Mo City, located in the Tager Desert within the eastern province of the Jia Ma Empire, stands as one of the empire's largest cities in the desert. It is a strategic fortress built to defend against the Snake-People.
Perhaps due to its desert location, the weather here is quite dry and hot. The scorching sun blazes down from the sky, baking the ground beneath and causing a stifling heat to rise. Mo City's climate is arid and hot during the day. Residents and pedestrians here dress lightly, and because their Dou Qi makes them impervious to the sun, many walk around bare-chested.
Many of the men among the passersby are bare-chested, their bodies tanned and lean, exuding an air of rugged straightforwardness. Occasionally, women pass by; though their skin is also slightly dark, it has a sensual bronze hue. Unlike the demure and shy women of the imperial interior, women here are not reserved.
Xue Lan, for instance, once had a similar personality and attire. They wear tight leather outfits that barely cover anything below the chest, boldly exposing their slender waists, while their long legs are only wrapped in short skirts or shorts. As they walk, their snake-like waists sway, exuding a unique charm and allure.
Witnessing the distinctive scenery and characteristics of this desert region again, Yan Qingshan kept turning his head, enjoying the view. This made the Ya Fei beside him feel a bit sulky. Most of the women on the street weren't particularly beautiful, far inferior to her.
Yet, this little lecher was still intimate with her in bed last night, and today he was acting like this. While it was known that men were lustful, this was a bit too... Yan Qingshan noticed Ya Fei's slight mood, but merely chuckled inwardly, even anticipating a small surprise when they reached their lodging.
Mo City differs somewhat from Shimo City deeper in the desert. The yellowish-brown city is mostly constructed from sand and stone. Although enchanted with formations, it seems slightly inferior to Shimo City, which is built from black stone. However, Mo City is larger in scale and more bustling.
Yan Qingshan and his companions approached the city gate. Above the gate, two large, pale red characters were carved into the city wall, giving off a faint, bloody sensation from a distance.
At the city gate, a dozen armored soldiers, holding long spears, were shouting at passersby to pay the entry tax. Despite the scorching sun, the soldiers remained fully armed. As a fortress against the Snake-People of the Tager Desert, the defenses here were even stricter than in large national cities like Black Rock City in the interior.
Yan Qingshan and his group naturally had no problem entering the city. Slowly emerging from the somewhat dim city wall passage, their vision brightened. The city's architecture, distinctly characteristic of the desert, had a touch of the Western Regions style from his previous life.
The best map shop in Mo City was not any large establishment, but a small one called 'Gu Tu' (Ancient Map). This small shop, unlike others, was not luxurious or flashy, subtly exuding a quaint ancient aura.
"You all wait for me here for a moment." Yan Qingshan instructed his companions behind him, then slowly walked into the shop. The interior wasn't too spacious.
The faint glimmer of two moonlight stones illuminated the shop quite brightly. The shop wasn't bustling; there weren't many people buying maps. It was quite deserted. Behind the counter, an old man was meticulously drawing maps with his head bowed.
This elder was clearly quite old, but despite his head full of white hair, his withered hand holding the black drawing pen remained steady and strong.
After glancing at the old man, Yan Qingshan ambled over to an ancient wooden shelf in the corner of the shop. This shelf was clearly very old, covered in holes from decaying wood. On it, some yellowed maps were casually stacked.
Most of these maps showed signs of damage, as if they were failed attempts at map-making. As Yan Qingshan approached, he detected a faint musty smell, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he carefully pulled out a palm-sized tattered map from the pile.
"The third fragment of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map." Yan Qingshan took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. This important relic, related to the remnant soul of a Half Step Dou Di, was finally in his possession once more.
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map fragment contained the remnant soul of the legendary Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint, a Half Step Dou Di. It was a crucial token for acquiring the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
With its existence, the difficulty of obtaining the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was significantly reduced. This treasure was originally divided into four parts and scattered across the continent.
Surprisingly, three of them were near the Jia Ma Empire in the Northwestern Continent. One landed in a hidden secret chamber in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, one drifted to the Black Corner Region to Black Mark City, to be auctioned off a few years later.
However, Yan Qingshan had already acquired it from the secret vault in Black Mark City. The other fragment was here in Mo City, in the hands of the former Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong.
Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, one of the previous generation's top ten powerhouses in the Jia Ma Empire, was a solitary and proud individual, extremely skilled in ice-attributed Dou Qi.
He once, in a fit of rage, froze an entire city. Among the top ten powerhouses of his time, he was one of the few Dou Emperor powerhouses. Later, he once had a decisive battle with Yun Shan, the previous Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, at the peak of Cloud Mist Mountain. Although he ultimately lost, his opponent did not win easily.
