Word Count: 3,201 Words
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"This is..."
Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock as he looked down at his body. The yellow-colored Mysterious Yellow Flame coiled around him, but what surprised him was how different it felt from an ordinary Heavenly Flame. Rather than appearing as typical fire, it wrapped around him like blood qi, taking on a gaseous form.
'Heaven is mysterious, Earth is yellow... Could this Mysterious Yellow Flame bring… luck? Is this the flame of the human race?' Xiao Yan's expression was filled with doubt as he pondered the possibility.
His speculation was not without reason. When he had refined the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, he discovered it was the Heavenly Flame of magical beasts, a flame of life and propagation that could enhance their bloodlines, temper their bodies, and bring endless vitality to any region where it dwelled.
The Magic Beast Mountain Range had once boasted the most diverse population of magical beasts in the entire Jia Ma Empire, even throughout the North-Western Region. To this day, it remained the sacred mountain range of the Snake-People Tribe, with their new holy city built within its boundaries.
Magical beasts were not alone in possessing their own flames. Plants had them as well.
The Life Spirit Flame, ranked fifth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!
That green, liquid-like flame would swell in the wind, spreading into a sea of verdant fire. Layers of mist would rise from it, and within that mist, countless medicinal herbs would sprout and grow, emanating an aura of life that moved all who witnessed it.
The Life Spirit Flame was the flame of plants, capable of being born anywhere vegetation existed. Even an ordinary roadside weed could potentially harbor it. Legend claimed that when this Heavenly Flame spread, one needed only to cast medicinal seeds into it for those seeds to rapidly germinate and flourish.
In essence, possessing such a flame meant never having to worry about finding medicinal ingredients again. With enough seeds, one could obtain an endless supply of whatever herbs they desired. It was truly miraculous.
And this Mysterious Yellow Flame appeared to be humanity's flame. Perhaps it should even be called the Human Emperor Flame!
Even on the Blue Planet where Xiao Yan had once lived, he had heard of concepts like the three declines and six prosperities, feng shui, and altering one's fate through dragon veins.
Profound indeed!
"This really is... mystical," Xiao Yan murmured as he sensed the yellow, qi-like flames of the Mysterious Yellow Flame coiling around his body like threads of fortune itself.
Though this mysterious yellow qi could not aid him in combat, he knew it must serve some greater purpose!
Fortune was an ethereal, intangible concept, but if the Mysterious Yellow Flame could truly enhance his luck, he would laugh with joy even in his dreams!
'What a treasure... But why wasn't this recorded in the Heavenly Flame Ranking? Could it be that refining the Mysterious Yellow Flame requires gaining its recognition? And must the refiner be human?'
Xiao Yan was momentarily speechless. He recalled speaking a few words of acknowledgment to the flame just before refining it. Surely that could not be the reason, right?
What are you, a child? Needing someone's approval before you'll cooperate?!
Then again, it made a certain kind of sense. The Mysterious Yellow Flame was incredibly weak. If not for Xiao Yan's extensive experience with Heavenly Flames and his knowledge of their mystical properties, even a Dou Emperor would look down on it based on temperature and power alone, feeling it didn't deserve the title of Heavenly Flame!
'It seems I do have some luck after all.' Xiao Yan gazed at the yellow flame coiling around him like a dragon. It would not be an exaggeration to say he looked as if he were about to ascend a throne, clad in an emperor's robes.
He licked his lips and began circulating the Flame Mantra to refine pills, curious to see if this newfound fortune would bring any pleasant surprises.
The following days passed in a leisurely manner. Xiao Yan spent his time refining pills and cultivating. After obtaining the Mysterious Yellow Flame, he entered another state of enlightenment. Though less dramatic than his breakthrough during the Pill Gathering, where he had refined a First Start Pill in a single day, it still enhanced both his alchemy speed and quality.
Of course, there was also the matter of childcare. With their mother in closed-door cultivation, he could not leave everything to Qing Lin. As their father, he needed to spend quality time with his children.
Happy days always passed quickly, and the Hall of Souls' ceremonial gathering soon approached. Xiao Yan had hoped to wait for Cai Lin to emerge from her seclusion, but time ran out.
He made his way to a stone chamber within the Magic Beast Mountain Range. The place thrived with vitality, making it a perfect spot for a magical beast's cultivation, and it was here that Cai Lin conducted her training.
