Reunion with Hai Bodong

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, young Yan Xiao. I'm infinitely grateful!"

After receiving Xiao Yan's promise, He Qian trembled all over with excitement. With tears of gratitude in his eyes, he stepped forward to greet him.

Just then, Xiao Yan turned his hand and took a parchment scroll from his Storage Ring. Using his soul power, he wrote a letter of recommendation, then tossed it to He Qian with a faint smile.

"When you have time, just take this to the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Someone will receive you there."

With that done, Xiao Yan shouted, "Everyone! Let's go!"

"Screee!"

"Roar!"

The instant his voice fell, the nine Fifth-Order Magical Beasts gathered outside the Alchemist Guild suddenly spread their Dou Qi Wings. Roaring, they shot into the sky.

The Crimson Feather Bird still had its head lowered, waiting for Xiao Yan to take his seat.

A smile appeared on the young man's face. With a gentle leap, he landed lightly on the bird's back. Stroking its soft feathers, he pointed in a direction and instructed it:

"See over there? Next, we're going to that desert to find a place called Desert City."

The Crimson Feather Bird nodded and let out a cry to show it understood.

Then it raised its head and spread its wings, soaring high and kicking up a cloud of dust before leading the group toward the Tagor Desert.

The cloud of dust was rather large, however, and the passersby who had come close were blown off their feet and sent staggering into corners all around.

Below, He Qian and the gathered townspeople gazed into the distance, watching the ten fearsome Magical Beasts depart. They were too astonished to speak.

Even He Qian rarely saw such a spectacular sight.

Then he lowered his head and gripped the parchment tightly, his eyes burning.

He had made up his mind to go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and join the Flame Alliance shortly.

With such a powerful backer, his He Family would no longer need to fear being carved up by the other Dou Wang families. Even the Misty Cloud Sect would be no exception.

With that thought, he promptly circulated his cultivation method. A pair of brown wings grew from his back, and he rose into the air, flying off in the direction Xiao Yan had come from.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, lying on the Crimson Feather Bird's back, lazily rolled over. Watching the auspicious clouds drifting past beneath him, he could not help laughing inwardly.

Misty Cloud Sect, Hall of Souls, Hun Clan, Hun Tiandi... once I get my hands on the Heavenly Flames, none of you will get away.

Just then, they reached a patch of clear sky.

Xiao Yan released his perception and discovered that the surrounding fire- and earth-attribute energies were extremely concentrated, while the other energies were heavily suppressed.

His heart stirred, and he guessed, Looks like we'll be meeting soon, Elder Hai...

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of the wind suddenly stopped. The young man looked down at the expanse of yellow sand below.

There, an ancient, imposing city came into view. It was the destination of his journey-Desert City!

"Keep climbing, and don't scare anyone else. I'll be right back!"

After giving those instructions, Xiao Yan leaped off the Crimson Feather Bird's back.

The surrounding air currents swept around him, blowing his bangs into disarray and rumpling the alchemist's robes he wore.

His body brushed past the clouds again and again. Feeling the fierce wind howl past his ears, Xiao Yan smiled contentedly.

It seemed he had not experienced the sensation of free fall in a long time.

Looking down, Xiao Yan discovered that he was already very close to the ground.

Without further hesitation, he turned his palm over, and a seven-colored fire dragon flew out of it.

Standing atop the divine dragon, he glided over the desert close to the ground, carving out a long trench before finally stopping beside the city gate.

Xiao Yan dissolved the seven-colored divine dragon's form and slowly touched his toes to the ground. Surrounded by a colorful halo, he looked as graceful as a sprite.

Nearby passersby stared in a daze, scarcely able to believe their eyes. A living person had appeared out of thin air. It was both wondrous and eerie.

Xiao Yan paid no attention to the others' chatter. He simply looked up at the plaque on the city gate.

Only after confirming he had come to the right place did he step inside.

Upon entering Desert City, Xiao Yan soon experienced its exotic customs and ways of life.

As he passed the nearby city lord's residence, he soon heard a burly man berating the guards at the entrance.

The desert was hot, and naturally it made people irritable. The guards' explosive tempers had likewise been inherited from this hellish place.

Many people here dressed lightly: men bared their shoulders, while women exposed their waists and legs, making no effort to cover their bodies.

In a remote part of Desert City, where yellow sand had piled up everywhere, stood a small wooden house.

Xiao Yan entered a shop called "Ancient Map."

The surrounding tables and bookshelves were filled with map scrolls.

The young man walked up to a table and casually unrolled a map. After examining its various illustrations carefully, he nodded repeatedly.

Not only were the names of the various cities clearly written on it, but even the distances between them were precisely recorded.

In some remote areas, the map even marked which places were most dangerous and which had the most foot traffic...

One could imagine just how extensive the mapmaker's knowledge was.

"You're here to buy a map of the Tagor Desert too, aren't you? They're on the counter. Pick one yourself..."

Beside the table, an old man who radiated a chill from head to toe was writing and drawing on an unfinished map.

He made no effort to attend to Xiao Yan, as though he were not a man in business.

Xiao Yan did not reply. He simply observed the old man's behavior and silently appraised him.

Professional, arrogant, and cold toward others-his conduct certainly fit Elder Hai's style.

Adjusting his steps, Xiao Yan wandered around. Before long, he found the Demonic Flame Remnant Map in a corner.

Soon, Yao Lao's astonished voice exploded in Xiao Yan's mind, his tone full of shock.

"Another piece of the Demonic Flame Remnant Map! You little brat... you really are fated with the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame."

Looking back on their experiences over this period, Xiao Yan's gains really were astonishing.

Back at the Dou Wang's cave dwelling, Yao Lao had noticed a map fragment Xiao Yan had found.

Later, he had studied it carefully for a while inside the Storage Ring and confirmed that the Qi recorded on the fragment was without doubt that of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame.

At first, he had thought Xiao Yan's fate with the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame ended there. Unexpectedly, the path had taken a turn around the mountain, and Xiao Yan had found another piece.

"Teacher, it seems I'm fated with this Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. If I don't subdue it someday, wouldn't I be defying heaven's will?"

Holding the fragment in his hand, Xiao Yan went to the counter to ask its price, only to be promptly rebuked by the old man.

"That map fragment isn't for sale. Leave!"

The old man's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Xiao Yan frowned slightly and feigned displeasure.

"Old sir, this map fragment is very important to me. Name your price. I'll definitely buy it."

But the old man remained unmoved. Ice-attribute Dou Qi surged over his hand, quickly condensing into an ice blade that swept toward Xiao Yan's throat, leaving a shallow mark. Then he threatened coldly:

"Young man, know what's good for you and leave at once. This item isn't destined for you, so don't ask for trouble."