Chapter 22: Fortune Beyond Measure
Once you're familiar, everything gets easier.
The process of refining the Spirit Tribe blood essence went very smoothly—much easier than when Yao Yan had devoured the Stone Clan member.
Back then, it had been his first time activating the Soul Devouring Clan's innate divine ability. He hadn't controlled it properly and had swallowed everything whole from the Stone Clan youth. As a mere Dou Practitioner at the time, Yao Yan couldn't handle that chaotic power, which resulted in an unstable surge in his cultivation.
If Hun Xuzi hadn't been watching closely, Yao Yan's Dou Qi foundation might have been completely ruined.
As he opened his eyes—
Yao Yan's aura instantly surged, leaping from a three-star Dou Master to a six-star Dou Master. A potent life force flooded his body, nourishing him. The minor damage from his body refining training instantly healed, and the skin that had grown rough due to physical training became smooth again, making his already handsome face even more flawless.
Hun Xuzi let out a mocking laugh. "Jie jie, just as expected of the Spirit Tribe's Dou Emperor bloodline. Your strength barely increased, but your looks sure improved."
Yao Yan couldn't help pulling out a mirror from his storage ring. Sure enough, his skin had become softer and his features more refined—as if evolving into some perfect lifeform.
Have I become a pretty boy? Yao Yan asked himself. Personally, he preferred the tough-guy aesthetic. This overly perfect appearance was a bit too eye-catching. Being too handsome wasn't always a good thing. He liked his former, plain look—at least he didn't have to worry about people glaring at him with jealousy.
"Teacher, this…"
He looked at Hun Xuzi, unsure.
Hun Xuzi was in a good mood. He smiled and said, "This is normal. The Spirit Tribe is known for producing extremely attractive men and women—it's in their blood. But aside from beauty, their greatest trait is their vitality and lifespan, which far exceeds that of other cultivators. Try cutting yourself."
Yao Yan lifted a finger and summoned a flame blade of Illusory Gold Flame. He slashed at his arm. While keeping his body relaxed, a faint wound appeared.
But before he could feel any pain, the wound had already healed. Not a single drop of blood had spilled.
"That is the unique talent of the Spirit Tribe—powerful vitality and self-regeneration, along with enviable longevity. The only drawback is their difficulty in reproducing. As a result, the Spirit Tribe must intermarry with other clans, which has caused their Dou Emperor bloodline to rapidly deteriorate. In a few generations, they may vanish altogether."
Hun Xuzi sighed, though his tone quickly turned cold and disdainful. He even revealed a secret not well known to the outside world.
Aren't all Dou Emperor clans the same? Yao Yan thought. If he remembered correctly, aside from the Soul Clan, which used the Void Devouring Flame to extend life, the rest were declining. Even the Gu Clan. The difference was just a matter of how quickly.
Hun Xuzi continued, "You now possess the bloodlines of both the Stone and Spirit Clans. Among the younger generation, your physical body stands at the top."
His tone was filled with confidence.
Both the Stone and Spirit Clans focused their bloodline power on enhancing the body. Stacked together, the result wasn't just a simple sum. If they continued adding other clans' bloodlines, it was hard to imagine how perfect Yao Yan's body would become.
No one in history could compare.
"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."
Yao Yan stood and bowed deeply.
Hun Xuzi waved his hand. "No need for thanks. Without your choice back then, you wouldn't have what you do now. Cause and effect. You chose the most dangerous path, and so you'll reap what others can't even dream of."
To him, Yao Yan was a creation—a masterpiece that would become his greatest achievement.
"Now take time to feel this power. When you reach Great Dou Master, I'll prepare more imperial bloodlines for you. Look forward to it."
With that, Hun Xuzi's soul projection dissolved, returning to the communication jade token via the Void Devouring Flame.
Yao Yan caught the token and returned it to his ring. His eyes reflected his helplessness. He knew the only way to survive now was to become a Dou Emperor. Otherwise, no one in the world would accept him. Hun Xuzi had forced him onto a path where the whole world would be his enemy.
But then, an odd thought entered Yao Yan's mind:
If I really reach Dou Emperor, could all the bloodlines I've refined start reviving?
It was an intriguing question.
Unfortunately, he'd only find out the answer after he broke through to Dou Emperor.
