Chapter 1285: Xiao Yan's Final Resistance

No wonder I was wondering how you could cultivate the Burning Scripture; it turns out you snatched the chestnuts from the fire during that battle.

As soon as his words fell, Xiao Yan immediately turned to Lin Feng, his eyes twitching as he said: "Back then, Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame and Fallen Heart Flame were also thrown out by you to confuse us, draw everyone's attention, and make it easy for you to escape."

Hehe, that's right, but it was also fortunate that I gritted my teeth and gave up those two Strange Fires back then. Otherwise, with all of you staring at me, tsk tsk, given your personality, I definitely wouldn't be alive today.

Regarding his words, Lin Feng directly admitted it, wearing a grin.

Damn it, if I had known earlier, back in Wutan City I should have killed you, this disaster!

Seeing that extremely punch-worthy expression, Xiao Yan instantly flared with rage, veins bulging on his neck, gritting his teeth, looking like he wanted to tear the other apart.

No, no, no, none of this is my problem; it's yours!

Having said that, Lin Feng calmly pointed a finger while walking, saying: "If you hadn't relied on the Xiao Family's influence in Wutan City to forcibly seize my Mysterious Tier low-rank Dou Technique back then, I might later have reminded you about the Soul Hall's affairs; after all, I had already discovered their traces before the Xiao Family ran into trouble."

And with my warning, the Xiao Family could have relocated to safety beforehand, so the later massacre of the Xiao Family, the capture of your father and two brothers, would not have happened.

While speaking, Lin Feng suddenly flashed a cold smile, his sharp gaze piercing the illusory soul in the fireball, and said word by word: "Thus, it is not anyone else but you, Xiao Yan, who caused the Xiao Family of Wutan City to become what it is today."

It's you who caused your father Xiao Zhan and your two brothers to suffer so long in the Soul Clan; now, it's even possible that, having exhausted their value, they were slain by the Soul Heavenly Emperor!

No, impossible, this isn't my fault; it's the Soul Hall, it's you Lin Feng, it's the Yun Lan Sect! In short, this couldn't possibly be my fault!

Hearing Lin Feng mention the fate of his two brothers and father, Xiao Yan's emotions instantly surged.

In the midst of his roar, the vast soul power splashed everywhere, causing the surrounding fireballs to ripple with wave after wave.

Seeing this, Lin Feng's eyes flickered with joy, and he immediately continued his questioning: "If it weren't you, Xiao Yan, rashly divorcing Nalan Yanran for a moment's satisfaction and embarrassing the Yun Lan Sect, how could there have been that so-called three-year agreement? In that case, the Xiao Family wouldn't have been pushed to the forefront, attracting the Soul Hall's attention so quickly."

If you weren't fully aware of your insufficient strength yet insisted on provoking enemies everywhere, how could your companions have ended up like this? If you weren't unable to control your inner greed, insisting on snatching my iron piece and Strange Fire, how could you have caused so many deaths?

Therefore, all of this is entirely your fault, Xiao Yan!

You scoundrel, none of this is my fault!

Upon hearing that, Xiao Yan's emotions became even more agitated.

Thinking back to those three years, he had still not given up on his father.

Recalling that, regardless of his own strength, his two brothers had always treated him well.

Furthermore, thinking about how, because of him, they three had suffered.

Xiao Yan's psychological defenses were, at this moment, gradually being broken down.

At this moment, because his relatives had been captured and the Xiao Family slaughtered, he could not control his actions.

He should have conserved his soul power to resist Lin Feng's refinement, but at this moment his soul power surged out like an endless frenzy.

Wave after wave of soul power, like blades, continually struck the surrounding fireballs, triggering flame ripples one after another on them.

"All of this is my fault...? Is it my fault?"

Thinking that his relatives had been captured for over ten years, he had never been able to rescue them, leaving them to suffer in the Soul Realm; and thinking that, because of his rashness, the Xiao Family had ended up nearly exterminated.

Xiao Yan's mind involuntarily engaged in frantic self-denial; he resembled a madman, constantly muttering to himself.

