Chapter 844
The Soul of the Sky
“Ancestor, this is not the place to discuss this in detail. There are too many eyes and ears around, and there may be omissions. I have a very important secret matter that I need to discuss with you in a safe and secluded place.”
Xiao Ling's expression hardened slightly. He bowed slightly to Xiao Xuan, lowering his voice a few decibels.
After all, Xiao Ling knew that the soul of the Heavenly Tomb would be watching all unusual movements in the Heavenly Tomb at all times, especially since this matter was related to Xiao Xuan.
If Xiao Ling were to speak frankly about the Soul-Returning Pill here, and the Heavenly Tomb Soul were to notice, it would surely strike first, which would be detrimental to Xiao Xuan.
Only by finding a secluded and extremely secretive place could he dare to reveal the whole story.
Given Xiao Xuan's extraordinary abilities back then, it shouldn't have been difficult for him to carve out a private cave within this Heavenly Tomb.
In Xiao Ling's view, the tombstone cave where Xiao Xuan lived was the safest place.
Seeing Xiao Ling's wary and solemn expression, Xiao Xuan immediately dropped his casual demeanor, straightened his expression, and nodded solemnly.
"In that case, this is not the place to talk. Please come in with me."
Before he finished speaking, Xiao Xuan casually made a move in mid-air, and a vast yet restrained spatial power quietly surged, enveloping the two figures.
The next instant, the two figures vanished from their spot and stepped directly into the independent space inside the ancient tombstone.
……
When the two figures reappeared, they were in a quiet and ancient independent space. The surroundings were slightly dark, which was the tombstone cave that Xiao Xuan had opened up with his supreme means.
Xiao Xuan raised his hand and waved it lightly. Instantly, an invisible barrier enveloped the entire space, completely sealing off any external exploration.
He nodded slightly to Xiao Ling, his tone calm and resolute: "Don't worry, no one in this tombstone space can detect our conversation. You can rest assured and tell me everything that's important."
Having said that, Xiao Xuan's lips curled slightly, as if he had seen through something, and he chuckled softly.
"However, judging from your previous vigilance, I suppose you must have known about the existence of the Heavenly Tomb Soul? With your current level of cultivation, you shouldn't know about this. It must have been that old fellow Gu Yuan who told you. It seems that he, as your father-in-law, cares quite a bit about you, even telling you such a secret."
In Xiao Xuan's view, with Xiao Ling's current cultivation and experience, he is not yet capable of touching the secrets of the Heavenly Tomb Soul, let alone easily detecting its spying.
Only Gu Yuan, who had been in charge of the Heavenly Tomb passage for many years and had a deep understanding of the origin and rules of the Heavenly Tomb, and who himself was a powerful figure whose soul power had reached the Emperor Realm, was aware of the existence and threat of the Heavenly Tomb Soul, so it was not surprising.
Therefore, it must have been Gu Yuan who gave Xiao Ling such instructions beforehand that made Xiao Ling so cautious and vigilant.
Seeing Xiao Xuan's misunderstanding, Xiao Ling didn't try to explain further. Instead, he chuckled and spoke respectfully with a hint of seriousness:
"Our ancestor was indeed insightful, seeing through everything at a glance. It was indeed my father-in-law who mentioned it to me beforehand, that the Heavenly Tomb contains the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb, and that I must be extra careful on this trip."
He paused slightly, his expression instantly becoming more serious, and his voice lowered a little:
"Moreover, the matter I am about to discuss is of utmost importance and cannot be overlooked in the slightest. It directly concerns your grand plan for resurrection, our ancestor, and we cannot be too vigilant."
Upon hearing the word "resurrection," Xiao Xuan's relaxed expression suddenly froze, his smile vanished instantly, and a look of disbelief and astonishment appeared in his eyes. He stared blankly at Xiao Ling, his tone filled with confusion and doubt, and softly asked, "Resurrection? You mean... to allow me to rebuild my physical body and return to the world?"
After speaking, Xiao Xuan remained silent for a moment, then sighed helplessly, slowly shook his head, and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes.
"Impossible, Xiao Ling, resurrection is absolutely impossible."
He raised his hand and gently stroked the empty space beside him, his tone filled with melancholy and clarity: "Now I am nothing more than a wisp of energy phantom maintained by the strange power of the Heavenly Tomb, not even a true remnant soul. If it weren't for the special nature of this Heavenly Tomb space, I would have long since vanished into nothingness and disappeared into the world."
"On the Dou Qi Continent, there are many secret methods for refining physical bodies and reshaping bodies for soul entities, but those methods are useless to me. If you really came here with such thoughts, you should give up as soon as possible."
