Hai Bodong

High in the sky, a figure streaked across the scorching heavens. In Xiao Yun's eyes, a yellow-earth city standing amid the desert was already close at hand.

While they were still some distance from the city, Xiao Yun descended with Little Doctor Fairy.

"The Tagore Desert. We've arrived."

The moment Little Doctor Fairy's feet touched the ground, she was immediately assailed by the heat rising from the earth. The dry air around her and the blazing sunlight overhead made the temperature here extremely high. The distant scenery appeared warped and blurred in her eyes.

For someone who cultivated poison Dou Qi, a high-temperature environment was definitely not a good place.

A bead of sweat rolled down her fair forehead. If it had not been for Xiao Yun, Little Doctor Fairy would never have come to such a place in her life. The heat made her deeply uncomfortable, and her heart grew increasingly irritable.

Xiao Yun noticed that something was wrong with Little Doctor Fairy. He took out a medicinal pill and handed it to her. "This is an Ice Snow Pill. It can keep your body temperature at a comfortable level in high-temperature environments."

Little Doctor Fairy accepted the pill and swallowed it. She immediately felt a cool sensation spread through her body, and the irritation brought on by the heat vanished.

"Good stuff! Alchemists really are amazing. You even have things like this. Thanks." Little Doctor Fairy smiled faintly as she thanked Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun smiled and led Little Doctor Fairy toward the yellow-earth city nearby.

Before long, the two entered the city. Affected by the temperature, most of the men in the city were bare-chested, their skin generally dark and sun-browned.

The occasional women who passed by were dressed just as boldly. Their clothes barely covered their chests, and most of them exposed their slender waists.

Outfits like Xiao Yun's and Little Doctor Fairy's made them stand out as oddities in this city.

The city beneath them was called Desert City. Xiao Yun had landed here because he wanted to obtain something.

A fragment of the map related to the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. Thus, as soon as they entered the city, Xiao Yun led Little Doctor Fairy around with a clear purpose.

The desert's buildings differed from those Little Doctor Fairy usually saw. The strange-looking houses let her see things she had never encountered before.

Watching Xiao Yun constantly look around, Little Doctor Fairy asked curiously, "Xiao Yun, are you looking for something?"

Xiao Yun nodded, looked toward a building ahead, and smiled. "Found it."

Following Xiao Yun's gaze, Little Doctor Fairy saw a shop called "Ancient Map."

The shop was not decorated particularly well. Among the surrounding buildings, it was completely inconspicuous. Little Doctor Fairy did not understand why Xiao Yun had specifically sought out such an ordinary shop.

Following Xiao Yun, Little Doctor Fairy entered the Ancient Map shop. It was a store specializing in maps. There was no one inside at the moment, and it was very quiet.

Xiao Yun's gaze swept around before settling on the old man at the counter, who had his head lowered as he worked on a map.

This old man was the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, a Dou Emperor expert. His hair was completely white, yet the withered hand holding the brush was steady and powerful, without the slightest tremor.

His eyes swept over the large number of maps on the counter, but Xiao Yun did not find what he wanted. After looking around, he walked over to an ancient wooden shelf in the corner.

On that wooden shelf, Xiao Yun saw what he had been looking for: a tattered fragment of a map the size of his palm.

He reached out and took down the damaged map fragment. A flash of delight crossed Xiao Yun's eyes, and at that moment, Hai Bodong finally looked over.

An aged voice rang out within the shop as Hai Bodong asked, "Are you here to buy a map of the Tagore Desert?"

Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Xiao Yun turned and slowly walked to the counter. Smiling, he shook his head. "No."

He placed the damaged map fragment on the counter before Hai Bodong. "I came for this. Take out the other half."

Hai Bodong was somewhat stunned. He had not expected Xiao Yun to see that the map was incomplete.

His gaze swept across Xiao Yun's face. After thinking for a moment, he put away the map and said flatly, "This is not for sale."

Though Hai Bodong's tone was calm, it carried an attitude that brooked no argument.

Xiao Yun was not angered by the outright refusal. He continued, "What I can offer is quite generous. Are you sure you don't want to hear it?"

Hearing this, Hai Bodong carefully sized Xiao Yun up. His brows furrowed, and in the end, he said, "Kid, stop setting your sights on my map. I have no use for money. Leave."

"Also, don't even think about taking it by force. That won't end well for you." Hai Bodong waved his hand.

Xiao Yun chuckled and said something that shocked Hai Bodong to the core. "Even if you weren't sealed and still possessed the strength of a Dou Emperor, I wouldn't fear you. Now that you can only wield the strength of a Dou Spirit, if I wanted to take it by force, what could you do?"

Crack! Hai Bodong tightened his grip on the brush in his hand, and a crisp sound rang out as the brush snapped in two.

He raised his head and stared at Xiao Yun. A faint chill flashed through his cloudy eyes. "Who are you?"

Hai Bodong slammed a palm against the tabletop, and a wave of icy Dou Qi surged forth. The open doors in the distance slammed shut with a loud bang.

He fixed Xiao Yun with a sharp gaze as a powerful aura spread from Hai Bodong's body.

"So we still have to fight."

A wave of Dou Qi burst from Xiao Yun's body and wrapped around Little Doctor Fairy. He looked at Hai Bodong and said, "Xiao Yun."

"Xiao?" Seeing that Xiao Yun was completely unaffected, Hai Bodong was somewhat startled. He began considering whether he should make a move.

He could not see through Xiao Yun's strength, while Xiao Yun looked completely fearless. For a moment, Hai Bodong hesitated.

After a long while, icy Dou Qi surged from Hai Bodong's body. He looked at Xiao Yun and said, "Kid, if you want the map, defeat me first."

A fierce glint flashed across Hai Bodong's face. He stomped the ground, and his body shot toward Xiao Yun like lightning.

Having retreated to the side long ago, Little Doctor Fairy looked around the shop. It was now completely shrouded in icy air, and a faint mist rose up, completely obscuring her vision.

The surrounding temperature had already fallen to a point where things could freeze instantly, yet Little Doctor Fairy felt no discomfort at all. A layer of Dou Qi protected her body.

Xiao Yun said helplessly, "Looks like I have to beat you up before you realize I'm not so easy to bully."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yun swung his right hand and sent Hai Bodong flying over the counter with a single slap, crashing him into the wall.

Hai Bodong could not believe that Xiao Yun had sent him flying so easily with just one casual slap.

After dropping from the wall, his withered hands rapidly formed a hand seal. He shouted sharply, "Ice Condensation Mirror!"

The mist rising around them suddenly churned, and in the end, a transparent ice mirror condensed before Hai Bodong.

With the ice mirror shielding him, Hai Bodong finally regained some confidence. He sneered and waved his palm forward. Dozens of spiraling ice spikes instantly formed, then shot toward Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun leaped toward Hai Bodong. When those ice spikes came within a centimeter of him, they immediately melted into vapor, causing no harm whatsoever.

Before Hai Bodong could even express his shock, Xiao Yun had already arrived before him. Using his hand like a blade, Xiao Yun smashed it down toward the ice mirror.