Without disturbing her, Xiao Yan leaned against the stone chamber and closed his eyes to rest. A peaceful smile crossed his face as if he had fallen asleep.
Inside, Cai Lin seemed to sense his presence. Her cold, serious expression gradually softened. Though a door separated them, it felt as if they were embracing, each able to feel the other's presence.
Time passed unmeasured until the Soul Command Token in Xiao Yan's storage ring emitted a faint glow. His eyes opened slowly as he stood up.
"Be careful."
Cai Lin's cool voice drifted through the stone door. Though her tone was chilly, the concern within it warmed his heart.
"Don't worry."
Xiao Yan opened a Wormhole with a wave of his hand. A single step carried him a thousand miles, instantly transporting him to Misty Cloud Mountain.
The moment he landed, his eyes narrowed and his expression sharpened. He retrieved the Soul Robe from his storage ring and donned it, pulling the hood over his head as a strange light flickered in his eyes.
It was time—the Hall of Souls' ceremonial gathering!
This was no ordinary meeting. The Hall of Souls held this ceremony once every decade. On this day, all invited and meritorious Dou Venerates from across the Dou Qi Continent would gather. Additionally, Protectors who had performed exceptional deeds would also receive invitations and, as a special honor, be granted the title of Honorable Elder.
It was only because Hun Huzi had personally selected him as an alchemist—making him not entirely subordinate to the Hall Chief—that Xiao Yan had been directly promoted to Honorable Elder. Hun Huzi had also personally overseen the activation of his Soul Command Token.
Throughout the entire Hall of Souls, at least currently, only the Hall Chief had cultivated the Emperor Soul Technique, which was required to activate Soul Command Tokens.
This ceremony also served as an awards ceremony. Based on contributions to the Hall of Souls, members could elevate their status and obtain special items.
Life-saving soul jades, for instance. Nearly every Tianzun possessed such protective treasures, making them extremely difficult to kill. Behind each Tianzun often stood an even more powerful existence.
Beyond that, Xiao Yan had heard that the Hall of Souls refined the soul bodies collected from across the continent into something called soul essence.
The soul was the foundation of all living beings. All things in the world possessed souls, and deep within each soul was nurtured a trace of soul essence. This was the foundation that allowed souls to be born, and could be considered one of the purest forms of mystical energy in this world.
This essential power could be extracted from soul bodies to enhance one's Spiritual Strength. The Spirit Nourishment Powder that Venerable Tian Huo had once discovered operated on a similar principle.
The Hall of Souls, however, collected soul bodies specifically to extract this essence on a massive scale.
Soul essence could elevate a person's Spiritual Strength from the Soul State to the Heavenly State! And across the entire Dou Qi Continent, only the Hall of Souls—or rather, the Hun Clan—possessed the means to extract it!
Xiao Yan stepped into the Space Lock with a soft hum.
"We pay our respects to Yan Tianzun!"
A thunderous sound echoed as rows upon rows of black-robed Hall of Souls envoys dropped to one knee in perfect unison, their heads lowered in reverence.
At the forefront of this dark mass stood over a dozen Protectors in their distinctive robes, bowing deeply. These were all the Protectors and Soul Envoys belonging to Xiao Yan's branch of the Hall of Souls.
Three figures stood at the very front. Besides Xiao Li and Venerable Tian Huo, there was Venerable Qing Hai!
Since the battle at Ice River Valley, Venerable Qing Hai had abandoned all resistance. Opposing Xiao Yan was now unthinkable; given Xiao Yan's current status, Qing Hai could only be considered a subordinate.
This time, he also qualified to visit the Hall of Souls' Heaven Hall.
Although Venerable Tian Huo possessed sufficient strength, he lacked the official status of a Hall of Souls Honorable Elder and thus could not participate.
"Rise."
"Thank you, Tianzun!"
Xiao Yan approached Venerable Tian Huo and spoke in a low voice, "Elder Yao, I'll have to trouble you to watch over the Yan Alliance while I'm away."
"Rest assured, this old man won't let the Yan Alliance suffer the slightest harm." Venerable Tian Huo nodded firmly. He now served as the Yan Alliance's hidden trump card, protecting their headquarters while remaining inactive under normal circumstances.
Xiao Li stepped forward and embraced Xiao Yan tightly, patting his back with force. "Third Brother, you must be extremely careful."
