Yao Tianji and the otherâs repeated. This was not a name they knew or were familiar with. Who could this person be?
âWasnât he named Tang Long?â Yao Wuchen asked, âwhy do you say heâs named Bai Yunfei then? Who is this person and how do you know him?â
âHe isâŠnot a man that can be so easily described with wordsâŠâ Dan Teng replied hesitantly. He was still having a hard time believing what he saw. âBut nonetheless,â he sighed, âhe is a very amazing personâŠ
âI just never thought that he was still aliveâŠand here of all places! Thank the heavens and earth for this! Our clan has a chance now!â
âWhat?â Yao Wuchen spoke, âSeventh uncle, what do you mean by that? Our clan has a chance? What makes you say that?â
âItâs true! Weâre saved! Everyone can be saved! Even the civilians in the city! Everything here can be savedâŠeverything!â Crowed Dan Teng. âAs long as he is hereâŠâ he pointed at Bai Yunfei, âour clanâs chances of survival explode exponentially!â
âThatâsâŠâ
No one knew what Dan Teng was getting at. The words he was saying made sense grammatically, but they werenât sure about the meaning behind them. How could a single person be that crucial? âSeventh brotherâŠcould you explain? How would TangâŠthis Bai Yunfei person be able to solve our problems? Heâs just a Soul Warrior. He wasnât even able to break through with a fireseed pill. Having this many soul armaments might be proof that he was someone of extraordinary means before, but nowâŠwhat use has he to us?â
âWhat was that? A Soul Warrior?!âÂ
âWhatâs going on here?!âÂ
Both Dan Teng and Wu Dijian exclaimed at the same time, though for different reasons. It was because of his conversation with Yao Tianji that Dan Teng cried out loud, but Wu Dijian was inspecting Bai Yunfeiâs pulse at the time when he howled in terror.Â
âA Soul Warrior?! He has the strength of a Soul Warrior?! How in the world?!â
His hand moved to press against Bai Yunfeiâs forehead next. âThe Soul Refining Palm! Damn! How did his originseed get this weak?! What in the world happened to him?!â
Dan Teng rushed to the bedside at once. âLet me take a look!â
Wu Dijian obliged. He knew there was no other person better to help Bai Yunfei now that he knew who Dan Teng was.Â
Concentrating hard with his hand on Bai Yunfeiâs forehead, Dan Teng breathed in and out for two seconds before looking as worried as Wu DijianâŠor even more worried, in fact!
âHowâŠdid this happen? How did his soul become this weak? Can one even have enough willpower to live through something like this? ItâsâŠâ Dan Teng sputtered.
âDan Teng, my friend, what are you saying? Can you heal him or not?â
âWorry not,â Dan Teng stood up to face his friend. The bewildered tone in his eyes was gone and replaced with grim determination. âIâll definitely find a way to save him!â
Within the halls of the Yao clan compound.
Yao Wuchen, Yao Tianji, and various other men sat on their chairs in silence as they watched Dan Teng sip his tea in heavy thought. Everyone didnât know what to say right now. After hearing about Bai Yunfeiâs story, none of them even felt like they were capable of standing up. If a story was meant to be like water when spoken about, then Bai Yunfeiâs story was like a tidal wave during a storm. His story churned and smashed at the hearts of everyone who listened.
âA single manâŠsowing such destruction into the Soul Refining School and even defeating the avatar of the Soul Emperor headmasterâŠwas this really be done by that Bai Yunfei?â
Dazed, Yao Wuchen found himself asking this almost-rhetorical question.
âIt was. Everything has already been verified without any falsehoods.â Dan Teng nodded. âThe battle at Swallow City three years ago surprised everyone. And once news of what he did to the Soul Refining School came out the entire world was shocked. In factâŠthe conspiracy of the Soul Refining School was supposed to start those three years ago. It was only because of Bai Yunfei and the damages he did to the Soul Refining School that they didnât go through with their plan until later. The chaos today was only started half a year after.â
âBut from what you said about him, this Bai Yunfei was only a Mid-stage Soul King. How was he capable of those amazing things at such a level like that? The avatar of a Soul Emperor canât be so easily destroyedâŠâ An elder sighed in disbelief.
