Chapter 395: Chapter 395: Xiao Yan Emerges from Seclusion
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the valley, high above the air.
At some unknown time, a massive pale-green energy vortex had formed, slowly rotating, bringing a trace of vitality to this otherwise dead and silent valley.
Below, all kinds of weeds and medicinal plants still grew lushly.
If nothing unexpected happened, and those weeds continued to grow unchecked, they would eventually take over the entire valley, then climb further up along the cliffs, spreading outward like countless green serpents.
In the desolate valley, time quietly slipped by.
Until one particular day, the monotonous scene finally showed a trace of unusual disturbance.
Buzz~
High above the sky, that massive energy vortex, which had been slowly rotating, suddenly shuddered and gradually came to a halt.
Immediately, an overwhelming flood of energy poured down like a torrential rain, condensing into three massive energy pillars as large as mountain torrents, crashing downward.
Two of these energy pillars shot straight toward a cave dwelling and a stone chamber that were covered by weeds and vines, while the third plunged directly into the thick weeds, into a purple light cocoon that had been wrapped up.
These three energy pillars, each several zhang wide, fell like great rivers breaking through, tearing through the void. Even the air emitted sharp, ripping sounds, enough to show just how immense the energy contained within them was.
Under such a massive influx of energy, the weeds and vines in the valley withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Within just a few breaths, they had all dried up, as if their very life force had been sucked away.
The previously hidden and covered cave dwelling, stone chamber, and light cocoon slowly emerged.
Two of the energy pillars entered the cave dwelling and the stone chamber respectively, while the third flowed into the light cocoon. After that, no further movement could be seen.
The massive energy vortex in the sky had completely vanished, and the violently fluctuating heaven-and-earth energy in the valley gradually returned to normal.
From the looks of it, those three entities that had required immense amounts of energy seemed to have reached a state of saturation.
After absorbing that tremendous energy pillar, the color of the light cocoon deepened further.
On its surface, mysterious runes began to appear, faintly emitting light, giving it a strange and mystical appearance.
Even the space around the cocoon seemed to ripple slightly. After this change, the valley fell into silence once more.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.
Inside the cave dwelling.
A pair of eyes that had been closed for over ten months finally trembled slightly, then slowly opened. The moment they opened, black pupils flickered with streaks of firelight, like meteor showers shooting across the night sky.
At that instant, within the silent and enclosed stone chamber, even the air seemed to carry the faint sound of flames sweeping past.
Following that, a majestic aura that had been dormant for over ten months slowly rose like a waking lion, lifting its head toward the heavens and letting out a roar that shook the earth.
Under this aura, which had grown several times stronger, the stone chamber itself began to tremble ever so slightly.
Web-like cracks spread from the spot where a black-robed young man sat cross-legged, extending to every corner of the chamber.
Crack... crack... crack~
The bluestone platform beneath him emitted a series of subtle sounds.
Thin cracks quickly spread across its surface, and in the next moment, with a deep muffled boom, the entire platform shattered into countless fragments.
Yet, even as the stone platform exploded, the black-robed youth remained motionless, still seated cross-legged — but now in mid-air.
Without using any external force, he floated there, as if an invisible power was holding him aloft.
"So, this is the feeling... of Dou Huang?"
Xiao Yan slowly spread his hands, feeling the surging Dou Qi within his body, as vast and violent as a flood bursting from a dam. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.
In this moment, an unprecedented sense of power filled his entire being.
His formidable soul power also erupted from his body, sweeping outward like a raging storm in all directions.
Its strength had already reached the peak of the Mortal Realm!
The vast soul power quickly spread beyond the cave dwelling, enveloping the entire valley. Within his soul perception, Xiao Yan saw the enormous purple light cocoon in the valley.
Through the acute perception of his soul power, he could faintly sense a powerful lifeform taking shape within it. He also sensed, in the nearby stone chamber, an elder with a ruddy complexion sitting cross-legged with eyes closed.
Within that elder’s body, a terrifying aura was likewise brewing, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"President Fa Ma... is he also about to step into Dou Zong?"
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Xiao Yan’s lips.
President Fa Ma was finally about to cross this great threshold — truly a matter worth celebrating.
But when his soul perception "saw" that pale, bone-white flame quietly burning in midair above a massive boulder, he was instantly stunned.
"Bone Chilling Flame? Master?" Xiao Yan’s heart jolted violently.
His rapidly spreading soul power instantly contracted, drawing back into his body.
His figure flickered.
Swish!
He shot out of the cultivation chamber like a bolt of lightning.
Above the massive boulder—
The pale bone-white flame floated there, swaying gently, every flicker full of spirit and life.
Swish!
A black-clad figure suddenly appeared atop the boulder, the faint wind stirred by his arrival seeming to startle the quietly burning flame. Its flicker quickened, as though in agitation.
"Bone Chilling Flame, why are you here? Where’s Master?"
Xiao Yan stared blankly at the bone-white flame, murmuring under his breath.
A wave of ominous foreboding surged violently in his chest, so strong that his body began to tremble.
Yao Lao’s Bone Chilling Flame never left his side.
No — for any owner of a Heavenly Flame, it would never be left unattended.
Yet now, this Bone Chilling Flame...his gaze shifted downward.
When Xiao Yan saw the ancient, simple ring lying silently upon the surface of the boulder, his entire body shuddered violently.
"Master, where are you?"
There was a trace of panic in Xiao Yan’s voice. His robes and hair suddenly began to stir without the slightest breeze. A vast surge of soul power erupted from between his brows.
It spread out like a flood, sweeping over the entire valley — yet it didn’t stop there, continuing to surge outward into the vast Magic Beast Mountain Range beyond.
As his soul power spread with such speed, countless images flashed into Xiao Yan’s mind. Along the way, he encountered more than a few powerful magic beasts. A soul perception as domineering as Xiao Yan’s naturally alarmed them, and they could clearly feel it.
Roars, earth-shaking and sky-shattering, erupted from deep within the endless mountains.
Within those deafening roars, countless low-ranked magical beasts cowered in terror, flattening themselves against the ground.
Though those mighty magical beasts could sense Xiao Yan’s probing soul power, aside from a few with special abilities, most could do nothing to truly harm him in the spiritual domain.
Thus, under such an overwhelming scan, Xiao Yan’s soul power suffered no interference whatsoever. He disregarded everything else, frantically driving his soul power to its limits, searching every corner he could touch.
In this frenzy, his soul power quickly swept across a full hundred li in every direction.
But this seemed to be the very limit.
When his soul power reached a certain secluded mountain stream, it could advance no further.
This was the very first time in Xiao Yan’s life he had swept such a vast region with his soul power.
Before his breakthrough, such a feat was unthinkable. Even now, being able to reach this point was only due to an explosive surge — a limit-breaking effort.
Yet, within that massive search area, there was no trace of Yao Lao whatsoever.
A faint, stabbing pain began to pulse in Xiao Yan’s mind. Only then, with great reluctance, did he retract his soul power.
Within a few breaths, it had fully withdrawn into his body.
"Master..."
Staring at the pale bone-white flame before him, Xiao Yan’s lips trembled, and his face twitched.
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