Chapter 296: A Reunion of Strangers, Hidden Truths
The Ancient Art of Artifacts was once one of the great schools of thought on the Dou Qi Continent, alongside the Ancient Arts of Formations, Seals, and Alchemy. These traditions flourished in an era when the Dou Qi Continent was still connected to the upper realms.
At its peak, the Ancient Art of Artifacts produced weapons so powerful that even Dou Emperors coveted them. When wielded by a Dou Emperor, these artifacts could unleash enough power to destroy an entire small world in an instant.
However, after the Great War against the Outer Demonic Beings during the ancient era, the Dou Qi Continent became severed from the upper realms. Most of these once mighty schools faded into obscurity.
Only the Ancient Art of Alchemy survived relatively intact. The others, including the Art of Formations and the Art of Seals, almost vanished entirely. Any remnants of these traditions were safeguarded by a few ancient clans or powerful factions that had inherited their knowledge.
The Ancient Art of Artifacts, which allowed users to manipulate real objects to change their size and shape at will, was once considered a basic technique. Now, even such an elementary ability was rare.
In modern times, only Dou Saints could crudely mimic such feats by relying on spatial forces, and even then, their methods were inflexible and clumsy. Weapons crafted in this way often left much to be desired.
So, when Xiao Yan saw the Soul Clan Holy Maiden summon a giant cauldron that could shift its size with ease, his expression turned grim.
The Holy Maiden's stunning face lit up with a faint smile. Her delicate hand gestured lightly, and the massive cauldron launched toward the beam of fiery light produced by Xiao Yan's Five Wheel Flame Array.
The combined power of five Heavenly Flames was overwhelming enough to make even a seven star Dou Venerate hesitate. But the Holy Maiden didn't retreat. If anything, she seemed exhilarated.
The enormous, multicolored flame cannon collided with the cauldron's opening, causing the surrounding space to crack under the immense energy. Dark fissures extended for hundreds of meters before the force dissipated.
The collision left the Holy Maiden slightly pale, her figure forced back several steps. Yet her eyes gleamed even brighter, as if her excitement had only grown.
"Impressive. Such potent energy your flames are truly remarkable," she murmured.
Xiao Yan's face darkened further. Despite the fire cannon's immense power, it had only caused the cauldron to tremble slightly and its glow to intensify. Clearly, this artifact could absorb and refine energy to strengthen itself.
A weapon of this caliber was nearly mythical in the modern Dou Qi Continent. Even among the Dou Saints of the Xiao Clan, few possessed such treasures.
"This isn't good," Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
Short of unleashing a five colored fire lotus, he doubted he could breach her defenses. But the fire lotus was too dangerous it drained his soul power completely and risked harming himself in the ensuing explosion. Unless there was no other choice, he wouldn't use it.
While Xiao Yan hesitated, the Holy Maiden wasn't idle. She snapped her fingers, and the cauldron shrank to the size of a fist, adhering to her back like a black gem.
The move left Xiao Yan puzzled but wary. The Ancient Art of Artifacts had long been forgotten, yet the Holy Maiden wielded it with alarming proficiency.
She snapped her fingers again, and 36 black spheres flew from her storage ring, attaching themselves to the iron chains trailing from her back. As the dark glow faded, Xiao Yan's eyes widened in disbelief.
The spheres transformed into cannon like structures about three meters long.
"You've unlocked the potential of Heavenly Flames like no one I've ever seen," she said with a smile, pointing at Xiao Yan.
"Let me show you their true power."
"Sky Cannons activate!"
With her command, the cannons glowed with multicolored energy, firing beams of flame toward Xiao Yan.
Though each beam wasn't as powerful as the one from his Five Wheel Flame Array, their sheer number 36 simultaneous blasts made them nearly impossible to dodge, even with Flowing Lightning Flash.
But it wasn't the raw power that unnerved Xiao Yan. It was the techniques and methods she used, reminiscent of something far beyond this world.
