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**
After successfully rescuing Yao Lao, life once again returned to peace.
Everyone went back to their own routines. During this period, Feng Zun Zhe and Tie Jian Zun Zhe didn't rush to leave either, instead staying at the Wei Residence to wait for Yao Lao to wake up.
It was worth mentioning that in the original story, this poker-faced old man, Tie Jian Zun Zhe, chose to self-destruct to cover the others' retreat. But here, he survived. He only suffered minor injuries, and after a few days of rest, he was already fine.
Inside a slightly dim secret chamber.
A purple-brown flame burned steadily, its flickering light dancing across the walls.
The chamber door opened.
Wei Yang stepped inside.
Seeing Xiao Yan refining medicine, he sat down cross-legged to the side and quietly observed. In Xiao Yan's palm, a cluster of purple-brown flame was gently rolling and surging. Within the flame, a slightly translucent medicinal liquid was faintly wriggling.
That was a Tier 4 Soul Nurturing Liquid, and Wei Yang recognized it instantly.
He nodded to himself.
Given how weak Yao Lao's soul was right now, it wouldn't be suitable to use anything too potent, and this four-tier Soul Nurturing Liquid, with its gentle medicinal nature, was indeed the most appropriate choice.
A moment later.
Xiao Yan slowly retracted his flame, then carefully guided the glob of medicinal liquid into the black ring on his finger. As the liquid was absorbed, a faint glow appeared on the surface of the black ring. Once it fully absorbed the liquid, that faint glow dimmed once more.
Hu~
Xiao Yan let out a long breath of impure air. His face looked a bit weary, but a smile curved at the corner of his lips. He raised his head toward Wei Yang and said with a smile, "Brother Wei."
"How's Yao Lao?" Wei Yang asked.
"Not bad." Xiao Yan nodded and said, "Before Master fell asleep, he told me he was just too tired and wanted to rest for a while, and that we don't need to worry."
"These past few days, I've refined over a dozen portions of Soul Nurturing Liquid for Master to absorb, and I can feel that his condition is getting better and better."
"Good." Wei Yang nodded with a faint smile.
It seemed the problem wasn't serious. Yao Lao had merely been overly exhausted, causing him to fall into slumber. Once he had rested enough, he would naturally wake up.
Besides, this kind of deep sleep was beneficial for his soul's recovery and for absorbing and digesting the Soul Nurturing Liquid.
"Brother Wei, thank you for helping me rescue Master so smoothly this time." Xiao Yan said sincerely.
"No need for that." Wei Yang shook his head with a chuckle and said, "Besides, Yao Lao is my master too, in a sense. This is also my responsibility."
Xiao Yan pressed his lips together, remaining silent. It was precisely because of that that he felt a faint guilt deep inside. Over the years, he had always felt a subtle sense of indebtedness toward Wei Yang.
He knew that if not for his own existence—and the slight head start he had—perhaps Wei Yang would have been the true best choice as Yao Lao's disciple. When comparing the two, Wei Yang might actually be the better fit.
At least for now, in every aspect, Wei Yang performed better than he did. Looking at himself, he had always seemed to be dragging Yao Lao down. Even Yao Lao being captured by the Hall of Souls was ultimately because he tried to protect him.
Though Xiao Yan was not one to admit defeat, and he had confidence that one day he would catch up to Wei Yang, for now, he had to admit—he truly wasn't on Wei Yang's level yet.
In every way, he fell short. That was a fact. Sometimes, he couldn't help but think—if Yao Lao had not chosen him back then but had chosen Wei Yang instead, perhaps everything would have turned out much better.
Yao Lao wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the Hall of Souls and suffered all that pain, and most likely, by now, he would have already been revived. That much was undeniable.
Just look at Ah Da and you'll understand. That was the truth—following Wei Yang was far better than following himself. After all, even a servant under Wei Yang's command had managed to be successfully revived and restored to his peak strength. And what about him?
