Chapter 55: Hand It Over!
"Elder, what should we do?" Mo Ran hurried to Mo Cheng's side, asking anxiously.
Mo Cheng's expression was grim as he glared venomously at Hai Bodong and Qing Lin's retreating figures. "Contact the City Lord of Stone Desert City. Have him keep a close watch on those two. Don't let them escape!"
"Aren't we going to chase them?" Mo Ran scratched his head, confused.
"Can you beat them?" Mo Cheng snapped, his eyes narrowing in anger. That ice element Dou Spirit was at the peak of the Dou Spirit realm, even stronger than him. If they were determined to flee, there was no way he could stop them.
"Then what should we do?" Mo Ran looked dumbfounded. Were they just going to let them go?
"Return to Salt City and gather reinforcements!" Mo Cheng barked furiously. "The Mo Family doesn't lack for manpower or resources. As long as we keep track of them and don't lose sight, we'll still have a chance!"
"And what about this beast?" Mo Cheng pointed to the Double Headed Flame Spirit Serpent, which was still being besieged by more than a dozen Dou Masters from the Mo Family.
"I'll kill this beast myself!" Mo Cheng roared, his face contorted in rage. If not for this wretched creature, the Three Flower Pupils would already be his!
Boom!
With a roar, Mo Cheng's deep crimson Dou Qi erupted like a volcano. Dragging his massive arm, he leaped high into the air, locking his aura onto the trapped Double Headed Flame Spirit Serpent.
"Hiss !!"
Sensing the looming danger, the serpent shrieked in terror, expelling every ounce of Dou Qi in its body to try to break free of the encirclement. However, Mo Cheng was already upon it.
"Beast, you're not going anywhere!"
Mo Cheng bellowed. With a ripping sound, a pair of black wings unfurled from his back, beating violently as he flew higher. He swung his Mountain Breaking Arm with ferocious momentum, aiming straight for the serpent.
Boom!
Sand and dust flew into the air, creating a whirlwind of sand waves.
The Double Headed Flame Spirit Serpent let out one last desperate cry. Mo Cheng's face twisted into a cruel sneer as he released another surge of crimson Dou Qi from his massive arm.
The serpent's cries came to an abrupt halt. Mo Cheng snorted disdainfully as he flapped his wings and retreated, revealing the bloodied and mangled body of the Double Headed Flame Spirit Serpent.
"Pack it up. Let's head home. Don't forget to dig out this beast's magic core!" Mo Cheng barked two cold orders before taking the lead, heading in the direction of Salt City.
Mo Ran smirked as he pulled out a large knife from his storage ring. With a single slash, he split the serpent's head open, reaching inside with his hand. "Damn it, it's in the other head!"
He raised the blade again and sliced open the other head. After rummaging through the viscous brain matter, he pulled out a black and red magic core.
"A Tier 4 magic core... Heh heh heh, what a treasure!"
…
In Stone Desert City, Qing Lin had just returned to the house Lu Bu had prepared for them. Suddenly, her body trembled, and tears welled up in her reddened eyes.
"Qing Lin, what's wrong?" Hai Bodong asked, clutching his chest as he struggled to steady his breathing.
Although Mo Cheng's cultivation level wasn't exceptionally high, his combat prowess couldn't be underestimated. The Mo Family's method of transplanting magical beast limbs was unorthodox but undeniably effective in increasing their combat power.
"Xiao Ling… Xiao Ling is dead!" Qing Lin choked on her sobs, tears streaming down her face. Xiao Ling was the name she had given the Double Headed Flame Spirit Serpent.
"..."
Hai Bodong fell silent. He had already anticipated this outcome when he chose to retreat with Qing Lin, but… if they hadn't fled, the consequences would have been even worse.
He couldn't protect Qing Lin and fight Mo Cheng a madman and his meticulously trained death squad simultaneously.
"Rest for now. We'll leave Stone Desert City tomorrow… Hm?"
Hai Bodong's expression suddenly changed as his sharp gaze turned toward the city's outskirts.
"Master Hai, is there an enemy?" Qing Lin's face tensed as icy Dou Qi rose from her body, the same frost element as Hai Bodong's.
"Let me take another look…" Hai Bodong glanced at Qing Lin and sighed inwardly. This girl had exceptional talent.
It had only been about a month since Lu Bu left, and Qing Lin had already broken through to become a Dou Practitioner. Her rapid progress was astonishing. The Qi Gathering Powder he'd given her to condense her Qi Cyclone had worked wonders.
If not for Qing Lin's unwavering loyalty to Lu Bu, Hai Bodong would have seriously considered taking her on as a disciple.
Suddenly, a soft sound a faint whoosh rang through the room. A figure appeared out of nowhere.
"Young Master!"
Qing Lin's eyes lit up with joy as she shouted excitedly.
Hai Bodong let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, this guy had returned. With Lu Bu back, Mo Cheng and the Mo Family wouldn't be a problem anymore.
"I'm back. Did you miss me, Qing Lin?" Lu Bu asked with a grin, spreading his arms wide as if expecting a warm embrace.
"Wahhh… Young Master, you're finally back!" Qing Lin threw herself into Lu Bu's arms, clinging to him tightly as she broke into uncontrollable sobs.
