Starting from Douluo Continent, I've become a god through daily check-ins.

Chapter 577 Conversation (Extended Version for Qixi Festival)

"Hehe, you're finally back. I've been waiting for you for so long." Hai Bodong smiled, his gaze sweeping over Jing Chen. He suddenly realized that the young man in front of him seemed to have changed somewhat in the past few months. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

Moreover, after observing him closely, Hai Bodong seemed to realize that Jing Chen now looked exactly the same as when they first met. He remembered that Jing Chen wasn't like this just a few months ago. The only possibility was that something had definitely happened in the past few months that completely changed the Jing Chen he was a few months ago.

After carefully sensing the surroundings, Hai Bodong even sensed something on Jing Chen that made him feel somewhat afraid: "Could it be a strange fire? He really found a strange fire?" The thought flashed through his mind, and a look of shock appeared on Hai Bodong's face. His gaze towards Jing Chen was now filled with disbelief.

When they first met, Jing Chen already possessed the Dark Flame, which ranked first on the Strange Flame Ranking. Now, he has acquired another Strange Flame. He didn't know if the two Strange Flames could coexist, but the fact that Jing Chen now possessed two Strange Flames was enough to shock Hai Bodong.

Hai Bodong actually had another guess in his mind: Jing Chen couldn't use the Dark Flame, which was ranked first on the Strange Flame Ranking, frequently. Otherwise, why would he go to such great lengths to search for a Strange Flame in the dangerous desert? In the end, Jing Chen only possessed one Strange Flame.

"What can I do? You have what I need, so naturally I have to come back as soon as possible. However, if it weren't for your map, this trip would probably have taken me a year wandering in the desert, and I still wouldn't have been able to achieve my goal," Jing Chen chuckled.

"Hehe, it's just a mutually beneficial arrangement." Hai Bodong waved his hand with a smile, his nose twitching slightly. His withered face suddenly changed as he stared at Jing Chen in astonishment, exclaiming, "You've had contact with Queen Medusa?"

Inside the shop, the woman in the red dress stared in astonishment at Hai Bodong, who not only hadn't attacked Jing Chen but was actually chatting amiably with him. After a moment, her brows furrowed slightly, and she secretly glanced at the black-clad youth who seemed even younger than her, a pang of jealousy rising in her heart. She had helped Hai Bodong here for so long, yet she had never been treated so kindly by him.

"This guy," the woman in the red dress thought resentfully. Just as she was about to go back and have someone investigate Jing Chen's background, the words that Hai Bodong suddenly uttered made her freeze as if struck by lightning.

Not only her, but also the three young men and the burly men inside the shop froze instantly after Hai Bodong uttered the name of Queen Medusa. Near the desert, Queen Medusa's fearsome reputation was enough to instill terror in any powerful human.

"This guy actually had contact with Queen Medusa? And he's still alive?" Inside the shop, everyone stared in shock and disbelief at the young man carrying the enormous black ruler. For a moment, everyone seemed unable to process what was happening. In cities near the desert, many powerful figures had also encountered Queen Medusa and survived. But those people were all renowned figures in their respective regions. Yet, this young man...

"It's nothing much, just some bad luck to have had contact with her. But thankfully, I'm still alive, otherwise I wouldn't be standing here chatting with you like this." Jing Chen shrugged, speaking nonchalantly.

"Tsk tsk, remarkable. To actually manage to come back alive from that woman's clutches, and seemingly unharmed, truly shows that heroes emerge from among the young. I think you are probably the pinnacle of the younger generation in the Gama Empire." Upon hearing this, Hai Bodong clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Come on, what kind of top-tier young expert? I wouldn't even take that stuff if it were given to me for free. The allure of fame is less than one ten-thousandth of the value of precious medicinal herbs." Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Jing Chen immediately scoffed. What is fame? Can you eat it?

"Oh, hehe, by the way, Jingchen, about the thing I asked you to do, I don't know," Hai Bodong said with a smile as he rubbed his dry hands.

"Oh, you mean this? This is the Sand Mandala you needed. It's really hard to find, you know." With a slight movement of his fingers, a pale yellow plant suddenly appeared in Jing Chen's hand. The plant's shape was quite strange, coiled and twisted like a long, yellow snake. At the top was its raised tongue, and on the tongue, a fist-sized nodule protruded slightly. This nodule was the essence of the entire plant.

"Hehe, thank you so much." Hai Bodong grinned and thanked them as he happily accepted the plant.

"It's just a matter of each getting what they need," Jing Chen shrugged, replying with Hai Bodong's words.

Inside the shop, watching Hai Bodong and Jing Chen chatting happily as if no one else was around, the arrogant look on the woman in the red dress gradually faded. Although she was arrogant, she wasn't without brains. A young man who could command such treatment from Hai Bodong must be someone of considerable importance. Moreover, she had a feeling that the young man before her possessed a formidable strength far beyond his years.

