Chapter 91: The Whereabouts of the Fragmented Map
Before leaving Jia Ma Holy City, Yao Yan paid a visit to Teng Shan and collected a large batch of precious medicinal ingredients from the Miteer Family's auction house headquarters. In exchange, he promised to refine three Dou Ling Pills and one Royal Extreme Pill for the Miteer Family, to be delivered to Hai Bodong within a year.
Teng Shan did not hesitate in the slightest, nor did he ask Yao Yan for any form of collateral. He simply handed over all the requested ingredients.
He trusted a genius like Yao Yan to keep his word—and trusted Hai Bodong's judgment even more.
Besides—
Even if it turned out to be a losing gamble, it would only mean the loss of some materials. The Miteer Family could easily afford that. As the force controlling the entire auction business within the Jia Ma Empire, the Miteer Family feared no such risk. In comparison, securing the friendship of a monstrous alchemist like Yao Yan was far more valuable.
Yao Yan took the low-grade storage ring Teng Shan handed him and, with a sweep of his soul power, transferred all the herbs into the Bone Flame Ring.
Compared to low-grade rings—
The high-grade Bone Flame Ring, specially refined by Yao Lao, was obviously much more secure.
Once Yao Yan finished transferring everything, Teng Shan finally said, "Elder Hai is currently in the Tagor Desert. According to the latest message he sent back, there are some leads on the map fragment you're searching for. If it's on your way, you may want to visit Stone Desert City."
"Stone Desert City?"
Yao Yan was a bit surprised—what a coincidence. His first destination this trip was Stone Desert City, because the exact location of the Green Lotus Core Flame was nearby. With his soul perception, locating it shouldn't be difficult, especially since he had Ling'er as a trump card.
After all, heavenly flames shared a special kind of resonance with each other.
"I see. If it's on the way, I'll stop by."
Yao Yan nodded, returned the low-grade ring to Teng Shan, then turned to Caidie, who was holding Ling'er, and smiled as he waved. "It's getting late. Let's head out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Purple Cloud Wings unfolded behind him. He gave Teng Shan a polite nod before soaring into the sky like a stream of light.
Caidie also unfurled her Dou Qi wings and followed close behind.
Teng Shan watched the two figures disappear into the sky, a sense of anticipation rising in his heart. He knew that within a year, the Miteer Family's strength would see explosive growth. Three Dou Ling Pills could create three new Dou Wangs. The family had no shortage of peak Dou Lings who were only one step away from that level. A single Dou Ling Pill could be enough to break through the barrier between Dou Ling and Dou Wang.
Even if not given to others, taking one himself would still allow a rapid advancement by at least one star.
Not to mention the Royal Extreme Pill—it could increase Hai Lao's strength by one to two stars.
"Alchemists really are enviable…"
Teng Shan couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the incredible effects of high-tier pills.
The Miteer Family had their own alchemists, of course, but their strongest was only at the third tier. As for the fourth tier, that required formal instruction. It wasn't something that could be achieved by informal methods. Take the president of the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Guild, Fa Ma, for instance—rumor had it he only reached his current level thanks to the guidance of a mysterious expert.
The legacy of an alchemist was far more precious and difficult to obtain than that of a Dou Qi technique.
…
Yao Yan and Caidie flew much faster than any beast mount. A journey that once took over half a month now only required a single day. The view of the distant Tagor Desert had already come into sight, and the two adjusted their direction, heading toward Stone Desert City.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, a modest-sized city appeared before them.
Yao Yan stared at the city, and for a moment, a fiery gleam flashed in his usually calm eyes. He took a deep breath to suppress the excitement in his heart. Then he signaled to Caidie, and the two of them suddenly accelerated, streaking across the sky above Stone Desert City like shooting stars.
The next instant, they landed silently atop a tall building, overlooking the desert-style city from above.
"Young Master, should we go find Elder Hai?"
Caidie blinked her bright peach blossom eyes and asked softly. She was picking things up quickly—calling Hai Bodong "Elder Hai" now came quite naturally.
Yao Yan was indeed curious about the age of Queen Medusa and her sister, but any wise man knew better than to ask such questions—especially in a fantasy world. Since Caidie thought she and Hai Bodong weren't of the same generation, then so be it.
He squinted toward the distance and said lightly, "He's already sensed us."
Yao Yan hadn't concealed his aura upon entering the city. With Hai Bodong's acute perception, he would have immediately detected the presence of both him and Caidie. In fact, he was already flying their way. As for other powerhouses… Stone Desert City wasn't a major city, and its strongest defenders were only Dou Lings. There were no Dou Wangs stationed here.
Though the Jia Ma Empire had no shortage of Dou Wangs, they were strategic-level assets—unlikely to be assigned to guard a small city, just like Wu Tan City.
Whoosh—
A streak of icy blue light suddenly flashed through the sky. In just a few blinks, it landed beside Yao Yan—it was Hai Bodong, looking particularly refreshed these days. Having resolved his inner turmoil, even his expression carried more warmth than before.
"You got here fast. My message just got sent out through the Shadow Guards," Hai Bodong said with a smile, casting a curious glance at Yao Yan and Caidie. Based on his own calculations, the two shouldn't have arrived so quickly.
The Shadow Guards were elite enforcers trained by the Miteer Family. There weren't many of them, but each one was at least a Da Dou Shi. They specialized in handling delicate tasks with exceptional efficiency.
Yao Yan explained, "I only heard there was a lead on the map fragment, so I decided to stop by since we were heading this way. Mainly, I came to visit Caidie's sister. I need her help with something."
"Queen Medusa?!"
Hai Bodong's expression changed slightly. Clearly, he had some reservations about that name. Caidie's sister was known for her ruthlessness—her notoriety even exceeded her beauty. Especially after becoming the Snake-People's queen, her merciless actions only escalated. Any human who stepped foot in Snake-People territory met a miserable end.
In less than a month, over a dozen mercenary groups had been wiped out in revenge attacks.
Still, considering Yao Yan's relationship with Queen Medusa, Hai Bodong shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Good timing. Even if you hadn't come, I would've sent word for you. Because the fragment you're looking for is located within the Snake-People's territory."
(END CHAPTER)
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on January 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997