Chapter 33: Hai Bodong
The next day.
Xiao Tian woke up from his sleep. Despite the intense activities of the previous night, he didn't feel the slightest bit tired. Instead, he felt completely refreshed.
He quickly noticed something unusual. Beside him, Xuan Su let out a soft moan and woke up.
"Young Master Xiao Tian!"
Upon waking, Xuan Su glanced at Xiao Tian and then immediately covered her face with the blanket. Although she seemed mature and charming, she was actually still a virgin. Last night, after having a bit of wine, she finally gathered the courage to approach him. Now that the effects of the alcohol had worn off, she felt somewhat embarrassed.
Xiao Tian, however, pulled the blanket away and looked at her. Xuan Su had delicate eyebrows and large eyes, with a naturally coquettish look. Her red lips curved into a slight smile, creating a charming dimple on her cheek, which was enchanting. Her long, black hair cascaded over her shoulders, shiny and smooth. Her skin was as white as snow, her figure voluptuous and well-proportioned, resembling a ripe peach, with every movement exuding an enticing maturity and allure.
"Gulp!"
Xiao Tian swallowed hard, cupping her beautiful face in his hands and pressing his lips against hers.
"Mmm~"
A surge of electricity shot through both of them, making their hearts race. The strange tingling sensation made their blood flow faster, and they quickly entangled themselves together.
...
By mid-morning, Xiao Tian had finished getting dressed with Xuan Su's help. After having breakfast together, he said, "Su'er, I plan to go out for some training and won't be back for a few days."
Hearing this, Xuan Su looked at him with a sorrowful gaze. "You heartless man, you just took advantage of me and now you want to leave."
"I need to continuously improve myself," Xiao Tian explained. "It seems like I have outstanding talent, but without diligent cultivation, I wouldn't have achieved my current success."
"Go on, but take care of yourself!" Fortunately, Xuan Su wasn't entirely love-struck and understood that in this world, strength was everything.
"Alright, I'll be back soon." Xiao Tian said, then left.
After leaving Yan City, Xiao Tian went to Tiemu Village and found Qing Tan. The two of them then set off together.
...
High in the sky, a large flying bird beast was flapping its enormous wings, flying forward. Fixed securely on its back was a house made of special wood. Xiao Tian had chosen to travel on a flying beast rather than flying himself because Wutan City was too far from the Tagor Desert. Flying there on his own would be too exhausting, so using the flying beast was more convenient.
Inside the house, Qing Tan and Xiao Tian stood by the window, looking down. Below them stretched a vast expanse of golden desert, the rolling heatwaves causing Qing Tan to sweat lightly. However, she didn't mind the heat; instead, she was excited. "Xiao Tian-gege, is this the great desert? Qing Tan feels so comfortable here!"
Xiao Tian patted her head gently, "We'll be living in the desert for some time."
"Great!" Qing Tan clapped her hands joyfully. Because of her special physique, Qing Tan always disliked the cold and preferred the heat. To most people, the desert's heat would be unbearable, but Qing Tan enjoyed it.
...
After flying for a while longer, the beast landed in the desert city. After leaving the flying transport station, Xiao Tian asked for directions and headed straight to the Gu Tu Map Shop. Along the way, Qing Tan felt shy because the people in the desert city dressed much more revealingly than those in Yan City. The men were mostly bare-chested, their skin tanned and dark. The women wore tight leather clothing that barely covered their chests and waists, leaving their slim waists and long legs exposed.
Soon, they arrived at the Gu Tu Map Shop. Unlike other flashy shops, this one exuded a sense of antiquity. Inside, it was not very spacious, and two moonstones provided faint illumination.
Xiao Tian glanced at the old man behind the counter. Recognizing him from the original story, he knew this old man was Hai Bodong, one of the ten strongest in the Jia Ma Empire, also known as the Ice Emperor.
Xiao Tian searched the shelves and found one-eighth of a remnant map of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. He brought it to the counter and asked, "Old sir, do you have more maps like this one?"
Hai Bodong looked up. When he saw the map in Xiao Tian's hand, a flicker of surprise crossed his cloudy eyes. He didn't answer but instead asked, "Why? Have you seen other pieces of this map before?"
"No," Xiao Tian shook his head, "but I know what this map is."
"Oh?" Hai Bodong looked at Xiao Tian with interest. "What is this map?"
"It's a map to an extraordinary flame," Xiao Tian replied. "But this is just one-eighth of it."
He wasn't worried about revealing this information to Hai Bodong. After all, Hai Bodong already had a piece of the map and wasn't a fire attribute practitioner or alchemist, so he had no need for such a dangerous item.
"A flame map?" Hai Bodong seemed skeptical. In his understanding, this mysterious map should be a treasure map left by an expert.
"Believe it or not," Xiao Tian said, "I'm an alchemist, and I'm searching for extraordinary flames. If you have any pieces of the map, I'll reward you handsomely."
"I don't," Hai Bodong shook his head. "Leave the map and go."
He was pragmatic. Given Xiao Tian's young age, even if he were exceptionally talented, he would only be a second-tier alchemist at most. Given his own current situation, which even a sixth-tier alchemist like Gu He couldn't solve, he didn't believe Xiao Tian could be of any help.
"I intended to be polite," Xiao Tian said, fixing his gaze on Hai Bodong. "But it seems some people don't appreciate good manners. Don't you agree, Hai Bodong?"
In a world where the strong ruled, if negotiations failed, showing strength was the next step.
Snap!
Hai Bodong's ink pen snapped in his hand.
Boom!
With a light tap on the table, the open door slammed shut. Hai Bodong's gaze locked onto Xiao Tian, his cloudy eyes gradually filled with a cold glint. "Who exactly are you?"
(End of Chapter)
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