him than when Hai Bodong had still been a Dou Ling.

Then, Xiao Qing's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a faint smile that was not quite a smile.

His eyes were filled with amusement, yet his joking tone contained endless chill that pierced straight into Hai Bodong's heart as he said:

"What? Has our great Ice Emperor Hai Bodong just recovered his strength and decided to ask Xiao... how to walk the Path to Rebirth?"

The moment those words fell, they were like a flood extinguishing a great fire, instantly snuffing out the faint greed that had just risen in Hai Bodong's heart.