"You and the Cloud Rain Sect share a deep-seated hatred. With those three old freaks, it's a death feud. Yet not only do you refuse to kill me, you want to recruit me?!"
Yao Chen's expression was full of disbelief. He truly couldn't understand what was going on in Lin Ran's mind.
Shouldn't Lin Ran be executing him immediately, or handing him over to his teachers or the higher-ups of the Hall of Souls to extract more benefits?
And what even was this Pill Hall?
Yao Chen looked utterly confused.
Facing his bewilderment, Lin Ran remained calm and indifferent.
If it had been a year ago—when Lin Ran was tormented by his Pure Yang Physique and unable to make any cultivation progress—he would have killed both Yao Chen and Xiao Yan without hesitation if the chance arose.
The reasoning was simple: due to their deep grudge with the Cloud Rain Sect, if Yao Chen were to support Xiao Yan's growth, the sect and the Scorpion Demon Three Elders would undoubtedly be annihilated in the future.
But—
As Lin Ran's strength advanced and his control over the situation deepened, his perspective shifted.
Absolute power gave him the capital to face everything with calm composure.
To Lin Ran now, neither Yao Chen nor Xiao Yan were obstacles on his path. They wouldn't pose any significant threat to him anymore.
Why?
Because after advancing to Dou Venerate and obtaining both the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame and the Flame Mantra, Lin Ran's power now stood on a completely different tier than Xiao Yan's and Yao Chen's.
In addition, his strategic web had already been cast. Unless he died suddenly, Yao Chen and Xiao Yan could never escape his grasp.
This was confidence.
Confidence in his strength. Confidence in his future.
Since he was now untouchable, why not maximize the benefits?
With Gu Xun'er around, he couldn't lay a finger on Xiao Yan. But Yao Chen was different. This discarded son of the Yao Clan, once the continent's top alchemist, now a soul floating on the brink of collapse—Lin Ran had ample room to manipulate him.
So why waste it by killing him?
Profit was supreme.
Lin Ran gave a light chuckle. "You may have a blood feud with the Cloud Rain Sect, and you're mortal enemies with the Scorpion Demon Three, but does that stop me from recruiting you?"
"Ugh…" Yao Chen faltered. "But aren't you the Cloud Rain Sect's young master…"
"Yes, I am. But Yao Chen, you've lived long enough—you should understand something by now," Lin Ran said coolly. "This world is never black and white. It's the shades of grey that reign supreme."
"My three teachers are outstanding. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am. But I can't rely on them forever. Nor will I inherit the Cloud Rain Sect, even if I am the young master."
"I need my own foundation."
Lin Ran opened his palm. A golden token and a jade vial floated gently above it.
"I know a few words won't convince the famed Yao Zun-zhe to submit. But I believe your thirst for survival, fear of death, and bitterness over the past will be enough to draw you under my banner."
"Don't you agree, Master Yao?"
Yao Chen stared at Lin Ran, dazed. He had thought Lin Ran to be just another inheritor of the Scorpion Demon Three—a vile, depraved bastard who trafficked women and indulged in unbridled evil.
But he was wrong.
This young man may be wicked and dark at heart, but he was nothing like the lustful demons he had imagined.
In those deep black eyes, Yao Chen glimpsed an abyss—one he could not gaze into, let alone cross.
This man's ambition…
"Indecision is often a sign of temptation," Lin Ran said, smiling. "Then allow me to raise the stakes."
"Stake?" Yao Chen blinked.
"I've heard that though you were once the top alchemist on the continent, head of Starfall Pavilion, you were exiled by your clan. Your parents' names weren't even etched onto the ancestral stele. Is this true?"
BOOM!
As Lin Ran spoke, the hall was rocked by a surge of soul force. Though Yao Chen's soul was feeble, it still trembled furiously.
Hovering in midair, his eyes bore into Lin Ran. His voice dropped low.
"How do you know about that?"
"This is common knowledge in the Yao Clan. Nothing too secret," Lin Ran shrugged. "I've encountered Yao Clan members who speak of the once-famous Yao Zun-zhe as if he were a rat nibbling cheese in a sewer."
"Heh."
A glint of coldness passed through Yao Chen's eyes.
He had long accepted the events of the past. He had lived well enough outside the Yao Clan. He had moved on.
But his parents' final wish—to have their names remembered on the ancestral stele—was something he had never let go.
They had entrusted that wish to him with their dying breaths. He had failed. Worse, he had been exiled.
He had believed it was impossible to fulfill that vow in this life.
And now, Lin Ran offered to make it happen.
How could he remain indifferent?
"You realize what you're saying? That's the Imperial Bloodline," Yao Chen said grimly. "Your Cloud Rain Sect is nothing to them. They could crush the Scorpion Demon Three like ants."
"I know. This isn't my first time facing an 'Imperial Bloodline'."
Lin Ran smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I don't make promises I can't keep. If I say it, I mean it. All you need to do… is choose."
"Say yes, and you'll have a new life—a future."
"Say no… and I'll fuse your soul with a Dou Venerate's corpse to make a new puppet. That's not such a bad end, either."
"..."
Yao Chen fell silent. He stared into Lin Ran's eyes, trying to read him.
But Lin Ran remained calm and poised, not rushing.
