Inside the VIP room of the Sacrificial Shop, the atmosphere was calm yet subtly tense.
This time, only two people were present.
Yao Chen stood calmly in the center of the room, his soul body faintly translucent, his gaze sharp and vigilant. Opposite him sat Li Rong, relaxed and composed, as though this meeting were nothing more than a casual conversation between acquaintances.
Outside the door, Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er had been deliberately stopped by Mo Jiao. No matter how anxious they were, they could only wait in silence.
"Boss Li," Yao Chen spoke first, his tone steady but cautious, "why have you summoned me alone?"
Li Rong did not waste words.
"I admire your talent," he said plainly. "I would like to formally invite you to join the Sacrificial Shop as an employee, responsible for overseeing all affairs of the Northwest Region."
Yao Chen's soul body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Then he shook his head.
"I am used to freedom," Yao Chen replied slowly. "I dislike restrictions and formal hierarchies. Moreover, I am only a soul body. Even if I wished to accept, I am not suitable to act as a General Manager."
Li Rong smiled faintly, as if he had already anticipated this response.
"The Shop can help you reconstruct your body."
Yao Chen's pupils contracted.
He frowned deeply, his voice lowering. "I have traveled the continent for centuries. I have never heard of any method capable of reconstructing a true physical body for a soul."
Li Rong's expression did not change.
"An eighth-grade medicinal pill, combined with special techniques, can reconstruct a body," he said calmly. "Alternatively, one may use the Fen Jue to refine a physical body."
Each word landed like a hammer.
Yao Chen's soul trembled violently.
The Fen Jue.
This was no longer common knowledge. Even fewer people in the world knew its true nature—yet Li Rong spoke of it as if reciting a mundane fact.
Yao Chen's voice escaped before he could restrain himself.
"Han Feng… sold the Fen Jue to the shop?"
"No," Li Rong replied at once, shaking his head. "He did not."
He leaned back slightly, his tone turning almost conversational.
"The Fen Jue is powerful and possesses extraordinary potential, but it is not unparalleled in this world."
Yao Chen's brows furrowed as Li Rong continued.
"Each evolution requires the devouring of a Heavenly Flame. Heavenly Flames are rare, and every devour is a life-and-death trial. The burden placed upon both body and soul is immense."
"If one day the body or soul can no longer withstand that burden, another devour will lead only to self-immolation."
Li Rong's voice was calm, yet every sentence pierced straight into the core of the Fen Jue's hidden flaws.
"This cultivation technique appears to have infinite potential, but in truth, it has an inherent ceiling. Furthermore, after repeated devouring, the body becomes extremely specialized. Switching to another cultivation technique in the future becomes nearly impossible."
Yao Chen felt a chill deep in his soul.
Even he—who had once possessed the Fen Jue—had not fully understood it to this extent.
"You even know this…" Yao Chen said hoarsely. "Boss Li, do you know the origin of the Fen Jue?"
"Yes," Li Rong answered without hesitation. "It is the cultivation technique Tuoshe Ancient Emperor relied on to become an Emperor."
Yao Chen's mind exploded.
The last Dou Di of the continent.
So the Fen Jue carried such a terrifying origin.
"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's true form was itself a Heavenly Flame," Li Rong continued. "After gaining sentience, he obtained the Fen Jue. For him, the technique had no flaws."
He paused, then added quietly, "For humans, however…"
He did not finish the sentence.
Yao Chen understood.
After a long silence, Yao Chen asked carefully, "Then… can a human truly make the Fen Jue evolve?"
"Yes," Li Rong replied. "As long as the body and soul are strong enough to endure the Heavenly Flame, it can evolve."
Yao Chen finally exhaled a breath he did not realize he had been holding.
"Your shop's intelligence network is terrifying," he said sincerely. "Even secrets like this are known."
Li Rong smiled lightly. "Many truths are not expensive. They only seem secret because few people ask the right questions."
Yao Chen's gaze sharpened.
"If someone cultivates the Fen Jue successfully, can they reach Dou Di?"
"Cultivation techniques define potential," Li Rong replied. "But the final height still depends on the individual."
He looked directly at Yao Chen.
"Xiao Yan is exceptionally talented. But he still lacks one crucial external condition."
"External condition?" Yao Chen echoed.
