At the gates of Mo City in the early morning, after a month-long journey, Xiao Yan finally arrived.
Aside from Yao Lao and himself, no one knew what kind of brutal beating he had endured over the past month.
After taking the ice-fire body tempering pill, he endured a month of being whipped by the Bone Chilling Flame for six hours every day. Xiao Yan spent every day immersed in the agony of full-body comminuted fractures and crushed testicles.
However, the results of this month's beatings were extremely evident. First was his Physical Body's strength, which could now reach the level of an average Fourth-Tier Magical Beast. Although it couldn't compare to a Demonic Beast with extraordinary natural talent like the Amethyst Winged Lion King, he now faced no pressure when dealing with a High-Level Great Fighter.
Then there was his Dou Qi cultivation. In one month, he had consumed over a dozen fifth-grade pills. Even if they weren't for increasing cultivation, he successfully achieved a Breakthrough to Four-Star Great Dou Master, and it looked like he wasn't far from becoming a Five-Star Great Dou Shi.
"Phew..."
"Rushing non-stop, I finally arrived on the last day!"
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, took off his tight-fitting clothes, changed into his alchemist robe, and walked toward the city gate!
...In the largest inn in Mo City, Chen Yang had still rented a small courtyard.
Although Xiao Yan had arrived, it didn't affect Chen Yang's interest in riding.
After a bout of battle, Chen Yang stopped to rest and began to inspect the rewards from the System's triggered mechanism this time.
First was a brand-new storage ring. Although this storage ring couldn't compare to Han Feng's nether sea storage ring, the space inside was much larger, fitting for his status.
The one he obtained from the System's triggered mechanism back in Wutan City could be given to Xiao Yi Xian.
Next was the complete Purification Lotus Demon Flame map.
Chen Yang didn't take this thing out immediately. In case it contained the consciousness of the Pure Lotus Demon Saint, he might get marked. So, he just let it stay in the storage ring. When Xiao Yan collected all the pieces of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame map, he would take his copy out too.
At that time, Xiao Yan would probably feel like Great King Silver Horn: "My map is male, and yours is female!"
However, while Chen Yang was fantasizing here, he overlooked one thing—that is, Xiao Yan hadn't even obtained a single remnant map of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame yet!
...In the afternoon, after Xiao Yi Xian woke up, Chen Yang took her out to the Alchemist Guild in Mo City.
He and Xiao Yan had agreed that no matter what, they would meet at the Alchemist Guild on time after one month.
After entering, Chen Yang saw Xiao Yan sitting in the hall, being respectfully served by a young girl wearing an Alchemist Apprentice robe.
"Brother Yang!"
Seeing Chen Yang appear, Xiao Yan stood up excitedly and stepped forward.
"Not bad. Haven't seen you in a month, and you've gotten much sturdier. Your cultivation even increased by a star. Good job!" Chen Yang reached out and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder. The youth's travel-worn appearance had a bit more maturity compared to a month ago.
"Hehe..." Xiao Yan chuckled. Seeing Chen Yang again, his heart felt much more at ease.
"Let's go, we'll talk somewhere else!" Chen Yang said, leading Xiao Yi Xian out of the Alchemist Guild first, with Xiao Yan hurriedly following.
All the way back to the inn's courtyard, Xiao Yan curiously looked around the place.
Chen Yang took out various Medicinal Pills he had already refined and handed them to him.
"Thank you, Brother Yang!"
Xiao Yan looked at Chen Yang, filled with gratitude.
"Even though it's a fair trade, since you want to thank me, I really do have something to ask of you!" Chen Yang said.
"Go ahead, Brother Yang!" Xiao Yan put the Medicinal Pills into his storage ring and looked at Chen Yang.
"I remember your two older brothers are in the Tagor Desert, right?" Chen Yang asked.
"Yeah, Big Brother and Second Brother are both in Stone Desert City. They started a Mercenary Company and have made names for themselves." Thinking of his two brothers, Xiao Yan immediately showed a smile.
"When you get to Stone Desert City, have your two brothers help me send a batch of Medicinal Pills back to the Xiao Family. They're all to help Big Brother Xiao Yong with his cultivation." Chen Yang said.
"No problem!" Xiao Yan patted his chest. "I'll have Second Brother deliver them personally. It'll be a good chance for him to go back and see Father. Hehe, I heard Father has already advanced to Dou Ling, thanks to the pills you gave him before leaving!"
Chen Yang smiled, and the two chatted for a while longer. Yao Lao also came out to say a few words.
After eating lunch, the three people, two beasts, and one Soul went out in the afternoon to ask around and headed to the map shop called "Ancient Diagram."
After entering, while Xiao Yan was still looking around, Hai Bodong behind the counter had his pupils shrink.
'A Four-Star Great Dou Master, a Three-Star Great Dou Shi, and a Fourth-Tier Magical Beast...'
'That young man and the Demonic Beast at his feet, I can't even see through them...'
'Who on earth are they?'
Hai Bodong's years of living in hiding made him instinctively suspicious.
"Hmm?"
"I didn't expect that in this Mo City, there would actually be a Dou Huang expert."
"But Old Mister, your luck isn't very good. How did you end up being sealed by someone?"
Chen Yang turned to look at Hai Bodong. With his current strength, even without the power of the plot, he could easily see through Hai Bodong's current state.
"You..."
Hai Bodong was a bit flustered. For the other party to see through his state at a glance, he must be at least a high-level Dou Huang.
And right now, he only had the strength of a Dou Ling at most. If the other party attacked, he would likely be in grave danger.
"This Old Mister is actually a Dou Huang expert?"
