Chapter 6: The Mask
The world was so beautiful. The air so fresh.
I'm actually still alive!
Yao Yan opened his eyes, feeling the tangible reality of the world around him. A wave of disbelief surged through his entire body. The fact that he was still alive felt like a dream. During everything he had just endured, he had repeatedly believed he was already dead. But somehow, he had survived.
Whoosh~
As Hun Xuzi retracted the soul force that had been holding him aloft, Yao Yan dropped to the ground with a thud. The jolt of pain served as a constant reminder: he was still alive.
"Little fellow, you're quite lucky. You've succeeded. Congratulations—you are now the only person in a thousand years to inherit the bloodline of the Soul Devouring Clan."
Floating in midair, Hun Xuzi was still surrounded by flickering black flames. His crimson-glowing eyes made him look like a villain through and through. Yet at this moment, his tone toward Yao Yan was noticeably more gentle. It was clear that Yao Yan's value in his eyes had greatly increased.
Yao Yan quickly scrambled to his feet and began checking his body. Once he confirmed he was still human, limbs and all, he let out a long sigh of relief.
If one could remain human, who would want to become a monster?
Dropping to both knees, Yao Yan bowed deeply and offered a solemn thanks. "Thank you, Master Ancestor, for your grace!"
Though Hun Xuzi was undeniably a monster, Yao Yan's very life now hung on this man's whims. He had no choice but to consider his future. Since the man had invested so much time and effort into this endeavor—and succeeded—Yao Yan's value to him was now undeniable.
Given Hun Xuzi's strength and longevity, Yao Yan wasn't worried about him trying to possess his body.
Besides, based on what Hun Xuzi had said, Yao Yan now had Soul Clan blood. Switching allegiances to the Soul Clan wasn't off the table. As a transmigrator, he had a flexible moral compass—especially since he lacked the strength to control his fate. He understood the saying: "He who recognizes the times is a wise man."
Boastful ideals without power were nothing but a joke in a xuanhuan world.
They don't even eat beef—and you want to talk about morality?
Hun Xuzi looked down at him with a faint smile. "No need to thank me. This was your choice—and your luck. After all, it was your life on the line. Stand up~"
He raised his hand slightly and lifted Yao Yan with soul force.
At this moment, Hun Xuzi seemed almost reasonable—like a senior testing a junior.
Yeah, right… Yao Yan knew full well what kind of person Hun Xuzi really was. Still, he put on an expression of deep gratitude and bowed once more. "Master Ancestor, I know that without your help, I could never have succeeded."
Hun Xuzi remained silent.
Yao Yan continued, "Master Ancestor, I want to become strong. Will you teach me? I want to avenge my parents!"
He clenched his fists, eyes burning with fury and hatred, like a small beast seeking vengeance.
This time, Hun Xuzi did not lift him. His glowing red eyes locked on Yao Yan, voice calm. "Think carefully. If you do this, you will no longer be of the Yao Clan."
"…I've thought it through. The Yao Clan raised me, yes—but you have given me new life. Once I have my revenge, I'll leave with you."
Yao Yan spoke slowly, his voice low and resolute.
"Good."
Hun Xuzi nodded. Yao Yan's sense of judgment pleased him—it meant less trouble down the road. He was also curious to see just how far the boy could go. Looking at Yao Yan, he said, "Stand up and feel your new body. See if you can control the Soul Devouring Clan's power."
Obediently, Yao Yan rose, closed his eyes, and focused his soul force inward to sense the changes.
The man had tormented him for a long time, but the rebirth he'd given him was real.
Before, Yao Yan could only move forward one cautious step at a time, carefully plotting his future. Now, his ambitions had grown—he would become a Dou Emperor, the number one on the continent. He would seize his fate, never again letting others control him—not even his own choices.
To describe him as reborn wasn't an exaggeration. His bones now glimmered faintly with jade light, and his blood and life force were unbelievably strong. Even though his Dou Qi had been wiped out, his body was several times stronger than before, and his soul force had undergone some kind of evolution.
And that was just the surface-level talent.
Yao Yan clearly felt a new kind of power within him. As he gently activated it, an eerie energy surged outward. The jade-like bones began to fill with strange markings, and a power unlike Dou Qi surged through his limbs.
This power was sinister—far more domineering than Dou Qi. It carried a devouring nature that made him feel bloodthirsty and wild.
In addition, a red mark surfaced on his forehead like a half-closed vertical eye. It contained an even more terrifying energy, though he was currently too weak to activate it fully.
"This power…"
Yao Yan opened his eyes slowly, puzzled. As someone who had once cultivated Dou Qi, he could clearly tell that this energy was fundamentally different—stronger and more aggressive.
