Hearing Yang Kai's question, Yang Yan was stunned for a moment, then covered her small mouth as she laughed, her body trembling like a flowering branch.
"What's so funny?" Yang Kai asked, feeling somewhat depressed.
Yang Yan kept waving her hands, but couldn't stop laughing; even tears had welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Yang Kai rolled his eyes and asked again, "So you're saying you're actually a master of rejuvenation arts, and aren't as young as you appear, but are in fact an old woman who's lived for several thousand years?"
This time, Yang Yan reacted as if her tail had been stepped on. Her laughter ceased abruptly, and her beautiful eyes glared fiercely at Yang Kai. She gritted her silver teeth and said, "I can answer that: I am absolutely not some old woman who has lived for thousands of years!"
"Fair enough..." Yang Kai nodded slightly. If Yang Yan had truly lived for several millennia, her experiences wouldn't be so straightforward. Judging from his past interactions with her, she didn't seem like someone who had lived that long.
Yang Yan's expression turned serious. A look of fear flickered across her face as she seemed lost in thought. After a long moment, she finally spoke, "You want to ask if I've seized this body, don't you?"
"Mm." Yang Kai nodded frankly. Only soul possession could explain why Yang Yan, despite her young appearance, was simultaneously a master of both artifact crafting and formation arrays—two profound and demanding disciplines.
A person's energy is limited. While Yang Kai had achieved considerable skill in alchemy, he knew he couldn't possibly devote enough energy to mastering other fields without abandoning his own cultivation path.
Yet Yang Yan possessed immense accomplishment in both artifact crafting and the dao of formations. The artifacts she forged and the formations she laid were far superior in intricacy and practicality to the overall standard of the Dark Star. How had she managed it?
The world was not lacking in geniuses, but no matter how brilliant Yang Yan might be, given her age, she couldn't have reached such heights. That was why he had asked.
"Have you suspected this for a long time?" Yang Yan asked, looking at him.
"Ever since I learned you were a formation master, yes. But don't worry, whether you've seized this body or not, it doesn't concern me. The person I know is the soul within this body—the one who was here from the beginning. I don't care about before," Yang Kai said calmly.
Yang Yan gave a bitter smile and was silent for a moment before saying softly, "You're not the only one who's suspected this. Sometimes even I can't make sense of it... But it doesn't seem like I've been possessed, because my memories—from my earliest childhood up to the present—are all intact in my mind. There's no trace of a second consciousness. If I had been possessed, that wouldn't be possible."
"Then did you take a powerful master as your teacher? Is that how you became so skilled in artifact crafting and formations?" Yang Kai's expression turned serious. He had no doubts about Yang Yan's words.
Yang Yan slowly shook her head. She lightly bit her red lips, and her small hands nervously fidgeted with the hem of her black robe. A look of struggle and hesitation played across her face. After a long moment, she suddenly raised her head and said gravely, "If I told you that the reason I understand artifact crafting and formations is because I was born knowing them... would you believe me?"
"How is that possible?" Yang Kai looked utterly shocked.
Yang Yan smiled bitterly. "But that's the truth. I really was born with this knowledge. It's as if everything about artifact crafting and formations is sealed within my mind. As I continue to forge artifacts and set up formations, this sealed knowledge slowly unlocks, revealing deeper and more profound understanding. And sometimes... when I see rare or unusual things, even if I've never encountered them before, I can recognize them and know their functions. Tell me, isn't that strange?"
Yang Kai stared, dumbfounded.
This wasn't just strange—it was utterly inconceivable. No one was born with an innate, inexplicable mastery of artifact crafting and formation arrays. There had to be some underlying cause, one that even Yang Yan herself likely didn't understand.
Perhaps that very cause was the source of the occasional fear she felt.
Yang Yan had no reason to lie to him, nor did she seem the type to do so.
This was something Yang Kai couldn't help with. He had known for some time that Yang Yan was unusual, but he never expected her peculiarity to run so deep. He wouldn't press her further on this matter. To him, whether Yang Yan had once been possessed or whether she was simply born knowing fields that others spent a lifetime struggling to master, it didn't matter. He only cared about the Yang Yan who stood before him now.
After a moment's thought, he asked, "So what grade of artifact can you craft now?"
"A high-rank Void Grade piece should be no problem. With enough materials to practice with, eventually I'll be able to forge Void King Grade artifacts." Mentioning her area of expertise, Yang Yan's spirit visibly revived. She lifted her chin slightly, a proud expression on her face.
"Good. Then help me refine this further." Yang Kai said, looking a bit awkward as he produced the purple shield.
The shield, which once shimmered with a purple luster, now appeared dull and dim, having lost much of its spiritual essence.
Upon seeing it, a look of concern crossed Yang Yan's delicate face. She picked up the shield and gently stroked it, saying, "Did you run into some fire-attribute defensive formation? One hit and a mid-rank Void Grade defensive artifact is reduced to this state?"
"Mm. But I made it through safely in the end," Yang Kai replied with a grin.
"I see. With the materials you gave me, refining it into a high-rank Void Grade artifact should be fine." A flash of light appeared from her spatial ring, and the purple shield vanished into her storage. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her usual brightness returning to her eyes, which now held a glimmer of delight. "So, what good things did you bring back from this trip? Let me see them quickly."
"Wait a moment!" Yang Kai nodded and began searching through his own spatial ring. He had indeed gathered many treasures on this expedition. He had called Yang Yan over precisely because he wanted her opinion—there were some items he didn't recognize or know the use of.