Staring at the elderly man wrapped within a layer of ice radiating an eerie white glow, Xiao Yan felt a subtle relief settle in his heart. With a slightly apologetic gesture, he spread his hands and turned to depart. "Young man, I must admit I underestimated you." As Xiao Yan turned, a voice from within the ice, slightly weary, echoed out. His steps paused momentarily as he glanced back at the elder, whose eyes slowly opened in the ice. Though surprised, Xiao Yan remained calm—he knew that, with the elder's current strength, he still couldn't breach the barrier set by Yao Lou. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan smiled wryly. "Sir, I've always meant no ill will toward you. It's just that this thing—well, it's truly of great importance to me, so..." "Hah! I never thought, after twenty-some years of retirement, I'd be made such a mess by a young upstart like you. Truly, it's rather pitiable." "The elder's voice was slightly melancholy, yet after a moment, it suddenly shifted. His gaze, piercing through the strange ice, settled on Xiang Yin outside, calm and steady. 'Young man, is this fragment of the map particularly important to you?' Xiang Yin remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. 'Hehe.' Seeing this, the elder chuckled, his smile somewhat eerie. Frowning slightly, Xiang Yin turned and walked toward the door without further regard. 'When I first secured this fragment in the desert after much effort, I used my years of cartographic experience to divide it perfectly into two parts. One part—the one you previously took—is now in your hands. The other part... hehe.' The elder coldly smiled. The steps halted once more. Xiao Yan faced away from the elder, flicking his finger at the storage ring, where the previously obtained fragment of the map swiftly materialized in his palm. He held it up before his eyes, carefully examining it, and indeed found that the area of this fragment was nearly half the size of the one he had previously discovered in the mountain cave within the Beast Mountains. Gripping the fragment tightly, Xiao Yan's expression grew slightly troubled—after all the effort, he had only managed to secure half of a fragment, which was truly frustrating. Exhaling gently, he carefully placed the fragment back into the storage ring, then slowly turned around, facing the elder with a cold gaze, saying, "You didn't have to reveal this secret at all. And you know well that I would not harm you. Yet now you've chosen to speak it yourself—so you're forcing me to act decisively, aren't you?" "Heh, youngster, don't threaten me with death. I've lived half my life, and what storms have I not seen? When I ruled the Gamma Empire, you were still yet to be born!" How could you possibly fear this little threat of mine? Furthermore, should I perish, even if you possess supernatural abilities, you would still be unable to secure a single fragment of the remaining map. Hah! Once that fragment is missing, even if you manage to assemble the entire map, you'll still be unable to locate the treasure it holds. To the cold tone in Xiao Yan's voice, laden with implicit menace, the elder responded with utter indifference. With his eyes slightly narrowed and a faint glint of coldness passing through, Xiao Yan took a steady breath, clenched his fists gently, and said calmly, "Speak then—what exactly do you wish to achieve? Since you've chosen to reveal this secret yourself, surely it's not merely meant to provoke me, as if I were some simple-minded fool." "Your intellect is truly remarkable. I'm genuinely curious—how did such an ordinary young man become so sharp? Though I may not say much now, I can confidently predict that by the time ten years have passed, you will surely stand at the pinnacle of the Gamma Empire." Upon observing Xiao Yan's composed demeanor, the elder couldn't help but remark with a touch of admiration. As to this high praise, Xiao Yan merely glanced at the elder, furrowed his brow, and said, "Then tell me precisely—what exactly do you need in order to hand over the remaining fragment of the map?" "Could you free me from this ice? Of course, provided you're not afraid of my counterattack." The elder smiled. Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, fixing them on the elder. After a while, he closed his eyes slowly, then reopened them, and stepped forward. With his palm gently pressed against the ice, his palm trembled slightly, a slender streak of pale flame seeping into the ice, swiftly dissolving and breaking down the strange, unnatural layer. "I can hold you once, and then again—so don't play games. Otherwise, next time, the ice will encase your very blood." As he waved his hand and shattered the ice—something even a Dao Ling cultivator could not overcome—his dark eyes suddenly deepened, becoming more profound and weathered. Breaking through the ice, Xiao Yan slightly arched his head back, the depth and solemnity swiftly fading from his eyes as he slowly lowered his head, gazing at the elderly man who had emerged from the ice, shivering continuously, and said, "Speak." "Such a terrifyingly cold flame. If I'm not mistaken, the flame you used earlier should have been a magical, extraordinary one," the elderly man said, his