Xiao Bai saw the wary expression on the old man's face and knew he had misunderstood his origins.
However, he had other objectives today—there was no need to pretend to be someone from a superpower.
Besides, with his current strength, there was no reason to resort to such tricks against an opponent at the Dou Ling level. It was better to just tell the truth.
"Senior, there's no need to worry. I'm a local of the Jia Ma Empire."
The old man chose to believe him. After all, those who came from the great superpowers looked down on the Jia Ma Empire and would never claim to be from here. To them, such an admission would be an insult.
But then, a wave of anger rose within him. Though Xiao Bai's words were polite, his confidence was undeniable—almost as if he were saying: With my strength, why would I even need to pretend to be from a superpower?
"Good, good, good! I never expected that after twenty years of seclusion, the Jia Ma Empire would produce a young talent like you. If I lose to you today, how will I have the face to live in this empire anymore?"
Now that his earlier concerns had faded, the old man's fighting spirit flared once more.
His withered palm extended to the side, and the surrounding icy mist rapidly condensed into an ice-blue spear in his grasp. At the same time, a thick ice armor formed over his body, flickering with a cold, blue glow.
Xiao Bai watched the old man's transformation with great interest, secretly impressed. Damn, that looks cool as hell!
Both the weapon and armor were formed purely from Dou Qi.
On the Dou Qi Continent, once someone reached the Dou Grandmaster level, they could release their Dou Qi externally, coating their weapons to enhance their attacks.
However, condensing solid weapons and armor entirely from Dou Qi, as the old man had done, was a technique that only those at the Dou Ling level could barely achieve.
The old man gripped his spear tightly and then lunged forward, the weapon carrying a chilling, bone-piercing force as it stabbed toward Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai focused his Soul Perception. The ice spear, which moved at an incredible speed, suddenly appeared slower in his vision.
Just as the spearhead was about to pierce his forehead, he tilted his head slightly, dodging it. Then, he raised his hand, formed a sword finger, and tapped the tip of the spear.
A streak of crimson lightning sparked at his fingertip and instantly traveled along the ice spear toward the old man's arm. As it moved, the spear shattered inch by inch, evaporating into mist.
Seeing this, the old man quickly released his grip and retreated at full speed. But it was too late.
A single strand of lightning had already burrowed into his palm. Crimson sparks flickered across his withered hand, forcing him to hastily circulate his ice-attribute Dou Qi to resist the invading lightning.
It took him a long time to finally expel it. Letting out a heavy breath, he looked at his charred palm.
"What a tyrannical Thunderfire!"
He then glanced at the black-clothed young man, who had remained calm and hadn't attacked while he was clearing the lightning. A faint sense of respect surfaced in his heart.
"Kid, take my final move. If you can withstand this, I'll give you the fragmented map!"
Without waiting for Xiao Bai's response, he swiftly began forming hand seals.
The surrounding ice-attribute Dou Qi surged toward him, gradually condensing into a dragon-shaped shadow.
Seeing this, Xiao Bai didn't wait. Who the hell would just stand there and let you unleash a big move?
With a sudden burst of Soul Force, he launched a Soul Impact straight at the old man.
"Profound Ice Dragon—"
Before the old man could even finish shouting the move's name, he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His hand seals broke, and the dragon forming in the air slowly dissipated.
At the same time, Xiao Bai's figure blurred—a flash of lightning beneath his feet propelled him forward in an instant.
His hands moved rapidly, forming a Soul Sealing Array in mere moments. With a swift motion, he pressed it directly onto the old man's forehead.
When the old man regained his senses, his eyes were dazed for a moment before he fully woke up.
But something felt off.
His usually sharp senses were now dulled, as if something was blocking them.
"This... this is..."
His lips trembled slightly. This sensation was all too familiar to him. For the past twenty years, every time he had tried to use Dou Qi, he had felt the same oppressive restriction.
"This... this is a seal... a Soul Seal!"
His expression twisted in shock and disbelief.
Having his Dou Qi sealed was already bad enough. But now, his Soul was sealed too?! What the hell is this?!
Could it be that his entire life, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong was destined to be sealed?!
"Ah! You little brat, this old man will kill you!" Hai Bodong let out a furious roar, on the verge of collapse.
"Not good! Xiao Bai, this old guy is about to self-destruct!" Yao Lao urgently transmitted his voice to Xiao Bai.
"Don't worry, senior. He won't be able to."
As soon as Xiao Bai finished speaking, he lightly shook the seal formation within Hai Bodong's spiritual sea, knocking him out instantly.
Then, he picked up Hai Bodong and carried him into the back room of the shop, placing him on a bed before sitting down at a nearby table.
Retrieving a teapot from his storage ring, he filled it with water and held it in his palm. A faint red glow flickered, instantly bringing the water to a boil. He then added some tea leaves, filling the entire room with a rich, fragrant aroma.
Xiao Bai sat at the table, sipping tea, calmly waiting for Hai Bodong to wake up.
By evening, Hai Bodong finally regained consciousness. However, he lay motionless on the bed, as still as a corpse.
He was exhausted.
Ever since Queen Medusa sealed his Dou Qi twenty years ago, he had been searching for a way to break free. Now, he was just one ingredient and a sixth-tier Alchemist with a Heavenly Flame away from refining the Breaking Adversity Pill.
The reason he opened this map shop in Rock Desert City was precisely because of the long-standing rumors about a Heavenly Flame hidden somewhere within the Tagor Desert. By making maps, he could familiarize himself with the terrain and increase his chances of finding it.
Once he obtained a Heavenly Flame, he could offer it to a sixth-tier Alchemist to refine the pill that would finally break his seal.
But who would have thought that disaster would strike today?
A complete freak appeared out of nowhere, insisting on buying a map he refused to sell. Hai Bodong was a renowned figure—if he said no, who dared to take it from him?
So, he fought back.
And now, this happened.
Having his Dou Qi sealed was bad enough, but now his soul was sealed too!
How the hell was he supposed to deal with that?
In all his years in the Jia Ma Empire, he had never even heard of a Soul Seal before. If he hadn't experienced it firsthand, he wouldn't have even believed such a thing existed!
There was absolutely no one in the Jia Ma Empire capable of breaking a Soul Seal.
Sigh... Impulsiveness is the devil... I'm done... Might as well let the world burn...
"Senior, you're awake."
A calm and polite voice broke the silence.
Hai Bodong didn't respond. His face was blank, completely devoid of will to live. Do whatever you want. If you've got the guts, just kill me already.
Sure, he regretted some things. But he still had his pride—he, Hai Bodong, would rather die than beg for mercy!
Xiao Bai wasn't bothered by the silence. To be honest, if their roles were reversed, he would have gone even crazier than Hai Bodong.
Think about it—his Dou Qi was already sealed, and now his soul was too?
Who the hell could accept that?
"Senior, there's no need to worry about the Soul Seal." Xiao Bai's tone remained calm. "I had no intention of targeting you specifically. I only used this method because you seemed a little... hot-tempered. Once you've calmed down, I will naturally remove the seal for you."
Hearing this, Hai Bodong's eyes twitched slightly—his first sign of reaction.
But he still didn't speak.
He didn't believe good things came so easily. This brat definitely had conditions.
Might as well listen first.