Somewhere in the vast expanse. There existed a planet that had a fire for a sea, and volcanos for the ground. This planet was unfit for mortal survival, however, it thrived with cultivators. There exist all sorts of them here and they all seemed to not even be bothered by the overall heat of this planet.
This planet's infernal atmosphere would have been lethal to anyone if not for one reason. The Elemental fire Qi that was being released from the depth of the planet was so pure, that this place was considered a boon to anyone with fire-related cultivation.
The Yang Qi on this planet was so great that it would allow a person with even minor or small achievements in Yang Qi to become a genius cultivator in no time.
This planet was the home planet of the Fire King.
Right now, a massive group of cultivators had arrived on this said planet and were all stationed outside beside a small group.
This small group all had something in their hands, a large pot of dirt with a single incense burner seeming to burn so slowly that it didn't feel like it would extinguish anytime soon.
The group of cultivators holding the incense burner all came down and placed the pots gently in front of the gates of a palace that seemed to pierce the red clouded skies.
When all of the incense burners were placed. A powerful suction force seemed to wash over them, immediately forcing the incense to flare and burn so rapidly and so fast that they were all exhausted and extinguished turning to ash in seconds.
"This is not fit for an appetizer, what a waste of manpower and effort for such a measly meal…" spoke a very dissatisfied voice.
The people who had brought the incense, hearing that voice seemed to want to earth to swallow them than to face the person who seemed rather too bored with what had just occurred.
"You have captured slaves?" spoke the same voice.
One of the cultivators of the group moved up and spoke, "Yes Eternal Fire Lord, we have. Three million capable cultivators who have a good talent root. Would you wish for us to prepare them for consumption?"
"Fool, what would kill the goose that lays golden eggs serve us? They are all still far too young, far too weak for us to consume. Throw them into the mines, have them work and fatten up," spoke the Fire King.
"As you command," spoke the same person.
"Also, where is the person that we sent that raid for?"
"That person had perished within the attack, no one lived to tell the tale of planet Si Xue," spoke the representative.
"What about the person who broke through your barricade?" spoke the voice of the Fire King.
"That is Master Rain, he went into the planet. There were none alive when he came so he couldn't take anything from there," spoke the representative.
"Is that so… go on then," spoke the Fire King and silence permeated the area.
Feeling thankful that nothing ugly happened the representative turned and motioned to his group to move towards the deepest part of the planet.
In every person of the group's hands was a glowing cube that seemed to host small figures, so small that they looked like ants.
And if one were to take a closer look they'll see that those weren't ants, but actual people there.
The destination of this group was the depth of the Fire King's planet, to the mines. Where these captured people will be forced into hard labor, then consumed later on as food for the gluttonous Fire King.
***
"Not a person of any great importance," she said. "Now pay attention, this is how you do Soul Weaving," she said.
The colors of the rainbow seemed to transform from their bright flamboyant light rays to smaller more condensed fibers, every fiber had a different color and they were all masterfully weaved into braids that shot towards the small flickering wisp of a soul.
"I'll be doing the frame of the work, you'll have to supplement the Thunder Bull with your own Soul Power. Do you think you have what it takes to reverse Soul Damage of this caliber?" she asked.
"I wouldn't know if I didn't try, but I'm confident in my soul power, I was praised many times for it," I replied.
"Then good, hand me your hand," she said.
Though I felt a bit skeptical, for some reason, this person didn't seem to harbor any ill intent, not that I would have had a chance to take a second breath if she were to really want to kill me.
This person's power is far beyond anything I've seen, I would dare say even more than the Golden Titan. But I never saw the Golden Titan go all out so I cannot compare.
I handed her my hand and she took seven of the fibers and placed them on my hand.
"Hold on tight, it will feel as if you're being drained," she said "So make sure to be steady, and if you feel that the pull is too much for you, let go."
I nodded affirming.
She then took a step back and began chanting something, and as if my being was recondensed, I felt it all slipping right through my arm.
My mind for a moment seemed to blank, and exhaustion like never before seemed to wash over me.
Suddenly, my body recovered almost instantly as I saw a powerful green surge of energy rushing out from my arm into the braids.
The power of this energy seemed endless as it shot out with more and more ecstasy as if she had opened a giant hole in a deep dark endless sea.
the amount of energy flowing out was so much that even the woman spoke of it in surprise, "My son was right, you really do have more Soul Power than even I, very interesting Shen Bao, keep at it, at this rate we'll be able to heal the Thunder Bull.
'She knows my name. And she spoke of her son, maybe someone I know.'
My train of thought was cut immediately as the wisp of the Thunder Bull's soul seemed to wiggle ever so slightly at first and then began inflating.
The Thunder Bull's form began taking shape and soon enough it was already as big as the Thunder Bull I had seen in the Dream World of the Ancient Sect.
The woman waved her hands rapidly this time not to weave souls but to create a barrier.
And I immediately realized what the barrier was for.
The revival of the Thunder Bull had come and with it, it roared so powerfully that I felt my being was about to be ripped off into splinters.
"Hang in there, it won't take much longer," she said.
Just then, she approached the carriage, and with her own two bare hands grabbed the two black rods that re-impaled themselves into the Thunder Bull, and simply, snapped them in half.
The rods that were meant to imprison the soul of the Thunder Bull eternally were destroyed with a single motion, these rods that would have immediately killed me didn't even seem to cause this woman any discomfort.
The rods, or whatever remained of them, being snapped in half soon turned to dust that disappeared into nothingness.
The Thunder Bull, back in full form roared once again, this time it didn't feel painful at all and it seemed rather… comfortable, compared to the last time I saw it.
The colorful braids in my hand seemed to disappear cutting off the flow of Soul Power. I felt slightly nauseous but nothing a good couple of deep breaths won't take care of.
"Good job Shen Bao, you worked hard," she said. "Come," she added and moved in front of the bull.
I followed her and stood right next to her.
"This person had supplied you with his own Soul Power, would you serve?" she asked the bull.
I was a bit confused, because when would beasts understand a person's words?
The bull, however, against all I expected nodded.
"Good, you two are bound by soul, Shen Bao had given you a part of his own being to revive you and helped remove the Soul Shackling Rods from you. You will no longer feel pain. Your eternal life of suffering is over, but you are now bound to the life of Shen Bao, serve him well, because if he were to die, you will too," she spoke.
And I could understand from her words, that she wasn't just talking to the bull, but she was also explaining to me what went on.
"I'll have to ask, I don't think I have done anything to deserve such great help from a person as powerful as you," I said.
"Oh, believe me, you did more than help, though I hate to see you being mentored by that wretched man, you have given my son back to me, and it is a favor I cannot repay. You may speak my name thrice in your lifetime, and I shall aid you thrice. No matter where you are, I shall come," she said.
Immediately, however, she disappeared before I could even ask her, her name.
Feeling slightly scammed and aggrieved, I looked back at the bull and it spoke, the bull actually spoke.
"Heian Yongheng,"
The words ingrained themselves in my mind instantly. That was the woman's name. And I felt that I couldn't speak it right now.
After a moment of daze, I looked at the bull and said, "Do you have a name?"
The bull didn't move, speak back or even react.
"I guess not," I grumbled, "Let's call you little Cabbage."
The bull's eyes seemed to roll for a moment but it didn't say anything.
"Well, if you don't like it speak," I said trying to make the bull utter a word.
It didn't.
"Well then little cabbage, how about you go into the Lord of Lords pagoda, there is some good stuff there you can enjoy," I said and the automaton immediately came over and opened a portal for the bull.