During this period, as his soul power continuously raged and was consumed, his soul form also grew increasingly weak.

The soul power he could mobilize was moreover decreasing in a straight line.

But soon, feeling extremely weak, Xiao Yan suddenly snapped back to his senses.

Immediately afterward, when he sensed that his soul form had weakened by more than half compared to before, his eyes narrowed, and he fixed an icy gaze upon Lin Feng, who was looking at him with questioning intent.

"You want to provoke my emotions with words, drive me to mental collapse, so you can deal with me later. You were really just a step away from succeeding in your scheme!"

As he spoke those words, Xiao Yan also uncontrollably clenched his teeth.

If it weren't for his restricted movements, he would have surely rushed forward right away to tear apart this mortal enemy he had fought for over a decade!

"Oh, I've been discovered."

Gazing at Xiao Yan who had regained his composure, Lin Feng no longer maintained his previous questioning demeanor, flicked his sleeve, and was momentarily somewhat surprised.

But shortly after, he collected his expression and spread his hands in a carefree manner.

"Just notice it then; it doesn't matter anyway, since with your current situation you couldn't possibly escape."

While speaking, Lin Feng formed seals with both hands, increasing the fire's output.

And as the former's actions proceeded, Xiao Yan sensed that the flame sphere confining him was undergoing a sudden surge in both its flames and temperature.

"Damn it, if I hadn't lost my Strange Fire now, I wouldn't have ended up utterly unable to resist at all!"

Sensing the ever-rising temperature around him, and the soul power around him gradually being scorched into nothingness, his face flushed with panic.

But soon, this panic swiftly turned into resolve.

At once, his soul power surged wildly, rapidly forming layer upon layer of shields that protected his soul essence.

"Whoosh!"

The next moment, that illusory figure of his smashed down like a semi-transparent meteorite onto the flame sphere.

"Sizzle!"

Upon contact, Xiao Yan's outer soul barrier, like snow under a blazing sun, melted away layer by layer in an instant.

At the same time, that Strange Fire barrier also gradually thinned under the relentless impact of soul power.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan immediately increased his soul power output once more.

But what weighed on his heart was that, after he had finally managed to consume some of the Strange Fire barrier, Lin Feng outside would instantly output a fresh supply of Strange Fire to replenish it.

His efforts were wiped clean in an instant.

Faced with this extremely unfavorable scene, even Xiao Yan, who had endured countless life-and-death crises, couldn't help but shout angrily: "Damn, it's indeed impossible to break through with soul power alone this new flame barrier formed from a massive fusion of Strange Fire!"

But just as the former was cursing loudly, Lin Feng outside suddenly changed his hand seal.

The next instant, Xiao Yan inside the flame sphere felt the soul suppression suddenly surge by twenty to thirty percent.

Under this powerful suppression, lacking bodily protection, he had no choice but to expend his own soul power to resist the might of that formation.

After all, if he allowed the opponent to keep suppressing him, before long even mobilizing his soul power would become extremely difficult.

Such a situation was certainly not what Xiao Yan hoped to see.

However, even though the situation was extremely unfavorable to him, Xiao Yan still did not give up escaping.

Instead, he continued to endure the formation's suppression and heavily struck that flame barrier.

But, no matter how hard he tried, that strange fire barrier, supplemented by Lin Feng, did not weaken at all.

After such prolonged consumption, the increasingly weak Xiao Yan finally had to stop this meaningless consumption.

Immediately afterward, he turned around and, with a somewhat desperate expression, shouted loudly at Lin Feng: "Lin Feng, why don't we stop and talk?"

"In this situation, why would I talk with you? Directly refining you in one breath carries no risk—wouldn't that be good?"

Hearing that, Lin Feng showed no sign of being moved; instead, he coldly sneered at the other party.

Moreover, while speaking, he also continued to increase the output of the strange fire, hoping to refine the former in one go.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan had no choice but to continue consuming his soul power to resist the surrounding strange fire's high temperature, while issuing a solemn threat: "If you keep pressing me, even if I self-ignite my soul, I won't let you have an easy time!"

