East of the “Ghosts’ Gate,” a young man in gray robes slowly stepped out, standing beyond the moat. He gazed into the distance, his eyes resting on the towering mountains far away, and then turned to look at the last city on the border of the Jia Ma Empire. Beyond this place, he would truly be free to soar like a bird in the vast sky, and the outside world would surely be more wondrous than this empire.
Taking a deep breath, he finally put aside all reluctance and strode toward the distance. His slender figure gradually disappeared at the end of the road. About half an hour after the disappearance of the gray-robed young man, a strange surge of black mist appeared in the sky above “Ghosts’ Gate.” The mist swirled in the air as if it had a life of its own, like ghostly phantoms. The black mist lingered for a while in the direction where Xiao Yan had previously fought, then suddenly drifted off in the direction of Xiao Yan’s departure, leaving a faint, fluctuating black trail along its path.
On the quiet, verdant avenue, the only sound was the chirping of birds in the trees, adding a touch of life to the desolate road. After walking in silence for a long time, Xiao Yan could no longer contain his doubts and called out softly, “Teacher… what happened just now?”
Almost two minutes after Xiao Yan spoke, a low sigh finally sounded. The Pharmacist Elder, with a bitter smile, muttered, “Ah, I didn’t expect that these guys also exist near the Jia Ma Empire… They rarely come here, why did they appear this time…”
Xiao Yan was completely baffled by the Pharmacist Elder’s muttering. He cautiously asked, “Who are the ‘guys’ you’re talking about, Teacher?”
Hearing Xiao Yan’s question, the Pharmacist Elder fell silent. Seeing the Pharmacist Elder’s reaction, Xiao Yan was stunned but didn’t press further. Frowning, he continued to follow the map towards the “Black Corner Region,” but a sense of unease began to rise in his heart.
“Little fellow, I had planned to tell you these things when you became stronger. But now, unexpectedly, they have discovered my traces, and my original plan has been disrupted… If you want to know, I can tell you in advance.”
After a long silence, the Pharmacist Elder suddenly spoke, “But I must warn you in advance. The forces involved are immensely powerful, far beyond what the Yunlan Sect can compare to. Even I find them extremely troublesome. Are you sure you still want to know?”
Xiao Yan’s hand trembled slightly, and he swallowed hard. His steps gradually came to a halt, and he stood still, a sense of foreboding settling over him. He had a feeling that what the Pharmacist Elder was about to say would likely end his previously peaceful life.
As Xiao Yan remained silent, the Pharmacist Elder did not speak either. However, Xiao Yan sensed a faint sense of disappointment emanating from the ring on his finger.
After nearly five or six minutes of silence, Xiao Yan suddenly exhaled deeply. Lifting his head, he gazed through the gaps in the leaves at the azure sky. Rubbing the black ring on his finger, he said softly, “Go ahead, Teacher. Although I don’t know how powerful those forces are, I have one thing to say: I am your disciple, and my skills are given to me by you.”
“Haha, good, good! My eyes, Medicine Dust, have not gone blind again! Haha!”
After Xiao Yan’s words, the Pharmacist Elder was silent for a moment before two enthusiastic “good” responses, with a heavy, trembling tone, echoed in Xiao Yan’s mind. Overwhelmed with emotion, he uttered the name that once shook the entire Dou Qi Continent!
Although Xiao Yan’s words were simple, they touched the heart of the usually calm Pharmacist Elder, almost bringing tears to his eyes. He had experienced the pain of betrayal, a pain that cut to the bone. But fortunately, this time, his eyes, which had once made a mistake, did not do so again.
“Medicine Dust… So that was Teacher’s former name…”
Repeating the unfamiliar name in his mind, Xiao Yan focused on another sentence: “Not going blind again means going blind once. Ah, it seems Teacher has had a difficult past…”
“Little fellow, I told you before, the Dou Qi Continent is vast, and it is filled with countless strong individuals. Even someone as powerful as Yun Shan, who is considered the strongest in the Jia Ma Empire, would have to restrain his arrogance on the continent because there are many people stronger than him here.”
The Pharmacist Elder’s voice carried a hint of melancholy, drawing Xiao Yan’s full attention.
