Bo Saixi Flees, Meets Hai Bodong, Repays Kindness with Enmity!

At the same time, in the Battle Through the Heavens Plane.

Tagor Desert, Snake-Person Holy City, underground altar.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

A shrill, miserable scream erupted from the Green Lotus Core Flame at the center of the altar.

Queen Medusa was undergoing that nine-deaths-one-life evolution!

The terrifying energy of the Heavenly Flames spiraled out of control, purple waves of flame sweeping through the entire underground world like a tsunami.

The surrounding stone pillars began to collapse, and countless Snake-Person guards retreated in terror, fearing they would be caught in the wake of this destructive power.

"Now is the time!"

Hiding in a corner and trembling, Bo Saixi felt a sudden flash of survival instinct ignite in her long-dimmed blue eyes!

Her current state was, in fact, quite bizarre.

Because she had previously been used as a human vacuum to absorb a massive amount of cold energy from the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, her Soul Power was mostly sealed, but her physical body had temporarily gained an extremely high resistance to fire.

Medusa is currently unable to look after herself!

That group of snake-people are all fleeing for their lives!

This is the only chance Lord Sea God has granted me!

Seizing the moment, Bo Saixi whipped off the tattered slave robes she was wearing.

"Sea God's Light, protect me!"

She forcibly channeled the sliver of remaining cold spring energy within her, forming a thin layer of frost armor over her skin.

Then, like a slippery fish, she dashed frantically toward the exit through the gaps between the chaotic crowd and the waves of fire!

Half an hour later.

Tagor Desert, an endless sea of golden sand.

"Haa, haa—"

"I'm out—I finally made it out!"

Bo Saixi knelt on a sand dune, looking back at the receding Snake-Person Holy City, tears streaming down her face in excitement.

She had escaped!

She was no longer that slave who knelt on the ground to absorb cold air and wash the Queen's feet!

"I am Bo Saixi! I am the Sea God Douluo!"

"As long as I can find a body of water, even if it's just a small stream, I can recover my strength and dominate this region!"

Bo Saixi stood up, attempting to sense the water elements in the surroundings.

However, a minute passed, then ten minutes passed—

Bo Saixi's expression shifted from wild joy to pale shock, and finally to despair.

Damn it!

It was too dry!

For a thousand miles around, let alone a sea, there wasn't even a single drop of dew!

The air was filled with scorching fire-attribute Dou Qi; for a Sea Soul Master with extreme water attributes like her, this place was nothing short of hell!

"Water, I need water—"

After being exposed to the sun for only half an hour, Bo Saixi felt the moisture in her body evaporating rapidly.

Her skin began to crack, her lips peeled, and those eyes that were once as deep as the ocean were now bloodshot.

In this world without water, she, the Sea God Douluo, couldn't even defeat a lizard in the desert!

"Walk, keep walking east."

"I will definitely make it out—"

Relying on the foundation of her level 99 Title Douluo physique, Bo Saixi stumbled forward through the desert.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Douluo Continent, Sea God Island.

The Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians watched the light screen, seeing their own High Priestess with disheveled hair and cracked lips, crawling through the desert like a beggar, and their hearts twisted in agony.

"High Priestess, that is the High Priestess—"

Sea Dragon Douluo knelt before the Sea God Hall, weeping bitterly: "Lord Sea God! Please open your eyes and look!"

"Your spokesperson is about to die of thirst!"

In the Douluo Continent, Bo Saixi was invincible on the ocean.

But in the desert of the Battle Through the Heavens plane, she was nothing more than a fish out of water, slowly turning into dried fish.

She did not know how long she had been walking.

Just as Bo Saixi felt she was about to turn into a mummy and her consciousness began to blur, a solitary shop suddenly appeared in an oasis ahead.

A tattered flag hung above the shop, depicting an Ancient Map.

"Ancient Map!"

"There are people, there is a house—"

"Where there is a house, there is water!"

A light like that of a starving wolf erupted from Bo Saixi's withered eyes!

She did not know where she found the strength, but she scrambled down the sand dune using her hands and feet, crawling and stumbling toward the shop.

"Bang!"

Bo Saixi burst through the shop door, collapsing onto the floor inside.

The shop was cool and filled with a faint scent of ink.

Behind the counter, an old man with white hair, who had been focused on drawing a map, paused his brush and furrowed his brows.

He wore simple robes, his expression was cold and stern, and he radiated an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

He was one of the former top ten powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong!

"Where did this beggar come from?"

Hai Bodong did not even look up, saying coldly, "This shop does not give handouts. Get out."

If this were before, had anyone dared to tell her to get out, Bo Saixi would have slapped them to death long ago.

But now, she could only lie humbly on the floor, reaching out a withered hand: "Water, give me water—"

"I am the High Priestess of the Sea God. As long as you give me water, I can give you endless wealth, I can give you spirit bones—"

"Sea God? Spirit bones?"

Hai Bodong finally raised his head.

His sharp, ice-blue eyes swept over Bo Saixi.

