Star Sword Douluo Ye Xuanji

"Quite vigilant. Not bad."

After Junting's gaze locked onto the direction from which the voice had come, a white-haired old man with an otherworldly air silently appeared before him. Apart from that attack and voice, there had been no sign of him at all.

He was an expert!

He couldn't possibly have come to deal with him.

These two thoughts flashed through Junting's mind.

Junting immediately withdrew his Seven Kills Sword and respectfully saluted.

"Greetings, Senior."

This action also brought the old man, whose gaze had been fixed on the Seven Kills Sword, back to his senses.

However, he continued murmuring, "The Seven Kills Sword. It really is the Seven Kills Sword."

His gaze shifted as he looked Junting up and down, then nodded in satisfaction.

"You are Junting, correct?"

Realizing that this powerful figure seemed to have no ill intent and had indeed come specifically for him, Junting did not hesitate. "This junior is Junting. May I ask what Senior wishes of me?"

"Then, are you willing to acknowledge this old man as your master?"

Before Junting could answer, the old man's aura suddenly changed! The surrounding Blue Silver Grass and trees were instantly bent beneath this pressure. Only Junting remained unaffected.

Immediately afterward, the old man raised his right hand. Brilliant starlight gathered in his palm, transforming into a long sword. Nine Soul Rings, in order, encircled the sword.

Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red.

The old man before him was actually a Titled Douluo! Moreover, he was a Titled Douluo with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!

What was more, from the old man's words, it was not difficult to tell that such a powerful expert had specifically come looking for him. At this moment, Junting felt as if a giant pie had smashed into his head, making the entire situation seem unreal. However, he quickly came back to his senses and made his choice.

"Greetings, Master." Junting hurriedly stepped back, widening the distance between himself and the old man. Then he dropped to both knees and respectfully kowtowed three times.

"Good, good, good! Today, I, Ye Xuanji, have finally accepted an excellent disciple. But why do you call me 'Master'?" The smile in the old man's eyes did not diminish in the slightest. As he casually raised Junting with his Soul Power, he also looked puzzled by the word "Master."

Junting naturally answered solemnly, "Master, master—of course, once a master, a father for life."

"Once a master, a father for life. It seems this old man did not misjudge you." Ye Xuanji lightly stroked his white beard, and the satisfaction in his eyes toward this disciple could no longer be described with words. "Since you have acknowledged me as your master, you should also know my identity. I am the chief Grand Elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, a rank-97 Super Douluo. My title is Star Sword, and my Martial Soul is the Star Saint Sword."

"The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!? A rank-97 Super Douluo!?"

While astonished in his heart, Junting also roughly understood why his powerful master had personally traveled to this mountain range to accept him as a disciple.

The Seven Kills Sword and Innate Full Soul Power.

Neither of these two reasons could be lacking.

After Junting had more or less digested the news, Ye Xuanji took out a ring set with a blue gemstone the size of a fingernail and handed it to him. "This is a Storage Soul Tool inlaid with a Starlight Sapphire. It has fifty cubic meters of space. Consider it your master's gift to you."

A Starlight Sapphire!?

"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Master." As he smiled and accepted the ring, Junting could not help sighing at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's immense wealth. Although his memories were rather blurred, he could still vaguely remember that Starlight Sapphires were extremely precious! A fifty-cubic-meter Storage Soul Tool was not cheap, either.

"Master, when are we returning to the Sect?"

Hearing Junting address him so readily, Ye Xuanji, who was already over a hundred years old, could not help feeling somewhat amused and exasperated. Still, after nodding slightly, he shifted his gaze toward the depths of the mountain range.

"Since you possess Innate Full Soul Power, we will first obtain your First Soul Ring before returning to the Sect. When you came to this mountain range, what Soul Beast's Soul Ring did you originally intend to hunt?"

At these words, Junting's eyes lit up!

Having a powerful master was wonderful!

There was no need to worry about Soul Rings at all.

Still, since he wanted to ask his master's advice, he explained his original idea. "Master, I originally wanted to obtain a Sword Bamboo as my First Soul Ring. What do you think of my choice of Soul Beast?"

"Not good."

Upon hearing that Junting had chosen a Soul Beast like the Sword Bamboo, Ye Xuanji rejected his idea almost without thinking.

"The Soul Ring of a Sword Bamboo can grant a Soul Master the means to release Sword Qi, which is why many sword-type Soul Masters approve of it. But in reality, Sword Qi becomes an ordinary technique once a sword-type Soul Master reaches a certain level of cultivation. Therefore, those Soul Masters who choose a Sword Bamboo as their Soul Ring possess only lower-grade sword Martial Souls. At most, they can cultivate to the Soul King realm."

"But your Seven Kills Sword is different."

A solemn look appeared in Ye Xuanji's eyes. "For your Martial Soul configuration, I will arrange it according to the Soul Ring configuration of our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's Sword Douluo Chen Xin from ten thousand years ago. It was formed after the Chen Family carefully selected it ten thousand years ago. Combined with the improvements made by our Sect's sword Martial Soul Masters over the past ten thousand years, it is absolutely suitable for you."

"All right, Master."

Junting chose not to comment on the Soul Rings.

After all, without investigation and research, he had no right to speak. Moreover, the Soul Ring configuration passed down through the Chen Family and improved over ten thousand years was undoubtedly the essence of the matter.

"Very well. Tomorrow, after you return to the village and say goodbye to those villagers, we will head to the Star Dou Forest. After all, once you return to the Sect, you will not have much free time to come back."

"Yes."

The next day, outside Shanyang Village.

After Junting finished saying his final farewells to the villagers, he prepared to leave with Ye Xuanji. However, as he looked at the village, a trace of sadness inevitably appeared in his eyes. It was soon replaced by determination, like a treasured sword hidden within its scabbard.

"Master, let's go."

"All right."

Immediately afterward, under Junting's astonished gaze, Ye Xuanji summoned his Martial Soul. The Star Saint Sword instantly enlarged slightly and hovered at low altitude. "Would you like to experience Sword Flight?"

"Sword Flight!?"

Realizing what his master had said, Junting's eyes instantly filled with excitement. As he looked at the Star Saint Sword hovering before him, he could not help feeling eager to try it.

Ye Xuanji smiled without saying anything. Back then, when his own master had first taken him on a Sword Flight, he had been just like his disciple.

Before Junting could do anything, Ye Xuanji grabbed him and lifted him onto the Star Saint Sword, then used his Soul Power to protect his entire body against the howling winds at high altitude. Immediately afterward, amid the villagers' farewells, the Star Saint Sword rose into the air and flew several hundred meters up, carrying them toward the Star Dou Forest.

Watching Shanyang Village recede into the distance, Junting gradually became lost in thought. Six years of life continuously surfaced in his mind. After the village vanished from sight, he suddenly spoke.

"Master, may I ask you for a favor?"

"Between master and disciple, do you still need to ask?"

Ye Xuanji pretended to be angry. "As long as it does not harm the Sect's interests or involve any evil deed, your master will agree to anything."

"Master, I want to ask the Sect to hold a free Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony for the villagers of Shanyang Village every year. Is that possible?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuanji fell silent for once. However, he was not troubled by the request. He merely let out a sigh.

"To remember one's roots—that is rare indeed! Your master agrees."