"I've never seen a Dou Emperor on the Dou Qi Continent so weak."
"I really don't know why I was replaced by these two in the simulation."
Hai Bodong's Black Ice Hundred Dragons Soaring blast had already left the Eight-Winged Black Snake King battered and bruised.
Only two of its eight wings remained intact, the other six severely mangled.
The Green Barbarian, protected by his wings, was also severely injured, blood oozing from the corners of his mouth.
This was the result of Hai Bodong holding back.
His goal was to capture them alive, not to kill them.
If he had used all his strength, as he had in the simulation, these two would have been killed.
"What...what do you want?"
"We are from the Heavenly Snake Palace. If you dare to kill us, the Heavenly Snake Palace will never let you off."
After the Hundred Dragons dissipated, the Eight-Winged Black Snake King fell from the sky, incredibly weak, and spoke with difficulty, looking at Hai Bodong.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'm just taking you to see someone."
Hai Bodong, a confident smile on his face, descended from the air.
Then, with a light tap of his foot, his icy Dou Qi spread rapidly, instantly encasing the Eight-Winged Black Snake Emperor and Green Barbarian in ice.
"I, Hai Bodong, am actually quite powerful!"
"It seems I was overly worried before. As long as I don't encounter any time travelers, with my strength, I can easily dominate the Jia Ma Empire."
"Even if Yun Shan, who is in seclusion, emerges, I can easily subdue him."
The battle with Green Barbarian and the Eight-Winged Black Snake Emperor undoubtedly restored Hai Bodong's confidence as the Ice Emperor.
Soon, he would be the 'Ice Sect'. Then, as long as he followed Xiao Yan's footsteps, who in the Jia Ma Empire would dare to provoke him?
With this thought, Hai Bodong's face, which had been gloomy for many days, finally smiled brightly.
"Hai Bodong, it's you."
"I didn't expect that after all these years of disappearance, your strength has improved to such an extent."
Just as Hai Bodong was feeling smug, Jia Xingtian finally arrived, his voice filled with shock.
He sensed that Hai Bodong's Ice Dou Qi was even superior to his Mountain-Breaking Dou Qi.
Furthermore, the man and beast he had frozen were clearly Dou Huang masters.
Now, they had fallen at Hai Bodong's hands, proving that Hai Bodong's strength was no less than his own.
"I was wondering who it was, but it's you, old man."
"Why are you here in this desolate Tagor Desert when you're not enjoying your peace and quiet in the Holy City of Gama?"
Hai Bodong said calmly, glancing up at the old man in the hemp robe in the air.
"A while ago, a Dou Zong-level war broke out among the Serpent People."
"Are you aware of this?"
Jia Xingtian asked without answering Hai Bodong's question.
"Serpent People?"
Hai Bodong's eyes flickered slightly.
Of course he knew this. The Dou Zong-level battle was definitely the work of Xiao Yan, who had gone to the Serpent People Tribe.
"I've been in seclusion for many years and only recently emerged. I'm not familiar with the Serpent People's affairs."
Jia Xingtian, upon hearing Hai Bodong's words, a hint of suspicion etched in his eyes.
He even suspected Hai Bodong might have been involved in the battle.
"Old Hai, we're all old friends. If you know anything, don't hide it from me!"
Jia Xingtian said, somewhat worriedly.
"After all these years, don't you know me, Hai Bodong?"
"I, Hai Bodong, always say what I mean, and I stick to my words. When have you ever seen me lie?"
Hai Bodong said, somewhat dissatisfied, seeing Jia Xingtian doubt him.
"Then what are you going to do with them?"
Hai Bodong had already said this, so Jia Xingtian couldn't press the issue further.
He could only change the subject to Lu Man and the Eight-Winged Black Snake King.
"They're both from the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. You've probably heard of their reputation. Even if I gave them to you, you wouldn't dare deal with them."
"So, just leave them to me. You don't have to worry about them."
Hai Bodong had known Jia Xingtian for many years and naturally knew what he was planning.
He simply wanted to recruit Lu Man and the Eight-Winged Black Snake King to his own advantage, thereby increasing the imperial family's wealth.
"Heavenly Serpent Mansion?"
Jia Xingtian had, of course, heard of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion's reputation.
Even across the entire continent, the Heavenly Serpent Mansion had considerable renown, far surpassing the mere Yunlan Sect.
Hai Bodong had now provoked them, and Jia Xingtian didn't want to draw fire from them.
As the guardian of the royal family, he was well versed in the art of self-preservation.
"In that case, I won't bother you any more."
"I happen to have other matters to attend to. See you later!"
With that, Jia Xingtian flew away at a speed even faster than when he arrived.
He didn't even return to Stone Desert City.
He had spent a few days in Stone Desert City, and the Serpent Tribe had been quite peaceful, so he assumed there wouldn't be any trouble.
So, he could leave with peace of mind.
