Remembering that he hadn't seen Zi Yan and Qing Lin for two days, Xiao Ling slightly released some of his soul perception and found that there were no figures of the two around the map shop. He asked curiously, "Mr. Hai, where are my two companions?"
Hearing Xiao Ling's question, Hai Bodong said with a smile: "Those two girls are not the kind of people who stay put. After you entered the secret room to refine the elixir, they left my map shop and should be shopping in the city now. The little girl named Zi Yan had a fight with the residents of the city yesterday. It seemed that someone wanted to do something bad to them."
Hearing this, Xiao Ling couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said in surprise: "I didn't expect that there are still people who dare to provoke that little devil Zi Yan. They really thought she was easy to bully because she looks like a child. But it's good to know their whereabouts. As long as they don't run too far, no one in Mo City can hurt them."
After the two chatted for a few more words, Hai Bodong took Xiao Ling to his training room.
Although the corridor wasn't large, its twists and turns were unexpected. Following Hai Bodong closely, they turned several corners. The monotony of the surroundings made them feel slightly weary. Fortunately, Xiao Ling had good concentration, so it wasn't unbearable, just a slight sense of oppression.
The light in the corridor was dim, with only a faint light every ten meters or so. In this dim environment, the two remained silent, with only the gentle sound of footsteps echoing slowly in the long corridor. It lasted for a long time and sounded vaguely creepy.
Although the corridor was straight, Xiao Ling could sense they were heading downhill. After walking in this dull manner for nearly twenty minutes, Hai Bodong, who was standing in front of him, suddenly stopped, turned around, and smiled at Xiao Ling, "Master Xiao Ling, we're here."
Xiao Ling glanced past Hai Bodong and scanned the area ahead. Under the dim light, a thick iron door appeared at the end of his sight. Deep and dark, it exuded a sense of heaviness.
Hai Bodong's pace quickened as he gazed at the door. After a moment, he reached it and twisted a black iron lion head in front of it. With a click, the door automatically swung open, and a bright light shone through.
"Master Xiao Ling, please come in." Hai Bodong waved his hand at Xiao Ling and walked in first with a smile.
Xiao Ling stood at the door, observing his surroundings for a moment, then scanned the area around the door before stepping into the basement.
Entering the basement, the temperature suddenly dropped significantly, a faint chill lingering around him. Xiao Ling glanced around and was somewhat stunned to discover that this basement was actually an underground ice cave. The ceiling and thick walls were covered in snow-white ice. Above his head, sharp icicles, like razor-sharp swords, hung upside down from the ceiling. A
faint cold mist emanated, lingering within the basement for years. It was unknown how much time and effort Hai Bodong had invested in this rather large basement.
"Hehe, the Dou Qi technique I cultivate tends to be cold, so practicing in a place like this is more effective. Furthermore, this place is some distance from the ground. The ice and soil will mask the aura here, making it less noticeable to other powerful warriors." Hai Bodong, who was standing in front of him, explained with a smile, as if understanding Xiao Ling's confusion.
"Yeah." Xiao Ling nodded slightly and sat down on a chair in the middle of the basement without any hesitation. He looked up at Hai Bodong and said with a smile, "Mr. Hai, please start taking the Evil-Breaking Pill. If anything goes wrong, I, the alchemist, will be responsible for you."
"Haha, okay, but there are risks in taking pills. Master Xiao Ling, please let me check it out. My excuses." Hai Bodong nodded with a smile. He took out the Evil-Breaking Pill from the ring, put it in the palm of his hand and looked at it carefully. His cautious look made Xiao Ling, who was sitting next to him, speechless.
After a long inspection, finding nothing unusual, Hai Bodong breathed a sigh of relief. He had learned his lesson, knowing his earlier actions would undoubtedly anger Xiao Ling. He simply ignored Xiao Ling's scowl, tapping his toes lightly as he glided onto a platform made entirely of ice. He sat cross-legged, then popped the Evil-Breaking Pill into his mouth, swallowing it with a gentle gulp. Xiao Ling didn't think Hai Bodong had done anything
wrong. They weren't related, and their acquaintance hadn't been long. As a former Dou Huang, he still had reason to be cautious.
Sitting in his chair, Xiao Ling intently observed the changes within Hai Bodong's body. He was also somewhat interested in the Medusa Seal.
In the cold basement, as Hai Bodong gradually entered a state of cultivation, the atmosphere gradually became quiet. Xiao Ling sat in a chair, staring intently in Hai Bodong's direction, using his soul perception to check his internal conditions.
