The cleanup here no longer required Su Chen. Seeing Old Xia beckon him to leave, he followed behind him.

"Cough, cough..." He coughed, a dull ache throbbing in his throat. The movement sent sharp pains through the rest of his body.

"Are you injured?" Xia Hanshi noticed, his brows furrowing slightly. "It wasn’t from Hongxuan. You used a Professional Ability that damages yourself in exchange for power, didn’t you?"

Hongxuan hadn’t even managed an effective counterattack, so there was no way he could have injured Su Chen.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize something. His expression turned ugly, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Life Burner? Pu Zhenghong gave you even *this* profession? That old fool... is courting death!"

’What’s a Life Burner?’

Su Chen froze. Seeing that Xia Hanshi was about to leap away, likely to find Pu Zhenghong and settle the score, he quickly stopped him. "It’s not some Life Burner. It’s a profession from Yuan Capital, called Tyrant."

"Yuan Capital?" Xia Hanshi paused and asked with a frown, "When did this happen? And what’s the cost?"

When Yuan Capital pulled its dirty tricks, Old Xia was still away and didn’t know about the matter. Su Chen didn’t hide anything and immediately explained, "The more severe my physical injuries, the more my power increases."

Tyrant didn’t exchange injury for power; it granted a boost based on the extent of the damage. The two were completely different.

Xia Hanshi’s withered hand rested on Su Chen’s shoulder, his expression still skeptical. "Your injuries aren’t that severe. How did you unleash such immense power?"

Even if it was as Su Chen said, it made even less sense.

"It’s thanks to another one of my Professional Abilities," Su Chen explained. "They complement each other."

"I see..." Hearing the explanation, Xia Hanshi finally relaxed.

Su Chen took the opportunity to ask, "Teacher, what kind of profession is this Life Burner?"

"A very dangerous profession. It burns your lifespan in exchange for immense power," Xia Hanshi said flatly, glancing at him. "You want it?"

The two had reached the hovercar. Xia Hanshi got in first, and Su Chen followed close behind. Only after sitting down did he answer, nodding honestly. "A little curious."

’Burning one’s life certainly sounds dangerous, but it must be incredibly powerful. Whether I take the job or not, I should collect it first and worry about it later.’

"Don’t even think about it." Xia Hanshi shook his head decisively. "The price of this profession is too high. Once your lifespan is burned, there’s no way to get it back."

"It’s for life-or-death situations," Su Chen couldn’t help but say. "When death is at your door and your life is about to end, what’s the point of having a long lifespan anyway?"

"That may be so," Xia Hanshi frowned, "but the requirements are extremely difficult. Just to acquire the profession, you need to burn ten years of your lifespan."

’Just to acquire it, you have to burn your lifespan?’

After hearing this, Su Chen only grew more curious. ’Old Xia probably won’t be willing to give it to me. If not, I’ll go ask Old Pu about it.’

Seeing Su Chen fall silent, Xia Hanshi felt a headache coming on. ’This kid’s silence doesn’t mean he’s been persuaded. He’s probably already scheming to get it on his own.’

’If he really goes to the Translation Department to ask for it, Pu Zhenghong will give it to him nine times out of ten.’

"Thinking of going to Pu Zhenghong?" Xia Hanshi suddenly asked. Su Chen faltered for a moment, then immediately denied it. "No."

"Forget it. Just listen and be done with it," Xia Hanshi said with a shake of his head.

"You know the requirements?" Su Chen asked, surprised. Then it dawned on him. "You acquired it?"

Xia Hanshi was silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I’ve used it a few times."

’He’s used it... a few times?’

Looking at Old Xia’s gaunt, skin-and-bones cheeks, Su Chen was left speechless.

"Life Burner..."

[Special Profession Discovered—Life Burner: Can be acquired after fulfilling the requirements.]

[Acquisition Requirement 1: Remaining theoretical lifespan must be greater than three times your current age.]

[Acquisition Requirement 2: Possess the will to find life in death and touch your own Life Fire while on the brink of demise.]

[Acquisition Requirement 3: Use the twisted Soul of one who has passed on as fuel, and use the light of a nascent Soul to ignite your own Life Fire, burning ten years of your lifespan.]

The panel popped up. Su Chen glanced at it. It wasn’t as perverse as [Tyrant], but it was even more brutal. The requirement to burn his lifespan was especially direct.

[As a zealot who has glimpsed the mysteries of life, the Life Burner pays high respects to the Great Venerable. Acquisition Requirement 2 has been weakened: you need only touch your own Life Fire.]

’I thought these guys who play with their lives were supposed to be fearless. Turns out they’re even more cowardly than the Tyrant. And they call themselves zealots.’

Su Chen muttered to himself as he read the text on the panel, having hoped this one wouldn’t have bowed down to the Great Venerable.

"Just hear it and let it go. Don’t get any real ideas." Seeing Su Chen’s unfocused gaze, Xia Hanshi thought he was considering the feasibility and couldn’t help but issue a warning.

Su Chen quickly gave his assurance and changed the subject. "Teacher, this Tyrant of mine feels pretty good. Do you want it?"

’With Tyrant’s perverse requirements, Old Xia might actually be able to meet them.’

"What are the requirements? Let’s hear them." Xia Hanshi’s interest was piqued as he listened to Su Chen describe the acquisition requirements for Tyrant.

His expression, however, inevitably grew a little strange, and he found himself frequently glancing at Su Chen.

’To "find pleasure in pain"... Su Chen can meet a requirement like that?’

"You didn’t just barely manage to acquire it, did you?" Xia Hanshi suddenly asked. Judging by his performance just now, it didn’t seem like the kind of power one could achieve by barely scraping by with the requirements.

"Uh... more or less, more or less."

Su Chen grumbled internally, wondering what Old Xia was secretly thinking of him. As the master and apprentice finished exchanging information about their professions, the hovercar lifted into the air.

Below, Bu Siqi looked up, a hint of envy in his voice. "Sigh, Teacher and Junior Brother are getting closer and closer. The two of us have been cast aside."

There was no response from beside him. Teng Liang was simply watching the Judges on site as they performed the cleanup.

"Hey..." Bu Siqi snapped out of it and poked Teng Liang, unable to hold back. "You’ve been busy with this stuff with Teacher this whole time, haven’t you? You even kept it from me.

"And when did you get so strong? That Faceless Divine Son seems to really hold a grudge against you."