"Moreover, even if you can finally refine my soul after I self-ignite it, the resulting soul origin would likely be less than half—you wouldn't want to see that, would you?"

As he spoke, the former's soul suddenly released a strange burst of high temperature.

And this, indeed, is the precursor of soul self-ignition!

"Um, then let's just talk."

Seeing that the former seemed truly intent on self-igniting his soul, Lin Feng immediately paused increasing the strange fire's temperature, then turned to face him, waiting for his words.

"Tsk!"

Xiao Yan sensed that even though the other party now held an absolute advantage, they remained highly vigilant, with no intention of reducing the strange fire barrier or the formation's might in the slightest, and he couldn't help but let out a quiet cold snort.

But immediately afterward, he sat down on the ground, his expression extremely despondent, his tone tinged with despair, and said: "I can have my soul refined and offer no resistance. However, I have a condition: you must agree to let me do two things. Otherwise, even if I fight to the death, I will not let you easily refine me."

Having said that, he fixed his gaze on Lin Feng and continued: "Although I admit your strength far exceeds my expectations, as an Emperor-level soul you should also know that while killing me outright would be easy, refining me into a soul origin would not be so simple if I resist with all my might."

"Two matters—tell me about them; if they're not difficult, I don't mind helping you with them."

Regarding the conditions proposed by the former, Lin Feng did not immediately agree; instead, he lightly rubbed his chin with his palm, pondered briefly, then let Xiao Yan speak.

"This guy"

Seeing Lin Feng's wary appearance, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel uneasy in his heart.

However, after blinking his eyes once and gritting his teeth, he finally spoke: "The two things I want you to do are simple: first, rescue my father and two brothers; second, I want to have a final talk with Xun'er, sealing some scenes inside a jade slip for you to give her when the time comes."

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, Lin Feng stared at him with an expression of utter disbelief.

After a moment of silence, he then looked at the former with the gaze of one looking at an idiot, and after a while coldly said: "Xiao Yan, it seems there's no need for negotiation. You've delayed so long in rescuing your kin; they must not be imprisoned in the Soul Hall but trapped in the Soul Realm. If I had the ability to go to the Soul Realm and forcibly rescue people, I would have already unified the continent—why waste time here with you?"

"As for leaving a message for Gu Xun'er, do you think I'm foolish? If you were to leave some hint for that woman suggesting I acted against you, wouldn't that be disastrous?"

As soon as his words fell, Lin Feng immediately formed hand seals, preparing to increase the strange fire's output.

Upon seeing that action, Xiao Yan's face instantly turned furious and pale.

Evidently, he hadn't expected the other party to know the true situation of his father and two brothers.

"Wait!"

However, noticing the surrounding temperature gradually increasing, Xiao Yan hurriedly spoke to stop Lin Feng's action.

"You bastard, still trying to pull tricks—I'm not waiting for your nonsense!"

However, Lin Feng, seemingly losing patience with Xiao Yan, that guy full of ill intentions, replied with curses while his hand motion did not pause at all—in fact, he sped up the temperature increase.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan, while gritting his teeth to resist the strange fire's high temperature, shouted at Lin Feng: "I am sincere in this transaction; my greatest worry now is my kin imprisoned by the Soul Clan, since I am missing, they could be killed by the Soul Clan at any moment. In that case, since you're worried I might send a message to Xun'er, I can step back and drop the second condition."

"Furthermore, to rescue my father and two brothers, I don't demand you save all of them; as long as you attempt the rescue and at least one person makes it out alive, I am willing to let you refine me. Of course, I need to see them again after you rescue my kin, to prevent you from going back on your word. However, you can, as before, seal me up so you don't have to worry about me escaping."

However, upon hearing that, Lin Feng showed no sign of being moved, merely continuing to raise the strange fire's temperature to refine him.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan, while gritting his teeth to resist the strange fire's high temperature, shouted at Lin Feng: "I am sincere in this transaction; my greatest worry now is my kin imprisoned by the Soul Clan, since I am missing, they could be killed by the Soul Clan at any moment. In that case, since you're worried I might send a message to Xun'er, I can step back and drop the second condition."

