BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Xiao Yan didn't proceed further into the Hall of Souls' Treasure Hall. Instead, he directly exited the test.

Now with Soul Points in hand, he could first check the goods outside to see if anything was suitable, and it wouldn't be too late to exchange them for a Soul Training Method afterward.

With a rustling sound, Xiao Yan pushed aside the curtain and emerged from the dark passage. He looked around the dilapidated Soul Sacrifice Old Shop, feeling as if he had finally returned to the real world.

"I really didn't expect you to come back."

Recognizing the familiar voice, Xiao Yan knew it was Hun Lao Gui. "How long was I in there?" he asked.

There was no concept of time in the Soul Path, nor were there the rising and setting of the sun and moon to keep track of it. He only knew he had indeed spent a significant amount of time inside.

"Jie Jie Jie, less than two days."

Xiao Yan frowned. "How is that possible? Although I didn't keep an exact count, I was in there for at least four days. Could it be that time moves differently in the Soul Path than it does on the outside?"

Hun Lao Gui revealed his large yellow teeth and mocked, "Why fret over such a trivial function as slowed time flow? The time discrepancy in the Heavenly Tomb is even longer than that of the Soul Path."

"Heavenly Tomb?"

"Jie Jie Jie, you'll naturally come to know once you reach a certain level of strength."

Xiao Yan couldn't help but comment when he heard this laughter that resembled that of a ghost, "Has anyone ever told you that your laughter is pretty strange?"

Hun Lao Gui slowly opened his eyes, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth as he smiled and said, "This is a tradition of our Hun Clan. The secrets within are not something you would understand."

Xiao Yan could only shrug his shoulders. He didn't want to pry into others' affairs too much, especially since his purpose here was to spend.

He walked around the few shelves in the old shop, took a close look at the items, and asked, "Don't you think there are too few items in this old shop of yours?"

"This is the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop in the Black-Corner Region. As long as you have Soul Points, the Hall of Souls can help you accomplish anything, even unifying the entire Black-Corner Region. Moreover, the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop is connected to the Treasure Hall. If you want to exchange for items from the Treasure Hall, you can do so here as well."

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. This was exactly what he had thought. Soul Points were basically the circulating currency of the Hall of Souls. One could even command the people of the Hall of Souls as long as one could afford the cost.

Moreover, the Hall of Souls surely had more than just this small amount of influence in the Black-Corner Region. Many factions within the region were likely under the shadow of the Hall of Souls, and anything needed could be traded through the Soul Sacrifice Old Shop.

On the surface, it was merely an old shop, but in reality, the network of relationships that this shop had within the Black-Corner Region was probably intricate and complex. Perhaps even the Jia Nan Academy had the lackeys of the Hall of Souls.

Xiao Yan threw the Soul Command onto the table with a casual thud and asked, "What can I purchase now?"

Hun Lao Gui's withered hand leisurely picked up the Soul Command, pinched it between two fingers to check the level and number of Soul Points. After glancing at Xiao Yan, he said, "Low Di Class, achieving such a high level on the first entry into the Soul Path is rare even within my Hun Clan."

Xiao Yan flashed a bright, sunny smile and asked, "Do you have any Heavenly Flames here?"

Hun Lao Gui shook his head and said, "Heavenly Flames are rare natural treasures. Only those in need would expend the effort to search for them. Once obtained, they would immediately refine it, and nobody would ever consider trading it."

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. Heavenly Flames were indeed too rare. Even if someone in the Black-Corner Region obtained a Heavenly Flame, they would never trade it.

"However, I do have some information on Heavenly Flames," Hun Lao Gui said as he put down the Soul Command.

Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed but inwardly smiled to himself. The reason he hadn't exchanged all of his Soul Points for treasures in the Treasure Hall was precisely because he had suspected that there would be information related to Heavenly Flames.

The items in the Treasure Hall were mostly inanimate objects, such as Qi Methods, Dou Techniques, Monster Cores, Medicinal Pills, and Weapons.

These items could just sit and wait, but something alive like a Heavenly Flame that could change at any time couldn't possibly be found in the Treasure Hall.

Information about Heavenly Flames was exactly what he needed.

