Hai Bodong Breaks the Seal

Hai Bodong shrugged. "What I need is a tier-6 pill, Breaking Adversity Pill. If you can give me that, not only will I give you the map fragment, but I'll also tell you the location of the Heavenly Flame hidden in the desert."

The Breaking Adversity Pill was something that was difficult to come by in the Northwestern Region. It had a potent effect to break most seals. After using it, it could also form a resistance toward that particular seal within the body. In the future, if one were to meet such a seal again, one would gain some chance of nullifying the seal. 

Li Xiao replied almost instantly, "Alright, no problem."

Hearing the young man answer without a shred of hesitation, Hai Bodong's expression changed greatly. 

Li Xiao browsed through the system store's list and finally found the pill at the bottom of the list. It cost only one system point, ten thousand gold coins if converted to money.

Without dawdling, he tossed the sleek round pill to Hai Bodong. "This is the Breaking Adversity Pill you need. It just so happens that I have one."

Hai Bodong raised an eyebrow and examined the pill skeptically. Not being an alchemist himself, he couldn't be sure if it was the pill he needed. If it turned out to be poison, his life would be at risk. His cautious nature made him hesitate to consume something from a stranger. It would be too late for regrets if something went horribly wrong later.

Seeing through Hai Bodong's concerns, Li Xiao chuckled. "Don't worry, Old Hai. Deceiving you provides me no benefit. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to use this pill."

Hai Bodong nodded slightly, thinking that his words made sense. If Li Xiao had wanted to kill him, he could have let the girl finish him off earlier.

After some contemplation, Hai Bodong decided to take a chance. "Alright, young man, I'll take the pill. If it works, I won't go back on my word."

Hai Bodong made a gesture of invitation, and they all returned to the room. Because of the pill's effects, he decided to retreat to his secret chamber to break through.

Watching Hai Bodong enter the secret chamber, Li Xiao wasn't worried about betrayal once Hai Bodong regained his Dou Emperor strength. With Lian Xue present, even if the entire Tager Desert gathered against them, they wouldn't be a match for her.

Moreover, Hai Bodong wasn't known for breaking his promises. If Li Xiao could rope him into the Heaven Ascending Pavilion, they might be able to gain substantial support from the Mittel clan, further increasing his gold reserves.

Time passed slowly.

After an indeterminate period, a loud bang echoed from the underground chamber, and powerful ice attribute Dou Qi emanated from the secret chamber.

Sensing the chill blew past him, Li Xiao, who was sipping his tea, turned and smiled. It seemed Hai Bodong had succeeded.

The stone door opened.

Hai Bodong's appearance had changed significantly. His once gaunt frame now looked filled with vitality. Apart from his silver hair, he appeared several decades younger, radiating a spirited and vigorous demeanor.

Hai Bodong felt the surge of energy within him and laughed heartily. "Haha, the damn seal is finally gone! I'm a Dou Emperor again! Hahaha!"

At this moment, Hai Bodong's aura surged, as if he was ready to charge at Li Xiao.

This young man has such treasures as a sixth-grade pill at his age. Such a genius must be befriended, not made an enemy, especially with a Dou Venerate by his side. If I were to act, I would surely die.

Hai Bodong chuckled. "Young man, I've heard you're the Pavilion Master of the Heaven Ascending Pavilion. This map fragment is yours."

As he spoke, Hai Bodong handed the fragment to Li Xiao and inquired, "Since you seem to value this fragment so highly, you must know something. What is it about this map that even a Dou Venerate is interested in?"

Li Xiao replied, "That's not for you to worry about, Old Hai. This matter is beyond your current capabilities. Just be glad that your seal is broken."

"Hahaha."

Hai Bodong laughed heartily. This Pavilion Master was indeed extraordinary. Anyone capable of commanding a Dou Venerate must be formidable.

[Congratulations for obtaining a map fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame. Each time you collect a fragment, you can store it. Once all fragments are collected, you will obtain a complete map of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame.]

Hearing the system notification, Li Xiao was overjoyed. No wonder many treasures in the system shop were locked behind requirements. So this was how they were unlocked.

Once he collected all the fragments, he would have a complete map of the Purifying Lotus Demonic Flame. It didn't matter who else tried to obtain it. He just needed to gather everything and put it up for auction.

Li Xiao smiled, pleased with the big harvest.

Hai Bodong also provided the location of the Heavenly Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame. He had explored the desert thoroughly and knew where the flame was hidden.

"Old Hai, I need to leave now. Stay here and wait for me."

Hai Bodong nodded. He hoped Li Xiao would help him restore his strength. Although he had regained his Dou Emperor level, his cultivation was still stagnant. If not for the seal, he might have been a Nine-Star Dou Emperor by now.

Thinking about this, a pained expression crossed Hai Bodong's face, especially when he saw the necklace in his hand. The sadness surged in his heart.

Unknowingly, so many years had passed. If she were still here, perhaps they could have lived together forever.

Watching Li Xiao's departing figure, Hai Bodong collected all the maps, planning to regain his strength once Li Xiao returned.

...

After leaving the area.

Lian Xue curiously asked, "Pavilion Master, we could have just soul searched him for the map fragment. Why did you help a mere Dou Emperor?"

Lying on the back of the Amethyst Winged Lion King, Li Xiao replied, "His name is Hai Bodong, known as the Ice Emperor, one of the top ten powerhouses of the Jia Ma Empire. Despite only being a Dou Emperor, he's a man of integrity and keeps his promises. He's a good friend to have."

"Moreover, Hai Bodong controls all the funds of the Mittel family in the Jia Ma Empire. If we become allies, the resources will flow to us easily."

Lian Xue covered her mouth and giggled. Thinking that her Master was just joking. The Mittel family's annual income was only a few million gold coins, not even comparable to Heaven Ascending Pavilion's earnings in a single auction. In her opinion, the Pavilion Master was probably interested in the Mittel family's little girl.

"Pavilion Master, we are about to enter the depths of the Tager Desert. I sensed a lot of magical beasts roaming around here."

Lian Xue gently reminded him. As a Dou Venerate, her soul power could cover a radius of several hundred miles, even faintly sensing auras thousands of miles away.