Battle Through the Heavens: I can solidify the talents of all things

The wind in Mocheng carried fine sand, sweeping across the stone-paved streets and stirring up the dust.

Xiao Qing walked through the dusty streets, which were quite different from the style of Qingshan Town, and his eyes locked onto an inconspicuous map shop.

This shop stands in stark contrast to the bustling surrounding shops.

He pushed open the wooden door of a map shop, and the hinges made a soft, old creaking sound.

Unlike other shops that greet customers in a certain style, this shop has a rather rustic and even somewhat old-fashioned facade, as if time has stood still.

The interior lighting is relatively dark compared to the outside.

The air was filled with the mixed smells of ink, parchment, and wood.

Xiao Qing's gaze casually swept over the surroundings. On the shelf against the wall, neatly arranged were rolled-up maps, some tied with rope, others simply wrapped in plain cloth...

Yet not a single customer came to shop; only a candle in a corner burned quietly, casting a long shadow on the decaying wooden floor.

Xiao Qing slowly walked towards the shop counter, his gaze finally landing on the old man behind the counter, who was drawing with his head bowed.

The old man had a full head of white hair, which was simply tied back with a wooden hairpin, and he wore a thin gray cloth robe.

Although he looked quite old, his aged hand holding the pen was very steady.

The pen tip moved slowly across the yellowed parchment, drawing each stroke without trembling despite its age, as if each stroke was the result of decades of experience.

Xiao Qing shifted her gaze from the old man to the shelf on the right.

He glanced around casually and immediately noticed the most conspicuous item on the central wooden frame!

There hangs a tattered map there, completely out of place with the surrounding maps!

It was only the size of a palm, and the edges of the map were jagged, as if it had been torn apart by a sharp weapon.

The paper exudes a mysterious and ancient luster, with faint dark patterns visible on its surface, as if they were mysterious marks left by the passage of time.

His soul power quietly spread out, and his peak mortal realm perception instantly captured the aura permeating the fragmented map.

It was a feeling of ancient times, mixed with a touch of mystery.

"This is another fragment of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame map!" The old man's voice, filled with surprise and emotion, echoed in his mind. "You've stumbled upon yet another piece!"

"This fragment of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame map is something countless powerful individuals have searched for their entire lives without ever finding a trace of, yet you've encountered two pieces in such a short time. It seems you have quite a connection with this third-ranked Strange Flame on the Strange Flame Ranking!"

Even with the vast knowledge and experience of the old physician, he found Xiao Qing's incredible luck somewhat unbelievable.

"Be careful, that old guy at the counter is no ordinary person," Yao Lao then warned Xiao Qing.

"He possesses an extremely powerful sealing force that suppresses his true cultivation level to the Dou Ling level!"

"However, judging from the strength of his soul and his restrained aura, before his cultivation was sealed, he was at least a Dou Huang level expert!"

"Although he's currently sealed away, his combat experience and keen observation skills remain, and he shouldn't be underestimated. Of course, with your current strength, you can easily handle him!"

"Understood, teacher." Xiao Qing didn't say anything, not surprised at all, but responded in his mind through soul transmission.

He already knew the exact origin of this incomplete map, and he was even more aware of the true identity of the old man behind the counter!

Hai Bodong, the Ice Emperor, was once one of the ten strongest figures in the Gama Empire.

It was because of this incomplete map that he incurred the wrath of Queen Medusa of the Snake-People Clan, and his cultivation was sealed by Queen Medusa. Now he can only exert the strength of a Fighting Spirit.

Xiao Qing already had a concrete plan in mind regarding how to deal with the situation next.

He reached out and took the half of the torn picture. When his fingers touched the paper, he could feel a slight coolness.

Then, he waved the tattered map in front of him with his middle and index fingers, his voice calm yet clear, echoing throughout the shop, and said, "Sir, could you sell me this map?"

The old man's hand holding the pen didn't stop; he continued drawing intently on the parchment without even raising his head. He simply uttered a sentence: "That map is not for sale."

His voice, though hoarse and slightly aged, carried a powerful and resonant quality.

Xiao Qing raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming more playful. He emphasized the phrase "half a fragment of a map," his meaning clear even though it wasn't explicitly stated.

"If this 'half-part map' isn't for sale, why is it displayed in such a prominent place? Could it be...?"

bang——

As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden door inside the shop suddenly slammed shut without any wind, completely cutting off the outside light.

In an instant, the shop was plunged into darkness, with only the candlelight flickering in the air currents, casting shadows that danced on the walls, creating an atmosphere of bleakness.

A chilling aura rose as Xiao Qing's voice fell.

At the same time, a powerful pressure swept over Xiao Qing from behind the counter, locking him firmly in place.

The old man behind the counter finally put down his pen and raised his head, which was covered in white hair.

On that aged face, a dark brown scar stretched horizontally from the cheekbone to the corner of the eye on the left cheek, with faint grooves visible at the edges, clearly a mark left by the fierce battle years ago.

Although his eyes, which were usually as calm as still water, were awakened at this moment as his gaze turned cold.

"Kid, do you recognize this fragment of a map?"

The old man's voice had lost its previous indifference and was now filled with chilling killing intent.

His eyes were filled with coldness as he stared intently at Xiao Qing, and the temperature of the air around him seemed to drop several degrees under his gaze.

"If you can't tell me everything you know today, you probably won't be leaving this door!"

Xiao Qing met his gaze without the slightest panic. Instead, she directly confronted Hai Bodong, saying calmly, "Of course we know each other!"

boom!

These words resounded like a thunderclap throughout the small map shop.

The desk in front of the old man instantly emitted a chilling aura.

An icy blue battle aura erupted from his body in an instant, as if a world of ice and snow had suddenly descended!

The ink bottle on the table froze instantly, and the parchment was covered in ice. The next second...

The entire desk in front of Hai Bodong instantly turned into countless ice shards, which scattered on the ground.

The surrounding temperature dropped to freezing point.

Moisture in the air condensed into tiny ice particles, which fell onto Xiao Qing's clothes.

Although his cultivation was sealed, the soul pressure and aura of a Dou Huang powerhouse still remained.

The temperature inside the shop seemed to drop suddenly, and the air felt stagnant.

However, Xiao Qing's expression did not change at all when faced with this oppressive force that was enough to terrify ordinary Dou Ling and even low-star Dou Wang.

Without pausing, he stretched out his hand, and a golden-red flame ignited at his fingertips.

The chill in the store gradually dissipated silently.

He held the palm-sized fragment of the map in his hand and began to confront Hai Bodong.

There was no fear on his face, but rather a slight smile, as he calmly looked at Hai Bodong's cold eyes.

A struggle for the fragments of the Pure Lotus Demon Flame map, and also for the defense of the dignity of a former Dou Huang powerhouse, begins at this moment!