"Don't worry, Second Brother. I will."
After releasing the embrace, Xiao Yan nodded to Venerable Qing Hai, who immediately began to lead the way.
Compared to Xiao Yan, Venerable Qing Hai was a veteran of the Hall of Souls and naturally more familiar with its workings. He had received an invitation to the ceremony ten years prior, which was when he had become an Honorable Elder and received a Soul Command Token from the Hall Chief.
"Yan Tianzun, this way please," Venerable Qing Hai said, lowering his head respectfully, well aware of his position.
The Tian Gang Hall consisted of three divisions: Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Man Hall lay deep within the Burial Mountain Range, at the junction of the Central Plains' southwestern region, and was managed by the Nine Great Tianzun.
Only those who reached the level of the Nine Great Tianzun could know the location of the Earth Hall.
But Xiao Yan's destination was not the Earth Hall. He was heading to the main hall of the Hall of Souls: the Heaven Hall!
As for the Heaven Hall's location, perhaps only the highest echelons of the Hun Clan knew. Entry required a Soul Offering Altar to open a Soul Path, but the passage did not lead to a fixed location. Only those with invited Soul Command Tokens could be guided to the Heaven Hall.
Rumor claimed it existed within the ethereal Hun Realm, but Xiao Yan could not verify this. He would probably have to ask Hun Huzi.
They soon arrived at the Soul Offering Altar. Every branch of the Hall of Souls possessed such an altar, used not only to imprison soul bodies but also to open the Soul Path.
Xiao Yan and Venerable Qing Hai each produced their Soul Command Tokens. With a hum, both tokens emitted spiritual fluctuations, though Xiao Yan's were noticeably stronger.
Boom! Boom!
The entire hall trembled. A thick black fog surged from the Soul Offering Altar, writhing and coalescing until a dark passage materialized. This was not Xiao Yan's first time seeing a Soul Path; he had encountered several at the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop and had entered them multiple times.
Their Soul Command Tokens shot into the passage with a swoosh. Shortly after, they transformed into small black boats floating on the Soul Path.
Of course, calling them coffins wouldn't be wrong either, given their square shape.
"Yan Tianzun, the journey to the Heaven Hall will take some time. This Soul Path also serves as an excellent place for soul cultivation. You can sit on your Soul Command Token and cultivate," Venerable Qing Hai explained, immediately sharing his experience. During his first journey, he had only learned this halfway through, wasting precious time.
The Soul Path contained substantial soul power.
"Oh? Excellent." Xiao Yan smiled. His Spiritual Strength was just shy of the late Soul State. Perhaps this journey would provide the final push he needed for his breakthrough.
They each jumped onto their respective tokens and sat cross-legged, beginning their soul cultivation as the black boats proceeded automatically along the path.
As the Great Single Soul Skill circulated, strands of soul light—slightly larger than usual—surged into the space between his eyebrows. Venerable Qing Hai had spoken truly. The Soul Light Clusters here were both stronger and more numerous, making it ideal for cultivation.
Seven days passed in an instant before a mass of black fog appeared at the end of the Soul Path.
"Yan Tianzun, we have arrived," Venerable Qing Hai reminded him.
Xiao Yan opened his eyes slowly. Even though his Spiritual Strength had successfully advanced to the late Soul State, he felt a little unsatisfied, wishing for more.
He suspected these seven days were a reward in themselves. The journey did not actually require seven days; rather, one was permitted to remain in the Soul Path for that duration. Seizing the opportunity was up to the individual.
'As expected of the Hall of Souls' decennial ceremony. Even the journey serves as a reward.' Xiao Yan could not help but admire their extravagance. Creating such a Soul Path would require at least a perfected Heavenly State Spiritual Strength.
Perhaps it even demanded an Emperor State soul!
The Soul Command Tokens returned to their hands as streams of light. Xiao Yan leaped forward and passed through the black fog. After emerging, the sight before him made his eyelids twitch violently.
"This Heaven Hall... really is in the heavens."
He looked around and was stunned. This was the foundation of a major faction!
White clouds occasionally drifted past him. Gazing down, he appeared to be standing on the clouds themselves. It was an incredibly pleasant and beautiful sight.
Of course, anyone below the Dou King realm would plummet to their death, as even Xiao Yan could not gauge the altitude. He was not actually standing on clouds, but merely treading on the void.
