He spoke as if it were nothing, but to Yue Guan, his words struck like a bolt of thunder.
He had gone alone, with only his First Soul Ring, and dared to venture into the Star Dou Great Forest?
And he had run into a beast tide?
Then, against all odds, he had managed to hunt a Soul Ring and survive?
Yue Guan's heart pounded wildly. The way he looked at Ye Feng had completely changed.
This kid's courage and luck were simply heaven-defying!
Even the three little youngsters of the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, hailed as once-in-a-century geniuses, had been escorted by several Soul Emperor experts and carefully guided through the outskirts of the Soul Hunting Forest when they obtained their First Soul Ring.
This disciple before him... was practically a madman who'd crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!
"Xiao Feng, you've suffered."
Yue Guan's voice softened without him realizing it, tinged with a trace of tenderness.
"From now on, with your master here, leave matters concerning Soul Rings to me!"
Now that was what a teacher should be!
Look at Chrysanthemum Douluo! Then think of Gangzi, who only knew how to make empty promises and was utterly useless when it mattered!
When Yu Xiaogang took Tang San to the Soul Hunting Forest, the two had nearly botched the hunt for a mere Hundred-Year Soul Beast. If Tang San hadn't had the foundation of his previous life's martial arts, the pair of them might well have bought it together.
Besides, aside from offering some long-outdated theories, what practical help had Yu Xiaogang ever given Tang San on his path of cultivation?
Not a damn thing!
"Good! Then I'll be counting on you from now on, Teacher!"
Ye Feng felt moved, and a look of admiration and affection appeared on his face.
"By the way, Teacher, my second Soul Skill is called 'Condensed Light Soul Healing.'"
"It's a Soul Skill that can be released without consuming anything. When I use it, a beam of light envelops me, instantly restoring twenty-five percent of my Soul Power, healing twenty-five percent of my injuries, and purifying twenty-five percent of the negative effects caused by an enemy's Soul Skill. However, I can only use it once a day."
"Hiss..."
Even Yue Guan couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath after hearing that.
Instantly restore Soul Power, heal injuries, and purify negative effects!
It combined all three effects, and could be released without any cost!
"Tsk, tsk. Xiao Feng, your Soul Skill is a genuine divine skill! It'll absolutely be your greatest trump card for saving your life in the future!
Even at the Titled Douluo level, it'll be tremendously useful!"
Yue Guan said enviously.
Recovery-type Soul Skills like this were even rarer than some top-tier offensive Soul Skills!
"Heh, but that's all thanks to having you, Teacher!"
Ye Feng scratched his head and gave an earnest smile.
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the chance to find such a good Soul Skill. I'd already planned to give up."
"As you said, life and death are fated; wealth and honor are in the heavens."
Yue Guan sighed.
"Your future is destined to be that of a true powerhouse!"
"Perhaps... you'll surpass your master and reach that level!"
As he spoke, a trace of yearning and longing appeared on Yue Guan's face, and his posture grew somewhat... coquettish.
Ye Feng instantly broke out in goosebumps.
This teacher... when he started acting like a woman, he was impossible to look at!
Ye Feng hurriedly changed the subject.
"Teacher, are you heading back to Spirit Hall now?"
"Yes, that's right."
Yue Guan nodded, then changed the subject.
"But Xiao Feng, you don't seem willing to join Spirit Hall.
But you should know that I'm an elder of Spirit Hall. Since you're my disciple, the Spirit Hall label is bound to fall on you. There's no changing that."
Ye Feng nodded. He had been prepared for this.
"Teacher, I understand. I'll go back to Spirit City with you, but... could you hold off on telling the others in Spirit Hall about my identity?"
Meeting Yue Guan's questioning gaze, he answered frankly.
"You know the path I want to take, Teacher.
The honors and restrictions of Spirit Hall would only become shackles on my path forward.
I want to remain free until I'm truly able to protect myself."
Yue Guan fell silent.
Looking at the boy before him, he seemed to see himself from many years ago.
Back then, hadn't he also wanted to be a free and carefree Soul Master?
But had he ever had a choice?
He'd had no choice at all.
Now that he had an inheritor, someone whose temperament and perseverance far surpassed his own, he naturally didn't want him to follow the same old path.
"Fine."
Yue Guan finally nodded.
"Xiao Feng, I'll arrange a quiet place for you to stay in Spirit City. You can cultivate there in peace, and I'll drop by from time to time to give you some pointers."
"Thank you for understanding, Teacher!"
This time, Ye Feng was truly moved.
Yue Guan was a real man, without a doubt!
From now on, if anyone dared mock his teacher as effeminate in front of him, then once he'd grown strong enough, he'd be the first to twist that person's head off!
"I watched your fight with that Ghost Tiger."
Yue Guan took a small, yellowed booklet from his Soul Tool and handed it to Ye Feng.
"You're following the Assault System path, and so am I.
This little booklet records my cultivation insights from all these years, along with some combat techniques. It should be a great help to you. Take it back and read it carefully."
Ye Feng accepted it with both hands.
The booklet felt smooth and warm to the touch. It wasn't heavy, but in his heart, it weighed more than ten thousand catties.
It was far more precious than things like Soul Bones or Gold Soul Coins!
These were the cultivation insights of a Titled Douluo!
Just for the sake of these insights, countless veteran Soul Douluos of the Assault System stuck at level eighty-nine would be driven mad with envy!
"Thank you, Teacher!"
"Let's go."
Yue Guan nodded in satisfaction and swept out his hand. A gentle current of Soul Power lifted Ye Feng, and the two transformed into a streak of golden light and vanished from the spot.
A short while later, they had left the Sunset Forest.
Yue Guan casually hired a spacious carriage, and it began rolling slowly toward Spirit City.
Half a month later, the carriage rolled into a city so magnificent it took one's breath away.
Spirit City.
On the carriage, Yue Guan carefully went over the key points of cultivation with him again, especially the control of Soul Power and the cultivation of combat awareness. Then he went ahead alone, returning to Spirit Hall.
After returning to the solemn Elder Hall of Spirit Hall, he made no announcement. Instead, he went into the archives alone.
As he looked through Xiao Feng's records, he soon found the file from Nuoding City.
"Ye Feng, Martial Soul: Light and Shadow (mutated body Martial Soul), Innate Soul Power: level seven."
Yue Guan's slender fingers gently brushed over the page as he let out a long sigh.
If his Innate Soul Power were one level higher—even if only level eight—then with all his life's teachings and careful guidance, combined with Xiao Feng's reckless ferocity and extraordinary perseverance, reaching the Titled Douluo level in the future would be all but certain!
What a pity. With Innate Soul Power at level seven, his talent was ultimately limited.
Without an extraordinary stroke of fortune, even if Yue Guan devoted every resource he had to raising him, breaking through the natural barrier to the Titled Douluo level would still be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
No!
Before you continue