Venerable Tianhuo
Huo Yuhao fell silent. His vast divine sense instantly condensed into an invisible giant hand, which precisely probed deep into the bones and grabbed them!
"Oh dear! Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Have mercy! I was just joking! Just joking!" A panicked, somewhat comical, old voice immediately rang out.
A white-haired, simple-minded old man, formed from the Soul Power, was forcibly pulled out of the skeleton by Huo Yuhao's giant divine hand!
He struggled wildly, but under Huo Yuhao's absolute divine suppression, he was unable to break free at all.
Huo Yuhao's face revealed a half-smile, "Oh? Just a joke?"
The white-haired old man nodded vigorously, forcing a "sincere" smile, "Of course! Of course! I just wanted to show a little of my strength so I could negotiate a deal with you!"
He straightened his chest, trying to regain some of his composure. "I am Yao Tianhuo, and I am honored by the kindness of my friends in the Dao, who sometimes call me Heavenly Fire Venerable."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, his tone humble and polite. "Junior Huo Yuhao greets Senior Tian Huo!"
However, the giant divine hand binding the soul of Heavenly Fire Venerable remained completely still, showing no sign of loosening its grip.
"I wonder why you perished here, senior?" Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the jade skeleton, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
The illusory face of Heavenly Fire Venerable was immediately filled with the sorrow of unbearable memories. He sighed deeply, "Alas! It's a long story. I was unlucky enough to obtain a Fallen Heart Flame back then. After refining it, I felt my strength had greatly increased, so I became somewhat—cough cough, complacent and arrogant, and barged in without knowing my own limitations—" He paused, as if recalling painful memories.
Huo Yuhao chimed in at the opportune moment. "So, you died here?"
Heavenly Fire Venerable choked for a moment, his beard bristling. He hurriedly waved his hands, "No, no, no! How could it be so easy! Who am I! It was my insatiable greed that led me to attempt to refine and fuse this second Fallen Heart Flame as well! And the result—"
His voice lowered, tinged with regret. "The two Heavenly Flame Origin, severely injuring me and greatly diminishing my strength—"
Heavenly Fire Venerable seemed lost in his "glorious" past, completely forgetting his status as a prisoner. His tone gradually became more impassioned. "----Misfortunes never come singly! Just when I was severely injured, I was ambushed by several Peak Dou Zun level Flame Lizardmen! Although I was seriously injured, I am not someone to be trifled with! I fought them in the depths of this magma for three days and three nights!"
"The battle raged so fiercely that the sky darkened and lava surged back—" He became more and more excited as he spoke, a red glow appearing on his illusory face, as if he had returned to the battlefield of yesteryear.
The Guardian Mirror clutched its stomach, unable to suppress a laugh, "That old monkey, he's really good at bragging!"
Heavenly Fire Venerable, spittle flying, waved his hand triumphantly. "In the end! I risked my life, using a peerless Dou Technique to fight them to a standstill! I successfully repelled the powerful enemy!"
The Guardian Mirror's laughter grew louder, even echoing in Huo Yuhao's mental world.
"After that, I dragged my crippled body to this secluded space, set up a restriction to hide myself, and waited for the destined person to come to me—" He stroked his illusory beard, with an expression that said, "I am very brave."
Huo Yuhao nodded expressionlessly. "Hmm, and then?"
"And then?" Heavenly Fire Venerable's impassioned expression froze instantly, as if doused with a bucket of cold water, and he suddenly remembered his predicament. His slumped shoulders slumped, and his voice became utterly dejected again. "And then—and that's it! I thought that after years of hardship, I had finally found the destined person who could take me away from this hellhole—but—but—"
He stole a glance at Huo Yuhao's excessively youthful face, and then sensed the incredibly powerful divine sense within him. Overwhelmed with grief, his voice choked with sobs. "It turns out he's a Dou Zun! Waaaaah----"
As he spoke, he actually squeezed his illusory eyes hard, and two enormous "tears" formed from pure Soul Power shone brightly within the halo, as if afraid that Huo Yuhao would not be able to see his appearance.
Huo Yuhao didn't explain Heavenly Fire Venerable's misunderstanding about being a "Dou Zun expert," and went straight to the point. "Senior, how do you intend to conduct the transaction?"
Within the spiritual realm, the Guardian Mirror abruptly froze, its voice filled with utter astonishment. "Young Huo, what are you up to?! This old monkey is like meat on a chopping board, utterly powerless to resist! Why are you wasting your energy on him?"
Huo Yuhao's mind calmly responded, "After all, it's a Soul Origin is damaged—" He paused, a barely perceptible glint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.
"Before the teacher is resurrected, it's a good time to do some experiments and practice."
Outside, Heavenly Fire Venerable was taken aback by Huo Yuhao's question, and a fawning smile immediately appeared on his illusory face, "Well—your Soul Power is so vast and powerful, and you also possess Heavenly Flames— "
He cautiously glanced at the Ice Flame Phoenix perched on Huo Yuhao's shoulder, tilting its little head to examine him. The extreme chill contained in the icy blue flames made his soul tremble, and he racked his brains but still couldn't figure out what kind of Heavenly Flames it was.
"Does Your Excellency have any way to help me repair this damaged Soul Origin? I will certainly repay you handsomely!"
Huo Yuhao's lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Repairing the soul? Of course, there's a way. So, what does Senior intend to offer in exchange?"
Upon hearing this, Heavenly Fire Venerable subconsciously glanced at the Fallen Heart Flame embryo in Huo Yuhao's palm, and a bitter ripple rose in his heart.
He had just secretly tried to regain control of the Heavenly Flames that originally belonged to him, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea; he couldn't even establish the slightest connection!
He gritted his teeth and said, "I—I possess a trump card fire-controlling Dou Technique called the <Five-Ring Flame Separation Technique>! This technique is incredibly profound; if one can cultivate it to its peak, its power will be comparable to a Heaven Grade Dou Technique!"
This was the most valuable bargaining chip he could offer at the moment. However, Huo Yuhao simply shook his head, his tone completely calm. "Fire control Dou Technique? They don't hold much appeal for me."
"Ah?!" Heavenly Fire Venerable was completely stunned. His illusory figure swayed, as if he were about to lose his balance.
Just then, Huo Yuhao changed the subject. "How about this? Not only do I have a way to repair your Soul Origin, senior, but I can even—help you reshape your physical body and truly resurrect."
"What?! Resurrected?!" The Heavenly Fire Venerable's illusory pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and his soul body fluctuated violently, as if it might dissipate at any moment!
His voice became shrill with extreme shock and ecstasy. "Really?! What are your conditions? Whatever the conditions, as long as I can do it, I will do my utmost!"