Suddenly, he let out a sound of surprise.

"A water-attribute constitution?"

"Although a bit shriveled, this aura—"

Hai Bodong put down his brush and walked out from behind the counter with great interest.

He was an expert in playing with ice.

Even though Bo Saixi was in a sorry state, the aura of the ultimate water deep within her bones could not escape his eyes.

"Which sect are you a water-type Dou Zhe from? How did you end up wandering in this Tagor Desert?"

Hai Bodong casually poured a cup of tea and placed it on the floor in front of Bo Saixi.

When Bo Saixi saw the tea, it was as if she had seen her own life!

She lunged forward, grabbed the cup, and downed it in one gulp!

Gulp!

With the cup of water in her stomach, Bo Saixi finally caught her breath.

Her reason returned slightly, and at the same time, she sensed the formidable strength of the old man before her.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Bo Saixi's eyes.

Although she was very weak now, she had absorbed the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, and that terrifying chill still remained in her body.

If she could kill this old man and seize this shop, all the fresh water and food here would be hers!

"Old man, thank you for the water."

Bo Saixi stood up shakily, a burst of residual cold spring power erupting from her body: "As a reward, I will send you to meet the Sea God!!"

"Martial Soul, Sea God Avatar!"

A phantom of a blue giant appeared behind Bo Saixi; although faint, it still carried the pressure of a god-level powerhouse as she struck toward the top of Hai Bodong's head!

I must survive!

Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent.

Seeing this scene, countless people exclaimed.

"Returning kindness with enmity?!"

"Has the High Priestess gone mad? Someone gave her water to drink, and she wants to kill him and loot the shop?"

"However, that old man only looks like a Soul Ancestor. Even though the High Priestess is weak, she should be able to win this fatal blow, right?"

Yet, reality is often far more cruel than ideals.

Facing Bo Saixi's ferocious strike, Hai Bodong's wrinkled old face showed not a hint of panic; instead, he wore a mocking smirk as if looking at an idiot.

"Playing with water in front of me?"

"And playing with ice in front of me, too?"

"When this old man was playing with ice, you didn't even know where to play with mud!"

"Mystic-tier high-grade Dou Technique, Frozen Mirror!"

Hai Bodong formed a seal with one hand and waved it casually.

Crack!

A thick ice mirror instantly appeared before him.

Bang!

Bo Saixi's palm slammed heavily against the ice mirror, but the scene of the mirror shattering that she had anticipated did not occur.

Instead, Bo Saixi felt a force of extreme cold recoil through her arm!

"How is this possible?!" Bo Saixi exclaimed in shock.

"Hmph, water-attribute Dou Qi is nothing but a little brother in front of ice-attribute!"

Hai Bodong let out a cold snort, his aged palms thrusting out with lightning speed!

"Mystic Ice Dragon Soar, freeze for me!"

Whoosh!!!

A terrifying chill erupted instantly, directly enveloping Bo Saixi's entire body!

Although this cold air could not compare to the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, it was Dou Qi tempered and refined by Hai Bodong, a former Dou Emperor.

For Bo Saixi, who was composed entirely of water, it was an absolute hard counter!

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

In just an instant!

Maintaining her attacking posture, Bo Saixi was frozen solid into a lifelike ice sculpture!

"This—"

Bo Saixi's consciousness remained clear, but her body was completely unable to move.

Through the crystalline ice, she watched in horror as the old man slowly walked toward her.

She had lost.

Lost completely and utterly.

One-shotted by an old man who drew maps in the desert!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this pose is not bad at all."

Hai Bodong circled the ice sculpture of Bo Saixi twice, stroking his chin as he critiqued her: "A water-attribute constitution, yet you absorbed my cold air so perfectly, not even a single bubble formed."

"Perfect. It's too hot in this desert."

"Placing you in the shop as a human-shaped ice room is a pretty good choice."

With that, Hai Bodong lifted the Bo Saixi ice sculpture with one hand, carrying her like a piece of furniture to the corner of the shop, and casually draped a rag over her head.

"Stay put."

"When this old man is in a good mood, I'll thaw you out to do some cleaning."

"If you dare to move—"

A cold glint flashed in Hai Bodong's eyes: "I'll smash you to pieces and use you to make soup!"

On the other side, Douluo Continent.

Sea God Island.

Clang!

The trident in Sea Dragon Douluo's hand dropped to the ground, smashing onto his toes, yet he forgot to cry out in pain.

All the Sea Soul Masters were stunned.

The Great High Priest Bo Saixi, whom they regarded as sacred, inviolable, and invincible in the world—

Failed her jailbreak.

Failed her murder and robbery attempt.

And was now frozen into an ice sculpture by someone?

With a rag draped over her head?!

"Great High Priest."

"You, you had better stop trying to escape—"

"At least among the Snake-Person Tribe, you could still wash the Queen's feet."

"But here, you've become a piece of furniture!!"

Battle Through the Heavens Plane, Tagor Desert, inside the Ancient Map shop.

