"Xiao Hua, let me see it. I want to only see it!" Zi Yan approached him with a bright smile, her eyes sparkling like stars as she stared without blinking.
Following behind her was the Little Fairy Doctor, her steps graceful like a noble young lady's, while Qing Lin walked with a respectful gait, like a maid approaching her master.
"If it were someone else, I might believe them and let them see it," Xiao Hua said, rolling his eyes. He carefully placed the item into a jade bottle he took out from his storage ring.
He then glanced at the large pile of remaining medicinal ingredients and casually said, "I don't mind if you eat the rest. I have plenty more in my storage ring."
He truly didn't mind letting Zi Yan devour them. After all, he had drawn multiple Gacha and amassed a vast collection of medicinal ingredients, all carefully stored away.
"Okay! Then I won't hold back!" Zi Yan's sulking expression instantly turned into joy. She nodded excitedly and made her way toward the large pile of remaining medicinal ingredients.
Though tempted to eat them right away, she held back—Xiao Hua was about to leave this place. Instead, she carefully stored everything in the storage ring he had given her, planning to enjoy them later.
After tidying their clothes, the four of them walked toward the door that led outside the room.
Leaning against a wooden shelf filled with scrolls near the doorway, Hai Bodong tapped his foot restlessly, arms crossed over his chest. Though his aged face appeared calm, a trace of impatience flickered beneath the surface.
'It's been three hours… could he have failed?' Hai Bodong muttered inwardly, his brows knitting together as he stared at the tightly shut door, a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
He cannot feel the slightest fluctuation of energy where one would normally feel when a sixth tier pill is being refined. Thus, the thought of Xiao Hua fails to refine crossed his mind.
A moment later, he sighed. The medicinal ingredients needed to refine 'Breaking Adversity Pill' were not easy to find. He had spent a few years in order to gather all these medicinal ingredients.
If Xiao Hua was to fail in the refinement, his hope of regaining his strength might have to be delayed...
A moment later, he shook his head despondently and smiled bitterly. "Having reached this point, I can only hope that this guy can bring some miracle. After all, he possesses that extremely terrifying 'Heavenly Flame'..."
Time ticked by. The atmosphere in the corridor had a layer of impatience gradually lingering over it as time flowed by.
Hai Bo Dong's expression fluctuated. His patient and anxiety have reached its limit. His shrivelled face twitched
"I'll go and take a look!" He was finally unable to withstand the torment of waiting like this. Taking in a violent breath, he suddenly turned his body and had a desire to walk into the corridor.
But just as Hai Bodong took a step toward the door, it suddenly rose, slowly revealing four figures.
"See? I told you the old man couldn't wait, even though we were only a few minutes late," Zi Yan said with a huff, puffing out her chest as a smug smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Hai Bodong's face twitched involuntarily. Given his condition, how could he not feel anxious?
Still, he suppressed his irritation and quickly stepped forward, asking eagerly, "Young Master, was it a success?"
Xiao Hua simply smiled and raised a jade bottle, then casually tossed it toward Hai Bodong, who was rushing over.
"Here you go. This is the pill you asked for."
Hai Bodong's eyes followed the jade bottle as it flew toward him. His right hand moved swiftly, catching it with ease, unfazed by Xiao Hua's casual manner of handing it over. Without hesitation, he opened the lid and gently shook the bottle, letting the pill roll into his palm.
"So… this is the Breaking Adversity Pill..." he muttered. The moment his eyes landed on the purple-hued medicinal pill, a mix of unrestrained joy and disbelief lit up his aged face.
The joy, of course, came from finally obtaining the Breaking Adversity Pill he had long desired. But the shock—more profound—stemmed from the fact that in just a single day, this young man before him, not even twenty years old, had successfully refined a Tier Six medicinal pill… something even the Pill King Gu He had failed to achieve.
