After leaving the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Lin Yuan unfolded a map. Once confirming his position, he immediately flew toward the southeast—his destination, the Tager Desert.
Three days later.
Within the vast Tager Desert, a streak of cyan light descended from the sky, landing in the sand outside Mo City, a border city on the eastern edge of the Jia Ma Empire. The figure that appeared was none other than Lin Yuan, who had flown directly all the way from the empire's northwest.
Upon landing, Lin Yuan retracted his wings. After several days of continuous flight, even he felt somewhat weary. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind and closed his eyes, spreading out his soul perception to survey the surroundings.
"Hm, no powerful auras nearby—seems there are no experts above the Dou King level here."
"The fire-elemental energy in this region is rather active... even the circulation speed of my Spirit Flame Art has slightly increased. Truly a good place for cultivating fire-attribute Dou Qi."
"Since there's no one nearby, then—"
Activating the Hidden Abyss Technique, Lin Yuan suppressed his aura to the level of a six-star Dou Grandmaster. Then, forming several mysterious hand seals, his blood and Qi flowed as his appearance shifted—he transformed into a handsome young man of about twenty-one or twenty-two years old. From his storage ring, he took out an alchemist's robe and donned it, affixing upon his chest a silver tower-shaped badge that symbolized a Second-Grade Alchemist.
After adjusting his appearance, Lin Yuan—now in the guise of Alchemist Xu An walked calmly toward Mo City.
As he neared the city, the number of pedestrians around him increased. Their attire carried a distinct desert style—both men and women dressed boldly and lightly. The women of the desert were far more daring than those from most regions. Upon seeing Lin Yuan's refined features and the alchemist's badge on his chest, many of them cast flirtatious glances his way.
Lin Yuan merely glanced around with calm indifference. At the city gate, over a dozen armored guards were loudly shouting at travelers, demanding entrance tax.
However, as soon as the guards caught sight of Lin Yuan's elegant alchemist robes and the silver tower badge on his chest, their expressions changed instantly. They stopped shouting, bowing respectfully and allowing him to enter without obstruction.
"Truly... because of their rarity, alchemists hold an absurdly high status on the Dou Qi Continent. No wonder so many of them are so arrogant."
After entering Mo City, Lin Yuan found an inn to rest and regulate his breathing for a while before planning to locate the shop known as 'Ancient Maps'.
He casually pulled aside a passerby to ask for directions. Upon noticing the alchemist badge on Lin Yuan's chest, the passerby became extremely polite, eagerly pointing him toward the shop's location. After thanking the man, Lin Yuan made his way toward the southeastern part of the city.
At the end of the street, a shop bearing the sign 'Ancient Maps' appeared before his eyes.
"There it is," Lin Yuan murmured, stepping leisurely inside.
Unlike other bustling shops, this one was quiet, almost deserted. Inside sat a white-haired old man, wholly absorbed in drawing maps, showing not the slightest reaction to Lin Yuan's entrance—his demeanor clearly not that of someone keen on doing business.
Lin Yuan probed him with his soul sense—the man's Dou Qi level was roughly at the peak of the Dou Spirit stage.
"It's him... the ruthless man who once divided the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map—Hai Bodong," Lin Yuan thought silently.
Lin Yuan spread out his soul perception, carefully recording every detail within the shop. He then walked to an old wooden shelf piled high with yellowed maps.
Casually flipping through them, he finally paused when he found a palm-sized fragmented map. Using his soul sense to probe it, he felt a faint, obstructing mist.
"Found it!" Lin Yuan's heart leapt with joy as he directly stored the map fragment into his ring.
The moment he did so, the previously silent Hai Bodong stopped drawing and turned coldly toward him. His eyes were like blades as he spoke in a chilling tone,
"Boy, put that fragment back. That's not for sale. Also—you seem to know something about that map. Tell me everything you know."
'As expected... Hai Bodong placed that fragment out in the open as bait. Anyone able to sense that it's extraordinary must already know something about it. And those who come here to buy maps usually aren't too powerful—his strength as a peak Dou Spirit is enough to suppress them all. A neat little setup indeed.'
With that realization, Lin Yuan made his decision.
"Oh? And what if I refuse?" Lin Yuan clasped his hands behind his back, a proud smile curling his lips as he released the fierce aura of a six-star Dou Grandmaster, his tone faintly provocative.
Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes, studying the young man before him—the youthful face, the arrogant eyes, that defiant expression. To reach this level of strength at such an age, and to be an alchemist on top of that...
A faint, mocking smile crossed Hai Bodong's face.
"Another one of those hot-blooded youngsters who doesn't know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth..."
"Hmph! Although I have secluded myself for decades due to certain reasons, I never imagined that a Dou Grandmaster would dare speak to me in such a manner. Is it your status as a mere Second-Grade Alchemist that gives you such audacity?" Feeling the imposing aura of the six-star Dou Grandmaster before him, Hai Bodong's face twisted into a sneer, his cold laugh filled with contempt.
Then Hai Bodong lightly tapped his palm on a certain spot on the table. Instantly, the wide-open door slammed shut with a resounding bang. His icy, domineering aura immediately radiated outward, pressing down on Lin Yuan with overwhelming force.
The moment Hai Bodong released his aura, Lin Yuan's figure flickered. In an instant, he appeared directly in front of Hai Bodong. The left hand that had been hidden behind his back, its Dou Qi concealed by his soul force, now appeared in front of Hai Bodong's heart. With a release of the gathered energy, Hai Bodong could be struck down on the spot.
"I love opponents who like to release their aura before a fight!"
Despite his abundant combat experience, Hai Bodong was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. He didn't have time to react or even mobilize his Dou Qi to resist; the pressure from the hand before his heart was already undeniable. He knew that if Lin Yuan released the energy stored in his hand, death would be instantaneous.
"This kid… his speed is incredible, and this Dou Qi… it's definitely not at the Dou Grandmaster level. He's hiding his true strength, and probably much more than that," Hai Bodong realized, secretly circulating his Ice Dou Qi to prepare for a counterattack.
"Old sir, I advise you not to act rashly. Otherwise, controlling my left hand could be tricky. And by the way, my soul perception won't let any sneaky moves go unnoticed." Sensing Hai Bodong trying to secretly gather his power, Lin Yuan warned him, while simultaneously condensing even stronger flames in his left hand to maintain pressure.
Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong's eyes shifted. The previously arrogant glare turned deep and contemplative, and his defiant expression calmed to serenity.
'I misjudged him this time! That aura he released and the arrogance he displayed were meant to deceive me and make me lower my guard. After so many years in seclusion, I've grown sluggish,' he sighed inwardly. Recognizing the situation, Hai Bodong wisely dispersed the energy he had been condensing. Since the opponent hadn't immediately struck, there was still room to maneuver—he would first see what the young man's intentions were.
"This time, I was careless. I admit my mistake. Boy, state your name!"
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