"Troublesome."

Sensing that the other party truly prepared to go all out, Lin Feng furrowed his brows, thought it over, and ultimately still stopped increasing the strange fire's temperature.

At the same time, he secretly felt relieved, glad he hadn't told that guy that Gu Xun'er had already been thoroughly played with by him.

Furthermore, he often made that guy hover in an indecisive spot, forcing Gu Xun'er to call him "dad," "master," and other titles; otherwise, that guy Xiao Yan might truly lose his reason in a fit of rage and exhaust himself completely fighting him.

Thinking this through, Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, pondered briefly, and ultimately nodded in agreement to Xiao Yan's condition.

Upon seeing Lin Feng's agreement, the latter's expression instantly turned to ecstatic joy.

As long as the other party agrees, it's easily settled.

However, soon Lin Feng's words shattered his joy.

"I can agree to your request to negotiate with the Soul Clan to rescue your father and two brothers. However, you must first let me refine a large amount of origin soul qi. Of course, I will guarantee you can normally see your kin."

Having said that, Lin Feng curled the corner of his mouth and continued: "After all, I also need to safeguard my own interests, right?"

Hearing that, Xiao Yan instantly felt a chill run through his body, then gritted his teeth and said: "You go rescue my father and two brothers; by then, with my kin in your grasp, you'd still fear I'd regret and attack you?"

"That's hard to say, after all, human nature is the most complex thing. You say you care about your father and brothers—how can I be sure you truly do?"

While speaking, Lin Feng laughed and shook his head, giving the impression that if you didn't accept his terms, they'd just part ways.

"You!"

Upon those words, Xiao Yan felt angry but couldn't well refute the other party.

After all, the former's remarks were indeed correct.

Thinking this over, he couldn't help but weigh whether this transaction was truly feasible.

"Fine, I can agree to let you first refine twenty percent of my origin soul qi. As you previously said, I also need to ensure my own interests aren't harmed. If you refine too much, by then I wouldn't even be able to self-ignite—how could I feel at ease?"

After a moment's consideration, Xiao Yan ultimately chose to compromise and agreed to the former's demand.

However, Lin Feng laughed, shook his head, then extended three fingers and said: "Thirty percent, or no deal."

"Okay!"

Lin Feng's addition of another ten percent made Xiao Yan extremely angry, but given his limited options, he could only grit his teeth and accept.

However, as soon as the words fell, Xiao Yan, worried the other party would push further, immediately added: "This is already my absolute bottom line—don't even dream of pushing for more!"

Can.

As for the former's idea, Lin Feng didn't care at all, and directly nodded in agreement.

After finishing the talk, he immediately spat out a clump of invisible strange fire, which flew toward Xiao Yan.

At the same time, he said in a low voice: "Don't resist."

Hearing that, Xiao Yan looked at the rapidly approaching invisible fire cluster; after a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, he finally withdrew his defenses, allowing the violent strange fire to rush toward himself.

Ah!

In the next moment, with the Falling Heart Flame's wrapping, Xiao Yan instantly let out a painful howl.

After all, strange fire directly refines souls alive; the pain involved can be imagined.

But thinking of his plan, he again had to forcibly endure it.

However, Lin Feng chose to ignore Xiao Yan's miserable cries, continuing to control the Falling Heart Flame and refine Xiao Yan's soul.

Moreover, in Xiao Yan's unresisting refinement, in less than two hours, his soul had weakened by about thirty percent.

At the same time, the flame ring that restricted Xiao Yan's movements also expanded to about several hundred zhang in size.

Inside this space, aside from the Xiao Yan soul wrapped by the Falling Heart Flame, everything else was filled with pale yellow light clusters, packed tightly, leaving hardly any gap.

As for the origin of these pale yellow light clusters, it is naturally the soul origin!

