Yao Chen fell silent for a moment after hearing Hun Changqing's words.
Hun Changqing didn't continue speaking either, but stared quietly at Yao Chen.
After a long while, Yao Chen finally spoke and asked.
"So what brings you here?"
Hun Changqing smiled as Yao Chen spoke.
"It's simple. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Your enemy is the Soul Hall, and I also hate the Soul Hall to the core. I've come to you naturally because I want to cooperate with you and fight against the Soul Hall together."
Yao Chen glared at Hun Changqing's words, annoyed.
"Cooperate with me? Fight against the Soul Hall? With your peak Dou Huang level, who gave you the courage to say such things?"
Hun Changqing didn't care about Yao Chen's disdainful words and smiled.
"Don't be so hasty. Now that I know your basic information, it would be impolite not to introduce myself."
Hun Changqing licked his lips and continued,
"I am currently at the peak of Dou Huang level. I have killed two seventh-tier magical beasts and a seventh-tier Nine Nether Azure Python. The battle time for each was less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. I am... seventeen years old this year."
"This...this..."
Yao Chen was shocked by Lin Changqing's words, momentarily speechless. He couldn't believe this person possessed such terrifying achievements, especially since he was only seventeen! What was he doing at seventeen?!
In Yao Chen's memory, no one in the Dou Qi Continent at his age could match his accomplishments. The eight clans didn't count, and even within the Yao clan, only when their bloodline power hadn't weakened could anyone contend with him. Currently, none of the younger generation of the Yao clan were his match.
Moreover, as a member of the Yao clan, Yao Chen could sense that the person before him didn't possess the bloodline of a Dou Di, meaning he had cultivated entirely through his own talent. How could Yao Chen not be shocked?
As for whether Lin Changqing was lying to him, Yao Chen didn't even consider that possibility. It wasn't that he trusted Lin Changqing completely, believing he wouldn't lie, but rather that matters of combat strength and age couldn't be hidden; a simple verification would suffice.
Ignoring the shocked Yao Chen, Hun Changqing continued,
"Do you know why I was interested in you in the first place? It's because I accidentally learned that you're not only an eighth-level alchemist, but you also possess a strange flame, a very peculiar one."
"Bone Spirit Cold Flame? So what? You want to take my Bone Spirit Cold Flame?"
Yao Chen's eyes flashed with wariness upon hearing Hun Changqing's words.
"No, this Bone Spirit Cold Flame is useless to me. Only in your hands can it reveal its greatest value, far greater than you previously perceived."
Hun Changqing waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh~ What value? Is there something special about the Bone Spirit Cold Flame?"
Yao Chen asked curiously.
"Of course it's special. The most special thing about the Bone Spirit Cold Flame is that it can be used to refine pills for me."
Hun Changqing said noncommittally.
"Tch~"
Yao Chen let out a mocking laugh upon hearing Hun Changqing's words.
Yao Chen looked at Hun Changqing with disdain, his strange expression seeming to say, "Look at this, you trying to act tough."
Hun Changqing ignored Yao Chen and continued,
"Do you know that my physique is a bit special? It's extremely yin and cold, extremely terrifying. My battle qi attribute is also extremely yin and cold, so when you see me, you feel that my aura is sinister. This is a problem with my physique."
When I absorb energy, it's best to absorb yin and cold energy; otherwise, the effort will be much less effective. Therefore, I cannot absorb those pills refined with violent and intense flames. The energy converted from those pills is even less than what I could get from directly absorbing the herbs used to refine them.
Since I began cultivating, I have only absorbed herbs and have never taken any pills. Without ever taking any pills, I reached the peak of the Dou Huang realm at the age of seventeen, and I have one foot already in the Dou Zong realm. Yao
Chen was once again speechless upon hearing Hun Changqing's words, unsure what to say. He needed a moment to calm down; it was too devastating.
He had originally assumed that Hun Changqing, like other disciples with the bloodline of Dou Di, had never lacked pills since childhood. He hadn't expected Hun Changqing to have never taken any pills?
How could someone without bloodline power or pills surpass those disciples of the Eight Clans who not only possessed the bloodline of Dou Di but also had an unlimited supply of pills?
This seemed unbelievable to Yao Chen, making him feel that this world was surreal, not the world he knew.
However, after a while, Yao Chen regained his senses, and some crucial points suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Extreme Yin... Extreme Cold... Pills that cannot absorb raging flames... Bone Spirit Cold Fire... Eighth-grade alchemist..."
"Hiss!"
Connecting the clues in his mind, Yao Chen realized a certain answer and couldn't help but gasp, quickly asking,
"You wouldn't be thinking..." "
That's right! " "Since I can't absorb pills made from normal flames, then I'll absorb pills made from extreme Yin fire. You can imagine how I've reached this level without ever taking pills; imagine what I'll achieve once I start taking them!"
Yao Chen, after hearing this, snapped out of his shock and remained silent, his eyes filled with struggle and hesitation.
Although Hun Changqing possessed extraordinary talent and had now betrayed the Soul Palace, making him the best candidate to help him take revenge,
Hun Changqing had also been a member of the Soul Palace, a bloodthirsty executioner whose hatred stemmed from personal grudges. He was afraid.
Afraid that by destroying the Soul Palace for theDou Qi Continent, he would create an even more terrifying demon for the Dou Qi Continent!
He couldn't care less about the Soul Palace, but he absolutely wouldn't allow himself to cultivate a demon that would wreak havoc on the world; this was his bottom line!
"Sigh, your name is Lin Changqing, right? I know you hate the Soul Palace and want revenge, but... sigh, I'm sorry, I can't..."
Yao Chen thought for a moment and decided to refuse Lin Changqing's request. Although Lin Changqing's talent was very high, so high that Yao Chen felt he was almost at the point of revenge,
he wouldn't raise a demon because of his personal grudges, even if there was only a sliver of a possibility.
Moreover, with Han Feng as a precedent, he dared not act rashly.
After thinking about it, he decided to raise that little guy from the Xiao family instead. After all, he had absorbed Xiao Yan's fighting spirit for three years, causing him to experience such a heavy blow at such a young age, and given his personality, he felt really guilty.
Besides, he had also gotten to know Xiao Yan's character pretty well over the past three years, and it suited his taste quite well.
Even that slight lechery was very similar; he wasn't some great villain.