Lu Bu instinctively hugged Qing Lin, but his brows furrowed slightly. This was the reaction he had expected, yet it wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"Young Master, Xiao Ling… Xiao Ling was killed…" Qing Lin's tear streaked face was flushed, her eyes swollen red.
"What happened? Tell me everything!"
Lu Bu gently stroked her head, his voice calm but firm. His gaze shifted to Hai Bodong, only to notice his battered appearance and the streak of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"You got what you were after?" Hai Bodong wiped the blood from his lips and was the first to ask.
Lu Bu froze for a moment, then casually snapped his fingers. With a soft pop, a flickering blue green flame appeared at his fingertips, dancing like a mischievous sprite.
"Ranked nineteenth: the Green Lotus Core Flame."
"You really got it!" Hai Bodong exclaimed in awe. Robbing Medusa was no easy feat.
"And that's not all!"
Lu Bu flicked his finger, and with a sharp crack, a razor sharp burst of energy shot out like lightning.
"What?" Hai Bodong's expression changed drastically. He raised a hand and pushed forward, summoning a shield of ice to block.
Bang!
Hai Bodong's body trembled as his ice shield shattered into pieces. A thin trickle of blood slid down the corner of his mouth.
"Damn it, why didn't you warn me?!" Hai Bodong growled angrily. That casual flick of Lu Bu's finger had unleashed power equivalent to a full force strike from a peak Dou Spirit.
"Wait… you didn't even use your soul power?" Hai Bodong wiped the blood from his mouth and froze in disbelief. That attack had relied solely on physical strength?
"Damn it, you're a monster…"
Hai Bodong's lips twitched. In the past few days, he'd nearly lost all confidence. First, Qing Lin's natural talent crushed his self esteem. Then, he was bullied by Mo Cheng, a mere five star Dou Spirit. And now, Lu Bu could practically crush him barehanded.
"What about your Dou Qi level?" Hai Bodong asked, hoping for a little comfort.
"Advanced Dou Master," Lu Bu said with a smile. His Dou Qi surged, briefly forming the outline of a Dou Qi armor, before dissipating under his control.
"...Sigh. Life is so hard," Hai Bodong muttered, looking up at the sky in frustration. An eighteen year old Dou Master? He could never have achieved such a feat back in his day.
"You're injured? How bad is it?" Lu Bu asked, surprised. His own physical strength had indeed improved significantly, enough to attempt cultivating the Nirvana Golden Body soon. However, he didn't expect a single strike to leave Hai Bodong coughing up blood. Despite appearances, Hai Bodong was still fundamentally a Dou Emperor.
"Not too serious," Hai Bodong replied before his expression turned grim. He recounted the ambush they had faced outside the city in vivid detail.
As Lu Bu listened, he immediately connected the dots to the Mo Clan from the original story the same clan that had captured Qing Lin.
"Rest up. We'll settle this score later," Lu Bu said coldly. "Tomorrow, I'll refine the Breaking Elixir for you!"
The Mo Clan… he didn't like the sound of them. And now that they'd provoked him, they were destined for annihilation.
Hai Bodong's face lit up with joy at Lu Bu's promise. "Good!" Finally, there was a glimmer of hope.
…
The next day, at the Sand Mercenary Group's headquarters.
With a series of precise movements, Lu Bu planted six yellow formation flags, forming a defensive array. Hai Bodong oversaw the outer perimeter alongside the mercenaries, ensuring that everything was in place. All that was left now was the recipe for the Breaking Elixir.
Hai Bodong: "…"
"Hurry up and say something!" Lu Bu said impatiently. "The recipe and materials hand them over. I've already prepared the Sand Mandala Lotus."
"Sigh, you alchemists are so enviable…" Hai Bodong sighed deeply, reluctantly pulling out a roll of yellowed parchment and a pile of rare medicinal ingredients from his storage ring.
"I went through a lot of trouble to get this recipe, and these ingredients… they took me years to collect," Hai Bodong muttered, his heart aching at the thought.
"Well, they're mine now. Hand them over!" Lu Bu smirked, scooping everything up in one motion. "Now get up on the roof and keep watch. The rest is none of your business."
With that, he shoved Hai Bodong out and turned the Sand Mercenary Group's training ground into a personal alchemy workshop.
Lu Bu took a deep breath as his soul power poured into the parchment, carefully studying the recipe for the Breaking Elixir.
The Breaking Elixir was a Tier 6 pill capable of dissolving most seals and even granting resistance to future sealing techniques.
"What a treasure!" Lu Bu chuckled to himself. From now on, this elixir might as well bear his name.
After a moment's thought, he raised his hand. With a soft whoosh, the Green Lotus Core Flame flickered to life in his palm. A few medicinal herbs floated over, drawn by his power, and landed in the flame.
"I really need to get an alchemy cauldron…" Lu Bu muttered to himself. While refining pills barehanded looked impressive, it was far from efficient. A proper cauldron would make the process much easier.
Meanwhile, on the roof, Hai Bodong sat vigilantly, his eyes fixed on the flickering green flames below. His gaze burned with anticipation. Finally, he could see the hope of regaining his full strength.
(End of Chapter)
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