Deep underground, in the silent chamber of ice and stone, Hai Bodong sat motionless upon the frozen platform. Ever since swallowing the Breaking Adversity Pill, he had sunk into utter stillness—like a statue carved from frost.
Liu Xi watched closely. The old man's hands had formed the cultivation seal, his aura surging as he absorbed the pill's medicinal power. The irritation that had once lingered in Liu Xi's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint smile.
'Hai Bodong… I hope you won't disappoint me,' Liu Xi thought silently. 'Otherwise, I'll let you experience what true despair feels like—when the power you've just regained is sealed away once again.'
For indeed, Liu Xi had not crafted a "pure" Breaking Adversity Pill.
When refining it, he had ever so subtly—almost imperceptibly—woven in a flame seed. The pill had been refined with the Green Lotus Core Flame, so carrying a trace of its aura would arouse no suspicion. Even if Hai Bodong were to inspect it with his Spiritual Power, he would find nothing amiss.
Liu Xi's sealing technique required that his opponent offer no resistance to succeed. If Hai Bodong, upon regaining his Dou Huang strength, became arrogant or reckless, Liu Xi might not be able to seal him again directly. But with this seed embedded in the pill, a single thought would be enough to re-seal the so-called "Ice Emperor" back to a Dou Ling—or even lower. A perfect safeguard.
Having ensured everything, Liu Xi pulled over a chair and sat down. He lifted Qing Lin onto his lap and waved his hand, conjuring a thin, cyan energy barrier that enveloped them both, warding off the chamber's freezing chill. His gaze then returned calmly to the ice platform, observing every subtle fluctuation in Hai Bodong's aura.
Qing Lin, utterly defenseless before Liu Xi, blushed deeply as she was settled in his arms. She didn't resist; instead, she shyly snuggled closer, pressing against his chest with quiet trust.
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On the platform, Hai Bodong's body was encased in frost. He sat unmoving, like an ancient sculpture of ice, yet the Dou Qi within him churned wildly—growing ever stronger.
Minutes turned to half an hour. The cold energy radiating from Hai Bodong's body grew more violent, erupting outward in rippling waves. The air shimmered with chilling light as the ice power swept across the chamber, shattering tables and chairs like fragile glass. Only Liu Xi's cyan energy barrier remained untouched amid the devastation.
Hai Bodong's brows furrowed. Pain twisted his aged face as a sinister dark-green energy began to swirl at the center of his forehead. Within seconds, it condensed into a thin, intricate serpentine sigil, coiling tightly—binding, restraining.
The spectral snake pattern pulsed and writhed, sealing Hai Bodong's Dou Qi within his meridians like chains forged from living energy.
Then, from his neck, a faint violet glow emerged—the medicinal force of the Breaking Adversity Pill. It rose steadily upward and collided against the ghostly green seal.
Violet and green energies clashed again and again upon Hai Bodong's brow, light bursting from the impact each time.
Hai Bodong's expression contorted in agony. His body trembled, and a hoarse roar escaped his lips. The battle between pill energy and seal power was fierce and unrelenting.
But as moments passed, the stalemate began to shift—the green serpent pattern dimmed, flickering like a candle in the wind, while the violet energy grew ever brighter, pressing the seal back inch by inch.
'So, it really works,' Liu Xi murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes. 'His Dou Qi is about to return… I'd best stay cautious.'
With a final surge, the violet light exploded. The green serpent mark was forced upward, ripped from Hai Bodong's skin, twisting violently before dissolving into a wisp of green smoke that vanished into the frigid air.
Then—
Hai Bodong's eyes snapped open.
Where once had been the dull gaze of an aging man, now burned the fierce light of a predator reborn. Power erupted from him like a tidal wave, shaking the entire ice cavern.
"Hahaha! This damned seal—finally gone!" he shouted, voice echoing with manic joy. "The Ice Emperor Hai Bodong… has returned!"
His Dou Huang aura burst forth unchecked. Frost crawled across the walls, and the thick ice ceiling cracked with booming force. The stalactites above quivered dangerously, as if ready to fall at any moment.
Hai Bodong laughed for a long time, reveling in his newfound freedom. His laughter was wild, almost childlike, filled with years of pent-up frustration and triumph.
But at last he stopped abruptly, lowering his head—and his gaze fell upon Liu Xi.
There he sat, unbothered, one arm around the delicate girl on his lap, eyes calm and faintly amused.
For a brief instant, silence blanketed the chamber.
Their gazes met—sharp, electric. Invisible pressure filled the air between them. Each man measured the other, both utterly confident in his own strength.
Liu Xi's hand idly stroked Qing Lin's hair. He didn't seem to notice the cold, calculating look that flashed across Hai Bodong's eyes. 'If he dares move against me,' Liu Xi thought, 'I'll end this in an instant.' Even if not, he could trigger the hidden flame seed—or vanish through illusion before Hai Bodong could react.
Hai Bodong, meanwhile, could feel his restored power surging through every fiber of his being. The decades of humiliation as a crippled old man melted away. Once again, he was the Ice Emperor—one of the ten strongest of the Jia Ma Empire. Pride and arrogance stirred within him.
'This brat took my map, beat me half-dead, and forced me to grovel… and now he demands what's mine?' Rage flickered in Hai Bodong's chest, icy Dou Qi coiling around his fingers. Yet when his gaze fell again on Liu Xi's tranquil smile—calm, almost mocking—his killing intent faltered. Cold reason doused the fire of vengeance.
A weary sorrow filled him instead.
'So young,' he thought bitterly. 'At this rate, it'll take less than ten years for him to reach Dou Huang. He already escaped Queen Medusa alive—how could I possibly kill someone like that?'
The most painful thing in the world, Hai Bodong realized, was that the strength he'd once been proud of now seemed laughably insignificant in the eyes of this youth.
He sighed and straightened his back slightly, then clasped his hands together.
"Little friend, your kindness—I shall never forget it. If ever you require my aid, as long as it lies within my power, I will not refuse."
Liu Xi smiled faintly. "Is that so? I was just wondering—when you unleashed that domineering Dou Huang aura earlier, I almost thought you were planning to attack me."
Hai Bodong coughed awkwardly, forcing a grin. "How could I dare? I merely… hadn't yet adjusted to my restored strength. My Dou Qi was a bit uncontrollable—surely that startled you, little friend!"
Liu Xi chuckled and let the tension fade. "Since you've regained your power, Senior… I believe it's time to hand over that fragment map."
"Of course! You've more than earned it."
Hai Bodong hesitated only a moment, then drew from his ring a small, time-worn piece of yellowed parchment. His fingers brushed it one last time—almost reluctantly—before he tossed it through the air.
Liu Xi rose, gently setting Qing Lin aside, and caught the fragment mid-flight. The parchment was ancient and faintly warm to the touch, carrying a subtle fiery aura. He reached into his robe and withdrew another fragment, placing the two together.
The edges met perfectly—no gaps, no flaws.
A smile tugged at Liu Xi's lips.
(End of Chapter)
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