“You’ve experienced it before I suppose?”

Drako Yau recalled the time he had faced Nin’s attack right before it was defeated. The pain he experienced after going through the weird state almost killed him.

“Your body is like a bomb. It might go boom one day when the two forces violently clash against one another.” Drako Yau’s face twitched when Chris said the word “Boom”.

“But you, kid, are a lucky person. The two forces within you are currently separated by another force. You can think of it as a wall. This wall… it’s Ghost Flame isn’t it? I’m surprised you even managed to get your hands on such a thing.

“Ghost Flame’s power is to restrain other forces. The person who patched you up has great skill too, his control over the Ghost Flame’s powers is delicate and precise.”

Drako Yau thought of Greenstone, the man who saved him over and over again. Noticing the complicated look on Drako Yau’s face, Chris sighed and patted his shoulder.

“Don’t be too bothered about it. With danger comes opportunity. Although you’re in a dangerous situation, if you learn how to control the forces within you, you will grow even stronger.”

“What should I do?” Drako Yau asked calmly.

Chris shook his head and said, “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anyone who survived after developing two opposite forces within them. I’m not trying to scare you: it’s extremely difficult to hold a rein over two completely opposite forces. There used to be someone who had five elements within him, but because his elements were metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, he turned them into a complementary loop. However, it’s way more difficult when you only have two elements.

“The Vitality Mantra is truly a fascinating cultivation style. As a seed within the cultivator, apart from luck, the styles which develop from it are impacted by the cultivator’s personality.” Chris was relieved as he looked at Drako Yau and continued, “Perhaps, besides that calm and cool head of yours, a passionate fire burns within you. The old geezer has picked the right person. You are a great kid indeed.”

Chris then made a superficial smile. “If your style was underhanded or vicious in nature, I’d have struck you down when you knocked on the door.”

Drako Yau didn’t say anything and stared at Chris. While Chris appeared to be no more than an ordinary person, Drako Yau had this vague sense of danger and discomfort just by staying near him. It was a sensation he felt only when he was facing someone stronger than he was.

“That means I’m on my own then?” Drako Yau asked.

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Chris shrugged; there was nothing he could do about it.

“I see, thank you.” Drako Yau stood up and turned to leave the hut. At that moment, the filthy man who had been silent for so long said, “Chris, why don’t you introduce me?”

Chris rolled his eyes at that man and said, “Drako Yau, this shameless man is Destiny.”

“Just call me Dex, sounds friendlier that way.” Destiny then made a smile. “Drako Yau is it? About your body’s condition, perhaps I could offer a bit of help.”

Chris had a weird look after hearing what Dex said, but Drako Yau didn’t realise it because his back was turned against Chris.

“Help?”

Dex chuckled. “I might look filthy and messed up, but I’m actually a jeweller.”

It was Drako Yau’s turn to have a weird look as he sized up Dex. The black, messy hair was so tangled that it probably would break a few combs just to tidy up his hair.

As though he could sense Drako Yau’s thoughts, Dex revealed his gleaming white teeth and said, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

He placed the heavily patched up bag onto the ground and poured out several nicely decorated boxes. He picked up one box after another while murmuring, “Which one was it…”

Soon, he patted himself on the forehead and said, “It’s this one.” He then offered a palm-sized box to Drako Yau. “Open it and have a look.”

Drako Yau slowly opened the box. A jade pendant lay inside the red velvet-lined box, but the jade wasn’t green. Instead, it was a blend of blue and red. The pendant grabbed his attention the moment he opened the box. The seemingly boundless and vast sea of blue and the fiery, invasive red co-existed calmly within the pendant.

“I named it the Cryoflame Jade. It truly contains the polar opposite forces of ice and fire within one container. I studied it a fair bit before, this jade consists of both Nine Heavenly Flame chalcedony and Everfrost Glacial chalcedony. I found it at a special place and made it into a piece of pendant.

“Stick it close to your chest, it’ll help alleviate the clash of forces within you and can extend the time you have. Find a way to control the forces before your time runs out.”

Drako Yau stared at the Cryoflame Jade pendant and suddenly asked, “What price do I have to pay for this?”

Dex was startled as he said, “Price?” He quickly shook his head and laughed. “It’s free, think of it as a gift from me.”

Dex then walked towards Drako Yau and patted his head. With a somewhat pitiful and caring look, Dex said, “Child, the things you have to face and the path you tread are arduous. It’s not exaggerating to say that your chances of surviving are spectacularly low. Still, I really wish that you will live on. Don’t feel like you owe me one, just take this gift.”

Realising Dex really meant what he said, Drako Yau was surprised; it had been who knew how many years since he had experienced such fatherly love from someone.

“Thank… Thank you,” he said. After a while of silence, he asked, “How much time do I have?”

It was Chris who answered him.

“Not sure. The Ghost Flame within is just as powerful, but it is a sourceless force. Under the invasion of both ice and fire, it will eventually dissipate. I can’t give you a precise deadline even with the Cryoflame Jade Dex just gave you.” He pointed out three fingers. “Three years. That is if you stay put and spend those three years without using those forces. Every time you fight… Well, normal battles are fine, but if you fight at full strength, the cultivation styles within your body will start cycling naturally. The faster they cycle, the sooner the Ghost Flame will dissipate.”

“Is there a way to strengthen the barrier with more Ghost Flame?”

Chris shook his head. “It’s impossible, Ghost Flame only works the first time. This kind of wall can only be built once as well.”

Drako Yau turned silent once again.