Chapter 198: Two More Nine Star Dou Shengs Join the Ranks
Location: Jia Nan Academy, Inner Academy, Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower, above the magma.
Once Yao Chen had returned to the Bone Flame Ring, Xiao Tiance wasted no time opening the Heavenly Tomb.
With Xiao Yan in tow, he swiftly entered. Protected by Xiao Tiance's formidable aura, no soul entity dared to approach or attack them as they moved through the tomb.
The first and second layers were vast, but Xiao Tiance's speed was unmatched. It didn't take long for them to reach the third layer.
A Familiar Welcome
"Back so soon?"
"Tiance!"
The moment Xiao Tiance entered the Heavenly Tomb, the Tomb Spirit and Xiao Xuan sensed his presence and came to greet him at the third layer's entrance.
Xiao Tiance introduced Xiao Yan, "Brother Xuan, Tomb Spirit, this young man is Xiao Yan, a descendant of the Xiao Clan. I've brought him here to assist with creating bodies for your resurrection."
Turning to Xiao Yan, he added, "Xiao Yan, this is the Heavenly Tomb Spirit you may address him as Senior Tomb Spirit. And this," he gestured to Xiao Xuan, "is your ancestor and the former Xiao Clan leader, Xiao Xuan!"
Xiao Xuan and the Tomb Spirit studied Xiao Yan closely, their profound gazes making him feel as though they could see through him entirely.
Despite their spiritual forms, their soul strength was astonishing far surpassing that of Yao Chen.
Xiao Yan hurriedly bowed and greeted them, "Junior Xiao Yan greets Senior Tomb Spirit and Ancestor Xiao Xuan!"
Impressive Talent
"Rise," both spirits said in unison.
Xiao Xuan observed Xiao Yan for a moment before remarking, "What an extraordinary young man. You possess three Heavenly Flames within your body your talent is truly remarkable."
"You flatter me, Ancestor," Xiao Yan replied humbly.
The Tomb Spirit also nodded in agreement. "There are many who possess Heavenly Flames, but to merge three of them is a rare feat. If I'm not mistaken, this must be related to the cultivation method you're practicing?"
Xiao Yan stayed silent, wary of revealing too much, especially under the scrutiny of such powerful beings.
Meanwhile, he thought to himself, "If I'd known I had such a powerful background, I wouldn't have feared anyone!"
The Task at Hand
Interrupting the moment, Xiao Tiance declared, "Alright, enough pleasantries. Let's get to work."
He summoned two ice sealed Dou Sheng corpses, two bottles of Dou Sheng blood essence, and two nine tier magical beast cores from his storage ring.
Familiar Faces Among the Fallen
As soon as Xiao Xuan saw one of the corpses, he exclaimed in shock, "Is that… Old Man Fen Yan?"
"Indeed, Brother Xuan," Xiao Tiance confirmed. **"This is the body of Fen Yan from the Burning Flame Valley. Not long after your fall a thousand years ago, he was gravely wounded in battle and perished shortly after.
His soul dissipated completely, leaving only his body intact. I personally retrieved his remains from the Burning Flame Valley and preserved them for this very purpose."**
Xiao Tiance's explanation brought a wave of emotion to Xiao Xuan's face.
A Somber Reflection
"Fen Yan and I were close friends," Xiao Xuan said with a tinge of sorrow. "It's disheartening to think that even he could not escape death."
"My condolences, Brother Xuan," Xiao Tiance said gently.
Xiao Xuan composed himself, then turned his attention to the other corpse. His eyes widened again.
"That's Shi Jingtian, one of the Three Supremes of the Shi Clan!"
The Fall of the Shi Clan
Xiao Tiance nodded. **"You're correct, Brother Xuan. The Shi Clan no longer exists. After initially allying with our Xiao Clan, they betrayed us.
