Chapter 14 Obtaining the Nine Transformations

Yuan Qing, having heard the noise, emerged from his recovery and looked at Xiao Yan standing beside him. Rising with a grateful expression, he clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you for saving my life. I am deeply grateful."

Yuan Qing assumed that Xiao Yan must have been lurking nearby before, but now that Xiao Yan had rescued him, Yuan Qing felt compelled to ask, "May I know your name?" Before his words were fully uttered, he sensed that a direct question might be too forward, so he softened his tone: "I know many scions of great families on this continent, yet today I see that you, so young, have already attained remarkable strength. I am curious about which force you belong to—please forgive my presumption."

Xiao Yan smiled at Yuan Qing's thanks and then replied, "Haha, that's a bit ridiculous. I'm Xiao Yan, and I have just arrived here. I sensed fluctuations of fighting spirit in this area and came out of curiosity. When I saw that half-human, half-ghost trying to kill you, I intervened—it was simply a matter of convenience, nothing extraordinary."

Yuan Qing took this in stride. After all, they had only just met, and he was glad Xiao Yan hadn't taken advantage of him. They exchanged a few pleasantries until, inadvertently, Xiao Yan's name reached the ears of the old Flame Demon who had just emerged from a pile of rocks.

In an instant, the old demon's eyes snapped open. He glared at Xiao Yan in shock, breathing heavily, his scarlet eyes flashing with greed and bloodthirst. The old demon Yan Mo stared at Xiao Yan as if afraid he might flee, then bellowed in a bloodthirsty tone, "Xiao Yan? So your name is Xiao Yan? Hehehehe! You have finally arrived—you really made me wait for you! Hehehehe!"

"Wait for me? I don't seem to have any business with you, do I?" Xiao Yan frowned. In that moment, he felt as though he had stepped into a vast trap. A sense of danger welled up inside him, and he even thought of the long-deceased Emperor Hun Tian, as if someone had planned this road ahead. His eyes turned cold as he glared at the old demon Yan Mo.

"Hehehe, Xiao Yan, die!"

Without warning, the old Flame Demon flashed to Xiao Yan's left and suddenly struck his head with his palm. Xiao Yan countered with a punch from his right hand, meeting the attack head-on.

"Boom!"

Their fists collided, sending a rolling wave of air outward. Spatial cracks appeared in the void, and the ground beneath them crumbled inch by inch, forming spiderweb-like fissures several feet wide. Even the tall mountain nearby trembled slightly.

As their fists separated, Xiao Yan remained firmly in place. The ground beneath him had turned to thick dust that would engulf his feet if he stepped upon it, forcing him to stand in the void. The Flame Demon, having fought Xiao Yan, retreated hundreds of steps before coming to a forced halt. He stared at Xiao Yan, who now stood resolute in the void, with a serious expression. In the previous attack, the Flame Demon had been suppressed from the start; he had initiated the assault, seizing the initiative. But when he felt the full force of Xiao Yan's fist, he understood what true initiative meant. Under Xiao Yan's absolute power, even if Yuan Qing and he combined forces, they might still be unable to overcome him.

After pondering for a moment, the old demon roared, "Mysterious Soul Devouring Palm!"

In response, the lean figure of the Flame Demon Old Ghost surged upward into the sky. His hands formed seals as fast as lightning, accompanied by surges of energy. The black mist that had mostly dissipated around him reassembled, enveloping his body in a thick protective shield.

Yet the assault was far from over. The seals in his hands continued to change—faster than before—as he employed an unknown method to boost their speed instantly. His trembling form betrayed the steep price he was paying. As Xiao Yan sensed the fluctuations of fighting spirit from the seals, his face turned solemn. It was evident that an extremely powerful fighting technique was being unleashed.

Unfortunately, even though the distance between Xiao Yan and the Flame Demon Old Ghost was short, the latter's speed suggested that by the time he closed in, he might have already prepared a devastating strike.

The old Flame Demon observed the impending clash with a cruel, bloodthirsty smile. In the next moment, he rushed down toward Xiao Yan and Yuan Qing.