Just then, under Xiao Ling's soul perception, two auras of different attributes entered Hai Bodong's map shop. It was obviously the two little girls Zi Yan and Qing Lin who had returned.
Xiao Ling did not hide his aura, and Zi Yan easily discovered his location. Not intending to take the winding passage, Zi Yan tore open a tiny space crack, grabbed Qing Lin's small hand, and quickly slipped in.
Sensing the spatial fluctuations around him, Xiao Ling was surprised to see Zi Yan and Qing Lin leap out of a dark space crack.
After using soul power to set up a barrier to block the sound, Xiao Ling first greeted Qing Lin, then looked at Zi Yan with eyes like looking at a monster, and asked curiously: "How did you do it? Teleporting through space is something that only ordinary Dou Zun can do."
Sticking out her tongue at Xiao Ling, Zi Yan said a little proudly: "This is an ability that can only be used recently, and the distance cannot be too far, only a short distance, and if you don't get out quickly, you will be forcibly expelled by space. When my strength improves a little more, this feeling of repulsion will continue to decrease, until I can fully master space transmission. "With the ability to shuttle, even sleeping in a spatial rift won't matter."
Xiao Ling replied with a sigh, "Your spatial talent is truly terrifying." He muttered to himself, "As expected of the royal bloodline of the Taixu Ancient Dragon, you're truly the darling of the spatial realm."
Qinglin, hearing Xiao Ling's praise of Ziyan, recalled her immense strength and talent, and muttered to himself, "Young Master and Sister Ziyan are both so outstanding. Can I stay by their side forever?"
Seeing the hint of disappointment in Qinglin's eyes, Xiao Ling was a little confused, but after a moment's reflection, he guessed what Qinglin was thinking.
Stepping forward and patting Qinglin's head, Xiao Ling smiled and said, "Qinglin, I have good news to tell you. I suspected it when I first met you in the Desert Iron Mercenary Group. After observing you for the past few days, I've discovered that you've awakened the legendary Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil."
Tilting his head, Qinglin asked curiously, "Green Serpent Triple Flower Pupil? Young Master, why haven't I heard of it? Is it such a powerful ability?"
Nodding, Xiao Ling replied softly: "The Green Snake Three-Flower Pupil is a strange kind of pupil. It almost only appears in the descendants of humans and snake people. The reason is that the hybrid of snake people and humans accidentally activated the bloodline of the snake people's ancestor, the Sky Snake Emperor, in the snake people's body. The Green Snake Three-Flower Pupil can make people hallucinate, and can easily control most snake-shaped monsters. It can also open up space in the pupil and take monsters or humans into the space. The strength of the monsters or humans taken into the space will be slowly absorbed by the user, but the swallowing speed is very slow, and there is a strength limit."
Zi Yan, who was standing aside, was very surprised when she heard this. She didn't expect that this newly recognized sister was so extraordinary.
Qinglin seemed very happy when he heard Xiao Ling's description, and said, "I didn't expect Qinglin to be so lucky to have this physique. When Qinglin becomes stronger in the future, he will be able to help the young master."
Hearing that Qinglin actually thought of helping himself first, Xiao Ling felt a little guilty and asked Qinglin, "Qinglin, don't you blame me for taking you away from the Motie Mercenary Group because of your talent?"
"As long as I can help the young master, Qinglin will be very happy. It was the young master who made Qinglin feel cared for, and Qinglin didn't feel any malice towards Qinglin in the young master's eyes, but rather pity. So no matter what, Qinglin wants to stay with the young master." Hearing Xiao Ling's question, Qinglin said without thinking.
Looking at Qinglin's innocent eyes, Xiao Ling was deeply touched. He reached out and touched Qinglin's little head, saying in a serious tone, "Don't worry, as long as Qinglin is willing to stay by my side, no one can take you away from me."
Feeling the warm touch from above his head and listening to Xiao Ling's earnest words, Qinglin felt a sense of security all over his body, as if no matter what difficulties or dangers he encountered, there would be someone to protect him.
Zi Yan, who was watching over them, narrowed her eyes and interrupted their conversation, changing the subject, "Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, what is Old Man Hai doing? Why is he sitting there so motionless?"
Hearing Zi Yan's question, Xiao Ling withdrew his hand from Qinglin's head. Qinglin, who had been enjoying Xiao Ling's touch, suddenly felt the palm on his head disappear. He glanced in Zi Yan's direction with some resentment.
