Becoming a Disciple

The shock and deathly silence within the great hall had yet to fully dissipate; the clansmen's gazes toward Lin Hai had undergone a complete transformation, now filled with awe, fervor, and a trace of incredulous bewilderment.

The three elders were huddled to the side, wishing they could shrink into their chairs, not daring to make a single sound.

Xiao Zhan looked at Lin Hai, his lips twitching several times before finally settling into a sigh of immense complexity, containing shock, wild joy, and a hint of indescribable worry.

He stepped forward, just about to speak, but Lin Hai nodded slightly to signal him first.

"Brother-in-law, I am taking little Yanzi out for a walk; there are some things that need to be said." Lin Hai's tone was calm, yet carried an air that brooked no argument.

Xiao Zhan nodded immediately: "Good, good! You two, uncle and nephew... have a good talk." He looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with encouragement and a sense of relief-filled expectation.

Lin Hai said no more, turning his gaze toward Xiao Yan, who was still in a state of immense shock and confusion, and said gently: "Little Yanzi, follow me."

With that, he took the lead and walked out of the hall.

His pace was not fast, yet he possessed a bearing as steady as a mountain; wherever he passed, the clansmen subconsciously parted ways, bowing their heads.

Xiao Yan froze for a moment, looking at Lin Hai's back, then subconsciously touched the black ring on his finger, gritted his teeth, and hurried to follow.

Xun Er hesitated slightly, but ultimately chose to remain quietly where she was, though her beautiful eyes followed the direction of the two, flickering with thoughtful light.

The setting sun dyed the horizon a deep orange; on the small path behind the Xiao family mountain, the vegetation was lush, silent, and deserted.

Lin Hai walked in front with his hands behind his back, while Xiao Yan followed half a step behind in silence, his heart in a state of extreme complexity.

Everything that happened today was too subversive: Nalan Yanran's humiliating annulment, the sudden emergence of his uncle Lin Hai, the thunderous crushing of Ge Ye, the destruction of the pill, and the expulsion of the guests... it all felt like a bizarre, surreal dream.

Finally, Lin Hai stopped at a wide, open cliffside, turning to look at Xiao Yan.

On the youth's delicate face, excitement, confusion, gratitude, and a lingering trace of humiliation were all intertwined.

"Uncle... you..." Xiao Yan began, his voice somewhat hoarse; he had a thousand questions in his heart, yet did not know where to start.

Lin Hai seemed to see through his thoughts, but instead of answering directly, he raised a hand to interrupt him, his gaze falling deeply onto the black ring on his finger.

"Little Yanzi, do you know why your Dou Qi has been disappearing for the past three years, and why your cultivation has regressed instead of advancing?" Lin Hai's voice was calm, yet it struck Xiao Yan's heart like a bolt of lightning.

Xiao Yan's entire body shook violently; he looked up abruptly, an expression of disbelief erupting in his eyes: "Uncle, you know the reason?! Could it be... could it be that it wasn't because I..."

"It was not that you lost your talent, nor was it some strange illness." Lin Hai denied it decisively, his finger pointing vaguely at the ring. "The root cause lies within it. Or rather, hidden inside it... is that soul."

Boom!

As these words were spoken, it was not just Xiao Yan who was struck by lightning; the black ring on his finger trembled violently, and a soul fluctuation far exceeding that of Ge Ye leaked out uncontrollably, carrying extreme shock!

"You... who exactly are you?! How could you see through this old man's existence?!" An aged voice, filled with shock, emanated directly from the ring, echoing across the cliff.

Xiao Yan stared dumbfounded at his trembling ring, then at the calm-faced Lin Hai, his mind going completely blank for a moment.

The one who had stolen his Dou Qi was actually... a soul inside a ring?

The suffering, mockery, and humiliation of the past three years surged into his heart; a massive sense of betrayal and fury erupted like a volcano!

"Was it you playing tricks?! Was it you who stole my Dou Qi?! You made me a waste?! You made me suffer all those cold looks?! You almost caused me to suffer that ultimate humiliation today?!" Xiao Yan's eyes turned bloodshot instantly, and he moved to rip the ring off and throw it away, even wanting to crush it!

"Little Yanzi, calm down!" Lin Hai gave a low shout; it was not loud, but it carried a peculiar, soothing power that caused Xiao Yan's boiling blood and rage to stall slightly.

"Uncle! He..." Xiao Yan panted heavily, pointing at the ring, his face full of grief and unwillingness.

"I know you are angry, and I know of the suffering you have endured these past three years." Lin Hai looked at him, his eyes filled with understanding. "But anger cannot solve problems. Do you not want to know why he had to absorb your Dou Qi? And why he chose you specifically?"

Yao Chen, inside the ring, was also experiencing violent soul fluctuations. His greatest secret had been seen through at a glance, and the other party might even be a legendary Dou Sheng, which made him feel an unprecedented crisis.

But he was, after all, a powerhouse who had once stood at the pinnacle of the continent; he quickly forced himself to calm down and said in a deep voice: "What exactly does Your Excellency want?"