"Young Master, the rumors about you were not exaggerated. Your pill refinement skills are truly astounding…" Hai Bodong couldn't help but voice his admiration. After all, how old was the young man standing before him?
Not only had he reached the Dou Zong realm at such a young age, capable of stirring fearsome waves in battle, but he had also refined an eighth-tier pill—undeniable proof that he was already a Tier Eight alchemist.
All these achievements had been accomplished by the young man standing right before him. Hai Bodong couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and admiration.
At the same time, he inwardly praised Ya Fei—the current head of the Miteer Family—for forging such a deep connection with someone like Xiao Hua.
Seeing Hai Bodong tightly clutching the jade bottle, his face full of unrestrained joy, Xiao Hua shook his head with a faint smile. "Old Hai, now that the pill has been refined successfully... what about the map fragment?"
"Ah—yes, of course!" Startled by the reminder, Hai Bodong quickly reined in his emotions and regained his composure.
He carefully placed the Breaking Adversity Pill back into the jade bottle and stored it in his storage ring. Then, with a light rub of his finger on another storage ring, a parchment appeared in his palm—aged and fragile, clearly something ancient.
Although he felt a twinge of reluctance handing it over, he knew it was better to forge a friendship than provoke someone like Xiao Hua. Even if his strength were fully restored, he still wouldn't be able to touch someone like Xiao Hua. With a silent sigh of resignation, he offered the parchment to him.
"Young Master Xiao Hua, if you don't mind me asking… could you tell this old man what exactly this map fragment is for? What will you obtain once all the pieces are assembled?"
Hai Bodong couldn't contain the curiosity in his heart, and he asked with a somewhat awkward smile.
"I've made maps for decades," he continued, "but I've never seen one as strange and complicated as this. Not long after I acquired it, I tried to make a copy. Yet no matter how precise I was, the copy always turned out vastly different from the original. After several attempts, I had no choice but to give up. Perhaps it's because this is only a fragment of the complete map."
Xiao Hua gave Hai Bodong a calm glance, the corners of his lips lifting in a faint smile. He naturally understood why Hai Bodong had failed to replicate the map.
This fragment was one of four that together formed the complete map to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
Each of these fragments was embedded with an immense amount of Spiritual Strength, hidden deep within. More importantly, that Spiritual Strength was actually a spiritual imprint left behind by the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint—an expert who, in his time, was considered the closest to stepping into the legendary Dou Di realm.
In truth, it would have been even more shocking if Hai Bodong had managed to replicate the map fragment.
Xiao Hua simply shrugged and replied casually, "I saw one of these map fragments before at an auction house in the Black-Corner Region. Even though no one there could identify it, they still dared to put it up for auction."
"Naturally, I was curious and tried to obtain it, but I failed. So when I saw another fragment here, I felt compelled to acquire it and uncover its secrets. That said…" —he shook his head lightly— "I'm still not entirely sure what it's hiding."
"I see…" Hai Bodong nodded slowly. Although he could sense that Xiao Hua was withholding something important about the map fragments, he chose not to press the matter.
Xiao Hua stored the map fragment in his storage ring, then turned to Hai Bodong with a faint smile. "Regardless, go ahead and swallow the pill. I'll stay here to ensure nothing goes wrong during the process."
"Ke ke, this old man is truly grateful for Young Master Xiao Hua's consideration," Hai Bodong said with a light chuckle, cupping his hands and bowing slightly.
For someone as proud as him, bowing—even slightly—was something he would never do lightly. But the young man before him was worthy of both his respect and admiration.
Without another word, Hai Bodong made his way to a different room from the one Xiao Hua had used earlier. Upon entering, he lightly pressed his toes to the ground, and his body leaped gracefully onto a raised platform at the center of the room—entirely formed from condensed cold ice.
Seating himself cross-legged, he retrieved the Breaking Adversity Pill from his storage ring. Without hesitation, he placed the pill into his mouth. His throat moved slightly as he swallowed it.
