It wasn’t just this one elder that was against Dan Teng’s idea. Multiple others frowned at the thought. Just looking at the faces of half of them was enough to show that they didn’t agree with Dan Teng.

“Everybody,” Dan Teng preluded, “our clan is up against an unprecedented level of danger. A misstep will see to fate destroying our clan. In a time like this, material possessions are inherently useless. What is the point of these pills if we don’t use them? That pill…and the other heirlooms of our clan have been protected for so long. Haven’t they been stored away for a time like this when our clan is in a crisis?”

“Your words have merit, but the pills passed down within our clan were meant to be used by our clansmen. How could we give them to an outsider?

“Our enemies today include a Half-emperor. If we are to consider using this pill, would our clan head or the previous head not be the best choice? The both of them are Late-stage Soul Kings. They could perhaps become Soul Emperor if they borrow the pill’s power! And if they don’t, then we can at least be safe knowing we have a Half-emperor! Our side will have a Half-emperor to fight off theirs!”

“That is true,” Dan Teng nodded, “But what about Bai Yunfei? If we cannot save him then we won’t be able to use the Core Stone. What will we do about our clansmen and the civilians? Will a Half-emperor or even a Soul Emperor be able to protect the entire city? We were able to see how strong our enemies were today, but what about the future? How many more enemies will show up? If a Soul Emperor shows up…or even a Half-emperor…what will we do then?”

“We…” Protested the same elder, “if the enemies have even stronger methods than what they showed today, wouldn’t they have used it?”

“Perhaps they are afraid of something and decided to save it for later? The three allied schools are extremely powerful. It is without a doubt that each of the three has some kind of secret up their sleeves. It’ll be too late for regrets if we wait for them to pull out those said secrets…”

Dan Teng just had to sigh at the hesitance on everyone’s faces. He knew the misgivings they had about giving their treasured heirlooms to an ‘outsider’. It was a choice he wished he didn’t have to make, but it had to be done.

“Wuchen, you are the clan head. What do you think we should do?” He asked Yao Wuchen. Asking the elders for their thoughts was pointless. It would only serve to give them more time to think of reasons against Dan Teng’s idea.

Everyone turned at once to Yao Wuchen. Dan Teng was right. Yao Wuchen was the current head of the clan and thus the ultimate deciding factor in any choice to make. The elders would comply with his choice even if they didn’t personally agree.

“I…” Yao Wuchen looked uncomfortable. He had misgivings of his own, to be frank. Though he had been clan head for the last few years, he never had to deal with a conundrum as important as this one. Choosing the wrong choice here could possibly spell doom for the clan.

It was almost inevitable that Yao Wuchen turned to look to his father by his side.

Compared to everyone else in the hall, Yao Tianji looked rather calm. He never spoke a single word until now, as the problem was something even he had to think for a while before answering. Once he saw Yao Wuchen look his way, the father smiled. “Dan Teng is right, you are the head of the clan. The usage of our heirlooms is up to you to decide. Follow what’s in your heart to make the decision. I have faith in your choice…”

A little numb, Yao Wuchen nodded at his father’s statement. He looked back to Dan Teng with renewed determination. “Seventh uncle, do…do you really believe Bai Yunfei is worth investing so heavily in?”

“I do!” Dan Teng replied at once and with utter conviction.

“Very well then! I’ll choose to believe you, seventh uncle! If you have so much confidence in this Bai Yunfei, then I’ll believe in him too!” Yao Wuchen boomed.

“The hopes of our clan will rest upon Bai Yunfei’s shoulders!”

————————

Yao Feiyun and his mother were still sitting in the same courtyard as Bai Yunfei was in. Feiyun had his chin resting on his palms as he sat there in curiosity to listen to the person rambling next to the bed.

“It’s useless, we can’t even send any soulforce into his body to treat him. This is the Soul Refining Palm of a Soul King we’re talking about, of course it’ll be difficult to remove…

“His soul’s too weak, I can’t even imagine how it got to be this bad to begin with…just what is that strange energy protecting his soul?

“You’ve been gone for three years, was it because you lost your memories?  So how in heaven’s sake did you manage to make it here to these heaven-forsaken lands and live for three years?

