Only then did Lin Xiao realize that the ancient Black Ring his mother had left him was actually the ring where Old Medicine recovered from his injuries in Battle Through The Heavens.
Old Medicine wore white robes, radiating an ethereal air, his white beard hanging low. His mere presence gave off a kindly feeling.
His deep, desolate eyes carried an air of weathered age and bleakness.
Old Medicine's gaze made Lin Xiao a little nervous. He had been too hasty just now.
"Lin Xiao, how did you know who I was?"
"I sensed you from the moment you were born. You could say I watched you grow up."
"I've never appeared before you, so... how did you recognize me?"
Old Medicine bore no killing intent toward Lin Xiao, only curiosity. He knew Lin Xiao had a habit of running his mouth, but otherwise, the boy was quite good.
Besides, Old Medicine had watched Lin Xiao grow up.
"Old Medicine, you've been inside the ring all this time, so wouldn't you know everything about me?"
"I'm actually like you, except I was lucky. You could say I reincarnated with the memories of my previous life..."
"See? You know me, and I know you. That makes us even, right?"
Lin Xiao chuckled.
He had not finished explaining, but he had said most of what mattered. Lin Xiao had not transmigrated bodily, nor had his soul possessed someone else. He had truly crossed worlds through reincarnation, carrying his memories with him.
"Hehe, quite honest of you." Old Medicine chuckled and continued, "No wonder I sometimes heard you saying things I couldn't understand."
Lin Xiao felt a little awkward. He had not known Old Medicine was inside the ring. Otherwise, he would never have been so careless.
Sometimes, he truly missed his previous life. Lin Xiao had only been reminiscing in private.
How was he supposed to know someone was watching him?
"Lin Xiao, I watched you grow up. Though you're unreliable at times, your resolve is firm."
"Do you... want to become stronger? Do you want to earn the respect of others?"
Old Medicine smiled faintly as he watched Lin Xiao. This little fellow was rather decent.
Having a disciple like him in this world, so different from the world of battle energy, would not be bad.
Lin Xiao's eyes lit up. Am I about to follow Xiao Yan's path?
Sounds good to me.
"Yes!!"
Lin Xiao's answer rang out with conviction. At a time like this, only an idiot would say no.
Old Medicine nodded in satisfaction. "You have twin martial souls. By this world's standards, you're a genius."
"Old Medicine, if I'm not mistaken, did my flame martial soul mutate because of you?"
Lin Xiao thought of Old Medicine's bone spirit cold flame. His own flame martial soul did seem somewhat similar to it.
Hearing this, Old Medicine grew a little embarrassed. That did seem to be the case. "When you awakened your martial souls just now, I absorbed your innate Level 7 soul power."
"That was how I managed to awaken."
"But your martial soul probably didn't mutate at that moment. It should have happened earlier, while your mother was still alive, when I absorbed her soul power. After you were born, you already carried a trace of the bone spirit cold flame's essence."
Old Medicine offered an explanation.
Lin Xiao nodded slightly. No wonder the light had suddenly faded during his martial soul awakening. So that was why. The person overseeing the awakening had said he possessed innate full soul power.
Still, Lin Xiao felt that using his innate Level 7 soul power to awaken Old Medicine had been well worth it.
"Old Medicine, in that case, when did you come into my mother's possession?"
"Why did you only wake up now?"
Lin Xiao was full of questions. From what Old Medicine said, he had arrived on the Douluo Continent long ago, but had remained asleep.
Old Medicine thought back before answering, "Counting it up, it's been forty years."
"The main reason I didn't awaken was that the quality of soul power in this Douluo world is too poor. If it had been battle energy instead, how could it have taken so long?"
As he spoke, Old Medicine could not help complaining. He truly had never imagined energy of such low quality existed.
Lin Xiao smiled awkwardly. Old Medicine was not wrong. After all, the Douluo Continent was called the Hydrogen Continent. It really could not compare with Battle Through The Heavens.
Back then, Old Medicine had awakened after absorbing battle energy from Xiao Yan for only a few years.
But now, it had taken a full forty years, plus Lin Xiao's innate Level 7 soul power, for him to awaken.
"Lin Xiao, are you willing to become my disciple?"
Old Medicine did not beat around the bush with Lin Xiao and asked him directly.
Of course, Old Medicine had his own motives. He wanted to leave this place, and to leave the Douluo World, he could only nurture a disciple.
Old Medicine had observed Lin Xiao for six years. His temperament and character were both excellent, leaving him satisfied. A disciple raised from childhood would also be far better than one taken in halfway along the road.
Old Medicine had not forgotten that traitorous disciple, Han Feng!!!
Before Lin Xiao could voice his agreement, Old Medicine continued:
"Since you know who I am, I assume you've heard of alchemists."
"The medicinal pills an alchemist refines are things people flock to like ducks, whether in this Douluo world or my original world."
"And an alchemist's worth is beyond price, with an extraordinarily prestigious status."
"What I can teach you is alchemy."
Old Medicine explained slowly, worried that Lin Xiao might refuse.
The light in Lin Xiao's eyes was practically spilling over as he stared straight at Old Medicine. He had truly stumbled into a stroke of incredible luck.
Become his disciple. I absolutely have to become his disciple!
The moment Old Medicine finished speaking, Lin Xiao dropped down and knocked his forehead against the ground several times with resounding thuds.
Lin Xiao: For Old Medicine, I'll kowtow and become his disciple on the spot. For Yu Xiao Gang, I'll give him a backhand slap instead!!
There was no other reason. Old Medicine's worth and kindness were simply beyond anything that fellow Yu Xiao Gang could even pretend to rival.
For Lin Xiao, hesitating even a second would have been an insult to himself. Only an idiot would refuse to become his disciple.
Even Old Medicine was stunned by Lin Xiao's shameless display...
"All right, all right, you don't need to kowtow so many times. Three is enough."
Old Medicine hurriedly spoke up. This boy really was wholehearted.
Lin Xiao chuckled and quickly got up. His body martial soul had manifested just now, so a few extra kowtows had not done him any harm.
[PS: In this humble author's settings, the Douluo levels mentioned here are based on soul masters with exceptional talent, such as those possessing ultimate attributes.
Qi nourishment stage = below Level 30, Dou Qi stages 1-9 = Soul Elder Level 31 to Soul Elder Level 40, Dou Zhe 1-9 stars = Soul Ancestor Level 41 to Soul Ancestor Level 49, Dou Shi 1-9 stars = Soul King Level 50 to Soul King Level 59, Da Dou Shi 1-9 stars = Soul Emperor Level 60 to Soul Saint Level 79, Dou Ling 1-9 stars = Soul Douluo Level 80 to Title Douluo Level 90, Dou Wang 1-9 stars = Title Douluo Levels 91-97, Dou Emperor 1-2 stars = Title Douluo Levels 98-99, Dou Emperor 9 stars = peak Divine Official, Dou Zong 1-4 stars = Third-Level God, Second-rank God, Dou Zong 5-6 stars = First-Level God, Dou Zong 7-8 stars = ordinary God King, Dou Ancestor 9 Star = Peak God King, Dou Venerable surpasses God King. (Dragon God = half-step Dou Venerable)]
[The settings can't be too low or too powerful, or the story would be difficult to write. Thank you, dear readers, for your understanding. This humble author bows in thanks!!!!!]
Before you continue