Two gazes intertwined in mid-air, both emitting a sense of inexplicable meaning. A faint chill lingered in the air, and the atmosphere suddenly became slightly tense. With calm, black eyes, Hai Bodong stared at Xiao Yan, who, with his strength restored, seemed to have become even more fierce and overbearing. Xiao Yan’s body leaned back slightly, resting against the back of the chair. His fingers were interlocked in front of him, and his expression was as tranquil as an ancient well, unaffected by the ferocious aura of a Battle Emperor in the basement.
In the air above, Hai Bodong’s gaze was sharp, intently fixed on the black-robed youth below. A faint cold aura swirled around his palm. With his strength restored, the emotions suppressed for decades were finally slowly released. The Ice Emperor of old was cold and domineering, and no one had ever dared to forcefully take anything from him. But Xiao Yan had broken that taboo.
In the past, due to the seal and his inability to discern Xiao Yan’s true strength, Hai Bodong had not shown any hostility. However, now that the seal was broken, the Ice Emperor, who once ruled the winds and clouds, had fully returned. The sudden surge in strength also made Hai Bodong secretly entertain the idea of reclaiming the incomplete map.
Although Hai Bodong did not know the exact purpose of these incomplete maps, he was aware that the secrets they held were far from trivial. After all, these maps had attracted even powerful beings like Queen Medusa, who had traveled great distances to pursue them.
Hovering in mid-air, surrounded by a cold aura, Hai Bodong’s eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, whose silent and enigmatic demeanor finally made the overly confident Hai Bodong somewhat clear-headed.
Hai Bodong’s eyes narrowed into a small slit, and he recalled the battle with Xiao Yan a few months ago. His face grew serious, and when he thought of the strange, snow-white flame that the youth had controlled, a chill suddenly rose in his heart. He had a deep understanding of the terror of that snow-white flame.
As the chill in Hai Bodong’s heart rose, his body shivered slightly, and the coldness on his face gradually melted. A seemingly gentle smile appeared on his weathered, slightly stiff face.
After some deep reflection, Hai Bodong’s overly inflated confidence, due to his regained strength, gradually faded under the pressure of reason. He vaguely calculated and found, with a slight shock, that even though he had largely recovered his former strength, he still could not fully discern the true strength of the youth before him.
Sensing Xiao Yan’s aura, although it was only at the Dou Shi level, Hai Bodong, who had once fought him, knew that anyone who treated the youth as a mere Dou Shi would receive a bloody lesson.
“It’s not advisable to become enemies with him yet,” a thought flashed through Hai Bodong’s mind. A gentle smile spread across his aged face. He nodded at Xiao Yan, who seemed amiable, and the cold aura around him slowly receded.
Xiao Yan’s eyes, slightly playful, watched Hai Bodong, who, after some reflection, had suddenly withdrawn his sharp aura and began to express goodwill. Playing with the ring on his finger, Xiao Yan said, “Old Hai, I thought you had recovered your strength and were planning to renege on your promise and attack me… Your appearance just now was quite terrifying.”
“Haha, Xiao Yan, little brother, how could I forget your help? I, Hai Bodong, would never do such an ungrateful thing,” Hai Bodong quickly waved his hand and slowly descended to the ground, explaining with a smile, “I apologize. Due to the sudden restoration of my strength, I couldn’t control my aura for a moment and startled you.”
Xiao Yan smiled and, sitting in the chair, lightly patted his sleeve. With a hint of regret, he chuckled, “It’s a pity. I was looking forward to experiencing the real strength of the Ice Emperor who once dominated the Jia Ma Empire. Now it seems there won’t be such an opportunity… Such a pity…”
Hearing this, Hai Bodong’s eyes flickered slightly, and he stared intently at Xiao Yan’s face, which did not seem to be joking. After a while, he laughed and quickly averted his gaze, silently feeling relieved. This guy didn’t seem to be too afraid of him, even after he had regained his strength… It was good that they hadn’t come to blows; otherwise, it would have been hard to say who would win or lose.
Moreover, offending an alchemist capable of refining sixth-grade medicinal pills was extremely unwise. If he had the ability to kill the alchemist on the spot, it would be one thing, but if the alchemist managed to escape, the troubles he would face afterward would be endless. Having seen much of the world, Hai Bodong was more aware than Xiao Yan of the terrifying influence of high-level alchemists.
“Haha, what is Xiao Yan, little brother, saying? This old man doesn’t have the vigor of you young people,” Hai Bodong said with a dry laugh, waving his hand.
Smiling indifferently, Xiao Yan slowly got up from the chair and extended his hand. Staring intently at the old man, he said with a faint smile, “Old man, the seal has been lifted, and my task is complete. That incomplete map…”
At the mention of the incomplete map, Hai Bodong’s withered face twitched slightly, but he did not make any excuses. He could clearly feel that, during his silence, the Dou Qi in the youth’s body had begun to surge. The icy coldness in those black eyes also gradually increased. Clearly, if he tried to delay any further, the youth would immediately turn hostile.
