It was finally happening... Hearing that sigh, Ning Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, making it impossible to read his expression.
As the words faded, the black ring slipped off Xiao Yan's finger of its own accord and floated in midair. A moment later, amid swirling white mist, an old, translucent figure emerged from within it.
Yao Chen's expression was incredibly complicated. He studied the inscrutable young man before him, whose expression remained calm. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered himself as much as he could and bowed solemnly to Ning Chen.
"Your junior, Yao Chen, pays his respects to Senior. May I ask where Senior comes from, and how you know of this lingering remnant of my soul? Now that you've summoned me, I hope Senior will be magnanimous."
"Whether I offended Senior through my own ignorance in the past is of no consequence. I alone will bear the consequences. Young friend Xiao Yan and the Xiao Clan here have nothing to do with this matter. I implore Senior not to involve them."
"Mr. Ning, you... You knew all along that this old man was the reason my Dou Qi was fading?! And you knew him already?!"
Xiao Yan stared at the scene before him in shock.
Even a fool would have understood by now. From the very first time Ning Chen had seen him, he'd known that this old man was behind the loss of his Dou Qi!
He even knew this old man's identity!
Ning Chen ignored Xiao Yan's questions. Looking at Yao Chen, who had bowed to him, he held his expression firmly in check, doing his best not to laugh.
"Rise."
Ning Chen waved a hand casually, his tone as calm as ever, betraying no hint of his feelings.
"I have traveled far and wide, and have never had much interest in the power struggles among the sects and factions of Zhongzhou. Still, I've heard of Starfall Pavilion. I also know a little of your past reputation, Yao Chen."
He paused, then continued. "I summoned you today on a whim. I wanted to hear what happened to a former master alchemist like you, that you ended up in such a state. If I truly had ill intentions..."
Ning Chen's voice remained even, yet Yao Chen's soul felt a faint chill.
"You wouldn't have lived long enough to speak."
"Senior is right." Yao Chen nodded in agreement.
Just as Ning Chen had said, if he wanted Yao Chen dead, he wouldn't have waited until today. In Yao Chen's current condition, he had no means of resisting.
To address him so casually as "little fellow" and know the situation in Zhongzhou so well... Could he be some hidden Dou Sheng Expert?
Yao Chen's mind raced as he secretly tried to guess Ning Chen's identity.
As for the other man's apparent three-star Da Dou Shi cultivation?
Don't make Venerable Yao laugh. Would a mere three-star Da Dou Shi dare call a dignified Nine Revolutions Dou Zun "little fellow"? If he did, would his entire clan be wiped out?
"Senior sees all. My meager abilities and wretched circumstances are truly not worth mentioning."
Yao Chen smiled bitterly, then cautiously asked, "May I ask whether Senior summoned me today for anything besides asking about my past? Though my remnant soul is weak, I still have some knowledge of alchemy and might be able to offer a little help."
Xiao Yan, standing nearby, was swept up in a storm of emotions. He was shocked by the old man's once-glorious identity, but even more astonished by Ning Chen's transcendent bearing, as if he looked down on all living beings.
Unable to hold back, he interjected, his voice tinged with grievance and resentment. "Mr. Ning, since you knew all along that he was absorbing my Dou Qi, why didn't you tell me sooner? Do you know what I've been through these past few years..."
"What difference would it have made if I'd told you?" Ning Chen glanced at Xiao Yan, cutting off his complaint.
"With the strength and state of mind you had back then, what else could you have done besides throw the ring away? Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. If you hadn't endured those years of humiliation, would you have met Pavilion Master Yao?"
Xiao Yan was left speechless. Thinking it over, he had to admit there was some truth to it.
Everyone understood the idea of suffering first and enjoying the rewards later, but nobody could guarantee that the suffering wouldn't last a lifetime.
Suffering first didn't guarantee happiness later, but sweetness at the start was sure to stay sweet.
Seeing this, Yao Chen hurriedly gave Xiao Yan an apologetic, complicated look, then turned respectfully toward Ning Chen.
"Senior is right to reprimand him. I owe young friend Xiao Yan a great deal. I had already intended to take him as my disciple. If he is willing, I will do everything in my power to train him."
Ning Chen nodded slightly. As long as the broad strokes of the story remained unchanged, that was all that mattered.
He stopped beating around the bush and got to the point. "I wouldn't call it a favor. I sought you out today to ask you about something."
His gaze grew a little more profound. "When I traveled through the Chu Yun Empire, I happened upon a young woman whose Woeful Poison Body had awakened. You must be familiar with this constitution."
Yao Chen's soul trembled slightly, and the words escaped him.
"The Woeful Poison Body?!"
A look of understanding and solemnity flashed across his face. As a former master alchemist, he knew how terrifying this constitution was and how tragic its end could be.
If anyone other than Ning Chen had said this, Yao Chen would have advised him to stay far away from the Woeful Poison Body. If that person had bad intentions, he might even have urged him to eliminate the danger once and for all.
But if the person asking was possibly a Dou Sheng... Yao Chen could only say, "As you wish."
"Indeed." Ning Chen nodded.
"From what I saw, she has a kind heart and is no great evildoer. It's a pity to see her suffer under this constitution."
"I've heard that you possess a method for using a Heavenly Flame as its foundation, along with specific materials, to form a 'Poison Pill' for the Woeful Poison Body and control its backlash?"
Yao Chen grew even more suspicious.
The method for controlling the Woeful Poison Body should be known to no one but me. How could he know about it?!
"Senior is well-informed." Yao Chen didn't dare hide anything and answered truthfully.
"In my early years, I did happen to study the Woeful Poison Body, and I worked out a theory for forming a Poison Pill to balance its toxins."
"But this method remained only a theory. It requires three Heavenly Flames to lead the process, and the materials are extremely difficult to obtain. The process is also perilous. I've never put it into practice..."
"The theory will suffice." Ning Chen waved a hand dismissively. "I need that method. In exchange..."
He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over Yao Chen and Xiao Yan, who was listening intently. Then he continued calmly.
"I can promise that if you or your disciple face a life-or-death crisis in the future, and I happen to be there, I'll intervene once to help. This promise applies only when your life, Yao Chen, or your disciple Xiao Yan's life is at stake."
A promise of help from someone who was likely a Dou Sheng!
Yao Chen's soul rippled violently. The value of this promise was immense, not to mention for someone as weak as he was now, surrounded by powerful enemies.
Even at the height of his strength as a Peak Dou Zun, this promise would have been priceless!
Yao Chen barely hesitated before bowing deeply once more.
"Senior, I'm deeply grateful for your kindness! I'll explain the Poison Pill Method in full, including the deductions behind it and all the required materials!"
This Senior's strength was unfathomable, yet he was willing to go to such lengths for a Woeful Poison Body girl he'd met by chance. Perhaps he wasn't as cold and heartless as he seemed.
Forming a good relationship with him might be an immeasurable boon for my future—and Xiao Yan's as well! Yao Chen thought to himself.
Xiao Yan listened, utterly captivated. A promise of help from a mysterious powerhouse! It was like having an extra lifeline!
As for Yao Chen's earlier offer to take him as a disciple, though he was furious that Yao Chen had absorbed his Dou Qi, Xiao Yan hadn't let anger cloud his judgment.
A master alchemist from Zhongzhou, renowned even there—being taken in as his disciple was worth enduring a few years of humiliation. It wasn't a bad deal.
Ning Chen was quite pleased by Yao Chen's readiness. He nodded slightly.
"Very well. Set the method down on a jade slip. As for the materials, I'll keep an eye out for them."
Before you continue