An Unexpected Person

Time flowed leisurely, passing in the blink of an eye; before they knew it, a year had already gone by.

In the inner region of Lost Trace Canyon, Qin Tian, Tian Yao, Qian Han, Xiong Sheng, and the others were all sitting on the ground, gasping for breath. Not far from them lay the massive corpse of a spirit beast.

"Brother Tian, this Golden Centipede Poison Dragon was way too ferocious."

"Brother Tian, we spent a full three days just to hunt this thing down."

Listening to the words of Tian Yao and the others, Qin Tian glanced at the corpse of the Golden Centipede Poison Dragon and a smile appeared on his face.

"This Golden Centipede Poison Dragon is a sub-dragon spirit beast, and it was a twenty-five-thousand-year-old existence. Its strength and defense were both impressive, and it even possessed a poison attribute."

"The fact that we were able to hunt it down is proof enough of our strength."

High above in the sky, Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo watched from below, exchanging a glance as they both drew a sharp breath.

"What a bunch of little monsters, seven spirit masters hunting a twenty-five-thousand-year-old Golden Centipede Poison Dragon."

"The strength of this Golden Centipede Poison Dragon is comparable to an ordinary forty-thousand-year-old spirit beast; even a spirit emperor would have to retreat if they encountered it."

The two of them were truly shocked that the seven members of Qin Tian's team could hunt such a powerful spirit beast.

"Alright, Fourth Brother, Big Brother sent word yesterday that the training can end."

Lion Douluo nodded slightly and headed down toward them.

Qin Tian had been meditating, but sensing someone approaching, he immediately activated his spirit avatar.

"Alert, enemy attack!"

As the words fell, Tian Yao, Qian Han, and the others immediately stood up, activated their spirit avatars, and stood on full guard.

"Hahahaha!"

"Little Tian, you guys are not bad, full of vigilance."

Hearing the laughter, Qin Tian looked up into the void, and upon seeing who it was, a look of relief appeared on his face.

"Fourth Grandpa, Fifth Grandpa, why are you here?"

Tian Yao, Qian Han, Xiong Sheng, and the others deactivated their spirit avatars and stepped forward to pay their respects.

Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo looked at the seven of them, their faces full of smiles.

"A year ago, you entered Lost Trace Canyon for training, and now I have come to take you back."

Hearing this, Qin Tian's expression remained unchanged, his tone calm.

"Fourth Grandpa, are you saying our training is over?"

Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo heard this and nodded slightly.

"Big Brother is very satisfied with your performance. Over this past year, you haven't let us old fellows down."

Qin Tian recalled the experiences of the past year, feeling deeply moved.

In this year, the seven of them had been through a lot, including life-and-death crises. Fortunately, their strength was sufficient; otherwise, they likely would have died here and become food for the spirit beasts.

Fighting against spirit beasts, battling ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, and walking on the edge of life and death—they had experienced much and grown even more.

When he first entered Lost Trace Canyon, Qin Tian was only a level 36 spirit master, but now, Qin Tian was a level 40 quasi-spirit ancestor, needing only one spirit ring to become a true spirit ancestor.

Tian Yao had been a level 34 spirit master when entering Lost Trace Canyon, and now he was a level 38 spirit master.

Qian Han, Xiong Sheng, Guang Yu, Qian Chengfeng, and Qian Chengyun had all increased their spirit power by four or five levels over the year.

Now, the one with the lowest spirit power among the seven was Xiong Sheng, but even he possessed level 37 spirit power.

Lion Douluo and Light Feather Douluo led Qin Tian and the others out of Lost Trace Canyon. Under the protection of the two, they did not encounter any danger along the way.

As the two men's auras radiated outward, the spirit beasts fled in all directions.

At the entrance of Lost Trace Canyon, Qin Tian did not rush to board the carriage; instead, he turned to look back at the canyon, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Brother Tian, let's go."

Hearing the call, the corners of Qin Tian's mouth curled up, and a smile appeared on his face.

After boarding the carriage, Qin Tian narrowed his eyes and began to doze, conserving his energy and spirit.

Half a day passed, and Qin Tian stepped off the carriage, looking at the familiar palace before him with a sense of deep emotion.

"I'm back!"

He whispered softly, then walked toward the palace.

Tian Yao and the others followed behind Qin Tian, heading toward Gongfeng Dian together.

Upon entering Gongfeng Dian and seeing that familiar figure, Qin Tian's eyes turned slightly red.

"Sister Xue."

That's right, the familiar figure was none other than Qian Renxue.

Qin Tian was very surprised; he hadn't expected Qian Renxue to be there.

Qian Renxue looked at Qin Tian, her eyes filled with warmth, and a smile appeared on her face.

"Little Tian, you must have suffered a lot this past year. Let Sister Xue take a good look at you."

As she finished speaking, Qian Renxue quickened her pace, arriving before Qin Tian to look him up and down.

Off to the side, Qian Daoliu couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth at the sight.

Golden Crocodile Douluo and the others, having grown accustomed to this, simply chose not to look at the pair, turning their gazes toward their own juniors instead.

Looking at their juniors and sensing the aura emanating from them, everyone's lips curled upward slightly, their faces breaking into smiles as their eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad. In just one year, you have all changed significantly."

Tian Yao and the others listened to their words and smiled happily as well.

To them, receiving the approval of their elders was the greatest form of praise.

"Ahem!"

"Xue'er, Xiao Tian has just returned from Lost Trace Canyon, and Grandfather still has matters to discuss with him."

Hearing the words of her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue's face flushed slightly red. She cast a dissatisfied glance at Qian Daoliu before standing silently by Qin Tian's side.

"Teacher, I have returned."

Qin Tian bowed respectfully toward Qian Daoliu, his expression reverent.

Over the past year, they had encountered many crises; had it not been for the teachings of Qian Daoliu and the others, they would never have been able to survive.

Qian Daoliu looked Qin Tian over, sensing the aura on him, and nodded with satisfaction.

"I have seen your performance throughout this year, and you have not disappointed me."

"Only by experiencing the trials of life and death, and through the baptism of blood, can one become a true powerhouse."

"Your talents are all excellent, but precisely because of that, you must undergo even more tempering."

"Jade must be carved to become a vessel. With your talent, reaching Title Douluo is not a problem, but if you wish to go further, you must experience more."

"This training in Lost Trace Canyon has concluded, and you have six months of rest. In half a year, your new training will begin. As your teacher, I hope you will maintain this momentum in the new training and not let us down."

Listening to Qian Daoliu's words, Qin Tian glanced at Tian Yao and the others before responding in a deep voice.

"Yes, Teacher."

Seeing this, Qian Daoliu smiled with satisfaction.

"Alright, it is rare for Xue'er to return. Spend these next few days accompanying her well. In a few days, I will have your Second Grandfather take you to find a suitable fourth spirit ring."

Upon hearing this, Qin Tian looked at Qian Renxue and then bowed to Qian Daoliu and the others.

"Teacher, then I shall take my leave."

After Qin Tian finished speaking, he took Qian Renxue by the hand and walked out. Seeing this, Tian Yao and the others did not linger; they bowed to the seven elders and departed as well.

After a year of trials and the tempering of life and death, with their spirits kept at high intensity every day, what they needed most right now was a good sleep to relieve the exhaustion in their hearts.