Hai Bodong

Biodata

Power Progression

The documented change in Hai Bodong’s cultivation is a decline caused by sealing, not a breakthrough.

Background / History

Hai Bodong established his reputation after a gathering of experts and became one of the Jia Ma Empire’s ten strongest figures of the previous generation. Queen Medusa attacked him both over a Fragmented Map and to weaken the empire: she believed that, left unchecked, he could become another top-tier Dou Huang threatening her tribe 36 39.

Medusa’s seal reduced him to Dou Ling strength. By his encounter with Chen Cang, he claimed not to have entered the desert for ten years. He lived in Desert City, operated a map shop, and spent years studying the Fragmented Map without uncovering its secret 35 36 39.

Appearance

• Elderly man: Identified as an old man during Chen Cang’s pursuit 36.
• Icy-blue Dou Qi: Visible as he flees his map shop 35.
• Facial wound: His reflected Mysterious Ice Thorn cuts across his face during their first fight 36.

Personality

Hai Bodong is aloof, proud, and protective of his reputation. Being wounded by a Da Dou Shi enrages him, but he ultimately restrains himself: once he recognizes that the fight arose from a misunderstanding and that victory is uncertain, he chooses not to continue 36.

His fear of Queen Medusa overrides that pride. He flees without looking back when he believes she is approaching and later abandons his pursuit of the stolen map upon sensing her actual presence. Nevertheless, he can joke about Chen Cang’s predicament while carefully keeping his distance from anything associated with her 35 36 37 39.

He is calculating in negotiations. He divides his map fragment to preserve leverage, threatens to destroy the withheld portion, and later considers demanding compensation or a share of its treasure. His caution also governs his response to Chen Cang’s commission: rather than expose himself, he decides to send trusted people to investigate 37 39 44.

Abilities & Skills

Ice-Attribute Dou Techniques

Hai Bodong retains several ice-based attacks and defenses despite his seal 36.

• Mysterious Ice Thorn: Fires a bitterly cold ice thorn. Chen Cang reflects it with Swallow Return Strike 36.
• Ice mirrors: Condenses multiple thick layers of ice around himself to intercept attacks; he repeatedly replaces shattered mirrors during Chen Cang’s assault 36.
• Mysterious Ice Dragon Soaring: Identified as his signature active technique, but not demonstrated in the supplied encounters 36.
• Limitation: The seal prevents him from using many of his techniques; maintaining his defenses against Chen Cang leaves only thirty percent of his Dou Qi 36 37.

Combat Experience

His weakened cultivation does not erase his veteran instincts 36.

• Reacts instinctively to his reflected ice thorn, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit 36.
• Defends while waiting for Chen Cang to exhaust himself, though he badly underestimates the younger fighter’s endurance 36.
• Recognizes the danger of continuing against an opponent whose remaining abilities are unknown 36.

Recognition of Medusa’s Aura

Years of suffering under Medusa leave Hai Bodong unusually sensitive to her presence 36 37.

• Detects her hidden aura on Chen Cang despite the mark being imperceptible to ordinary sensing 36.
• States that she is nowhere within five li during their conversation 37.
• Distinguishes the faint aura of her mark from Medusa’s much stronger actual presence in Stone Desert City 39.
• Limitation: Correctly recognizing the aura does not make his conclusions reliable; he mistakenly assumes Medusa has killed Chen Cang 39 44.

Mapmaking and Concealment

• Produces finely crafted maps, including more expensive maps requiring painstaking work 37.
• Splits the Fragmented Map into two pieces, using one as bait and concealing the other 37.
• Changes the hidden piece’s location every few days to protect it against theft or capture 37.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Fragmented Map: The object behind his original conflict with Medusa. Both portions eventually pass into Chen Cang’s possession—one during a purchase and the other through theft 37 39.
• Redwood Box: Holds the concealed map piece beneath a floor tile in his underground chamber 37.
• Map inventory: Includes dozens of commonly used maps and more than twenty additional maps offered at higher prices 37.
• Map shop: Collapses during his panicked escape. He later notes that Desert City’s city lord would readily arrange its reconstruction if asked 35 44.

Relationships

• Chen Cang — Initially mistakes him for Medusa and attacks him. Their uneasy truce becomes a dispute over the Fragmented Map; Hai Bodong later regards his commission as a possible opportunity 36 37 39 44.
• Queen Medusa — Sealed his cultivation and remains the person he fears most. She no longer considers him a meaningful threat and declines to pursue him when she detects him in Stone Desert City 36 39.
• Desert City’s city lord — Someone Hai Bodong expects would eagerly provide workers to rebuild his shop 44.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Encounter with Chen Cang

Hai Bodong’s flight from his shop leads to a pursuit by Chen Cang and the Void Pegasus Beast. His surprise attack is reflected, and Chen Cang overwhelms his defenses before voluntarily stopping. Their subsequent conversation alerts Chen Cang to Medusa’s hidden mark 35 36.

Loss of the Fragmented Map

Hai Bodong attempts to use the map as bargaining leverage, but Chen Cang refuses his terms. Returning to his underground chamber, Hai Bodong discovers that the concealed portion has also disappeared, leaving only a mocking note 37.

He follows Chen Cang to Stone Desert City intending to negotiate shared access to the treasure or adequate compensation. Sensing Medusa there, he instead concludes that Chen Cang is dead and flees 39.

Investigation of the Commission

Back in Desert City, Hai Bodong hears that Chen Cang is alive and recruiting powerful experts. He speculates that Chen Cang and Medusa have reached an agreement and decides to investigate through people he trusts rather than approach personally 44.

Notable Quotes

“Medusa, I haven't set foot in the desert for ten years! Do you really have to hunt me down and wipe me out?” 36

“You bear her mark. Though it can't be seen or touched, or even detected by ordinary sensing, I'm far too familiar with her aura. There's absolutely no mistaking it.” 36

Trivia

• Chen Cang humorously characterizes “Clear Mind and Fresh Spirit” as Hai Bodong’s “god-tier passive skill”; the passage does not demonstrate it as a separate combat technique 36.
• The note replacing his stolen map reads, “Sorry, I'm not planning to take on a disciple just yet.” 37