Yao Lao's Curiosity and Shock

As night deepened, the Xiao Family residence remained brightly lit, filled with the joy and bustle of surviving catastrophe and being renewed. Yet in Xiao Chen's room, which had been put back into use and protected by a simple spatial restriction, the atmosphere was especially solemn.

Xiao Chen and Xiao Yan sat facing each other, with the ancient black ring resting quietly on the table between them.

"Teacher," Xiao Yan called softly.

A dim glow flickered over the ring, and an elderly, somewhat illusory figure slowly emerged—it was Yao Lao. His soul body seemed slightly more solid than before, clearly nourished by the pure Dou Qi Xiao Chen had given him earlier, though the weakness of his unhealed severe injuries was still apparent.

After appearing, Yao Lao first gave Xiao Chen a complicated look before cupping his hands in thanks. "Young Friend Xiao Chen, thank you once again for coming to our aid. You not only saved Xiao Yan, but also eased the decline of this old man's soul body."

Xiao Chen hurriedly rose and returned the gesture, his manner humble. "Please do not stand on ceremony, Elder Yao. You have shown Brother Yan a kindness beyond rebirth. I should be thanking you on behalf of the Xiao Family. Please just call me Xiao Chen."

The appreciation in Yao Lao's eyes deepened. Though immensely powerful, he was neither arrogant nor impetuous; he respected his elders and valued proper conduct. This young man's temperament truly was extraordinary. Yao Lao stopped with the formalities, nodded, and had his phantom sit beside the table—though it was merely symbolic.

"Xiao Chen, you said before... that you had a way to help this old man recover?" Yao Lao ultimately could not suppress the question that concerned him most. Soul injuries were extremely difficult to heal, especially damage as severe as his. Ordinary medicinal pills, even seventh-grade ones, had limited effect.

Xiao Yan also held his breath, watching his brother nervously.

Xiao Chen smiled faintly rather than answering directly. "Elder Yao, with your vast knowledge, what method do you think is the most reliable and effective for repairing a soul?"

Yao Lao pondered for a moment. "Naturally, high-grade medicinal pills. Peak seventh-grade pills, or even eighth-grade pills, such as the 'Soul Infant Pill' and 'Soul Condensing Saliva,' have miraculous effects in repairing souls. But not only are the ingredients for such pills difficult to find, they are also exceedingly difficult to refine. No one but an Eighth-grade Alchemist Grandmaster can accomplish it. The next option would be rare treasures of heaven and earth, such as Spirit Nurturing Dust or the Soul Infant Fruit itself. But such things can only be encountered by chance."

There was a trace of helplessness in his voice. Whether eighth-grade pills or those rare treasures of heaven and earth, both were impossibly far out of reach for him now that he was left with only a remnant soul.

Xiao Chen nodded. "Elder Yao is right. Eighth-grade pills and treasures of heaven and earth are indeed the proper path." Then he changed the subject. "However, apart from those, there is another method that may stabilize and even strengthen the origin of your soul body more quickly, laying a solid foundation for your complete recovery in the future."

"Oh?" Yao Lao's soul body trembled slightly, a sharp gleam bursting from his eyes. "What method?"

Even Xiao Yan pricked up his ears.

Xiao Chen extended a finger. At its tip, an exceedingly tiny flame quietly rose. It was Chaos-Colored Flame, as though it contained the primordial aura of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth.

The moment the flame appeared, the room did not grow hotter. Instead, space twisted slightly, and a fluctuation that made one's soul tremble spread through the air.

"This is...?!" Yao Lao abruptly rose from his "seat," his illusory body fluctuating violently and revealing the extreme turmoil in his heart. He stared fixedly at that strand of Chaos-Colored Flame, his voice trembling slightly. "A Heavenly Flame?! No... no, that's not right! This feeling... it isn't a single Heavenly Flame, but... a newborn flame formed from the fusion of several Heavenly Flame origins?! How is that possible?!"

Yao Lao's voice was filled with disbelief. As an alchemist grandmaster, he had studied Heavenly Flames deeply and knew that they repelled one another. Attempting to forcibly fuse them would almost certainly result in death! Yet although the flame at Xiao Chen's fingertip was weak, its essence was so exalted and the energy within it so pure and vast that he even felt it surpassed several of the known higher-ranked Heavenly Flames!

Xiao Yan was equally dumbstruck. He possessed the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame—though he had not completely devoured the latter, he was already familiar with its aura—so his perception of Heavenly Flames was even sharper. The flame in his brother's hand made both Heavenly Flames within him convey an emotion akin to "reverence"!

With a flick of his finger, Xiao Chen made the Chaos-Colored Flame vanish. He explained calmly, "Elder Yao has sharp eyes. This flame is called the Chaos Flame. By a fortunate coincidence, I fused the origins of several Heavenly Flames to create it. It contains a trace of the creative energy from the Beginning of Heaven and Earth, granting it an extraordinary effect in nourishing souls and stabilizing origins—far beyond ordinary energy."

He looked at Yao Lao. "I can periodically use the origin aura of this flame to nurture your soul body. It cannot restore you completely at once, but it will be enough to halt the dissipation of your Soul Origin and gradually make it more solid and powerful. By then, not only will you be able to exert greater strength to assist Brother Yan, but when you find a suitable body for resurrection in the future, the chances of success will greatly increase. You may even turn misfortune into fortune, with greater potential than before."

Upon hearing this, Yao Lao's soul body trembled faintly with excitement. He could tell that Xiao Chen was not speaking empty words. The aura of that Chaos Flame could not be faked! For him, this was nothing less than finding life in a desperate situation!

"Chaos Flame... the fusion of several Heavenly Flames..." Yao Lao muttered to himself. The way he looked at Xiao Chen had completely changed. His initial appreciation and gratitude had been joined by indescribable shock, and even... a trace of reverence. The secrets this young man carried were likely far more astonishing than he had imagined!

"Xiao Chen... no, young friend," Yao Lao said solemnly after taking a deep breath—though a soul body had no need to do so, it was simply habit—"if you can truly do this, Yao Chen will never forget this kindness for all eternity!"

Xiao Chen smiled. "You overstate it, Senior. Time is of the essence. Shall we begin the first nurturing session now? Brother Yan, stand Guardian at the side. Do not let anyone disturb us."

Xiao Yan nodded heavily and immediately set up soul-sense alerts around the room.

Xiao Chen signaled for Yao Lao to relax his soul body. Then, forming an arcane hand seal with both hands, he summoned that strand of Chaos-Colored Flame once more. This time, however, it did not appear at his fingertip, but hovered above Yao Lao's head.

The flame slowly rotated, scattering wisps of hazy Chaos-Colored aura that seeped into Yao Lao's illusory soul body like Sweet Rain.

Yao Lao shuddered from head to toe. A warm, vast power filled with boundless vitality surged into the depths of his soul. His Soul Origin, once covered in cracks like shattered porcelain, began to mend at a visible speed under the nourishment of that power. His weakness rapidly faded, while a long-lost sense of "solidity" and "vitality" returned!

He closed his eyes and absorbed the hard-won nourishment with all his strength.

Xiao Chen focused completely, controlling the output of the Chaos Flame with utmost care, as if he were carving an unparalleled work of art.

Watching from the side, Xiao Yan saw his teacher's soul body becoming more solid at a visible rate. At last, a radiant smile of relief appeared on his face.

His brother's return had not only held up the sky for their family, but also brought hope of new life to the teacher most important to him.