Stone Desert City

Watching Hai Bo Dong's attitude make a complete one-eighty, Xiao Yun had no idea what schemes were running through his mind. He merely assumed the man was being so friendly because he had hope of breaking the seal.

"This old man is Hai Bo Dong. May I ask this young friend's name, and what brings you to see me?" Hai Bo Dong brought over a chair and sat across from Xiao Yun, his face full of smiles.

"This would have been much better from the start. Fine, I suppose we can call it friendship after a fight. Just call me Xiao Yun." Looking at Hai Bo Dong's smile, which resembled a blooming chrysanthemum, Xiao Yun felt rather helpless. "You're much older than I am, so I'll call you Elder Hai. I came here only for information about the Heavenly Flames."

"Just as I thought. Young Friend Xiao Yun is indeed well-informed. This old man happens to possess information regarding the Heavenly Flames." Hearing Xiao Yun's words, Hai Bo Dong secretly sighed in relief. Although he did not know how Xiao Yun had learned that he knew the location of a Heavenly Flame, he had ultimately gambled correctly. He now had hope of forming a connection with this supreme genius.

"It is not impossible for this old man to give you the information, but I need you to do something for me first." Hai Bo Dong pulled a thin sheet of paper from his robes and waved it before Xiao Yun with a smile.

"You want me to help you break the seal and restore your former strength, right?"

"That's right. Once you obtain a Heavenly Flame and become a Sixth-Tier Alchemist, I hope you can refine a pill for me. During these past decades, I obtained a sixth-tier pill formula. As long as I can refine the pill written on it, I will be able to break the seal and recover my former strength."

"This pill is exceptionally difficult to refine. Not only does it require a Sixth-Tier Alchemist, but that Alchemist must also possess a Heavenly Flame for the refinement to succeed. Over the years, I secluded myself in the desert in order to search for Heavenly Flames. Although I cannot say for certain where one can definitely be found, I have recorded several places where they may appear and made them into a map.

As long as you agree to refine the pill for me in the future, I will offer you the information about the Heavenly Flames with both hands!"

Xiao Yun smiled and nodded. "Give me the pill formula. By the rules of Alchemists, you provide the medicinal ingredients yourself."

He had come this time partly for information about the Heavenly Flames and partly to befriend Hai Bo Dong. Once he obtained a Heavenly Flame, refining a mere Pill of Breaking the Seal would be effortless for him.

Seeing Xiao Yun nod, Hai Bo Dong finally let out a breath. The smile on his face grew even wider as he hurriedly took a scroll containing the pill formula from his Storage Ring and handed it, together with the thin paper in his hand, to Xiao Yun.

"Hm? Where are the medicinal ingredients?" Xiao Yun looked confused. Had this old fellow not heard what he had said? What was the point of giving him only the pill formula?

"Uh, well..." Hai Bo Dong gave a dry laugh, stroking several strands of his beard with his hand. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "I have gathered most of the ingredients required for the pill. Only one is still missing."

"This ingredient is called Sand Mandrake, and it can only be found in the Tagor Desert. The higher the temperature, the easier it is to find. But as you know, I cultivate an ice-attribute technique, and there is also a seal placed in my body by the Queen Medusa. The moment I step into the Tagor Desert, she will sense me, so..."

Seeing Hai Bo Dong's embarrassed expression, Xiao Yun immediately understood. Somewhat helplessly, he said, "So you expect me to look for it? I'm only a Dou Wang. The Queen Medusa is a Dou Emperor; if she discovers me, I won't even be able to escape."

Hai Bo Dong smiled awkwardly and hesitated before saying, "Actually, I'm not in that much of a hurry. I've waited so many years already; a few more won't matter. How about you go after breaking through to Dou Emperor?"

"Enough. When the time comes, I'll see if I can trade for one from the Snake-People Tribe." Rolling his eyes, Xiao Yun stood up and said helplessly, "Close this shop of yours and come with me to Stone Desert City. I have something to do there, and when I go looking for the Heavenly Flames, I'll need you to help me look after someone."