Xiao Ling said to Zi Yan, "Mr. Hai is currently refining the Po Evil Pill. Once the pill takes effect, he'll be able to return to his former Dou Huang cultivation. However, because he's been sealed for decades, he likely won't be able to regain his former peak state."
After a brief pause, Xiao Ling cast his gaze in the direction of Hai Bodong and said meaningfully, "You must watch Hai Bodong carefully later. Once his strength is restored, he'll instantly look decades younger. This is a very rare occurrence. If you miss this opportunity, you might never see it again."
Hearing Xiao Ling's amazing words, Zi Yan and Qing Lin also became interested and cast their eyes on Hai Bodong, who was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room
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The quiet atmosphere lasted for nearly ten minutes before it was shattered by a powerful wave of energy.
On the ice platform, Hai Bodong, who had been mired in silence, suddenly began to tremble violently. Fierce waves of energy rapidly spread from his body, shattering the surrounding tables and icicles wherever they passed.
Xiao Ling narrowed his eyes, watching the rapidly approaching energy waves. His mind moved, and the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within him quickly appeared before him, protecting the three of them. The blazing golden flames incinerated the expanding energy waves, completely consuming them.
Hai Bodong, perched on the ice platform, seemed oblivious to the devastation he'd wreaked. His body trembled violently for a moment, his aged face suddenly tensing. A strange, dark green energy rapidly gathered on his forehead, forming a tiny, dark green energy serpentine pattern. The pattern coiled around Hai Bodong's forehead, firmly sealing the surging Dou Qi within him.
The moment the pattern emerged, a lavender energy slowly swirled around Hai Bodong's neck. In a split second, it came into contact with the small, dark green snake. The contact between the
two ferocious energies was the cause of the earlier energy ripples.
Purple energy and a dark green serpentine pattern surged up and down Hai Bodong's forehead, a stalemate. The faint glow of the two energies cast a strange shadow on his face. The intense pain caused by the two energies competing in such a crucial area of his brain also caused Hai Bodong's face to twist slightly, giving it a faintly sinister look.
Fingers crossed in front of him, Xiao Ling raised his head and stared intently at Hai Bodong, whose face radiated a dual-hued glow. He was mildly curious whether the so-called Evil-Breaking Pill could truly break the seal set by Queen Medusa.
The purple and green energies surged up and down Hai Bodong's face, a stalemate that lasted nearly half an hour. Finally, the dark green serpentine pattern dimmed slightly, clearly demonstrating that the so-called Evil-Breaking Pill truly possessed the miraculous ability to break the seal.
"Tsk tsk, this Po Evil Pill is really good... If I have the chance in the future, I must prepare some for myself, otherwise, if I am sealed one day, I will have some foundation." Looking at the snake pattern that was getting dimmer and dimmer in the purple light, Xiao Ling's eyes lit up and he chuckled.
Zi Yan, who was standing by, saw this scene and said with some regret: "If Sister Medusa could help Old Man Hai to remove the seal on his body, wouldn't it be possible to save the medicinal materials for a set of sixth-grade pills? It would be enough for me to eat for half a day."
Touching Zi Yan's little head, Xiao Ling said with some amusement: "I don't have such a big face with your sister Medusa."
Thinking of Medusa, Zi Yan said with some curiosity: "I wonder if Sister Medusa can successfully break through to Dou Zong after taking the Po Zong Pill."
Qing Lin, who was standing by, heard Xiao Ling and Zi Yan's words . Ziyan discussed Medusa and asked curiously, "Young Master and Sister Ziyan, do you know Medusa, the queen of the Serpent People?"
A slight nod rang out, and Ziyan replied, "I met her not long ago. Back then, Xiao Ling went to the Serpent People to exchange a Sand Mandragora for an elixir for Old Man Hai. That's when I met Sister Medusa. She was so kind and even gave me several medicinal herbs..."
Qinglin and Ziyan chatted aside, while Xiao Ling returned his gaze to Hai Bodong, observing the changes within him.
Purple energy, using its restraining power, slowly expelled the serpentine pattern from its territory. As it gradually pushed it from Hai Bodong's forehead, a sudden surge of purple energy erupted, a ferocious force that practically forced the pattern out of Hai Bodong's head.
As the pattern left Hai Bodong's head, it trembled violently before dissipating in a puff of green smoke.