"You… who are you?" Xiao Yan growled, dodging the fiery onslaught.
The Holy Maiden laughed softly, her black wings propelling her through the air with incredible speed. Xiao Yan, struggling to evade the barrage, found himself steadily losing ground.
"Who am I?" she repeated, her tone dripping with mockery.
In mere moments, she closed the distance between them. Her flawless face was now inches from his, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.
"I am Soul Miao Miao, the Holy Maiden of the Soul Clan. And you, Xiao Clan brat, will not escape from me today."
Her delicate hand, now encased in black armor, struck toward Xiao Yan's chest. But just as the deadly strike connected, Xiao Yan shouted something that made her freeze.
"Parity changes, but invariance remains!"
The cryptic phrase stunned the Holy Maiden. Her hand slowed, the force of the strike dissipating just enough to avoid serious injury.
The blow still landed, but it lacked the killing intent from earlier.
The Holy Maiden's face, once filled with predatory glee, now showed a mix of confusion and doubt.
"Where… where did you learn that?" she demanded, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
Xiao Yan grinned, his mind racing. "So, my hunch was right. She's more than just a Soul Clan member."
Still reeling, the Holy Maiden's voice softened. "Answer me. Where did you hear those words?"
Xiao Yan smirked, blood trickling from his lips. "Maybe we're not as different as you think, Holy Maiden. Let's just say… we're old acquaintances from different worlds."
Her eyes narrowed, the flames of battle briefly giving way to the flicker of uncertainty.
With a single strike, Xiao Yan was sent flying like a cannonball for hundreds of meters, a faint trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. However, neither he nor the Soul Clan Holy Maiden seemed concerned about their injuries. Instead, their gazes locked, a mixture of tension and curiosity filling the air.
"What did you just say?" the Holy Maiden broke the silence, her chest heaving slightly. The motion accentuated her lithe and enticing figure, though it was clear her emotions were running high.
Compared to her, Xiao Yan wasn't in much better shape. His sharp eyes fixed on her, and he used the clearest enunciation he could muster to utter five deliberate words.
"Parity changes, invariance remains."
The Holy Maiden's body stiffened, her bright, beautiful eyes shimmering with a flicker of excitement. She opened her mouth and softly replied:
"Symbols tell the quadrant."
In that moment, the world seemed to fall silent. The battlefield grew still as if even the heavens were holding their breath. For a fleeting second, the animosity between the two vanished, replaced by a profound connection.
After a heartbeat of stillness, the Holy Maiden asked again, her tone probing:
"Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron?"
Xiao Yan's body trembled. Slowly, a meaningful smile crept across his face as he responded:
"Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon."
Hearing his answer, the hostility faded entirely from the Holy Maiden's expression. Her once sharp eyes softened, now radiating the warmth of familial familiarity. Xiao Yan's gaze mirrored hers, the tension in his features giving way to a shared understanding.
For what felt like half an incense stick's time, the two stared at each other in silence before suddenly breaking into laughter.
"Earth," the Holy Maiden said, her voice light and tinged with nostalgia.
"China," Xiao Yan replied, his smile wide and genuine.
In this fleeting moment, the identities of the Soul Clan Holy Maiden and the Scion of the Xiao Clan were irrelevant. All that remained were two kindred spirits, far from home, who had finally found someone like themselves.
After years of solitude in this strange land, both had stumbled upon a fellow traveler from their shared past.
"How did you end up in this world?"
"Me?" Xiao Yan chuckled as the two walked side by side through a vast sea of clouds. The sunlight bathed the clouds in a golden glow, painting the horizon with colors reminiscent of an immortal's realm.
"I was at home reading a web novel. I guess I fell asleep while reading, and when I woke up, here I was."
The Holy Maiden couldn't help but laugh, her clear voice blending seamlessly with the beauty of the golden clouds. "Reading novels transported you here? That's absurd!"
