Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Subduing Yao Chen
"What?"
Yao Chen was startled and hurriedly tried to connect with the soul imprint he had left in the ring.
However, his mental connection was like a stone sinking into the sea; he couldn't reach that faint soul imprint at all.
Panicking, Yao Chen's soul began to rush towards the ring.
Yet, despite several attempts, he passed through both Gu Changqing and the ring, unable to enter it.
In just the blink of an eye, his home had been stolen.
Yao Chen was completely devastated. He stared blankly at Gu Changqing, his old eyes wide with shock, and was left speechless.
"You—what have you done with my ring?"
This was the first time Yao Chen had witnessed Gu Changqing's mysterious and unpredictable methods.
To have so quietly bypassed the perception of an eighth-grade alchemist and severed the connection to his ring was truly eerie and terrifying.
"Yao Chen, there is no need to panic. I am not one to seize things by force; otherwise, I wouldn't have allowed you to stay by Xiao Yan's side and absorb his Dou Qi for three more years."
"Here's the deal. I will teach you a soul cultivation technique, help you find a suitable body for your revival, and assist you in reviving, if you hand over all your belongings to me. How about it?"
At Yao Chen's current strength, combined with the Bone-Chilling Flame, he could probably match a Dou Wang in battle.
Gu Changqing, while not afraid, preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. Keeping Yao Chen might be useful in the future.
"So, you noticed me three years ago. You've been quite patient, waiting until now to act. However, soul cultivation techniques have long been lost from the ancient times. Does your ancient clan still possess a complete soul cultivation technique?"
Yao Chen was astonished by Gu Changqing's intelligence and admired his patience. But he was also very interested in the soul cultivation technique.
"Do you think the ancient eight clans would lack a complete soul cultivation technique?"
Gu Changqing countered. Although the technique he planned to offer Yao Chen was not obtained from the ancient clan, he used the ancient clan as a bluff.
Sure enough, Yao Chen believed it, but he was still not willing to fully comply.
"The Flame Mantra and the ring, I can give you. However, the Bone-Chilling Flame is connected to my life and was obtained through immense hardship. Therefore, I cannot give up the Bone-Chilling Flame!"
It was expected that Yao Chen would be unwilling to part with the Bone-Chilling Flame, as it was a lifetime treasure for alchemists.
But Gu Changqing was not negotiating with Yao Chen.
"Yao Chen, you might be misunderstanding. The terms I'm offering are not up for negotiation but are simply a notification. Do you think, as the young master of the ancient clan, I wouldn't have a Dou Zun or even a Dou Sheng level expert by my side?"
"Do you think it would make any difference to me whether you agree or not?"
As Gu Changqing spoke, his gaze subtly swept over the location where Ling Ying was hiding.
"Uh, has Young Master Changqing discovered me?"
Ling Ying thought with some embarrassment, questioning whether her concealment skills had decreased.
However, after hearing Gu Changqing's words, she released a faint aura, allowing Yao Chen to barely sense it.
Sensing the subtle aura, Yao Chen's mind stiffened. He understood that Gu Changqing indeed had strong support.
If he chose to resist, his life would likely be at risk.
With a bitter smile, Yao Chen said:
"I didn't expect that I, a dignified alchemist, would fall to such a state. Fine, I will give you the Bone-Chilling Flame, but you must first help me find a suitable body, assist me in reviving, and provide me with a complete soul cultivation technique."
"Otherwise, I would rather destroy my own soul and severely damage the Bone-Chilling Flame's essence than let you obtain it so easily!"
"Agreed!"
Gu Changqing readily accepted Yao Chen's terms. He then casually tossed a pale golden ring to Yao Chen.
"From now on, please reside in this Heavenly Soul Bone Ring. I have prepared this gift for you for many years. It is made from the skull of an eighth-grade Heavenly Soul Beast, perfect for nourishing the soul. I trust it will meet your expectations."
The Heavenly Soul Beast, a special magical beast that devours the souls of others to strengthen itself, was not particularly strong in combat but could emit a soul shockwave to tear apart enemies' souls and then consume them.
The skull of such a beast was an extremely rare treasure for nourishing the soul, and Gu Changqing was not lying to Yao Chen about that.
The ring was also something Gu Changqing had painstakingly obtained through Xiao Xun'er.
However, hearing Gu Changqing request him to move out of his old lair and take away his lifelong collection, Yao Chen felt quite displeased. After some time of hesitation, he finally said:
"There are still some personal items in the ring that I need to retrieve."
"No problem. Once I have examined them, if they are of no use to me, I will return them to you."
Gu Changqing said with a smile.
"You are the most shameless person I have ever seen!"
Yao Chen was furious, his face reddened as he snatched the Heavenly Soul Bone Ring and went to the side to refine it.
Gu Changqing turned and fled, shouting as he ran:
"Yao Chen, once you have completed the refinement, come back yourself. If you don't return, it's fine; I can always capture you later."
In the blink of an eye, Gu Changqing's figure disappeared from Yao Chen's sight.
"Scoundrel! Scoundrel! You little brat, I will definitely repay this grudge someday!"
Yao Chen was enraged by Gu Changqing's actions but could only watch as Gu Changqing's figure rapidly receded.
"Young Master Changqing is too cunning."
Ling Ying was also taken aback, then realized Gu Changqing's plan.
He likely had not fully mastered the mysterious soul entity's black ring and used this time to escape to another place to refine the soul imprint within the ring.
Ling Ying's guess was correct. Gu Changqing quickly made his way to a remote location and began refining Yao Chen's soul imprint in the ring.
Although Yao Chen's soul imprint was quite strong, having reached the soul realm level, it had become very weak over the years. Naturally, the soul imprint was not very powerful.
With Gu Changqing's methods, he could easily obliterate that faint soul imprint.
Gu Changqing directly used methods for dealing with vengeful spirits, striking Yao Chen's ring with heavenly lightning.
When Yao Chen's soul imprint was dispersed, he was almost overwhelmed by the sudden soul pain while refining the Heavenly Soul Beast Ring, nearly causing him to lose his mind.
"Gu Changqing, you scoundrel! Cunning brat! I, Yao Chen, will never forgive you!"
Yao Chen roared angrily but had no choice but to accept the reality and refine the lonely Heavenly Soul Bone Ring.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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