The Ice Emperor, One of the Previous Generation's Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire, Aloof and Proud...

By the time they put away the clothes and left the shop, evening was drawing near.

Qing Lin gazed at the sunset that had already faded away and sighed.

"It's dark already. Time really flies. In just half a day, I've arrived in a whole new world."

"You'll see even more wonderful worlds in the future. Come on, let's find an inn."

"Yes, Master."

"Hungry?"

"A little, hehe..."

The two walked along Desert City's streets in the night.

On the outskirts of Desert City stood a map shop called the Ancient Map. Its finely made maps drew plenty of people there to buy them.

But because the old mapmaker had such an eccentric temper, the Ancient Map Shop had a poor reputation in Desert City. Its owner did not seem to care about business, either, and never took the initiative to attract customers.

At noon the following day, two figures stood at the entrance to the Ancient Map.

Qing Lin looked at the dilapidated map shop before her, her face full of curiosity.

"Master, does this place really have what you need?"

Xiao Cha nodded. With the green lotus core flame's whereabouts now unknown, he could only return to the Ancient Map and see whether he could find a breakthrough.

"Come on. There's a legend in here."

As Xiao Cha and Qing Lin stepped into the shop, an aged voice greeted them.

"Pick whichever map you want. The prices are marked."

At the very back of the shop, a white-haired old man in blue robes was engraving a map, stroke by stroke, turning a deaf ear to the movement at the entrance.

Seeing Hai Bodong like this, Xiao Cha smiled faintly and began casually browsing the shelves. While he was looking, another figure entered.

The newcomer was a young man dressed in black robes, with an enormous black ruler strapped to his back. After hearing Hai Bodong's words, he also began browsing the shop.

As he passed Qing Lin, a flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes, but he did not approach her to say hello.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, Teacher. I just feel something familiar about this little girl. It's probably my imagination."

Xiao Cha's eyebrows rose slightly when he saw the newcomer. He had not expected Xiao Yan to arrive so quickly.

He hurriedly searched the shelves and soon spotted a tattered parchment scroll. He quickly reached out and took it, and the instant he picked up the map fragment, another hand reached toward it.

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Cha in surprise, a flash of shock crossing his eyes, before he smiled and spoke.

"Friend, that isn't a map of the Tagor Desert. Haven't you picked up the wrong one?"

Xiao Cha chuckled inwardly. He first silently invoked the check-in, then put the map fragment into his Ring of Holding.

Check in.

Check-in successful. Congratulations on receiving the Flame Manipulation Art, a peak sixth-tier Restoration Pill, secret technique: Eye-Scorching Divine Light, Hundred-Flame Gilded Spear crafting fragment ×1.

Hearing the rewards announced by the system, Xiao Cha's lips curved into a teasing smile as he looked at Xiao Yan.

"But I think this map fragment looks pretty good. Who knows? It might be some kind of treasure~"

As he spoke, Xiao Cha even puckered his lips at Xiao Yan.

That face practically begged for a beating, making Xiao Yan's teeth itch with anger. Where had he seen that obnoxious look before?

"Little Yanzi, look at his hand."

Inside the Ring of Holding, Yao Lao could no longer bear to watch and offered Xiao Yan a reminder.

"His hand?"

At Yao Lao's prompting, Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Cha's hand and spotted the conspicuous purple iris Ring of Holding on his index finger. His eyes immediately widened.

"Han Chen?"

Xiao Cha froze when Xiao Yan blurted out that name, then immediately realized he had been exposed and hastily coughed.

"What Han Chen? You've got the wrong person. I am Xiao Cha."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly.

"Oh, stop messing around. I remember that Ring of Holding pretty clearly. What brings you here?"

Upon hearing that the Storage Ring on his hand had betrayed him, Xiao Cha was filled with regret. How had one oversight slipped through a hundred precautions?

But then an even more serious problem occurred to him. He seemed to have worn this Ring of Holding throughout his earlier disguises, too. Would Xiao Yan follow the vine to the melon and figure everything out?

To protect himself, Xiao Cha had no choice but to admit it, making a shushing gesture at Xiao Yan.

"I go by Xiao Cha now."

Seeing this, Xiao Yan simply assumed Han Chen wanted to conceal his identity and nodded along.

"All right, all right, Brother Xiao Cha."

"If you want to catch up, do it outside. You're not welcome here. And that map fragment isn't for sale. Put it back."

Interrupted, Xiao Yan frowned slightly and looked at Hai Bodong, who was still engraving his map.

"This old man really has a strange temper."

Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Xiao Cha walked up to the counter, toying with a small flame in his hand.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. I might have something you need."

At Xiao Cha's words, a cold glint surfaced in Hai Bodong's aged eyes, and he spoke stiffly.

"I said it's not for sale!"

"Hehe, that won't do. Now that I've got it in my hands, how could I possibly spit it back out? Why don't I trade you something for it? Say... a Poison-Breaking Pill?"

Boom!

The moment Xiao Cha finished speaking, a powerful aura erupted from Hai Bodong's aged body.

Ice crystals instantly filled the room, and a bone-chilling cold spread through it. Feeling the temperature drop, Qing Lin rubbed her arms and breathed out a frosty breath.

Seeing Qing Lin's reaction, Xiao Cha walked to her side. Tiandu corpse fire began burning around him, driving away the chill.

Both Xiao Yan and Yao Lao inside the Ring of Holding had slight changes of expression when they saw Xiao Cha's flames.

"So that's his fire? Teacher, what kind of flame is it?"

"I don't know. I can't make out its exact composition, but it should be quite powerful. What I don't understand is why his flames carry the aura of a soul."

Looking at the deep blue flames around Xiao Cha, Yao Lao found himself thinking of the Soul Hall for some reason.

When Hai Bodong saw Xiao Cha dispel his cold, he sneered, killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"Who sent you?"

Xiao Yan also walked over to Xiao Cha's side. If a fight broke out, he certainly would not help an outsider. Amethyst Flame surged around him as he watched Hai Bodong warily.

Rather than answer Hai Bodong's question immediately, Xiao Cha clasped his hands behind his back.

"The Ice Emperor, one of the previous generation's Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire. Aloof and proud, he once fought a decisive battle with the Mist Cloud Sect's former sect master atop Misty Cloud Mountain.

"At a gathering of experts hosted by the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, he fought two of the opposing side's Dou Emperors single-handedly, stunning everyone present with his prowess."

"The Ice Emperor? That legend of the Jia Ma Empire?"

After hearing Xiao Cha's account, Xiao Yan looked at the unremarkable old man before him with some surprise.

Qing Lin curiously raised her head to look at Xiao Cha, confusion flickering in her eyes. She had never heard of any Ice Emperor.

Hai Bodong was startled at first, his eyes filling with shock and nostalgia.

"I... I never imagined anyone still knew my story. Who exactly are you?"

Once the nostalgia passed, a wave of lingering fear swept over Hai Bodong. He had spent all these years hiding here and there to evade his enemies, yet someone had still come knocking at his door.

Seeing that Hai Bodong remained so wary, Xiao Cha's expression turned serious again, and he bowed respectfully.

"This junior is Han Chen, grandson of Nalan Jie and disciple of Yun Yun, the Mist Cloud Sect's current sect master. My respects, Ice Emperor."