The hall was quiet as death.
Yao Chen's expression grew complex. And for some reason, in the darkness of Lin Ran's eyes, he saw a glimmer of light. A glimmer of… hope.
'Maybe Lin Ran is telling the truth…' Yao Chen thought.
He knew his own worth. The living Yao Chen was far more useful than the dead one. If Lin Ran truly could do what he claimed, then what was wrong with serving him?
He had seen the heights of power and the depths of despair. If anything was missing from his life, it was:
One, taking revenge on Han Feng for his betrayal.
Two, fulfilling his parents' dying wish.
Maybe even three, witnessing Xiao Yan truly rise to the peak.
By serving Lin Ran, he could reclaim Han Feng, keep a watchful eye on Xiao Yan, and fulfill his final regrets.
To his surprise, everything could be resolved… with one nod.
"This offer… really is hard to refuse."
Yao Chen gave a bitter smile. Looking at the composed Lin Ran, he felt a chill. This young man had swayed a mortal enemy with mere words.
Yao Chen raised his hand. With a pulse of soul force, the golden token and jade vial floated into his palm.
"A wise choice."
Lin Ran smiled with satisfaction. "Channel your soul force into the token, and you'll understand everything. The vial contains Soul-Nurturing Nectar to stabilize your soul."
"After this is over, I'll help you forge a new body. It may not be your peak, but seventy to eighty percent restoration shouldn't be a problem."
"Forge… a body?"
Yao Chen was surprised.
"You're part of my Sacred Sect now. As my Pill Hall Master, how could you remain in a soul state?"
"You're generous, Sect Master. But forging a body isn't like making a puppet—especially one that can withstand my soul's power."
Yao Chen sighed. "I require three things:
First, a peak-tier seventh-grade Bone-Melding Blood Pill—preferably nearing eighth grade.
Second, the blood essence of at least a seventh-rank magical beast.
Third, the bones of a Dou Ancestor."
"Powerful souls need powerful bodies. If not, the soul will destroy the vessel."
"Also, a Heavenly Flame strong enough to handle all this. I gave the core of my Bone-Chilling Flame to that brat, so you'll need at least two Flames ranked below fifteen, or one ranked in the top ten."
Yao Chen listed all the requirements, hoping Lin Ran would understand how difficult this was.
But Lin Ran's expression didn't change.
"I don't boast without cause. Since I made the promise, I can follow through."
"I don't have the pill yet, but the Sacred Sect has the resources. Gathering the ingredients is just a matter of time. Either you or I can refine it."
Seeing Yao Chen's startled gaze, Lin Ran added, "I'm a seventh-tier alchemist. My soul power has already reached the spiritual realm. Becoming eighth-tier is only a matter of time."
Yao Chen nodded with admiration. He had already sensed Lin Ran's soul strength. But knowing he was a seventh-tier alchemist too?
That shocked him.
For someone so young to advance so far in both Dou Qi and alchemy—"genius" didn't suffice. He was a monster. Not even the most gifted youths of the Yao Clan's Imperial Bloodline could compare.
"As for the blood essence—"
Lin Ran waved his hand. Bottles appeared midair. With them came a thick, overwhelming wave of bloody energy.
"This aura… all of this is high-grade beast blood?!"
"Correct."
Lin Ran smiled, and with another flick of his hand, a corpse appeared.
The moment it emerged, the bloody aura was suppressed. Yao Chen's pupils contracted.
"That's… a Dou Venerate's corpse?!"
Grinning, Lin Ran collected everything back into his storage ring.
"You see? I have the beast blood. I have the corpse. Once we get the pill materials, I can forge your new body."
"Wait—what about the Heavenly Flame? Even with everything else…"
Before he could finish, a brilliant flame burst into the air.
Yao Chen's words caught in his throat. He stared at the fire in silence.
After a long pause, he finally exhaled—whether in relief or awe at Lin Ran's power, even he didn't know.
"That's a fusion flame, isn't it?"
Yao Chen looked at him with a complex expression. "It's incredible. I don't sense the Flame Mantra on you, yet you've fused Heavenly Flames? Is that even possible?"
"This world is ruled by strength," Lin Ran said, flicking his fingers. The flame split into three—one green, one invisible, one brilliant gold.
"The green one is the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth. The invisible one is Fallen Heart Flame, ranked fourteenth. And the gold one…"
"Gold flames are rare. Only the Nine Nether Golden Flame at rank seven and the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame at rank four match it. Yours…"
"It's the Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame—but only half."
Lin Ran didn't play guessing games. The three flames merged once again into a radiant fire.
"I call this fusion: Sacred Gold Meteor Heart Flame."
"Golden Emperor Burning Sky Flame?!" Yao Chen was stunned. No wonder even the Beast Spirit Flame, bolstered by Bone-Chilling Flame, had trembled before it.
Though only half its original power, combined with the other two, it rivaled—no, surpassed—the full version!
"To fuse three Heavenly Flames without the Flame Mantra… I've truly seen a miracle today."
Yao Chen was filled with awe.
No wonder Lin Ran was so composed. With this kind of foundation, helping him forge a body really was as easy as he claimed.
Thinking this, Yao Chen let out a sigh and no longer hesitated. He poured his soul power into the golden token.
(End of Chapter)
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