"My goodness, where did such a prodigy come from? There's no news of any young powerhouse of this age in the Gama Empire!" The woman in the red dress muttered to herself, a helpless and bitter smile appearing on her face.

"Ice Master" was left standing aside by Hai Bodong. After a moment of thought, the woman in the red dress said timidly.

Interrupted from the conversation, he frowned slightly, glanced at the woman in the red dress beside him, and said indifferently, "Go back. You don't need to come again. Go back and tell your father that his tricks are truly disgusting."

Hearing Hai Bodong's ruthless expulsion, the woman in the red dress was slightly taken aback, then her eyes reddened. Her original intention was to have Hai Bodong take her as a disciple, but Hai Bodong's words clearly shattered her hopes. She felt extremely wronged, and wisps of mist dampened her long eyelashes. At this moment, she was no longer the spoiled and willful woman she had been when dealing with Jing Chen.

Seeing Hai Bodong's indifferent and ruthless attitude, even Jing Chen, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but shake his head. He could tell that the woman in the red dress originally wanted Hai Bodong to take her as a student, but these words clearly not only dispelled the woman's hopes, but also nipped her father's plans in the bud.

Although the woman in the red dress was somewhat arrogant, Jing Chen could still tell that if he took her as a student, her diligence and eagerness to learn would likely be second to none. Her talent wasn't bad either; on the contrary, it was top-tier.

"Hai Bodong, why be so heartless? She came to this remote place with great difficulty; she must have her own plans, right? Why condemn her so harshly? You agree, Master Bing, don't you think? Besides, with your status, treating a woman like this is beneath you, don't you think?" He leaned against the counter, casually tossing a rolled-up map in his hand, seemingly laughing as if it were a joke.

Hearing Jing Chen's words, Hai Bodong was stunned for a moment. He turned back to look at the smiling face, and after a moment, he nodded with a smile. He lightly stroked a yellow storage ring on his fingertip, and a scroll appeared. He flicked the scroll with his finger and shot it towards the woman in the red dress, saying with some helplessness, "This is a low-level Xuan-rank combat technique. I know you want me to take you as a student, but I really don't have that kind of intention. So, consider this my compensation."

Stunned, the woman in the red dress continued rolling the scroll, her lips pressed tightly together. After a moment, she bowed gratefully to Jing Chen, then her face darkened as she quietly left the shop.

As the woman in the red dress left, the rest of the people in the shop followed suit. In an instant, the shop became empty again.

"Hehe, I've always longed for freedom, but I don't really like teaching students. She has no future with me." Hai Bodong patted Jing Chen on the shoulder and explained with a smile.

"Tch, I thought you were just standing up for me." Jing Chen scoffed, but didn't say anything. Whether to teach or not, whether to accept or not, was entirely up to Hai Bodong; he had no right to interfere.

After a brief silence, Jing Chen smiled slightly and said, "Alright, I've brought back the Sand Mandala for you. Shouldn't you give me the incomplete map now?"

"Uh," Hai Bodong smiled upon hearing this, rubbed his hands together, and said with an embarrassed smile, "Jing Chen, we had an agreement back then. As long as you refine the pill that helps me break the seal, I will give you the last fragment of the map. Moreover, I will owe you a favor in the future."

Jing Chen kept his gaze fixed on Hai Bodong until the latter became somewhat uncomfortable before speaking, "Alright, alright, I didn't expect you to give it to me right now. However, I still hope that after the pill is refined, you can keep your promise and give me the incomplete map. We are friends after all, and I don't want to take special measures against friends."

"Hehe, Jing Chen, what are you saying? A promise between strong individuals, how could it be false?" Hai Bodong chuckled and shook his head, patting his chest and guaranteeing, "As long as you can refine the pills I need, I will definitely keep my word!"

"Hehe, that would be best, I don't want us to part on bad terms in the end." He chuckled lightly, raised his chin at Hai Bodong, and continued, "In that case, let's begin."

"Now?" Hai Bodong was taken aback, then quickly nodded, "Okay, okay, please!" With that, he quickly pushed open the counter and welcomed Jing Chen into the back room.

Upon entering the house, Jing Chen casually sat on a bench, looking at Hai Bodong with a slight smile on his lips, and said softly, "Prescription, herbs."

"Sometimes, I find you alchemists truly enviable. Sigh, this prescription for breaking the seal took me a lot of effort to obtain, and now that you've seen it, it'll have to be renamed again." Helplessly pulling out all the medicinal herbs from his storage ring, Hai Bodong clutched a yellowed, ancient parchment, his pain genuine. One could only imagine what Hai Bodong had gone through and how much hardship he had endured to obtain this prescription.

"Breaking Calamity Pill?" The three dark characters, slightly blurred, were drawn on the parchment, faintly exuding an ancient aura.

