"Don't call me Ice Emperor anymore. To be defeated so thoroughly by a junior—I truly don't deserve the title of Ice Emperor. Just call me Hai Bodong directly." Hai Bodong waved his hand and said somewhat helplessly.
"Ice Emperor, you're being too modest. In this world, anyone who can defeat me at the same realm must be a strong expert, while those who lose to me aren't necessarily weak—it's simply because I am a powerhouse among powerhouses. In the future, many strong experts will still fall to me, so there's no need for you to feel discouraged. Since you don't wish for me to call you Ice Emperor, then I'll call you Elder Hai from now on," Lin Yuan said, comforting the somewhat dispirited Hai Bodong.
Hearing this, Hai Bodong glanced at Lin Yuan. Looking at the young man before him, whose expression remained calm, the gentle words he spoke carried a different kind of sharpness. The confidence that came from the depths of his heart possessed a strangely convincing power, easing Hai Bodong's somewhat dejected mood.
"Then what do you need me to do? Or rather, how do you plan to deal with me?" Hai Bodong asked.
"Deal with you? Elder Hai is overthinking it. I already said that we're in a cooperative relationship. As a sign of sincerity, I'll first completely lift the seal I placed on you," Lin Yuan said with a smile. As he spoke, his hands formed several hand seals before his chest. A streak of azure light flew from his fingertips into Hai Bodong's body. Immediately after, a small dragon-shaped flame spirit flew out from Hai Bodong's body and landed on Lin Yuan's fingertip. Lin Yuan snapped his fingers, and the dragon-shaped flame spirit slowly dissipated into the air.
Seeing the flame spirit disperse, Hai Bodong sensed his own condition. After confirming that the power emitting that special pressure within his body had truly vanished, he let out a sigh of relief. The feeling of being sealed was something he never wanted to experience again.
After lifting the seal, Lin Yuan looked at Hai Bodong and smiled. "Well? My sincerity should be sufficient, right? Elder Hai might not feel it now, but I believe that in the future you'll realize that encountering me was the greatest opportunity of your life."
"The greatest opportunity?" Hai Bodong looked deeply at Lin Yuan. After his defeat, his tone had softened considerably. "I hope so."
"Can you tell me how you fell from a Dou Emperor to a Dou Spirit?" Seeing Hai Bodong relax, Lin Yuan asked with feigned curiosity. A trace of cunning flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes. Of course, he already knew that Hai Bodong's fall in strength was due to being sealed by Queen Medusa during the struggle over a fragment of a map. He was deliberately asking this question to probe Hai Bodong and see how effective his earlier combination of pressure and favor had been.
"The reason my strength fell? It was due to Queen Medusa's seal," Hai Bodong said. At the mention of Queen Medusa, a trace of fear appeared in his eyes—his psychological shadow was extremely deep.
"Back then, after participating in the inter-empire experts' gathering, I came to the Tager Desert. By chance, I obtained that fragment of a map—the very one you took from me. However, it attracted Queen Medusa's attention. In our battle, I was defeated by her. Although I managed to escape, I was struck by her Serpent Sealing Curse. Not only did my body rapidly age, but my strength was also sealed at the Dou Spirit level."
'Indeed, a thrilling experience,' Lin Yuan replied, nodding inwardly. It seemed that his show of both might and mercy hadn't been in vain. Hai Bodong had kept his word, which meant fewer concerns when working with him in the future.
"Queen Medusa's seal? Interesting. I've done quite a bit of research into sealing techniques myself. The sealing art I used earlier was something I created on my own. If you don't mind, I could take a look and see if there's anything I can help with," Lin Yuan suggested.
"In that case, I'll trouble you," Hai Bodong replied calmly, though inwardly he was extremely shocked. As someone who had personally suffered the Ancient Dragon Suppressing Spirit Seal, he could clearly sense how extraordinary that seal was. To think it had been created by the young man before him—this person wasn't just terrifyingly strong in battle, but was also outstanding in his research into Dou Techniques. A trace of anticipation arose in his heart.
"Then let's not delay. We'll begin right away. Elder Hai, please sit down cross-legged and don't resist my probing," Lin Yuan said, mentally making a 'plan successful' gesture. As he spoke, he walked behind Hai Bodong, preparing to study Queen Medusa's Serpent Sealing Curse.
Hai Bodong followed his instructions and sat down without resistance. This was the resolve of the defeated, and he couldn't think of any reason Lin Yuan would harm him—after all, his strength and life had just been returned to him by Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan placed his palm against Hai Bodong's back, first releasing his Soul Perception to probe the seal within Hai Bodong's body. Then he circulated his Dou Qi to test the Serpent Sealing Curse, even having Hai Bodong cooperate in various tests while he circulated his Dou Qi. The gains were substantial.
"So that's how the Serpent Sealing Curse works."
"How can the seal be maintained for so many years? So that's how the energy is replenished."
"The method to resist interference is…"
"Hm? This aspect is somewhat similar to my Ancient Dragon Suppressing Spirit Seal."
"This rune is…"
"This method of utilizing bloodline spirituality and pressure is quite ingenious."
"These parts can be borrowed and used to improve the Ancient Dragon Suppressing Spirit Seal."
Several hours later, Lin Yuan finished his examination of the Serpent Sealing Curse and fell into deep thought.
Hai Bodong waited nearby, looking at Lin Yuan with anticipation. During the testing process, he had already confirmed that the young man before him truly possessed remarkable skill in sealing techniques.
After a while, seeing that Lin Yuan had finished thinking, Hai Bodong asked somewhat anxiously, "How is it? Is there any way?"