Sighing bitterly, Hai Bodong touched the ring on his finger, and a small, extremely ancient yellow parchment appeared in his hand. He reluctantly stroked the old, incomplete map and sighed, “I’ve been making maps for decades, but I’ve never seen such a complex one. Not long after I obtained it, I tried to replicate it, but the map I drew was strangely different from the original. After several attempts, I gave up. I think it might be related to the incompleteness of the map.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes were fixed on the incomplete map, glancing at Hai Bodong’s expression. Although he vaguely understood the reason, he did not explain. When he first obtained the incomplete map in the Magic Beast Mountains, Master Yao had discovered the immense, hidden soul force within it. This soul force was extremely subtle, and only someone with the extraordinary mental power of an alchemist could detect it. Though it wouldn’t harm a person directly, if someone tried to copy the map’s route and patterns, the soul force would subtly erode their mind, causing the map they drew to be completely different from the original.
Reluctantly touching the incomplete map for a while, Hai Bodong finally shook his head in frustration and handed it to Xiao Yan, saying with a bitter smile, “Ah, take it. Based on my experience, these incomplete maps should be divided into several parts. Holding just one piece is not very useful. Finding the other pieces in this vast continent would be more difficult than finding a needle in the ocean.”
Xiao Yan took the soft, smooth incomplete map and examined it. A faint, ancient aura enveloped it, indicating that it had experienced a long period of time. Holding the small piece of the incomplete map, Xiao Yan took out another piece from the ring that he had taken from Hai Bodong earlier. When he pieced them together and saw that they fit perfectly, he finally relaxed.
“Hehe, Xiao Yan, little brother, you seem very interested in these incomplete maps?” Watching Xiao Yan, Hai Bodong’s eyes rolled, and he asked with a chuckle.
“I’m always interested in unusual things,” Xiao Yan smiled, giving a vague answer.
“Little brother, all the incomplete maps I had are now in your hands. Hehe… can you tell me, what exactly are these for? What can be gained by collecting them?”
Hai Bodong, unable to resist his curiosity, asked with a forced smile.
“Old Hai, I told you before, except for seeing one of these incomplete maps at the auction, this is my first time obtaining one. So, I’m not quite sure what they hide,” Xiao Yan said with a shrug and a smile.
Hearing this, Hai Bodong’s mouth twitched, and he laughed along, but in his heart, he muttered, “You don’t know? Only a fool would risk their life to enter the desert for an incomplete map of unknown origin. Do you look like a fool?”
Realizing that Xiao Yan did not intend to share the secret of the incomplete maps, Hai Bodong could only shake his head in helplessness. After all, the maps were already in Xiao Yan’s hands, and forcing him was impossible. So, he had to forcibly suppress his curiosity.
Carefully placing the incomplete map in a delicate box and then putting it in the ring, Xiao Yan felt a slight relief. After many twists and turns, he had finally obtained it.
“Old Hai, now that your strength has been restored, you won’t continue to run this shop, will you?”
With his hands in his sleeves, Xiao Yan suddenly asked Hai Bodong with a smile.
“Originally, I stayed here to study the incomplete maps and find a way to break the seal. Now that the seal is broken, there’s no reason for me to stay,” Hai Bodong nodded, glancing at the smiling Xiao Yan and asked, “Do you have something in mind?”
“Haha, indeed, I have something and need your help,” Xiao Yan replied, his fingers gently tapping inside his sleeve.
“Hehe, so you want to use the favor of a Battle Emperor so soon?” Hai Bodong chuckled, “I said, you helped me once, so I owe you a favor. But if you want my help now, that debt will be canceled.”
“I believe, Old Hai, you may owe me more favors in the future. Not for any other reason, but because I am an alchemist, and one who can refine sixth-grade medicinal pills,” Xiao Yan said with a faint smile.
“Ah, though your words are a bit arrogant, they are not false. An alchemist who can refine sixth-grade pills, even a Battle Emperor, is very willing to be friends with them. Of course, I am no exception,” Hai Bodong sighed and nodded in agreement. No matter what, on this continent, alchemists, especially high-level ones, are always the favorite friends and companions of every strong person.
“Tell me, what do you need me to do? As long as it’s within my capabilities, I won’t refuse,” Hai Bodong, stroking his short beard, asked with a smile.
“Two months later, I will go to the Yun Lian Sect. There might be some conflict with them, and I just need you to show up at that time,” Xiao Yan said, exhaling lightly after a brief silence.
“The Yun Lian Sect? Why go provoke them? They are a big deal,” Hai Bodong was slightly stunned and then exclaimed in surprise.
“Just to settle some grievances,” Xiao Yan said casually, not elaborating further.
“The Yun Lian Sect is very powerful, with many strong practitioners. This favor seems quite challenging,” Hai Bodong, stroking his chin, said hesitantly.
Seeing Hai Bodong’s slight hesitation, Xiao Yan smiled and said, “Rest assured, Old Hai, I’m not asking you to fight the Yun Lian Sect. Just show up if they try to bully us by numbers or strength.”
“Bully by numbers? You’re really funny. With your strength, who in the Yun Lian Sect, except their sect leader, can stand up to you?”
“Due to some reasons, I don’t want to reveal my full strength. At that time, I will only use my surface-level strength,” Xiao Yan said, spreading his hands with a smile.
“Ah? A strange decision,” Hai Bodong said, pausing and then nodding helplessly, “Alright, since I owe you a favor, I’ll accompany you to the Yun Lian Sect. Although I can’t cause chaos, protecting you shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Seeing Hai Bodong agree, Xiao Yan smiled. Having a Battle Emperor as a bodyguard, the stubborn and old-fashioned members of the Yun Lian Sect would probably be more cautious.
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