Grandmaster, Teach Me

Well, there was nothing the Soul Clan dared not do.

Yao Yan could not help but curse inwardly. He had not expected his first contact with the Soul Clan to happen like this. As for whether they might not be from the Soul Clan, judging by that laughter and such unrestrained audacity, there was no one more rampant in the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Anyone with even a little knowledge of the Yao Clan would never dare barge in like this. If the Yao Clan discovered them, what awaited them would absolutely be a devastating blow.

Did they really think the Yao Clan was so mild-tempered?

The Yao Clan ranked among the strongest of the Eight Great Ancient Clans. Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, there were truly few factions they would not dare provoke.

And that laughter... there was no need to doubt the other party's identity.

Sure enough, the Soul Clan had infiltrated long ago. The Yao Clan was rotten to the core... Yao Yan cursed inwardly again. He had known the Yao Clan was unsafe. Based on the strength the Yao Clan had displayed in the Original Work, if no one had struck at their home, how could they have fallen so quickly and so miserably?

The Soul Clan's schemes had begun long ago.

"You... who are you? Where are you? Come out!"

Yao Yan knowingly asked the question. His handsome young face showed shock and anger as he warily scanned his surroundings.

He did not think the other party had any "malicious intentions." With his current strength as a Six-Star Dou Zhe, crushing him to death would probably be no different from crushing an ant. If they truly wanted to do something to him, there was no need for nonsense. They only needed to act. Whether he agreed or not was not important.

This world of Battle Through the Heavens had always been this cruel. Strength decided everything.

If you wanted to do it, you did it.

If he had to make a comparison: I don't eat beef!

"I am inside your Storage Ring. I have been watching you all these years. Little fellow, you are quite good." A middle-aged man's voice came from the ring, carrying a hint of approval.

Fuck your mother!

Yao Yan nearly had a heart attack from this bastard's scare. What had he done to deserve the attention of a Soul Clan big shot? This was fucking absurd. He felt that the shocks he had received over the past dozen years did not compare to this single moment. His mind frantically reviewed everything he had done over the years.

A moment later, he was immensely relieved that he did not have the bad habit of talking to himself. Whenever something happened, he thought it through in his heart.

Perhaps noticing that Yao Yan had been frightened, the Storage Ring on his finger emitted a faint glow, releasing wisps of black mist. Moments later, a figure formed of black mist appeared before him. The figure was wrapped in black flames. These flames were exceedingly strange, as though even light was swallowed by them. Not a trace of aura leaked out.

Yao Yan could not even sense the other party's soul fluctuations. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not even have been able to tell whether there was anything in front of him.

Nihility Devouring Flame!

Ranked second on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, it was born from the void, without form to be found or shape to grasp. It was an extraordinarily peculiar existence, known as a thing that devoured the heavens and earth, possessing the ability to swallow all things. Between heaven and earth, only a scant few Living Beings could contend against that devouring power.

What the fuck did I do to deserve this... Yao Yan completely gave up at this moment. He was only a weak Six-Star Dou Zhe, not even out of the beginner's village, yet he had encountered a big shot like this. How was he supposed to withstand it?

"Who are you? Why are you hiding in my Storage Ring? Why can't I sense you?"

A Tense Look appeared on Yao Yan's face as he took small steps backward and demanded in a grave voice.

"Me? I am also an alchemist. Your father was once my registered disciple. Unfortunately, he died at the hands of those people from the Yao Clan. You should know the Yao Clan's attitude toward those without Yao Clan Bloodline. There is no need for me to say more about that."

The figure wrapped in Nihility Devouring Flame sneered, his tone carrying a hint of mockery and disdain.

Naturally, what he said was only half true. After all, a Soul Clan descendant with little Bloodline Concentration was clearly not qualified to become his disciple. However, he had indeed arranged for that man to come to the Yao Clan, and even his meeting with Yao Yan's mother had been deliberately arranged by him.

An old routine—saving a beauty in distress. It never failed, especially against Yao Clan girls who rarely left their clan grounds.

Just imagine it: the moment she left the clan grounds, a remarkably handsome young man saved her. How devastating would that be...

Over the past century, he had arranged quite a few such characters in preparation for the future.

The Yao Clan had long been prey marked by the Soul Clan.

What did that mean? Could I be a mixed-blood child of the Soul Clan and Yao Clan?!