"Ah? But Stone Desert City is within the Tagor Desert. If this old man enters it, the Queen Medusa will definitely sense me." Hai Bo Dong hesitated upon hearing Xiao Yun's words.

"Oh? Even if you stay inside a city, would she deliberately come all the way over to hunt you down?"

"That would not happen. This old man is simply afraid we may run into her on the road to Stone Desert City. With her ruthless temperament, she would not spare either of us."

"Is that so?" Xiao Yun rubbed his chin. He wanted Hai Bo Dong to accompany him partly so he could help look after Qing Lin, and partly because he feared getting lost in the desert again.

After a while, he took out a jade bottle from his Storage Ring. "There is a Fourth-Tier Pill inside, the Tortoise Breath Pill. After taking it, you can conceal your aura for a day. With our speed, a day should be enough to reach Stone Desert City, right?"

"It will be enough. If this pill is truly as effective as Young Friend Xiao says, then this old man has nothing to worry about." Seeing the jade bottle Xiao Yun had taken out, Hai Bo Dong, who had still been hesitant, changed his mind and agreed. In any case, he had already staked his hopes on Xiao Yun, and traveling with him might give them a chance to strengthen their relationship.

At night, a bright moon hung in the sky, illuminating the golden desert below.

A pair of fiery-red wings beat through the dark sky as Xiao Yun flew at high speed. Beside him, Hai Bo Dong was being carried in one hand in a rather awkward position. Fortunately, they were ten thousand meters above the ground, where no one could notice them.

Xiao Yun had originally intended to travel through the desert on foot with Hai Bo Dong. After all, the latter only possessed the cultivation of a Dou Ling and could not fly. But even after taking the Tortoise Breath Pill, the old man remained worried about the Queen Medusa and insisted that Xiao Yun carry him through the air, claiming that the journey was long and flying would save far more time than walking.

After Hai Bo Dong said that, Xiao Yun found it fairly reasonable as well. His Dou Qi was incomparably abundant, and carrying one person while flying was no problem, so he simply grabbed Hai Bo Dong and flew toward Stone Desert City.

Time passed bit by bit. As the fiery-red sun gradually rose from the east, the outline of a city somewhat smaller than Desert City finally appeared at the edge of their vision.

"That is Stone Desert City up ahead, right? Once we get there, you won't have to worry about the Queen Medusa anymore, will you?"

Gazing from afar at the earthen-yellow city standing amid the wind and sand, Xiao Yun felt slightly relieved and smiled.

"That's right. Stone Desert City is an imperial city. Unless the Snake-People Tribe intends to wage an all-out war against the Jia Ma Empire, the Queen Medusa will not come here." Hai Bo Dong answered with a smile, still held in that awkward position. Only after seeing Stone Desert City did he finally relax completely and stop worrying about the Queen Medusa appearing.

Dou Qi surged as his flying speed abruptly increased once again. Like a meteor, he shot straight toward Stone Desert City.

When they were still several hundred meters from Stone Desert City, Xiao Yun gradually slowed down. His body trembled slightly, and the fiery-red wings turned into pure Dou Qi and withdrew into his body. The two landed amid the yellow sand.

"Let's walk in from here. I'll still need to search for Heavenly Flames nearby, so there's no need to make too much of a spectacle." Xiao Yun smiled at Hai Bo Dong beside him, changed out of his Alchemist robes, and put on a black robe before slowly walking toward Stone Desert City.

A short while later, inside an inn in Stone Desert City, Xiao Yun and Hai Bo Dong sat at a table, drinking tea and chatting.

"Young Friend Xiao, where is the person you need this old man to look after?"

"No rush, Elder Hai. I have not found her yet. Later, I'll have to trouble you to make a trip to the City Lord's Manor and have them help search for her."

Stone Desert City no longer had the mercenary group established by Xiao Ding and the others, and Xiao Yun did not know where Qing Lin was. However, the City Lord's Manor surely knew Stone Desert City best, so he could rely on them to find Qing Lin.

"Hmph, you certainly know how to order this old man around. Fine, who asked me to have a favor to seek from you?" Hearing Xiao Yun's words, Hai Bo Dong said helplessly.