“Because of this vast land, many peculiar forces have emerged, among them a mysterious force known as the ‘Soul Palace.’ This force is spread across nearly half of the continent, and only in countries like the Jia Ma Empire, far from the center, are their presence rare. However, not many on the continent are aware of their existence…”
“Soul Palace?” Xiao Yan murmured, “Teacher, did you sense their presence back at ‘Ghosts’ Gate’?”
“Yes…” The Pharmacist Elder nodded bitterly, “The ‘Soul Palace’ is incredibly powerful and mysterious, and their methods are quite peculiar. Even I know little about them. But they generally do not target ordinary people. Their targets are those with exceptionally powerful souls that have survived even after their bodies have perished—what we call ‘living souls.'”
“You mean like Teacher, right?” Xiao Yan whispered, pressing his lips together.
“Yes,” the Pharmacist Elder affirmed, and then his voice took on a note of anger and gloom, “They are like soul scavengers on the continent. Any powerful soul that has left its body will be sensed by them, and then they will send agents to hunt and kill. I don’t know why they specifically target souls, but they seem to have special methods to control them. After my body was destroyed, I was quickly hunted down by them. Though I managed to escape, I was severely injured. Fortunately, I had some ‘Warm Soul Spirit Containment’ left from my work, which I used to create the black ring you have. This allowed me to evade their pursuit. The ring eventually found its way to your mother and then to you.”
Xiao Yan drew a sharp breath. Even with the Pharmacist Elder’s strength, he was forced to flee from the mysterious “Soul Palace.” How powerful must they be?
“The ‘Soul Palace’ has special methods to deal with souls, so even I cannot fight them with just my soul. I want to resurrect quickly because I am wary of them, and I also have some matters and grudges that I need to resolve!”
Xiao Yan nodded silently.
“Little fellow, you don’t need to think about helping me. Right now, you are too weak. I believe in your potential. Given enough time, you will become a true peak powerhouse. But for now, you must become stronger! Otherwise, if those guys find you, your life will be in danger!” the Pharmacist Elder said slowly.
Xiao Yan’s face grew serious, and he clenched his fists, saying, “Teacher, I will get the ‘Falling Heart Flame’ as soon as possible and create a new body for you, so you won’t be threatened by the ‘Soul Palace.'”
“Ah, I can only rely on you now…” The Pharmacist Elder sighed, then pondered, “Fortunately, I retreated into the ring quickly. Otherwise, they might have pinpointed my location. But since they have sensed something, I think the ‘Soul Palace’ will start to increase their presence in these areas. So, in the future, you will have to rely on yourself to solve many problems. If I show up again and they detect me, both our lives will be in danger.”
“Okay,” Xiao Yan nodded firmly. The sense of relief he felt from leaving the Jia Ma Empire had vanished, replaced by a sense of urgency. Though the threat of the Yunlan Sect was gone, a more terrifying force had taken its place, and as the Pharmacist Elder said, he was indeed too weak. With his current strength, he couldn’t even protect the Pharmacist Elder from the ‘Soul Palace,’ let alone stand against the Yunlan Sect.
“Without strength, I am powerless to do anything…” Xiao Yan exhaled, clenching his fists. He felt the same helplessness and longing for power he had felt three years ago when facing Nalan Yanran in the Xiao Family hall.
“Power! I need power!” he roared in his heart, resolving under the pressure of the mysterious ‘Soul Palace.’
“Since that’s the case, let’s fly straight to the Canaan Academy. We can’t linger on the way,” Xiao Yan said, pulling out a map from his ring. He studied it for a while, following the red line with his finger, pausing at a dark region, and then continuing to a blue star in the center of the map.
His shoulders quivered, and the Purple Cloud Wings slowly unfurled from his back. With a beat of his wings, Xiao Yan ascended into the sky, orienting himself, and then transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the eastern horizon.
With Xiao Yan’s departure, the world fell silent once more. About two or three hours later, a wisp of black mist suddenly drifted from the distant sky, hovering over the area where Xiao Yan had stopped. A low, puzzled exclamation sounded from the mist, and then, hesitating for a moment, it drifted off in the opposite direction of Xiao Yan’s flight.
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