I orchestrated a series of events that led the Gu Clan to eliminate them. This corpse was secretly retrieved after the battle between the Gu and Shi Clans."**
Xiao Xuan sighed, "You're the current Xiao Clan leader. Whatever decisions you've made are yours to bear. Still, the fate of the Shi Clan is unsurprising they were always weak and would've been destroyed eventually."
Who Goes First?
Xiao Tiance nodded, then looked between Xiao Xuan and the Tomb Spirit.
"So, who wishes to go first?"
"I will!"
Before Xiao Xuan could respond, the Tomb Spirit spoke up eagerly. Xiao Xuan simply nodded in agreement, showing no intention of contesting the decision.
Reviving the Tomb Spirit
Xiao Tiance summoned his golden flame, the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame, to melt the ice encasing Shi Jingtian's corpse.
Once the body was ready, he turned to Xiao Yan. "Xiao Yan, begin."
"Yes, Ancestor!" Xiao Yan replied, moving into position.
Just like before, Xiao Yan activated his three Heavenly Flames to refine the Dou Sheng's corpse. As his flames worked, Xiao Tiance placed a hand on his shoulder, infusing him with an endless stream of Dou Qi to bolster his strength.
A New Beginning
After three hours, the Tomb Spirit's soul successfully fused with the Dou Sheng's body.
With a physical form restored, his power instantly surged to the early stage of Nine Star Dou Sheng. Given time to stabilize, he was confident he could soon advance to the mid stage.
A Generous Reward
Grateful, Xiao Tiance gifted the Tomb Spirit a Heaven tier advanced cultivation method, two Heaven tier intermediate Dou Techniques, and several Earth tier techniques.
Watching this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
Sensing his reaction, Xiao Tiance chuckled, "Xiao Yan, don't be envious. Once you reach the Dou Zun level, you'll have access to these techniques at Tianwaitian."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed. "Thank you, Ancestor Tiance!"
A Marvelous Technique
As the Tomb Spirit adjusted to his new body, Xiao Xuan marveled at the process.
"What incredible methods! I never imagined such a way to bring souls back to life."
"The world is vast, Brother Xuan," Xiao Tiance replied with a laugh. "Now, it's your turn!"
Three hours later, Xiao Xuan's resurrection was finally complete.
Unlike the Tomb Spirit, though both possessed soul realms at the Di (Emperor) level, the materials used for Xiao Xuan's revival his Dou Sheng body, magical beast core, and blood essence were among the finest in existence.
As Xiao Xuan's aura surged wildly, it only came to a stop when he reached the peak of Nine Star Dou Sheng.
Before his death, Xiao Xuan had been a half step Dou Di (Emperor). While he didn't regain his full strength upon resurrection, his temperament and experience made it certain that returning to his previous pinnacle was only a matter of time.
Shared Laughter
Boom! Boom!
Two immense auras erupted simultaneously as Xiao Xuan and the Tomb Spirit opened their eyes.
They glanced at each other before bursting into hearty laughter.
"Congratulations, Brother Xuan. Congratulations, Tomb Spirit. The road to Emperor level is now within reach for both of you," Xiao Tiance said with a bow.
"Haha! Who would've thought that I, once a mere Tomb Spirit, would one day become human? This is truly a wondrous feeling!" the Tomb Spirit exclaimed with joy.
Xiao Xuan also laughed heartily, though he said little. His expression revealed his good mood.
The three conversed while waiting for Xiao Yan to recover his Dou Qi. Despite Xiao Tiance's support during the refinement of two Dou Sheng bodies, it had been a grueling ordeal for someone at Xiao Yan's level as a Dou Wang.
A Proposal
Xiao Tiance turned to Xiao Xuan and said, "Brother Xuan, I'd like to discuss something with you."
Xiao Xuan, perceptive as ever, had already sensed the relatively thin bloodline in Xiao Yan's body. Noticing Xiao Tiance's repeated glances at Xiao Yan, he quickly surmised what was coming.
Waving his hand with a smile, Xiao Xuan said, "No need to discuss. I agree. That thing has little use to me now anyway consider it a gift to repay him."