He shook his head, closed his eyes, and resumed cultivation. He also began sensing the sinister power from the Soul Devouring bloodline. It had grown again. Its development path was unlike the Dou Qi system—it seemed to grow endlessly by devouring life essence, just like those demonic beings from beyond the Great Thousand World, full of slaughter and bloodlust.
While meditating on this power, Yao Yan made a strange discovery—the little Greenwood Fox had no life essence at all.
It didn't seem to be a living creature.
"Hm?!"
He activated the vertical eye at his brow. The fox immediately fluffed up, baring its teeth in alarm. But this allowed Yao Yan to see it for what it truly was—
A green flame.
Unlike ordinary flames, it lacked destructive force. Instead, it radiated life.
Yao Yan opened his eyes and scanned the fox with his soul force. On the surface, it still appeared to be a completely ordinary Tier 2 Greenwood Fox. Nothing unusual, no matter how deeply he probed.
"…"
Yao Yan fell silent.
He suddenly thought of one heavenly flame—ranked fifth on the Heavenly Flame List—the Flame of Living Spirits.
This flame was incredibly unique. It could only be born in vibrant, life-filled forests. Upon birth, it would hide—taking the form of a tree, a blade of grass, or even a herb. Unless by sheer luck, no one could find it. Not even Dou Saints.
Had it not been for the power Yao Yan drew from outside the Great Thousand World, he wouldn't have discovered the fox's true nature either.
Can it really disguise itself as a living creature? Yao Yan was stunned. He vaguely recalled from the original novel that the Flame of Living Spirits could form an Intelligent Flame Spirit. If any heavenly flame could do that, it would be this one.
After all, if it always stayed as a tree or plant, how could it move?
Once the excitement passed, Yao Yan quickly calmed down. He knew that if he showed even the slightest sign of recognizing the fox's true identity, the Flame of Living Spirits would flee. It wasn't stupid—and it had chosen to stick around because he seemed weak.
If it had known about Hun Xuzi or the Void Devouring Flame, it likely would've bolted already.
With that in mind—
Yao Yan pulled out a whole bottle of essence pills and shook it. "Come on out. My teacher's gone."
The pills clinked loudly in the bottle.
The fox's eyes darted left and right. After some hesitation, it cautiously came out. It seemed unwilling to abandon such a good "feeder." Compared to slowly absorbing forest essence in the wild, living here—where food came straight to its mouth—was a lazy glutton's dream.
Still wary, it kept its ears up while walking, looking around for danger. Only after confirming the coast was clear did it leap into Yao Yan's lap and start munching happily.
Clearly, it was confident in its disguise.
"You little sneak~"
Yao Yan stroked its head, smiling genuinely. Its fur was soft and comforting. For the first time in fifteen years, he felt truly happy. Who would've thought he'd snatch the Flame of Living Spirits—an entity that was supposed to appear in the original story under the care of the Shennong elder?
This kind of fortune… is insane.
But the smile soon faded.
He knew he couldn't truly claim the flame yet. If its identity were exposed, Hun Xuzi would definitely come to steal it. For an alchemist, the Flame of Living Spirits was even more tempting than the Void Devouring Flame or Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
And Yao Yan wasn't foolish enough to bet on Hun Xuzi's morals.
I'll raise it first. If we bond emotionally, it'll be easier to refine later… He decided to go for the long game. Slow cultivation of trust. He refused to believe he couldn't win its loyalty over a few years.
Then he thought of something else—the torn map.
A coincidence? Or a fragment of the Demonic Flame Map that leads to the Flame Mantra? He suddenly had a wild theory.
Only heavenly flames could trigger reactions in other flames.
If he was right…
He needed to get the Flame Mantra. He was starting to feel like fate itself was guiding him toward the heavenly flames.
Yao Yan gently patted the fox's head. "Time to give you a name. From now on, you're Ling'er."
Ying?
The fox blinked, a pill in its mouth, tilting its head in confusion.
"Ling'er is your name—just like I'm Yao Yan. From now on, you're my closest companion. My family."
Woo woo~
Ling'er responded absentmindedly and went back to eating. After such a big scare, she needed to eat more to recover. As for talk of partners and family—those were concepts she didn't understand. She had never interacted with humans before.
A literal case of playing music to a cow… no, to a fire, Yao Yan thought with a bitter smile. He felt a bit foolish.
But one thing he was sure of—
He couldn't bring himself to refine away this little one's spirit.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997