Battle with Hai Bodong (Part 2)

Feeling the full release of Hai Bodong's aura, Xiao Se helplessly rubbed his forehead, storing the fragment of the map into his system space. After all this time, it still looked like they would have to fight.

"Sir, is there really no peaceful solution? If possible, I don't want to fight you," Xiao Se said, his smiling expression gradually fading into helplessness.

He could already sense the intense anger building up within Hong Kui. Hai Bodong had tried to attack him repeatedly, and if this continued, Hong Kui would definitely beat him to a pulp.

"Does your teacher have a Heavenly Flame?" Hai Bodong asked, ignoring Xiao Se's plea. The coldness around him subsided slightly, and a trace of apprehension appeared in his expression. Being able to teach such a young tier-two alchemist, Xiao Se's mysterious teacher might be of a high tier, possibly tier-six.

If that teacher had a Heavenly Flame, they could be the alchemist capable of refining the Breaking Spirit Pill he had been searching for.

"No, I came to the Tagore Desert precisely to search for a Heavenly Flame," Xiao Se said with a shrug, smiling.

"No? If that's the case, hand over the map fragment. Considering your mysterious teacher, I won't make things difficult for you," Hai Bodong said coldly, his eyes flashing with deep disappointment upon learning that Xiao Se's teacher did not possess a Heavenly Flame.

"Sorry, this map fragment is very important to me. Even if you don't agree, I won't give it up," Xiao Se sighed quietly, feeling pity for Hai Bodong. A beating was inevitable.

"With just your beast flame? Decades ago, I was already a Dou Huang . Even though I am in hiding due to certain reasons, I'm still not someone a mere youngster like you can bully!" Hai Bodong shouted in rage. A thick ice spike formed in his hand and he thrust it toward Xiao Se.

Seeing the ice spike coming, Xiao Se clicked his tongue in annoyance, tapping the ground lightly with his toes and retreating swiftly out of the room.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Seeing Xiao Se retreating, Hai Bodong's face grew even angrier, the wrinkles on his face bunching together and making him look even more menacing. He stomped the ground, chasing after Xiao Se.

Outside, Xiao Se was now covered in a purple-blue fiery Dou Qi cloak, focusing on the approaching Hai Bodong. He sighed in frustration, "Sir, can't we just reach an understanding?"

His question was met with silence. Instead, Hai Bodong hurled dozens of spinning ice spikes at him.

Seeing the ice spikes coming, Xiao Se bent his knees slightly, and his purple wings spread out instantly. With a powerful leap, he shot high into the air.

"Kid, I didn't expect you to not only have a beast flame but also possess rare flying Dou Techniques. However, this changes nothing. Hand over the map fragment if you know what's good for you," Hai Bodong shouted angrily, standing in front of the shop with cold air swirling around him.

Xiao Se shook his head without answering. He wasn't someone who liked being passive. Knowing Hai Bodong was about to attack, he grasped his demon sword tightly in his right hand while his left hand suddenly extended above his head. In his palm, a basketball-sized ball of purple-blue flames gathered.

From his elevated position, Xiao Se clenched his left fist, and the fireball split into two, then four. In a matter of seconds, it multiplied into sixteen smaller fireballs. Under the power of Xiao Se's Dou Qi, the fireballs swirled vertically, forming a spinning ring. The ring transformed into sixteen flaming long swords.

With a wave of his magic sword, Xiao Se directed the sixteen flaming long swords to shoot toward Hai Bodong's direction.

"Crimson Flame Sword!"

As Xiao Se shouted, the flaming swords, carrying powerful wind-breaking force and searing heat capable of melting iron, flew fiercely at Hai Bodong.

Hai Bodong was briefly stunned by the sudden attack but quickly waved his hand, forming a thick and solid ice wall in front of him.

The sound of "thud, thud" rang out as the flaming swords collided with the ice wall. At first, the ice wall held up perfectly, blocking all the flaming swords. But as the relentless attacks continued and the flames scorched the wall, it gradually began to melt.

Eventually, the ice wall could no longer hold. With a cracking sound, a fracture appeared at the center of the wall. The crack spread, and the wall became increasingly unstable.

Seeing his defense breaking, Hai Bodong frowned and retreated rapidly while conjuring a large ice spear, deflecting the incoming flaming swords.

However, the Crimson Flame Sword was a high-level fire-controlling technique. The deflected swords ascended into the sky under Xiao Se's control, arching back and shooting toward Hai Bodong again.

Although Hai Bodong was exhausted, he still managed to fend off the flaming swords without getting hurt.

"Hmph, just some petty tricks. How dare you show off in front of me?" Hai Bodong scoffed coldly. Spinning his ice spear, he knocked all of Xiao Se's flaming swords away. 

He then stepped back to the rooftop of the shop and raised his right hand slightly. The ice spear shattered, turning into countless small ice crystals that circled his right hand, forming three radiant ice rings.

As the ice rings formed, hundreds of spinning ice spikes appeared around Hai Bodong.

"Ice Dragon Soar!"

With a cold shout, the hundreds of ice spikes merged into a seven or eight-meter-long ice dragon, which surged toward Xiao Se in mid-air.

"Indeed, Dou Huang experts are never simple, even with their cultivation suppressed to the Dou Ling level. Among those at the same level, they are nearly invincible. If it weren't for my beast flame, my attacks would have been useless," Xiao Se muttered.

After swallowing a Qi Restoring Pill, Xiao Se tightly gripped his magic sword, and his body radiated purple-blue flame Dou Qi. With a lion's roar, an energy lion cloaked in flames formed, charging straight toward the ice dragon.

"Might Lion's Roar!"

Seeing Xiao Se's sudden counterattack, even Hai Bodong couldn't help but show a trace of admiration. However, the thought of losing his map fragment quickly replaced that admiration with icy resolve.

The ice dragon and the flaming energy lion collided, neutralizing each other and releasing a thick cloud of steam. Within moments, a dense fog enveloped the space between Xiao Se and Hai Bodong, obscuring their view.

"Damned flames!" Hai Bodong cursed when his proud Ice Dragon Soar was countered. His figure suddenly disappeared into the mist.

In the sky, Xiao Se frowned as Hai Bodong's figure vanished. He quickly activated his soul perception and shuddered slightly, turning around and raising his magic sword to block.

Somehow, Hai Bodong had appeared behind Xiao Se, gripping an ice spear and striking down vertically.

With a loud clang, the ice spear collided with Xiao Se's magic sword. Overpowered by Hai Bodong's strength, Xiao Se was sent flying, skidding across the ground for several meters before he finally came to a stop.

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