Chapter 334: Soul Imprint
The searing pain erupting from the depths of Yao Lao's soul rendered his form translucent and unstable, as if on the verge of dissolving completely. His agonized expression gripped everyone's hearts with dread.
At first, Xuan Yi panicked, but she quickly composed herself. Her gentle soul force spread out, enveloping Yao Lao's soul.
But after a thorough inspection, her brows furrowed—she found nothing wrong with Yao Chen's soul.
Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan had now approached as well, their faces marked with deep concern.
Moments later, Xiao Yuan's gaze flickered. With a flip of his palm, he brought out the newly refined pill and gently guided it with soul force toward Yao Lao.
The pill's radiant multicolored glow bathed Yao Lao's soul, immediately stabilizing it somewhat—but the pain on his face didn't diminish in the slightest.
"It seems… there's a wound deep in Master's soul that we can't detect," Xiao Yuan said grimly.
It was only a hypothesis. Even when he had scanned Yao Lao's soul with his own strength, he hadn't detected anything.
But finding nothing at all—that itself said a lot.
Hmm?
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes, then suddenly reached out and pulled the Bone Spirit Cold Flame from Yao Lao's body.
The flame behaved abnormally. Agitation spread within it, seemingly triggered by some trace of soul energy—yet it shouldn't have contained any foreign soul remnants after being refined by Yao Lao.
As the flame left Yao Lao's form, his expression slightly improved, though he still frowned in confusion.
"There's something familiar about this soul energy…" Xuan Yi said as she sensed the subtle thread hidden deep within the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
"Aunt Xuan, you recognize it?"
Xiao Yuan asked. Thanks to the Five Element Vital Energy technique he cultivated—which emphasized visceral and blood essence—he had an uncanny ability to sense foreign energies.
Had it not been for that, he wouldn't have noticed that someone else's soul essence was embedded within the flame.
"It feels familiar, but I can't place it. Did your teacher ever experience anything like this before?"
"No," Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan replied with a sigh.
"Let's not talk here. Come with me to the Pill Tower for now. The commotion today was too big. I worry the Soul Hall might make a move."
Xuan Yi paused for a moment before deciding.
"We'll leave it to you, Aunt Xuan."
Xiao Yuan nodded in agreement.
With a wave of her hand, a spatial tunnel opened before them—so skillfully constructed that even Tian Huo Zun Zhe had to admit his inferiority.
Seeing the urgency, Xiao Yuan quickly led the group into the passage.
Xuan Yi carefully stored Yao Lao's soul into his black ring and issued a few instructions to the arriving Pill Tower elders to handle the aftermath before stepping into the spatial tunnel.
As she disappeared and the tunnel closed, the barrier around the Ye Estate also dissolved. The surrounding crowd, now staring at the empty courtyard, was left puzzled.
"Everyone, the disciple of President Xuan Yi was refining pills here. Apologies for the disturbance. She has taken him back for proper instruction. Please disperse."
The elders of the Pill Tower wore odd expressions. None of them had ever heard of Xuan Yi taking a disciple, yet today, one suddenly appeared—an eighth-tier alchemist who had triggered seven-colored Pill Thunder. It was incredible.
Still, no one dared question Xuan Yi. All they could do was follow her orders and manage the situation.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan and the group had arrived at the Pill Tower.
Though called a "tower," its interior was vast. Even someone of Xuan Yi's status only occupied a slightly smaller space than the Ye Estate. And even then, it took up only a fraction of the smallest top-level area.
So accommodating the group was simple.
Once settled, Xuan Yi immediately took Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan into the starry domain.
"Xuan Kong, Tian Lei, come quickly!"
At her shout, two elderly figures appeared.
"What is it? You're in such a rush, and you brought these two little—"
Xuan Kong Zi's eyes widened as they landed on Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan.
"Hm? It's you two?"
His soul force swept over them, and he was surprised.
"Greetings, seniors."
The two brothers recognized Xuan Kong Zi and bowed respectfully. Though they didn't know the other elder, it was clear—these were the other two Pill Tower Giants.
"No time for greetings! Check on Yao Chen—something's wrong!"
Xuan Yi interrupted and summoned Yao Lao's soul from the ring.
Above his head floated the radiant Soul-Elevating Spirit-Nurturing Pill. His expression was lost, as if trapped in a dream.
"Is that really Yao Chen? What's wrong with him?!"
