Reborn as Huo Yuhao, but also in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 35 Hai Bodong

As the group emerged from the Mo City Transportation Center, they were greeted by dazzling sunlight. Despite it being near the end of the year, the weather in Mo City remained extremely hot. Looking around, everyone on the streets of Mo City, both men and women, was dressed very lightly.

Huo Yuhao glanced around briefly, sensing the extremely high concentration of fire and earth elements in the world. Logically speaking, this environment, where ice-attribute energy was scarce, should have been very unfriendly to an ice-attribute cultivator like Huo Yuhao, and he should have felt uncomfortable to some extent. However, Huo Yuhao only briefly sensed the energy of the world before stopping his attention and instead carefully observing everyone around him.

"What, you like this kind of style?" Xiao Yan nudged Huo Yuhao, a teasing look on his face. "Why don't you and Little Fairy Doctor go browse the clothing stores in Mo City? I'll just buy a map myself."

Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor blushed slightly and secretly observed Huo Yuhao's gaze. She saw Huo Yuhao quickly scan the surrounding passersby, and after confirming that there was no threat, he stopped observing them.

"I just located the map shop," Huo Yuhao said. "I'll go buy the map. Xiao Yan, go buy some food and seasonings to replenish our supplies; we ran out of what we brought in the Monster Mountain Range. If Xian'er wants to go to the clothing store..."

"I'm going to buy a map with Brother Yuhao!" Little Fairy Doctor said urgently.

"Tch, I'm back to being your errand boy again. I won't disturb your time together!" Xiao Yan muttered, then turned and blended into the crowd.

……

Arriving at the entrance of the "Ancient Map" shop, unlike before when he had only given it a cursory glance, Huo Yuhao now used his spiritual power to quickly probe into the shop and carefully examine the entire store, especially the blue-green-haired old man sitting inside, wearing monorimous glasses, who was meticulously drawing a map.

After carefully sensing the shop owner's condition, Huo Yuhao frowned slightly, thinking to himself: I didn't look closely just now and thought he was just a Dou Ling, but I didn't expect him to be a sealed powerhouse.

Having determined that the old man's strength before the seal was roughly at the Dou Huang level, Huo Yuhao breathed a slight sigh of relief. He stopped Little Fairy Doctor, who was about to enter the "Ancient Map," and took out his flying artifact, handing it to her. He reminded her:

"If anything unexpected happens, go find the teacher and Xiao Yan immediately."

"What's wrong?" Little Fairy Doctor immediately became nervous and looked around.

"It's nothing, just an extra layer of insurance."

"What are you two whispering about at the door? If you want to buy a map, come in; if not, leave." The voice of the map shop owner, Ice Emperor Hai Bodong, rang out.

"Sorry to bother you." Huo Yuhao apologized and walked into the map shop with Xiao Yixian.

Compared to its exterior, the interior decoration is quite exquisite, with a rustic style, but the overly ornate chandeliers on the ceiling ruin this rustic atmosphere.

Upon entering, Huo Yuhao and Xiao Yixian saw a tall table and chairs in the center of the shop, where Ice Emperor Hai Bodong was sitting, drawing a map.

"Hello..." Huo Yuhao was about to ask when he was interrupted by a voice.

"One hundred gold coins for a map. Go find what you want yourself," Hai Bodong said without looking up. His voice was surprisingly crisp and full, unlike that of an old man.

No bargaining.

Slightly taken aback, Huo Yuhao swallowed his question and exchanged a glance with Little Fairy Doctor.

"Looks like we'll have to find it ourselves."

"How can he do business like this?" Little Fairy Doctor muttered under her breath. Just as she was about to turn around to look for the map, she suddenly stopped, looked down, and saw Huo Yuhao grabbing her wrist.

"Brother Yuhao?" Little Fairy Doctor's face flushed slightly. Even if they had been more intimate before, it was in the Monster Mountain Range, where there were no outsiders around. But now, holding hands in front of this strange old man, with the shop door open and passersby possibly seeing them, made Little Fairy Doctor's voice filled with shyness.

"Let's look together." Huo Yuhao didn't say anything, but simply took Little Fairy Doctor's hand and led her towards the bookshelf displaying the maps.

Without giving Little Fairy Doctor any more time to be shy, Huo Yuhao mobilized his mental power, activated mental sharing, and connected with her mind.

"Xian'er, this old man is very strong. If a fight breaks out, I may not be able to protect you completely. Remember, once the fight starts, I will hold him off first, and you use your flying artifact to find your teacher and the others," Huo Yuhao reminded him.

"Why did they start fighting?" Little Fairy Doctor's face was no longer red, but instead showed a hint of speechlessness.

"Well... just be careful anyway."

Maps weren't hard to find; in fact, most people who came to this shop were looking for maps of the Tagor Desert, so the shelves were filled with them. Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the numerous maps on the shelf. He accurately picked up the most detailed one, opened it, examined it, and nodded in satisfaction.

For some reason, Hai Bodong's expression seemed a bit off. After finding the map, Huo Yuhao wanted to ask him to check it, but after waiting for a long time, Hai Bodong ignored him.

Left with no other choice, Huo Yuhao took out a cloth bag, put the gold coins in it, and placed it on a table next to Hai Bodong.

Judging by the time, Xiao Yan probably hadn't finished shopping yet. Therefore, Huo Yuhao and Little Fairy Doctor browsed the shop a little longer.

I came to a quaint wooden shelf in the corner of the shop. This shelf was clearly old and dilapidated; the joints were loose, and it was riddled with rotten cracks and wormholes. A gentle touch sent wood chips and dust flying. On it, some yellowed maps were carelessly piled. Judging from the damaged surfaces of these maps, they seemed to be failed attempts at mapmaking.

"Huh?" Little Fairy Doctor's surprised voice rang out in the shared mind, and she reached out and took out a fragment of the map from the tattered map.

"Brother Yuhao, is this it?"

"That's right." Huo Yuhao nodded slightly after carefully observing the patterns on the picture.

"It's a fragment of the Demon Flame Map."

After obtaining the fragment of the Demon Flame Map, Huo Yuhao and Little Fairy Doctor walked up to Hai Bodong and waited for him to finish drawing the map.

"What is it?" Perhaps annoyed by the two people staring at him, Hai Bodong put down his pen, finally looked up, and spoke in an unfriendly tone.

"Old sir, do you have any more fragments of this map here?" Little Fairy Doctor asked in a clear voice, holding up the fragment of the Demon Flame Map.

"No, not for sale."

"Huh?" Little Fairy Doctor, who was about to ask about the price, choked. Huo Yuhao took over the question and asked in a deep voice, "Old sir, is no price acceptable?"

"I said I'm not selling." Hai Bodong's voice sounded somewhat impatient.

Huo Yuhao wanted to try again, so he carefully examined the seal inside Hai Bodong's body.

"I can help you..."

Staring into Huo Yuhao's pale golden eyes, Hai Bodong felt a pang of fear, followed by a surge of embarrassment and anger.

I said let it go!

With a bang, the shop door slammed shut, blocking Huo Yuhao and Little Fairy Doctor's retreat. A murderous glint flashed across Hai Bodong's face. He pushed off with his feet, his figure flashing towards Little Fairy Doctor like lightning, while simultaneously reaching out to grab her wrist holding the map.