Upon seeing Xiao Yan nod, Hai Bodong finally let out a sigh of relief, and the smile on his aged face became a bit wider. “Hand over the medicinal formula to me… Oh, right, you should know the rules about requesting a medicinal pill from an alchemist, right?” Xiao Yan gave Hai Bodong a slight smile, “Provide your own ingredients!” With a bitter smile and a nod, Hai Bodong naturally knew this rule, but… Clenching his dry hands around a few strands of his beard, he said rather awkwardly, “I have already gathered most of the ingredients needed for the formula, but I’m still missing one.” “This ingredient is called the Sand Mandala, and it can only be found in the Tager Great Desert. The higher the temperature, the easier it is to find it… But as you know, I cultivate an ice-attribute technique, and there’s also the seal placed by the Queen Medusa within my body. As soon as I step into the depths of the Tager Great Desert, she will detect me… So…”
Seeing Hai Bodong’s embarrassed expression, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and said with a sneer, “You don’t expect me to go and find it for you, do you? Just preparing the medicine for you is already a loss, and now you want me to search through the vast desert for the ingredients… Isn’t that map fragment a bit too valuable?”
Hearing this, Hai Bodong chuckled awkwardly, hesitated for a moment, and then somewhat helplessly said, “Alright, I might be able to give you some information that you’d be interested in.”
“What information?” Xiao Yan asked in surprise.
“About the ‘Heavenly Fire’…” Hai Bodong spread his hands and smiled, “I wonder if this information would be enough to persuade you to find the Sand Mandala for me.”
Upon hearing the word ‘Heavenly Fire’, Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat, his Adam’s apple slightly moved, and his gaze became fiery as he stared at Hai Bodong.
“You might have heard some rumors about the Heavenly Fire hidden in the Tager Desert, right?” Seeing Xiao Yan’s reaction, Hai Bodong felt a bit relieved and said with a smile.
“Yes,” Xiao Yan nodded slightly and urgently asked, “Do you know where the Heavenly Fire is located in the Tager Desert?”
“I am very interested in mapping. I once wandered around the Tager Great Desert and, by chance, managed to get some information about the Heavenly Fire. I have checked the locations and routes mentioned in these pieces of information. Although I can’t be entirely sure where the Heavenly Fire is, I can generally tell which areas are more likely to contain it.”
Hai Bodong spoke with pride.
“If you don’t follow my guidance, even if you wander around the Tager Great Desert for a year, it would be hard to find the Heavenly Fire…”
“How about this? If you agree to get the Sand Mandala for me, I’ll give you all the information I’ve gathered about the Heavenly Fire over the years.”
Hai Bodong smiled.
“Deal!” Without hesitation, Xiao Yan agreed. The attraction of the Heavenly Fire was too great for him, and he was willing to pay a high price to obtain it.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s agreement, Hai Bodong nodded with a smile. He reached into his chest and pulled out a thin piece of parchment, handing it to Xiao Yan. “In my investigation, there are three places in the Tager Desert where the Heavenly Fire is most likely to be found.”
Taking the parchment, Xiao Yan carefully unfolded it and found it to be an extremely detailed map of the Tager Great Desert. This map was far superior to any of the maps on the counter earlier. It not only accurately marked the locations of water sources in the desert but also carefully indicated the snake tribes scattered throughout the desert.
“Do you see the three flame marks on the map?” Hai Bodong reminded with a smile.
Following his words, Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the map, and indeed, he saw three prominent flame marks in the eastern, northern, and western directions.
“These three places are the most likely locations for the Heavenly Fire in the Tager Desert,” Hai Bodong pointed to the three flame marks and said with a smile. “Of course, this is just my inference based on my investigations. The accuracy cannot be 100%, but it’s certainly better than wandering around blindly.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. Although he had the Pharmacist Elder’s assistance, the vast area of the Tager Desert made it extremely difficult to locate a place where the Heavenly Fire might exist. This detailed map from Hai Bodong would undoubtedly save him a lot of time and effort.
“Remember, it’s best to start with the eastern and northern flame marks. For the western one… if possible, avoid going there.”
Hai Bodong’s finger stopped on the western flame mark, and he warned sternly, “Why?”
