"You were lucky to befriend Shi Yan. No one would pay such a huge price for three human body cauldrons."
Feng Rao studied Bao Ao, Jie Ji, and Bo Ruo. After a long moment, she sighed, talking with a complicated look on her face.
If this man will give the star map to me... I will forgive him for everything, Feng Rao thought.
"Star map? What is that?" Jie Ji's eyebrow twitched, asking with astonishment.
"A new star area, which hasn't opened up yet! It has around ten life stars and even level 7 ones! Also, it has a lot of mineral crystals and spiritual herbs. When the three big forces know about this star map, they will send all the experts to steal it!" explained Feng Rao.
Just like lightning striking their heads, Bo Ruo, Bao Ao, and Jie Ji gawked. Light sparkled in their eyes clearly not believing what she just said.
They had been in the Raging Flame Star Area for ten years. They knew how important life stars were. A life star was equal to an entire Grace Main Land with abundant earth and heaven energy. But what did it mean for the life star to be level 7?
The three of them couldn't believe it. They couldn't believe that Shi Yan had given up such a priceless treasure for their lives!
"Shi Yan, it isn't worth it. Really, it isn't worth it," Bao Ao was baffled for a while. After that, he hastened to convince Shi Yan. "You just need to bring our clansmen to the Raging Flame Star Area. We will remember your kindness forever. We don't want more than that. It's okay if we die. For your race to continue existing, you have to learn how to give up some lives."
Bo Ruo and Jie Ji were touched. They had never thought that Shi Yan would give away such valuable treasures for their lives.
When they were still in the Grace Mainland, the help they had given to Shi Yan was far less than his favor today. They say that a drop of help should be paid back with a stream. This was absolutely not a stream. This was equivalent to oceans and all other bodies of water!
"Stop saying that," Shi Yan waved his hands, "We came here together. When I left you previously, I felt hopeless. I was ashamed for years. Since we meet again today, I will not abandon you guys again. It's okay if I don't have the star map. In the future, I can definitely find a new life star. If we meet up, it will be destiny. I want you to have a better life."
Bao Ao's group of three didn't know what to say. They were so touched.
"How about negotiating with me?" Feng Rao suddenly smiled, thinning her lips. "You give me the star map and I promise you that I will not only cure them but I will also give you a life star if that will help settle with your friends right now. How does that sound?"
Shi Yan was surprised.
"With your realm, power, and reputation, you won't be able to make the Original God realm alchemist help you. I won't be able to either but my father can," Feng Rao didn't want to deceive him. "For their lives, it is too much to pay with the star map. My father can offer you something back. I believe that if you agree to hand over the star map, he will hold onto a life star for you. I swear this. What do you think?"
For the star map, Feng Rao had lived for more than two hundred years in the Purgatory Star. She understood its value best.
A whole new star area with countless treasures could make anyone go crazy. Anyway, the lives of three human body cauldrons weren't as important as the star map.
"Okay!" Shi Yan agreed resolutely. "I will keep the star map for now. When the three of them are cured, I will hand it over immediately. I will keep my word."
"Deal!" Feng Rao finally smiled relaxedly.
Bao Ao's team was so stirred up. Their eyes brightened as they were thrilled.
They had hope after finding a way to survive.
Since they had a plan, they didn't mention their deadly situation anymore. The three of them silently waited for a chance to be freed from the chains of the demonic flower. Afterward, they could continue their progress on the martial road and get stronger and take revenge by killing those people of the Nine Star Chamber of Commerce.
"Where are we?" Shi Yan studied the surrounding, his eyes strange. "Do you know where are we?"
"Oh yes," Feng Rao nodded and smiled, "this is a strange star area near the Land of God Punishment. There is a dangerous black dwarf star (*), which has the same foreign Milky Way like this one. We don't know where it starts or ends. It seems endless though. We should be on that Milky Way now."
(*) A black dwarf star is a theoretical stellar remnant, specifically a white dwarf that has cooled enough so that it no longer emits significant heat or light.
She pointed at one end of the Milky Way. "We are moving forward. Perhaps we can reach that end of the Milky Way near the black dwarf. Haha. You shouldn't wonder about the other end. Many pirates have used hundreds of years to explore that area. They couldn't find out where it goes and their bodies are now lost there for eternity."
Shi Yan was astounded.
"That end is infinite. The further you go, the more dangerous it is. Of course, I never explored that area. I don't know what dangers hide there. We shouldn't take risks." As Feng Rao and Shi Yan had sealed their deal, she was in a satisfied mood. "We should go this way. If we are lucky, perhaps we can get to that black dwarf after several months or one or two years. When we get there, I know how to go to the Land of God Punishment."