Seeing Xiao Xuan's dejected and utterly lacking-confidence look, Xiao Ling chuckled lightly, his tone firm and composed:
“Ancestor, you flatter me. Since I dare to say this, I am naturally very confident. Rest assured, the method I use is by no means the common body-forging secrets on the Dou Qi Continent. As long as you are willing, I can bring you back to the world and truly resurrect you right now.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan assumed Xiao Ling was trying to comfort him, and couldn't help but chuckle, gently waving his hand.
"Heh, little fellow, there's no need to comfort me anymore. I appreciate your good intentions, but as for resurrection, it's truly impossible. If it were as you say, that I could be resurrected on the spot right now, unless you've already reached the Dou Di realm, there's simply no one in this world who could do it."
Xiao Ling chuckled softly, his expression calm and resolute:
“Ancestor is right, I am indeed not yet a Dou Di. But I do possess a Di-grade pill. I wonder if this could give you, Ancestor, a glimmer of hope for resurrection?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he gently flipped his hand, and an exquisitely carved jade box appeared out of thin air in his palm.
As they spoke, the jade box lid slowly opened, revealing a round, plump, and radiant pill resting quietly on a velvet cushion inside. Although the pill's fragrance did not emanate outwards, it already exuded a noble aura that surpassed even the finest medicinal herbs of heaven and earth.
Xiao Xuan was jolted, as if struck by lightning, his eyes instantly filled with disbelief and shock.
Imperial-grade elixirs?!
Did he hear that right?
Such divine objects are supreme treasures that only alchemists who have transcended the ninth rank and reached the Emperor rank can refine. Even true Dou Di powerhouses would covet them. How could Xiao Ling actually possess something that only exists in ancient legends?
Xiao Xuan's gaze instantly fell on the pills inside the jade box.
With just one glance, his eyesight and knowledge as a peak half-emperor back then allowed him to immediately sense the vast and boundless medicinal power contained within the pill, as powerful as a starry sea.
That strange and unpredictable energy seemed capable of reversing yin and yang, and turning life and death; its terrifying aura far surpassed any ninth-grade elixir on the continent.
What shocked him even more was that he could feel an extremely strong sense of threat emanating from this pill.
If an Emperor-grade pill were to fully awaken and take human form, it would become an unparalleled being comparable to a true Battle Emperor!
Xiao Xuan's cultivation had reached the peak of the Half-Emperor realm before his death, only one step away from becoming a Dou Di, but he ultimately failed to break through that final barrier.
However, the oppressive aura and primal power emanating from the pill before him were undeniably real, far surpassing any divine object he had ever seen in his life. Even though he had never personally witnessed an Emperor-grade pill, based solely on his intuition and perception deep within his soul, he had no choice but to believe—Xiao Ling had not lied to him; this pill was indeed a genuine Emperor-grade pill!
But all of this was so unbelievable that he simply couldn't believe it.
How did the legendary imperial-grade elixir end up in Xiao Ling's hands?
Moreover, high-grade pills possess their own spirituality. Emperor-grade pills, for example, already possess a spirituality that transcends heaven and earth. Why then are they quietly dormant in the jade box, without spontaneously forming a physical body and taking on a new form?
Xiao Xuan was still unable to hide his shock, his eyes fixed on the Emperor-grade pill, his voice trembling slightly: "Xiao Ling, where did you get such a heaven-defying treasure?"
Xiao Ling remained calm, as if he had been prepared. He smiled faintly and said, "It was merely something I obtained by chance in an ancient ruin during one of my days. Its specific origin is now impossible to ascertain."
This statement was half true and half false, and Xiao Xuan couldn't tell the truth for the time being. He looked at Xiao Ling, remained silent for a long time, and finally shook his head in relief, sighed softly, and revealed a complicated smile.
"Enough, enough. Your opportunities and luck have always been beyond what ordinary people can imagine. It seems that this is the will of Heaven... You kid, you are probably truly favored by this continent, even such a heaven-defying treasure that has long been extinct has fallen into your hands."
"Our ancestor need not dwell on the origin of the elixir any longer," Xiao Ling said softly, his tone resolute.
"This pill is called the Soul-Returning Pill. It has the miraculous effect of reversing life and death and bringing people back to life. As long as the resurrected person still has a trace of consciousness, even just a wisp of thought, this pill can help them return to their most perfect state before they died."
He paused, looked at Xiao Xuan, and said clearly, word by word:
"And your current condition is exactly what this pill is meant to do. With this Resurrection Pill, you will surely be able to be perfectly resurrected, return to the world, and once again bring glory to the Xiao clan."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling gently extended his palm and handed the exquisite jade box to Xiao Xuan.
