Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Association Head Xuan Kongzi, Yao Chen has awakened. We came together—may we come in?" Venerable Feng knocked on the door, his voice carrying a hint of respect.
"Come in," Xuan Kongzi's voice sounded from within the room.
Outside, Venerable Feng turned toward Yao Chen and Xiao Yan. "Go ahead. This time, it was a blessing in disguise—you've all gained a great deal in strength. But Association Head Xuan Kongzi… he still can't get past that barrier in his heart."
Yao Chen nodded solemnly. The vast and surging aura from inside the room didn't feel like something a 9-Turn Dou Zun should possess.
Xiao Yan, of course, understood the cause, but even he was powerless. This was an ailment of the heart, beyond the reach of medicine. Only Xuan Kongzi himself could overcome it. But… could he?
Venerable Feng pushed open the door. The three entered one after another and immediately saw Xuan Kongzi seated in a chair, smiling faintly.
"Xuan Kongzi, you—"
Yao Chen's eyes widened in shock. The man before him no longer carried the imposing presence of a Pill Tower Giant. He looked more like an old man in his twilight years.
Yet Xuan Kongzi still wore that same gentle smile—a smile filled with the joy of seeing an old friend once more.
"Seeing you alive puts this old man at ease," he said softly. "At least their sacrifices weren't in vain. I suppose… it's time for me to leave."
Xiao Yan and Venerable Feng quietly stepped aside, leaving the space for the two elders. Perhaps only they could untangle the knots in each other's hearts.
Yao Chen's illusory figure trembled slightly. He opened his mouth several times before finally forcing out two words.
"I'm sorry."
Xuan Kongzi's expression shifted, sorrow flashing across his eyes. He looked straight at Yao Chen and said in a low, steady voice, "You owe no apology. You were the one they risked their lives to save. You must live on—for their sakes."
Yao Chen felt his heart grow heavy. He was no longer alone—he carried the weight of many blood debts upon his soul, debts owed to disciples and friends alike. The Hall of Souls stood behind them all—his irreconcilable enemy.
"I will," Yao Chen said gravely. "I'll find a way to live… and I'll overturn the entire Hall of Souls, to avenge them all. But you—what do you intend to do now?"
Xuan Kongzi's shoulders seemed to slump even more as he sighed. "Return to the Pill Tower—and atone. As the Association Head of the Pill Tower, I brought it heavy losses. Worse, I may have drawn the Hall of Souls' wrath upon it. Of course I must return to bear the consequences."
Yao Chen fell silent. The Pill Tower wasn't a dictatorship; with Xuan Kongzi's strength, he likely wouldn't be punished too harshly. Still, his authority as Association Head would surely be stripped away. The Pill Tower's true control always rested with the Small Pill Tower. Removing his power would be effortless.
And with Xuan Kongzi's current mental state, once he returned, he would likely be reduced to a powerless figurehead—a puppet on strings.
"This isn't your fault," Yao Chen said softly.
"Indeed," Xuan Kongzi chuckled bitterly. "I did nothing wrong. Between friends, one should always draw the blade for the other—how could that be a mistake? But as the Association Head of the Pill Tower, it's my duty to bear the burden of responsibility."
As he spoke, a faint yet commanding pressure radiated from his frail body, rekindling a trace of the imposing might that once belonged to a Pill Tower Giant.
"Your condition, however, is worrying," he continued. "Come with me to Holy Pill City. We'll see how to restore your soul essence—and your body. Tell me, how do you plan to resurrect yourself? I have an ancient secret technique called the Spirit Puppet Technique… but I truly hope we won't have to use it."
Yao Chen was silent. Even knowing he'd be sidelined upon his return, Xuan Kongzi still insisted on going back—just to help him. That thought stirred countless emotions within Yao Chen's heart.
The materials needed to restore a damaged soul essence were rare beyond measure—even the Pill Tower might not possess them.
As for resurrection… Yao Chen's heart sank. The most perfect method—the Bone Growing Blood Fusing Pill—was difficult but achievable. The corpse of a Dou Zong was easy enough to find. But gathering three Heavenly Flames? That was a near-impossible dream.
'Heavens, how cruel you are to me,' he thought bitterly. 'Not even granting me a chance to truly live again. Without a body, with only my soul remaining, I'm nothing but meat upon the Hall of Souls' chopping block—ready to be cut as they please.'
Yao Chen let out a long sigh toward the heavens. "Let's return to the Pill Tower first. If the Small Pill Tower wishes to censure you, we'll stand with you."
Xuan Kongzi nodded. He had wanted to return long ago, but had delayed again and again, worried about Yao Chen's condition. Now that Yao Chen had awakened, it was finally time to face his own fate.
"We depart tomorrow."
"No problem." Yao Chen nodded, then turned toward Venerable Feng and Xiao Yan. After a moment of thought, he said, "Feng Xian, the Falling Star Pavilion still needs someone to guard it. I'll leave this place to you. Keep the barrier strong until we return. Xiao Yan, you'll come with me to Holy Pill City. There are matters that must be settled—and some debts owed to Xuan Yi that must be repaid. That way, Xuan Kongzi's heart can rest easier."
Venerable Feng nodded. He wasn't an alchemist—he would be of little help at the Pill Tower anyway. Guarding the Falling Star Pavilion and laying the groundwork for their future war against the Hall of Souls suited him just fine.
Xiao Yan voiced no objection. After Gu Xun'er had handed him the spatial jade slip, their connection had already been severed. He knew that, with her status, the Gu Clan would never mistreat her—but she had surely paid a price for it.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan felt a helpless ache. Only after visiting the Gu Clan did he truly realize its terrifying might. With his current strength, he couldn't even set foot within its gates.
For now, their priority was helping Yao Chen recover. Only by joining forces could they hope to contend with the Hall of Souls. If they could win over the Pill Tower, all the better.
Seven days later.
The newly advanced Half Saint, Xuan Kongzi, brought Xiao Yan and Yao Chen to Holy Pill City. With his status, entering the city and returning to the Pill Tower was effortless.
But when the Pill Tower members saw Xuan Kongzi and Xiao Yan again, their gazes were strange—a mixture of shock, disdain, and confusion.
After all, Xiao Yan's deeds had spread throughout Holy Pill City. The city was now effectively under martial law.
That reckless brat had annihilated the Hall of Souls' Tiangang Human Hall! The Hall of Souls' fury was inevitable.
At the Ye Clan's manor, in a quiet room, Liu Xi suddenly opened his eyes. In his perception, Xuan Kongzi's aura had returned—stronger than before. Alongside it came the familiar yet faint presence of Yao Chen… and Xiao Yan.
Liu Xi was dumbfounded. 'That brat actually dared to show up in the Pill Tower? Was he not afraid that a bunch of old geezers would beat him to death with their canes?'
This move would certainly make Xiao Yan's reputation soar. Rumors were already calling him the "Nemesis of the Hall of Souls." But such fame was hollow—it had come at the cost of immense losses for the Pill Tower.
"Maybe I should just run," Liu Xi muttered. "Looking at Xiao Yan's life so far—it's been one battle after another. Coming to the Pill Tower this time… can it really end well? Don't get yourself trapped, kid."
Within his spiritual world, Liu Xi's soul form was tempering the Soul Essence with a Heavenly Flame. Wisps of black energy emerged and burned away into nothingness.
Anything of unknown origin had to be purified first—if it was poison, burn it clean; if not, refine it pure.
The process was nearly complete.
(End of Chapter)
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