BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

"Fine, you win."

Realizing he couldn't break free from Xiao Yan's restraints, Hai Bodong's demeanor slumped significantly. After all these years, this was the first time he had felt so powerless. His most powerful attack—one he had poured all his remaining strength into—had been so easily dismantled, and what shocked him more was that he hadn't even noticed when the counterattack had landed.

"Take that piece of the map and leave. Just don't disturb my seclusion any further."

"I'll be taking the map, of course. But I'm not just here for this half," Xiao Yan said, stepping up to Hai Bodong. His tone was calm, but firm. "Hand over the other half as well."

"The other half? I don't know what you're talking about," Hai Bodong replied flatly. A brief flicker of surprise passed through his eyes, but it quickly vanished beneath a composed expression.

"You think I can't tell? This fragment was clearly cut in half. It's smaller than the one I obtained in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're hiding the rest. Come on, hand it over," Xiao Yan said while casually rolling his wrist, loosening up his fingers.

"Hmph. Do you take me for the kind of man who can be intimidated? Go ahead, kill me if you want. But if I die, you'll never get that other half," Hai Bodong growled, clearly relying on the fact that Xiao Yan didn't intend to kill him.

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly. Hai Bodong wasn't the only one with the pride of a powerhouse. Xiao Yan also carried the arrogance of someone whose strength spoke for itself. If he didn't have a specific use for this old man, he would've already extracted the map and walked away, leaving Hai Bodong to rot. Killing him wouldn't even require much effort.

"Old sir, if you're willing to hand over the other half of the map, I'll repay you generously. Whatever you want, as long as it's within my means, I'll give it to you." Xiao Yan kept his voice calm, forcefully suppressing the killing intent that flickered in his heart.

"Too bad. What I want... you can't give," Hai Bodong sneered.

"Oh? Is that so?" Xiao Yan flicked his fingers, and a flicker of deep purple-black flame burst into life at his fingertip. The temperature in the room rose sharply.

"What did you say?" Hai Bodong's eyes widened slightly. His expression turned solemn as he stared at Xiao Yan.

"Did I stutter?" Xiao Yan's lips curled into a smile. "Your current level isn't just Dou Ling, is it? You've been sealed. If I can help you return to your peak strength, would that be worth the other half of the map?"

Hai Bodong laughed, though there was a hint of mockery in his voice. "Not a bad proposition... but do you really expect me to believe that a little brat like you has the means to break the seal on a former Dou Huang? Unless... you're a sixth-tier alchemist."

"How coincidental. I can indeed refine sixth-tier pills," Xiao Yan said with a faint grin.

"Don't joke around, boy! You're what, barely into your teens? How could you possibly be a sixth-tier alchemist?" Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to gauge whether Xiao Yan was bluffing.

"Did you think I was a Dou Wang when I tied you down just now?" Xiao Yan tilted his head slightly and smiled. "If I can reach the Dou Wang level at this age, then why couldn't I also be a sixth-tier alchemist?"

Hai Bodong's lips twitched. "...I may have misjudged you, kid."

After a short silence, he added, "Do you even know who I am?"

"No idea," Xiao Yan replied with an innocent shrug. "But you don't seem ordinary."

"Hmph. My name is Hai Bodong. Back in my day, they called me the Ice Emperor!" A flicker of pride crossed Hai Bodong's face. As one of the previous generation's top ten experts, his fame had once shaken the entire Jia Ma Empire. That legacy still lingered in his heart as a source of pride.

"Oh, so you're the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong. Yeah, I've heard of you," Xiao Yan said casually, as if it were no big deal. The legendary tales about Hai Bodong meant little to him. They felt more like children's bedtime stories. "So how did you end up like this?"

That indifferent attitude made Hai Bodong's face twitch. But now wasn't the time to bicker over pride. With a sigh, he continued, "Years ago, on a whim, I ventured into the Tager Desert. During one of my expeditions, I found this map fragment. But it drew the wrath of Queen Medusa."

"I wasn't her match at the time. Though I escaped with my life, I was left with a seal that rapidly aged my body and crushed my cultivation back to the Dou Ling stage." He shook his head bitterly. "Since then, I've been hunting for a way to undo the seal. Eventually, I found an obscure ancient recipe for a pill that could break it. But it requires someone with the ability to refine sixth-tier pills."

"If that's the case, why not go find Gu He? I imagine he'd be thrilled to have someone like you owe him a favor," Xiao Yan asked with a raised brow.

"Gu He is useless," Hai Bodong said with a frown. He glanced at the purple-black flames still binding his limbs and added, "That pill doesn't just require sixth-tier refinement skill—it also requires a Heavenly Flame. Gu He doesn't have one."

"Well, it just so happens that I do." Xiao Yan smiled again. "Give me the pill recipe. If you've been preparing all these years, you've probably gathered most of the ingredients, right? I'll refine the pill for you."

"Haha…" Hai Bodong laughed awkwardly. "I've gathered almost everything, except for one final ingredient—Sand Mandala. It's a rare herb that only grows deep in the Tager Desert. But because of the seal placed on me by Queen Medusa, I can't even get near it. The moment I do, she'll sense it."

"So now you want me to fetch herbs for you too?"

Xiao Yan smiled with a hint of sarcasm. "All this, just for a piece of torn-up map? You really are a calculating one, Ice Emperor."

"...Hehe." Hai Bodong chuckled sheepishly. He knew he was asking a lot, but at this point, Xiao Yan was his only hope.

"Alright, I suppose I've always been known for helping others." Xiao Yan chuckled. "Since old Hai needs that Sand Mandala, I'll go fetch it for you. But... the price just went up."

Hai Bodong raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Xiao Yan's smile deepened. "In addition to that second map fragment, once I refine the pill and you recover your strength, you'll owe me a favor. And when I call on you to repay it—you won't refuse."

Hai Bodong stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Deal."

(End of Chapter)

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