Night lay black as ink over the Xiao Clan's inner residence.
Twelve-year-old Han Li, now Xiao Yan, held a heavy hammer aloft as he stared warily at the ring his mother had left behind.
In his previous life in the cultivation world, he, too, had once been an innocent, carefree boy without a scheming bone in his body.
Yet one careless misstep had let Doctor Mo plot against him, nearly costing him his body!
After that, he had encountered countless more crises in the cultivation world!
Only by keeping a low profile and exercising enough caution had he escaped calamity after calamity!
He had thought such caution and discretion would keep him safe, but never imagined that transmigration would be another tribulation awaiting him!
His new identity was Xiao Yan, the newborn son of Xiao Zhan, a clan leader in Wutan City on the Dou Qi Continent!
For twelve years, the new Xiao Yan had stayed true to his original principles, treading carefully at every turn. Fortunately, he had encountered no danger.
Until, at twelve years old, the ring his mother had left him inexplicably began sucking away his Dou Qi!
Holding the hammer, Xiao Yan thought:
Luckily, I'm a transmigrator with a foundation in cultivation. My soul is far stronger than an ordinary person's, which is the only reason I discovered that this ring was the culprit stealing my Dou Qi!
Something this sinister is far too dangerous to keep around, even if Mother left it to me! Better to destroy it!
With that, he raised the hammer in his hand, ready to bring it crashing down!
"Ah!"
A long sigh sounded out of thin air.
An illusory figure suddenly appeared before Xiao Yan.
The figure was an old man with white hair and a white beard.
At the sight of this phantom old man, who was clearly a soul, Xiao Yan's vigilance instantly rose to its peak!
In his previous life at the Seven Mysteries Sect, he had been deceived by Doctor Mo, who had looked much the same!
Now that he had encountered another white-bearded old man in soul form, he felt not the slightest goodwill toward him!
"Who are you? Why are you hiding in the ring my mother left me?"
The old man was none other than Yao Lao!
Looking at Xiao Yan, Yao Lao smiled gently. "There's no need to worry, young friend. I'm not a bad person."
Xiao Yan gave a derisive laugh.
"What decent person hides in someone else's ring without a word and secretly steals their Dou Qi?"
Embarrassment immediately crossed Yao Lao's face. After a few dry coughs, he said:
"Young friend, I truly am not a bad person. I simply fell on hard times and had no choice but to take shelter in this ring.
"As for absorbing your Dou Qi, ahem, that was indeed my fault. I apologize to you."
Though he was apologizing, Yao Lao's eyes shone as he looked at Xiao Yan.
He was a mighty Dou Zun. Even as a remnant soul, his secret absorption of Dou Qi should never have been something a child could detect!
Yet Xiao Yan had noticed something amiss immediately!
That could only mean this child's soul was far stronger than an ordinary person's!
He then probed the attributes of the boy's Dou Qi.
Fire and wood!
Combined with his naturally powerful soul, this boy was an outstanding prospect for an alchemist!
Yao Lao was instantly tempted!
The most suitable thing for restoring his damaged soul was the Dou Qi of a fellow alchemist.
With this boy's talent, he could take on a disciple while healing his injuries, killing two birds with one stone!
What a heaven-sent blessing!
Because he had cultivated in his previous life, Xiao Yan's soul in this life was several times stronger than that of the original story's Xiao Yan, who had transmigrated as an ordinary person!
For that same reason, his cultivation aptitude in this life was also far, far greater than the original Xiao Yan's!
At only twelve years old, he had already cultivated to the strength of a Six-Star Dou Zhe!
Among the people Xiao Yan currently knew, his talent could be called heaven-defying!
But despite that heaven-defying talent, Xiao Yan remained cautious and inconspicuous.
The strength he displayed to others was merely the unremarkable Third Stage of Dou Qi!
Seeing Yao Lao's satisfied expression and shining eyes as he studied him, Xiao Yan immediately felt those unpleasant memories stir.
Has this old fellow taken a fancy to my gifted body? Does he want to possess me, just like Doctor Mo?
His gaze turned cold, and Xiao Yan hesitated no longer. To hell with opportunities or whatever else this might be. My own safety comes first!
The next instant, Xiao Yan lifted the hammer high and swung it viciously at the ring!
"Ah! Why do this, young friend? Can't we coexist peacefully?"
To his astonishment, Xiao Yan discovered that the iron hammer he had swung with all his strength would not descend, no matter what he did!
Yao Lao's illusory figure grew a little fainter.
His remnant soul had very little strength left. Every bit he used was a bit gone!