Yao Yan was stunned into silence again, his mind racing wildly. He felt the other party was trying to fool a child. All he could do was play along. He clenched his fists, stopped retreating, and stared fixedly at the other party. His voice seemed to suppress something. "Why do you say my father was killed by his clansmen? What evidence do you have? And if you were my father's teacher, why didn't you save him?"

"Your father was already an adult. Though I was his teacher, I could not protect him forever. Besides, this was his choice. He chose your mother and joined the Yao Clan."

The figure spoke in a distant tone before continuing:

"As for why they killed your father, it was because he found a Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng capable of nourishing Bloodline Power. Since you are already an alchemist, you should understand its value very well. Before such a treasure, let alone your father, an outsider without Yao Clan Bloodline—even blood brothers might turn against each other."

After speaking, he gave a cold laugh.

Purple-Gold Spirit King Ginseng was a Natural Treasure capable of refining seventh-grade and even Eighth-grade Pills. Even if swallowed raw, it could gently alter one's physique and even transform one's Bloodline Talent. It was incomparably precious.

"Your mother went to reason with them, but she too ultimately died because of them. I am not from the Yao Clan, so I could not interfere in these matters. Besides, this was their own choice... Everyone must bear responsibility for their own choices. You and I are the same."

"As for why you cannot sense me, with your Soul Power, what can you truly see of this world?"

I see more clearly than you do!

Yao Yan's mind was exceptionally clear at this moment. He knew the other party was probably telling the truth. His parents in this life had very likely died at the hands of their own clansmen. Yet there might not be no scheming from the person before him behind it all. Unfortunately, with his current small frame, he was clearly not qualified to investigate the truth.

Why does this feel a little like Obito's script from Naruto!

Anger appeared on Yao Yan's young and handsome face. Gritting his teeth, he pressed, "Who were they?!"

"You are very angry? Unfortunately, anger cannot change anything. In this world, only strength can decide fate. You are too weak, as weak as an ant by the roadside. No one cares about your emotions. Within the vast Yao Clan, you are even more insignificant, not even worth cultivating."

The Middle-aged Man shook his head slightly and spoke unhurriedly. He was deliberately drawing out the resentment and hatred in Yao Yan's heart.

Every clan had imbalances.

What people feared was not scarcity, but inequality.

Unequal distribution of resources would inevitably breed jealousy and schemes, especially among the weak. There had never been fairness in this world. If you wanted fairness, you had to be qualified to stand beside the other party.

If you did not even have the qualifications to stand beside them, what else was there to talk about?

Upon hearing this, Yao Yan's eyes widened in fury. His delicate little face became somewhat savage. He clenched his fists and said nothing, his expression twisted and hostile.

"A mere Rank 3 Bloodline. People like you are as common as grass throughout the Yao Clan. If you encounter an opportunity in the future, perhaps you may step into the Dou Zong realm. If your luck is worse, perhaps you will be like your father, able only to remain at the Dou Wang level, or even die in some corner with no one ever knowing."

The middle-aged figure spoke calmly, as though stating a fact.

Because this was how the vast majority of people in the world were. So what if they were geniuses? Only those who grew up could be called geniuses. Those who died along the way were nothing. He had seen far too many so-called genius prodigies.

Yet in the end, only a very few could become Dou Sheng.

Without becoming a Dou Sheng, one was not even qualified to be Sizing Up by him.

"I want to become strong and decide my own fate. Grandmaster, please teach me!"

Yao Yan closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. Then he cupped his hands and bowed to the Middle-aged Man, speaking in a deep voice.

"I can give you an opportunity to become strong, but that depends on whether you possess the talent."

The middle-aged figure looked at Yao Yan, a flicker passing through his eyes as he spoke slowly.

He had observed Yao Yan for quite some time. Among the "seeds" he had selected, Yao Yan was one of the very best. Whether in temperament or talent, he was worth molding. Compared with suppressing others through strength, he preferred playing with people's hearts. The feeling of manipulating someone in his palm was quite interesting, like playing a cultivation game.

"This was originally prepared for your father, but unfortunately, your father chose the Yao Clan."

The Middle-aged Man smiled faintly and slowly raised his hand. The void-like black flames immediately gathered in his palm, forming a vortex that distorted the surrounding space. After a short while, a black-red Blood Bead resembling a fetal egg appeared before Yao Yan.

It was the size of an infant's fist, wrapped in black flames and glimmering with a dark-red radiance. It was exceedingly sinister.