Chapter 847
Xiao Xuan's Resurrection
Looking at the transformed Xiao Ling before him, whose aura was unfathomable, Xiao Xuan's aged face grew even more joyful. He slowly raised his hand, gently stroking his almost transparent soul-body beard with satisfaction, his eyes filled with approval and relief. He spoke in a deep voice...
“Excellent, excellent! I, Xiao Xuan, was right to have judged you. With such talent and temperament, it would be hard to find another like you in the entire history of the Dou Qi Continent! Even I, back then, could not compare.”
Xiao Ling bowed slightly, his expression respectful and sincere.
"My successful breakthrough to the Emperor Realm is entirely thanks to my ancestor's guidance, and I am deeply grateful. Now that I have succeeded, I will protect you. Ancestor, you can rest assured to take the Soul Returning Pill and complete your Nirvana resurrection."
After a slight pause, Xiao Ling looked up at Xiao Xuan, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes.
"To be honest, I'm also a little curious about whether this legendary Soul-Returning Pill really has the miraculous effects described in the records."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan didn't bother with formalities with Xiao Lingxu. His aged face broke into a hearty smile as he immediately nodded and replied, "Alright, then I'll trouble you to protect me from now on!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he casually gestured in mid-air, and the space around him immediately rippled with fine, water-like waves.
With a flick of his finger, Xiao Xuan unleashed several profound and obscure spatial fluctuations, instantly creating a tight spatial barrier around the two of them, completely sealing off and isolating the area. This prevented all the remnant souls and energy entities within the Heavenly Tomb from even glancing at or setting foot inside.
After doing all this, Xiao Xuan's expression suddenly brightened, and he immediately sat cross-legged in the void.
He slowly reached into his sleeve and took out a finely carved jade box with a restrained spiritual light from deep within his robe. With a light flick of his fingertips, the lid opened with a click.
The Soul-Returning Pill, with its lustrous appearance, clear and refreshing fragrance, and faint glow of the primordial life force, floated quietly in the center of the jade box.
Xiao Xuan gently pinched the heaven-defying pill that carried his hope of resurrection between his two fingers. After ten thousand years of being a remnant soul, his eyes couldn't help but surge with barely concealed excitement and anticipation.
He took a deep breath, and without the slightest hesitation, tilted his head back and swallowed the Soul-Returning Pill directly into his stomach.
The moment the Soul-Returning Pill entered his stomach, an indescribable, vast power of life essence suddenly exploded within Xiao Xuan's body!
It was neither a violent and rampant battle aura nor a pure and powerful soul force, but rather a life force that seemed to originate from the beginning of heaven and earth, nurturing all things. It was as gentle as spring rain and as domineering as a raging torrent, instantly engulfing Xiao Xuan's entire energy body, which was on the verge of collapse.
The originally thin, dim, and almost transparent energy body suddenly burst out with a dazzling golden-purple divine light under the impact of this force. The originally floating and drifting figure became solid, heavy, and clear at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Xiao Xuan closed his eyes tightly, his face solemn, and the soul light around him surged wildly like a tide.
His almost transparent beard and hair first shimmered faintly, then at an astonishing speed, the ethereal quality faded away, gradually transforming into real, glossy black hair. As it fluttered in the wind, there was no longer any trace of the ethereal and fragile remnant soul.
His once aged, withered, and indistinct face, nourished by the source of life, has had all its wrinkles smoothed out, his skin has become firm and smooth again, and his features have become more defined, revealing the heroic and dashing appearance of the strongest member of the Xiao clan in his prime. The majesty and vicissitudes between his brows have added a touch of timeless and unparalleled spirit.
His originally nearly disintegrated soul essence, under the guidance of the miraculous power of the Soul-Returning Pill, was frantically reorganized, condensed, and sublimated like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea.
His depleted soul essence was replenished, and even the innate divine-grade Dou Di bloodline of the Xiao Clan seemed to awaken from the deepest part of his soul, transforming into fine golden patterns that wrapped around his body and flowed endlessly.
In the void, the energy of heaven and earth surged wildly. The remaining essence of heaven and earth, the essence of battle qi, and the remnants of the soul within the Heavenly Tomb were all drawn by the power of the Soul Returning Pill and poured into Xiao Xuan's body.
The space around him twisted violently, forming rings of visible energy storms. At the center of the storms, Xiao Xuan's aura rose at an extremely terrifying speed, breaking through all the shackles from his weakened remnant soul and heading straight for the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng he once was.
The originally illusory and transparent body began to gradually condense flesh and blood. First, the bones crackled, as if cast by divine metal, powerful and resounding. Then, the meridians were connected, like rivers surging and fighting spirit surging. Finally, the skin and flesh grew, like a spiritual tree in spring, full of vitality.