While a space several hundred zhang in size is completely filled with soul origin, this is merely the result of refining thirty percent of Xiao Yan's soul origin, showing how powerful an Emperor Realm soul is.

"Now you have refined thirty percent of my soul origin; you can stop!"

After a short while, the greatly weakened Xiao Yan immediately shouted for the former to stop the refining action.

At the same time, the much weakened him began to mobilize soul power, beginning to dispel the Falling Heart Flame that continually refined his soul on his body.

However, when he began to mobilize soul power to defend, he discovered that his soul could not exert any strength.

Compared to before, he had weakened by at least seventy or eighty percent!

"No, that's wrong; even if I had my soul origin refined by thirty percent, I couldn't possibly be this weak!"

Finally noticing the abnormal condition of his soul, Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically; his heart was filled with shock, and at the same time a deep fear arose.

Without sufficient strength to resist, isn't he just becoming meat on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at others' will?

But soon, Xiao Yan recovered from his fear, his expression angry as he looked toward Lin Feng and roared: "You bastard, you broke your promise, you went back on your word!"

"Hehe, Xiao Yan, you couldn't possibly think you're the only smart one in this world. You think I'm so naive that you tried to trick me into going to the Soul Clan to save your father, a trap, and I wouldn't see through it?"

Seeing the former's discovery, Lin Feng also instantly tore off his previous disguise and said coldly.

This guy really thinks he's just starting out in the world.

The other's idea was nothing more than tricking me into going to the Soul Clan to redeem his father and two brothers; in that case, the Soul Clan would certainly notice something amiss.

After all, he and Xiao Yan are mortal enemies; how could he possibly be so kind-hearted as to save Xiao Yan's relatives?

After a little more thought, Xiao Yan disappeared after the Medicine Canon, and Lin Feng himself is one of the few who are strong enough and have successfully escaped from the Medicine Realm.

In that case, those of the Soul Clan would immediately know that Lin Feng came to redeem Xiao Yan's relatives, which must have happened after the Medicine Canon, after meeting Xiao Yan and reaching some agreement.

Even, Xiao Yan might still be in Lin Feng's hands right now!

Thus, the Soul Clan, which seeks to gather the eight pieces of Ancient Emperor Jade, will certainly not let slip any possibility.

By then, the Soul Heavenly Emperor would likely immediately act against Lin Feng, seize him, and then interrogate whether the Xiao Clan's Ancient Emperor Jade is in his hands.

But by then, as long as Xiao Yan successfully meets those Soul Clan people, he can rely on the Ancient Emperor Jade he has hidden to trade with the Soul Clan and thus escape.

"Damn, it's ultimately just one move short!"

Seeing Lin Feng lay out his plan plainly, Xiao Yan immediately gave a weak, bitter laugh.

Although he doesn't know what Lin Feng has done to his body.

But knowing that, having lost the power to resist, today he is probably unable to escape death.

As for Lin Feng, he didn't care what the former was thinking, merely continuing to refine the former's soul.

"Don't don't, you bastard, stop it for me!"

Accompanied by the soul continually being refined by Lin Feng into origin, plus the opponent's unknown means restricting himself, the feeling of weakness filled Xiao Yan's soul throughout his body.

Immediately after, he mobilized the little soul power he could control, frantically howling, and violently rushed toward the direction where Lin Feng was.

However, facing that rushing insubstantial figure, Lin Feng merely gave a cold laugh and flicked his sleeve; in an instant, a terrible gust of wind easily blew back that illusory soul whose speed had now slowed to less than a third.

Now Xiao Yan's soul is at least eighty percent weaker than at the start; in his view, he can't stir up any waves.

As for Xiao Yan, weakened to the extreme, under Lin Feng's strike he was forced to fly back to his original position.

Then, being struck again by the rushing Falling Heart Flame, it crazily refined him.

"Hehe, Xian Er's this potion is indeed effective, directly making the Emperor Realm soul Xiao Yan lose his temper. Besides, I owe it to this guy's scheming against me, which gave me the chance to safely hide poison in the strange fire and send it into the opponent's soul's true body; perhaps this is called cleverness, but cleverness backfired."