Outside, the scorching sun baked the desert like a giant steamer, distorting the air and sending waves of heat rolling across the dunes.

Yet, inside this narrow shop, it was as cool as late autumn.

"Slurp."

Hai Bodong sat behind the counter, contentedly lifting a coarse porcelain bowl to take a sip of the bone-chilling plum juice, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Refreshing."

"On a hot day like this, being able to drink a cup of iced plum juice is like living like an immortal."

As he spoke, he set the bowl down and cast his gaze toward the corner of the shop.

There stood a lifelike ice sculpture of a beautiful woman.

Bo Saixi remained frozen in the solid black ice, still locked in the pose of someone trying to unleash a Sea God Avatar.

The dirty rag draped over her head was still dripping water, but that did not stop her exquisite face from radiating a sense of profound despair.

To make matters worse, Hai Bodong reached out, picked up a small chisel, and strolled leisurely over to the ice sculpture.

"Clink! Clink!"

He skillfully chipped a few pieces of ice off Bo Saixi's shoulder, the thickest part of the ice layer.

Then, right in front of Bo Saixi, he tossed those ice shards—still carrying the body scent of the Sea God's High Priestess—into his plum juice.

"Gulp."

Hai Bodong swirled the bowl, watching the ice cubes bob in the red liquid, and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad."

"The ice condensed from water-attribute Dou Qi is indeed more resistant to melting than ordinary ice, and it even carries a faint hint of cold spring water."

"It's top-tier for chilling drinks."

Inside the ice sculpture.

Bo Saixi's consciousness was clear, and precisely because she was clear, she felt like dying right then and there.

Humiliation!

This was naked, blatant humiliation!

She was Bo Saixi, the Sea God, the spokesperson for the vast ocean!

She was the god whom countless Sea Soul Masters worshipped!

Her body, her Soul Power—how noble and sacred they were!

And now, she had been frozen into an ice pop!

She was being used as an air conditioner!

She was even having ice chipped off her body to chill plum juice?!

Kill me! If you have the guts, just kill me!!

Bo Saixi roared frantically in her heart, her eyes darting desperately as she tried to kill this old man who was blaspheming against a deity with nothing but her gaze.

However, Hai Bodong didn't care about her glare at all.

He finished his plum juice and, seemingly feeling a bit bored, pulled up a chair to sit opposite the ice sculpture, studying Bo Saixi as if he were admiring a work of art.

"Stop glaring, your eyeballs are about to pop out."

Hai Bodong wiped his chisel in a leisurely manner and said indifferently: "I'm sparing your life because your constitution is truly unique."

"In this Tagor Desert, water-attribute Dou Zhe are already scarce, and one as pure as you is as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns."

"And—"

Hai Bodong's gaze suddenly sharpened, and the aura that erupted in that instant made Bo Saixi's soul tremble within the ice: "You seem to have absorbed the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, haven't you?"

"Although your method was crude and wasted most of the medicinal power, the bit of cold energy remaining in your bone marrow has some research value for me."

He could tell!

Bo Saixi was terrified.

How could this old man, who appeared to have only the strength of a Soul Ancestor, have such a viciously sharp eye?

He had seen through her experience of swallowing the cold spring among the Snake-Person Tribe at a single glance?

Who on earth are you—

Bo Saixi wished more than anything that she could speak.

She could feel that this old man was definitely no ordinary map-maker!

That level of mastery over ice, that gaze that seemed to pierce through everything—this was undoubtedly a true powerhouse!

Seeming to see through Bo Saixi's confusion, Hai Bodong let out a cold sneer and extended a finger, tapping it lightly against the center of the ice sculpture's forehead.

A gentle surge of Dou Qi flowed in, melting the layer of ice around Bo Saixi's head, though it was limited to that area alone.

"Haa... haa..."

Bo Saixi was finally able to breathe; she gasped for air, greedily inhaling the frigid atmosphere.

"Tell me, where did you get your Cold Spring?"

Hai Bodong stared into her eyes, his tone brooks no argument: "Was it that woman, Queen Medusa?"

"Sss—"

Bo Saixi's body stiffened. Although only her head could move, the terror in her eyes betrayed her: "You... you know Queen Medusa?"

"Hmph, we're old acquaintances."

Hai Bodong touched his aged face, a flicker of hatred flashing in his eyes: "If not for that woman, would this old man have fallen to such a state, reduced to this ghostly appearance, and forced to hide in this dilapidated shop drawing maps?"

"However—"

Hai Bodong shifted his tone, looking at Bo Saixi: "Since you escaped from the Snake-Person Tribe and carry the scent of the Cold Spring on you, it seems that woman Medusa is preparing to evolve?"

Bo Saixi dared not hide the truth and nodded frantically like a pestle pounding garlic: "Yes! Yes! She is evolving! I escaped while there was chaos!"

"Senior! As long as you let me go, I can take you there! I know where she is evolving! You can take your revenge while she is weak!"

Bo Saixi attempted to shift the disaster onto another, even fantasizing that this old man and Medusa would leave each other crippled so she could reap the rewards.