In an instant, the entire terrain of Stone Desert City was projected directly into Xiao Jian's mind.
It was as if he possessed a god's-eye view—an incredibly clear, three-dimensional image of the entire city unfolded within his consciousness.
But immediately after, a flood of chaotic noise surged in.
Xiao Jian's face turned pale. He hastily dispersed the hand seals and clutched his head, which throbbed violently.
Although he had prepared himself mentally, being bombarded by so many sounds at once was still difficult to endure.
"Phew… the effect's a bit too good."
Rubbing his temples, Xiao Jian tried again.
As he experimented, the silver moon gradually set and the red sun rose. The once-quiet Stone Desert City grew lively and noisy once more.
In the distance, two figures—almost overlapping—slowly flew toward the city.
Hai Bodong was carrying Xiao Yan. Their flight wasn't particularly elegant. Although Xiao Yan could form Dou Qi wings with Yao Lao's help, it placed a heavy burden on Yao Lao's soul power. As a result, on the return journey, Xiao Yan had simply taken the shortcut and let Hai Bodong carry him.
Hai Bodong was rather puzzled by Xiao Yan's insistence on this, but since Xiao Yan had given him the Breaking Calamity Pill—and Xiao Yan himself didn't mind such a minor inconvenience—he naturally complied.
A sixth-grade alchemist was bound to be a little eccentric. What was wrong with that?
"Stone Desert City is just ahead. Thank you for your trouble, Elder Hai."
Xiao Yan smiled as he looked at the outline of the city.
"It's nothing. Is that kid Xiao Jian already waiting here?"
Hai Bodong nodded, then raised an eyebrow as he asked.
"Yes. Third Brother said he'd be waiting for me here."
Xiao Yan replied with a grin.
"Elder Hai, you really did come!"
Xiao Jian's laughter suddenly echoed around them.
"Third Brother!"
Xiao Yan's face immediately lit up with joy. But after looking around, he couldn't spot Xiao Jian anywhere.
Hai Bodong was equally confused—he hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of Xiao Jian's aura nearby.
"No need to look. I'm inside. Come down."
Xiao Jian's laughter rang out once more.
Hearing this, both of them realized that Xiao Jian was likely practicing some sort of detection or communication technique.
"Let's go. We'll head down and take a look."
Hai Bodong sped up, leading Xiao Yan toward the Mo Tie Mercenary Group's headquarters below.
Inside the room, Xiao Jian opened his eyes. After tidying himself up, he pushed the door open and stepped outside. Soon after, two figures descended from the sky.
"Little Yan, Elder Hai."
Xiao Jian greeted them with a smile.
"Third Brother!"
Xiao Yan replied happily.
"Not bad—five-star Dou Shi."
Xiao Jian nodded after examining Xiao Yan, satisfaction evident in his eyes.
"Hehe, just luck. Thankfully, there wasn't much energy left in the Strange Fire. Otherwise, I really might not have been able to withstand that terrifying power."
Xiao Yan nodded as he spoke, still feeling lingering fear.
"Hmm? Third Brother, your aura…"
Only then did Xiao Yan notice that his third brother had also made significant progress.
"Hehe, I had a small breakthrough as well."
Xiao Jian nodded with a smile.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only shake his head helplessly. He had pushed himself to the limit, yet the gap between him and his third brother was only growing wider.
"Alright, alright, stop bragging at each other. You're giving this old man goosebumps."
Hai Bodong said with a look of exasperation.
"Congratulations to Elder Hai on regaining your former strength."
Xiao Jian clasped his hands respectfully, smiling.
"Sigh. I used to be a five-star Dou Huang, but after taking the Breaking Calamity Pill, I've only recovered to two-star. Still, at least I'm back at the Dou Huang realm. I'll just cultivate slowly from here."
Hai Bodong waved his hand, shaking his head in mild regret as he spoke casually.
"It seems Elder Hai is finally preparing to return to the Mittel family."
Xiao Jian could tell at a glance that the old man was merely putting on a tough front. For someone with the Ice Emperor's temperament, being willing to say this much already meant he still cared.
"Hehe, I've had enough of hiding away all these years selling maps. It's time to go back and see what's going on. I'm also quite curious about what kind of little girl my Mittel family has produced. Even with only average cultivation talent, she managed to catch the eye of a genius like you."
Hai Bodong chuckled, winking at Xiao Jian with a teasing smile.
Xiao Yan, standing to the side, also laughed softly.
Seeing Hai Bodong's expression, Xiao Jian could only shake his head helplessly.
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