"Yes." Li Rong nodded. "For nearly ten thousand years, no one on the Douqi Continent has broken through to Dou Di. Not because of talent—but because the Origin Qi between heaven and earth has long since dried up."
"Without Origin Qi, the peak of Dou Sheng is the absolute limit."
Yao Chen's soul shook violently.
A question rose from the depths of his heart—one he had never dared to ask anyone.
"Does your shop… possess Origin Qi?"
"Yes."
The single word struck Yao Chen like lightning.
"Then why not sell it?" Yao Chen pressed. "Why not open it to the world?"
"It is not for sale," Li Rong replied simply, offering no further explanation.
Yao Chen slowly steadied himself, then asked quietly, "Boss Li… do you know who my enemies are?"
"The Soul Hall. The Soul Clan," Li Rong said calmly. "In front of the Sacrificial Shop, they amount to very little."
"If you successfully rise from Northwest General Manager to General Manager overseeing the entire Douqi Continent, then even the clan leaders of the Ancient Eight Clans will one day address you as Lord Yao Chen."
Li Rong's gaze was steady and unwavering.
"Once you join the shop, as long as you abide by its principles—task freedom, equivalent exchange, and strict neutrality—you will be under the shop's protection."
Yao Chen's certainty deepened: this shop's background was unfathomable.
Still, he asked one last time.
"What is your true purpose?"
"Our methods should already be familiar to you," Li Rong replied honestly. "We intend to expand the Sacrificial Shop's business model across the entire Northwest Region and establish branches in every empire."
"The General Manager holds great authority—and great responsibility. We need someone whose strength, ability, and character are worthy of trust."
"What about Madam Bi Ji and the others?" Yao Chen asked.
"They have other responsibilities. Mo Jiao and the rest are not yet strong enough."
Yao Chen closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"Boss Li," he said slowly, "may I see the Origin Qi?"
Li Rong did not answer verbally.
He simply opened his palm.
Space twisted silently above it.
A wisp of formless, intangible energy emerged—barely visible, yet undeniably real.
It was the purest essence of heaven and earth.
Just a single wisp, yet it caused Yao Chen's soul origin to tremble uncontrollably, filled with an instinctive craving.
Time froze.
Yao Chen stared, unmoving, his expression solemn to the point of reverence.
Li Rong closed his hand. The Origin Qi vanished.
"Have you decided?"
Yao Chen raised his head.
"One final question," he said. "What about my disciple?"
Li Rong answered calmly. "We are recruiting you—not Xiao Yan. If he earns the shop's recognition in the future, he may join."
"Can I recruit him as a regular employee?"
"If he meets the requirements, yes. If not, no."
Yao Chen let out a long breath.
At last, he nodded.
"Boss Li's invitation… I, Yao Chen, accept."
Freedom was precious.
But Xiao Yan's future—and the shadow of the Soul Hall—were heavier still.
Li Rong smiled sincerely.
"Welcome aboard. The Northwest Region is now yours."
At that moment, a light screen unfolded before Yao Chen's eyes. Vast amounts of information about the Sacrificial Shop poured into his consciousness. Even with his powerful soul, he was briefly overwhelmed.
When he recovered, Li Rong raised his hand again.
The same wisp of Origin Qi appeared, gathering countless strands of spiritual energy. In mere moments, it condensed into a complete physical body—identical to Yao Chen's form in life.
"A soul body is inconvenient for work," Li Rong said. "Is this acceptable?"
Before Yao Chen could answer, his soul was gently drawn in.
The sensation defied description.
Vitality flooded him.
Meridians surged with power.
Dormant Dou Qi awakened, purer and stronger than ever before.
Most terrifying of all was the Origin Qi at the body's core.
In an instant—silently, flawlessly—the barrier that had confined him for centuries dissolved.
No explosion.
No disturbance.
No leakage of aura.
Only Yao Chen himself knew—
He had crossed into Dou Sheng.
He steadied himself and bowed deeply.
"This rebirth… exceeds all expectations."
Li Rong merely nodded.
Outside, the door opened.
Xiao Yan looked up—and froze.
His teacher stood there in solid flesh, radiating vitality and authority.
"Teacher…?"
Yao Chen smiled.
"From today onward," he said warmly, "your teacher is the General Manager of the Northwest Region."