In just a few minutes, Xiao Xuan's energy body, which had existed for thousands of years, completely shed its remnant soul form and transformed into a real, surging, and vibrant physical body!
The aura emanating from him was no longer the weak and feeble energy of a remnant soul, but rather like the awakening of a giant dragon that had slept for a thousand years, its overwhelming power soaring into the sky, causing the entire Heavenly Tomb space to tremble.
The power of the Dou Di bloodline, interwoven with crimson and gold, burst forth from his pores, transforming into streams of golden light, as if welcoming the true return of the former strongest member of the Xiao clan.
As Xiao Xuan slowly opened his eyes, they were no longer filled with the turbidity of a remnant soul, but rather with two sharp beams that seemed to pierce through eternity and comprehend the universe. The divine light flashed and disappeared, then subsided into his eyes, returning to calm.
He raised his hand and gently clenched it, feeling the immense power returning to his body, the vibrant heartbeat, the surging blood, and the long-lost, real physical touch. After a thousand years of waiting, his wish had finally come true. Even with his strong will, he couldn't help but exhale a long breath, his eyes surging with endless emotion and relief.
At this moment, he was no longer a lingering remnant soul in the Heavenly Tomb, but the true Xiao Xuan of the Xiao Clan, whose physical body was perfected, whose bloodline was revived, and whose soul was at its peak. He was the supreme powerhouse who had come closest to becoming a Dou Di in the history of the Dou Qi Continent.
Xiao Ling, who was quietly protecting him from the side, looked at Xiao Xuan, who had undergone a complete transformation and whose aura was awe-inspiring, and couldn't help but feel a sense of shock and awe.
This is the heaven-defying power of the Soul-Returning Pill: using a remnant soul to reshape a true body and using the origin to continue longevity, it forcefully pulled an energy being on the verge of complete extinction back to the mortal realm from the edge of reincarnation, allowing it to return to its peak.
Witnessing the awe-inspiring sight of Xiao Xuan reshaping his physical body and unleashing his boundless energy, Xiao Ling was also filled with a quiet sense of wonder and secretly marveled, thinking that anything produced by the system must be of the highest quality.
The miraculous effects of this Soul-Returning Pill truly live up to its reputation.
However, Xiao Ling's true origin and source of this pill remained unclear. Even with his current powerful perception as an Emperor-level soul, he could hardly fathom the secrets behind it.
Regardless of its origin, its terrifying efficacy in bringing the dead back to life and reshaping the true form is absolutely no less than that of the so-called imperial-grade pills.
Xiao Ling's gaze narrowed slightly as he carefully examined the fluctuations in Xiao Xuan's aura.
With his current perception at the half-step Divine Palace level, he could clearly discern that although Xiao Xuan had completely shed his remnant soul and rebuilt a perfect physical body after his resurrection, and his blood and cultivation had fully recovered to the peak of the nine-star Dou Sheng realm he was at in his previous life, he did not directly break through the legendary Dou Di barrier.
Xiao Ling secretly calculated that the Soul Returning Pill probably didn't contain the Origin Qi crucial for breaking through to the Dou Di realm. If the pill had contained even a trace of Origin Qi, with Xiao Xuan's accumulated resources, he would probably have already broken through the shackles of his realm and ascended to the supreme Dou Di realm in one step.
Even so, this outcome is already an astonishing event. The complete resurrection of a peak Dou Sheng is enough to cause a dramatic upheaval in the entire Dou Qi Continent.
Xiao Ling immediately bowed deeply, his tone respectful and sincere: "Xiao Ling, I respectfully welcome the perfect resurrection of our ancestor!"
Xiao Xuan slowly clenched his hands, feeling the real touch from his palms. Fresh blood and qi surged through his body, and the long-lost physical strength filled his limbs and bones.
This feeling, both familiar and distant, both strange and real, stirred up a myriad of emotions in Xiao Xuan's heart.
Upon hearing Xiao Ling's words, he could no longer suppress the pent-up frustration and heroic spirit that had been building up in his heart for nearly a thousand years. He suddenly raised his head and let out a long, exhilarating roar!
The roar was as loud as thunder, clear and stirring, without any concealment, and it went straight through the entire Heavenly Tomb space, echoing in every corner.
The pent-up frustration, waiting, and resentment that had been suppressed for thousands of years were finally released at this moment, soaring straight to the sky.
After all the emotions that had been building up in his chest had been released, Xiao Xuan slowly stopped howling and exhaled a long breath.
That breath seemed to carry the weight of a thousand years of wind and frost, emanating from his chest, making him feel refreshed and clear-headed, without the slightest bit of stagnation.
