Chapter 19: Yao Chen
At this moment, not far from the Xiao Clan, Hun Changqing had already purchased a property here-a simple attic that did not look out of the ordinary on the surface.
However, the basement of the attic had already been remodeled by Hun Changqing into an underground secret room.
Relying on the magic cores and magical beast materials harvested from the Soul Clan trials, using some superficial array methods from the Supreme Yin True Explanation, Hun Changqing had set up a simple perception-shielding array within the secret room.
Although simple, as long as Hun Changqing did not blow up this entire secret room, no matter what kind of commotion occurred inside, experts below the Six-Star Dou Zong need not even dream of perceiving a single thing.
In the secret room, Hun Changqing looked at the array he had set up and nodded in satisfaction.
Then he took out the storage ring obtained from Xiao Yan, sensed the not-weak soul within the storage ring, and with a chuckle, Hun Changqing spoke up.
"Still planning to hide? Do I need to invite you out?"
As soon as Hun Changqing's voice fell, the storage ring flashed with a white light, and a soul form drifted out from the storage ring.
The soul form's eyes stared fixedly at Hun Changqing, an engraved-in-the-bones and etched-in-the-heart hatred welling up in its eyes as it said through clenched teeth.
"Soul Palace! You are from the Soul Palace!"
Hun Changqing was currently wearing the uniform of the Soul Palace, and his body also emanated an incomparably Yin and chilling aura, making people instantly associate him with the Soul Palace.
Hun Changqing was currently sitting cross-legged in front of the soul form, supporting his chin with the palm of his only remaining arm, and said with a playful expression.
"Oh? You know the Soul Palace? Then judging by your appearance, I probably haven't found the wrong person. You should be that Yao Chen, Venerable Yao, who was jointly suppressed and slain decades ago by Old Man Mu Gu and the current Medicine Emperor, yet escaped in the state of a soul, right?"
"Humph, you lot who are neither human nor ghost, I never expected that after hiding for so many years, I would still be found by you.
Kill me, it is impossible for me to join the Soul Palace, nor is it possible to tell you that cultivation technique, you can give up on this vain hope, hahahaha!"
Yao Chen seemed to know that falling into the hands of a person from the Soul Palace would definitely not lead to any good end, and was somewhat past caring.
Without waiting for Hun Changqing to say anything, he directly cut off any further discussion, then laughed wildly, the entire person looking somewhat crazed.
It was as if he wanted to vent out all the hatred toward the Soul Palace accumulated over decades and the bitterness of dodging and hiding in a soul state for decades completely before his impending death.
"Oh? Did you misunderstand something? It seems I never said I wanted you to join the Soul Palace, nor did I want the cultivation technique you all fought over back then.
Although I am quite curious as to what cultivation technique could make you people fight over it to this extent, my own cultivation technique is not weak either, so I have not reached the point of coveting your cultivation technique. Besides, why are you so certain that I am a person from the Soul Palace?"
Hun Changqing did not pay attention to Yao Chen's crazed words, but instead continued calmly.
"Humph! What kind of tricks are you Soul Palace wretches trying to play again? You are wearing the clothes of the Soul Palace, and you have that gloomy and evil aura on your body-do you still dare say you are not a person from the Soul Palace?"
Perhaps the madness from just now had vented some of the depression that had built up in his heart for many years, or perhaps it was because he had not communicated with anyone for many years.
At this moment, Yao Chen calmed down and began to converse with Hun Changqing, wanting to see what kind of tricks the Soul Palace wanted to play this time.
Anyway, the worst-case scenario was simply death, something he had seen through long ago.
Looking at the calmed-down Yao Chen, Hun Changqing raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Oh? Have you calmed down? I am indeed a person from the Soul Palace, or rather, I used to be a person from the Soul Palace.
I once inadvertently learned about the matters between you and Old Man Mu Gu, and I have also inquired about you-Yao Chen, a person exiled by the Yao Clan, who came to the Central Plains and joined the Pill Tower, relying on an extremely superb pill-refining skill and peak Dou Zun strength.
People called you Venerable Yao. Am I right?"
"Humph!"
Hearing Hun Changqing praise him, Yao Chen did not give him any pleasant expression either.
However, a trace of complacent expression still involuntarily appeared in Yao Chen's eyes.
After all, he was still exceptionally proud of his achievements during his lifetime!
Seeing Yao Chen like this, Hun Changqing did not mind and continued to speak.
"Later on, you obtained a mysterious cultivation technique scroll within a secret realm, but Old Man Mu Gu of the Soul Palace somehow learned of this news and contacted your former disciple, the current Medicine Emperor Han Feng.
They shattered your physical body. At the point of death, you relied on the astonishing soul of an alchemist to break free from the shackles, successfully escaping in a soul state. For these past decades, no one has known where you fled to."
"Humph, that damned... Then how did you know I was here?"
Hearing Hun Changqing's words, Yao Chen thought of a person, and astonishing killing intent surfaced in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and stated his own confusion.
"Hehe, don't rush, hear me out."
Hun Changqing did not immediately answer Yao Chen's question, but instead gave him a chuckle and continued.
"At the time, I only felt a slight interest in this matter, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I merely researched your information; after all, it had nothing to do with me.
Many people in the Central Plains were looking for you and couldn't find you, so naturally I didn't have that capability either, and this matter was put aside by me.
Until some time ago, when I accidentally obtained some precious medicinal herbs in a secret realm, only to be discovered by a descendant of a Dou Sheng Expert from the Soul Palace who wanted to seize them. Naturally, I was unwilling, yet he turned and fled. I thought the matter had passed just like that.
Unexpectedly, upon leaving the secret realm, he suddenly launched a sneak attack and heavily injured me. If not for the fact that I have some skills, I would have already died in that sneak attack.
After exiting the secret realm, he still pursued me relentlessly and issued an order to hunt me down. With no other choice, I had to travel far away to the Central Plains and come to this small city in the Northwest Continent, only barely recovering from my injuries a few days ago.
I originally intended to cultivate in secret, and wait until I had sufficient strength to slaughter my way back to the Central Plains, annihilating that Soul Palace, but I never expected that in this small city, I would hear a piece of news."
After finishing, Hun Changqing even shook his empty left sleeve to prove his statement.
Meanwhile, Yao Chen listened with rapt attention, and upon hearing Hun Feng's words, his mind flashed with inspiration.
"You heard the news about that Xiao Yan?"
"Correct! I heard a story about a former genius who, for a certain period of time, could no longer gather Dou Qi, his entire body's Dou Qi also slowly fading away. Countless people came to examine him but simply could not find the cause, and in the end, he became a good-for-nothing.
When I heard this story, I was greatly curious-how could someone's Dou Qi regress and become unable to be absorbed for no reason?
Although examples of this are not few in the Central Plains, there is always a cause. Every effect has a cause, so I guessed that there must be some secret on this Xiao Yan.
I went to the Xiao Clan to investigate, and when I saw the soul power sensed from the ring on his chest, I had some conjectures in my mind, faintly feeling that that ring might have some connection with the Venerable Yao who escaped decades ago.
And since I had suspicions in my heart, and no one in this small city could stop me from doing as I pleased.
Therefore, I made a move to bring this ring back to verify my conjecture. The facts proved that I guessed correctly, didn't I?"