stonecrandall 144. Be bold and try your hand
144. Be bold and try your hand
Hai Bodong found himself exuding a powerful aura, but he couldn't find the kind of gaze he was looking for.
That kind of look that, when you're at your peak, can draw everyone's attention and admiration just by appearing.
What chilled him to the bone was that although his strength had recovered to 80-90% of his peak, and he now possessed the strength of a two-star Dou Huang, the pressure exerted on him by Xiao Yan and Zi Yan had not diminished at all.
"How could this happen!" Even after years of lying low and cultivating his mind, Hai Bodong felt extremely desperate at this moment.
"Congratulations on regaining your strength, sir," Xiao Yan said in a nonchalant tone.
Looking at Xiao Yan, who remained calm and unchanging, Hai Bodong's mind raced. Although Hai Bodong couldn't fully grasp the value of the incomplete map, he instinctively knew it was far from ordinary and likely held a tremendous opportunity.
However, Xiao Yan and Zi Yan's actions forced him to suppress the urge to renege on his debt, and reason prevailed over the arrogance brought on by his restored strength. A smile returned to Hai Bodong's face: "I must thank you again for the pills you refined, young brother. With such high-quality sixth-grade pills, I think the title of the number one alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire should belong to you!"
Hearing Hai Bodong's praise, Xiao Yan smiled noncommittally and extended his palm, saying, "Now that the old gentleman's strength has been restored, shouldn't the incomplete map be given to me as well?"
Upon hearing the words "fragmented map," Hai Bodong's face twitched almost imperceptibly. Now he had no excuse to keep the fragmented map any longer.
Hai Bodong sighed, took out an extremely ancient, yellowed piece of parchment from his storage ring, and touched the tattered map with great reluctance, saying, "I have devoted myself to studying this map for countless years, but not only have I been unable to find its location, I have also never succeeded in copying it. This thing is definitely not simple!"
Xiao Yan naturally knew what was behind the incomplete map, but he had no interest in explaining it to Hai Bodong at the moment.
Xiao Yan obtained the fragment of the parchment from Hai Bodong, but discovered that a chilling aura was also spreading from the parchment. He immediately annihilated this aura by activating the Burning Technique.
Xiao Yan looked at Hai Bodong and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "What, Mr. Hai, would you like to test your skills?"
Hai Bodong also looked somewhat hesitant. The strange power Xiao Yan had unleashed three years ago had left a deep impression on him, and the eerie white flames still haunted him. Judging from Xiao Yan's current state, it was highly likely that he had completely mastered that mysterious power within the past three years.
"Is it really worth fighting him now?" Hai Bodong wondered to himself.
Just as Hai Bodong was about to back down, Xiao Yan surprisingly took the initiative and said, "Old Master Hai should still owe me a favor. How about you give me some pointers today?"
Hai Bodong's repeated dissatisfaction also gave Xiao Yan some objections. As for Hai Bodong's so-called favors, Xiao Yan hardly needed Hai Bodong's combat power anymore, so it didn't make much difference whether he used him or not.
Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong was somewhat taken aback. He hadn't expected Xiao Yan to use up this favor so quickly, nor had he expected Xiao Yan to take the initiative to challenge him to a duel.
"Are you sure?" Hai Bodong asked hesitantly. His little action just now was just to test Xiao Yan's strength, but he didn't expect Xiao Yan to be so confident, which made him feel a bit stuck.
Xiao Yan nodded, and Hai Bodong replied helplessly, "If that's the case, then let's fight outside the city. Although I'm not staying here anymore, I don't want to just let this place be destroyed."
Hai Bodong left in a carefree manner. Apart from taking a few items into his storage ring, he left the map shop directly with Xiao Yan and Zi Yan.
Hai Bodong settled here for two reasons: one, to uncover the secrets within the incomplete map; and two, because his strength had declined, he lay dormant here hoping to find a way to break the seal.
Now that his seal has been broken, the former Ice Emperor Hai Bodong will reappear in the world. He will probably only return to this little shop when he wants to live a peaceful life in the future.
After suppressing their reluctance, Hai Bodong and Xiao Yan headed straight out of the city. Since Mo City was close to the desert, it was relatively easy to find a place where they wouldn't be disturbed.
However, Hai Bodong noticed that Xiao Yan and Zi Yan were talking about something along the way, and it seemed that the two had a slight difference of opinion.
The three of them flew at a considerable speed, and in a short time they were already quite a distance from Mo City. Seeing that there were hardly any people around below, the three of them landed on the ground.
"How about you stay here, young brother?" Hai Bodong asked, after all, Xiao Yan had asked him to guide him, and Hai Bodong just wanted to repay this favor.
Xiao Yan didn't have any demands on this, indicating that he had no objections.
"What's wrong with that young girl?" Hai Bodong noticed that Zi Yan's mood seemed a bit off after the argument between Xiao Yan and Zi Yan. Zi Yan always gave Hai Bodong the feeling of facing a prehistoric beast, so he had a special concern for her.
Xiao Yan waved his hand, indicating that Zi Yan was fine. Of course, what he didn't tell Hai Bodong was that Zi Yan had just strongly insisted on fighting Hai Bodong.
Xiao Yan quickly stopped her from having this idea. After all, with Zi Yan's strength as a Dou Zong and her terrifying brute force, she might just beat Hai Bodong to death in a few moves.
Although he didn't have a good impression of Hai Bodong, he didn't intend to kill him.
"Since we're seeking your guidance, sir, how about we stop here and leave it at that?"
Hearing Xiao Yan's request, Hai Bodong breathed a sigh of relief and agreed, after all, he wasn't confident that he could really defeat Xiao Yan.
……
Outside the Black Mountain Fortress.
The area surrounding Black Mountain Fortress has been a forbidden zone since the appearance of the poisonous fog.
Neither the Izumo Empire nor the Gama Empire dared to linger in the vicinity.
Therefore, apart from the many guards and powerful figures within the Black Mountain Fortress, there was almost no human habitation within a radius of dozens of miles.
In a mountain range south of Black Mountain Fortress, the area has not yet been affected by the poisonous fog, so although there are no humans in the mountains, magical beasts still live there as usual.
Aside from the departure of some powerful magical beasts, everything seemed normal, but the tranquility was suddenly shattered.
The whistling sound of wind breaking came from afar, and powerful auras continued to descend upon the area.
Even the most powerful level six magical beasts in the mountains were trembling in fear at these auras, and dared not utter a sound in their caves.
A large group of over fifty people gathered in the mountains. The middle-aged man at the head of the group narrowed his eyes as he looked at the distant Black Mountain Fortress: "Is this the Gama Empire?"