Upon entering the shop—
The interior was not very spacious, but several moonlight stones emitted a soft glow, illuminating the space brightly.
Wei Yang swept his gaze across the store. There weren’t many customers, making the place seem a little quiet.
Then, his eyes landed on the counter, finally settling on the elderly man behind it—his head lowered, carefully drawing a map.
Though the old man’s hair was completely white, and he appeared quite aged, his withered hand gripping the black drawing pen remained steady and powerful.
If Wei Yang guessed correctly—this elder was Ice Emperor Hai Bodong.
This was also his first time truly seeing a Dou Huang powerhouse.
He pondered briefly before shaking his head. Now was not the time to approach Hai Bodong.
Even a sealed Dou Huang was not someone to provoke lightly.
So, Wei Yang simply led Ye Xian’er to a bookshelf, casually picking up a map and flipping through it.
The routes and markings on the map were clear and accurate, with minimal deviations. The craftsmanship was excellent, making Wei Yang nod approvingly.
He put down the map and picked up another.
As he continued browsing, Wei Yang was surprised to discover that the shop had an extensive collection of maps.
There were maps of the Jia Ma Empire and Tagore Desert, which were the most detailed.
There were even maps of neighboring countries such as Chu Yun Empire and Mu Lan Empire, though these were less detailed but still decent.
Even maps of the Black-Corner Region were available.
Wei Yang was very satisfied. With these maps, at least within Jia Ma Empire and nearby areas, he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost.
So, he grabbed two copies of each map—one for himself and one for Xian’er.
Wei Yang took the stack of maps to the counter and asked, "How much for these maps?"
The elder remained focused on drawing, his head never lifting, as he replied in a calm, aged voice:
"100 gold coins per map."
Wei Yang narrowed his eyes slightly and silently released his soul power, carefully probing forward.
That morning, Wei Yang had discovered a small surprise—after his soul power was drained by the mysterious Black Iron Scroll, its recovery had actually caused it to grow stronger and more refined.
Now, facing a veteran Dou Huang, his curiosity got the better of him.
As his soul power gradually enveloped the old man—
In Wei Yang’s perception, the seemingly aged and withered body of the elder actually concealed a massive aura, like a giant iceberg.
However, this iceberg seemed to be sealed by an even more mysterious and powerful force.
Wei Yang could vaguely sense that the energy the old man could currently access was merely a fraction of his full power—probably no more than a high-level Dou Ling.
Having confirmed this, Wei Yang smiled and withdrew his soul power.
A high-level Dou Ling was still formidable, but Wei Yang was not afraid.
If he couldn’t win, he could at least escape.
From his storage ring, Wei Yang retrieved 1,000 gold coins, placing them on the counter. He shook the stack of maps in his hand and said,
"I’m taking ten maps."
The elder nodded slightly, still focused on his drawing.
Wei Yang smirked, not minding at all. He simply put away the maps, grabbed Ye Xian’er’s hand, and left the shop.
After the two figures completely disappeared, the old man’s hand, which had been diligently working on the map, paused slightly.
He then slowly lifted his head.
His face was aged and wrinkled, but from his left cheek to the corner of his eye, a horrifying scar ran across his face.
Despite his withered and elderly appearance, his murky eyes still carried a hint of fierceness—thanks to that scar.
The old man gazed in the direction Wei Yang and Ye Xian’er left, his murky eyes slightly narrowing, as if a sharp glint flashed within them.
"Two terrifying young ones... At such a young age, their talents are truly frightening." The old man murmured to himself.
As a veteran Dou Huang, though he wasn’t an Alchemist, his soul perception was far from weak.
If Wei Yang could vaguely sense the power hidden within him, then he too could roughly gauge Wei Yang’s capabilities.
"Soul power... could he be an Alchemist?" the old man thought to himself, his expression flickering with slight intrigue.
But he soon shook his head and let out a quiet chuckle.
He was overthinking things!
A boy so young—even if he was an Alchemist, so what?
Could he possibly be a Tier 6 Alchemist at this age?
Moreover, those two young people were clearly not ordinary. He didn’t dare to approach them recklessly.
He had been hiding in this small desert border town for twenty to thirty years, never letting anyone discover his whereabouts—not even the Mittel Clan knew where he was. His caution spoke for itself.
"Those two... could they be from another empire or region? Coming here, to the Tagore Desert..."
A strange glint flashed through the old man’s murky eyes as he muttered a few words to himself. Chapters first released on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Then, shaking his head, he stopped overthinking and continued drawing his map.
After purchasing the detailed map of the Tagore Desert, Wei Yang was in good spirits. He held Ye Xian’er’s hand and leisurely walked back toward the inn.
Once back, he planned to study the map carefully before setting off tomorrow in search of the Heavenly Flame.
Recalling the original novel, Wei Yang couldn’t help but think of another girl—Qing Lin.
A pitiful young girl with serpent bloodline...
Yet at the same time, the possessor of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, a truly broken ability.
"According to the novel, deep in the underground magma lake, there is a Rank 4 Two-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent. And right now, it hasn’t yet been injured by Queen Medusa... meaning its strength should be at the peak of Rank 4!"
Peak Rank 4—when compared to human cultivators, that was equivalent to a peak Dou Ling.
"And since it grew up in an underground magma lake, it’s fighting in its home turf, completely in its element. Its combat strength should be comparable to a Dou Wang, and with its energy replenishing rapidly, it’s practically an endless powerhouse." Wei Yang thought to himself.
This was troublesome.
In such a harsh environment, even Wei Yang would find it challenging to deal with the Two-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent.
Unless he got rid of that beast, he wouldn’t feel safe venturing into the magma lake to search for the Heavenly Flame.
That said, it wasn’t unbeatable. After all, it was just a magical beast.
With the right strategy, luring it out and eliminating it with a decisive attack would do the trick.
Wei Yang glanced at the little girl beside him, holding his hand.
He smiled slightly and shook his head.
It was still the same thought—leave it to fate.
He wouldn’t force anything.
His ambitions were vast—so vast that he wanted to stand at the peak of the Dou Qi Continent and even glimpse into the Great Thousand Worlds beyond.
But at the same time, his heart was small—so small that there was limited space, and not too many people could fit inside.
Originally, he considered choosing Qing Lin.
But now, with Ye Xian’er by his side, the little girl had already taken up a major part of his heart.
So, when it came to Qing Lin, he now felt indifferent—whether she was there or not didn’t really matter.
There was no denying it—everyone liked beautiful women.
Wei Yang was no exception.
Especially when the beauty in question wasn’t just a pretty face, but someone with an absurd physique that could guarantee her ascension to Dou Sheng.
And right now, this beauty was still at her weakest and most vulnerable stage, the best time to make a move.
But liking didn’t mean he had to take her.
There were countless beauties in the world—was he supposed to love them all?
Wei Yang was no playboy.