face pale and trembling with slight fear. Xiao Yan lifted his eyes, neither confirming nor denying. Seeing Xiao Yan's demeanor, a glimmer of relief clearly passed through the elder's eyes, only to be quickly suppressed, after which he murmured, "You must know, I was originally a strong Duke-level cultivator, correct?" "Indeed," Xiao Yan nodded. "Do you know my identity?" the elder asked again. "Unknown." Seeing Xiao Yan shake his head, the elder also sighed and shook his head with a touch of helplessness, before a sense of pride gradually bloomed on his face. "My name is Haibo Dong. Perhaps you haven't heard of it, but my other name—well, I believe you've heard of that one." "The Ice Sovereign!" As the words 'Ice Sovereign' reached Xiao Yan's ears, he first paused in surprise, then his expression noticeably changed. His gaze now carried a certain wonder as he studied the elder, who had always been at a loss before him. Though Xiao Yan had previously stayed tucked away in Wutan City, he had still heard of this once-renowned powerhouse of the Jiaoma Empire. The Ice Emperor, one of the top ten warriors of the former Gamma Empire, was known for his solitary and proud nature, exceptionally skilled in ice-based battle energy. Once, in a fit of rage, he froze an entire city solid. Among the ten strongest warriors of his time, he was one of the few who reached the level of Battle Emperor. Though he ultimately lost to the then-Master of Yunlan Sect during their final clash atop Yunlan Mountain, the victory was far from easy. At the previous Gamma-Emu Empire Grand Gathering, where he faced off against one Battle Emperor and one Battle King from the opposing side, he emerged victorious, leaving the audience in awe. After that event, however, the Ice Emperor gradually faded from public view. Now, his name has become a memory among the older generation of the Gamma Empire, while the current generation of the top ten warriors has entirely surpassed and eclipsed the former glory and prestige once held by the Ice Emperor. Xiao Yan never expected that the plain-looking elder before him would be the Ice Emperor, a figure who had long troubled the elite warriors of the Chuyun Empire—such a dramatic turn of events left him utterly astonished. "Good, my name hasn't faded with time," said Haibo Dong, smiling slightly with pride at Xiao Yan's expression of surprise. "You've even heard of me." Hai Bode Dong nodded slightly, a touch of bitterness in his voice, and sighed, "After completing the grand gathering of the empire's strongest warriors, I journeyed to the Tagoer Great Desert, where by chance I obtained that fragment of the map. However, this very discovery drew the pursuit of the serpent royalty of the desert—the Queen Medusa. You must know that Queen Medusa is one of the top-tier warriors among the Dueling Monarchs. Had there been more such powerful rulers among the serpent people, they likely would have launched attacks on the human empire long ago. In that battle, I had no surprise at my defeat—she easily overwhelmed me. Though I managed to escape afterward, I was struck by her serpent sealing spell, which caused my body to age rapidly and sealed my strength at the Dueling Spirit level." "Haibo Dong sighed, "For all these years, I've been hiding here, studying the secrets of this fragment of the map, hoping to uncover something that could lift the seal. Yet this fragment is merely a small part of the entire map. No matter how experienced I become, I simply can't decipher it." "He's not qualified," Hai Dongbo shook his head, offering a wry smile. "The primary requirement for crafting such a pill is that the alchemist must possess a unique, extraordinary fire. King Dan, Gu He, appears to lack this very thing." Sighing and rolling his eyes, Xiao Yan helplessly spread his hands: "Sixth rank... even though I possess the unique fire, I am currently only a second-rank alchemist. How could I possibly produce a medicine of that caliber?" "I believe your true strength goes beyond what you're showing right now," said Haibo Dong with a slightly cunning smile. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan fell into quiet contemplation, softly asking himself, "Master, what do you think?" "Regardless of what happens, we must secure the fragments of the map related to the 'Pure Lotus Spirit Fire.' That will be crucial for your future development of your cultivation techniques," the Elder of Medicine said thoughtfully. "So your intention is... to agree to his request?" "Yes. Let's agree to it for now. After all, a personal favor from a Duke-level cultivator is indeed worth this price." "Though I'm worried that once this old man regains his strength, things might change," Xiao Yan murmured, carefully weighing his options in his mind. "Hehe, don't worry. As long as I'm here, even if he showcases his strength, he won't be able to reclaim the fragmented map. Besides... during the preparation of the pills, couldn't we take some precautionary measures?" The elderly pharmacist smiled calmly. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief, lifting his head to gaze at Hai Bo Dong, whose face was full of hopeful anticipation. He nodded gently and smiled, saying, "Very well, I'll agree to that!"