For a brief moment, the burning continued. The Soul Envoy's spirit became nearly transparent, as if it would dissipate into nothingness at any moment.
Xiao Yan dismissed the Flame Deity and retrieved a jade bottle from his storage ring. With a flick of his hand, a suction force pulled the Soul Envoy's spirit directly into the bottle.
Immediately after, he snapped his fingers, releasing a strand of black-and-white flame that circled the bottle's surface before sealing its opening.
Ya Fei tilted her head to look at Xiao Yan. Though she had always known he was strong and formidable, watching him easily subdue the Soul Envoy still left her astonished.
After all, that Soul Envoy had at least Dou King-level strength!
Her beautiful eyes shifted to the mist-like presence trapped inside the jade bottle. With a slight frown, Ya Fei muttered, "I already thought he seemed eerie and ghost-like, but I didn't expect he really wasn't human."
Xiao Yan gazed deeply at the captured spirit within the bottle and smiled. "He arrived just in time. Even ghostly beings have their uses."
With his mastery of puppet crafting techniques, he could create combat puppets rivaling a Dou Spirit in strength.
However, if he were to infuse this soul into a puppet, its intelligence would greatly increase, giving him a chance to forge a Dou King-level combat puppet.
Such a force would be highly valuable within the Jia Ma Empire.
Ya Fei gently wrapped her arm around Xiao Yan's and spoke with a slight sob in her voice, "You're one to talk. If you had come any later, I might have been captured by that bastard!"
Her teary-eyed expression, paired with her curvaceous and fair figure, sent a rush of heat through Xiao Yan's heart. He almost couldn't resist pulling her into his embrace.
The Holy Demon Soul-Burning Art that Ya Fei cultivated was far from ordinary. Not only was it a rare soul cultivation technique, but its training method was also quite unique.
Because she had to oversee the auction house, Ya Fei had significantly less time for cultivation than most people—let alone the talented prodigies.
Thus, during their time together, Xiao Yan had personally modified the Holy Demon Soul-Burning Art for her.
Now, every movement she made—every smile, every gesture—was subtly part of her cultivation process. It was a technique tailored exclusively for her.
"You don't need to use your charm techniques on me," Xiao Yan teased with a mischievous grin. "Otherwise, I might just..."
At that moment, the commotion from earlier had drawn the attention of the mansion guards, who hurried over.
"Miss Ya Fei!"
"Brother Xiao Yan, don't do anything reckless," Ya Fei warned, knowing full well that this man feared neither heaven nor earth. Her delicate arms instinctively crossed over her chest, shielding her ample curves.
However, her action only enhanced her already stunning figure, her fair skin glowing even more radiantly than the moon above.
The group of guards arrived at the courtyard, and upon recognizing who stood beside Ya Fei, their leader let out a relieved sigh. Bowing slightly, he greeted respectfully, "So it's Young Master Xiao Yan."
"You may all leave," Ya Fei waved her hand dismissively, internally relieved.
It seemed the Soul Envoy had been too confident in his own strength, which was why he hadn't bothered to eliminate the guards.
Once the guards had withdrawn, Ya Fei propped her chin up with her jade-like hand, her gaze fixed on the jade bottle. With a solemn expression, she said to Xiao Yan, "This thing called itself a Soul Envoy and claimed to be from a place called the Hall of Souls."
"The Mittel Clan has deep knowledge of all major forces in the Jia Ma Empire, yet we've never heard of any 'Hall of Souls.' Furthermore, this ghostly entity's strength is extremely—"
"Is it possible that they aren't from the Jia Ma Empire?" Ya Fei asked with a frown, puzzled.
Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head slightly. "You actually know more about the forces in the Jia Ma Empire than I do."
Ya Fei's expression grew worried. "That Soul Envoy came specifically for an alchemist. This Hall of Souls is truly audacious. The inheritance of alchemists follows strict traditions. Even a mere Tier One alchemist is not someone that most forces would dare to offend."
Xiao Yan waved his hand dismissively. "Since it's already fallen into my hands, I'll get the answers about this so-called Hall of Souls sooner or later."
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Yan nudged Ya Fei's shoulder and said with a grin, "I came here right after my breakthrough. Now I'm feeling a bit hungry. Go make me something to eat."
"Understood, Young Master Xiao Yan," Ya Fei responded playfully, her laughter crisp as she swayed her willow-like waist and gracefully made her way inside.
Her curvy, perky figure—just one look, and it was clear she was well-endowed for motherhood.
Shortly after Ya Fei left, a pale white light streaked across the night sky before gently landing on Xiao Yan's shoulder.
The newcomer was none other than Yao Lao's puppet bird.
"The Hall of Souls... I know of them."
Yao Lao gazed at the faint mist trapped within the jade bottle in Xiao Yan's hand, let out a bitter sigh, and said, "Sigh... I never expected to see them even in the Jia Ma Empire. What are they doing here?"
Did that even need to be asked?
Xiao Yan walked toward a nearby pavilion and sat on a stone bench.
You can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against a thief for a thousand days.
The Soul Clan, which lurked behind the Hall of Souls, had been after all of the Tuoshe Ancient Jade pieces for centuries. After a thousand years of searching, it was inevitable that they would have found some clues.
Yao Lao remained silent for a long while before leaping onto the stone table. Glancing at the jade bottle beside him, he finally spoke again.
"Kid, I originally planned to tell you about this once you had grown stronger. But since they have already appeared, my plan has been disrupted. If you truly wish to know, then I can only reveal it to you ahead of time."
"However, I must warn you first—the forces involved in this matter are far beyond your imagination. Compared to them, the strongest faction in the Jia Ma Empire, the Yun Lan Sect, is nothing but a speck of dust."
Yao Lao sighed deeply once more, hesitating before saying, "Even I find them incredibly troublesome. Are you sure you still want to know?"
Xiao Yan smirked and shrugged. "Teacher, that's an interesting way to put it. If we don't know… does that mean the Hall of Souls will simply leave us alone?"
"Rather than debating whether or not to talk about it, wouldn't it be better to focus on training Little Fairy Doctor? If we strengthen what we already have, we'll stand a better chance."
"If the Woeful Poison Body can be controlled, her growth rate will be terrifying. Even reaching the Dou Zun level wouldn't take too long."
Yao Lao was slightly taken aback by Xiao Yan's mindset. Perhaps this was the fearlessness of the ignorant.
After all, Yao Lao himself had once been a Dou Zun, even the master of the Falling Star Pavilion, yet he was still far inferior to the Hall of Souls.
Even the children of Central Plains knew that the region's power structure was divided into:
One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions.
Seeing Yao Lao's expression, Xiao Yan knew that his teacher disapproved of his words.
But if he were to give up just because the Hall of Souls was too powerful, he might as well wash his neck and wait for death right now.
When it came to teaching disciples, Yao Lao—this Tier Eight alchemist—was undoubtedly an excellent mentor. But in other matters…
If Yao Lao had planned ahead and restored more of his soul power earlier, he wouldn't have been defeated so easily by a mere Law Enforcer.
After all, Tian Huo Zun-zhe, another soul body, was strong enough to display the power of an Eight-Star Dou Zong.
A long silence stretched for five or six minutes before Yao Lao finally forced a smile.
"I've already given you all the information about the Woeful Poison Body. Whether that little girl can grow safely… is up to you now."
(End of Chapter)
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