"Haha, many thanks, Brother Xuan," Xiao Tiance replied, delighted.
At that moment, the Tomb Spirit chimed in with a smile, **"Since that's the case, I'll lend him a hand as well. While Xiao Xuan strengthens his bloodline, I'll enhance his soul realm.
Although I can't help him break through to the Emperor Soul level, pushing him to the later stages or even perfection of the Heaven Soul level should be manageable."**
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance chuckled. The Tomb Spirit was indeed perceptive, offering benefits without even needing to be asked.
Yao Chen Revealed
Suddenly, the Tomb Spirit's gaze sharpened, locking onto Xiao Yan's ring.
"Little one inside the ring, you've been hiding long enough. Are you coming out?"
A flash of white light later, Yao Chen's soul form appeared. Without hesitation, he bowed deeply to the three powerhouses.
"Junior Yao Chen greets the esteemed seniors."
"No need for such courtesy. Come, sit. Once Xiao Yan has recovered, we'll head to Zhongzhou. I'll also prepare materials for your resurrection," Xiao Tiance said with a kind smile.
A Humble Request
"Thank you, Senior," Yao Chen said respectfully, though his heart was conflicted.
He remembered how Xiao Tiance had once mentioned that resurrection materials were scarce, yet here he was, having resurrected three powerhouses in quick succession.
Still, Yao Chen understood his place. He was a mere Dou Zun before his fall not someone who deserved such rare resources.
Encouragement and Guidance
"Yao Chen, no need to feel pressured. Find a quiet spot to refine your soul strength for now. Here, take this."
Xiao Tiance tossed him a notebook. **"It contains notes on breaking through to Dou Sheng and insights into advancing further.
Although you were a Dou Zun before, you haven't been idle during these years. Once revived, your realm will undoubtedly see significant improvement."**
Yao Chen received the notebook with both hands, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Senior."
Finding a quiet corner, he opened the notebook and immersed himself in its contents.
The Fallen Prodigy
Watching Yao Chen, Xiao Xuan turned to Xiao Tiance. "That young man is named Yao Chen? Could he be from the Yao Clan?"
"Indeed," Xiao Tiance confirmed. **"But he was expelled from the Yao Clan. Despite his talent for alchemy, he came from a lowly branch family.
Before his death, he even earned the title of the continent's greatest alchemist by winning the Alchemist Association's Grand Competition."**
Xiao Xuan frowned. "Expelled? With such talent? Was Yao Dan out of his mind?"
Xiao Tiance chuckled. **"Not quite. Yao Chen wasn't seen as a genius during his time with the Yao Clan. It wasn't until after his expulsion that his talents began to shine.
Even Yao Dan wouldn't be foolish enough to expel an eighth tier peak alchemist knowingly."**
Realization dawned on Xiao Xuan. "I see. For a moment, I thought the Yao Clan no longer valued eighth tier alchemists."
Xiao Tiance sighed, glancing at Yao Chen. **"He's had a hard life. Orphaned at a young age, scorned by his clan, and later betrayed by a disciple who allied with the Hall of Souls to destroy him.
After his death, he survived only as a soul within the Bone Flame Ring, which eventually fell into Xiao Yan's hands."**
Xiao Xuan and the Tomb Spirit both sighed. "What a pitiful life," they said in unison.
A Worthy Investment
"Despite his hardships, I see great potential in him. If he stays diligent, his future achievements could be immense," Xiao Tiance remarked with a smile.
He recalled how, in the Great Ruler series, Yao Chen had become the Grand Elder of the Endless Flame Alliance, reaching the late stage of the Celestial Supreme level. His alchemical prowess was renowned across the Great Thousand World.
Such a promising talent was worth nurturing.
Xiao Yan Recovers
As the three conversed, Xiao Yan finally finished recovering his Dou Qi.
Opening his eyes, he looked at Xiao Tiance, who turned to Xiao Xuan and said, "Brother Xuan, Xiao Yan is ready. It's time for you and the Tomb Spirit to help him."
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