To an observer, however, he and Venerable Qing Hai appeared to stand upon the clouds themselves.
Beyond the black fog, the scenery transformed completely into a landmass floating in the sky. Its surface was covered with rising and falling mountains, all lush and verdant.
Yet, what captured his attention most was the colossal black hall erected at its very center!
As Dou Venerates, they reached the black hall in mere steps.
The Heaven Hall was immense. From the outside, it radiated an aura of ancient dignity, as if it had weathered countless ages.
No superfluous decorations adorned its exterior. Besides stone pillars and black walls, there were only a few unknown statues. The four walls bore numerous ancient murals depicting diverse scenes of birds and beasts.
If Xiao Yan's guess was correct, the Hun Clan had built this Heaven Hall in ancient times, before the Dou Gods had vanished. On the murals, he could make out the forms of Ancient Void Dragons, Ancient Heaven Phoenixes, and Heaven Swallowing Pythons.
They depicted the overlord magical beast races of antiquity! As for the human figures, if his speculation held true, they were either ancient powerhouses or perhaps even the Dou Gods themselves!
The Hun Clan's history runs deep indeed!
With a hum, his Soul Command Token shot out a beam of soul light. The heavy, creaking sound of massive stone doors echoed as they slowly opened.
Only after entering did Xiao Yan realize how vastly this place differed from his conception of the Hall of Souls!
Far from being gloomy and terrifying, the entire hall was brilliantly lit, feeling more like a palace suffused with artistic atmosphere.
Statues and murals filled the space, each seeming to tell a story, transporting viewers to the ancient era when heroes contended for supremacy, overlord magical beasts ravaged the land, and wars between Divine Beasts and Dou Gods shook the world.
'Is this the foundation of a Dou God Clan?' Xiao Yan wondered if the former Xiao Clan had been similar, if such places existed within the Xiao Realm!
Of course, that would have to remain a mystery.
The Heaven Hall contained more than just Xiao Yan and Venerable Qing Hai. Many other figures clad in Soul Robes were present. Without exception, all were Dou Venerates!
Even those wearing Protector robes possessed the strength of a Dou Venerate; they had come to the ceremony to receive a Soul Command Token from the Hall Chief and officially become Honorable Elders.
At the Honorable Elder rank, Soul Robes were not always black. Venerable Qing Hai's, for instance, was cyan.
During the attack on Holy Pill City, the Black and White Tianzun had worn robes matching their titles. Zhai Xing Tianzun's robe glittered with starlight, the Ninth Tianzun Mo Yu's was blue and seemed to shimmer with water vapor, and the Fourth Tianzun Xue He—whose strength exceeded even Xuan Kong Zi's—wore a robe as red as fresh blood.
Xiao Yan could also change his robe's color but was too lazy to bother and had always kept it black.
"Qing Hai, you qualified for this ceremony too? You must have accumulated considerable merit," a handsome man said with a smile as he approached.
Venerable Qing Hai removed his hood and laughed. "Hehe, Venerable Shou Li, it has been too long."
Though both had removed their hoods, Xiao Yan knew these were not their true appearances. Soul Command Tokens possessed disguise functions. Mu Gu had used this ability during the Pill Gathering.
Xiao Yan could do likewise but preferred to keep his hood up to avoid the hassle.
"And this is?" Venerable Shou Li looked at Xiao Yan curiously.
Venerable Qing Hai quickly responded, "This is Lord Yan Tianzun."
"Tianzun?!"
Venerable Shou Li's shocked cry drew the attention of everyone present. They all turned to size up this unfamiliar Yan Tianzun.
Attending the ceremony meant one had performed meritorious deeds within the past decade, and a Tianzun naturally needed accomplishments befitting their status!
Capturing an 8th-tier alchemist with middle Soul State Spiritual Strength, submitting a Tian Class Dou Technique, completing corresponding missions... regardless of the method, all were extraordinarily difficult!
Venerable Qing Hai's qualification this time was entirely thanks to Xiao Yan, who had given him Mu Gu's soul body.
"Yan? Has anyone from the last ceremony heard of him?"
"No. He hasn't been a Tianzun for at least the last thirty years. Is he an old veteran, perhaps?"
"No... this old man has never heard the title Yan Tianzun..."
The Hall of Souls' Dou Venerates began to murmur among themselves, their gazes as sharp as torches as they scrutinized this 'Yan Tianzun'.