When one is immersed in something, time flies by. After a night's rest, Chen Guan plunged headfirst into the vast treasure house of Danta.
The outside world seemed irrelevant to him, and the concept of time blurred. All he could sense was that his once relatively "shrunken" self was rapidly filling up.
While Chen Guan was replenishing himself, Xiao Yan was also making progress.
Even faster than expected, after ten days of effort, his soul finally reached the coveted Spirit Realm.
Dou Ling strength, a Spirit Realm soul!
Such a combination would be hard to find even in the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Retracting his scattered mental energy, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his joy unconcealed.
Without hesitation, he stood up and hurried to Chen Guan's residence.
He hadn't known when it started, but every time he achieved a breakthrough, the person he most wanted to share the good news with wasn't Yao Chen, but that man...
Today was no exception. Xiao Yan arrived, filled with excitement.
However, he came up empty-handed. All
that awaited him was a cold puppet and a spirit that seemed even happier than he.
"Senior, where's Brother Guan?"
"It's Xiao Yan. Young Chen has been taken to the Danta Library by his senior sister for a few days. He probably won't be coming out anytime soon. Do you need anything from him?"
Skyfire Venerable replied with a beaming smile.
Although this was his first time speaking directly with Xiao Yan, he felt somewhat familiar, understanding his relationship with Chen Guan and his attitude was quite cordial.
Upon learning that Chen Guan wasn't there, Xiao Yan felt his excitement evaporate, his smile froze for a moment.
"It's nothing serious, actually. Since Brother Guan isn't here, I'll come see him another day."
With a slight bow, Xiao Yan left, slightly disappointed.
He was just thinking about sharing this good news with Yao Chen, but before he could make a move, a young man dressed in the uniform of a Danta disciple approached.
"You're Xiao Yan, right? Someone's looking for you out there."
"For me?"
"Yes, you'll know after you read this letter."
The young man took out the letter.
Xiao Yan thanked him, took it, and after opening it, a look of curiosity crossed his face.
The Ye family, one of the five great families in the Dan Domain, needs my help, or was it recommended by Brother Guan? It's the perfect training opportunity for me?
"Thank you! I'll take a look."
As the entries came together, Xiao Yan, unsurprisingly, became intrigued.
His thoughts raced, unraveling the mystery, and he slowly grasped some of Chen Guan's 'deeper meaning.'
No matter how much the Ye family declined, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Taking advantage of this opportunity to do him a favor would definitely benefit him.
After all, the Soul Palace was powerful, and to confront them, he would have to muster the utmost strength!
Fortunately, Chen Guan didn't know what he was thinking, otherwise, he would have nodded in admiration.
As expected of you!
Yes, that's exactly what I meant!
...
Time passed, everyone was busy, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed.
One day, Chen Guan, absorbed in the Danta Library, was suddenly awakened by a voice.
"Chen Guan, come to my study."
Recognizing Xuan Kongzi's voice, Chen Guan reluctantly put down the scroll in his hand and calmly stood up.
Seeing his movements, Cao Ying, who was studying Xuan Kongzi's notes nearby, glanced over and roughly guessed the truth.
"Teacher sent you a message? How is it? What have you gained?"
"A complete transformation might be an exaggeration, but the gains are indeed great," Chen Guan replied with a smile and a nod.
Within the Danta Library, notes and scrolls on alchemy are countless, including those on fighting spirit cultivation.
Over a month of absorbing knowledge might seem similar on the surface, but his accumulation had been greatly enriched.
Accumulation is something that cannot be seen or touched, but it exists, and perhaps it will one day bring him a great surprise.
"Everyone who comes here feels the same way as you do,"
Cao Ying wasn't surprised; she had come this way before.
Chen Guan nodded slightly, then without further delay, he spoke briefly and headed straight for Xuan Kongzi's study.
After watching him leave, Cao Ying finally averted her gaze.
Elsewhere, Chen Guan, familiar with the area, quickly found Xuan Kongzi.
He didn't need to ask; the two mutton-fat jade bottles on the table provided the best answer. Guessing what was inside, Chen Guan couldn't take his eyes off them.
"Haha, put them away. I'm lucky. I lived up to your expectations. Both pills worked in one go."
Chen Guan saluted and then took up the two jade bottles.
The moment he uncorked them, he could sense the terrifying energy contained within the two pills.
The medicinal aroma of both the Heavenly Soul Melting Blood Pill and the Bone-Growing Blood Melting Pill was intensely potent.
"Thank you, Master."
"No need to thank me. Nothing in this world is free. This time, I helped you refine two pills. In return, I'll provide you with the ingredients and formula. How about you refine two pills of the same quality for me within six months?"
