After a round of conversation, the two old men went from their initial happiness and excitement to silence and reminiscence.
When Yao Tianhuo learned that Xiao Tianbao only had a few years left to live, he felt a pang in his heart.
He took out the Skyfire Rings and recounted some of his own experiences, including traveling to the Northwest Continent, finding the second Fallen Heart Flame, and greedily wanting to devour it, only to suffer a terrible backlash and have his physical body destroyed.
Xiao Tianbao also spoke of his various experiences, some good, some painful, but for the two old men, these were all just jokes as they looked back on their lives.
"I came this time not only to see you, but this little friend of mine also wants to ask you for guidance on the art of weapon refining," Yao Tianhuo said, introducing him.
"Oh? Is little friend Han also a weapon refiner?"
Han Feng nodded.
"I have just recently entered this path and want to learn another craft."
"Haha, little friend Han is still young. It's not too late to enter this path!" Xiao Tianbao said with a smile.
"Good. While I still have some strength left, I can teach the younger generation. Some legacies cannot be allowed to be broken."
"Huh? What do you mean by that? Is there no one in the Xiao family to inherit your weapon refining art?" Yao Tianhuo asked in surprise.
"Of course there are, but their talent is not good, and they cannot comprehend the higher mysteries. But this little friend, his sea of consciousness is profound, and his spirituality is spontaneous. He might have a chance to comprehend it."
Xiao Tianbao looked at Han Feng meaningfully.
Yao Tianhuo's eyes darted, and he smiled somewhat slyly.
"Do you know what this little friend's identity is?"
"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."
Yao Tianhuo leaned back and made an "eight" sign with his fingers.
"Eighth-grade alchemist!"
Xiao Tianbao's mouth gradually fell open.
Han Feng watched the two old treasures interact, especially the smug Venerate Skyfire, who acted as if he were the eighth-grade alchemist.
"Little... little friend Han... you are an eighth-grade alchemist!"
Xiao Tianbao swallowed.
An eighth-grade alchemist coming to ask for advice from him, a seventh-grade weapon refiner?
What a joke!
Even if he could refine an eighth-grade weapon, he still couldn't compare to an alchemist.
Han Feng nodded and said, "Every art has its specialty. In the path of alchemy, although I have a slight reputation, it doesn't mean that I can have the same attainments in the path of weapon refining as you, Senior Xiao."
"Please, Senior, give me your guidance."
After calming down, Xiao Tianbao smiled and said, "Since you've said so, how can I refuse you?"
Not to mention that he was his old friend's savior, just the fact that an eighth-grade alchemist was willing to lower his status and ask him for guidance, Xiao Tianbao felt it was worth teaching him.
This was a favor from an eighth-grade alchemist!
A moment later, after the group had eaten lunch, Xiao Tianbao led Han Feng to a weapon refining room, which was filled with all kinds of tools.
"Come, little friend Han, let me introduce these things to you."
The path of weapon refining had its own knowledge, completely different from alchemy. Han Feng listened attentively to Xiao Tianbao's introduction, learning about the weapon refining art of the Nanli Nation.
Subsequently, Xiao Tianbao personally demonstrated the refining of a third-grade mechanism button.
Han Feng followed his example. After three attempts, he refined it, and the quality was not bad.
"Oh? It seems little friend Han also has some foundation," Xiao Tianbao said with a satisfied smile after checking the function of the mechanism button.
In that case, he could speed up the tutorial.
This was an eighth-grade alchemist. His soul power must have already reached the qualification to use that armor.
Xiao Tianbao believed that this was a heaven-sent fate, allowing him to pass on his ancestors' techniques before he died. Therefore, he taught his weapon refining knowledge with great care.
What is learned on paper is ultimately shallow. Although Han Feng had read the "Weapon Refining Legacy," without a famous teacher's guidance, his progress was slow. Now, under Xiao Tianbao's one-on-one guidance, his weapon refining skills were improving day by day.
A month later, Han Feng could already refine sixth-grade artifacts on his own, almost catching up to Xiao Tianbao.
However, although Han Feng had a great time learning, Xiao Tianbao was clearly running out of energy.
He was already running out of time, and he had poured so much energy into teaching Han Feng. His time of passing might even be advanced.
Han Feng brought a bowl of medicinal soup and came to Xiao Tianbao's bedside.
"Senior Xiao, it's time to take your medicine."
"I've really troubled you."
Xiao Tianbao drank the bitter medicinal soup and immediately felt much more relaxed.
Han Feng silently checked Xiao Tianbao's body from the side.
Under his soul power perception, this body, which had a weak life force, had already begun to slowly recover.
Not bad. Under the nourishment of the medicinal liquid, he barely had another chance to advance to Dou Venerate.
Xiao Tianbao was a nine-star Dou Ancestor expert, but unfortunately, he had failed to advance to Dou Venerate before. Not only did his cultivation regress, but his vitality was also greatly diminished.
