Electrolux's voice held a hint of amusement.
"Besides, even if I hadn't stepped in, you could have run to a safe distance before the explosion.
"You would've been fine, wouldn't you?"
Jiang Ci'an didn't argue, but remained firm. "All the same, I should thank you, senior."
Electrolux shook his head gently, his smile deepening.
"You don't need to test me like this."
He looked at Jiang Ci'an, his gaze deep and searching.
"Young friend... you know who I am, don't you?"
"..."
Jiang Ci'an fell silent for a moment.
Had he... just given himself away?
Was this what you'd expect from Electrolux, the man who had single-handedly toppled the entire golden age of the Throne of Seal world?
He sighed inwardly, made no attempt to deny it, and nodded.
"I do."
Straightforward and to the point, without any unnecessary explanation.
Electrolux gave a slight nod, as if he'd expected that answer all along, then pressed further.
"Did you also use high temperatures to stimulate the Gold of Life and release its life energy in order to draw me out?"
"That's right."
Jiang Ci'an was just as direct.
Electrolux looked at him with a hint of appreciation.
"That must have been difficult for you."
He had sensed no malice from the boy. And the fact that the boy had dared to do this despite knowing the value of the Gold of Life was enough to earn his respect.
As for the boy knowing who he was, that was no great matter. After his death, his complete soul had scattered into countless fragments. Perhaps the child had encountered one of them and learned a few things about him.
There was no need to dwell on it.
Besides...
Electrolux mused silently.
Deep in the boy's heart, he sensed a trace of hatred, buried so far down that it felt strangely familiar.
It wasn't fierce or ostentatious, but it was real—just as his own had once been.
Since their paths had crossed, he felt he ought to guide the boy properly, lest he go down an extreme path.
Electrolux slowly raised his hand, and the Gold of Life, sealed within golden chains, floated before Jiang Ci'an.
The Gold of Life still largely retained the shape of a carving knife. Its edges had softened slightly, and its surface was somewhat deformed, all marks left by the scorching heat.
Yet its life force remained abundant. Emerald light shone through the gaps in the golden chains, carrying a warmth that soothed the mind.
Electrolux gazed at the Gold of Life in his palm and spoke slowly.
"The Gold of Life is life force in a highly refined, solid state. Its quality is exceptional. I'm sure you know that much.
"Although the high temperature released what seemed like a considerable amount of life energy, that was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the life energy contained in this piece of Gold of Life. And the energy released wasn't particularly high in quality.
"I absorbed that energy and temporarily stabilized my remnant soul. But it isn't enough to stabilize it completely.
"So I'm going to use this piece of Gold of Life to open your Eye of Life. Afterward, I'll reside within it. What do you think?"
Jiang Ci'an barely hesitated.
"Sure."
Electrolux nodded slightly, then asked, "In that case, since there's no time to lose, shall we begin now?"
Jiang Ci'an was about to nod, but then something occurred to him, and he paused.
"Could we wait a little before we start?"
Electrolux looked at Jiang Ci'an questioningly.
"I should go home first, so my family doesn't worry," Jiang Ci'an explained.
He always made sure to have contingency plans, including plans for what to do if something happened to him.
He was fine now, of course, and those plans were unnecessary. But he should still get back as soon as possible, so his childhood sweetheart wouldn't worry herself sick. Otherwise, things could get troublesome...
Electrolux studied Jiang Ci'an for a moment, a little surprised. Then he nodded, his voice carrying a hint of approval.
"Of course."
A short while later, in the rear courtyard of Ping'an Pharmacy in Shrek City.
The air in Jiang Ci'an's room suddenly rippled. A gray doorway appeared out of thin air and silently swung open, revealing the deep darkness beyond.
The next moment, Jiang Ci'an stepped out of the darkness.
He looked around his room, then turned to watch the doorway slowly close behind him and dissolve into specks of gray light.
Jiang Ci'an looked away, feeling a little amazed.
Spatial abilities were incredibly useful.
Using the Undead Demi-plane as a transit point, he could open a doorway straight to his room. A journey that had taken an hour by carriage now took only a few seconds.
He'd been there in the blink of an eye.
It was such a convenient ability. He really wanted to learn it.
Hmm... when he needed to obtain his third or fourth Soul Ring, he could try hunting a Soul Beast with spatial attributes.
As for how his "World Modulation Mode" Martial Soul would alter a spatial Soul Ring...
That was something to look forward to.
Jiang Ci'an gathered his thoughts, opened the door, and prepared to see where Xiao Xiao was.
Then he stopped.
On the spacious training ground, two small figures stood facing off.
No, perhaps "facing off" wasn't quite right.
Xiao Xiao stood on the ground, holding one Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron at her side with one hand. Two more Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldrons hovered over her head, their bodies shimmering with faint black Soul Power. At a glance, they looked impressively heavy.
With her other hand, she pointed at the sky. Her little face was taut, and her emerald eyes brimmed with defiance as she called out in a clear, ringing voice.
"If you've got the guts, come down here!"
In midair, Wang Dong'er unfurled a pair of brilliant butterfly wings from her back. Golden patterns rippled across them, refracting into a rainbow of colors.
She hovered in the air, her wings beating gently as she warily looked down at Xiao Xiao and retorted just as defiantly.
"If you've got the guts, come up here!"
"Come down!"
"Come up!"
"..."
They kept trading one challenge after another, neither willing to back down an inch.
Jiang Ci'an watched the scene in silence for a long while.
Then he closed the door.
He stared at the redwood door in front of him, paused, took a deep breath, and opened it again.
On the training ground, Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er were still facing off.
"Come down!"
"Come up!"
Jiang Ci'an's brows twitched. He fell into a deep silence.
Had the Sun Furnace roasted him so badly that he'd lost his mind and started hallucinating? Why was he seeing Xiao Xiao and Wang Dong'er fighting?
The sight was so absurd that Jiang Ci'an was momentarily dazed.
In the distance, Xiao Xiao was puffing out her cheeks and glaring up at Wang Dong'er. Her peripheral vision caught the figure standing by the doorway.
Xiao Xiao's eyes instantly lit up. She tossed the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron in her hand aside. The defiance vanished from her little face, replaced by delighted surprise.
"Ci'an!"
Her clear voice brought Jiang Ci'an back to his senses.
Seeing Xiao Xiao's smile, Jiang Ci'an smiled too, though with a hint of helplessness.
All right.
Confirmed. It wasn't a hallucination.
Before you continue