The moment the serpentine left his body, Hai Bodong's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, a gleam of light radiating from them as if it were a substance. A fierce aura, like a lion awakening, surged from his body, which had been deeply suppressed for nearly decades.
Under this powerful aura, the ice crystals deep underground began to swell.
Hai Bodong, sitting cross-legged, radiated a white light, spreading throughout his body like shattering ice crystals.
His elderly face transformed into that of a handsome, white-haired middle-aged man. His
white beard and eyebrows fluttered slightly in the breeze, exuding an indescribable sense of elegance and confidence.
"Haha, this damned seal is finally gone! I'm a Dou Huang again!" With his foot on the ice platform, Hai Bodong's body levitated in mid-air with a flash of lightning. His face was filled with ecstasy, and he threw his head back and laughed wildly. "I've never felt so refreshed!"
A violent sound wave, carried by Dou Qi, shook the cracked ice around them, sending it shattering with a loud bang.
Hai Bodong, mid-air, laughed wildly for a long while before retreating, his gleaming gaze directed at Xiao Ling and the other two seated in the chairs below.
Xiao Ling also stood up, smiled and nodded at Hai Bodong, his soul sense locked on him. If Hai Bodong attempted to attack, Xiao Ling, with his newly recovered Dou Huang Star strength, was confident he could instantly defeat him.
Hai Bodong, who had been flying in the sky for a while, slowly landed in front of Xiao Ling and the other two, and said cheerfully: "Thank you, Master Xiao Ling, for refining the Breaking Evil Pill for me. This has allowed me to recover to the second-star Dou Huang level."
Hai Bodong obviously had no intention of having any bad intentions towards Xiao Ling. Now that he knew the approximate origin of the incomplete map, he had an idea of its approximate value. It was obviously more cost-effective to make friends with Xiao Ling, a young sixth-grade alchemist, than to spend a lot of effort to snatch away a piece of incomplete map. Moreover, with his four-star Dou Wang and the combat power of the strange fire, and the help of the little girl at the peak of the Dou Wang level, he might not be able to subdue the two of them with his newly recovered two-star Dou Huang cultivation, let alone snatch the incomplete map of the strange fire from him.
Xiao Ling responded, "Congratulations, Mr. Hai, on regaining your Dou Huang status. From now
on, I'll have to call you 'Ice Emperor.'" Waving his hand, Hai Bodong smiled and said, "I'm not worthy of the title of Master Xiao Ling. Please just call me Hai Lao from now on."
The two chatted for a while, and Xiao Ling took the lead in asking, "Now that Mr. Hai has regained his Dou Huang status, he's about to leave Mo City, right?"
"The main reason I stayed here was to study the remaining map and find a way to break the seal. Now that the seal has been broken, there is naturally no reason to stay here any longer." Hai Bodong nodded, glanced at the smiling Xiao Ling, and couldn't help but say: "Master Xiao Ling, do you need my help? As long as it is something within my ability, I, Hai Bodong, will do my best
to help." Shaking his head slightly, Xiao Ling smiled and said: "There is nothing else, but I have to stay in the Tagor Desert for a while. After Hai Lao returns to the imperial capital, please take care of my family for me. There will definitely be many inconveniences when we just moved back to the imperial capital. My Xiao family doesn't have any strong people in charge now, and I'm afraid that some short-sighted people will have some crooked thoughts."
Patting his chest, Hai Bodong answered seriously: "I promised to take care of the family for you in the imperial capital before. I, Hai Bodong, have not forgotten this. Don't worry, in the Jia Ma Empire, no one dares to underestimate the weight of a Dou Huang strongman."
After hearing Hai Bodong's words, Xiao Ling nodded in satisfaction and said, "With Mr. Hai's assurance, I'm relieved. I'm sure your return to the Imperial Capital will shock many."
With a Douhuang powerhouse like Hai Bodong looking after the Xiao family, even if the Soul Palace guardians wanted the Yunlan Sect to attack the Xiao family, they would have to consider the consequences.
Shaking his head, Xiao Ling thought with some resignation, "As long as the Soul Clan remains standing, the Xiao family will never be safe. But this is all I can do now. I'll deal with the future later."
Having no desire to remain in Mo City as a map vendor, Hai Bodong left the city alone the next morning after the discussion, flying towards the Imperial Capital.
He didn't take anything from the small shop where he had lived for decades. He said that perhaps one day, tired of the strife, he would return here and spend the rest of his days in complete peace.
(End of Chapter)