“Because that place is close to the depths of the Tager Desert. The Queen Medusa can sense anyone entering her territory. Even though you possess many treasures, if you encounter that terrifying Queen Medusa, I don’t think you have much chance of escaping.”
Hai Bodong sighed with lingering fear.
“Alright… I’ll try my best.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, but in his heart, he knew that if the other two places did not yield any traces of the Heavenly Fire, he would likely head to the western flame mark. Even if it was perilous, he would enter without hesitation, as the Heavenly Fire was too enticing to him…
“This is all the help I can offer you. I hope you successfully obtain the Heavenly Fire and bring back the Sand Mandala.”
Seeing Xiao Yan carefully put away the map, Hai Bodong smiled, “As for the formula and the map fragment, I will keep them for a while longer. Once you return, I will give them all to you!”
“Okay.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and bowed to Hai Bodong, “Since that’s the case, I will take my leave. I apologize for making such a mess here today.”
Glancing at the cluttered room, Hai Bodong shook his head with a bitter smile, “It’s alright. Anyway, my patience for living in seclusion here is almost used up. Even if you hadn’t destroyed this place, I wouldn’t have stayed much longer.”
With a smile, Xiao Yan apologized again, waved at Hai Bodong, and turned to leave through the door.
Watching Xiao Yan open the door and slowly disappear, Hai Bodong squinted his eyes, fell silent for a moment, and then began to clean up the mess.
Standing under the ancient and simple shop sign, he looked up and let the scorching sun shine on his face like boiling water. After a while, he exhaled. This short experience over the past two hours had left him with a dreamlike feeling. He had just arrived in this desert city, casually entered a shop, and unexpectedly met a powerful figure in hiding. This kind of scene usually only existed in books, yet it had vividly appeared before him, leaving him somewhat astonished.
“Ah, bumping into a former Battle Emperor powerhouse so easily… Am I lucky or unlucky?”
Xiao Yan chuckled bitterly, exhaled, and strode onto the street. Gently touching his ring, he suddenly said, seemingly absentminded, “Teacher, do you think he’s genuine?”
“He is indeed sealed, that’s true. Are you asking if the map he gave us is reliable? Haha, after all, we will be following his map. If he has any ulterior motives, we might suffer a loss.”
The Pharmacist Elder smiled and pondered, “But his map can indeed be of great help. I haven’t been to those three places marked with flames, so I can’t say for sure if they are real or fake…”
“Even though we can’t be certain of his intentions, we must be cautious… After entering the Tager Desert, be careful, and don’t completely follow the route on the map. I spent some time wandering here in the past, so I can provide some guidance to prevent you from getting lost.”
The Pharmacist Elder spoke cautiously.
“Okay…”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and smiled, “If that’s the case, let’s prepare the other items first, rest in the city tonight, and set off for the Tager Desert early tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.”
The Pharmacist Elder nodded and fell silent.
Patting his clothes, Xiao Yan smiled and headed towards a nearby herb store. Today’s gains had far exceeded his expectations. Not only had he unexpectedly obtained a mysterious map fragment, but he had also learned some information about the Heavenly Fire. This filled Xiao Yan with excitement.
After walking for a while, Xiao Yan turned into a herb shop and bought some snake-repelling herbs. While purchasing, he carefully observed the old man selling the herbs, until the old man became a bit nervous. Feeling awkward, Xiao Yan quickly packed his things and left the shop. It seemed that after the earlier incident, Xiao Yan’s nerves were on edge, and he truly thought there were reclusive experts like Hai Bodong everywhere.
After preparing the snake-repelling herbs, Xiao Yan bought a full ring of fresh water from a specialized seller. Satisfied, he followed the directions of a passerby and checked into a high-class inn in the desert city.
As the night passed, the scorching sun once again enveloped the desert in a fiery embrace.
Exiting the inn, Xiao Yan stretched, lightly patting the ring on his finger. Inside it were fifty Qi Restoring Pills that the Pharmacist Elder had hastily prepared last night. These were essential for his training in the desert.
Standing on the street near the city gate, Xiao Yan checked everything one more time, then tightened the heavy black ruler on his back, took a deep breath, and began his journey into the desert…
“This time, I must find the Heavenly Fire!”
Under the awed gazes of the city guards, Xiao Yan stepped out of the city, looking at the endless golden desert stretching before him, and firmly resolved in his heart!
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