CHAPTER 281: CHAPTER 281: MASTER AND DISCIPLE

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**

"Senior, judging by your current state... you look very weak," Wei Yang said softly.

Yao Lao’s condition was indeed poor at this moment.

Even his soul appeared faint and illusory, and judging by the level of his aura, it had dropped to merely the peak of Dou Ling.

It seemed that over the past two years, while helping Xiao Yan devour and refine the Fallen Heart Flame deep within the underground magma, Yao Lao had expended a significant amount of energy.

"Mmm, I’m fine," Yao Lao said with a light smile, waving his hand casually. "It’s just a slight loss of soul power. Nothing to worry about."

Wei Yang shook his head. With a flip of his palm, he took out a jade bottle and handed it over. "This is a spare Soul Nourishing Liquid I refined during my free time. It’s only at the peak of Tier 4 and this bottle contains about forty percent of a full dose. Senior, please use it for now to help you recover a bit."

"Soul Nourishing Liquid?" Yao Lao’s eyes lit up. He didn’t hesitate and immediately took the bottle, opened the lid, and downed it in one gulp.

As the medicinal liquid dispersed inside his soul, Yao Lao’s soul body visibly began to condense. His aura also gradually strengthened.

With his eyes closed, he silently focused on absorbing and refining the medicinal energy. A hint of pleasure appeared faintly on his face.

A moment later, once he had fully absorbed the Soul Nourishing Liquid, Yao Lao looked visibly better. His aura had recovered to the level of a peak Dou Wang.

Whoosh—

Yao Lao opened his eyes and let out a long breath. He looked at Wei Yang and said, "Brat Wei, thank you."

"No need to be so polite, Senior. Just think of it as a token of appreciation from your student," Wei Yang said with a wave of his hand.

Yao Lao smiled, stroked his beard, and nodded, saying no more. But a look of comfort emerged on his face.

A faint warmth rose within him, making his soul body emit a soft glow.

He had once misjudged someone, but heaven had treated him kindly in the end. It hadn’t let him suffer that same soul-piercing pain again—being betrayed by someone he considered family.

Whether it was Xiao Yan or Wei Yang, both were outstanding in character. They weren’t ungrateful or disloyal and held deep respect for their masters.

With that kind of foundation, no matter how far they might go astray, it would never be to the point of no return.

Time passed slowly. When the final rays of the setting sun faded and darkness fell...

Xiao Yan finally opened his eyes.

There was no longer any confusion on his face. Instead, it held a soft and serene smile.

He seemed... different now. There was something added to him, perhaps a shift in aura or a newfound confidence.

He gave off a natural sense of change—like someone reborn.

It was a quiet but powerful sense of inner confidence and strength.

Wei Yang and Yao Lao both smiled as they watched, feeling genuinely happy for him.

This transformation of Xiao Yan’s undoubtedly brought him immense benefits.

Xiao Yan bowed deeply to the two of them. "Thank you, Master. Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Hahaha, good! Very good!" Yao Lao laughed heartily as he stroked his beard.

"Congratulations. Your soul realm has reached the late stage of the Mortal Realm, just one step away from the peak," Wei Yang said with admiration.

"Congrats, Brat Xiao!" Ah Da, standing off to the side, grinned with envy.

It was well known how difficult it was to improve one’s soul.

Yet in this mystical state, Xiao Yan had somehow advanced twice within just over three years.

That kind of cheat-like luck was simply unheard of.

Currently, Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi level was only at the peak of Dou Wang, but his soul realm had already reached the late stage of the Mortal Realm.

It was highly likely that when he broke through to Dou Huang, his soul realm would naturally advance as well—directly stepping into the peak of the Mortal Realm, also known as half-step Spirit Realm.

Dou Huang. Soul at the peak of Mortal Realm. Peak Tier 7 Alchemist!

With such a foundation, there was no doubt that once Xiao Yan reached the Dou Zong stage, stepping into the Spirit Realm with his soul was practically guaranteed.

Such an achievement... truly inspired envy.