After so many years, although he had barely recovered his cultivation, it was extremely difficult to advance again.
Because of the other party's physical weakness, he could not take pills directly. Han Feng had specially decocted medicinal soups to slowly nourish Xiao Tianbao's body.
Although he had not formally become his disciple, Han Feng kept the grace of being taught in his heart.
"I was supposed to be the one teaching you, but now I haven't finished teaching, and I still have to trouble you to serve me. This is really..."
Xiao Tianbao felt very guilty, and his eyes reddened slightly.
He finally understood what Yao Tianhuo had said before. If only Han Feng were really his disciple.
"Senior, don't say such discouraging words. When your body is better, it won't be too late to teach again."
Xiao Tianbao nodded, said nothing, and did his best to recuperate, wanting to get better quickly so he could teach Han Feng everything.
Half a month later, Xiao Tianbao stepped out of the weapon refining room again and, in one go, taught Han Feng the seventh-grade weapon refining art.
Han Feng had already studied the theoretical knowledge of the "Weapon refining Legacy." After practicing, he quickly mastered the refining method for seventh-grade artifacts.
Seeing this, Xiao Tianbao took out a secret manual from a hidden room. On it was written "Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect."
"Little friend Han, as for the rest, this old man cannot personally teach you, because I don't know it either."
Xiao Tianbao handed the secret manual to Han Feng.
"This Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect technique, I will impart to you today. If you achieve something in your studies in the future, little friend, please promise this old man an impudent request."
"Please speak, Senior."
"The talent of my clan's people is average nowadays, and they cannot comprehend the secret manual. But if there is a promising talent in the future, please, little friend, help me guide them a little, and pass this art down."
Han Feng looked at the "Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect" in his hand, and a guess faintly formed in his heart. This Xiao family of the Nanli Continent was perhaps really a branch of the Xiao Clan that had been exterminated a thousand years ago.
"I will naturally agree to Senior's request. However, I think it might be better if Senior could teach your descendants yourself."
As Han Feng spoke, he took out a pill full of spirituality.
"This is?" Xiao Tianbao asked in shock.
"An eighth-grade pill, the Tianzun Pill. I believe it can help Senior Xiao fight for the qualification to advance again."
"Can I really still break through?" Xiao Tianbao's voice trembled slightly.
Han Feng handed the eighth-grade Tianzun Pill to Xiao Tianbao and said with a smile, "Go and give it a try. Maybe it will succeed."
This Tianzun Pill was refined by Han Feng using the eighth-tier ingredients from the Medicine Saint Valley. Its quality was excellent, and its medicinal properties far exceeded those of an ordinary eighth-grade pill.
Even if Xiao Tianbao failed to break through, the remaining medicinal power would be enough to let him live for another hundred years.
———
Xiao Tianbao was suddenly hit by a huge surprise. He held the Tianzun Pill in his hand, his expression dazed.
In the end, it was Han Feng who urged him not to be stunned. This old man, who was on the verge of death, then happily went into seclusion.
Han Feng comprehended the "Xiao Clan's Artifact Sect" alone in the weapon refining room. He found that the content at the back extended directly to the level of a ninth-grade Saint artifact. It was so complicated that he couldn't understand it for a moment.
However, this also made him certain that Xiao Tianbao was a descendant of the Xiao Clan.
"So this is how a Saint artifact is refined."
Han Feng had an epiphany. The reason why Saint artifacts were powerful was that they already had an extremely mature artifact spirit, and they also contained a small world, comparable to a Saint's space.
Therefore, to refine a Saint artifact, one's soul realm had to be raised to the Heaven Realm.
The soul power of the Heaven Realm was equivalent to a Half-Saint expert in the Dou Qi realm.
Only by stepping into the "Saint" rank would one be qualified to refine a Saint artifact. Otherwise, there was only the path of death.
Throughout the ages, the number of weapon refiners who had died while trying to refine artifacts above their rank was not small.
This was just like alchemy. After the sixth grade, weapon refining required powerful soul power to support. If one's soul realm was not up to standard, one would be extremely susceptible to backlash.
It seemed that it was still a bit of a fantasy to want to upgrade [Extreme Lion] to a Quasi-Saint artifact now.
Han Feng took out the "Weapon Refining Legacy" again and began to study how to repair the eighth-tier puppets.
Xiao Tianbao had already given him a lot of help. Next, he would have to rely on himself.
A month later, Han Feng had re-created three puppet cores, consuming one eighth-tier low-level monster core from Ao Tianxuan, one eighth-tier low-level monster core from the Silver Mastiff clan leader, and one eighth-tier mid-level monster core from the eighth-tier magical beast he had picked up in the Southern Region's Spirit Mountain.
After placing the cores, Han Feng activated the three puppets.
Surprisingly, the puppet that had received Ao Tianxuan's monster core had actually broken through by one star, reaching the initial stage of a two-star Dou Venerate.
The puppet that had received the Silver Mastiff clan leader's monster core had broken through by two stars, becoming an initial-stage three-star Dou Venerate.
