Three days later, at the border between the Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire, within a quiet town on the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range...
A tranquil room filled with a faint aroma of sandalwood drifted gently in the air, bringing a subtle sense of relaxation and calm. On the bed in the corner of the room, Xiao Yan lay motionless with his eyes closed. His breathing was faint and slow, so weak it made anyone watching fear that his next breath might never come.
No one knew how long had passed before the figure on the bed—still as a corpse—finally stirred. His fingers twitched slightly, and his eyes slowly fluttered open.
Soft lamplight filtered into his vision. Xiao Yan's palm clenched instinctively as he strained to move his gaze, taking in the slightly familiar room in its entirety. Only then did he let out a long breath and collapse back into the bed, utterly exhausted.
His chest rose and fell as he panted faintly. Once his thoughts gradually cleared, memories surged forth from the depths of his mind like a flood, restoring his sense of time and place.
"I really pushed myself too far…"
Xiao Yan let out a bitter smile. Back when he'd fled from Rock Desert City with Hai Bodong, they had flown desperately without rest, eventually crossing into the borders of the Jia Ma Empire.
But an unfortunate misstep had landed them inside the territory of a rank six Magic Beast.
Xiao Yan had suffered serious injuries from that encounter. Had it not been for Hai Bodong's presence, he might have been buried in the belly of a beast.
Letting his consciousness sink into his body, Xiao Yan was stunned by what he saw.
His internal condition was nothing short of disastrous—his meridians ravaged, his organs disrupted. It was as if his entire body had been crushed by some terrifying force.
His heart sank heavily.
But very soon, he noticed something strange.
Though his body was damaged, there was a warm stream of energy slowly flowing into his meridians, soothing and healing the injuries. And that familiar energy… he recognized it at once.
Following his instincts, Xiao Yan raised his hand. A faint, pale-white flame flickered into life in his palm.
'Bone-Chilling Flame?!'
He stiffened in shock. Only now did he realize what had been bothering him since awakening.
Yao Lao—Yao Chen—hadn't made a sound.
His expression turned grim in an instant. Panic surged through his chest as he called out urgently in his mind, "Teacher? Teacher?!"
He cried out again and again, but his voice echoed into silence. No answer came.
And the longer that silence stretched, the heavier Xiao Yan's heart became.
"Something's wrong…"
His throat tightened. A deep, bone-chilling fear began to rise from the pit of his soul—the same dread he had once felt years ago, when he had gone from being a genius to a cripple overnight.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yan forced his arm upward, staring at the old, black ring on his finger. Seeing that it remained intact, he breathed out shakily and tried to suppress the fear clawing at his chest.
Closing his eyes, he condensed a sliver of soul power and directed it toward the ring.
The moment it touched the ring, a powerful suction yanked his consciousness inside before he could even react.
The world turned dark.
Then, Xiao Yan found himself standing in a realm surrounded by soft white light. Inside this space, the faint figure of Yao Chen floated in midair, his expression warm as he looked at the wisp of Xiao Yan's soul.
'Little guy, you're finally awake.'
Yao Lao floated closer with a faint smile.
'Teacher… you're alright!'
Relief surged through Xiao Yan's heart. Seeing Yao Chen still intact eased a huge burden off his shoulders.
They had only just escaped that monster's grasp. If Yao Chen had disappeared too… he really wouldn't have been able to handle it.
But Xiao Yan could also tell—Yao Chen's current state was extremely poor.
'Nothing too serious,' Yao Chen said, shaking his head. 'My soul origin was damaged, that's all. I won't die from it.'
'That mysterious Dou Venerate's energy only temporarily replenished my Dou Qi. It couldn't repair the injuries to my soul. After that battle, my soul power was nearly depleted.'
Xiao Yan's face changed dramatically. The ethereal figure before him flickered slightly from the intense reaction of his soul power.
'Don't worry,' Yao Chen said calmly. 'Although my soul energy has been exhausted, I can recover. I'll just need to sleep for a while—like I did before.'
He gazed at Xiao Yan gently and smiled. 'For the time being, Teacher won't be able to protect you anymore. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourself.'
Xiao Yan's eyes reddened. His fists clenched tightly as he whispered hoarsely, 'I'm sorry, Teacher.'
If it hadn't been for his insistence on attending his eldest brother's funeral, Yao Chen wouldn't have been targeted by Lin Ran—and wouldn't be in this state now.
'Heh, don't blame yourself. That man's real target was me. It has nothing to do with you.'
'Besides, I'm only going to sleep for a while—not vanish completely.'
'Oh, and I've left a sliver of the Bone-Chilling Flame within your body, infused with my soul imprint. You can absorb it when the time comes—it's safe. Now that you're a Dou Practitioner, it's time for your Flame Mantra to evolve a bit.'
'Also, Hai Bodong is a good ally. While I'm gone, he should be able to help you grow. After you absorb the flame remnant, you'll be able to activate the Bone-Chilling Flame still dormant inside him.'
'By the way, I've also stored part of the main Bone-Chilling Flame inside this Bone Flame Ring. If you ever encounter danger beyond your ability, use it. And be careful—there's something strange in this part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. There might be a great opportunity here for you…'
'Teacher…'
Yao Chen's words continued as if he were trying to cram all his remaining thoughts into this one moment. Xiao Yan's lips trembled, his eyes red. Slowly, he knelt in midair and bowed deeply toward Yao Chen.
'Do your best, little one. Ever since we met, you've made this old man proud.'
With a pleased smile, Yao Chen nodded. Watching this youth finally shed his naïveté through hardship and growth, he slowly faded into the surrounding glow.
'Teacher… Teacher!'
Xiao Yan shouted as Yao Chen disappeared.
His eyes flew open.
He was alone again.
Sitting upright in the empty room, Xiao Yan took a deep breath. His chest was heavy, his heart aching.
From this day on… he would have to face the world alone.
(End of Chapter)