Beauty and Might: Heavenly Flames

In the stillness of the spiritual sea, the celestial lady’s gaze deepened. ”I am certain his soul can be cultivated. For reasons I do not yet understand, his soul essence is far stronger than that of humans on this planet.”

”But you must understand—once the seal is in place, you will no longer have control. You will only observe.”

Yan Tian lowered his head, carefully weighing her words. After a moment, he asked, ”How much longer would my soul survive after you cast the seal?”

She answered with quiet thoughtfulness. ”I estimate five to six years, perhaps longer—depending on how much energy the seal consumes.”

A small smile broke across Yan Tian’s face. ”That’s long enough. If I can see my family and Yan Fei again, then it will be worth it. I’m willing to do it.”

The celestial lady returned a gentle nod, though her voice carried a warning. ”Remember the rule of the seal: if you ever wish to do anything you cannot do inside—such as leaving this spiritual consciousness or speaking with anyone else than this mysterious soul—you will have to exit from the seal temporarily.”

”But each time you do, your remaining time will shorten. Choose carefully.”

Yan Tian’s eyes steadied with determination. ”I understand. Thank you for the warning. Senior, please begin the process.”

She nodded, but before beginning, she asked, ”Before I create the seal, let us first handle this mysterious soul. Tell me—what wish would you like to see fulfilled? I will ensure he works toward making it happen.”

Yan Tian’s expression softened as he thought deeply. Finally, he spoke, his voice low but steady. ”First… I want to see my family and Yan Fei one last time.” His lips curved into a bittersweet smile.

His smile soon shifted into something heavier. ”The second thing… If this mysterious soul takes over my body, then he must accomplish something greater for my Yan family. Even if I disappear, I want my name to live on through them.”

Then, his expression darkened with anger and resolve. ”And third… I want to change the fate of all darkness element affinity holders in this world. They deserve the right to live freely, just like anyone else.”

The celestial lady studied him for a long moment, her gaze solemn. Then, she nodded slowly. ”I will ensure your wishes are fulfilled, Yan Tian. And I hope you live long enough to witness them come true.”

Her last words lingered in the air, heavy with both promise and uncertainty.

The celestial lady finally turned toward the mysterious soul, still floating quietly, wrapped in golden light. Her voice carried a sharp edge of resolve. ”Let’s handle him.”

As both her and Yan Tian’s gazes turned toward the mysterious soul, their eyes widened in surprise.

The soul’s appearance shifted—his form growing younger, features reshaping into those of a strikingly handsome youth, no older than eighteen. His hair lengthened, turning a vivid shade of purple that shimmered faintly, and his countenance became sharper, more refined.

”This… his appearance… is it changing to match yours?” she murmured in astonishment, her gaze flicking to Yan Tian.

Yan Tian, equally stunned, said nothing. He could only watch as his own future self seemed to take form before him.

The transformation dragged on for several minutes.

At last, the golden light dimmed, revealing the final result: the mysterious soul now looked exactly like Yan Tian—his youthful face, build, height, and even his clothes, mirrored perfectly.

No difference could be found between them.

As the last of the golden glow condensed above the soul’s head, it formed into a liquid drop of golden light.

Slowly, it fell, rippling as it merged into the spiritual sea beneath their feet. This made the spiritual sea tremble.

Yan Tian’s heart skipped a beat. ”Senior, what just happened?”

The celestial lady shook her head calmly, though her eyes betrayed her shock. ”Don’t be afraid, nothing dangerous.”

”The leftover energy from his transformation has been absorbed into the spiritual sea instead of dissipating. It’s strengthening the spiritual sea. A blessing… one I’ve never seen before.”

Almost instantly, the sea began to change. The mist surrounding it thinned rapidly, the once-clear area of five meters expanding outward until it stretched nearly thirty meters across.

The air itself seemed sharper, cleaner, as though the sea had grown stronger.

The celestial lady and Yan Tian stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sudden growth.

Once the ripples settled, the celestial lady raised her hand, waving gently. At once, she and Yan Tian’s soul bodies vanished from sight, and even their reflections were erased from the water below.

Yan Tian blinked but remained silent. Before he could question her, she spoke softly, ”Don’t make a sound until I say so.”

He nodded obediently.

The celestial lady then summoned a small green fireball and flicked it toward the mysterious soul. It struck, and the soul stirred.

Slowly, he rose, eyes fluttering open to reveal a pair of bright violet irises identical to Yan Tian’s. Confusion clouded his face as he turned in slow circles, unaware of the invisible observers.

His gaze swept across the vast sea and the pale mist beyond, and he whispered uncertainly, ”Is this… heaven?”

The moment he heard his own voice, his body stiffened. ”What…? My voice… Why do I sound like a kid?” He clutched at his throat in disbelief, his hands trembling.

Lowering his gaze, he froze again. His body was smaller. His hands were delicate, his clothes unfamiliar. Heart pounding, he leaned over the surface of the spiritual sea.

The reflection that stared back was not his own self. It was the face of a boy.

”No… no, this isn’t possible,” he whispered, dropping to his knees. His reflection wavered in the rippling water as he muttered again and again, ”How… how did I turn into a child?”

Shock and bewilderment consumed him. His thoughts spiraled, unable to grasp the impossible truth of his transformation.

Hidden beneath the cloak of invisibility, both Yan Tian and the celestial lady watched silently, each shaken for different reasons.

