Teacher, This Life I'll Let You Coast to Victory!

In his previous life, after Xiao Yan lost all his Dou Qi, his heart held nothing but anxious terror. Especially after repeatedly failing to cultivate Dou Qi, all that remained within him was endless despair.

Over the next three years, as his cultivation remained stuck at Dou Qi Level 3, the gazes of his clansmen gradually changed from enthusiasm and reverence to cold indifference and scorn. At the time, Xiao Yan felt that life was worse than death, that there was no meaning left in living.

Yet those three years let him experience all the vicissitudes of life, smoothing away the recklessness of his youth. From then on, he gained a calmer heart in all he did and came to cherish every opportunity and every scrap of human warmth.

Only after losing something did people learn to treasure it.

It could be said that although those three years brought no growth to his cultivation, they greatly tempered his state of mind and planted an unyielding cornerstone for the heart of a true powerhouse.

Of course, the starting point of it all had actually been the black ring on his finger.

Without the three years of suffering brought by Yao Lao, Xiao Yan's character would inevitably have become somewhat arrogant. Perhaps one day, after becoming powerful, that would have been the day he fell.

And without Yao Lao's guidance after awakening, and the opportunity of receiving the Flame Mantra, Xiao Yan's greatest achievement in life might have stopped at the Dou Emperor realm.

With better luck, becoming a Dou Zong might not have been impossible, but becoming a Dou Zun would have been exceedingly unlikely. How could he then have become the Flame Emperor he was later?

Looking back, Yao Lao had played an immensely important role in Xiao Yan's path of growth.

Reborn into this life, Xiao Yan's knowledge surpassed Yao Lao's by countless levels, but of course he would not abandon the old man to whom he owed a mountain of gratitude.

Besides, Xiao Yan, currently only at Dou Qi Level 3, possessed an endless treasury of memories but could not even refine the most basic First Grade Pill.

So—

Xiao Yan gently stroked the pitch-black ring in his hand, a trace of reminiscence appearing in his eyes.

"Teacher, whether this is a new life or a fleeting dream, let us master and disciple join hands once more and carve out a vast world for ourselves!"

As his emotions built to this point, even Xiao Yan's state of mind could not help but waver. He immediately let out a low shout.

"Teacher, awaken!"

After an Emperor's Roar, the black ring remained utterly still, as though it were merely an inconspicuous ancient ornament.

Staring at the motionless black ring, Xiao Yan's face remained stiff for a full quarter of an hour before he gently exhaled.

"You've absorbed so much of my Dou Qi. Even if you haven't regained much strength, you should at least have recovered some consciousness, right? Besides, if you hadn't regained a little consciousness, how could you have actively absorbed my Dou Qi?"

Xiao Yan stared at the ancient black ring and could not help shaking it again.

"Teacher, Yao Lao. Yao Chen, old fart?"

Although his strength had fallen to merely Dou Qi Level 3, the powerful consciousness forged over tens of thousands of years in his previous life remained incomparably formidable.

Even though his Soul Power could now only rival that of a First Grade Alchemist, Xiao Yan could vaguely sense that an ancient soul within the ring was watching him.

After calling out several times to no avail, Xiao Yan suddenly grinned, a sly smile creeping onto his lips.

"Since you old fellow refuse to show me some respect, don't blame your disciple for being unfilial."

With that thought, Xiao Yan forcibly dragged his weak body out of bed, then laboriously made his way to the chamber pot in the adjoining room.

"Teacher, if you still refuse to show yourself, I'm going to wake you up with piss."

By this point, the smile at Xiao Yan's lips had become increasingly mischievous. He gripped the black ring on his finger and let out a sinister chuckle.

"Venerable Yao, you wouldn't want to keep soaking in this cesspit forever, would you?"

The moment his words fell, Xiao Yan began tugging at the pitch-black ring. At that very instant, a faint white gleam suddenly flashed across it.

Xiao Yan felt the ring had firmly grown onto his finger. Unless he cut the finger off, even if Xiao Zhan acted personally, he would likely find it difficult to remove.

A vast pressure from a soul descended upon him. Xiao Yan's face immediately turned even paler, and his soul swayed as though it might collapse at any moment.

Fortunately, his will was countless times stronger than it had been back then. Bolstered by that will, he stubbornly resisted being knocked unconscious by the terrifying impact upon his soul.

The next moment, the air in the room stirred without wind, and an aged, illusory figure slowly floated out from the black ring. An ordinary person would likely be horrified at the sight, mistaking it for some ghostly apparition.

Only Xiao Yan, upon seeing that aged figure, revealed a dazed, nostalgic look.

"You little brat are truly vicious. At such a young age, you actually came up with such a rotten idea. And how did you learn about me?"

The aged voice rang out. Two pupils burning with Senbai Flame stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, their terrifying killing intent seeming to take tangible form as a thin layer of frost quietly formed throughout the room.

"Ah-choo!"

Under that terrible chill, Xiao Yan's body, already incredibly weak, could not help sneezing.

"Teacher, I am your disciple."

Xiao Yan could not help explaining. It was clear that Yao Lao was extremely wary at present, and his killing intent was especially intense.

Xiao Yan was afraid that this old man might get worked up and kill him on the spot. If that happened, the story would be strangled before it even began.

"Disciple? I don't remember having a disciple like you."

Yao Lao's eyes remained wary. This little brat was only around ten years old, while his physical body had perished more than a century ago. How could a disciple suddenly appear out of nowhere?

Seeing that Yao Lao remained vigilant, Xiao Yan instead returned to normal. A calmness that even surprised Yao Lao suddenly appeared in his black eyes.

"Teacher, there is no need to be so wary. I cannot explain the reasons behind this clearly for the moment. You only need to know that I know everything about you. I will not harm you. On the contrary, I will help you restore your body and avenge your hatred."

Seeing that Yao Lao still remained on guard, Xiao Yan could not help naming several key words.

"Starfall Pavilion, Soul Hall, Han Feng, Wind Venerable, Xuan Yi."

The instant those words fell, the soul fluctuations in the room suddenly became like a storm upon a raging sea. Xiao Yan's soul was like a small boat caught within it, swaying on the verge of destruction at any moment.

"Who exactly are you? How do you know so much?!"

The pale flames in Yao Lao's eyes had already vanished, revealing pupils filled with shock.

"Who am I? I am your disciple."

Xiao Yan gave a bitter smile. After pondering for a moment, he slowly explained many things to Yao Lao.

After a long while, Yao Lao's expression became exceedingly strange and complicated. Yet when he looked at Xiao Yan, there was no longer any killing intent in his eyes, only far more warmth.

"Whether what you say is true or false, this old man has no other choice now. Little fellow, if you can help me restore my body, Yao Chen will repay you even at the cost of his life."

After giving Xiao Yan one last look, Yao Lao turned into a streak of white light once more and returned to the black ring.

If what this child said was true, then it was truly damned strange. This old fellow, who was practically a ghost himself, would really have seen a ghost.

Yet a child barely over ten years old knew the past of Venerable Yao so clearly and could even speak of some baseless future. While it left Yao Lao utterly bewildered, it also made him finally believe Xiao Yan's words somewhat.

Looking at the black ring that had returned to stillness, Xiao Yan smiled faintly, though he could not help murmuring softly.

"Teacher, this time, I will never let you suffer at the hands of Soul Hall again. In this life, I will let you comfortably coast to victory!"