Shi Yan nodded, "We'll do what you said. However, we don't need to leave yet. I need more time."
"Why?" asked Feng Rao.
"Don't you see that this is the best place for me to cultivate?"
Feng Rao's eyes brightened, reacting fast, "True. Space cracks spread along this place. You can learn Space power Upanishad here. It is the best thing you can do for your realm."
"I will send more vigorous energy into their bodies one more time. Then, I will cultivate for a while. After I'm done, we will depart." Shi Yan didn't linger there. He walked to Bao Ao's and released the Death and Life power Upanishad. The fountain of vigorous energy in his body poured directly into their Sea of Consciousness.
Bao Ao, Jie Ji, and Bao Ao gradually glowed as they received his energy. Their eyes became livelier.
In a short period of time, the Soul Sucking Demonic Flower couldn't use up their Blood Qi and vitality completely. They would survive for at least another six months.
Afterward, Shi Yan looked at Feng Rao and smiled, "From now on, I won't restrain you anymore. You can recover your power to the peak of your realm."
"Yeah, considering the value of the star map that you gave to me, I will temporarily forgive you," Feng Rao lowered her voice and stooped her head. Her neck reddened. "However, I will never forget the trauma you gave me. Asshole. Sooner or later, you will pay back for messing me up..."
Shi Yan smiled, knowing that she wouldn't forgive him that easily. However, with the big bait, the star map, in her hands, she wouldn't attack him for the time being.
"After all this is over, we should talk. Since we have common interests, just let it go for now," he said deliberately before leaving, flying toward the space slits over there.
Feng Rao lifted her head. Her glorious eyes stared back at him. Her countenance was complicated. He didn't know what she was thinking.
Halting in the area with space slits, Shi Yan felt the magical energy fluctuations of space. He slowly sat down cross-legged in the void, releasing his Soul Consciousness. His soul altar spun slowly while the Seals of Upanishad became crystal clear. Space energy that emitted from his body seemed to connect directly with each space slit.
Varying amounts of his Soul Consciousness seeped into the each of the space cracks. Then, all of his Soul Consciousness flowed out, entering the space slits out there.
A magical feeling arose in his head.
He had an illusion that his body became the door to space. His Soul Consciousness swayed in and out the space slits. They seemed to make a connection with the invisible space. They then became the magical 'Heaven Gates' that could link to other star areas.
Only warriors who cultivated space power with the Soul Consciousness tamed by space energy could let their Soul Consciousness visit the space cracks without being devoured.
The Soul Consciousness slowly elongated in the space slits. The soul altar revolved. Shi Yan's God Soul was clear and calm as he continued sensing unceasingly.
Gradually, his aura vanished as if it had fused with space and it seemed to become one of the countless space cracks.
Not long afterward, a feeble connection arose in his soul.
It seemed like there were even more space cracks within the space cracks. Each space crack was like the space passage, which interlinked and extended to everywhere. They seemed to connect the infinite number of star areas.
Shi Yan's Soul Consciousness continued to extend. After an unknown period, one flow of his Soul Consciousness suddenly reported to him about a familiar energy fluctuation. It felt like a bit of the Soul Consciousness that he had exiled, which had sensed its master's calling.
The God Soul trembled slightly. He condensed his soul energy, making his vision extend infinitely in the direction of the familiar soul fluctuation. A flow of his Soul Consciousness crossed many space intersections and varying spaces while heading forward. A blue light flashed in a chaotic space basin. The beam of feeble Soul Consciousness in it connected to his and fused into one.
Urging his supernatural power, Shi Yan used his fused Soul Consciousness to cover that blue dot of light. From its location, his beam of Soul Consciousness shot out immediately from a space crack.
It was an immense blue flame, condensed by thunder and lightning. As soon as it emerged, thunder and lightning struck the entire space. Lightning struck in the void like terrifying dragons.
"World Extinguishing Thunder Flame!" The Nine Serenities Soul Devouring Flame, which was sinking in his soul altar, sent him its thought immediately. "You found him!"
"Return!"
Shi Yan's gazed at that blue flame before pulling it into his soul altar and placing it on the heaven flame tier.
There was no answer. Shi Yan calmed down and continued using his Soul Consciousness to search the remnants of the World Extinguishing Thunder Flame's soul that he had expelled into the chaotic space flow that year.
Soon after, he found a new connection. Shi Yan hastened to use all of his force to chase. Soon, another blue flame emerged from the space split. He put it into his soul altar, too.
Time flies hurriedly. Two months had passed silently. There were seven blue flames he had captured from the far far away space chaotic basins. They gathered and fused with one another in his soul altar.
The World Extinguishing Thunder Flame had a new life one more time!