Yan Tian frowned. ”Why does it sound like he’s speaking another language I’ve never heard before?”

Meanwhile, the celestial lady’s eyes narrowed in thought. ”No… that tongue… it resembles one of the ancient languages I inherited in my memories.”

She then summoned a sky-blue fire and sent it toward the mysterious soul, careful to keep it unnoticed by him, who stood a little distance away from her.

Unlike the green flame she had used earlier, this sky-blue fire carried the essence of ancient memory.

It’s still unknown how many types of fire she used.

The mysterious soul’s brow furrowed as he saw a flame approaching out of nowhere. He blurted out, ”What the… You’ve got to be kidding…”

”This is definitely not heaven.”

He tried to dodge, but he couldn’t. To his surprise, the fire didn’t burn him.

Instead, a flood of information poured into his mind, making him grit his teeth and clutch his head to endure the overwhelming rush.

Moments later, the pressure eased. He staggered, breathing hard. ”What… was that? How could I not feel any burning?”

”Wait—why do I feel like my language changed suddenly?!” His voice trembled with disbelief.

His eyes widened slightly. ”More importantly, how can I understand it if I don’t know this language?”

He looked around again, suspicion flickering in his gaze. ”Was this caused by the flame that just hit me?”

”Is this a dream? No… it feels far too real.”

As he tried to process everything, he murmured again, ”But why do I feel like I’ve seen this place before?”

Hidden under the cloak of invisibility, the celestial lady and Yan Tian stayed silent, watching him. The celestial lady, in particular, was carefully observing, wanting to understand the nature of this mysterious soul before deciding how to handle him.

Meanwhile, the mysterious soul continued to wrestle with the situation. ”Oh… I remember now. This place looks like a spiritual sea.”

The celestial lady’s eyes widened slightly. ”He recognizes the spiritual sea?”

That recognition startled her, confirming her suspicion that this soul had once belonged to someone from a higher cultivation realm; otherwise, he wouldn’t know about it.

But her suspicion was quickly shattered by his next words.

He sighed, ”sigh… I must be getting too old to dream like this. How can something like a spiritual sea from novels turn into reality?”

Yan Tian blinked in confusion. ”Novels?”

The mysterious soul shook his head and continued muttering. ”I clearly remember dying… that attack, the blood, everything went black.”

”So maybe this isn’t a dream… Then again, what if I survived, but fell into a coma, and I’m just imagining all this?”

He rubbed his temples, laughing weakly. ”Damn it…”

”Maybe it’s because recently I wasted more time on my entertainment ventures than running my other companies,” he chuckled bitterly.

Looking around once more, he frowned. He had no idea what to do, convinced he was trapped with no way out.

Suddenly, ripples spread across the water to his left. He turned, brows furrowed, and froze at the sight before him.

A woman who looked like a goddess with an otherworldly aura stood there, and beside her… a young boy who looked exactly like him—currently him.

His gaze lingered on the celestial lady rather than the boy. His tone shifted to one of deep respect as he said, ”Respected madam, can you tell me what has happened to me?”

He dared not be disrespectful—what if she held the key to escaping this strange place?

”Why do I look like that boy next to you? Where exactly am I? And why am I able to speak and understand a language I’ve never learned?”

The celestial lady studied him for a long moment before nodding. ”Of course, I’ll tell you what I know. But first, tell me about yourself.”

He straightened his back and spoke clearly. ”My name is Li Yan, and I’m one of the top business tycoons in China.”

The celestial lady tilted her head, curiosity glinting in her eyes. ”Li Yan. Tell me—what’s the last thing you remember?”

He paused, face tightening as he searched his memory. ”I only recall heading home from my office. A gang ambushed us. My guards and I fought back, and though we killed a few, in the chaos I… I was hit in the head. I was bleeding… then everything went dark.”

”After that, I woke up here. I don’t know how or why.”

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. ”Just like that? What was your cultivation before you died?”

”Cultivation?” Li Yan repeated blankly. ”What do you mean?”

She raised a brow, her tone patient. ”You didn’t know about cultivation? It’s the path of growing stronger by cultivating Qi from the atmosphere to defy mortality.”

Li Yan blinked, then chuckled lightly, shaking his head. ”You sound just like the fantasy novels I used to read. Interestingly, one of my businesses even published works like that—authors selling their stories to gain fame and earn money.”

”But… is something like this actually real?”

His gaze shifted between her and Yan Tian, and his expression turned half-incredulous. ”Don’t tell me… my soul has transmigrated?”

”Into another world? A new body? Just like those fantasy novels?”

”That I’ve been given a second chance. I thought about that just a few moments ago, but… is such a thing even possible?”

The celestial lady was momentarily taken aback. ”I don’t fully understand these ‘fantasy novels’ you’re referring to, but you’re not entirely wrong. Your soul has indeed transmigrated into Yan Tian’s body in a different world.”

”From your words, I assume that, in your world, cultivation exists only as fiction.”

Li Yan’s breath caught, and his expression turned excited. ”…So it’s true? It’s truly a blessing.”

The celestial lady’s lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile. ”Yes. But do not be so quick to call it a blessing.”

She gestured toward Yan Tian’s soul. ”This is Yan Tian, the original owner of this body. Even though his soul is weaker, he is still alive, under my protection.”

She paused before continuing, ”As for the second chance to live… it depends on your decision.”

The weight of fate hung between them, fragile as a breath.