Yao Chen looked at the new body before him. From the outside, it looked exactly as he had before his death.
Moreover, this body's strength was far more terrifying than his own had been in life.
At his peak before dying, Yao Chen had only been a Nine-Star Dou Zun, but this body was stronger than he had ever been.
After merging with this Dou Sheng body and returning to life, his cultivation would probably advance rather than decline.
Yao Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. Then his soul entered the new body, beginning the process of refining and merging with it.
The merging process went so smoothly that it exceeded even Yao Chen's expectations.
After all, achieving perfect compatibility with a body that was not originally his required a great deal of time spent refining and assimilating it.
That assimilation process could take anywhere from half a year to several years.
Yet the new body Xiao Xuan had refined was actually one hundred percent compatible with Yao Chen. He merged with it at a speed even he found unimaginable.
All he could say was that Xiao Xuan's refining methods were terrifyingly powerful, allowing him to create something so perfectly suited to him.
With such a fine body, Yao Chen naturally merged with it quickly.
In less than half a day, Yao Chen had completely refined the new body and successfully returned to life.
After his resurrection, Yao Chen opened his eyes. Looking at his restored physical form, he felt as though he had been dreaming.
And now, he had awakened.
Overcome with excitement, Yao Chen knelt directly before Xiao Xuan.
"Senior Xiao Xuan, this immense kindness makes you a parent who has given me life anew. I, Yao Chen, will spill my blood and brains for Lord Xiao Xuan and the Xiao Clan!"
Xiao Xuan looked at Yao Chen, thoroughly satisfied with his attitude.
Wasn't Yao Chen's loyalty precisely what he had done all this for?
The loyalty of an eighth-tier alchemist was very important to the Xiao Clan in its current state.
Xiao Xuan pulled him to his feet and said, "You're too courteous, Venerable Yao. I wasn't helping you for nothing. This was an exchange of benefits to begin with. Don't forget what you promised me earlier. After your resurrection, you would help refine pills for my Xiao Clan and restore it to its former glory."
"Oh, I almost forgot. I shouldn't keep calling you Venerable Yao now. I ought to call you-Saint Yao!"
After merging with the Two-Star Dou Saint body Xiao Xuan had refined, Yao Chen's cultivation had advanced as well.
Although he had not likewise reached the Two-Star Dou Saint level, he had stepped into the ranks of One-Star Dou Saints.
Yao Chen was now a genuine Dou Sheng.
Thus, he was fully worthy of the title Saint Yao.
Yao Chen said, "It was all thanks to your help, Lord Xiao Xuan. Otherwise, how could I have advanced to the Dou Sheng level so quickly?"
Yao Chen's words were indeed true.
Had he relied entirely on his own cultivation, never mind becoming a Dou Sheng-who knew how many years it would have taken him even to break through from Nine-Star Dou Zun to Half-Saint?
Stepping straight into the Dou Sheng level was something Yao Chen would never have dared imagine even in his dreams.
Clinging to Xiao Xuan's thigh this time had been well worth it.
He had thought his treacherous disciple Han Feng's collusion with the Hun Clan to betray his master and defile his lineage had been a calamity. Yet he had unexpectedly found fortune in misfortune and broken through to Dou Sheng.
For a moment, Yao Chen truly did not know whether he ought to hate Han Feng or "thank" him.
Just then, Yao Chen seemed to remember something and asked Xiao Xuan a question.
"By the way, Senior Xiao Xuan, I saw you controlling three kinds of heavenly flames earlier. Could it be that you can suppress three heavenly flames?"
Yao Chen was genuinely curious.
He himself possessed a heavenly flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking and known as the bone spirit cold flame.
Precisely because he possessed one, he knew how terrifying these heavenly flames were.
The bone spirit cold flame alone had already made Yao Chen endure untold suffering.
Yao Chen did not even dare imagine how frightening it must be for Xiao Xuan to suppress three heavenly flames.
Xiao Xuan said, "That's right. I do indeed possess three kinds of heavenly flames. One is the red lotus karmic fire, ranked eighth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Another is the three thousand burning flame, ranked ninth, and the last is the yin-yang twin flames, ranked twenty-first. I forcibly suppress these three heavenly flames and put them to use."
Yao Chen said admiringly, "Lord Xiao Xuan, your cultivation truly rivals the powers of creation."
Xiao Xuan said, "What powers of creation? I'm merely suppressing them by force. The energy of these three heavenly flames is volatile, and they are truly difficult to control."
Xiao Xuan spoke frankly.
These three heavenly flames were useful, but their drawback was that they could not be tamed. That gave Xiao Xuan quite a headache as well.
At this mention, Yao Chen suddenly seemed to think of something and said, "Lord Xiao Xuan, I have something that might be able to help you."
Xiao Xuan looked at Yao Chen. "Hmm?"
Then Yao Chen took out an old cultivation manual that appeared entirely unremarkable.
He said, "Senior, this cultivation method is called the Flame Mantra. I obtained it by chance in my younger years while exploring a secret realm with an old friend.
"The Flame Mantra records a method for bringing the heavenly flames of the world under one's control. It claims to be able to tame heavenly flames. Today, I offer this cultivation method to you, Lord Xiao Xuan. It may be of some use to you."
The Flame Mantra was the very reason Yao Chen and Han Feng had turned against each other.
Yao Chen would never have handed the Flame Mantra over to an ordinary person, but Xiao Xuan had given him life anew. In the face of such immense kindness, what else could Yao Chen say?
He took out the Flame Mantra without hesitation.
As Xiao Xuan listened to Yao Chen, even his eyes revealed shock.
The Flame Mantra?
It could tame heavenly flames? And it could even tame every heavenly flame in the world?
Such a miraculous cultivation method actually existed in this world?
Xiao Xuan took the Flame Mantra in his hands.
At this point, Yao Chen said, "However, Lord Xiao Xuan, although this cultivation method is miraculous, it has a drawback. To practice it, one must never have cultivated Dou Qi before. In other words, one must begin practicing this method from the very start."
Yao Chen also explained the cultivation method's flaw.
In truth, he had not handed over the Flame Mantra for Xiao Xuan to practice, but merely for him to use as a reference.
Perhaps Xiao Xuan could gain some inspiration from the Flame Mantra and improve the cultivation method.
Listening to Yao Chen's words, Xiao Xuan nodded.
Sure enough, nothing in this world came that easily. Anything powerful demanded a price.
The Flame Mantra required one to cultivate from scratch, and practicing it involved absorbing heavenly flames, making it extraordinarily dangerous. Its drawbacks were considerable.
Just as Xiao Xuan was about to put the Flame Mantra away and take it out for reference when he had time later.
A system notification sounded in his ears at that very moment.
"Ding! Detected that the host refined a body for Yao Chen, helped the eighth-tier alchemist Yao Chen return to life, and obtained the Flame Mantra! Rewards received: [Advanced Flame Mantra (version requiring no destruction of one's cultivation)], [Dou Di Points +2000]!"
Hearing the system notification ringing in his ears.
Xiao Xuan was overjoyed.
The Advanced Flame Mantra?
No need to destroy my own cultivation?
It could even do that!
Xiao Xuan had been about to put away the rather underwhelming Flame Mantra and read it as a reference book later. He had never expected the system to deliver such a massive windfall, directly fixing the cultivation method's flaw.
In other words, Xiao Xuan could now practice the Flame Mantra directly!
Wasn't he about to soar now?
Before you continue