Inside the icy underground chamber, the atmosphere gradually turned still and silent as Hai Bodong entered a meditative state.
That silence persisted for nearly half an hour—until it was suddenly shattered by a violent ripple of energy surging outward in all directions.
On the icy platform, Hai Bodong—who had been seated in complete stillness—suddenly began to tremble violently. Waves of fierce energy ripples erupted from within his body, expanding outward with alarming force. Wherever the ripples passed, nearby tables and ice pillars cracked and shattered with sharp pa la sounds, scattering fragments across the floor.
Though the room was reinforced in the same way as the one Xiao Hua had used to refine the pill—keeping the energy from escaping—the interior still suffered considerable destruction due to the violent outbursts.
Amid the chaos, Hai Bodong appeared unaware of the damage he was causing. His body shook uncontrollably, and his aged face tightened with visible strain.
Above his forehead, two opposing energies suddenly manifested in the air—one a fiery crimson, the other an icy blue. The moment the two forces came into contact, they began to clash fiercely, sending out turbulent waves of energy like those before.
The red and blue energies hovered in a fierce stalemate at his forehead—one pressing downward, the other pushing upward—violently churning in an endless tug-of-war.
The faint glow emitted by the two clashing forces bathed Hai Bodong's face in eerie hues, and combined with the painful grimace twisting his features, gave him a savage, almost demonic appearance to anyone who might glance at him in that moment.
The red and blue energies continued to churn violently at Hai Bodong's forehead, locked in a relentless deadlock—rising and falling in an endless struggle. Half an hour passed before the two forces suddenly surged, colliding with explosive intensity. A powerful wave of energy burst forth, sweeping through the room in all directions.
At that moment, Hai Bodong's tightly shut eyes snapped open, releasing a piercing, nearly tangible light. A surging force, long suppressed deep within his body for decades, exploded outward like a mighty lion roused from slumber.
The overwhelming pressure caused the entire room to shake violently. Even the dense layers of ice crystals lining the underground chamber began to fracture. Shards of ice rained down from the ceiling, scattering in all directions.
"Ha ha ha! That damned seal has finally vanished! I've returned to the Dou Huang class once more!" Hai Bodong roared with laughter, his voice echoing throughout the underground room.
Cold mist coiled around his body as he slowly rose to his feet, his face filled with unrestrained joy. He took a step forward, lifting his head and laughing wildly, like a beast set free.
Meanwhile, Xiao Hua and the others remained upstairs, calmly and patiently awaiting Hai Bodong's complete return to power.
As they relaxed upstairs, the sudden tremor of the shop naturally caught their attention. However, none of them reacted with alarm. Even Qing Lin—who was the weakest among them—remained calm and composed.
Although she was slightly startled by the sudden shaking and briefly lost her balance, her expression didn't change much. Having experienced the shockwaves from Xiao Hua's terrifying 'Ancient Desolate Hand' technique before, a little commotion like this hardly fazed her.
"What's that old man laughing so loudly for?" Zi Yan frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by the boisterous laughter echoing from below.
"Let him enjoy his moment," Xiao Hua replied with a faint smile, gently shaking his head. "It must have been frustrating for someone as proud as him to have his strength reduced to the Dou Ling class."
As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on the map fragment in his hand, his gaze sharp and focused as he continued to probe it.
Surprisingly, even with his Heavenly State perception, he was unable to detect anything beyond the immense amount of Spiritual Strength hidden within the map fragment.
His curiosity deepened. Just how had the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint managed to create the Map of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame and embed such a vast amount of Spiritual Strength into it—while still maintaining its integrity, even after being split into four fragments?
A few minutes later, Hai Bodong's laughter gradually faded until it disappeared completely—it seemed he had finally calmed down. Moments after, he emerged from the basement and returned upstairs.
His gaze swept across the four figures in the room. Now that he had regained his Dou Huang strength, he could clearly sense the cultivation levels of those present—except for two.
