Green Lotus Core Flame Map?

Hai Bo Dong spat out a mouthful of blood. The Dou Qi throughout his body scattered, and it felt as though every bone in him was about to shatter. He collapsed amid the ruins, unable to summon even the slightest strength to resist.

He stared at Xuan Qing in disbelief, his eyes filled with despair.

With just one punch, Xuan Qing had shattered the ice shield he had formed with all his strength and gravely injured him.

The strength of a young Dou Emperor was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

Death was already close at hand. Hai Bo Dong exhausted his last sliver of strength and struggled to raise his head, his voice pleading as he tried to trade his status for a chance at survival.

"Sir, I am the Supreme Elder of the Mittel Auction House!"

"As long as I give the order, everyone in the auction house will pledge loyalty to you. I myself am also willing to submit to you. Please spare my life!"

Xuan Qing lowered his gaze to the disheveled Hai Bo Dong on the ground. His expression did not waver in the slightest, and a cold sneer curled across his lips.

"A mere auction house is beneath my notice. Your paltry Dou Ling cultivation is beneath my notice as well."

As his words fell, Dou Qi condensed at Xuan Qing's fingertips into a sharp blade.

There was no needless talk. A cold flash streaked through the air.

With a wet slash.

The Dou Qi blade swept past, and blood spurted out.

The last light in Hai Bo Dong's eyes vanished completely. His body slumped limply into the ruins amid the scattered wood chips, without a trace of life left in him.

The room was a complete mess, with broken wooden beams and shattered ice fragments mixed with bloodstains.

Xuan Qing withdrew his hand and swept his gaze over the devastation without sparing the corpse on the floor another glance.

He spread out his soul power and searched for the other half of the map.

His soul perception continuously swept over the tables, chairs, cracks in the walls, and piled-up maps.

At last, he sensed a faint, unusual ripple coming from beneath the floor tiles.

Xuan Qing walked to an inconspicuous floor tile in the corner and exerted a little force.

Crack!

The tile split apart at once and was kicked open by him.

Beneath it was a hidden compartment. Inside lay a yellowed parchment fragment, the other half of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map.

Xuan Qing reached in, took out the fragment, and pieced it together with the half-map in his hand.

The two fragments fit together perfectly, revealing one-quarter of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Map.

He carefully put the fragment away, then casually glanced at Hai Bo Dong's corpse on the ground.

"Tsk, tsk. Whoever could split a map made by a Half-Emperor into two halves had quite some ability."

Xuan Qing felt no attachment whatsoever. Turning around, he strode out of the utterly ruined Ancient Map shop.

After taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped, as if he had remembered something.

His brows rose slightly. Then he turned back and stepped into the wrecked wooden house once more.

Xuan Qing walked over to the mountain of old maps, stretched out his hand, and rummaged through the disorderly pile of Ancient Maps.

One aged sheet after another was casually pushed aside, producing soft rustling sounds as the paper rubbed together.

He quickly found a map marked with a Heavenly Flame symbol, beside which were notes indicating that a Heavenly Flame might be present.

Xuan Qing put this map into his storage ring as well.

There was nothing else here worth lingering over. He no longer looked at the wreckage inside, turned around, and left the Ancient Map shop, making his way back to the inn where they were staying.

When he pushed open the door to the inn room, everything inside was quiet.

Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin were seated by the table waiting. Upon seeing Xuan Qing return, both girls turned their gazes toward him.

The two spoke almost in unison, their clear voices intertwining.

"Young Master! Master! Is it done?"

Xuan Qing shut the door behind him, walked to the table, and nodded faintly.

"Yes, it's settled."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and took out the two maps from his storage ring, spreading them across the wooden table.

The yellowed parchment maps lay unfolded. One was the pieced-together Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map, while the other was an Ancient Map marking an unknown Heavenly Flame.

Qing Lin leaned forward, curiously staring at the papers on the table. Xiao Yi Xian also moved closer, her gaze falling on the strange flame patterns.

Xiao Yi Xian extended a slender jade finger and pointed at the incomplete fragment map, her beautiful eyes widening slightly as she spoke.

"Master, this looks a lot like the map you obtained in the tomb chamber."

Xuan Qing lowered his eyes to the two maps on the table and replied calmly, "That's right. These two were originally a pair."

Qing Lin was startled. She blinked her clear eyes and asked in confusion.

"Young Master, what does this mark? Why was it split into several pieces?"

Xuan Qing's fingertips gently traced the ancient patterns on the parchment as he slowly answered.

"What it marks is the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, ranked third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It is a supreme treasure coveted even by countless Dou Saints."

At those words, Qing Lin's eyes widened instantly, her face full of shock.

Xiao Yi Xian was also shaken. One of the top three on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—what a terrifying existence that was.

"Third on the Heavenly Flame Ranking..." Xiao Yi Xian murmured.

Qing Lin asked softly, "Young Master, are you going to search for the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame?"

Xuan Qing shook his head. "There's no need to search for it. The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame is in the Central Plains."

He raised his eyes to look at the two girls and continued explaining.

"The Central Plains are filled with powerful experts, and quite a few top factions know exactly which region the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame lies in. So this fragment map is not actually of much use to those important figures."

Qing Lin frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled. "Since everyone knows the location, why did the owner of this map split it into several pieces?"

A faint smile appeared on Xuan Qing's lips. Deliberately keeping them in suspense, he lightly tapped the table.

"I won't tell you that yet. You'll understand in the future."

Qing Lin pouted slightly, unwilling to let it go, but she did not continue asking. Her clear eyes remained full of curiosity.

Xuan Qing carefully rolled up the two maps and put them into his storage ring, then turned his gaze toward the window.

"The Central Plains are still far away, so we'll set aside the matter of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame for now. This Ancient Map of an unknown Heavenly Flame, however, is not too far from us. We can go investigate it."

Qing Lin's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded. "Okay! When are we leaving?"

"We can leave now. Let's go."

As his words fell, the three of them walked out of the room together.

Xuan Qing went to the inn counter and called out to the proprietor.

"Proprietor, please take good care of my bird. Don't mistreat it."

As he spoke, Xuan Qing took a large, heavy bag of gold coins from his storage ring and placed it on the counter. The coins clinked brightly against one another.

At the sight of the bulging bag of gold, the proprietor's eyes immediately lit up. He hurriedly clasped his hands and agreed again and again.

"Rest assured, Young Master! I will certainly take excellent care of that spirit bird and will not dare neglect it in the slightest!"

Xuan Qing nodded faintly and said no more, setting off with Xiao Yi Xian and Qing Lin toward the direction marked on the map.

Xuan Qing turned his head toward the two girls and said, "Come, Qing Lin. I'll carry you. Xian'er, fly by yourself."

Qing Lin's cheeks reddened slightly. She obediently stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Xuan Qing's neck.

Xuan Qing supported the girl's slender waist with one arm and lifted her into his embrace.

Qing Lin leaned lightly against his chest, Xuan Qing's scent lingering at the tip of her nose. Her eyes sparkled brightly.