Xiao Yan: What Do You Mean My Wild Ghost Master Found Me a Dou Wang Big Brother?

Yao Xuan's smile faded, and his expression abruptly turned solemn. He bowed slightly to Yao Lao before speaking in a deep voice:

"This junior traveled thousands of miles to find you because our experiences are alike and we share the same clan. I have come to ask Uncle Chen to join me in seeking justice someday!"

Yao Xuan knew that while Yao Lao now believed his identity,

it was precisely because of their shared Yao Clan identity that Yao Lao could not immediately trust him. What was more, Yao Lao had not only been expelled from the Yao Clan, but had later suffered Han Feng's betrayal!

It was easy to imagine how guarded Yao Lao was toward others. It would not be an exaggeration to say that even Xiao Yan probably had not yet earned Yao Lao's complete trust!

After all, in the original story, Yao Lao had initially treated Xiao Yan as both someone to use and someone to assess. When he first coaxed Xiao Yan into cultivating the Flame Mantra, his true purpose had been to revive himself!

Yao Lao knew that he was left with only a soul body. To reconstruct his physical body and truly revive, he would need at least three Heavenly Flames.

Yet by common understanding, every person could absorb only one Heavenly Flame. The Flame Mantra was Yao Lao's sole hope of revival!

After all, only the Flame Mantra could devour multiple Heavenly Flames and forge a perfect body!

But how could Yao Lao not know the dangers of the Flame Mantra? That was why he could not bear to let Han Feng, whom he had regarded as his own son, cultivate it, yet had coaxed Xiao Yan into learning it instead!

This alone showed just how deep Yao Lao's scheming had been from the very beginning.

Of course, Yao Xuan now had the power to directly suppress Yao Chen, seize the Flame Mantra from him, and obtain the Bone Chilling Flame as well.

But in Yao Xuan's view, that approach still carried some risk. Leaving aside whether someone as shrewd and calculating as Yao Lao might have tampered with the Flame Mantra,

Yao Chen's current alchemy attainments as a peak Eighth-Rank Alchemist were still of use to Yao Xuan!

Even if the Flame Mantra had not been tampered with and Yao Xuan obtained it easily, cultivating it would require him to disperse his cultivation.

Though he was currently a Dou Wang, Yao Xuan had no idea what realm he would fall to if he cultivated the Flame Mantra.

Yet although Yao Chen was now merely a soul body, if he used the Heaven Rank Dou Technique, Ghost Possession, he would be of great help to Yao Xuan after the latter dispersed his cultivation.

As an alchemist himself, Yao Xuan also knew that Yao Lao had personally placed a soul imprint upon the Bone Flame Ring.

A soul imprint from an expert at Spirit Realm Grand Perfection would not be easy to undo.

In short, Yao Xuan felt that forcibly taking it was not a good path.

So he chose the safer route instead, making Yao Chen willingly pass the Flame Mantra on to him.

However, seeing that Yao Lao remained silent for a long while, Yao Xuan looked at him and spoke solemnly again. "Uncle Chen..."

"Though I do not know what you went through to become what you are now, if you can trust this junior, then I will exhaust every means to help you restore your soul power and reconstruct your body..."

"I only ask that Uncle Chen help me increase my strength and reclaim the justice that belongs to us!"

Yao Xuan understood perfectly what Yao Chen desired most at present, which was why he spoke those words.

Sure enough, after hearing Yao Xuan, a glimmer appeared in Yao Chen's eyes. Still, he slowly said:

"By your account, Yao Wangu is now a genuine Dou Saint!"

"You are only a mere Dou Wang. How dare you speak of revenge?"

But Yao Xuan gave a cold smile. "I may indeed be unqualified to speak of revenge now, but who can say that I will not reach that level in the future?"

Hearing this, Yao Lao examined Yao Xuan once more, this fellow abandoned son of the Yao Clan, and a different thought arose in his heart:

Perhaps this boy is better suited to serve as a test subject for cultivating the Flame Mantra...

After silently sighing to himself, Yao Lao steadied his heart and slowly spoke.

"Yao Xuan..."

"You and I share the bond of common origins, and now we have Yao Wangu as a common enemy. It truly is fate..."

"To my shame, I am now not only a soul body that may dissipate at any moment, but I also awakened only after absorbing this little fellow's Dou Qi Stage for three years..."

Before Yao Lao could finish, Yao Xuan flicked his finger, and his Storage Ring flashed with spiritual light.

A translucent jade bottle slowly floated into the air.

It contained faint essence blood, from which an incomparably pure soul aura wafted. It was the bottle of essence blood Yao Ling had previously given Yao Xuan.

Yao Xuan then raised his hand and poured out a solid drop of crimson essence blood, holding it in his palm as he offered it to Yao Lao.

"Uncle Chen, I do not have any pills on hand that can restore soul power. However, this essence blood has the same effect. You may try it..."

Yao Lao's gaze sharpened. His centuries of experience allowed him to instantly see through the nature of the essence blood, and his pupils contracted slightly.

"This is essence blood capable of nourishing the soul?"

Yao Xuan nodded. After a brief hesitation, Yao Lao opened his mouth and swallowed the essence blood with his ethereal soul form.

In an instant, a pure force surged through his soul body, and Yao Lao's previously dim soul suddenly trembled.

His listlessness rapidly faded, his wavering soul body became increasingly solid, and the spiritual radiance around him brightened considerably. The origin power he had depleted over many years was genuinely replenished...

Feeling his soul condition improve, Yao Lao was moved.

For after consuming the essence blood, Yao Lao fully realized that it could not only restore soul power, but also aid breakthroughs in one's soul realm!

Such a rare treasure would be treasured as life itself by ordinary people, yet Yao Xuan had given it to him without hesitation.

From this, it seemed that this clansman of common origin might truly be able to help him take another step toward revival!

Yao Lao looked at Yao Xuan. There was less distant coldness in his tone now, and more sincerity.

"You truly have courage, to be willing to take out such a treasure to help me."

Yao Xuan smiled faintly and withdrew the jade bottle.

"Helping Uncle Chen stabilize his soul body is a win-win matter for me..."

Yao Lao stroked his beard before speaking in a deep voice. "Perhaps I truly have a way to help you gain the strength to avenge yourself upon Yao Wangu!"

"However, the process will be somewhat painful. Are you willing to give it a try? If it succeeds, both of us may avenge our great hatred. But if it fails, I fear you will suffer the destruction of both body and soul..."

Upon hearing this, Yao Xuan understood that Yao Lao was considering teaching him the Flame Mantra. He immediately nodded heavily.

"No matter the process, so long as there is hope, this junior is willing to try!"

Yao Lao nodded approvingly, then looked toward Xiao Yan at his side and slowly spoke.

"This little fellow has done me a favor. I accepted him as my disciple, and I must repay that debt..."

Hearing this, Yao Xuan also turned his gaze toward Xiao Yan. "Uncle Chen's disciple is my brother as well..."

Xiao Yan snapped back to his senses upon hearing this, and could not help muttering inwardly:

What does that mean?

I was merely at the end of my rope and took a wild ghost as my master. Now I've somehow gained a Dou Wang big brother who's a Sixth-Rank Alchemist?