After packing up his belongings and making sure nothing was forgotten, Xiao Se slung the demon sword on his back and walked to the window. The purple cloud wings on his back unfurled with a whoosh.
Flapping the wings gently, Xiao Se jumped straight out of the window. The sharp sound of the wind cutting through the air whizzed past his ears. With a flick of his wings, purple-green Dou Qi covered his body.
He spun around and hovered in mid-air, glancing at the giant winged flying beast slowly moving above him. Smiling faintly, he paused for a moment before his speed suddenly increased, transforming into a streak of purple-green light that vanished into the sky.
Shortly after, Xiao Se arrived above the peculiar building he had noticed earlier. When he saw the signboard displaying the words "Gu Tu" (Ancient Map), he confirmed his suspicions.
Landing silently not far from the Gu Tu shop, waves of heat greeted him. Xiao Se squinted as he looked in the direction of Hai Bodong's residence. His lips curled into a smile as he murmured to himself, "Finally, no effort wasted. I'm here for the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame Fragment."
With that, Xiao Se walked directly toward the Gu Tu shop.
Taking his time, Xiao Se eventually stepped into the shop.
As he entered, his eyes subtly swept over the shop's interior. When he spotted an old man bent over, meticulously drawing maps, Xiao Se paused briefly, thinking to himself, "So this is the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong? The fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame and the information about the Green Lotus Core Flame... what an incredible opportunity."
Suppressing the urge to immediately take the fragment and information from Hai Bodong, Xiao Se remained calm.
Just as Xiao Se was about to search for the fragment displayed on the counter, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind, "Brother, this old man isn't ordinary. Based on the levels of this world, it seems he's a Dou Huang expert, but his power is being suppressed to the Dou Ling level due to some kind of seal."
The voice was ethereal and pleasant, yet had a hint of a warrior's spirit. Clearly, it was Hong Kui speaking.
"Yes, I know. Don't alert him for now." Xiao Se nodded slightly and replied in his mind.
Feigning nonchalance, he let his gaze drift over the maps on the counter. After picking up several maps, flipping them over with interest, he eventually found the half-destroyed map fragment on an old wooden shelf in the corner of the shop.
His eyes blinked rapidly as his hand trembled while picking up the worn fragment. His breathing quickened slightly as he thought, "Finally found it."
"Brother, this fragment seems to be from the same map you found in the Magic Beast Mountain Range. It exudes a strong spiritual aura," Long Kui's soft voice rang again in his mind.
Xiao Se smiled, feeling slightly excited. He suppressed the urge to instantly store it in his system inventory, then walked toward Hai Bodong with the map fragment, stopping about five meters away.
At that moment, Hai Bodong had just finished his work. Without looking up, his old and calm voice resonated through the shop as he asked, "Are you looking to buy a map?"
Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Xiao Se picked a map from the side, smiled politely, and replied, "Sir, I'd like to buy this map of the Tagore Desert and this fragment. How much would that cost?"
"Fragment?" Hai Bodong froze when he heard Xiao Se's question, instantly snapping the delicate drawing pen in his hand. His gaze shifted slightly, landing on the fragment in Xiao Se's hand. His old face showed a hint of sadness.
Just as he was about to refuse to sell, he noticed the two-star alchemist badge on Xiao Se's chest. A faint flicker of surprise passed through his cloudy eyes as he scanned Xiao Se's youthful face. Shock quickly replaced his surprise, and he took a deep breath, silently exclaiming, "Such a young second-tier alchemist!"
After a brief moment of shock, Hai Bodong regained his former calm composure and indifferently asked, "Young man, have you seen this kind of fragment before?"
Xiao Se chuckled and said, "I haven't seen one before, but I feel a connection to it. If you're willing to sell it, I'm prepared to pay handsomely."
"Not for sale." Hai Bodong lowered his head again and continued drawing maps.
No matter how talented this young alchemist was, unless he could refine a sixth-tier Breaking Barrier Pill, Hai Bodong had no interest in him.
"Heh, old sir, you haven't asked me how much I'm willing to offer yet. Perhaps I can give you something that will tempt you," Xiao Se said with a smile, not putting down the fragment.
Hearing Xiao Se's words, Hai Bodong realized that this young man was determined to get the fragment. He waved his hand and coldly said, "Kid, this is my final warning. Don't get any ideas about my map. You may be a gifted alchemist to have reached the second tier at such a young age, but don't think of stealing from me. The world outside is far more dangerous than you realize."
"It's true that I'm just a young alchemist compared to a former Dou Huang, but aren't you also just an old man at the end of his rope?" Xiao Se calmly uttered words that could raise the dead.
"Crack!" The drawing pen in Hai Bodong's hand snapped again. He slapped the wooden table, causing it to collapse. His cold gaze locked onto Xiao Se as a faint chill swirled in his cloudy eyes, dropping the temperature in the room by several degrees.
"Who are you, really?"
The bone-chilling cold spread from Hai Bodong's feet, and the ground instantly froze over with a layer of frost.
Just as the frost was about to reach Xiao Se, a burst of purple-green flame exploded from Xiao Se's body, surrounding him and resisting Hai Bodong's icy energy.
"Purple-green flame? Is it a Heavenly Flame? No, its power is far weaker. It's more like the beast fire of the Jia Ma Imperial Family's magic beast, but slightly stronger. Who is this kid?" Seeing the sudden burst of flames, Hai Bodong was slightly shocked and couldn't help but ask, "Kid, who taught you?"
"Hehe, my teacher prefers to remain unknown and doesn't want his name spread." Xiao Se shrugged, casually waving the fragment in his hand. Smiling, he said, "Sir, I know you've been weakened from a Dou Huang to a Dou Ling. I won't push you further, but I'll ask again: are you willing to trade?"
"You won't push me further...?" Hai Bodong sneered. Since when had the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, fallen so low as to be pitied?
Suddenly, a surge of cold energy spread from his body, far stronger than before. His mouth twisted into a smile filled with anger as he questioned, "So, you've decided to challenge me?"
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