Lin Yuan replied, "I'm unable to completely remove this seal for the time being." Just as disappointment appeared on Hai Bodong's face, Lin Yuan added, "However, I can weaken this sealing technique so that its restriction on you isn't as severe, allowing your strength to recover to the Dou King level."
Hearing this, Hai Bodong was overjoyed and said excitedly, "Recovering to Dou King would already satisfy me greatly. At least I'd be able to fly freely in the sky again. I haven't felt the sensation of freely soaring through the heavens for decades—just thinking about it makes me nostalgic."
"However, I still need to make some preparations before weakening the seal, and I also have some urgent matters to take care of. We'll have to wait until our next meeting. Speaking of which, these urgent matters may also require Elder Hai's help," Lin Yuan said, looking at Hai Bodong meaningfully.
"Oh? What matters would I be able to help with?" Hai Bodong, now filled with hope regarding the seal, became much more proactive.
"My elders told me that there's a Heavenly Flame in the Tager Desert and instructed me to come here to search for and subdue it, as it would be extremely beneficial to my alchemy. Elder Hai has stayed in the Tager Desert for many years, do you have any clues related to Heavenly Flames?" Lin Yuan asked, looking at Hai Bodong.
'Elders? To be able to nurture such a monstrous figure and even know that there's a Heavenly Flame here, this kid's backing must be extraordinary. It seems that cooperating with this youngster really could be a great opportunity,' Hai Bodong thought to himself, making up his mind.
"Regarding Heavenly Flames, this old man does indeed know a thing or two." As he spoke, Hai Bodong took out a thin piece of sheepskin parchment from his storage ring and unfolded it. It was an extremely detailed map of the Tager Desert. Not only were the locations of water sources in the desert precisely marked, but the Snake-People tribes scattered throughout the desert were also carefully indicated. On the eastern, western, and northern directions of the map, there were three extremely conspicuous flame symbols.
Hai Bodong looked at Lin Yuan and smiled. "From my investigations, these three locations marked with flame symbols are the most likely places for a Heavenly Flame to exist within the Tager Desert. Personally, I suggest going to the eastern and northern locations first. The western one is closer to the depths of the Tager Desert, and the chances of encountering Queen Medusa there are quite high."
Lin Yuan took the map and looked deeply at Hai Bodong. "It seems that Elder Hai has truly acknowledged our cooperation from the bottom of his heart. That's very good. Trust me—one day, you'll be glad you made today's decision."
"I hope so as well. Since you're an alchemist, may I ask what rank alchemist you are?" Having firmly decided to cooperate, Hai Bodong now spoke much more openly.
"Sixth-grade. Although I haven't gone through a formal assessment, refining sixth-Grade pills isn't very difficult for me. If I can obtain a Heavenly Flame this time, my success rate in alchemy will increase significantly," Lin Yuan replied straightforwardly.
"Sixth-Grade…" Hai Bodong analyzed inwardly. 'To be able to nurture such a young Dou King who is also a sixth-Grade alchemist—what kind of powerful force could that be? Could it be the legendary Pill Tower? It seems this time I may truly have encountered a great opportunity.' His belief that Lin Yuan came from a major power in Central Plains grew even stronger.
"Then this old man will give you something else as well. This is a sixth-Grade pill formula I obtained over the years that can break seals. It requires a Heavenly Flame to refine. Consider it a congratulatory gift in advance for you subduing a Heavenly Flame." As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his storage ring and handed it to Lin Yuan.
Seeing how perceptive Hai Bodong was being, Lin Yuan decided to reciprocate the goodwill and promised, "If I successfully subdue a Heavenly Flame this time, I'll help you refine this pill. How are the preparations for the medicinal ingredients?"
Hearing this, Hai Bodong said somewhat awkwardly, "I've already gathered all the ingredients required by the formula, except for one—Sand Mandrake. It can only be found in the Tager Desert. With the seal Queen Medusa placed on me, the moment I step into the depths of the Tager Desert, she'll sense it… so…"
"So you want me to help you obtain that medicinal ingredient? That doesn't quite align with the rules of alchemy," Lin Yuan glanced at Hai Bodong and said calmly.
"I know, but as long as the pill described in the formula can be refined, I'll be able to recover my strength, which will also benefit our cooperation. After all, there's a difference between what a strong expert and a weak one can accomplish. Moreover, if I recover my strength, I can make the Miter Clan—one of the three great clans of the Jia Ma Empire—work for you." Hai Bodong stared fixedly at Lin Yuan. Having made up his mind, he resolved to stake all of his capital.
"The Miter Clan, huh… Mm, it could indeed be useful later." Seeing that his objective had been fully achieved and that Hai Bodong had completely boarded his ship, Lin Yuan didn't hesitate to show some goodwill. "Since you're showing such sincerity, I agree. I'll help you obtain the Sand Mandrake."
"Many thanks." Seeing Lin Yuan agree, Hai Bodong finally felt a weight lift from his heart.
'I've prepared for so many years, and now I finally see hope. I just hope I haven't misjudged this person or placed the wrong bet.'
'Hai Bodong—truly an excellent investor.'
Under the night sky, the two stood there, each harboring different thoughts.
"Then, Elder Hai, we'll part ways here. Within half a year, I'll return. At that time, I'll help you weaken part of the seal or refine a pill to break it."
"Until then. This old man will wait for you in the city."
After bidding farewell, Lin Yuan soared into the sky, turning into a streak of azure light as he flew toward Stone Desert City.
"Next stop—Stone Desert City. Qing Lin."
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