At the last Strongest Convention held by the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, Hai Bodong single-handedly fought against one Dou Emperor and one Dou King from the opposing side, astonishing the entire audience.
After that convention, the Ice Emperor gradually disappeared from the sight of countless people.
Until now, the name Ice Emperor has become a strong figure in the memories of the older generation in the Jia Ma Empire. The current younger generation's top ten powerhouses have already replaced their former glory and prominence.
Of course, there was also a more important point: Hai Bodong had a special relationship with the Mittel Clan. The current clan head of the Mittel Clan, Mittel Tengshan, was his junior.
Don't be fooled by his aloof and proud demeanor, seemingly acting alone; in reality, his influence in the empire was not weak.
But now, because he had trespassed into the Tager Desert years ago and seized this map fragment, he was pursued by Queen Medusa and suffered a great loss at her hands, incurring a sealing technique. His strength was now greatly diminished, forcing him to live in seclusion in Mo City.
"You want to buy a map of the Tager Desert, don't you?"
Yan Qingshan's unusual behavior didn't attract much attention. The white-haired old man, diligently drawing maps behind the counter, still didn't look up, but his aged voice calmly echoed through the room.
Yan Qingshan turned around, slowly walked to the counter, and gently placed the palm-sized map fragment down. "I don't want a map; I want this map fragment and the other half."
Back then, Hai Bodong had snatched the map fragment but ultimately had his strength sealed. So, he had been living in seclusion in the Tager Desert, attempting to decipher the map's mysteries to help him break the seal.
Unfortunately, the map was only a partial fragment, and he gained nothing from it. He eventually had to find another way, continuing his secluded life while also skillfully dividing the map fragment into two halves, with no visible trace of the split.
Yan Qingshan's words finally elicited a reaction. The old man, who had been focused on drawing the map, saw his hand tremble imperceptibly. The meticulously drawn line deviated slightly. Frowning slightly, the old man finally slowly raised his head. His cloudy gaze swept over the tattered map in Yan Qingshan's hand, and a strange glint flickered in his eyes.
Yan Qingshan's gaze also observed the elder. He noticed a horrifying scar running from his left cheek to his eye. Although the old man's eyes were quite peaceful, this scar still added a faint, discernible ferocity to him.
"You... have you seen fragments of this kind of map before?"
The old man didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked Yan Qingshan with a hint of surprise. Yan Qingshan didn't reply, simply repeating his previous statement.
"This item is not for sale, and I don't have any 'other half'."
The old man's attitude changed then. He slowly lowered his head, once again focusing on the unfinished map. His tone, though calm, carried an undeniable finality. "Young man, I advise you not to covet my map any further. I don't care about money, and don't even think about forcefully taking it. That won't do you any good."
The old man waved his hand, speaking faintly, his ink brush still sketching on the map, not at all worried that Yan Qingshan could abscond with the map.
"Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong!"
Yan Qingshan, however, was not annoyed. He simply uttered a name softly. Crack! The ink brush, slowly moving in the old man's hand, suddenly snapped, breaking with a crisp sound.
The old man's gaze was fixed on the large ink stain on the map. After a long moment, he looked up and stared at Yan Qingshan. A faint chill gradually permeated his cloudy pupils.
"Who exactly are you?"
The old man lightly tapped a spot on the tabletop. The open door slammed shut with a bang. A cold, powerful aura emanated from the old man's body, spreading outwards.
"Why the anger, Elder Hai? I came here admiringly. In fact, you and I have some connections!" Yan Qingshan remained calm. Hai Bodong was not at his peak, and while his cold aura was formidable, it was merely a drizzle to Yan Qingshan.
"I don't recognize you, nor do I think we have any entanglement." Hai Bodong said calmly, his white hair moving without wind behind him. Cold Dou Qi swirled around him, causing the surrounding temperature to drop significantly.
Yan Qingshan merely chuckled, "Of course, Elder Hai wouldn't know, as we haven't met before. But Miss Ya Fei, the granddaughter of Elder Mittel Tengshan, is my confidante. And the relationship between the Ice Emperor and the Mittel Clan is quite extraordinary!"
"I don't know what faction's spy you are, but you dare to provoke this old man. You're courting death!!!"
Hai Bodong had been living in seclusion for many years, keeping it hidden from the Mittel Clan. He naturally wouldn't just believe Yan Qingshan like that. A murderous glint flashed across his face, and his grotesque scar appeared even more fierce.
He stomped his foot on the ground, and his figure shot out like lightning towards Yan Qingshan. He didn't know where Yan Qingshan came from, but this person clearly had an agenda. Regardless of whether he was related to the Mittel Clan or not, Hai Bodong was prepared to make the first move and subdue him before anything else.