Chapter 6853 Blazing Soul Gate
The booth was tiny, wedged tightly between two others. It hardly even counted as a booth.
A frail-looking boy, probably sixteen or seventeen, sat on the ground with a few ordinary items spread out in front of him. Among them was a black-and-white stone.
Surprisingly, this youth was a Sovereign Lord, which was quite rare for someone so young. However, his aura was so faint that it didn’t even compare to that of an average Sovereign Lord. In fact, even a Human Emperor could probably defeat him.
The youth was energized when someone visited his booth. He asked, “Senior, what catches your eye? Feel free to ask. My prices are very affordable.”
But upon seeing Chi Yutong and Xin Yu, he became tense. He recognized their identities as divine daughters. He wanted to introduce himself, but his nerves prevented him from speaking.
“You’re... a Beast Tamer?” asked Long Chen.
“Senior is wise. This junior is a Beast Tamer,” the youth replied.
Chi Yutong and Xin Yu were startled. How did Long Chen figure it out? But then they remembered the youth’s cultivation level, which didn’t match his age, and his aura, which also seemed inconsistent with his cultivation base. Suddenly, they realized it. This young man had been absorbing the cultivation bases of the demonic beasts he tamed. No wonder he had become a Sovereign Lord at such a young age.
“Little brother, you sacrificed your potential to grow too quickly. It’s not worth the gains,” Chi Yutong said, sadly shaking her head at him.
The youth was deeply moved that a divine daughter was speaking to him. He quickly explained, “Divine daughter, I had no choice. My sect was under attack, and our resources were seized. If I hadn't increased my strength by force, the remaining few dozen members inside the sect would have starved to death.”
“Anyone who could come here must be a major figure in the Northern Celestial Region. You’re a Beast Tamer. Are you from the Blazing Soul Gate?” asked Xin Yu.
“Divine daughter is correct. I am from the Blazing Soul Gate.” The youth nodded.
“Before I went into seclusion, I heard that things were tense between your sect and the Soul Refining Sect. Did they...?” asked Xin Yu.
While grimacing, the youth replied, “The Soul Refining Sect, along with several other factions, launched a surprise attack on my Blazing Soul Gate. Our experts were slaughtered, and our foundation was destroyed. All that remains are ruins...”
"They dare? Are they not afraid that the divine capital will punish them for this pointless battle?” demanded Xin Yu.
“They concealed their auras and wore masks. While the unique auras of their cultivation techniques and abilities still remain on the battlefield, the divine capital merely stated that there was no concrete evidence. They told us to wait for a response, but ultimately never got back to us.”
Xin Yu and Chi Yutong frowned. They believed such a blatant attack couldn’t be hidden; simply questioning major factions would reveal the evidence. The divine capital's attitude was infuriating.
Long Chen said, “In theory, if they collaborated to attack, they would have planned to eliminate all of you so that no one would be aware of it. They wouldn’t leave any survivors."
The youth was startled and looked at Long Chen but remained silent.
“If it’s a secret, you don’t need to tell me," Long Chen said softly, slowly picking up the egg-sized stone that was covered in black and white marks.
The youth didn’t seem to care much about the stone. After hesitating for a bit, he finally admitted, “Since you’ve asked, I can't hide the truth. They wanted to wipe out everyone from the Blazing Soul Gate, leaving no survivors or evidence. Fortunately, a passing expert killed several of them and forced them to stop. The Soul Refining Sect saw that this person was too powerful and revealed their identity to scare him off.
“However, this individual simply displayed a tablet, prompting them to leave immediately. He then declared that the matter ended there, warning that if they tried to completely annihilate us, he would personally visit the Soul Refining Sect. Because of this, we were not entirely wiped out.”
“And now?” asked Xin Yu.
The youth shook his head bitterly. “The Blazing Soul Gate’s people have mostly left. Only a few dozen of us stay. As the junior gate master, I came to set up a stall and earn some money. One of the booths here used to belong to us, but others took it over. I’m grateful to my two neighbours for kindly letting me set up between them. I’ve made some money, and my very presence serves as a sign that the Blazing Soul Gate is not yet gone.”
Chi Yutong and Xin Yu both felt sympathy. Looking at this young person, they understood that he was hiding a great deal of pain and hatred. They also realized why he refused to leave; he would lift the Blazing Soul Gate himself. If he left too, the Blazing Soul Gate truly would disappear.
Junior gate master should have been a proud title, yet in the youth’s voice, it carried echoes of grief and helplessness. His fragile shoulders bore the weight of his sect’s revival while surrounded by enemies. That was far too tough. It wasn’t just about mockery or shame. Who knew when their enemies would return and deliver the final blow?
The moment this youth showed any impressive talent or if he grew too fast, the other side would feel threatened and be willing to pay the price to kill him. Now, he had made himself grow by risking his future potential. If he didn't, he wouldn’t be able to survive, let alone rebuild his sect.
Chi Yutong and Xin Yu exchanged a look. They wanted to help the youth, but they were worried their help would lead to his death.
They had thought about letting him join their sect, but he was the junior gate master. If he were to hide under someone else’s banner, his sect would exist in name only.
Without realizing it, both of them looked at Long Chen, who was silently playing with the stone in his hand.
Seeing Long Chen’s interest in that rock, the youth explained, “This stone is something one of my ancestors obtained by chance. It is so shockingly tough that even Divine Sovereign weapons cannot damage it. Unfortunately, when we sought appraisals, no one could tell what it was, not even the Huayun Trading Company.
“Their conclusion was that it was incredibly tough, showed no fluctuations in spiritual qi, and had no elemental energy. It was simply an oddity of the world with unclear uses. They couldn’t put a value on it.”
“Not even the Huayun Trading Company could identify it?" Xin Yu shook her head.
If even they didn't know what it was, then this object likely had no practical value.
“Senior, if you like it, you can buy a few more items and take the stone as a gift,” said the youth.
“Just give it to me? This thing might be a priceless treasure. Why are you so generous?” Long Chen asked, looking closely at the youth.
Just then, a group of young men and women walked over, and a slimy voice rang out.
“Heavens, is that who I think it is? The renowned junior gate master of the illustrious Blazing Soul Gate?"
A flicker of killing intent surfaced in the youth’s eyes. He lowered his head and fidgeted with the items on his booth, ignoring the newcomers.
The leader of that group had a similar aura to the one Xin Yu had cursed off earlier. He had to be from the Soul Refining Sect.
He seemed very arrogant, not even looking at Long Chen and the others as he walked over. As he drew near, Long Chen’s hand twitched instinctively, almost reaching out to slap him.
Pow!
But while Long Chen managed to hold himself back, not everyone did.
Xin Yu viciously slapped the arrogant man in the face, knocking him to the ground.