BTTH : Wandering Soul

He quickly took a robe from his ring and put it on, after realizing that his body was bare. The flames had scorched his clothes long ago.

With the energy source gone, The place was only dimly lit by remaining red lava, and blue frost, illuminating it in two colors. He observed them and realized that there were some rare medicinal plants still present in them. He quickly went there and carefully took all of these medicinal plants. Due to the extreme conditions required to grow, they were rare.

Some of these medicinal plants were main ingredients for 5th tier medicinal pills. And he even saw one which was used for 6th tier pill. So he was extremely happy with this harvest. There were hundreds of them. So he took the one's required for higher tiered pills and which were expensive and for low tiered one's he only took a portion of them as he didn't have enough space.

It was unwritten rule to always leave behind the roots of any medicinal plant or treasure, but Xiao Yan knew these plants could no longer survive as the main energy source was taken. And without it, the extreme temperature can't be maintained. So he didn't focus on that.

Xiao Yan's eyes scanned the surrounding walls, his attention drawn to a faint light filtering in from the far end of the space. The sunlight, which hadn't been there before, crept through tiny holes around a massive boulder blocking the exit. Without hesitation, he rushed toward it, hope rising in his chest. Planting his feet firmly, he clenched his fists and threw a powerful punch at the boulder.

Bang!

The impact echoed loudly, but the boulder didn't budge. But still power behind the punch surprised Xiao Yan. He closed his eyes to check the dou qi vertex. And he was pleasantly surprised no notice that he had advanced to dou Shi. He couldn't contain his happiness.

With smiling face, Xiao Yan steadied himself and gathered all his strength. This time, he lunged forward with even greater force, pouring his full might into the blow. Just as his fist was about to connect, the cat perched on his shoulder stirred. In a flash, it transformed into pure flame and merged seamlessly into his body.

Startled but unwavering, Xiao Yan felt the flames coil around his arm like a living, blazing gauntlet. The intense heat didn't burn him—instead, it filled him with newfound power.

Bang!

The punch landed, and the massive boulder shattered into countless small stones, the light from outside spilling into the space like a flood. As the dust settled, the flames reformed into the little black-and-white cat, which perched once more on his shoulder, looking entirely unbothered—as though nothing had happened at all.

Xiao Yan didn't know he should laugh or cry. This cat was really something else.

He felt a surge of happiness as he finally escaped. Thinking about his family he couldn't wait to meet them. With that he started running at full strength. As soon as he did so, the cat swiftly entered his body. It stayed inside. Xiao Yan was again surprised, as he had just thought that anyone seeing it won't be good and without any command it listened to him. There must be some secret behind it, he silently thought.

Sun was at its peak when he had started his journey. He reached the foot of the mountain just before sunset. My speed has increased a lot he thought. In the journey he encountered some rank 2 beasts. And he easily handled them.

The cat surprised him again. While fighting it spread around his body, forming black and white shield. It could even withstand an attack from rank 3 magical beast. There were also three rank 3 magical beasts as well. But with him used to fighting stronger foes, he defeated them without any injuries. He got two rank 3, five rank 2 and twelve rank 1 monster cores. He was very happy with his progress. Surely the endless torture was sure worth it.

As he reached foot of the mountains, he realized nothing had changed. It still felt like the same scene when he had come here years ago...

Xiao Yan blinked, a sudden realization striking him—how much time had passed? In that strange, isolated place, time had lost all meaning. For all he knew, it could have been days, months, or even years. A faint unease settled in his chest, but he pushed it aside as he approached the inn's receptionist.

The girl behind the counter was stunning, older than him by a few years, with a gentle elegance that belied her profession. Her soft smile was inviting, but Xiao Yan forced himself to remain composed, his gaze carefully avoiding the more... distracting aspects of her attire. Internally, he berated himself for his wandering thoughts, but outwardly, his calm, collected demeanor remained intact.

"I need a room for the night," he stated simply.

The girl nodded, her voice pleasant as she handled the transaction with practiced ease. A key exchanged hands, and Xiao Yan placed it in his palm, already turning to leave before something stopped him. He hesitated briefly, then turned back.

"There's one more thing," he said, sliding a gleaming gold coin across the counter. "Can you tell me about any recent events in the area?"

The receptionist's brows furrowed in mild confusion. "Recent events? You sound as though you've been away for quite a while." Her words carried a hint of suspicion, but the gold coin's weight dispelled any reservations she might have had.

Her expression softened, and with a more eager tone, she began recounting the latest happenings—rumors of political shifts, powerful figures on the move, and whispers of conflicts brewing on the horizon. Xiao Yan listened carefully, each detail filling the gaps in his understanding of the world he'd returned to.

From the conversation he put pieces together and figured out just over 2 years had passed. It was significant time. Father must be worried. And Xun'er... As these thoughts seeped into his mind he became restless. Would they be okay? He was gone for 2 years. Could they have thought I died ? His mind became even more restless.

He reached the room. The door was opened with a creak. He entered the room, similar to previous one, and closed the door. And just lied on the bed. Thinking about his family.

But suddenly he felt the heavenly flame in his tensed. Instantly flames spread around his body in protective barrier. He didn't know what had happened. But he had felt a bit soul fluctuation just before the flame's response. Could there be someone watching me?

"You are quite something little fella." a wizened, strange laugh entered his ear. Following the voice an Old Man with a White Beard appeared before Xiao Yan. And what surprised him was that he was in spirit form, with a bit transparent body floating in the air before him.

Xiao Yan's body tensed. With somewhat nervous expressions he asked, "Who are you?"

The elder sized Xiao Yan, before answering, "My name is Yao Lao."