Watching Jia Xingtian's departure, Hai Bodong summoned Qing Lin from the Mercenary Plaza. He
then walked over to the ice sculpture, channeling his Dou Qi, lifted it up with one hand, and flew towards Stone Desert City.
...
Stone Desert City.
Xiao Yan and Xiao Li had already returned to the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.
Now they just had to wait for Hai Bodong and Qing Lin's return.
"Third brother, how did you get out of this trip?"
Xiao Ding asked in the room, a hint of concern.
"Although there were a few minor surprises, overall, it wasn't a big deal,"
Xiao Yan said with a smile.
"Yes, in my opinion, Third Brother's strength is enough to sweep across the Jia Ma Empire. There's no need to hide any longer."
Xiao Li said beside Xiao Yan.
"No, Third Brother, it's a good thing for you to be cautious. The tiny Jia Ma Empire has so many time travelers. Who knows how many of these idiots are hidden throughout the Dou Qi Continent?"
"So, before you have the power to sweep across the continent, you absolutely cannot reveal your hand,"
Xiao Ding said, waving his hand.
He agreed with Xiao Yan: before you have the power to sweep across the continent, you absolutely cannot expose your hand to the public.
Just as they were talking, Hai Bodong from the mercenary group sent a message, summoning them.
"It seems Hai Bodong has regained his confidence."
"It's worth giving him a simulation opportunity."
Xiao Yan saw the message, a smile on his face, and then he walked out with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.
...
outside.
Hai Bodong's high-profile appearance undoubtedly shocked everyone in Shimo City.
Hai Bodong himself wasn't particularly high-profile, but the key point was that he was holding a massive eight-winged black snake king.
This attracted a large crowd to watch.
"This is a magical beast hunted by our deputy leader of the Motie Mercenary Group. Don't panic,"
Xiao Ding, who had emerged from the mercenary group, said as the crowd grew.
The Motie Mercenary Group enjoyed immense prestige in Shimo City.
As the only mercenary group in the area, and with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's formidable skills, even the City Lord's Mansion treated them with respect.
After hearing Xiao Ding's words, the crowd gradually dispersed, refusing to huddle together.
"I didn't expect that besides Deputy Leader Xiao Li, our mercenary group also has a Dou Wang expert."
"Yes, with two Dou Wang experts in command, I imagine our Motie Mercenary Group is truly a leader, even in the entire Jiama Empire, right?"
"Joining the Motie Mercenary Group is truly the greatest honor of my life,"
some of the ordinary members of the mercenary group commented.
These people hadn't joined the system-created mercenary group, so when they saw Hai Bodong's Dou Qi transformed into wings, they simply assumed he was a Dou Wang powerhouse.
"Brother Xiao, I've fulfilled your mission. I've captured this man and beast alive. It's up to
you, Brother Xiao, to decide how to deal with them." Hai Bodong placed the ice sculpture in an open space and said to Xiao Yan.
"Well done."
Xiao Yan nodded to Hai Bodong and then began to communicate with Medicine Emperor.
"Teacher, do they look familiar to you?"
"..." Medicine Emperor. Although
he was knowledgeable and had a basic understanding of the affairs of the Dou Qi Continent,
that didn't mean he knew everyone.
"Master..."
Medicine Emperor started to speak, but paused before he finished.
Upon closer inspection, the man and beast did seem
somewhat familiar. "Indeed, there's a sense of familiarity,"
Medicine Emperor said after carefully sensing them for a moment.
In the original novel, Green Barbarian and Eight-Winged Black Snake King had a familiar aura about Yao Lao,
suggesting they had likely crossed paths before.
As soon as Xiao Yan thought of this, he flipped his palm and orange flames emerged.
In just a moment, the solid ice turned into steam and floated into the air.
"What...what do you want?"
Breaking free from the ice, Lu Man and the Eight-Winged Black Snake King collapsed to the ground, their eyes wary of Xiao Yan and the others.
"Do you know Medicine Venerable?"
Xiao Yan had Hai Bodong capture them alive, primarily to confirm any connection between them and Medicine Venerable.
"I've heard of him. He's known as the foremost alchemist in Zhongzhou,"
Lu Man said with a slight nod.
Medicine Venerable, Yao Chen, was a name almost everyone of any worthy caliber had heard of.
Of course, the Jia Ma Empire didn't count, as it had been isolated for so long, becoming somewhat disconnected from the mainland.
"I mean, have you and Medicine Venerable ever met?" Xiao Yan asked again.
"Should we...have met?"
At this point, the previously silent Eight-Winged Black Snake King spoke.
[What exactly does this person want?]
[Is he Medicine Venerable's enemy, or his friend?]
[I mean, is it better to have a connection, or not? Although I truly don't recall any encounters, it seems there was once a man named Yao Lao who mentored Lu Man and me, right?
The Eight-Winged Black Snake King pondered this as he spoke.
Hearing his thoughts, Xiao Yan immediately understood what was going on.
Yao Lao's encounter with them was likely limited to a single encounter.
If that were the case, then this man and beast...
(End of Chapter)