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Soon after, the white light began to slowly squirm, eventually condensing into an illusory figure of an aged man.
"Hehe, as expected, an alchemist's perception really is far sharper."
As the elder appeared, a faint, elderly voice gently echoed through the space.
Clearly, he assumed that Lin Feng had detected his presence through his soul perception.
Hearing this, Lin Feng and Medusa followed the voice with their eyes and saw that figure clad in white robes, with snowy-white hair and beard.
Although his features were aged, within his calm eyes flickered a faint gleam of brilliance.
The moment this illusory soul form appeared, both Lin Feng and Medusa felt an oppressive pressure rising from the depths of their hearts.
"Senior, may I ask who you are?"
Seeing Tian Huo Zun Zhe, Lin Feng pretended to be unaware and asked politely.
The old man in white robes considered for a moment. He still needed the help of these two people in front of him to escape this dead, lifeless magma world.
He smiled faintly and replied slowly, "I am Yao Tianhuo. Others sometimes call me Tian Huo Zun Zhe."
As he spoke, an inherent pride that stemmed from deep within his bones unconsciously emanated from him.
"Zun Zhe? Could it be... Senior, you're a Dou Zun?"
Lin Feng appeared shocked and quickly asked in confirmation.
Behind him, Medusa, who was already well familiar with this old man's entire presence, immediately knew from Lin Feng's tone that this guy was trying to play a trick.
But she didn't object. After all, if Lin Feng profited, she would benefit as well.
Seeing Lin Feng's visibly startled reaction, Tian Huo Zun Zhe nodded in satisfaction.
It had been far too long since he last spoke to anyone. Now, seeing the look of surprise on Lin Feng's face gave his vanity a considerable sense of fulfillment.
He waved his hand with a smile and said lightly, "No need to be afraid. That was only when I was alive. Now, all that remains is a remnant soul. With your wife's strength, she could easily annihilate me."
Then, speaking to himself again, he continued, "Back in those days, relying on my modest abilities, I thought I could go anywhere under the heavens.
While exploring this magma world, I discovered a Fallen Heart Flame and absorbed it. That's the matured one floating above—it seems you've already seen it. But I didn't leave immediately. Instead, I grew curious and delved deeper into the magma world…"
At this point, a trace of regret began to seep into Tian Huo Zun Zhe's tone.
"After going deeper into the magma world, I discovered another Fallen Heart Flame seed. That discovery made me ecstatic, and I grew greedy, wanting to absorb the seed as well.
But the two Heavenly Flames clashed within my body, failing to fuse and instead repelling each other like bitter enemies. That internal flame war left me heavily injured, and at that moment, I was ambushed."
Lin Feng, of course, had already known most of this information and wasn't especially interested.
If not for fearing that revealing too much might alert Tian Huo Zun Zhe and ruin the deal, he would have gone straight to the point.
On the other hand, Medusa actually found it a bit entertaining.
"Was it those crimson lizards outside? I sensed several Dou Zong-level presences in the lava earlier. Seems they belong to a fairly strong race," Medusa said, resting one hand on her slender waist.
"That's right. That time, I encountered a Dou Zun-level expert from the Lizard Clan. If I had been in peak condition, I certainly wouldn't have feared it.
Unfortunately, the clash of the two Heavenly Flames had already left me gravely wounded. As for what happened next, I'm sure you can guess. But fortunately, those Lizard Clan experts did not comprehend spatial power, so they could never find where I was hiding."
Speaking up to this point, Tian Huo Zun Zhe couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
If he hadn't overestimated his strength and acted recklessly back then, he wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state today.
After finishing his sigh, Tian Huo Zun Zhe stretched out his palm and drew the infant Fallen Heart Flame beside him into his hand.
Then, he turned toward Lin Feng with a tempting smile and said, "Young man, how about it? As an alchemist, are you interested in this Fallen Heart Flame ranked fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng nodded slightly, then shook his head and asked, "What does Senior need me to do?"
"Heh! You little brat—first nodding, then shaking your head. What's that supposed to mean?"
Tian Huo Zun Zhe first grumbled, then continued, "In my current state, I probably won't last more than five or six more years before my soul completely dissipates.
I can see your soul power is also quite strong—most likely, you're an alchemist too. You must have some understanding of soul recovery. What I need is for you to take me out of this lightless magma world… and then help repair my soul."
He paused briefly, then added another temptation. "As long as you agree, I'll give you this Fallen Heart Flame."
After hearing that, Lin Feng shook his head and refused. "The sky above this magma world is now controlled by a faction called Jia Nan Academy. I plan to obtain the mature Fallen Heart Flame outside, and then hand over this infant Fallen Heart Flame from you to that faction—to avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness."
"Heh, you're pretty greedy, aren't you?"
Tian Huo Zun Zhe chuckled, then gave Lin Feng a strange look and said, "But judging from your soul power, you're at least a sixth-tier alchemist, right? Plus, your wife is a Dou Zong. With your capabilities, why not just snatch that Fallen Heart Flame outright?"
In his eyes, the combination of Lin Feng and Medusa was more than enough to handle most problems in this remote northwestern region. Taking a Heavenly Flame by force should not be difficult at all.
Lin Feng smiled bitterly and responded, "Senior, you give me too much credit. That Jia Nan Academy above—its Headmaster is also a Dou Zun-level powerhouse, just like you. Even if he's not currently present, he's left behind two peak Dou Zong experts to guard the place. For a sixth-tier alchemist like me to barge in and try to steal a Heavenly Flame... it'd probably be the end of me."
From Tian Huo Zun Zhe's words, Lin Feng realized he didn't know about Mang Tianchi's presence, so he explained with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Oh? I didn't expect that Jia Nan Academy above to be so powerful."
Tian Huo Zun Zhe was genuinely surprised, beginning to weigh the risks and rewards in his mind.
Lin Feng seized the opportunity and said, "I happen to have a sixth-tier pill formula called the Soul Mending Pill. Its effects happen to aid in soul recovery. I even refined one before and gave it to my wife."
"Senior, since you were the original owner of the mature Fallen Heart Flame outside, I assume you must have some way of subduing it. If you can give me both of these Heavenly Flames, I won't just refine the Soul Mending Pill to help you recover your soul—"
He then added more weight to the offer, fearing it might not be tempting enough:
"—I've also heard of some miraculous secret arts capable of restoring a soul to a physical body with nearly no side effects. As long as you're willing to trade both Heavenly Flames to me, I'll do everything I can to find such a technique for you."
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