The green-clothed young girl was a two-star Dou Shi, while the purple-clothed girl, to his surprise, was actually a Dou Wang. Judging from her youthful appearance, he would never have expected such a high cultivation level from her.
However, what frightened him most were the remaining two individuals. The graceful, white-clothed young lady and the striking, black-robed young man who was idly fiddling with the map fragment—he couldn't sense their strength at all.
From the black-robed young man, Hai Bodong could feel an unfathomable aura, as deep and vast as an endless abyss. As for the white-robed woman, a sinister and chilling energy lingered around her—an aura that reminded him of a deadly poison lying dormant, waiting to strike.
As expected, the chances of me getting that map fragment back are non-existent… Hai Bodong smiled bitterly, letting out a dejected sigh in his heart.
He shook his head and walked toward Xiao Hua. Cupping his hands, he said sincerely, "Thank you, Young Master, for your assistance."
"It seems your strength has returned to the Dou Huang level. That's good news." Xiao Hua nodded as he stored the map fragment away. With a glance, he could already sense the powerful aura now radiating from Hai Bodong's body.
After a brief pause, Xiao Hua looked at him with a slight smile. "Old Hai, now that you've recovered your strength, I assume you won't continue staying here as a shopkeeper, will you?"
"You're right. I only remained here to study the map fragment and search for a method to break the seal," Hai Bodong replied with a nod. "Now that the map is in your hands and the seal has been removed, there's no longer a reason for me to stay."
Glancing at Xiao Hua's smiling face, he hesitated for a moment before asking curiously, "Do you have something in mind?"
"I plan to head to the Central Plains before long. If possible, could I ask you to keep an eye on Xiao Yan and the Xiao Clan for me?" Xiao Hua said calmly.
Hai Bodong raised his brows slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes. "With Ya Fei now leading the Miteer Family, there's no doubt that Xiao Yan and the Xiao Clan will be well protected—especially considering her relationship with you."
He paused before continuing, "Besides, with the current strength of the Xiao Clan, few forces can threaten them. Unless it's forces like the Misty Cloud Sect, most wouldn't dare challenge them."
Xiao Hua chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "It's just a simple request. While I'll count it as a favor, I still intend to repay you for the trouble. How about I help you speed up the recovery of your strength?"
Hai Bodong's old face shifted slightly upon hearing Xiao Hua's words. A flicker of surprise surfaced in his murky eyes, though it quickly faded. He stared at Xiao Hua cautiously, hesitation in his voice—but the excitement beneath was unmistakable.
"May I ask what method Young Master Xiao Hua has in mind?"
He understood well that although his strength had returned to the Dou Huang level, it was far from being fully restored. After all, his power had been sealed for decades, and such a long suppression made full recovery nearly impossible to achieve in an instant.
In fact, regaining lost strength often took longer than advancing to a higher realm in the first place. Who knew how many years it might take?
Naturally, if there was a method to recover faster—and it came from someone like Xiao Hua—he had no reason not to listen.
"Has Old Hai ever heard of the Core Recovery Essence Pill?" Xiao Hua asked, gently tapping the counter with his finger. Seeing the slightly dazed look on Hai Bodong's face, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"This pill is a tier six medicinal pill capable of instantly restoring lost strength caused by spiritual, physical, or meridian-related injuries—injuries that ordinary recovery pills cannot treat. This includes damage from broken meridians, shattered Qi veins, and long-term regressions due to poison, backlash, or even a seal."
He smiled faintly. "Don't you think such a pill suits Old Hai's condition perfectly?"
"Core Recovery Essence Pill…" Hai Bodong repeated the name under his breath several times, a flicker of joy lighting up his face.
His gaze locked firmly onto Xiao Hua, and he licked his lips in excitement. However, as someone with a wealth of experience, his mind quickly regained clarity, and a trace of caution crept into his expression.
"I do not mind in doing this request. But may I know more about this request of yours, Young Master Xiao Hua?" he asked calmly.
