Chapter 18: Is It Really That Simple? [First Update, Please Recommend]

“So this is the Bone Spirit Cold Flame? It truly is extraordinary!”

The Bone Spirit Cold Flame was stripped from Yao Chen’s body and landed in Lin An’s palm. Even with the system’s suppression, Lin An could sense the pure energy contained within.

[Pure soul power detected. Convert to Soul Points?]
[Bone Spirit Cold Flame: Host can obtain 100,000 Soul Points if converted!]
[Ability to use the Bone Spirit Cold Flame acquired!]

Lin An hadn’t even finished speaking before the system’s prompt resounded in his mind. He was stunned—a single Bone Spirit Cold Flame could be directly exchanged for a hundred thousand Soul Points. With these points, he could instantly upgrade the Hall of Yama to level two, unlocking even more abilities.

Without hesitation, Lin An mentally commanded the conversion. As for Yao Chen, now a captive, he no longer had the right to speak. The Bone Spirit Cold Flame in Lin An’s palm transformed visibly, then merged into his body. Yao Chen was horrified to find his connection to the Bone Spirit Cold Flame had been completely severed. It no longer belonged to him.

“How did you do this?”

The scene before him shattered all he thought he knew. Lin An had forcibly stripped away the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and even severed the bond he had with the alien flame—a feat only a Dou Saint could possibly achieve. In Yao Chen’s eyes, Lin An grew even more enigmatic.

Once Lin An fully refined the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, his cultivation level surged instantly—he broke through the nine-star Dou Practitioner realm and advanced straight to the one-star Dou Master realm. The Bone Spirit Cold Flame reappeared in his palm, emitting a chilling, terrifying force. Even Yao Chen sensed the threat; if escape were possible, he would have instantly retreated into the storage ring.

“From now on, this Bone Spirit Cold Flame belongs to me,” Lin An declared. “As for you, I offer two choices. I can help you rebuild your physical body, even help you achieve things you never dared to dream of before—but in return, you must become one of the Hall of Yama. The other choice is to become Soul Points for the Hall of Yama, your life’s knowledge instantly extracted and made mine.

“I think you know which choice to make,” Lin An pressed, setting aside the rush of newfound power to resolve Yao Chen’s fate.

“I choose the first—I’ll join the Hall of Yama,” Yao Chen answered after a moment’s hesitation, picking the only option that offered him hope. Lin An’s abilities had truly frightened him; the energy in this mysterious space was highly beneficial for a soul form like his. Since Lin An could so easily strip away the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and claim it for himself, Yao Chen had no doubt Lin An could erase him entirely. He had clung to life for so long, finally awakening—he was not about to let himself be extinguished so easily.

“In that case, as you wish.”

With that, Lin An used Soul Points to help Yao Chen reconstruct a physical body most compatible with him. However, due to the limited Soul Points available, Yao Chen’s restored strength was only at the Dou Spirit level. Still, with his talent and alchemical mastery, reclaiming his former title of Medicine Sovereign would be no challenge.

Watching a body identical to his younger self form before his eyes, Yao Chen’s conviction in Lin An’s extraordinary nature only deepened.

“Soon you’ll go out and acknowledge me as your young master. Then I’ll take you to the Cloudmist Sect…” Lin An mused. Yao Chen needed a role to follow him into the sect; this identity was perfect.

Feeling the new body as if it were his own, Yao Chen quickly bowed to Lin An, indicating his understanding. Lin An nodded, and Yao Chen left the window to quietly wait for Lin An outside.

With Yao Chen gone, Lin An ordered the Hall of Yama to upgrade.

[Upgrading. Estimated time: two days.]

The system forcibly ejected Lin An from the Hall of Yama, beginning the upgrade process. Lin An was filled with anticipation, wondering what new functions the upgraded hall would bring.

After resting for a while, Lin An decided it was time to find Nalan Yanran and head to the Xiao clan to return the storage ring—which was now of little use—to Xiao Yan.

As soon as he left the inn, Yao Chen found him.

It had to be said—Yao Chen was a true old fox, his acting superb. He played the loyal servant who’d grown up alongside his young master, willing to face any danger for Lin An, to perfection. Even Nalan Yanran was moved to tears by Yao Chen’s heartfelt words.

Lin An was speechless—he hadn’t expected Yao Chen to be like this.

He responded with some clumsy acting of his own, worried that if they continued the charade, it might backfire. Yao Chen’s behavior was, in part, due to the system. Once he inhabited the body crafted by the system, he simply could not feel the slightest impulse to betray Lin An—not even Yao Chen himself realized this.

Before long, Lin An and his companions arrived at the Xiao clan.

When Xiao Yan heard Lin An had returned, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, as long as he could regain his cultivation talent, he was willing to do anything. He had suffered failure and ridicule for three years. His determination to grow strong and stand out was fiercer than anyone’s.

Xiao Xun’er was always by Xiao Yan’s side, quietly witnessing his struggles. In truth, if she used the power behind her, discovering the reason for Xiao Yan’s inability to cultivate would be trivial. But in reality, she could only think about it—the motives for her stay in the Xiao clan were never so simple, and her family would not act so openly.

But now, Xiao Xun’er had made up her mind. Regardless of whether Lin An could help Xiao Yan regain his talent, after today, she would devote herself to helping him recover, to become even stronger than before.

When Lin An entered the main hall, Xiao Yan’s swollen face had already healed. He looked at Lin An, but did not speak immediately.

“This is your storage ring. From today on, you can regain your cultivation talent,” Lin An said.

“That simple?”

Xiao Yan was skeptical. The ring was unchanged from when he’d given it to Lin An. To believe that simply passing through Lin An’s hands would restore his talent—Xiao Yan found it hard to accept.