Chapter 57: Chapter 57
The next morning, Xiao Se donned the black robe of a second-tier alchemist that he had received the previous day and headed to the flying transport square in the city center to meet with Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke.
"Xiao Se, over here, here!" From a distance, Xiao Se heard Lin Fei's lively voice calling out. Smiling and shaking his head, he followed the direction of the sound and walked over. He soon noticed that, besides Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke, there was another girl standing next to Lin Fei, even more beautiful than the latter.
The girl wore a silver tight-fitting robe, appearing around the same age as Lin Fei, about 17 or 18 years old. She had a tall and slender figure, exquisite facial features, delicate eyebrows, and snow-white skin that contrasted with her silver attire. Her long silver hair cascading down to her waist added to her cold, untouchable beauty.
"Master Au Tuo, Master Fu Lan Ke," Xiao Se greeted the silver-haired girl with a nod of mild surprise and then bowed respectfully to Au Tuo and Fu Lan Ke.
"Hehe, Xiao Se, let me introduce you. This is my disciple, Xue Mei. Though her talent doesn't quite match yours, she's certainly not far behind Lin Fei," Fu Lan Ke chuckled, introducing Xue Mei to Xiao Se.
"Xue Mei, greet him."
"Hello, Mr. Xiao Se," Xue Mei, still a bit shy, nodded at Xiao Se.
"Hello, Miss Xue Mei," Xiao Se responded with a smile.
Fu Lan Ke, noticing that Xiao Se didn't distance himself from Xue Mei like he did with Lin Fei, thought to himself that there might be potential for something there.
Smiling, he took out two crystal objects from his storage ring—one purple and one white, both etched with magic patterns—and said, "Xiao Se, here are the two third-tier magic cores you asked for."
"Thank you, Master Fu Lan Ke." Xiao Se felt a sense of relief as he accepted the magic cores, bowing again in gratitude.
"Hehe, if you truly want to thank us, you can help us achieve a good ranking for Black Rock City in next year's Alchemist Conference. I believe you can do it," Au Tuo said, patting his round belly with a smile.
"I will," Xiao Se nodded firmly. He had no trouble refining third-tier pills at this point, and all he needed was to raise his cultivation level by a few more stars before he could attempt refining fourth-tier pills.
If he managed to absorb the Green Lotus Core Flame, refining a fourth-tier pill would be within reach.
"Hey, Xiao Se, if you ever pass through Black Rock City again, you have to come and hang out with me!" Lin Fei said, a bit reluctant to see him leave.
"If I have the chance," Xiao Se smiled as he bid farewell to Fu Lan Ke and the others, and under Lin Fei's curious gaze, he boarded the alchemist-exclusive flying magical beast bound for Mo City, located on the eastern border of the Jia Ma Empire.
After being led by the attendants, Xiao Se was assigned to a window-side room.
Once inside, he closed the doors and windows, activated his vast sea cosmic shroud, and took out the third-tier magic cores, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, Blood Lotus Essence, and other ingredients needed to refine the fifth-tier Blood Lotus Pill. His gaze fell on Long Kui, who was now sitting casually at the table, and he smiled, saying, "Long Kui, I'll need your help refining this fifth-tier pill, as it's beyond my current abilities."
"Don't worry, brother. I'm really happy to help you again," Long Kui's eyes sparkled as she smiled softly. She had always wanted to lighten the burden on her brother's shoulders.
"Still, if you feel your soul energy being drained too quickly and it becomes unbearable, stop immediately," Xiao Se reminded her with some concern.
"Understood, brother," Long Kui replied as her graceful figure transformed into a blue light and merged into Xiao Se's body.
In an instant, Xiao Se's pupils glowed blue, and his aura surged dramatically. A vast energy rippled through the air, enveloped in blue light. If not for the protective aura shielding the room, the entire flying magical beast might have been blown apart.
"This power... Dou Huang level!" Xiao Se raised his hands and stared at them in disbelief, feeling the overwhelming strength coursing through his veins.
He never imagined that after barely being able to handle the power of a seven-star Dou Wang at the beginning, he could now, after breaking through the Dou Shi level, handle the strength of a Dou Huang.
"It seems my soul force has also reached the level of a sixth-tier alchemist. This strength... it's truly remarkable," Xiao Se murmured to himself.
He quickly took out his cauldron and began refining the Blood Lotus Pill.
Three days passed in a flash. Thanks to his protective aura concealing his presence, Xiao Se avoided attracting unwanted attention, unlike the original Xiao Yan.
Despite Long Kui's help and his sixth-tier soul force, refining a fifth-tier pill for the first time was still a challenge. Although he succeeded, the quality was lacking. Thankfully, he had requested an extra third-tier magic core from Fu Lan Ke. Learning from the first attempt, his second try went smoothly, and he successfully refined a higher-quality Blood Lotus Pill.
"Ah, from the sixth-tier onward, I'll have to rely on myself to find pill formulas," Xiao Se sighed, gazing at the freshly refined Blood Lotus Pill in the jade bottle.
When Xiao Se received the legacy of Luo Han, a peak sixth-tier alchemist, he not only gained his alchemy knowledge but also his pill formulas. Luo Han's collection of formulas was vast, covering almost everything below the sixth tier, except for a few unique pills like Yao Lao's Foundation Establishment Liquid and Spirit Merging Pill, which can fully heal soul injuries, as well as the Heaven's Break Pill, which requires a Heavenly Flame to refine.
But formulas for the seventh tier and beyond were scarce. The only seventh-tier pill formula he possessed was the Transformation Pill, which was of no use to him, and he still lacked the formula for the Resurrection Pill needed to revive Long Kui.
"Brother, we're almost at our destination," Long Kui's soft voice sounded beside his ear.
"Is that so?" Xiao Se smiled at her joyful face as he stood up and moved to the window. Since acquiring the protective aura, Long Kui no longer had to stay hidden in the demon sword constantly. Whenever they rested, Xiao Se would release the aura so Long Kui could come out, without fear of being seen.
Standing by the window, Xiao Se looked down from the flying magical beast, and the entire Mo City came into view.
As his gaze swept across the landscape, a small, solitary building at the southern edge of Mo City caught his attention. The area was desolate, far from the bustling center, and it seemed rather strange.
"Could that be the shop run by that old guy, Hai Bodong?" Xiao Se wondered, and he began packing up his belongings, saying to Long Kui, "Let's disembark early here."
"Got it, brother," Long Kui replied, her body shimmering before transforming into a blue light and entering the demon sword.
---
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Chapter 58: Battle with Hai Bodong (Part 1)
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?"
---
To read upto 50 advanced chapters of this fic for just 6$, please visit my patreon. Link is in the description.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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Thanks for reading !
If you find any mistakes, please let me know about it in paragraph comments and I will correct it as soon as possible
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