Xiao Xuan raised his hand to take it, his fingertips trembling slightly. His gaze remained fixed on the jade box, and a genuine glimmer of hope finally ignited in the grayness that had been dormant for a thousand years in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, slowly closed the lid of the box, and then let out a long sigh, his tone full of vicissitudes and regret:
"Alas... I never imagined that after my death back then, with only a wisp of my soul remaining in the Heavenly Tomb, clinging to life until now, I would actually be reborn. In the end, it's all thanks to the blessings of my Xiao clan's descendants..."
Seeing this, Xiao Ling spoke softly: "Ancestor, there is no time to lose. You should take the Soul-Returning Pill now and begin the process of resurrection."
Xiao Xuan gently shook his head, carefully putting the jade box away from his body. Then he looked at Xiao Ling, his eyes filled with a mixture of seriousness and a smile: "I know your intentions, but there's no need to rush this matter. Since you have given me this great opportunity of rebirth, I naturally have an opportunity to help you as well."
He chuckled softly, his tone tinged with a touch of wistfulness.
"I originally intended to give you this opportunity, but I was determined to die and didn't mention many things. I never expected you to bring me such a wonderful surprise. It is truly the most perfect arrangement."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling's heart stirred slightly, and he instantly understood what Xiao Xuan meant. It must be about using the soul of the Heavenly Tomb to help him break through to the Emperor-level soul.
The thought had barely formed in his mind when a slight stirring began to run through him.
Even if one only reaches the Emperor Realm in the Soul Realm, once one becomes associated with the Dou Di level, it will definitely bring unimaginable and enormous improvement.
Sure enough, Xiao Xuan's next words confirmed Xiao Ling's suspicions.
"Since you already know about the existence of the Heavenly Tomb's Soul, I won't waste any more words explaining." Xiao Xuan looked at him, a solemn glint in his eyes.
"What I need to do next is to use the primordial energy of the Heavenly Tomb Soul to help you break through the barrier of the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Realm and directly advance to the Emperor Realm Soul!"
After saying that, Xiao Xuan slowly rose into the air.
As he ascended into the air, the stable space of the tombstone cave suddenly collapsed, as if it had been completely wiped away by an invisible hand, turning into countless crystalline particles that vanished without a trace. The two instantly reappeared outside the Heavenly Tomb.
The gray fog that had filled the surrounding area also dissipated at an astonishing speed.
A terrifying pressure that sent shivers down one's spine swept out from Xiao Xuan's body, its vastness and power instantly enveloping the entire Heavenly Tomb.
Xiao Ling's gaze followed Xiao Xuan's rising figure closely, looking towards the distant horizon.
At this moment, he could vaguely sense a terrifying soul fluctuation, as vast and unfathomable as an endless deep sea, suddenly sweeping out from the depths of the void.
The fluctuation was terrifyingly powerful. Xiao Ling only touched it slightly, yet he felt as if he were being crushed by a towering mountain, and his soul trembled slightly. Even though it was so powerful, the soul fluctuation had a mottled and mixed feel to it. It was probably because it had devoured too many remnant soul imprints that it appeared so mixed and impure.
Above the hazy void, invisible soul power gathered and writhed wildly.
In the blink of an eye, the void suddenly cracked open, and a gigantic, terrifying face, roughly ten thousand feet in size, slowly materialized from nothingness, hovering above the sky. The giant face showed no emotion, only a cold, indifferent, and eerie expression, as it looked down upon the two people below.
"This is... the Soul of the Heavenly Tomb?"
Gazing at the terrifying giant face that stretched across the sky, Xiao Ling's expression gradually turned serious, and he muttered to himself in a low voice.
The gigantic face slowly rolled in the void, its pair of cold, emotionless eyes fixed on Xiao Xuan, who stood suspended in mid-air. A voice, like an ancient thunderclap, boomed and echoed throughout the entire Heavenly Tomb.
"Xiao Xuan, we've always kept to ourselves, so are you going to break our agreement today?"
Xiao Xuan gazed at the colossal face, his expression calm, and chuckled softly, his tone composed yet each word resounding:
"Your birth was a mistake from the start. I imagine that the Dou Di powerhouse who created the Heavenly Tomb never expected that this space would give birth to such a bizarre creature as you."
"What nonsense!"
The giant face twisted violently, and the voice of the Heavenly Tomb Soul suddenly turned cold and piercing, "I was born in accordance with my master's will, and I am the guardian of this Heavenly Tomb! They are able to survive because of me, so they should abide by my rules!"
"They survived because of the Heavenly Tomb, not because of you."
Xiao Xuan shook his head slightly, his tone remaining indifferent, but a slight smile played at the corners of his lips.
"However, I don't need to waste my breath on you now. While my soul form still has some use, let me make one last contribution today..." (End of Chapter)