The most terrifying was that five-star Dou Venerate's monster core, which had directly raised the puppet's cultivation to the late stage of a five-star Dou Venerate, very close to a six-star Dou Venerate.
The pupils of the three terrifying golden puppets contracted, and then an incomparably tyrannical aura circulated from their cores to all parts of their bodies.
Looking at the three Venerate-level combatants before him, Han Feng's confidence instantly soared.
With such a killing weapon in hand, even the Purple Shattered Ruins could not stop him, right?
The hard work of these few months had not been in vain. Han Feng easily controlled the three puppets before him, causing their bodies to shrink and turn into the size of pills.
Storing the three steel pills in his space, Han Feng walked out of the weapon refining room.
"Little friend Han, you're out of seclusion?"
Yao Tianhuo was still sitting on the rocking chair, swaying. His gaze was directed forward, where Xiao Tianbao's seclusion place was.
He was very concerned about whether his old friend could advance to Dou Venerate.
The lifespans of a Dou Ancestor and a Dou Venerate were different. Yao Tianhuo, as a Dou Venerate, had a lifespan of nearly a thousand years. Even if his physical body was destroyed, his soul body could still continue to exist and live for several hundred more years.
But a Dou Ancestor could not. A Dou Ancestor's soul body was still a bit too weak.
Moreover, Xiao Tianbao's lifespan was already at its end. When the time came, his soul would be extinguished, and it would have nothing to do with a soul body.
Unless Xiao Tianbao could break through to Dou Venerate, only then could he be completely rejuvenated.
Han Feng looked in the direction of Xiao Tianbao's seclusion and smiled. "It's almost time. Senior Xiao's fortune is not shallow. He should be able to break through this time."
Yao Tianhuo looked at Han Feng. "That's right. His greatest fortune was meeting you. An eighth-grade Tianzun Pill, tsk tsk tsk..."
As he spoke, Yao Tianhuo couldn't help but feel a little envious.
Han Feng shook his head helplessly.
This old mischievous boy is jealous.
"Senior Skyfire, how about we make a deal?" Han Feng said to Yao Tianhuo.
"What deal?"
"Use thirty years of your time in exchange for a chance to be resurrected."
Yao Tianhuo was stunned for a moment, then jumped up. "You can help me be resurrected?"
"Yes, and there are no side effects after resurrection. Senior Skyfire can still explore the path of cultivation to your heart's content," Han Feng said faintly.
The more Yao Tianhuo heard, the more his heart burned.
Resurrection!
He wanted it so badly!
And Han Feng even said there were no side effects...
With Venerate Skyfire's strength and vision, he actually knew of some ways to be resurrected, but those were all desperate methods with extremely strong side effects.
If Yao Tianhuo hesitated even for a moment, it would be a disrespect to himself.
"Alright, I agree!"
"Let alone a mere thirty years, even if I have to follow you for a hundred years, little friend Han, I am more than willing," Yao Tianhuo said affectionately.
Han Feng smiled. "Alright. After this matter is over, I will prepare the materials for your resurrection."
A few days later, a fire cloud suddenly appeared in the sky above the Xiao residence. The phenomenon covered a small half of Red Feather City.
"This... someone broke through?"
The people of Red Feather City stopped in their tracks and looked up at the Xiao residence.
A vast energy rose from within Xiao Tianbao's body. His previously withered limbs now became full and powerful. His hunched back also straightened like a pine tree.
Just by standing there, he seemed to be holding up the entire Xiao family.
"He succeeded."
Yao Tianhuo let out a long breath and nodded with satisfaction.
Xiao Tianbao looked down at the entire Sky Feather City, his heart surging with emotion.
Half a life of wind and rain, half a life in the mud.
He hadn't expected to have a turn of good fortune at the end and break through to Dou Venerate.
Xiao Tianbao immediately found Han Feng's location and strode towards him.
"A great kindness needs no words of thanks. From now on, little friend Han, you are my, Xiao Tianbao's, benefactor."
"Senior Xiao, you mustn't be so. I am also extremely grateful for the grace of your teaching."
The two bowed to each other, and then the atmosphere was broken by Yao Tianhuo.
"It seems this trip to Red Feather City was really the right one. Everyone is happy!"
Originally, Yao Tianhuo might have felt a little lonely, but after Han Feng said that he would also be resurrected, this old mischievous boy had no more worries.
"Tianhuo, I now have plenty of time to study the eighth-grade weapon refining art. When the time comes, I'll refine a spirit body for you, and you can be resurrected too," Xiao Tianbao said, his first thought being to worry about his old friend. Yao Tianhuo was taken aback, then smiled, "There's no need for you. Little friend Han will resurrect me. We can drink and talk merrily again then!"
A spirit body, although it was also very attractive, was ultimately not as comfortable as a real physical body.
"In that case, then it is truly a joyous occasion for all," Xiao Tianbao said, stroking his beard and nodding with a smile.