Upon hearing Hai Bodong's speech, both Xiao Yan and Chen Yang were instinctively taken aback. (Jackie Chan Adventures is an animated series from 2000, which premiered in China in 2004; theoretically, Xiao Yan had seen it.)
As everyone knows, the Holy Lord is the most untrustworthy. Could it be that Hai Bodong is also untrustworthy?
'He wouldn't be that brave, would he?'
Hai Bodong certainly wouldn't be that brave.
He stood up and looked at Chen Yang, the two men, and the beast, then bowed deeply once more. "Hai Bodong thanks you three. From this day forward, Hai Bodong will be at the mercy of Master Chen Yang. Greetings, Master!"
After saying that, Hai Bodong knelt down on one knee and bowed deeply to Chen Yang.
After a night of contemplation, coupled with the effortless breaking of the seal, Hai Bodong didn't hesitate at all, fearing that if he knelt too late, Chen Yang wouldn't accept him.
"Please rise, Elder Hai!" Chen Yang reached out and easily helped Hai Bodong up, saying with a smile. "There are many elders in my family, Elder Hai, you can call me Young Master from now on."
"Yes, Young Master!" Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong became even more convinced of his choice.
'Listen to what they're saying: they have a lot of elders in their family!'
'What is the background of the elders in a force that can cultivate a twenty-year-old Dou Huang at the peak of his power?'
'Dou Zong? It's probably more than Dou Zun, and there's even a high chance of the legendary Dou Sheng powerhouse!'
When Yao Lao inside Xiao Yan heard Chen Yang's words, he nodded silently. He said that Chen Yang was probably from one of those ancient families, and only ancient families would come up with such a boring genius cultivation mechanism.
...
At the same time!
Deep in the Tagor Desert, in the Temple City of the Snake-People, was Medusa's palace.
A woman with a snake tail and an eerie face, dressed in a red brocade robe, leaned against the embroidered bed, her languid eyes revealing an imposing presence.
Suddenly, a look of surprise flashed in Medusa's eyes, and she sat up abruptly from the bed.
A purple snake tail descended from the foot of the bed, and the woman swayed her serpentine waist to the doorway, gazing eastward.
"That guy's seal has been broken?" Medusa's slightly puzzled voice rang out at the palace entrance.
"Your Majesty!" At the palace entrance, a snake woman stepped forward and bowed her head to look at Medusa.
"It's alright, go down!" Medusa waved her hand.
"Yes!" The snake woman bowed her head and retreated, not daring to look at Medusa at all.
After the snake woman left, Medusa spread her wings of Dou Qi and flew to the top of the temple, gazing eastward.
"That old guy is ice-type, but the one who broke his seal…" the woman murmured softly, her languid voice revealing ultimate allure. However, at this moment, below the temple, whether it was the snake woman or the guards, everyone had their heads down, and no one dared to look at the Queen in the sky.
"No matter what, I must obtain this Heavenly Flame. Even if Yun Shan and Jia Xingtian come and dare to stop my evolution, they will all be left in this Tagor Desert!" Medusa's eyes gradually hardened. She had basically determined the location of the Heavenly Flame, but she still needed some time to prepare.
Snake-People prefer shady places. If they don't prepare to rashly try to get the Heavenly Flame, they might be burned alive before they even get close, let alone talk about evolution.
...
Mo City!
After leaving the underground chamber, the group encountered a woman in a red dress inside the shop.
"Ice Emperor!"
The woman in the red dress was taken aback when she saw Hai Bodong and his group, and then gave Hai Bodong a graceful bow.
"Go back now, and don't come back after today. I'm planning to close this shop!" Hai Bodong said calmly, a smile on his face as he looked at the woman in the red dress.
"Ice Emperor, what are you going to do…" The woman in the red dress was a little confused. The old man in front of her had clearly lived in Mo City for decades, so why was he suddenly leaving?
"Considering your service over the past few years, consider this Mid-Level Xuan Rank Dou Technique as compensation. Go back and tell your father that I've finished my business. We'll probably meet again in the Capital!" Hai Bodong was in a good mood. In the original story, he was only given a Low-Level Xuan Rank Technique, but now he was using a Mid-Level Xuan Rank one.
"I… I understand. Thank you, Master Hai. I wish you all the best on your journey ahead!" A tear welled up in the woman's eyes. She gave Hai Bodong a graceful bow, took three steps back, and left the shop.
"This woman seems to want to become Master Hai's disciple?" Chen Yang said with a smile.