Xiao Yan was looking at maps everywhere, but his attention was caught by Chen Yang's words, and he turned to look at Hai Bodong.
Xiao Yi Xian also curiously observed the old man in front of her.
"Master, the Seal on this person is even a bit stronger than my Amethyst Seal. It should have been placed by Medusa, the Queen of the Snake-People Tribe." Just then, the Amethyst Winged Lion King at Chen Yang's feet suddenly spoke.
Hai Bodong was startled again. He looked down at the small dog-like Demonic Beast and gradually saw the characteristics of the Amethyst Winged Lion King on it.
"You... You are the... Amethyst Winged Lion King from the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" Hai Bodong cried out in surprise.
"Yes!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King nodded, releasing a hint of its Sixth-Tier Magical BeastAura.
"Phew..." Hai Bodong was completely in despair. He looked at the three people and two beasts before him and gave a bitter smile. "If you all want Hai Bodong to do something, just say it. However, my strength is now only at the Dou Ling level, so I might not be able to help much!"
"Hai Bodong?"
"You are the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the Ten Strongest Experts of the Jia Ma Empire?"
Xiao Yi Xian said in surprise upon hearing this.
Ice Emperor Hai Bodong was a legendary figure in the Jia Ma Empire. She didn't expect him to have fallen to such a state.
"Yes!" Hai Bodong nodded bitterly.
"Old Mister Hai, there's no need to panic. We're just here to buy a map; we have no ill intentions." Chen Yang smiled. Seeing Hai Bodong's expression soften slightly, he continued, "Speaking of which, I have some history with the Mittel Family as well. Old Mister Hai doesn't need to treat me as a stranger or an enemy."
Hearing this, Hai Bodong's expression softened further. "I cannot see through Your Excellency. I wonder Your Excellency's..."
Chen Yang smiled. "Nine-Star Dou Huang!"
Hai Bodong immediately sucked in a breath of cold air. "Hiss..."
"Old Mister Hai, first give this brother of mine a map of the Tagor Desert showing the locations of the Strange Fires." Chen Yang looked at Hai Bodong.
Hai Bodong pondered for a moment and nodded. Then, he took out the map he had drawn from years of collecting information on Strange Fires and gave Xiao Yan a few instructions.
After Xiao Yan took the map, he browsed the shop casually and then discovered that small half-piece of the Purification Lotus Demon Flameremnant map.
"If the Young Brother wants that, I have another half here!" Hai Bodong looked at Chen Yang, then at Xiao Yan. After gritting his teeth, he took out the remaining half.
However, Xiao Yan directly handed the map to Chen Yang and used Soul Power to transmit his voice: "Brother Yang, this is a remnant map of the Purification Lotus Demon Flame, ranked third on the strange fire ranking list. Do you want it? I'm giving it to you!"
Hearing this, Chen Yang looked at Xiao Yan in surprise. "The Cultivation Technique you practice really needs Strange Fires. Are you willing to give it to me?"
Xiao Yan smiled freely. "Without you, Brother Yang, I might just be an ordinary little Dou Master right now, and I wouldn't even be able to gather the Medicinal Pillmedicinal herbs needed to swallow a Strange Fire. Besides, this thing is too far out of my reach. Brother Yang, you have great fortune; maybe you'll be able to collect them all. In the future, I can just benefit a bit from following you!"
Chen Yang suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha... You keep this thing. Just based on what you said today, I, your Brother Yang, will give you a massive Opportunity in the future!"
Xiao Yan scratched his head upon hearing this. Although he didn't understand, he silently tucked the map away, thinking that if he could find other remnant maps in the future, it wouldn't be too late to give them to Chen Yang then.
Meanwhile, Chen Yang looked at Hai Bodong: "Old Mister Hai, you took out this map without hesitation. Neither I nor my Young Brother will take your map for nothing. How about... I help you break this Seal as a reward?"
Hearing this, Hai Bodong's bitter face suddenly looked up at Chen Yang: "Re... Really? Is it possible?"
As Hai Bodong spoke, he weighed it in his mind. Medusa was a Nine-Star Dou Huang, and this youth before him was the same. Perhaps there was a great deal of hope?
"I am a Nine-Star Dou Huang, my Young Brother possesses a Strange Fire, and this big lion is also proficient in sealing techniques. I'll also refine a fifth-grade Star Shattering Pill for you. With these four working together, if it still doesn't work, then I'll just have to personally go find that Medusa!" Chen Yang said with a smile.
"You... You all are also Alchemists?" Hai Bodong was astonished.
"Brother Yang is a Fifth-Grade Alchemist." Xiao Yan said proudly.
"Hiss..." Hai Bodong sucked in another breath of cold air.
After thinking for a moment, Hai Bodong stepped out from behind the counter and gave Chen Yang a deep bow: "If the young gentleman can break this Seal for me, I shall be at your beck and call in the future without question."
Compared to the original plot where Hai Bodong haggled with Xiao Yan, the Chen Yang before him was already at the Peak Dou Huang at such a young age and had a Sixth-Tier Magical Beast as a mount. These things undoubtedly won over his proud heart.
"Good!" Chen Yang nodded with a smile.
Hai Bodong stood up and also showed a smile.
Countless ages later, when Hai Bodong also reached the Realm of shattering the Void Realm and transcending the cycle of Reincarnation, he happened upon a blue planet during one of his travels across ten thousand planes.
In that world, Hai Bodong saw a story recorded in a book titled "battle through the heavens," and he couldn't help but recall the events of this day.
"That year, it was as if I picked up a copy of 'battle through the heavens' in the Tagor Desert!"
(End of Chapter)
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