Fighter, Dou Disciple, Dou Master, Dou Grandmaster, Dou Spirit, Dou King, Dou Emperor, Dou Ancestor, Dou Venerate, Dou Saint.
The nine realms of cultivation, and the man before them could walk on air without wings—that alone meant he was at least a Dou Ancestor.
Only those at the level of Dou Ancestor could begin to comprehend the power of space. Without the need for Dou Qi wings, they could step on the void itself and traverse through air.
Gulp...
Staring at Lin Ran who had appeared out of nowhere, Xiao Yan swallowed hard, not daring to make the slightest move. The rage he had felt earlier upon recalling his brother's death was now entirely suppressed.
Facing an unknown powerhouse—showing emotion recklessly was tantamount to seeking death.
"Teacher! Teacher!"
Xiao Yan tried to stay calm outwardly, but inside, he was shouting frantically. "What's going on? Who is this guy?"
"We may be in serious trouble, little one..."
Yao Lao's aged voice was heavier than ever before. Hearing this, Xiao Yan's heart clenched, and under the black cloak, his expression turned to shock.
In his memory, his mysterious teacher had always been calm and unbothered, composed in the face of anything. But now—even Yao Lao was treating this as a serious threat.
Though Xiao Yan didn't know the full extent of Yao Lao's past strength, he was certain: in his prime, Yao Lao stood at the peak of the continent's power pyramid.
If even he considered this "big trouble"...
Looking again at the man floating midair before him, Xiao Yan felt a heaviness settle in his chest.
"Sir, you..."
"Your talent isn't bad, but you're not the one I wish to see."
Lin Ran's gaze briefly paused on Hai Bodong, then landed directly on Xiao Yan. His tone was calm, yet his words struck like a blade—sharp, unerring.
"W-What do you mean? I don't understand what you're saying!"
Xiao Yan's expression changed. His heart pounded. He called out wildly to Yao Lao in his mind.
How could this Dou Ancestor possibly know about his teacher? That secret was known only to him!
"Still trying to hide it?"
Lin Ran's tone remained indifferent. "But no matter how you conceal it, the dense spiritual force at the Soul Realm level you're carrying… on this remote Northwest corner of the continent, it's as obvious as a torch in the dead of night."
As he spoke, Lin Ran's eyes dropped directly to the bone ring on Xiao Yan's hand.
That action confirmed everything.
Xiao Yan's heart sank completely. This man not only knew about Yao Lao's existence—he even knew where he was hiding. There was no more concealing this.
"What need is there for you to target a mere remnant soul like me?"
A weary sigh echoed from the Bone Spirit Ring. The next moment, Yao Chen's ethereal form floated into the air.
He wore a white robe, sleeves fluttering. Though his appearance seemed to be that of a middle-aged man, his mustache and goatee were already white. He radiated a kind and composed aura.
His deep eyes glimmered with wisdom that could not be hidden, even behind his aged face—it was the bearing of someone who had weathered great storms.
Seeing him appear left Hai Bodong utterly stunned.
A soul body? Is this the man who refined the Breaking Calamity Pill for me—Xiao Yan's teacher?
"Teacher?!"
Xiao Yan's voice trembled. He hadn't expected Yao Lao to appear voluntarily. That sense of foreboding now surged to its peak.
'So this is Yao Chen...'
Lin Ran's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked somewhat different from the version in the original novel—more like the one from the animation. But that didn't matter. It wasn't important.
"Young and accomplished. Not yet twenty, and already at the Dou Ancestor level."
Yao Chen's tone was flat, but behind the seemingly complimentary words, there was only disdain and contempt.
"I had no particular reason. I simply sensed an exceptionally dense soul force and grew curious."
Lin Ran's reply was effortless. "I didn't expect it to be the former number-one alchemist of the continent—the Master of the Starfall Pavilion, Yao Zun Yao Chen."
The moment he spoke, silence fell over all.
Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong were stunned where they stood, staring at Yao Chen in disbelief.
Neither had imagined Yao Chen's background to be so grand. Even Xiao Yan, his own disciple, knew little about his master's past.
The strongest alchemist on the continent, leader of a formidable sect, a Dou Venerate cultivator...
Any one of these identities was enough to shake the Northwest. But they were all part of this single man's past.
"You actually recognize me?"
Yao Chen's eyes narrowed. The soul fire within him surged, and a pale-white flame flickered.
"Oh, no no. I don't know Yao Zun personally," Lin Ran said calmly. "But I've studied sect archives. What Yao Zun did back then—I remember it quite clearly."
His words made Xiao Yan and Hai Bodong stiffen.
"You and the Flower Sect colluded with the other Central Plains sects to force ours to retreat from Zhongzhou. Our sect's foundation collapsed overnight. Well… you were lucky to escape my master's hand back then."
Lin Ran's eyes sharpened. "Today, to meet you here of all places… perhaps this is fate."
"If I capture you now, my three masters will surely rejoice."
"You were banished from the Central Plains because it was the will of the people," Yao Chen snapped, no longer hiding anything. "Your vile, dark sect should have been destroyed!"
"Speaking so righteously... and yet none of you lifted a finger against the Soul Hall."
Lin Ran sneered. "One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, Four Pavilions—are any of your hands truly clean? The only reason you moved against us was because of that woman from the Flower Sect!"
"Shut your mouth!"
A flicker of emotion passed through Yao Chen's eyes. His voice rose sharply. The soul flame in his palm blazed up and shot toward Lin Ran!
"Ah… struck a nerve, have I?"
Lin Ran scoffed coldly. He shook his arm slightly, and golden-red Dou Qi surged out, smashing the incoming pale flame. His arm turned into a golden streak, piercing through space like a divine ruler, and blasted toward Yao Chen.
Yao Chen's expression changed. He didn't dare to slack—his soul flame surged into a white-hot lance and struck back at Lin Ran's golden strike.
Boom!
A muffled explosion erupted as the two forces collided, sending a shockwave tearing through the sky. Even the surrounding space trembled faintly.
"As expected of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, ranked eleventh among the Heavenly Flames. Impressive."
Lin Ran's voice chilled. A terrifying pressure exploded from within his body, surging across the entire sky.
"But if you still had your physical body—if you were still the famed Yao Zun—I might have feared you somewhat."
"But now?"
He let out a disdainful chuckle.
"A mere remnant soul—what is there for this sect to fear?"
(End of Chapter)