Evil energy? Demonic aura? Or perhaps some kind of primal essence…
Hun Xuzi noticed his confusion and explained, "Don't be surprised. The Soul Devouring Clan was a unique race. They never cultivated Dou Qi. The energy within them was peculiar—devouring, even corrupting. It was immensely powerful. Back then, if the ancient clans hadn't banded together, they never could have wiped them out."
"Inheriting this power is a good thing. Now try seeing if you can still cultivate Dou Qi. If you can, your future will be limitless."
Jie jie~
Hun Xuzi chuckled sinisterly, his eyes filled with anticipation. He was curious whether this creation of his could reach that perfect level. Based on his calculations—it should.
Yao Yan nodded, then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
Having once been a Six-Star Dou Practitioner, re-cultivating was easy. And thanks to his new talent, his cultivation speed was astonishing. Like a whale sucking in the sea, the energy in the room surged toward him, forming a fog that enveloped his body and seeped into his limbs.
In mere seconds, he had condensed his first strand of Dou Qi.
He didn't stop there. He went all out, displaying his new talent without reservation. He wasn't worried about drawing attention from the rest of the Yao Clan. With Hun Xuzi's power and the protection of the Void Devouring Flame, even if this room exploded, no one outside would notice a thing.
In fact, the more talent he displayed, the more Hun Xuzi would value him—and that would smooth his future path.
Dealing with someone like Hun Xuzi, you had to prove your worth!
"Excellent."
Hun Xuzi watched Yao Yan's progress, eyes filled with satisfaction. The boy had not let him down. At this level, his talent was comparable to those with divine-grade bloodlines from the emperor clans.
Not that Hun Xuzi was surprised.
He had infused the purest bloodline essence extracted from a Dou Saint into Yao Yan. If this didn't result in monstrous cultivation speed, that would've been strange.
Anyone who could reach Dou Saint was a true prodigy!
What interested him even more was the other power inside Yao Yan.
With his vast soul force, there were no secrets in Yao Yan's body. He could feel the strange power growing within him as well. Though it was slower than Dou Qi, growth was growth.
The Soul Devouring Clan didn't grow stronger through cultivation. Their strength lay in their ability to devour others' bloodlines and essence.
That was the truly terrifying part.
Hun Xuzi silently waited for Yao Yan to finish.
After roughly the time it takes to brew a cup of tea…
Yao Yan opened his eyes. He spread his hands and felt the changes in his body. His heart raced—just from that short session, he had already restored his Dou Qi to the first level. And this new Dou Qi was far more solid and powerful than before.
"Don't rush. Take your time to adapt. Rebuilding your cultivation is good—it'll help you get familiar with your body. Remember, don't be so eager to break through. Unless you've fully mastered your body, it's just a waste of your talent. What you need now is understanding."
Hun Xuzi spoke sternly.
Yao Yan's explosive rise in talent made it easy to fall into the trap of chasing breakthroughs. If he did, his future would be ruined—and Hun Xuzi didn't want to cultivate a failure.
Yao Yan nodded and respectfully stood. "Yes, Master."
After a pause—
He clenched his fists and looked at Hun Xuzi's floating figure, asking, "Master, can you now tell me—who killed my parents?"
"No rush. Focus on your training. When you're strong enough, I'll tell you everything."
Hun Xuzi replied coolly. The Void Devouring Flame surrounding the room began to recede and compressed into a single flame that entered his body.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his finger, a beam of light shot from Yao Yan's storage ring. It was a simple jade token—his father's keepsake.
"Use this token to contact me in the future. Activate it with soul force. As for your body's changes... divine artifacts conceal themselves. Divine-grade bloodlines, before they fully awaken, are hard to detect. Your current bloodline power is no weaker than divine-grade—and it may even surpass it in the future."
Yao Yan was stunned. He quickly activated his soul force and scanned his body. The jade light in his bones gradually faded until it returned to normal.
"The Soul Devouring Clan's bloodline must never be revealed. You should know why. If this power is discovered, you cannot leave a single witness. Otherwise, you'll become a target for every emperor clan on the continent."
"I understand, Master."
"Master? Your father was only my registered disciple. I never acknowledged him. But you… in the future, you may become my true disciple."
"…Yes, Teacher."
"Teacher… such a familiar yet distant title. Jie jie~"
With a strange laugh, Hun Xuzi's body, wrapped in the Void Devouring Flame, slowly shrank until it became a black flame and entered the jade token.
Clack.
The token fell.
Yao Yan reached out and caught it. Staring at it solemnly, he whispered, "Teacher, I will work hard. I won't disappoint you."
Then he placed it into his storage ring.
From this moment on, he knew he would have to wear a mask for the rest of his life.
But isn't that what life is?
Who can really do whatever they want? Most people simply trade one mask for another.
(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