Xiao Yan shrugged, unbothered by her laughter. "What about you? How did you cross over?"
The Holy Maiden's laughter abruptly stopped, a faint blush spreading across her fair cheeks. Her voice grew hesitant as she admitted, "I think… I got food poisoning from eating wontons. I ended up in the emergency room, and when I woke up, I was already here."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression froze. A moment later, he burst into a series of mischievous "heh heh heh" chuckles.
"What's so funny?" the Holy Maiden snapped, her bright eyes glaring at him. However, her flustered demeanor betrayed her embarrassment. Compared to Xiao Yan's nonsensical journey, her arrival seemed downright ridiculous.
After a pause, Xiao Yan asked, "You must've had a pretty high level of education back on Earth, right?"
The Holy Maiden raised a brow, puzzled. "How could you tell?"
"Well," Xiao Yan began, "back in the Soul Hall branch on the Northwest Continent, I stumbled upon some firearms. Manufacturing those weapons on the Dou Qi Continent would've required someone with a strong technical background probably someone with an advanced education back on Earth."
The Holy Maiden nodded in realization, her tone casual as she replied, "I suppose. I had a Ph.D. back on Earth."
"What? You were a Ph.D.?!" Xiao Yan's jaw practically hit the floor.
No wonder she could create firearms in this world. She must've been an expert in weapons research before crossing over. In their past life, she would've been a national treasure!
The mood shifted, though, as the Holy Maiden's expression grew cold. Her earlier smile faded, replaced by a chilling aura. "So… the Soul Hall branch on the Northwest Continent you were the one who destroyed it?"
Her voice carried an edge of frost, and her eyes gleamed dangerously.
Xiao Yan didn't back down. Meeting her gaze, his own face turned solemn. "The Xiao Clan and the Soul Clan have been enemies for generations. Destroying the Soul Hall was inevitable for me. If we weren't both from Earth, one of us would've already fallen in battle."
The Holy Maiden fell silent. After a moment, she sighed softly. "The Soul Clan has been kind to me. I can't betray the people who've become my family in this world."
"And I can't betray my clan," Xiao Yan replied firmly.
The warmth of their earlier reunion was replaced by a tense silence, the weight of their respective allegiances hanging between them like a storm cloud.
Finally, the Holy Maiden broke the silence, her voice laced with melancholy. "I don't want to fight you. If I kill you… I'll be alone again."
Xiao Yan's lips curved into a sly smile. "Actually, I have a solution to avoid this conflict."
The Holy Maiden tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What solution?"
Xiao Yan grinned wickedly. "Simple. Marry into the Xiao Clan and bring the Soul Clan as your dowry. Most of the elders who had grudges with my clan are dead anyway. If the Soul Clan lets go of their hatred, we can put an end to this feud."
For a moment, the Holy Maiden stared at him in stunned silence. Then, her black iron chains floated ominously behind her, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Care to repeat that?"
Xiao Yan chuckled nervously. "Just kidding! Just kidding!"
The Holy Maiden huffed and retracted her chains, shooting him a glare before turning away. "If you truly want to avoid this feud, then grow stronger. When we both have the power to lead our clans, perhaps we can resolve this conflict ourselves."
A dark spatial portal appeared before her.
"I have other matters to attend to. If you're brave enough, come find me on the Southwest Continent. That is, if you're not afraid of being killed by the Soul Clan."
With that, she stepped into the portal and vanished.
Xiao Yan watched the portal close, his lips curling into a wry smile. "The Southwest Continent, huh?"
He suspected her sudden departure wasn't due to pressing matters but to avoid further discussion of their uneasy predicament.
Still, a devious thought sprouted in his mind.
"Old acquaintances or not, when it comes to survival… sometimes you just have to strike first."
Chuckling to himself, Xiao Yan turned and flew back toward the ruins of the Flame Valley.
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