"No need for six months; three months will be enough,"
Chen Guan confidently replied, understanding Xuan Kongzi's intention.
"Hahaha, fine, then three months. If you don't finish, don't blame me for putting you in solitary confinement. Go ahead. I'll have the ingredients and formula sent to you later."
Xuan Kongzi laughed heartily. As a teacher, there's nothing more gratifying than seeing his students strive for excellence.
Chen Guan nodded and bowed, taking his leave.
He stroked the two jade bottles in his hands, pondered for a moment, and then, with a decision made, headed straight for his residence.
Upon seeing Chen Guan again, Venerable Skyfire was about to greet him, but when his eyes caught the jade bottle in Chen Guan's hands, he couldn't move his gaze away.
"Chen Guan, is this the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill?"
"Yes, I just got it from my teacher. Master Yao, why don't we start now? It's time for you to get out of this state."
Chen Guan nodded and suggested, confirming his guess.
While this place wasn't particularly secluded, its safety was undeniable. Any movement, even slightly larger, would surely escape the detection of Xuan Kongzi on the top floor.
However, Chen Guan was actually being conservative. In the study he had just left, Xuan Kongzi wasn't the only one watching. Xuan Yi, Yao Chen, and Venerable Feng had all gathered there immediately.
Yao Chen had never experienced resurrection before, so he naturally wouldn't miss out on a reference.
Venerable Tianhuo, on the other hand, wasn't one to waver. Upon hearing Chen Guan's proposal, he immediately nodded in agreement.
"Anytime. What do you need me to do?"
"Wait a moment, Elder Yao, and follow my instructions."
"Okay!"
With that, Chen Guan immediately sat down.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a complete corpse, as white as jade, flashed out, shrouded in a faint glow. Though its owner had been dead for who knows how many years, one could still sense the rich energy still lingering within its bones.
Upon seeing the skeleton, the high-ranking officials who were 'on the sidelines' stared in awe.
"This boy is incredibly fortunate! The owner of this skeleton must have been at least a seven- or eight-star Dou Zun in life,"
Venerable Feng exclaimed in admiration, his face warming slightly. He suddenly felt that the corpse he had prepared for Yao Chen was a little underwhelming.
Xuan Kongzi and the others, observing more intently, smiled faintly, but didn't point a finger.
The so-called seven- or eight-star Dou Zun was too conservative.
With their discerning eyes, they were certain that the owner of this skeleton must have been a formidable figure, no less powerful than themselves!
"That bottle of demonic beast blood is of good quality. It exudes a strong, murderous aura. It must have come from a powerful demonic beast nearing the eighth rank." Yao
Chen commented as he watched Chen Guan take out the bottle of blood, not wanting to offend his good friend.
He laid out all the ingredients below, and Chen Guan's mind raced through the body-refining method he'd learned from Yao Chen. After a moment, he silently nodded and waved his hand. An invisible gust of wind lifted the skeleton and levitated it in mid-air.
Then, with another wave of his hand, a flash of cobalt-blue fire erupted, blazing and instantly enveloping the skeleton.
"Master Yao, grant me a trace of soul power!"
Chen Guan said solemnly, controlling the temperature of the fire.
Upon hearing this, Venerable Skyfire unhesitatingly generated a trace of soul power from his brow, which then drifted towards Chen Guan.
Chen Guan's mental power emanated, coalescing into a vast soul hand. He grasped the soul power and swiftly channeled it into the skeleton.
At that moment, a faint spiritual energy emanated from the corpse.
"Elder Yao, take the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill. As soon as I give the word, you will immediately enter the body!"
Skyfire Venerable nodded solemnly, taking the pill without hesitation and shoving it into his mouth, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Seeing Skyfire Venerable consume the pill, Chen Guan waved his hand, and another jade bottle fell from the ground into his grasp. The bottle was filled with purple-red blood, and a terrifying, violent energy emanated from it. This was the essence of the Sky Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast.
With a firm squeeze of his palm, the bottle burst open, and a large pool of blood immediately emanated. With a wave of Chen Guan's hand, it was poured onto the flame-enshrouded skeleton.
As soon as the blood touched the skeleton, a series of hissing sounds erupted, and wisps of deathly aura drifted out, only to be instantly incinerated by the strange fire.
This sudden change didn't faze Chen Guan. After a brief glance, he manipulated the strange fire to raise its temperature.
As the fire's temperature rose, the blood clinging to the skeleton strangely began to seep into it.
A moment later, a bizarre scene unfolded.
