Chapter 34: First Battle with a Dou Ling
Feeling the formidable aura emanating from Hai Bodong, Xiao Tian immediately activated his Copper Thunder Body. In an instant, his skin turned a bronze color, and he exuded a powerful aura.
Xiao Tian chuckled and said, "Old Hai, if you were still at your peak, I might need to use external help, but now you've been sealed and only have the strength of a Dou Ling. Naturally, I'm not afraid!"
"I didn't expect a young boy like you to reach the level of a five-star Da Dou Shi. But with just this level of strength, you can't make me submit!" Hai Bodong said lightly, but his expression was very serious. He felt a strong sense of danger from Xiao Tian.
As one of the top ten experts in the Jia Ma Empire, Hai Bodong had his pride. He couldn't just be threatened by a child and give in. If word got out, how would he maintain his reputation?
"In that case, let's fight!" Xiao Tian's eyes were filled with excitement. In this world of Dou Qi, he didn't need to maintain a high and mighty image. He was eager to have a battle with someone of similar strength.
"Fine!" Hai Bodong's hair floated without wind, and as the icy Dou Qi spread, the room was filled with mist, causing the temperature to drop. He stomped on the ground, and his figure shot towards Xiao Tian like lightning. The mist not only concealed Hai Bodong's position but also affected Xiao Tian's speed.
"Tricks!" Xiao Tian sneered. A purple Dou Qi armor formed around his body, surrounded by raging purple flames. The flames instantly burned away the icy mist, and his spiritual power spread out, locating Hai Bodong.
"Eight Extremes Collapse!" Xiao Tian stomped on the ground and shot forward with a punch.
"What?" Hai Bodong was shocked to see Xiao Tian easily breaking through his icy Dou Qi and finding his position so quickly. "Could this kid be from outside the empire?" A thought flashed through his mind. Otherwise, how could he explain Xiao Tian's monstrous abilities?
Despite his doubts, Hai Bodong didn't believe that a mere five-star Da Dou Shi could defeat him, even though he was currently only at Dou Ling level. With this mindset, Hai Bodong decided to meet Xiao Tian head-on.
"Boom!" The next moment, their fists collided, creating a violent shockwave. A cracking sound followed, and Hai Bodong was sent flying, crashing into the wall and creating a large hole.
"How is this possible... How can your physical body be so strong!" Hai Bodong was shocked. Xiao Tian's physical strength was terrifying, akin to a humanoid magical beast, even stronger than his Dou Huang body. One of his arms was fractured from the collision.
Xiao Tian looked at him calmly and asked, "Old Hai, do you still want to fight?"
Hai Bodong stood up slowly and said coldly, "I underestimated you this time, but this ends here." He raised his other hand, and icy Dou Qi formed dozens of spiral ice spikes in front of him, ready to attack.
"In that case, don't blame me for being rude." Xiao Tian chuckled and said, "Explode!"
"Poof!" Hai Bodong spat out blood and fell to his knees. Without his Dou Qi support, the ice spikes disappeared. After a long pause, Hai Bodong sighed, "I didn't expect to be defeated by a kid."
Xiao Tian smiled and said, "I used some tricks. In a normal situation, you wouldn't lose so easily."
"No, a loss is a loss." Hai Bodong shook his head. "Thank you for showing mercy. If you had fully unleashed your attack, I might have died."
He looked at Xiao Tian and asked, "Are you from one of those major forces outside the Jia Ma Empire?"
"Actually, I'm from the Jia Ma Empire, but my master is from Zhongzhou," Xiao Tian replied.
"No wonder!" Hai Bodong said. "I don't feel unjustly defeated."
Zhongzhou was known for its talented individuals. While Hai Bodong was considered a powerful figure in the Jia Ma Empire, he was insignificant in Zhongzhou. Most people from the Dou Qi continent had a deep respect for Zhongzhou.
"Old Hai, can we make a deal now?" Xiao Tian smiled. "If you give me the flame map, I can help you restore your strength."
"Alright." Hai Bodong nodded seriously. "The map you have is only half of a remnant. I split it into two when I obtained it. Even so, you can't find the flame without the complete map."
He continued, "Since you're so determined to find the flame, I'll give you a new map. It has three locations in the Tagor Desert where you might find it." Hai Bodong flicked his fingers, and a thin parchment and a piece of the broken map appeared. He handed them to Xiao Tian and said, "Use this map and remnant. If you find the flame, help me refine a sixth-grade pill. It requires a flame to refine and is missing an ingredient called Sand Mandala, found only in the Tagor Desert."
"Deal!" Xiao Tian nodded and handed a few jade bottles to Hai Bodong. "These are healing, blood-stopping, and bone-strengthening medicines."
"Thank you," Hai Bodong said, nodding.
"With the map in hand, I'll explore the desert. Maybe I'll find the flame." Xiao Tian said and left with Qing Tan.
(End of Chapter)