“But that doesn’t matter right now. You’re alive. Everyone thought you were dead these past three years. There’s only a few that believe you to be alive; hell, they’re still looking for you…and they were right. I’ll have to let them know…

“Maybe I should call them now? I just need to tell the Crafting School, I’m sure the crafters will come sprinting over. They’ll be of great help in this case too then…”

“No no…it’s too dangerous. I can’t leave right now. I have to make sure he gets healed. Who knows when the Soul Refining School will decide to attack the Yao clan again? If anything, I have to make sure I protect him!

“But what exactly has to be done to treat that damage to his soul? Is it even possible to treat it?

“I can’t think that way. This is the legendary Alchemy School! They have to have some kind of miraculous pill. A panacea of some sort. Dan Teng said he’d treat him, so there has to be a chance!

“Hahaha…”

Wu Dijian’s footsteps were practically wearing out the floor he was walking circles on top of. His hair somehow became even more frazzled after his incessant mussing of it. This entire time the Yao clan elders were discussing what to do, Wu Dijian was here in Bai Yunfei’s room pacing and pondering to himself. He seemed almost crazy with how he’d hesitant about something, ask a question, answer his own question, and then argue against the answer in one endless cycle. One would certainly agree that this man didn’t seem entirely there, all things considered.

Yao Feiyun’s mother had her son secure in her arms, as if afraid that Feiyun would somehow be infected by whatever it was this man had.

“Oh? They’re here?!”

Wu Dijian suddenly stopped his pacing to look up. Staring at the entrance, he watched as Yao Wuchen and Dan Teng come striding into the room.

It was only them two here. The rest of the elders were all either recuperating from their wounds or managing the rest of the operations within their clan. The battle was over for now, but there was still plenty to do until the next one.

Wu Dijian drew close to Dan Teng, “How is it, my friend?” He pleaded anxiously, “Have you thought of a way to save Bai Yunfei?”

“Be at ease. If nothing grows wrong, then Bai Yunfei will be able to make a full recovery.”

“Really?!” Stars lit up in Wu Dijian’s eyes, “He can really be saved?! You have a way?!”

Dan Teng nodded and looked to Yao Wuchen next to him.

Yao Wuchen said nothing. Now was a time for action, not words. Stepping closer to Bai Yunfei, he sucked in a deep breath before taking out a small white bottle from his space ring. With a glow of red light from his hand, he smashed the bottom into dust.

The moment the bottle was turned to dust was the very same moment when it seemed like a star shot forth from Yao Wuchen’s hand. A warm white light enveloped the room immediately and flooded out everything else. There was also a sweet fragrance to this object that left everyone spellbound as if they had just sipped on a wine left to mature for many years… 

Wu Dijian found himself frozen still where he stood. An indescribable sensation flowed across his body and took with him any semblance of thought. Memories of the things he experienced in his life started to resurface in his mind, leaving him intoxicated by the nostalgia… 

“Wha?!”

One second later, Wu Dijian shivered heavily and shook his head to clear away the sluggedness that was in his mind.

For a moment there, Wu Dijian had been completely out of it!

He stared at the transparent capsule that was left in Yao Wuchen’s hand. “What…what is that pill?!”

Dan Teng didn’t reply. He simply just watched Yao Wuchen as the man floated the pill next to Bai Yunfei’s mouth. Opening the male’s mouth, Yao Wuchen floated the pill and had him eat it.

The intoxicating aura and smell disappeared from the room the moment Bai Yunfei’s mouth closed. Wu Dijian could even swear that he could see a white light travel down Bai Yunfei’s throat and into his stomach… 

“Whew…”

Yao Wuchen exhaled slowly. The muscles in his face slowly unwinded as he spoke, “All there’s left to do is wait…”

“Was…was that all?!” Wu Dijian exclaimed. “Just like that?!”

Dan Teng slapped the man on the shoulder with a smile, “Yes, just like that. How else did you think? We of the Yao clan use pills, and that’s just how pills work. We just need to wait for the pill to take effect now.”

“But just a single pill?” Wu Dijian continued to ask, incredulous by the simplicity of the affair. “Your talks of saving Bai Yunfei was just this single pill? How’s that going to help him?”

“What, you don’t believe me?”

“It’s not that I don’t…” Wu Dijian began, “but what kind of pill did you have him take?”

Dan Teng smiled.

“The Truth of Reincarnation!”

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