Chapter 25: The Ice Emperor Hai Bodong

Upon entering the shop, Wei Yang took in the interior. It wasn't very spacious, with a few moonstones emitting a faint glow that brightly illuminated the space.

Wei Yang glanced around the shop, noting the lack of customers buying maps, which gave the place a somewhat deserted feel.

His gaze finally settled on the counter, where an elderly man with a head full of white hair was intently drawing a map. Despite his old age, the elder's hand, holding a black drawing pen, was steady and powerful.

If Wei Yang was not mistaken, this elderly man was the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong.

This was Wei Yang's first time truly seeing a Dou Emperor.

After a moment's thought, Wei Yang decided not to approach Hai Bodong yet. Even a sealed Dou Emperor was not someone to be trifled with.

Instead, Wei Yang and Ye Xian'er moved to a nearby bookshelf and picked up a map. The lines on the map were clear and accurate, with minimal discrepancies. The craftsmanship was indeed excellent, and Wei Yang nodded in approval.

He put down the map and picked up another one.

As Wei Yang continued to browse through the maps, he was surprised to find a wide variety. There were maps of the Jia Ma Empire and the Tagor Desert, both of which were very detailed. There were also maps of nearby countries like the Chu Yun Empire and the Mu Lan Empire, though these were not as detailed. Even the Black-Corner Region had maps available.

Wei Yang nodded in satisfaction. With these maps, he wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in the Jia Ma Empire and its surrounding areas. He took two copies of each map, one for himself and one for Xian'er.

Holding the maps, Wei Yang approached the counter and asked, «How much for these maps?»

The elder remained focused on his drawing, not even looking up. Only his old, indifferent voice responded, «One hundred gold coins per map.»

Wei Yang closed his eyes slightly, releasing his soul power cautiously. This morning, he had discovered a small surprise: after the mysterious black iron scroll had absorbed his soul power, his soul strength had slightly increased and become more refined.

Facing the elder Dou Emperor, Wei Yang couldn't resist his curiosity and wanted to test his own abilities.

As his soul power slowly extended, it quietly enveloped the elder.

Instantly, Wei Yang sensed that within the elder's seemingly old and withered body was a powerful aura akin to an iceberg. However, this iceberg seemed to be sealed by an even more powerful, mysterious force.

Wei Yang could vaguely sense that the energy the elder could currently utilize was only a small part of this iceberg, likely at the level of a high-tier Dou Ling.

Confirming this, Wei Yang smiled and retracted his soul power. Though high-tier Dou Ling was formidable, he wasn't afraid. At worst, he could run if needed.

Taking out a thousand gold coins from his storage ring, Wei Yang placed them on the counter and said, «I'm taking ten maps.»

The elder nodded, still focused on his drawing.

Wei Yang smiled, not minding the elder's indifference, and stored the maps. He and Ye Xian'er then left the shop.

After the two had completely disappeared, the elder's hand, which had been diligently drawing, paused. He slowly lifted his head.

This was an old face, with a terrifying scar running from his left cheek to the corner of his eye. Despite his withered and aged appearance, the scar added a fierce aura to him.

The elder's eyes, cloudy with age, watched the direction Wei Yang and Ye Xian'er had gone, narrowing slightly with a flash of sharpness.

«Two remarkable young people, so young yet with such terrifying talent!» the elder murmured to himself.

As an experienced Dou Emperor, although not an alchemist, his soul perception was not weak. Just as Wei Yang could sense the hidden aura in the elder, the elder could also sense Wei Yang's capabilities.

«Especially that boy, possessing such strong soul power at such a young age… Could he be an alchemist?» the elder mused, his face showing a hint of interest.

Then he shook his head, chuckling softly to himself.

He was getting obsessed.

Even if the boy was an alchemist, so what?

Could he be a sixth-tier alchemist at such a young age?

And these two young people were clearly not ordinary. He wouldn't dare to approach them rashly.

Hiding in this small desert town for twenty or thirty years, ensuring no one knew his whereabouts, not even the Mitel Clan, spoke to his cautious nature.

«These young people… could they be from another empire or region, coming to the Tagor Desert…»

The elder's eyes flashed with a hint of uncertainty as he muttered a few more words to himself.

Then, he continued drawing his map.

«Different fire…»

After purchasing the detailed map of the Tagor Desert, Wei Yang felt quite pleased. He and Ye Xian'er strolled back to the inn, planning to study the map and set off to find the different fire the next day.

Recalling the descriptions from the original story, Wei Yang thought of another girl: Qing Lin.

A pitiful young girl with snake blood.

She also possessed the Three Flower Green Pupil, another bug-like existence.

«According to the original story, there's a four-tier Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in the underground magma lake. Since it hasn't been wounded by Medusa yet, its strength might be at the peak of the fourth tier!»

Peak fourth tier was equivalent to the peak of Dou Ling among human experts.

«And growing up in that special underground magma lake environment, it's like fighting on its home turf. It can exert power comparable to a Dou Wang, with almost endless energy replenishment,» Wei Yang thought.

A bit troublesome.

Facing the Twin-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in such a special place, Wei Yang felt it was challenging. He wouldn't dare to search for the different fire in the magma without dealing with the beast first.

But it wasn't unmanageable. After all, it was just a magical beast.

With some planning, he could lure it out and kill it with a swift attack.

As for Qing Lin…

Wei Yang glanced at the little girl beside him and smiled, shaking his head slightly.

He would let fate decide.

His ambitions were vast, aiming to reach the pinnacle of the Dou Qi continent and even harboring dreams of the greater world beyond.

But his heart was small, with limited space for people.

Initially, he had thought of choosing Qing Lin.

But now, with Ye Xian'er occupying most of his heart, he felt indifferent towards Qing Lin, adopting a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

There was no denying that everyone liked beautiful women.

Wei Yang was no exception.

Especially when the beauty wasn't just a vase but had a terrifying, freakish constitution that could lead to Dou Sheng.

And currently, this beauty was at her weakest and most vulnerable, the perfect time to take advantage.

But liking didn't mean having to get her.

There were many beautiful women, but did he need to love them all?

Wei Yang wasn't a womanizer.

(Chapter End)