"We will do the trade!"
Between Yao Chen and the Bone Chilling Flame, there was no real comparison.
Even though Xiao Yan's heart twisted with reluctance, his decision was already made. For all his attachment to the Heavenly Flame, his teacher's life weighed heavier. Without the Soul Infant Fruit, Yao Chen's soul would dissipate completely, and everything they had fought for would be lost.
"Xiao Yan…" Yao Chen's aged, translucent face filled with pain as he looked toward the heavens and sighed heavily.
"Teacher," Xiao Yan said solemnly, "your existence means far more to me than any flame."
He pressed a hand to the center of his brow. As his Spiritual Power surged, a faintly pale flame emerged from his forehead, cold and ghostly, spreading waves of chilling air through the room.
Lowering his head to hide the hatred flickering in his eyes, Xiao Yan's voice remained calm—barely.
"The Bone Chilling Flame is here. Shouldn't Master Liu now show us the Soul Infant Fruit? We'd like to confirm it's real."
Liu Xi smiled faintly. The Bone Chilling Flame—ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. The moment he had first encountered it, he'd coveted it deeply. And now, it was finally within reach.
He sat back down and waved his hand. A simple wooden box materialized out of thin air, landing on the table with a soft thud.
Flipping it open, a gentle medicinal fragrance spread instantly, purifying the mind and sending a soothing sensation through the soul—so pure and tranquil it made one's very essence tremble in bliss.
Pa!
The sound of the box being closed jolted both Xiao Yan and Yao Chen out of their trance. Heat flared in their eyes—greed, awe, and desperate yearning.
Liu Xi's lips curled as he glanced between the two.
"You've seen the Soul Infant Fruit. Now, remove the soul imprint on the Heavenly Flame, or things will become… troublesome for me."
At his words, Xiao Yan looked at Yao Chen. The Medicine Sovereign's expression was unreadable. Without another word, he brought his hands together and formed a hand seal.
"Disperse."
A faint sound like glass shattering echoed. The Bone Chilling Flame trembled in Xiao Yan's palm, flaring brighter and purer.
Liu Xi's eyes narrowed. The ambient energy of heaven and earth was beginning to swirl—drawn toward the icy white flame as it started to revive its dormant core. The flame's origin was awakening.
Meanwhile, Yao Chen's spirit form wavered violently, becoming even more transparent. Dispelling the soul imprint had torn into his already fragile essence—it was like pouring salt into an open wound.
He was little more than a flicker of smoke now, swaying as if a breeze might scatter him entirely.
"The imprint is gone," Xiao Yan said darkly, his hand trembling slightly as he held the Bone Chilling Flame. "Now give us the Soul Infant Fruit."
Liu Xi waved his hand. The wooden box, wrapped in Dou Qi, floated across the air toward Xiao Yan. He caught it reflexively, his heart tightening with disbelief.
When he looked up, Liu Xi was watching him with half-lidded eyes—his aura vast and suffocating, like a mountain pressing down from above. Beside him, Qing Lin stood silently, the faint shadow of a nine-headed serpent coiling behind her. The killing intent and cold allure mingling in her aura were terrifying.
Xiao Yan's chest tightened. He understood clearly—if he tried anything, he'd never leave this hall alive.
He let out a slow breath, gazing at the pale flame one last time. Then, bowing deeply to Yao Chen, he said, "Teacher… forgive me."
"Go," Yao Chen replied calmly, though his thoughts whispered otherwise. 'What we've lost, I'll reclaim for you one day.'
His figure blurred, then dissipated back into the Bone Flame Ring. Dispelling the imprint had cost him too much strength—he couldn't hold on for long.
Xiao Yan tucked the wooden box away and strode toward the door. Each step he took carried more killing intent than the last, rage simmering under his calm expression.
When he finally vanished from sight, Qing Lin stepped forward, her eyes glinting coldly. "Young Master, should I kill him? With the hatred in his heart, he'll definitely seek revenge."
Liu Xi shook his head lightly. "No. That man is a walking disaster magnet. Anyone who kills him will only invite endless trouble. Let the Hall of Souls deal with him. We'll simply watch from the sidelines."
He rose and approached the flickering Bone Chilling Flame. Reaching out, he closed his fingers around it.
Boom!
The previously calm flame erupted violently, surging upward in a storm of chilling energy. Though it was fire, the freezing aura pierced into Liu Xi's hand like blades of ice.
'Soul Dominion.'
Liu Xi's gaze remained steady as his Spiritual Power rippled outward. The flame trembled, its rampage subsiding instantly under his suppression.
Dealing with Heavenly Flames was his specialty.
A smile crept across his lips. The Bone Chilling Flame was finally his—another step toward gathering all twenty-two Heavenly Flames.
Still, it carried traces of Yao Chen and Xiao Yan's soul imprints. He would need to refine it carefully before it could be absorbed.
And he couldn't delay strengthening his Soul Essence any longer. The Hall of Souls had already revealed its fangs; the Hun Clan wouldn't be far behind.
The battles to come would only grow fiercer—and Liu Xi needed power strong enough to stand above them all.
He closed his fist, drawing the subdued Bone Chilling Flame into his body and sealing it within his Dou Qi Sea, letting his energy refine away the lingering marks.
"Congratulations, Young Master."
Qing Lin smiled softly, her Jade Snake Three-Flower Pupils fading away as she lowered her aura.
"You've done well too, Qing Lin," Liu Xi said, his tone approving. "That's why everything went so smoothly this time. Now, find a place for me to seclude myself. It's time to digest these gains."
—
Meanwhile, outside the Ye Clan manor, Xiao Yan walked back to his residence within the Pill Tower compound, his heart a storm of conflict.
Without the Heavenly Flame, his strength had plummeted sharply. Even the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change could now only be performed using beast flames as substitutes.
Yao Chen's ethereal form emerged slowly from the Bone Flame Ring, his expression weary but calm. Xiao Yan lifted the wooden box and opened it carefully.
A wave of refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the room. Inside lay a smooth, verdant fruit that shimmered faintly with soul light—the Soul Infant Fruit.
"Teacher… what should we do next?"
As the aroma spread, Yao Chen's ghostly form grew faintly denser, his rigid face relaxing a little. It truly was a Soul Infant Fruit of extraordinary age and purity.
"Give it to me," Yao Chen said softly. "Guard the door, and let no one enter until I'm done."
"Xiao Yan, don't be discouraged. You still have me. Once I recover, with my alchemy alone, we'll gather allies again—and rise once more."
Xiao Yan nodded firmly. Having his teacher back meant having hope. Against the Hall of Souls, they would still have a fighting chance.
"Yes, Teacher. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."
He stepped outside, closing the door behind him.
Inside, Yao Chen's expression turned grim. He didn't start refining immediately. Instead, he let out a long sigh.
Even if he restored his Soul Essence to its peak, without a physical body, it would be meaningless.
Now, with their Heavenly Flame gone, his revival method was shattered. Asking Liu Xi for help again? Impossible.
A cold snort escaped him. "Hmph! He used a Soul Infant Fruit to take the Bone Chilling Flame—if I revived through him, wouldn't that make me his debtor for life?"
He clenched his spectral hand, eyes glinting with resolve.
"If nothing else works… I'll have to use Xuan Kongzi's Spirit Puppet Technique."
"But first… the Soul Infant Fruit."
(End of Chapter)
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