Breaking the Seal

Hai Bo Dong's expression changed abruptly, but he was, after all, a man who had fought in the peak leagues. He regained his composure before long.

"How did you discover me?"

As he spoke, he also sized up Xiao Qing before him, a trace of astonishment flashing through his eyes.

The person before him looked no more than ten or so, yet his cultivation had reached the Dou Wang level. It was simply terrifying!

And that purple-haired little girl behind him—he had not paid much attention when he saw her last time, but now that he sensed her, she was just as unfathomable.

"Where did these monsters come from?"

Hai Bo Dong cursed inwardly.

He had not encountered even one such monster in half his life, yet he had now met two at once—and had offended both of them. What rotten luck.

Standing behind Xiao Qing, Zi Yan curiously examined Hai Bo Dong.

No matter how she looked at him, she could not connect this frail old man with a Dou Emperor expert.

Qing Lin, standing to the side, showed little change in expression.

After all, she believed that Xiao Qing would one day reach the Dou Emperor realm, perhaps even surpass it.

"How I discovered you is not important. What matters is that I can remove the seal within your body."

Xiao Qing smiled faintly. As he spoke, terrifying soul power surged from between his brows and swept toward Hai Bo Dong.

Silently, he investigated Hai Bo Dong's internal condition with complete clarity.

"What do you need me to do?"

Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong's expression shifted, and there was a hint of excitement in his tone that even he himself had not noticed.

He did not think Xiao Qing was lying to him. To attain such cultivation at such an age, talent, background, and resources were all indispensable.

Such a monster could not possibly have come from the Jia Ma Empire. He most likely hailed from the legendary Central Plains.

Breaking a seal might be effortless to him.

A trace of approval flashed through Xiao Qing's eyes. He was quite satisfied with Hai Bo Dong's tact.

"Work for me, and I will remove your seal."

Worried that Hai Bo Dong might resist, Xiao Qing added:

"Rest assured, I will not remain in the Jia Ma Empire for long. I will not trouble you for too long."

"Once I leave, I will return your freedom to you."

As his words fell, the scene sank into a brief silence.

Hai Bo Dong's expression fluctuated.

He had stayed in this small city on the edge of the Tagor Desert for more than ten years, and not a moment passed when he did not wish to leave.

Yet because of his own strength, he had been unable to travel far, fearing that Queen Medusa would discover him.

Now, an opportunity to leave lay before him. Faced with such temptation, how could he not want to agree?

Besides, working for a monster like Xiao Qing would not tarnish the reputation of the Ice Emperor.

After pondering for a long while, Hai Bo Dong finally made up his mind, determination flashing through his eyes.

"Fine. I, Hai Bo Dong, accept this condition!"

Xiao Qing nodded in satisfaction, then flipped his hand and retrieved a jade bottle from his Storage Ring, handing it to Hai Bo Dong.

"Take this pill, and I will remove your seal."

He would not fully trust Hai Bo Dong merely because of a verbal promise.

Although Hai Bo Dong's character had been proven in the original work, who knew whether he might resent him?

Xiao Qing did not dare gamble on it, nor could he be bothered to.

The pill contained a wisp of Life Spirit Flame.

If Hai Bo Dong made any suspicious move, Xiao Qing only needed a thought to trigger that wisp of Life Spirit Flame and burn him to ashes.

Of course, if he served faithfully, Xiao Qing would remove it before leaving.

Hai Bo Dong reached out and accepted it. Since he had agreed, he naturally would not refuse.

Besides, the two were unfamiliar with each other. It was normal for Xiao Qing to distrust him and leave behind some safeguards.

Nor did he believe that his current Dou Ling cultivation was valuable enough to be exploited.

Without hesitation, he poured out the pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

Sensing the Life Spirit Flame within Hai Bo Dong, Xiao Qing chuckled. "Since you have taken the pill, we are all on the same side from now on."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Xiao Qing. Aside from the Dou Wang cultivation you know of, I am also a Sixth Grade Alchemist."

"A Sixth Grade Alchemist!"

Shock appeared on Hai Bo Dong's face.

It was one thing for Xiao Qing to reach the Dou Wang level at barely over ten years old, but he was actually also a Sixth Grade Alchemist!

Even the president of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Association was only a Peak Fifth-Rank Alchemist.

One could imagine the weight carried by a Sixth Grade Alchemist within the Jia Ma Empire.

At this moment, Hai Bo Dong had only one thought in mind.

He had to cling tightly to this golden thigh. If he did so well enough, he might have a chance to break through to the Dou Zong realm in his lifetime!

Xiao Qing nodded slightly and continued, "I will not introduce these two behind me in detail. You will come to know them in time."

"Is there somewhere secluded here? I will remove the seal within your body now."

"Naturally."

Hai Bo Dong hurriedly nodded. After tightly shutting the shop's main doors, he led Xiao Qing toward a side door.

After telling the two girls not to run around, Xiao Qing followed at an unhurried pace.

Beyond the side door was a corridor. He followed Hai Bo Dong for some distance before they stopped outside a room at the end of the corridor.

Upon pushing open the door, they found a rather tidy room.

"This is the place. Will it meet your requirements?"

After looking around, Xiao Qing nodded casually.

"It will do. Go in and find a place to sit."

"Me?"

Hai Bo Dong pointed at himself and asked in confusion.

"Don't you need to refine a pill?"

"It is only a seal. There is no need to make things so troublesome."

Xiao Qing shook his head without offering further explanation.

Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong walked to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged, his face full of confusion.

However, he soon understood what Xiao Qing intended to do.

Xiao Qing calmly walked behind him and pressed a palm against his back.

"It may hurt a little. Bear with it."

Before Hai Bo Dong could react, Xiao Qing's warning reached his ears.

Pain?

What a joke. He had once been one of the Jia Ma Empire's ten greatest experts.

What could a little pain possibly do to him?

"Just do whatever you need to."

He replied dismissively, but in the very next instant, Hai Bo Dong felt a flame radiating terrifying heat surge into his body through Xiao Qing's palm.

"Ah... damn..."

Cold sweat instantly poured from Hai Bo Dong's brow, and he could not stop himself from crying out, completely throwing his previous thoughts to the back of his mind.

Feeling the green flame travel through the meridians in his body and charge directly into the Dark Cyan Snake Seal, Hai Bo Dong nearly could not help but curse aloud.

How could his frail meridians withstand such terrifying flames?

Just as his meridians were about to be burned apart, a faint aura of life suddenly spread from the flames coursing throughout them.

It restored vitality to his damaged meridians and made them even tougher.

At the same time, under the flames' scorching heat, wisps of cyan smoke rose from the Dark Cyan Snake Seal as it gradually became fainter.

The Dou Qi within the seal slowly began to seep out.

Refined by the Life Spirit Flame, it became even more condensed.

The aura Hai Bo Dong emitted also began to rise steadily...