Gazing at Xiao Yan's illusory form gradually disappearing under the roasting of the invisible strange fire, Lin Feng silently thought.

During the past two months, while he was refining medicine for his concubines, he also didn't let his other wives idle.

Then, after cultivating enough Nine-Grade Treasure Pill ingredients, he gave the Flame of Living Spirits to Xiao Yixian to play with creating poison.

After all, after obtaining this miraculous strange fire of the Old Man Shennong, he had Xiao Yixian search the world for top-grade poison seeds and seedlings.

If that didn't work, he also traded for the leftover roots others had used up.

And, while Xiao Yixian at the Seven Star Peak Fighting Saint level was scouring the world.

Besides the Three Great Beast Families, she also obtained many poison seeds, seedlings, or root materials from other forces.

Now, she has closed herself off with the Flame of Living Spirits.

Moreover, in the collections of the Stone Clan and the Medicine Clan, they also obtained some poison-related items.

And these things have now all fallen into Xiao Yixian's hands.

Of course, before closing off, Xiao Yixian also brought Yun Yun along.

Of course, before entering seclusion, Xiao Yixian also brought Yun Yun along.

After all, using the Spirit Flame to accelerate the creation of poison does consume some battle Qi.

Finding a helper would definitely speed up the acceleration of poison creation a lot.

However, during this time, Lin Feng also considered mass‑producing the herbal ingredients needed to accelerate the forging of Ninth‑grade Profound Pills, then wildly refining pills to help himself and the several women breakthrough.

Because in Elder Shennong's collection, he also obtained many seeds and seedlings of relevant herbs.

If that still fails, he can go to the Shennong Mountains and loot them wildly.

Now that the Medicine Clan's obstruction is gone, although the area is full of demonic beasts and poisonous insects, can it still hold back the Four Families Alliance and Xiao Yixian's cursed toxic body?

But unfortunately, although the herbs are taken care of, the heaven‑and‑earth energy still clamps him down tightly.

After all, even a place as rich in heaven‑and‑earth energy as Ancient Dragon Island requires at least several months of cultivation after forging a Ninth‑grade Profound Pill.

During this period, even if Lin Feng has countless herbs in hand, he can only stare helplessly.

As for venturing outside to refine herbs, haha, even if he brings Candlefire Elder, Huang Tian, Zi Yan, and Feng Er to set up a formation blocking outsiders.

But the frantic consumption of heaven‑and‑earth energy, amid the tension of all factions, will inevitably draw the Soul Clan and the Ancient Clan to investigate.

When that happens, he'll be done for.

After all, since the energy outside isn't as rich as the Medicine Realm's, forging a Ninth‑grade Profound Pill requires heaven‑and‑earth energy spanning forty to fifty thousand li.

And such a massive disappearance of heaven‑and‑earth energy can't possibly be hidden from others!

Meanwhile, as Lin Feng's thoughts drift, Xiao Yan, inside the flaming sphere, has had his soul continuously refined by the former, and now his soul has become as thin as water.

It looks as if it could vanish at any moment.

"Lin Feng, I never expected that, in the very end, I, Xiao Yan, still lost to you."

At the same time, Xiao Yan within the Falling Heart Flame, looking at his own soul body about to disappear, couldn't help but let out a wry laugh.

He didn't expect that, by absorbing the soul's origin and elevating his soul to this height, in the end he would disappear in this very way.

It truly is... ironic!

And thinking that his relatives are still in the Soul Clan, his Xun'er is still in the Ancient Clan waiting for his return, Xiao Yan's eyes brim with endless resentment.

Then he turned his head toward Lin Feng outside, his voice weak as he said, "Lin Feng, in my whole life I never asked anything of you. But at the very end of this life, I beg you, if my father and the others behind him are still alive, please help me save them."

At this point, thinking of his own fate, he bitterly smiled and said, "As for the rest, just strip the three of them of their battle Qi. Let them peacefully live out their remaining lives. All these grudges, let them not be involved any longer." (End of chapter)