Chapter 813: Chapter 35: Alchemy with a Skull
The two Protecting Pavilion Ancestors appeared calm on the surface, but a trace of poignant sorrow was evident in their eyes.
This did not escape Zhou Yan’s perception, nor did it elude his eyes.
Zhou Yan was slightly silent, feeling an unspeakable sense of oppression in his heart. With a heavy expression, he asked, "How was my brother’s condition back then? Or, what was the situation when he suffered severe injuries? Is there any record from that time?"
The two ancestors, who had become youthful and beautiful, seemed lost in sudden thought upon hearing this.
A moment later, one of them shook their head and said, "No, we couldn’t leave anything behind at that time. I was somewhat worried then about needing evidence in the future to prove that we were not deceiving. But your brother said that as long as you passed the simple test, you wouldn’t doubt it."
"Indeed, back then, we were skeptical, but the way your brother conducted himself made it hard for people to question anything. Moreover, at that time, Yesa City was very powerful, and he deliberately went there, giving us the feeling that—he wanted to die."
"Although Elder Xuan’s words are direct, they’re not false. At that time, your brother perhaps thought that certain things might only be resolved at the cost of ’death.’
"But don’t worry too much. Your brother’s cultivation techniques are very unique, and he understands a strange soul Supreme Dao, able to spiritualize avatars. Avatars are endless, so maybe he hasn’t truly fallen. After all, whenever the enemy thought he had fallen, he would soon cause another major stir."
The two ancestors explained to each other.
Zhou Yan’s heart slightly moved, and he incorporated this information into his perception. After careful derivation, Zhou Yan extracted some useful information.
But at this moment, he didn’t think much further; he nodded heavily, indicating he understood.
"Alright, Fellow Daoist Zhou Yan, you may enter. After completing this matter, the pressure we bear is relieved. With your help, we can advance a step further. We sincerely appreciate your and your elder brother’s help; this kindness, we will remember for a lifetime. If someday you need us old fellows, just like your brother, simply send us a message. Whether it’s climbing mountains of swords or diving into seas of fire, we won’t hesitate!"
"Two seniors, if we truly speak of kindness, your years of guardian merit far exceed what I have done. I should be the one grateful and returning the favor."
Zhou Yan felt some emotion, speaking sincerely.
"Go ahead, see what your brother left behind."
The two Protecting Pavilion Ancestors spoke softly.
Following that, Zhou Yan and Zhao Xiaoxiao entered the inner area of the Pure Yang Sect’s Treasure Pavilion.
The inner area of the Treasure Pavilion wasn’t much different from the usual hidden residences and caves. It was quite ordinary, like a palace constructed within a cavern.
The only difference was the presence of many ancient formations. With Zhou Yan’s discerning eye, he could easily recognize that these formations were exclusive to his brother Lee Ran’s array dao methods.
These formations safeguarded everything here, also concealing some killing intent.
Zhou Yan easily passed through these array dao restrictions, and under Zhao Xiaoxiao’s guidance, they passed through several palace doors before arriving at a place with fluctuations of void node aura.
Here, Zhao Xiaoxiao stopped, then placed her hands in the void. Suddenly, energy like ripples flowed from the void, quickly submerging Zhao Xiaoxiao’s hands. Zhou Yan could see blood streaming from Zhao Xiaoxiao’s hands, activating the forbidden land.
Indeed, after the blood flowed out and extracted some of Zhao Xiaoxiao’s aura, the forbidden land gate opened, revealing a small world.
Yes, a world.
This place surprisingly hides a small world, and this small world was constructed using Tai Chu Rune. Although the space wasn’t large, merely over a hundred square meters, this small world gave Zhou Yan an intense soul shock in an instant.
Constructing a world with runes is a capacity extremely mastered by Tai Chu Rune, equivalent to transforming array pattern space into reality.
This is a very terrifying method. Despite Zhou Yan’s extraordinary understanding of Tai Chu Rune nowadays, he still couldn’t reach this point, nor could he even build the outline or framework of a world. This fact alone shows that his brother Lee Ran is more powerful than he imagined.
In this small world, aside from an ancient bronze cauldron exuding an ancient aura, nothing else could be seen.
But this ancient cauldron alone was enough. Nothing else was needed here because anything else would pale into insignificance.
At this moment, upon seeing this ancient cauldron, Zhao Xiaoxiao stared at it for a few moments, then respectfully said, "Senior, I shall take leave first. I will wait for you outside."
Zhou Yan nodded slightly, and Zhao Xiaoxiao made a graceful retreat, silently leaving the place.
After Zhao Xiaoxiao left, the ancient array naturally reformed, and Zhou Yan was left alone with the ancient cauldron.