Seeing that he had stopped Xiao Yan, Yao Lao breathed a sigh of relief. Unwilling to waste more soul power, he withdrew the restraint, intending to have a proper talk with him.
But the moment the soul-power restraint loosened, Xiao Yan swung the hammer down again without the slightest hesitation!
Yao Lao hurriedly restrained Xiao Yan once more with his soul power.
Looking at Xiao Yan, frozen stiff with his hammer raised high, Yao Lao gave a bitter smile.
"Look, young friend, I only want to coexist peacefully with you. Surely you don't need to wipe me out so ruthlessly?"
His body rigid, Xiao Yan sneered. "Coexist peacefully? Heh, and somewhere along the way, you take over my body, right? Let me tell you, I know this routine inside out. I won't fall for it!"
Yao Lao froze at his words, then laughed despite himself.
"Possess you? Heh, young friend, I am the Venerable Yao. Throughout my life, I have always acted openly and honorably. Even if it meant dying, I would never commit such a vile act as possessing another!
"You may rest assured!"
He wouldn't possess me?
A remnant soul standing before a perfect body, capable of taking it, yet refusing out of morality?
Does he take me for a three-year-old? Am I that easy to fool?
Seeing Xiao Yan's disbelieving face and unabated killing intent, the smile on Yao Lao's face slowly faded.
Why is this boy so guarded?
He doesn't behave like a twelve-year-old child at all!
Yao Lao sighed, knowing that ordinary assurances would no longer work.
"It seems you won't believe this old man unless I show you.
"Very well. I'll expend a little soul power!"
As his words fell, a terrifying pressure flooded the entire room like a torrent bursting through a dam.
Even the air grew unbearably thick.
The next instant, Xiao Yan found himself inside his own sea of consciousness.
Looking up, Xiao Yan was shocked to discover a figure towering between heaven and earth before him!
It was Yao Lao!
Within the sea of consciousness, Yao Lao stood as majestic as Pangu, looking down gently at Xiao Yan.
"Little fellow, do you see? If I wanted to possess you, I could annihilate your soul right now.
"But I act openly and honorably, and disdain such things.
"So, do you believe me now? I won't possess you. I only want to coexist peacefully with you."
The pressure vanished as swiftly as it had come.
When that suffocating oppression disappeared, Xiao Yan drew a sudden, deep breath. Cold sweat had already soaked his clothes.
He slumped to the floor, his chest heaving.
Yao Lao's phantom floated quietly before him, watching him with a gentle smile.
Once his terror subsided, Xiao Yan said respectfully, "Senior, I believe you."
Yet after Xiao Yan said this, Yao Lao gave a bitter smile.
"Young friend, within the sea of consciousness, you may still conceal your thoughts, but you cannot conceal the reactions of your soul form.
"Your soul form plainly shows that you still don't believe me. Why insist on saying that you do?"
Xiao Yan immediately felt a little embarrassed.
I didn't fool him?
Indeed, his plan had been to avoid trusting the old man rashly, then find a chance afterward to throw the ring far, far away.
After some thought, Xiao Yan said gravely, "Old sir, the human heart is treacherous. Right now, you are strong and I am weak. If I trust you lightly, I'd be a fool treating my own life as a joke!
"There is almost no solution to this! Unless..."
Yao Lao could not help asking, "Unless what?"
Xiao Yan said, "Unless you also hand over something that lets me threaten your life. Only with mutual restraint might I trust you a little."
Yao Lao thought for a moment before finally sighing. "Living under someone else's roof while also being able to threaten the host... in such circumstances, earning trust is indeed difficult.
"Very well. I'll pay a small price."
As he spoke, a ball of flame floated out of Yao Lao's hand.
"This is a portion of my soul origin. I'll give it to you.
"If I harbor any intention of possessing you, you can destroy it immediately.
"Though that won't kill me, my soul form will suffer a grievous injury and become far weaker than you. Naturally, I would no longer be able to possess you.
"With this, can you trust me, young friend?"
With the cultivation experience of his previous life, Xiao Yan had his own understanding of souls.
He accepted the ball of soul flame and confirmed that it truly was Yao Lao's soul origin, and that he could indeed destroy it with a thought to severely injure him.
Now that the other party had demonstrated his sincerity to such an extent, Xiao Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Old sir, since things have reached this point, I can trust you for the time being."
At his words, Yao Lao sighed deeply. "Ah, if I'd been as cautious as you back then, how could I have ended up in my present state?
"But, young friend, even in death, this old man wishes only to remain an open and honorable person.
"Let time reveal our hearts. In the days to come, you'll slowly learn what sort of person this old man is."
Before you continue