The journey did not last long. As soon as he arrived at the place, El immediately saw a small building, the size of a shop with a unique foundation made from the ribs of a giant Magic Beast.
Bones and skulls adorned the roof of the building, giving it a creepy and mysterious feel.
The walls and doors seemed to be made of old, time-rotted wood, but still stood firm in this extreme environment.
El squinted, recognizing the place instantly. "Eh? Isn't this Hai Bodong's hideout?" he muttered, then turned his head slightly. "Master, what do you mean?"
"Hihi~" Yuri chuckled in his mind. "Your master already helped you, the rest... guess what!"
Feeling curious, El stopped White Fire's progress. Instead of flying straight over, El chose to get off and walk towards the building.
Arriving at the door of the building, El paused for a moment, contemplating. In his mind came an understanding. "If I remember correctly, Hai Bodong is a Dou Huang, equivalent to a peak level 4 Authority."
'But, since his realm was sealed by Medusa, he should now be in Dou Ling.' El continued his thoughts in silence.
In his mind, El began to dig up information about Hai Bodong that he had come across in various sources on the internet.
Hai Bodong, the founder of the Miteer Family, was known for his exceptional skill in Ice-type Dou Qi, which earned him the nickname Ice Emperor.
As part of the previous generation of the Jia Ma Empire's Big Ten, Hai Bodong was known for his arrogant and secretive nature, but was nonetheless respected and feared thanks to his incredible ability to master Ice-type Dou Qi.
Some of the great achievements that made Hai Bodong's name even more famous include a time when, in a fit of rage, he sealed an entire city in ice.
At that time, Hai Bodong was also already one of the few Dou Huang among the Ten Strongest People.
Another great achievement was when Hai Bodong fought an all-out battle at the peak of Misty Cloud Mountain against the previous leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Although Hai Bodong eventually lost, his opponent also achieved victory with great difficulty.
However, the most astonishing was when the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire held a convention to find the strongest.
Hai Bodong fought a Dou Huang and a Dou Wang from the opposing side single-handedly, and managed to survive undefeated, shocking all present.
After the final convention for the strongest, the Ice Emperor gradually disappeared from the sight of many people.
Now, the name of Emperor Ice only existed privately in the memories of the older generation. The current generation of the top ten had replaced their fame and glory.
Actually, after attending an inter-imperial convention, Hai Bodong came to the Tager Desert.
Accidentally, Hai Bodong obtained a fragment of a Heavenly Flame map, but he attracted the attention of the Queen of the Serpent Nation, Queen Medusa, who pursued him with the intent to kill.
For the record, Queen Medusa's strength can be ranked among the peak of the Dou Huang.
Were it not for the Snake Nation only having this one strong person, they might have long ago tried to attack the Human Empire.
In that battle, Hai Bodong was defeated. Despite finding a chance to escape in the end, the Ice Emperor was struck by Medusa's Serpent Seal Curse.
Not only did Hai Bodong's body quickly grow old, even his strength was sealed to the level of Dou Ling.
From all of this, El thought of some opportunities that were very much in his favor.
First, if El defeated an existence or a character with the strength of another Tier 4 Authority, it was likely that the completion reward would be even greater.
Secondly, if El could grasp the movement of Dou Qi within Meridian Hai Bodong during battle, maybe El could play more tricks, such as using Dou's Ice elemental technique. Although he had to utilize Rinnegan to reach the maximum potential.
Thirdly, El could ask Hai Bodong for the location of Medusa Temple, the palace, or any place related to Queen Medusa.
For this third thing, if Hei Bodong asked what his relationship with the boy with the Great Black Sword was, El could just claim that he was Xiao Yan's friend, but got separated and lost on the way.
With all this in mind, El smiled faintly, beginning to understand his Master's intentions.
Slowly, El touched the door and pushed it lightly, then stepped into the building.
Inside, there were shabby shelves filled with maps arranged in a messy manner, some even piled up unceremoniously on dusty old tables.
Behind the counter, a fat old man in a blue suit sat thoughtfully, busy drawing maps. His long white hair and beard hung down, giving the impression of wisdom and age.
El immediately recognized him, Hai Bodong, the Ice Emperor whose Dou Qi was currently sealed.
After watching Hai Bodong for a moment, El turned his gaze to the pile of maps scattered on a nearby table, dusty and seemingly unkempt.
With an act honed by his Master's no-nonsense training, El began to pick through the maps, flipping through them quietly, creating an atmosphere of silence in the room.
"Old man," he said casually, breaking the silence. "Do you have a map to Queen Medusa's domain?"
The question was provocative enough, given the history of conflict between Hai Bodong and Queen Medusa in the past. But, from the start, El's goal was to fight Hai Bodong.
The old man's hand, which had been busy drawing, stopped for a moment. However, his expression remained calm, as if unperturbed by the question.
El grinned slightly. "Why are you silent, old man?" he asked once more, pressing further, deliberately trying to provoke a reaction.
Finally, Hai Bodong gave El a quick glance before refocusing on the map he was drawing.
El could sense, through the faint scent Hai Bodong emitted, that the glance wasn't just an ordinary look. It was a brief assessment of his strength.
"I'm not selling it," Hai Bodong said in a cold tone, pregnant with real menace. "You're in the wrong place. Go, leave this place."
El, who was still pretending to select and search for the map, sighed softly. "You're lying," he said casually. "Old man, Ji knows you're lying. Just tell me the truth."
El's eyes narrowed, a faint smile appearing on hos face. "So what if Ji doesn't go?"
El's words clearly triggered further reactions from Hai Bodong. The old man's hand stopped drawing, before he sighed softly, a thin icy vapor could be seen billowing from his mouth.
Instantly, the doors and windows closed on their own. The atmosphere of the room slowly decreased drastically, a piercing coldness pervading the entire place, contrary to the scorching heat of the Tager Desert outside.
The floors, walls, and worn wooden furniture throughout the room began to be covered in a thin layer of ice. Cold vapor billowed, creeping slowly, filling every corner of the place with piercing air.
"Kid, don't blame me if you die," Hai Bodong said, standing up straight and walking out from behind the counter.
El sighed, his expression looking as if he was disappointed, though it was actually just a well-practiced act.
"Ji was just asking," he said in a calm tone. "Why are you so angry, old man?"
El's brow furrowed slightly, a faint but piercing smile. "You should never have been chastised by Queen Medusa, right?" El's tone became more provoking. "Moreover, just seeing her is impossible, right?"