Moreover, over these years, Wei Yang had been quietly helping and looking after him. Xiao Yan knew very well that without Wei Yang's help, he definitely wouldn't have made it this far.
And precisely because of that, the more he thought about it, the more he felt as if he owed Wei Yang a great deal. It was a strange feeling, as though he had stolen Wei Yang's rightful place.
Seeing Xiao Yan's silence, Wei Yang glanced sideways at him, "You're thinking about nonsense again, aren't you?"
"Uh, nothing." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose awkwardly.
"I have my own path, and you have yours. We're not the same."
Wei Yang patted his shoulder and said seriously, "Honestly, I really admire you."
"Admire me?" Xiao Yan looked surprised, then gave a bitter laugh, "Brother Wei, don't tease me. I feel like I'm just a burden, utterly useless."
"You're wrong. I'm not teasing you." Wei Yang shook his head and said solemnly, "I truly admire you. Because if it were me in your place, walking your path, I couldn't have done what you did—no doubt about that."
The Flame Emperor could not be replicated.
That was something Wei Yang had understood from the very beginning. So he never looked down on Xiao Yan, nor did he think he was truly superior. He didn't feel any sense of pride just because he was slightly ahead.
On the contrary, he always had a sense of urgency. The further things went, the stronger that feeling became—he never dared to relax. Compared to the pressure he gave Xiao Yan, perhaps the pressure Xiao Yan gave him was even greater.
Because Wei Yang knew very well that as things progressed, his early advantage would become smaller and smaller. A single careless moment, and Xiao Yan could surpass him—surpass him by a long shot.
So the slight lead he had now didn't mean anything at all.
After reaching the Dou Zun stage, that was when Xiao Yan would truly begin to rise in power, and it wouldn't take long before he directly ascended to the rank of Emperor.
How many years were left now?
The time he had was already running out. Whether he would stand alongside Xiao Yan in the future, or be left behind eating his dust, was still uncertain.
"If it were you cultivating the Flame Mantra, maybe you'd do it even better than me." Xiao Yan said with a wry smile, "With your ability to find Heavenly Flames, if you were the one cultivating the Flame Mantra, it might have already evolved to Heaven Grade by now."
That was what Xiao Yan admired most about Wei Yang. After all, even the five Heavenly Flames he had refined so far had, strictly speaking, all been ones that Wei Yang had given up for him.
"You still don't get it." Wei Yang shook his head, "Your perseverance, your ruthlessness, your endurance—and your luck—those are what I admire most. You managed to successfully devour five Heavenly Flames in a row. I couldn't do that."
"That's a miracle. I've never once thought I could recreate it. If it were me, I would've died long ago."
"Uh." Thinking about the countless dangers he faced while devouring those flames, Xiao Yan couldn't help but pause, then smacked his lips and said, "When you put it that way, I guess I'm not that bad after all. Tough life, huh?"
"Right, you've got a tough life. That's why the Flame Mantra was born for you—it suits you best." Wei Yang smiled. "You have your path, I have mine. I don't envy you, and you shouldn't envy me."
"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded heavily, exhaling deeply. His eyes regained their firmness as he said, "Thank you, Brother Wei. I was just overthinking it."
"Just focus on doing your best, don't overthink." Wei Yang patted his shoulder and smiled, "You and I both have our strengths and advantages, so don't look down on yourself. The road ahead is long. You and I are companions walking side by side, pushing each other forward. After all, without competition, how could there be progress?"
"Heh." Xiao Yan grinned widely and nodded.
Inside, he felt a genuine sense of happiness. In this world, to have such a close friend—a fellow countryman—to walk alongside, supporting each other through everything, was a kind of blessing.
From Wu Tan City until now, as he looked back on his journey, all those peers and friends he once knew had gradually drifted away. They could no longer keep up with his pace and had fallen far behind.
Though that was a little sad, it was the reality. And from beginning to end, the only true companion who had stayed by his side was Wei Yang.
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