Xuan Kong Zi and Tian Lei Zi were shocked.
"If I knew, I wouldn't have called you!"
Xuan Yi urged impatiently.
The two exchanged grave glances. If even Xuan Yi—whose alchemy and soul realm matched theirs—couldn't figure it out, this wasn't simple.
They immediately stepped forward and placed their hands on Yao Lao's soul, channeling their soul power.
After a while, they retracted it. A look passed between them.
They had no clue what the problem was.
Either Yao Chen had no problem at all, or—whoever caused this was far more powerful than they were.
If it were the former, Yao Chen might recover on his own.
If it were the latter… they had a serious issue.
Both men began to sweat.
Xiao Yuan saw their expression and realized they were out of their depth.
He had to find the root cause.
He released the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and sent out countless threads of soul force into it.
With his current strength, his control over flame was unparalleled—especially over a flame he was so familiar with.
His goal: trace and isolate the strange soul energy hiding inside.
Xiao Yan also understood. He summoned a blue lotus-shaped platform beneath Xiao Yuan—a fusion of the Heart of Fallen Flame, Sea Heart Flame, and Core Lotus Flame.
This lotus had calming properties and could defend itself when provoked, even transforming into a Flame Lotus of Buddha Fury if needed.
Having mastered the Fivefold Leaving Fire Technique, Xiao Yan could control this without delay.
The Pill Tower Giants were astonished by the seamless cooperation between the brothers.
"You have a plan?" they asked.
Xiao Yan shook his head. "Not me, but my third brother does. I'm just making sure he doesn't get interrupted. We're in the domain where the Three Thousand Burning Flames is sealed—I can't let him divide his focus."
The two elders turned to Xuan Yi.
"Don't look at me. I'm in no mood," she snapped. Her eyes flicked between Yao Chen and Xiao Yuan, filled with anxiety. At that moment, this esteemed Pill Tower leader seemed no different from a worried woman.
Xiao Yuan sensed Xiao Yan's support and focused deeper into the flame.
After half an hour, he found it.
Deep in the core of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, there lay a soul imprint.
This imprint was so well-integrated that it hadn't been erased when Yao Lao refined the flame.
Which meant: it had always been there, coexisting with the flame's essence.
Separating it would be extremely difficult.
Xiao Yuan opened his eyes and retrieved the flame's core.
"Brother?"
"I found a soul imprint inside. It may be linked to Master's condition. I want to examine it."
Everyone froze.
In their understanding, no Heavenly Flame refined for years should still contain a soul imprint. That would make it impossible to refine in the first place.
"You should wait. If this imprint is dangerous, it could harm you," Xuan Yi cautioned.
"She's right, Third Brother," Xiao Yan added.
But Xiao Yuan shook his head. "Keeping Master in this state is worse. I don't sense any malice in that imprint—toward him or me. I know it sounds unlikely, but I trust my instincts."
"Still… be careful!"
"I have the protection of my Heavenly Flame. My soul won't break so easily. Let me try."
With determination in his eyes, Xiao Yuan pressed the flame's core to his forehead.
A white flame mark appeared. His soul surged into the imprint.
Zzzt—
The moment his awareness touched it, reality twisted.
He heard a faint voice:
"I still have a way! If you truly are of the Yao Clan—if you inherited the Dou Emperor bloodline—then I can help!"
"Bloodline Grand Formation… Flame Sacrifice to the Emperor… Beyond time and space… descendant of the great Dou Emperor, I offer this sacrifice…"
The voice echoed with unwavering resolve. In Xiao Yuan's vision, he saw a massive formation, ancient and awe-inspiring.
At its center were two figures—a man and a woman—and a strand of bone-white flame.
He couldn't see their faces. The woman's form slowly dissipated like fireflies, while the man grew more distinct. A familiar face appeared—eyes closed.
"Master?" Xiao Yuan whispered.
Then came the woman's sorrowful voice:
"Will you remember me?"
"No. You won't. That's the price."
"But…"
"It's alright. As long as you're safe, that's enough."
"I can't leave the Bone Spirit Cold Flame behind. That's the price of this offering. But… a wisp of it will remain—carrying my imprint."
"So maybe… if you become a Dou Emperor… we'll meet again someday."
"Won't we?"
Her voice was filled with longing and sadness.
But the comatose Yao Chen heard none of it.
(END CHAPTER)
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