After a quick scan of the first batch of herbs, Jing Chen's lips curled into a slight smile. This Breaking Calamity Pill was actually a sixth-grade elixir. All the medicinal effects of the pill were recorded on this ancient parchment.

"The sixth-grade pill has the remarkable effect of breaking most seals. After taking the pill, one can also develop a resistance to this seal within the body, so that if one encounters this seal in the future, there is a slight chance of avoiding it."

"Tsk tsk, this is really a good thing." Jing Chen couldn't help but smack his lips after scanning the ancient parchment back and forth. Breaking the seal and forming resistance to the seal in the body, just for this point alone, the Breaking Calamity Pill ranks sixth grade, and has not lost its reputation as a sixth grade pill.

"Of course it's good. The price I paid to get this prescription is something that still makes my heart ache when I think about it now." Hai Bodong said with a wry smile, looking at Jing Chen with longing eyes.

"No matter the cost, it's nothing compared to restoring the strength of a Dou Huang expert," Jing Chen said, seemingly offering a word of comfort, before unceremoniously putting the scroll into his storage ring.

In the world of alchemy, there are some unwritten rules. Anyone who wants an alchemist to concoct some unconventional elixirs must not only provide the prescription but also the ingredients. Moreover, the alchemist has complete control over the prescription, allowing them to do as they please. It's perfectly normal for the other party to keep it for themselves.

After carefully putting away the recipe for the Breakthrough Pill, Jing Chen's gaze swept over the large pile of medicinal herbs on the table. These herbs could be considered rare. Jing Chen had seen these herbs before; his own mountain range could definitely produce hundreds of Breakthrough Pills.

Perhaps out of fear of failure, Hai Bodong prepared only two or three portions of most of the medicinal herbs, which were then placed on the table in abundance.

After inspecting all the medicinal herbs and finding nothing missing, Jing Chen smiled slightly, looked up at Hai Bodong who was staring intently at him, and said softly, "Hai Bodong, I think you should know that there's a certain chance of failure in refining pills. Let me be frank, I am indeed somewhat confident in making this sixth-grade pill, but I can't guarantee it. So, if it fails for any reason in the end, I will take responsibility..."

"I know, you're not responsible, right? That's how all you alchemists are. If you fail, do you think I'll force you to stay?" Hearing this, Hai Bodong waved his hand and said with a wry smile.

"Hehe, it's best that you understand. I wonder if you could prepare a quiet room for me? Before I come out, no one can come in to disturb me, including yourself." Jing Chen put all the medicinal herbs on the table into his storage ring and smiled.

"Come with me." Hai Bodong nodded and walked towards a side door, while Jing Chen followed.

Entering through the side door, a corridor came into view. The corridor was slightly dimly lit. Following Hai Bodong for a distance, we stopped outside the door of the Yijian room at the end of the corridor.

Pushing open the door, a soft light shone out. The room looked quite tidy, perhaps because it was cleaned regularly. It was a decent place to stay while refining medicine.

He walked into the room, looked around, and nodded with a smile.

"How is it? Not bad here, right?" Hai Bodong asked with a smile. After seeing Jing Chen nod, he continued, "Then please refine your pills here. I will keep watch in the corridor. During this time, you will have the quiet atmosphere you need, and no one will disturb you."

"Hmm." Jing Chen nodded with a smile, watching Hai Bodong leave. He gently closed the door with both hands and carefully looked around. The secret of the Medicine Elder must not be revealed to anyone yet. Therefore, Jing Chen could not tolerate any mishaps.

After searching the area and finding nothing amiss, he asked softly, "Elder Yao, is everything alright here?"

"Hmm, I've checked. It seems that old fellow wasn't playing any tricks here." The old man's voice chuckled in his mind.

"In that case, Elder Yao, please begin." Hearing this, Jing Chen nodded and smiled. With a wave of his hand, the medicinal herbs were once again piled high on the table.

"Sigh, I knew you wanted to use this old bone of mine as a laborer," the old medicine master said helplessly, his body slowly floating out. Looking at the table full of medicinal herbs, he shook his head helplessly.

"I'd love to do it myself, but as you know, I have the will but not the skill, so I'll have to trouble Elder Yao to help," Jing Chen chuckled.

Yao Lao simply rolled his eyes at Jing Chen's words. If Yao Lao hadn't known so many of Jing Chen's little secrets, he might have actually believed him. With the strength of a Dou Zun, plus his own guidance, couldn't he refine a sixth-grade pill?

With a sigh, the old apothecary landed slowly beside the table, casually fiddled with the medicinal herbs, and waved his hand at Jing Chen. Instantly, the ring that was on Jing Chen's finger, which did not belong to him, fell into the old apothecary's hand.

Carefully placing the ring in his hand, the old apothecary flicked his finger, and a pure black medicine cauldron, as large as a tabletop, suddenly appeared.

"I'll blanch it; this pot is top-notch!"

(End of this chapter)