"Xiao Ling, I am able to be reborn today entirely thanks to your Soul-Returning Pill. Without you, I would forever remain a wisp of a soul in the Heavenly Tomb. This scene of regaining my physical body and returning to the mortal realm has only dared to exist in my thoughts for thousands of years, and I have never dared to hope that it could actually be realized. Even though I was on the verge of collapse back then, I was able to be perfectly resurrected...!"
Xiao Xuan's gaze returned to Xiao Ling, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotion and gratitude, his tone solemn and sincere.
“Ancestor, you flatter me. I will always remember your kindness in helping me break through to the Emperor Realm. I am a descendant of the Xiao Clan, and my ancestor has always taken good care of me. It is only my duty to help you be resurrected.”
Xiao Ling quickly bowed slightly and replied politely.
"Alright, kid, you don't need to be so polite with me." Xiao Xuan waved his hand with a smile, his tone magnanimous and gratified. "In any case, I will remember this kindness."
After saying this, he let out a soft sigh, raised his eyes to look at the vast and boundless sky of the Heavenly Tomb, and a trace of relief after experiencing thousands of years of vicissitudes flashed across his eyes.
"During these years of silence within this Heavenly Tomb, I have come to understand many things. It wasn't until I met you that I truly and thoroughly realized that this Dou Qi Continent is no longer the era of us old folks."
His gaze returned to Xiao Ling, his eyes filled with expectation, entrustment, and a fervent light inherited from his father.
"In you, I see the future, I see the hope of the Xiao Clan. I have a premonition that before long, you will surely break the silence and shackles that have bound this Dou Qi Continent for countless ages, and step into the Dou Di realm that countless people dream of but can never reach in their entire lives!"
Xiao Xuan's words made his intention crystal clear.
Having been resurrected, he had long since let go of his own obsessions and was no longer fixated on breaking through the bottleneck of Dou Di. Instead, he was determined to pour all his heart, soul, and strength into Xiao Ling in front of him.
From this day forward, he will set aside his own pursuit of the imperial path and devote all his efforts to protecting and escorting Xiao Ling, helping him clear all obstacles in his path, becoming Xiao Ling's strongest support and most reliable helper, until the latter surpasses him.
With Xiao Xuan's reassuring words, Xiao Ling's last worries vanished, and his confidence soared several times over.
After this battle, the difficulty of Xiao Ling's future cultivation path and many plans was reduced from the original ordinary level to the simple mode.
After that, Xiao Xuan told Xiao Ling in detail the key information for breaking through to the Dou Di realm, including the source energy required for the breakthrough and the secret that the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's cave contained a Dou Di-grade embryonic pill.
Although Xiao Ling already knew all this information, he did not interrupt and simply listened quietly to Xiao Xuan's story.
"In short, if the source energy needed to break through to the Dou Di realm can no longer be found on this Dou Qi Continent, then in the end, we can only place our hopes on the Emperor-grade embryonic pill in the cave of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor."
Xiao Xuan paused, his tone becoming more serious, and continued:
"However, your cultivation level is still shallow, so I do not recommend that you plan this matter in advance. It would be more prudent to wait until the time is right and your cultivation level reaches my level before you start this matter."
At this point, he looked at Xiao Ling and suddenly chuckled:
"However, you're quite capable, becoming that old fellow Gu Yuan's son-in-law. Presumably, he'll lend you a hand in this matter for the sake of his precious daughter. With me and Gu Yuan joining forces, collecting those eight ancient jade pieces shouldn't be a problem."
"Rest assured, Ancestor, I have already made plans in mind. I will do everything in my power to improve my cultivation as quickly as possible. Once I truly reach the Dou Di realm, I will definitely help the Xiao Clan achieve new glory!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuan burst into laughter, his eyes filled with relief and anticipation.
"Good! Good lad! With your words, I am at ease. I await that day; don't keep me waiting too long!"
After everything was settled, Xiao Xuan and Xiao Ling decided to leave the Heavenly Tomb.
Perhaps because he had devoured the soul essence of the Heavenly Tomb, Xiao Ling now clearly realized that he had absolute control over this world.
Now, he is the true master of the Heavenly Tomb. Even if he leaves the Ancient Realm in the future, he can easily open a spatial passage to the Heavenly Tomb from anywhere.
Simply put, it's like having an extra personal space with a built-in time-slowing effect, which is quite practical.
As Xiao Ling's thoughts stirred, a faint ripple appeared in the void before him. The next instant, Xiao Xuan and Xiao Ling vanished completely from the Heavenly Tomb amidst the spatial fluctuations. (End of Chapter)