âThat is just proof of his strength. From the very start of his legacy, everything Bai Yunfei has done has been thought to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, among those at his level of strength. It is because of the extremely rare arts he practices and the awe-inspiring soul armaments he wields that gives him a unique advantage over everyone else. His true strength canât even be properly evaluated through the use of common sense in our world. Our rigid structure of power hierarchy is simply just a suggestion when it comes to him. Youâve seen proof of that. Take a look at his current state. In this state, he was able to kill a Soul King! What else could this be but proof!â
âAnd you saidâŠhe has the Regalia, the âCore Stoneâ?!â Yao Tianji spoke. âThat small stone he wears over his chest? How will that be of assistance to us?â
Now came the important point of the discussion. There wasnât a point discussing any other topic but this one. The eyes of everyone there was glued to Dan Teng as they waited with bated breaths for his response.
âBecause! The Core Stone is a soul armament like none others when it comes to spacial manipulation. Inside the Core Stone is a miniature world. As long as we are inside, our clansmen, civilians, familiars, and even possessions, then no one will be harmed! All we need to do is have a few of us break free from this besiegement and get away, a feat far easier to manage!â
âThe Core StoneâŠa world within the Core StoneâŠâ Yao Tianji muttered to himself. âIndeed, there wonât need to be any concerns to anyone within this city dying if this is the case. We wouldnât have to worry about our people being killed then. Our clan will have the chance to live onâŠâ
âPrecisely! If the legends are true, then our clan will be saved!â Another elder nodded with vigor. âBut Dan Teng, your desire to save this Bai YunfeiâŠwill be a hard one. The elders have already checked on him, and you as well, this Bai Yunfei is The chances of him making a recovery are slimâŠâ
âThat is true, but in the end, we only require the Core StoneâŠâ
âAbsolutely not!!â Dan Teng interrupted with indignation, âBai YunfeiâŠmust be saved!
âThe Core Stone has already accepted Bai Yunfei as its master, meaning it wonât allow itself to be used by anyone else. If by chance Bai Yunfei dies and the Core Stone becomes without a master, that doesnât mean anyone else can use it. Itâs a Regalia, a soul armament with a spirit. We have no idea about this spirit. If we canât become its master following Bai Yunfeiâs death, what will we do then?
âFuthermore, we must remember one thing about thisâBai Yunfei is a very special person with a very special background. Saving him is something we as a clan should heavily consider. Our clan cannot hide from the world anymore. Weâll be known throughout the continent soon enough. Therefore, we must plan ahead accordingly. Bai Yunfei is a valuable member of the Crafting School. If we save him, then the Crafting School will look favorably to us. We, in turn, will have a valuable ally in the world and have one problem less to think about.
âAnd if by chance the Crafting School learns that we not only let Bai Yunfei die without helping and âstoleâ his Core StoneâŠthen we will simply be jumping out from the wok and into the fire. We might be able to escape one calamity with the three allied schools, but we will have to consider the added anger of the Crafting School.â Dan Teng summarized.
âFurthermore, Bai Yunfei has a deep relationship with Tianhun Academy, and by extension with Wu Dijian here. If we donât save Bai Yunfei, thenâŠI believe Wu Dijian will take Bai Yunfei with him and leave this place. The Core Stone will be beyond our grasp then as wellâŠâ
A heavy and uncomfortable silence descended upon the crowd as they digested the words spoken by Dan Teng.Â
âItâs not that we âarenât willingâ to save him, but that it canât be done! You said it before, the damages done to his soul is extraordinary. Itâs amazing that he even managed to survive that, let alone being able to live right now! And now that the Soul Refining Palm has been added to the mix, itâs like oil has been added to the fire rather than water. All the pills we offer him now wonât be very effective. Saving him simply cannot be done.â
âNo! There has to be a way to save him!â Dan Teng boomed with anger. âIf itâs âthatâ pill, then itâs possible!â
âYou canât meanâŠâ
Inhales rang through the crowd as the realization hit them.
âAbsolutely not!â Bellowed the elder who spoke before, âthat is the treasure our clan has safeguarded for two thousand years. How could we even possibly think about giving it away to an outsider of all people? I forbid it!â