Chapter 80: Acquired, and the Soul-Corrosion Grass
In that moment, time seemed to freeze. To Yao Yan, each passing breath stretched endlessly, as if the world had been paused. Only when he stored the ancient jade into his storage ring did the silence around him remain undisturbed—no movement, no reaction.
Time seemed to resume its flow...
Damn it, that scared the hell out of me!
After a psychological battle with nothing but air, Yao Yan's heart was pounding in his throat. Though he'd known that Gu Yuan didn't care much about the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade, he hadn't expected the man to truly do nothing—to leave the Xiao Clan to its fate, and not even monitor the final whereabouts of the jade.
Was it because there were eight pieces, so he didn't bother?
How arrogant~
In that moment, Yao Yan couldn't help but feel a trace of pity for Hun Tiandi. A man like that, a true schemer, ended up defeated by the glow of the protagonist's aura. Compared to the Soul Clan, Gu Yuan and the others were practically a joke—content to bask in the glory of the past, smug in their identity as descendants of a Dou Di, and blind to the looming threats. It was almost laughable.
Only when the other clans were exterminated did the remaining ones start to panic—only then did they unite against the Soul Clan and abandon their pride!
Weakness and ignorance aren't the real obstacles to survival—arrogance is!
This phrase suddenly flashed through Yao Yan's mind. His surge of emotion quickly cooled. He pulled out a jade token from his storage ring, one capable of storing soul power. Using Illusory Gold Flame, he melted it and reshaped it into the exact form of the ancient jade. Even the mysterious glow on the surface was replicated using moonstone powder.
In just a dozen seconds, he had forged a counterfeit Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade, almost indistinguishable from the real one.
Of course—
It was only good enough to fool the Xiao Clan. He never expected it to deceive someone who truly knew what the jade was. Anyone who had ever seen the real one would recognize the fake instantly.
Yao Yan placed the fake jade back where he'd found it, used his soul power to return the ancestral tablet to its original position, left no trace, and vanished from the ancestral hall.
As if nothing had ever happened.
…
Back at the Miteer Family's residence, in a quiet courtyard—
When Yao Yan returned, Caidie was already asleep, hugging Ling'er in her arms. She knew nothing of his outing. He'd used refining pills as an excuse to enter the alchemy room, and his investigations of the Xiao Clan had all been done in secret, his soul power masking any trace. He had no fear of Caidie discovering anything.
He scanned her with his soul power, confirmed she was sleeping soundly, then turned and entered the alchemy room. Only then did he finally relax, letting go of the tension and unease that had built up. Joy and excitement surged through his chest.
He had obtained both the Flame Mantra and the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade!
Hoo~
Yao Yan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his overwhelming emotions. When he opened them again, his black pupils had returned to their usual composure. He first took out the black ring from his chest.
Its dark hue was completely unremarkable. Just from appearance, there was nothing special about it. Even his soul power couldn't detect anything unusual, as if it were just a worthless rock by the roadside.
Who would guess this was actually the Bone Flame Ring of the famed alchemist of Central Plains? Inside it were not only his collections spanning hundreds of years but also his soul and the Bone-Chilling Flame.
Buzz~
Yao Yan stared at the ring and gently infused it with a stream of soul power from between his brows, causing it to float in the air. He attempted to inject more soul force into it—but was instantly met with intense resistance and repelled.
He wasn't surprised. All high-tier storage rings could be set with soul imprints. Even if someone managed to obtain one, they wouldn't be able to access its contents without removing the imprint, which in turn would alert the owner.
These soul imprints also automatically repelled foreign soul power—a defensive function unique to advanced rings.
Yao Lao wasn't dead. He still resided within the ring. And the Bone Flame Ring itself was crafted with a rare technique called "Soul-Warming Spirit Containment." Its effect was extraordinary—not only could it block soul detection, it also nurtured and protected the soul inside.
After so many years of soul-nurturing, who knew what condition Yao Lao's spirit had recovered to?
In the original story, Yao Lao didn't awaken for another ten years!
As long as he remained asleep, everything would be easier to handle.
Yao Yan's eyes flashed. After a brief hesitation, a powerful wave of soul force erupted from him and charged into the Bone Flame Ring with brute force, attempting to break through the soul imprint. But the instant they clashed, a cold force surged from the ring that froze even soul energy in place.
Fwoosh—
A misty-white flame appeared, instantly nullifying Yao Yan's soul power. Then it turned aggressive, chasing back along his soul energy straight toward him.
Yao Yan cut off his connection without hesitation. His eyes remained calm—he had anticipated this. The Bone-Chilling Flame had accompanied Yao Lao for centuries; it was part of him. It was only natural for the heavenly flame to protect its master and strike back.
Heavenly flames were famously volatile!
With no target left to burn, the Bone-Chilling Flame quickly receded, vanishing and returning the Bone Flame Ring to its dormant state, which dropped gently to the floor.
"Just as expected…"
Yao Yan muttered to himself. He had known getting the Flame Mantra wouldn't be easy.
Looking at the ring that couldn't be forcefully cracked, a chill flashed through his eyes. He had no intention of waking Yao Lao. In the original story, Yao Lao only came to trust Xiao Yan after three years of observation and gradual mentoring.
After suffering a devastating betrayal, Yao Lao had developed strong defenses. No simple words could win him over—and any Flame Mantra he handed out might even be a modified trap.
Besides, Yao Yan's own circumstances were complex and difficult to explain. He didn't meet the conditions to become Yao Lao's disciple.
When it came to his future—
Yao Yan would never leave his fate in someone else's hands.
He raised a hand and gently sent the Bone Flame Ring into the alchemy cauldron. Then he pulled out dozens of inky-black plants from his storage ring—Soul-Corrosion Grass. These toxic herbs had terrifying effects on soul power. Even alchemists generally avoided them.
They were more than enough to corrode a soul imprint on a storage ring.
The Bone-Chilling Flame now lacked a master. Its highest priority was to protect Yao Lao's soul—not the ring's soul imprint. That window of separation would be enough for Yao Yan to slowly grind it away!
With great focus, he ignited the cauldron with Illusory Gold Flame and tossed in a stalk of Soul-Corrosion Grass. The plant quickly melted into dark liquid under the flame, dripping onto the Bone Flame Ring below.
Ssssss~
The moment the two made contact, wisps of white smoke rose as if something inside the ring was being eaten away. The next moment, an icy-white flame burst from within the ring and incinerated every drop of the poison.
The intense cold instantly froze the Illusory Gold Flame inside the cauldron. Even the cauldron itself was coated in a layer of frost!
The dominance of a heavenly flame—undeniable.
"It's working."
Yao Yan smiled faintly. As the Bone-Chilling Flame vanished again, he calmly dropped in another stalk of Soul-Corrosion Grass…
(END CHAPTER)
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