"What information can I get for 10,000 Soul Points?" Xiao Yan calculated for a moment. He needed to reserve 1,000 Soul Points to exchange for the Spirit Heart Gathering Soul Technique, leaving him with 10,000 Soul Points to spend.

"I know about a Heavenly Flame within the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy. It should be the Fallen Heart Flame. With 10,000 Soul Points, you could actually hire three or four Dou Emperors to assist you in seizing it."

The fact that Jia Nan Academy possessed a Heavenly Flame wasn't much of a secret anymore; several powerful individuals had noticed it but had abandoned any malicious intentions due to the academy's strength.

Hun Lao Gui glanced at Xiao Yan, well aware that the latter was a student of Jia Nan Academy, and seemed to deliberately say, "However, there are also others in the Black-Corner Region eyeing the Fallen Heart Flame."

Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat. He was aware of the Fallen Heart Flame at Jia Nan Academy, but its 14th rank made it too powerful for him to refine. What he hadn't expected was that others were also plotting to claim the Fallen Heart Flame!

"Who?"

"Han Feng, a peak 6th-tier alchemist. He is not a member of my Hall of Souls, but he does have some connections with us. I don't recommend you compete with him. 10,000 Soul Points aren't enough, and the Jia Nan Academy is not as simple as it appears on the surface."

A peak 6th-tier Alchemist!

Gu He, known as the Pill King, was the most powerful alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire. However, Gu He was also a 6th-tier alchemist and not necessarily at the peak of the 6th-tier.

The means and power of a peak 6th-tier Alchemist could be enough to bring the entire Jia Ma Empire to ruin!

"Jie Jie Jie, if you truly desire a Heavenly Flame, you could use 10,000 Soul Points to put a bounty on Han Feng's head," Hun Lao Gui suddenly laughed.

"Why?"

"The Sea Heart Flame is in his possession. My Hun Clan has a Secret Technique that can strip the soul and extract the Heavenly Flame."

The Sea Heart Flame, ranked 15th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!!!

Legend had it that this Heavenly Flame was born deep in the ocean, a product of the collision between undersea volcanic eruptions and the immense pressure of the sea. The Sea Heart Flame appeared as a deep blue flame that looked exceedingly mystical. As the flame rose, it slowly spread out like clear sea water, with gentle ripples resembling water waves.

This Heavenly Flame could even burn on water and spread upon contact with it, which was quite miraculous.

The Fallen Heart Flame was ranked 14th, and the Sea Heart Flame was ranked 15th. Even if Xiao Yan managed to obtain either of them, given his current physical strength, the likelihood of being burned to death was greater...

"The methods of your Hall of Souls are truly wicked to the extreme, stripping the soul to transfer the Heavenly Flame," Xiao Yan slowly shook his head, rejecting the suggestion.

"Jie Jie Jie, wicked? We in the Hall of Souls do not distinguish between good and evil, only between strong and weak. If you are strong, then you are right."

Xiao Yan continued to ask, "Is there anything else, preferably a weaker Heavenly Flame?"

"There is indeed. The Ten Thousand Beast Flame."

!!!!!!!

Xiao Yan suppressed the excitement in his heart. The 22nd-ranked Ten Thousand Beast Flame!!!

This Heavenly Flame was perfect for his current Dou Master strength. Ranked 22nd, it was second to last. If even this didn't work, he would have to wait until his strength increased a bit more.

Xiao Yan asked with a calm face, "Where is it?"

"Jie Jie Jie, kid, this will cost you Soul Points. But let me warn you, with your strength, you could die at any moment in the place where the Ten Thousand Beast Flame resides."

"Just say it. You guys from the Hall of Souls always like to beat around the bush?" Xiao Yan gave him a sidelong glance.

After Hun Lao Gui's finger traced over the Soul Command to deduce the soul points, a spiritual voice was transmitted into Xiao Yan's mind.

"The Magic Beast Mountain Range."

Kisshot

//We've finally concluded the Prologue Arc and are ready to dive into the first real adventure!

I have to admit that this trial grounds plot was my least favorite part of the story when I 'read' it for the first time. Perhaps it still is, but now that I've had the chance to take the time to translate and fully understand it, I can say that I've come to appreciate it a little bit more.

Feel free to share your thoughts. All your comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!