"She is the daughter of the City Lord of Mo City. I know the City Lord of Mo City. His daughter also has ice-type Dou Qi, so he wanted her to become my disciple. However, I really don't have much energy and I don't know how to teach disciples. In the past few years, thanks to the kindness of the father and daughter, no one has bothered my shop. That scroll of Dou Technique is a way of repaying her!" Hai Bodong said with a helpless smile.
"Not accepting it now doesn't mean we won't accept it in the future!" Chen Yang smiled.
"We'll only know in the future!" Hai Bodong smiled as well.
"Hahaha…"
When it came to closing the store, Hai Bodong didn't hesitate much.
After putting away some valuable maps and other items he considered precious, Hai Bodong closed the shop and returned to the inn with Chen Yang and the others.
Xiao Yan was basically free of trouble, so he prepared to search for the Heavenly Flame in the desert, cultivate, and head towards Stone Desert City.
"What are your plans next, Elder Hai?" Chen Yang asked Hai Bodong, looking at him from beside the stone table in the courtyard.
"Naturally, I will serve by the Young Master's side!" Hai Bodong was eager to advance his career.
"No need for that. Since Elder Hai doesn't have anything urgent to do, I'll ask Elder Hai for a favor." Chen Yang said, taking out a Low-Level Storage Ring from his pocket and handing it to Hai Bodong.
"There are some pills in this Storage Ring. I would like to ask Elder Hai to return to the Capital and deliver them to a woman named Ya Fei from the Mittel Family," Chen Yang said.
"Yes!" Hai Bodong didn't ask who Ya Fei was. The one who could make Chen Yang so worried about her from so far away must be Chen Yang's woman.
Hai Bodong never expected that Chen Yang's previous talk about having connections with his Mittel Family was actually about this kind of connection!
"In addition, there is a Pill Formula in the Storage Ring called the Rejuvenating Ice Pill. Apart from the Ice Spirit Cold Spring which is relatively difficult to find, the remaining medicinal materials are rare, but they should not be difficult to find with a careful search."
"Elder Hai, remember to search carefully after you return to the Capital. If you can't find the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, it's okay, I'll bring some back with me!"
Chen Yang added.
"After I get back, I'll have Teng Shan search for the Young Master. I'll try my best to gather all the information I can about when he'll return to the Capital!" Hai Bodong said.
"It'll probably be another six months or so. Elder Hai, you'll definitely have to search carefully for these medicinal herbs, because this Rejuvenating Ice Pill is for you!" Chen Yang said with a smile.
"This…" Hai Bodong was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to ask about the effects of the medicine, but then hesitated and stopped.
"Hehe… The effect of this Rejuvenating Ice Pill is also very simple. It can instantly restore an Ice Attribute Dou Huang who has suffered serious injuries or been sealed, causing their Dou Qi cultivation to decline, to their peak state. And if they are lucky, they may even advance further."
The Rejuvenating Ice Pill was created by Emperor Yan, the Lord of the Endless Fire Domain in the Great Thousand World. However, this pill was not made for any particular person or force. Instead, after Emperor Yan brought Hai Bodong to the Great Thousand World, the two chatted about the Rejuvenating Purple Pill they had promised back then. Taking advantage of that opportunity, Emperor Yan wondered if he could simplify the ingredients for refining the Rejuvenating Purple Pill to enhance its efficacy. And the ingredients just happened to be the ones he had back then.
Thus, the Rejuvenating Ice Pill, specifically designed for Hai Bodong, was created.
Since the elixir was created, few people have had the opportunity to use it. The prescription was given to Hai Bodong, but Hai Bodong, who was already at the Dou Zong realm at that time, would never be able to use it.
"Young Master!"
"Your subordinate is terrified!"
Upon hearing that the elixir had such miraculous effects, Hai Bodong excitedly stood up, but then hurriedly bowed and said…
"Since Elder Hai has followed me, then you are one of my men. I, Chen Yang, never mistreat my own people."
"Within three years, I dare not say I can make Elder Hai a Dou Zong, but at the very least, defeating the peak of Dou Huang will not be a problem!"
Chen Yang stood up, reached out and patted Hai Bodong's arm, and said with a smile.
"Thank you, Young Master!"
"Alright, let's rest tonight and set off tomorrow. We need to gather the medicinal herbs as soon as possible so we can recover to our peak condition sooner!"
Chen Yang nodded.
"Yes!"