After a brief chat—

Yao Lao’s smile gradually faded. He looked at Wei Yang, lips parting slightly a few times, but no sound came out. His brows were faintly furrowed, and his expression looked somewhat conflicted.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan gave Wei Yang a subtle glance.

Wei Yang lightly nodded in understanding, then smiled at Yao Lao and asked, "Senior, are you wondering about Han Feng?"

At those words, Yao Lao’s body visibly trembled. He reached up to stroke his beard, but his hand shook slightly. Although his face appeared calm on the surface, his heart was clearly churning with emotion.

After a moment, he finally asked in a seemingly calm voice, "That... that ungrateful disciple. Is he still alive?"

Wei Yang nodded and replied softly, "According to your request, I spared a wisp of his soul."

Yao Lao let out a long breath and gave a small nod. His expression became complicated—perhaps joy, perhaps anger, or maybe both.

"Where is he?"

With a flick of his palm, Wei Yang took out a jade bottle and gently placed it on the table, pushing it toward Yao Lao. "Inside here."

Immediately, both Yao Lao’s and Xiao Yan’s gazes locked onto the jade bottle.

A trace of killing intent flickered in Xiao Yan’s eyes, while Yao Lao’s expression became indescribably complex—an entanglement of emotions that could not easily be put into words.

The atmosphere turned silent.

No one spoke.

After a long while—

Yao Lao took a deep breath. His trembling hand slowly reached out and tightly grasped the jade bottle.

His thumb gently rubbed the surface of the bottle, feeling the solid soul seal engraved on it. He stared at it in silence, wordless for a long, long time.

"...Open it," Yao Lao finally said, his voice hoarse as he looked at Wei Yang.

"Alright," Wei Yang nodded. His fingers quickly formed a series of seals, and a glowing sigil landed on the jade bottle and merged into it.

Ripples like water began to appear across the surface of the bottle.

Then—

Pop!

With a light sound, the soul seal disintegrated.

An intense aura suddenly burst out from within the jade bottle.

Crack... crack...

Soft cracking sounds rang out as the bottle surface became covered with fine fractures.

Then—

Boom!

The jade bottle exploded entirely, disintegrating into powder.

From within the cloud of dust, a blurry, transparent figure—haggard and pathetic—rushed out, its form quickly expanding in size.

"WEI YANG! Where is that old bastard?! I want to see him!!"

The ragged soul shadow had disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. As soon as he emerged, he roared at Wei Yang, "Who the hell do you think you are to imprison me? Huh?! You’re nothing but an outsider! You don’t even count as a member of the sect! What right do you have to judge me?! I want to see the old man!"

Wei Yang calmly laced his fingers together, staring coldly at him in silence. Deep within his eyes, a wisp of black flame faintly flickered.

"You..." Han Feng instantly wilted, his voice dying in his throat. He shut up at once, not daring to speak again.

That black flame... he had deep fear of it. Over the past two years, Wei Yang had let him taste its torment more than once.

"Unworthy disciple... unworthy disciple..."

At that moment, a voice full of trembling rage suddenly echoed in the room.

Han Feng froze.

It took him a long while to finally turn around.

When his eyes landed on the aged and illusory figure, his pupils shrank sharply—and then, his expression shifted to one of uncontrollable agitation. "O-old man... M-Master... Y-you... you’re really alive..."

"Yes, I’m alive. Disappointed, aren’t you?" Yao Lao slowly stood up and glared at Han Feng, his voice eerily calm. "Never thought we’d meet again one day, did you? And in this form—just our souls?"

"M-master, I..." Han Feng stammered, his face showing fear, shame, resentment... all mingled into one.

"Don’t call me your master!" Yao Lao bellowed. "From the moment you raised your hand to kill me, I ceased to have a disciple like you!"

"Master! Master, I... I was wrong!" Han Feng scrambled forward a few steps and fell to his knees, prostrating himself on the floor. "Master, I know I was wrong! It was a moment of madness—I didn’t mean it..."

"Hmph. A moment of madness?" Yao Lao laughed—a bitter, desolate sound. His stooped figure moved closer, looming over the kneeling Han Feng. "A moment of madness, and you would commit patricide?"

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