Lin Hai ignored Yao Chen, continuing to look at Xiao Yan as he said slowly: "He absorbed your Dou Qi to maintain his own soul, which requires energy to nourish it. As for why he chose you..." Lin Hai paused, "Perhaps it is because your talent and your character are the most suitable he has encountered in his long years to inherit his mantle."

"Inherit his mantle?" Xiao Yan was stunned, his anger slightly abating, drawn in by the term.

"That is correct." Lin Hai nodded. "Little Yanzi, do you know what kind of person the soul hidden in this ring was during his lifetime?"

Xiao Yan shook his head subconsciously.

Lin Hai's voice carried a hint of solemnity as he said, word by word: "His name is Yao Chen, known as Venerable Yao! He is not from the Gama Empire, but from the Star Cloud Pavilion in the Central Plains, the center of the continent! During his lifetime, he was not only a peak Dou Zun powerhouse but also a—Grade 8 peak alchemist master!"

"Dou Zun?! A Grade 8 alchemist master?!" Xiao Yan gasped, his eyes widening until they were round, his entire body stiffening.

To a youth like him in Wutan City, these titles were simply those of legendary figures! Dou Huangs and Dou Zongs were already unreachable in his understanding, let alone a Dou Zun!

And a Grade 8 alchemist... in the entire Gama Empire, even a single Grade 6 pill would be enough to cause a sensation!

Yao Chen in the ring also fell silent; the other party knew his background so clearly that his last shred of luck was completely extinguished, leaving only deep shock and doubt.

Watching Xiao Yan's shocked expression, Lin Hai continued to drop a bombshell: "With him teaching you everything he knows and personally guiding your cultivation and alchemy, your future—let alone recovering your past talent—would be to surpass this Wutan City, surpass the Gama Empire, and even traverse the continent, achieving the rank of Dou Huang or Dou Zong, which would be no difficult task at all! Your minimum future achievement will surely be the Dou Zun realm! Perhaps... even touching that higher level is not impossible!"

These words, like a great bell, struck Xiao Yan's mind with immense force!

The gloom and despair of the past three years were completely washed away in this moment by the magnificent blueprint being painted before him!

A Dou Zun? A teacher who was a Grade 8 alchemist master? Traversing the continent?

Every word made his heart race and his blood boil!

The previous anger and humiliation seemed to become... not so unbearable in the face of this massive opportunity.

He even suddenly felt that if the suffering of the past three years could truly be exchanged for the wholehearted guidance of a Venerable teacher, perhaps it was... worth it?

The youth's expression changed as quickly as turning a page, rapidly shifting from extreme anger to extreme shock, and then to wild joy and burning desire!

The speed of his face-changing left even Yao Chen, inside the ring, stunned.

"Of course," Lin Hai shifted his tone, looking toward the ring with a calm yet subtly warning air, "Venerable Yao, since you have borrowed my nephew's spiritual energy to nourish your soul for three years, this debt of karma must be repaid. From now on, guide him well. Should you harbor any ulterior motives or hold back your teachings..."

Lin Hai did not finish, but that faint, soul-freezing chill permeated the air once more, causing Yao Chen's soul form to tremble.

He did not doubt for a second that this mysterious "uncle" possessed the means to utterly annihilate his body and soul.

Yao Chen gave a bitter laugh, his soul fluctuations transmitting the message: "Rest assured, Excellency. This old man... Yao Chen, is not an ungrateful person. Absorbing the spiritual energy of young Xiao Yan previously was a matter of necessity, and I do feel genuine guilt. Now that it has been brought to light, I shall spare no effort to help him return to his peak, and even surpass it! To take such a raw talent as a disciple is also this old man's good fortune."

These words were half-sincere, half-coerced by Lin Hai's overwhelming might. But regardless, the outcome was set.

Only then did Lin Hai nod in satisfaction and look at Xiao Yan: "Well, Xiao Yanzi. What are you still standing there for?"

Xiao Yan no longer felt a shred of anger; he was trembling with excitement. He dropped to one knee before the ring without a moment's hesitation, his voice shaking with emotion, yet incredibly clear and solemn:

"Disciple Xiao Yan, pays respects to Teacher!"

The black ring trembled slightly, and a gentle white light surged from it, condensing into the slightly translucent, yet ethereal and sage-like figure of an old man.

Yao Chen's soul form floated in mid-air, looking down at the youth with his burning gaze and respectful expression, a flash of complexity and gratification crossing his eyes.

He accepted the bow and gestured with a phantom hand: "Rise, little one. These past few years... have been hard on you. From this day forward, your teacher will compensate you double for everything you lost in those three years!"

"Yes! Teacher!" Xiao Yan stood up, his face glowing with unprecedented radiance and hope.

Lin Hai watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

With Yao Chen officially taking him as a disciple, the gears of fate, under the influence of his own unexpectedly flapping wings, began to turn in a more powerful and seamless direction.

With a Peak Spirit Saint for an uncle and a Grade 8 Alchemist for a teacher... Xiao Yan's path to greatness was destined to be even more brilliant and unstoppable than the original trajectory!

As for the Misty Cloud Sect... Lin Hai glanced toward the direction of the Misty Cloud Sect, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

That was merely the beginning.