After a moment, he forced himself to calm down and asked, "Little friend…"
"Call me Xiao Tian."
"Xiao Tian… aren't you afraid I'll take this pill and run away?"
"You can try," Xiao Tian replied calmly, his expression unchanged.
Hai Bodong gave an embarrassed laugh. "Cough… I was just joking. "
Xiao Tian nodded. "Okay, I'll head out first."
He opened the shop's main door with his Dou Qi. The Little Fairy Doctor, who had been waiting anxiously outside, immediately rushed in. Seeing the ice-covered walls, pitted floor, and shattered map fragments, worry filled her eyes.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. I just used too much Dou Qi," Xiao Tian said gently, pulling her behind him.
Hai Bodong led them down to the basement. After walking for nearly twenty minutes, they arrived at a heavy iron door. The basement was an underground ice cave, covered in thick layers of white ice..
The Little Fairy Doctor asked softly, "Who is he?"
"Have you heard of the Ten Strongest of the Jia Ma Empire?"
"Of course. They are the ten most powerful experts in the empire."
"The man in front of us is the Ice Emperor — Hai Bodong, one of the former Ten Strongest."
The Little Fairy Doctor's hands paused on Xiao Tian's shoulders, her eyes widening in shock. "A Dou Emperor? You fought a Dou Emperor?"
"His strength is currently sealed. He's only at the Dou Spirit realm right now."
Hai Bodong searched and took out a partial map from his storage ring, handing it directly to Xiao Tian.
"This is the map fragment you wanted — the one leading to the location of the Flame. Take it."
Xiao Tian accepted the map and stored it away without saying much.
"I will come back later with a proper method and the necessary pill to help you restore your strength," Xiao Tian said. "For now, you should stay here. This place is safe and hidden. I will return to pick you up once everything is ready."
Hai Bodong nodded silently, his eyes showing a trace of helplessness.
Xiao Tian turned to the Little Fairy Doctor. "Let's go."
Before leaving, Xiao Tian secretly used the Dou Zong Summoning Card in his mind.
A hidden figure appeared in the shadows — Wen Yan, a seven-star water attribute Dou Zong. He remained completely concealed, guarding the area without making a sound.
Xiao Tian, Hai Bodong, and the Little Fairy Doctor left the basement and returned to the dilapidated shop.
"Elder Hai, rest here for now. I will come back for you," Xiao Tian said.
Hai Bodong gave a bitter smile and nodded.
Without further delay, Xiao Tian took the Little Fairy Doctor's hand and left the shop. The two of them departed from the city and flew toward the Tagor Desert.
…
While they were traveling, far away in Blackrock City, Xiao Yan had just passed the second-grade Alchemist assessment and obtained the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. He then boarded a thick-winged bird and set off toward the Tagor Desert.
…
After flying for some time, Xiao Tian suddenly stopped in mid-air.
"Elder Hai is no longer with us, so let's gain some experience on the way," he said.
He looked down and spotted a second-tier magical beast — a Sha Bi Scorpion — basking in the desert sun.
"This one is perfect for you, Xian'er."
The Little Fairy Doctor looked at the ugly yellow scorpion with green pincers and frowned. "It's so smelly… My Xiao Lan is much cuter."
"This isn't about taming it. It's your combat training opponent."
Xiao Tian landed near the scorpion, placed the Little Fairy Doctor down, and retreated to a nearby sand dune. He stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching.
The Sha Bi Scorpion sensed the intruder and rose aggressively.
The Little Fairy Doctor circulated her Dou Qi and charged forward. The battle began instantly, sending yellow sand flying everywhere.
Hai Bodong was no longer present, so Xiao Tian watched the fight alone, occasionally giving quiet guidance.
After dozens of exchanges, several vines suddenly wrapped around the Sha Bi Scorpion. The beast struggled frantically, but it was useless. The Little Fairy Doctor clenched her fist, and the vines tightened, directly strangling the scorpion into several pieces.
After killing the beast, she stood still with her eyes closed. Her aura gradually rose until she broke through to the Seven-Star Dou Master realm.
When she opened her eyes, she walked over with a sweet smile.
"I broke through! I'm a Seven-Star Dou Master now."
"Good. My Xian'er is truly amazing," Xiao Tian praised, gently stroking her soft hair.
The two continued their journey and eventually arrived at Stone Desert City.
Looking at the three large words "Stone Desert City" on the gate, Xiao Tian felt a surge of emotion as memories of his two elder brothers' care from childhood flooded his mind.
The Little Fairy Doctor gently held his hand.
"I just remembered some old memories," Xiao Tian said softly. "Let's enter the city first."
Inside the bustling city, they asked for directions and were led to the Mo Tie Mercenary Group's courtyard.
Several burly men stood guard at the entrance.
"My name is Xiao Tian. I am a relative of your leader. Please inform him and the second leader."
The guard saw Xiao Tian's third-rank alchemist robe and quickly had someone report inside.
Inside the main hall, a white-robed young man sat at the head — Xiao Ding.
"Leader, there is a third-rank alchemist named Xiao Tian outside. He claims to be your relative and wishes to see you and the second leader."
Xiao Li, seated below, suddenly spoke with excitement, "Say that name again?"
Xiao Tian, who had reached the doorway, smiled and said playfully, "Second Brother, you haven't forgotten me already, have you? That would make me very sad."
The moment Xiao Li saw his younger brother, his body stiffened, then a heartfelt smile bloomed on his face.
"Little Tianzi! You actually came! Hahahaha! Second Brother missed you so much!"
Xiao Li quickly walked over and pulled Xiao Tian into a tight hug, patting his back heavily.
The Little Fairy Doctor watched the warm reunion with a gentle smile, feeling happy for Xiao Tian.
"Second Brother, if you keep hugging and patting me like this, your handsome younger brother might break," Xiao Tian joked.
Xiao Li laughed loudly, his eyes filled with joy and affection.