With the formation restored, everything here became mysterious, saturated with divine aura, and Zhou Yan could vaguely perceive a tinge of energy breath from ancient, primeval, and even Tai Chu eras.
Zhou Yan quietly approached the ancient cauldron, which, upon sensing Zhou Yan’s aura, suddenly emitted a momentum very familiar to Zhou Yan.
Under this momentum’s diffusion, Zhou Yan seemed to see the shadow of his brother Lee Ran fly out from the cauldron, manifesting as an ancient cauldron ghost.
However, all of this was merely a fleeting illusion because, in the next moment, all the anomalies disappeared, yet Zhou Yan hadn’t moved from his spot.
What is real, and what is illusion, he couldn’t determine.
Zhou Yan remembered that he had walked up to the Ancient Cauldron earlier, but now the place he stood was where he had just stepped in.
And Zhao Xiaoxiao seemed to have just left.
Zhou Yan’s heart stirred slightly. Keeping his mind clear, he quietly approached the Ancient Cauldron once more, but this time, the result was the same.
After sensing the ancient aura, he seemed to see the silhouette of his brother Lee Ran fly out from the cauldron like a ghost of the cauldron, manifesting itself.
But his spirit was in a daze, and Zhou Yan felt a chill in his heart once again, only to find he was still standing on the edge of this small world.
Subsequently, Zhou Yan tried twice more. Each time, it was like a cycle, like reincarnation, completely unable to approach the Ancient Cauldron.
After this happened again, Zhou Yan had to give up on this action.
Because he already knew this was a method of time reversal, time origin, and combined with an array, if there was no corresponding way to break it, it would always be this way. This ensured that even if someone controlled Zhao Xiaoxiao to enter here, they would still be unable to obtain the Ancient Cauldron.
It must be said, this method is very astonishing.
This was a method that even Zhou Yan, with the memories of the Lei Yan King, had never mastered, and it once again proved that his brother Lee Ran was even stronger than he thought.
Zhou Yan sighed softly, reluctantly taking out the crystal skull, the one that resembled his brother Lee Ran almost exactly.
Zhou Yan gazed at the crystal skull, and on the skull, unique array patterns appeared, forming a kind of dazzling harmony with the array patterns here.
This scene was very mystical and bizarre.
But having seen so many strange things, Zhou Yan looked at this scene with indifference.
Holding his brother Lee Ran’s skull, the weight in Zhou Yan’s heart was beyond words, a silent sorrow.
His brother might not be dead, or perhaps he already was. If not dead, using the skull of an avatar to pave the way was also a cruel method. Zhou Yan couldn’t bring himself to throw the skull into the cauldron.
This Ancient Cauldron is the Shennong Cauldron, known for alchemy; using a skull for alchemy, Zhou Yan didn’t have to think to know what this method was.
Zhou Yan instinctively resisted his brother’s actions.
Yet he had no way out.
Every retreat had been blocked by his brother early on.
This was the only path.
What should he choose?
Holding the skull, Zhou Yan hesitated a long time without throwing it into the Ancient Cauldron, not even approaching it, merely dazing there quietly.
What Zhou Yan didn’t sense was that the energy of his grief was being gradually absorbed by the crystal skull.
When a certain threshold was reached, the crystal skull suddenly burst into intense light, flying out of Zhou Yan’s hands by itself.
Zhou Yan was stunned, seeing the crystal skull fly directly into the Ancient Cauldron, blue divine light erupting from within.
Then, Zhou Yan felt all the bone fragments refined from his soul sea fly out, likewise entering the Ancient Cauldron.
With the disappearance of the crystal skull, a void opened in Zhou Yan’s heart, as if he had lost something, struggling to adapt.
Perhaps this was the only remaining part of his brother’s body and the only clue, which was now lost.
But Zhou Yan had no time to lament, for the Ancient Cauldron suddenly became intensely bright and dazzling, its glow remarkable.
Next, all the surrounding Tai Chu Rune Ancient Array underwent strange changes, the light occasionally exuding the aroma of flesh and blood.
This flesh fragrance seemed incomparably perfect, incomparably noble.
This aroma seemed like the natural fragrance of a constitution reaching the utmost perfection, making one’s spirits ripple and heart long on sensing it.
Smelling this aroma, Zhou Yan immediately knew it must be the scent emitted by the ’Soul Meat’ of an Immortal Strong Level being.
Zhou Yan was shaken, and he followed the scent to the Ancient Cauldron, this time, with no more anomalies, nor the feeling of time origin.
The light from the Ancient Cauldron gradually converged, and Zhou Yan saw that above the cauldron, strands of purple-gold light suddenly appeared, streaming and flickering, from which a unique crystal elixir flew out.
This elixir, like a soul fetus, possessed a terrifying divine aura, like a baby sitting quietly, eyes gently closed, with eyelashes seemingly elusive.