The skeleton, previously devoid of anything but pristine white, gradually became stained with a bloody hue as the blood essence infused it. Countless tiny threads, like meridians, formed, and the outlines of its face began to emerge, though the blood-stained veil made it appear eerie. As
time passed, the bloody figure before him became increasingly clear. Superficially, it appeared to be a normal human, save for its undeveloped skin.
After about half an hour, the bloody figure's tightly closed eyes suddenly fluttered open, and within those empty eyes, a flicker of life began to flicker.
At that very moment, Chen Guan fiercely shouted, "Master Yao, advance!"
Venerable Skyfire, who had been waiting nearby, shuddered at Chen Guan's call. Immediately, his form materialized and flew directly towards the corpse, piercing through the blazing flames and plunging headfirst into the body, shrouded in a shimmering red light.
Just as his soul was about to make contact with the corpse, a strange black-and-red ripple suddenly emanated from Venerable Skyfire's brows. The ripples spread with lightning speed, spreading across his entire body.
"Puff!"
As the black-and-red ripples spread, Venerable Skyfire's soul collided violently with the corpse. This time, the collision didn't repel his soul, but instead slowly merged with it.
Like a catalyst, the blood-soaked corpse began to regenerate at a visible rate, its facial features becoming more defined, and its black hair rapidly grew, flowing downward.
Seeing this, Chen Guan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, a smile breaking across his face.
"Success already?"
Inside the top-floor study, Venerable Feng was somewhat surprised.
"Not yet. One final step is missing. For the soul to be resurrected in this way, it must withstand the burning of the strange fire and gradually regain control of the body. Only then can it be considered truly reborn from the ashes. If it can't withstand the burning of the strange fire, not only will the body be destroyed, but the soul will also suffer a fatal blow."
Yao Chen shook his head solemnly, his eyes blazing with passion.
This final step was extremely important, but for old-timers like them, it wasn't as difficult as they had imagined.
After all, they were all renowned top-tier warriors back then, their souls clearly possessing immense strength.
"Judging from his soul's strength, at his peak, he should have been around four-star Dou Zun. Now that he's resurrected in such a powerful body, breaking through to six-star Dou Zun shouldn't be difficult. It's a pity that the demon beast essence blood is a little lacking; otherwise, it would be even more astonishing."
Xuan Yi made his assessment.
Yao Chen and Xuan Kongzi nodded in agreement.
Venerable Feng was stunned. Who could have imagined that the junior he'd ignored so little just a few months ago could, with just a few moves, create a formidable force far superior to his own?
He'd fallen on hard times…
As the others chatted, Venerable Skyfire in the courtyard below gradually drew to a close. A powerful aura spread uncontrollably, causing Chen Guan, standing beside him, to feel a wave of pressure.
Fortunately, the aura vanished as quickly as it had arrived, dissipating like a gentle breeze in a few breaths.
When Chen Guan looked up again, he saw no figure in the blazing strange fire.
Beneath the flames, a dashing man in his forties, dressed in a white robe, stood with his hands behind his back, beaming at him.
"Congratulations, Elder Yao, on your rebirth."
"Hahaha, it's all thanks to you. Your kindness is beyond words."
Venerable Skyfire laughed heartily, then bowed solemnly, without a trace of the airs of a Dou Zun.
"Master Yao, we have known each other for many years. You know my personality, so there is no need to say these polite words."
Venerable Skyfire nodded and waved his hand cheerfully. Just as he was about to speak, several figures appeared in the courtyard: Yao Chen, Xuankongzi, Xuanyi, and Venerable Feng.
"You are a peak six-star Dou Zun. Your resurrection brings another top-tier expert to Zhongzhou. It's time to celebrate."
"Venerable Skyfire, congratulations."
"Congratulations,"
Xuankongzi and the others greeted with a smile.
Currently, there are only a few dozen Dou Zun in Zhongzhou. Venerable Skyfire's strength is enough to command their attention.
Venerable Skyfire bowed and responded to each one without appearing arrogant.
After all, no one before him was a simple figure.
"Thank you, everyone, but there's no need to celebrate. Due to my previous condition, I've been holed up in my storage ring and haven't been able to help young Chen much. Now that I'm resurrected, I should do something for him first, stretch my muscles, and see the current state of the Dou Qi Continent."
Xuankongzi and the others were speechless, only nodding.
Chen Guan, however, understood Venerable Skyfire's meaning.
Now that the Heavenly Soul Blood Melting Pill has been refined, it must be returned as soon as possible.
This task is undoubtedly best entrusted to Venerable Skyfire!
(End of this chapter)