Xiao Yan watched the advancing old Flame Demon, and the solemn look on his face was quickly replaced by worry and anxiety. He glanced at the dejected Yuan Qing. With a swift move, the two of them vanished from their current spot and reappeared ten feet away, where they immediately set up a Dou Qi shield.

Yuan Qing looked at Xiao Yan—clad in snow-white—with surprise and unspoken questions, as if asking whether this place differed from where they had just been.

Then came a resounding "Boom!" The old Flame Demon, now less than ten feet away from Xiao Yan, paused in the void. The seals in his hand, which had been constantly shifting, suddenly became chaotic. In an instant, an extremely violent energy storm, mixed with traces of soul power, bombarded the Dou Qi light shield Xiao Yan had established. The shield vibrated and buzzed. Just as Xiao Yan was about to dismantle the shield to assess the situation, an unforeseen mishap occurred.

A piercing pain, as if his head were splitting open, erupted from deep within his soul's origin. Huo Yi, previously merged with Xiao Yan, suddenly emerged from his body. Both clutched their heads and screamed.

However, Xiao Yan was a being whose soul power had reached the Emperor Realm and was also an accomplished alchemist. He quickly dispelled the pain with his mighty soul power.

Xiao Yan surveyed Huo Yi and Yuan Qing, who lay on the ground, screaming in agony. Frowning, he swung his sleeves forcefully; a potent soul force bombarded them until they gradually recovered. Before Yuan Qing fully regained his senses, Xiao Yan drew Huo Yi back into his body. After all, Huo Yi was a spirit born of heaven and earth, and if others learned of this, it would surely invite trouble.

When Yuan Qing finally regained consciousness, Xiao Yan was greatly surprised. Yuan Qing, newly revived, felt an overwhelming emptiness throughout his body—as if, without Xiao Yan's immensely powerful soul force, he might have been mistaken for merely an incarnation.

Xiao Yan stared at Yuan Qing in astonishment. He knew that for a cultivator, a soul never truly leaves the body; what Yuan Qing was experiencing could only be the release of soul power used to perceive the environment. Yuan Qing's condition resembled that of his half-incarnation during the Nine Transformations, or that of powerful cultivators who died yet retained their souls. Xiao Yan was about to ask further, but then he saw Yuan Qing swiftly withdraw a jade bottle from his ring and vanish into it.

Xiao Yan watched, dazed, until Yuan Qing disappeared—leaving only the jade bottle behind. After blinking a few times, the bottle flew toward Xiao Yan and landed in his hands. A faint voice then emerged from the bottle, with Yuan Qing saying, "Fellow Daoist Xiao Yan, please temporarily secure my soul in the ring for safekeeping. Thank you." Without waiting for a response, the voice faded, and Yuan Qing's soul slipped into a deep sleep.

"Huh?" Xiao Yan stared for a long while, wanting to speak but ultimately only sighing helplessly. He cradled the jade bottle in his arms and turned his attention to the black figure lying amid the ruins.

"Boom!"

With the sound of breaking rocks, the old Flame Demon reappeared. As soon as he emerged, he spat several mouthfuls of blood with a "puff." His entire body trembled as if he were on the verge of death.

The old demon's scarlet eyes burned with resentment as he stared at a black flame figure lying motionless just three feet away from Xiao Yan. That figure was none other than Hei Yan, who had arrived earlier than Xiao Yan. Hei Yan's sudden appearance had disrupted the old demon's technique, causing him to suffer heavy injuries from the backlash.

Now, Xiao Yan was unharmed, but the old demon Yan Mo was gravely injured and could no longer fight. It was nearly impossible for them to capture Xiao Yan alive and exchange him for a reward; their only option was to relay news of Xiao Yan's arrival to the Ghost Killing Gate in hopes of trading it for something valuable.

Harboring deep resentment, the old Flame Demon seized the moment—while Xiao Yan attended to Hei Yan's injuries—and fled swiftly, leaving with a heart full of bitterness.

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