Though he had already resolved to accept, he couldn't shake the feeling that this 'simple request' might carry more weight than it appeared. Naturally, he chose to tread carefully and seek a deeper understanding before fully committing.
"It concerns the people I fought previously," Xiao Hua replied calmly.
Understanding the unspoken concern behind Hai Bodong's question, he decided to explain his reasoning for wanting the Miteer Family to assist and protect the Xiao Clan.
'He's not expecting me to protect the Xiao Clan from those monsters… right?' Hai Bodong's throat moved slightly as he nervously swallowed.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to go up against them," Xiao Hua said with a faint smile, noticing Hai Bodong's reaction. A trace of helplessness curved the corners of his lips.
"Their attention is likely on me. That's why I need to leave and head to the Central Plains—to avoid implicating my clan. It's the main reason I've decided to leave the Jia Ma Empire."
"You're concerned someone might be plotting against your clan…?" A flicker of hesitation passed through Hai Bodong's aged eyes. He quickly grasped the meaning behind the request. Still, the thought of confronting the kind of people who could force Xiao Hua to unleash such a terrifying technique unsettled him.
"There's no need to worry about facing anyone on that level," Xiao Hua reassured with a slight shake of his head. "At most, it would be just a few Dou Zong experts. Besides, the Xiao Clan's two Grand Elders are on the verge of breaking through to Dou Zong themselves. You won't be expected to fight for them—just be there, to help them and hide them."
"Naturally, I would also help you to advance into a Dou Zong in addition to giving you the Core Recovery Essence Pill." He added with a smile.
While Xiao Hua might not know the identity of the Protector—perhaps it was Protector Wu, or maybe someone else—he could still predict what their next move would be once he departed for the Central Plains.
Without a doubt, that Protector would summon reinforcements. If only one came, Xiao Tao and Xiao Yang might be able to handle it. But if two or more appeared, it would be difficult to protect everyone.
Fortunately, the Amethyst Winged Lion King had been given pills, techniques, and a cultivation method. Xiao Hua believed the Lion King would reach the Dou Zong level before any attack on the Xiao Clan occurred.
Even so, his greatest concern was the Miteer Family. He trusted that Ya Fei would do everything in her power to protect the Xiao Clan. That was precisely why he needed Hai Bodong to reach the Dou Zong class as well—to ensure her safety.
Besides, Hai Bodong was one of the Founders of the Miteer Family and one of the few people Xiao Hua respected for what he had done for the Xiao Clan in the novel. Naturally, Xiao Hua would help him grow stronger.
"Dou Zong?!" Hai Bodong couldn't help but exclaimed in shock.
Dou Zong is someone that haven't appeared in Jia Ma Empire for a long time. This was because that it is quite difficult for ordinary people to reach Dou Zong class even if one's background is deep in Jia Ma Empire.
That's why this attraction is extremely alluring to Hai Bodong. Besides, he has heard that Jia Xing Tian have requested 'Zong Breaking Pill' from Xiao Hua so it is natural for him to feel an even more attracted to become a Dou Zong.
'Besides, if the two Grand Elders of the Xiao Clan also break through to the Dou Zong level, it might not be too difficult to deal with the enemies Xiao Hua is concerned about…' Hai Bodong thought silently.
He stroked his white beard, his expression thoughtful as he considered the matter seriously. After a long pause, he finally lifted his gaze, meeting Xiao Hua's eyes with his aged, murky ones.
"I will do everything I can to fulfill this request of yours," he said, nodding solemnly.
After all, he was a member of the Miteer Clan. If the Patriarch—Ya Fei—wished to protect the Xiao Clan, then he would naturally support her decision.
He had no desire to lead the Miteer Family, nor did he wish to meddle too deeply in its affairs. What mattered more was that he owed this young man far too much already. All he could hope for now was that the enemies to come would not be too overwhelming to face.
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