Mask

The world was so beautiful, the air so fresh.

I was actually still alive!

Yao Yan opened his eyes and felt the reality of the world. An unbelievable feeling swept through his entire body. The fact that he was still alive felt dreamlike to him. During everything he had just endured, he had thought he was dead countless times. He had never expected to pull through.

"Whoosh~"

As Hun Xuzi withdrew the Soul Power supporting Yao Yan, he fell straight to the ground. The pain constantly reminded him that he was still alive.

"Little fellow, you were very lucky. You succeeded. Congratulations—you have become the only lucky one in a thousand years to inherit the Tunling Clan bloodline."

Hun Xuzi still floated in midair, black flames curling around him. His crimson-glinting eyes made him look anything but benevolent, yet his tone toward Yao Yan carried A Bit more gentleness now. Clearly, Yao Yan's value in his eyes had greatly increased.

Yao Yan hurriedly climbed to his feet and inspected his body. When he found that he was still human and all five limbs were intact, he finally let out a long breath of relief.

If one could remain human, who would want to become a monster?

Yao Yan dropped to his knees and gave Hun Xuzi a solemn bow. "Thank you, Grandmaster, for making this possible!"

Though the man was a beast, Yao Yan's life and fate now rested on a single thought from him. Naturally, he had to consider the road ahead. Hun Xuzi had spent so much time and effort on this matter, and now that everything had succeeded in Yao Yan, his value to Hun Xuzi was self-evident.

With Hun Xuzi's strength and lifespan, Yao Yan did not need to worry about him trying to seize his body.

Besides, according to what the man had said, Yao Yan also possessed Soul Clan blood. It was not impossible for him to join the Soul Clan later. As a transmigrator, he had a flexible moral Bottom Line, especially when he lacked the strength to control his own fate. He understood what it meant to recognize the times and act accordingly.

In the Fantasy World, shouting bravely without strength was nothing but a joke.

They didn't eat beef, and you wanted to discuss morals with them?

Hun Xuzi looked down at the little fellow before him and chuckled. "There is no need to thank me. This was your choice, and also your luck. After all, you wagered your own life. Get up~"

He raised a hand slightly and directly used Soul Power to lift Yao Yan up.

At that moment, he seemed remarkably reasonable. His manner made him seem like nothing more than an elder testing a junior.

I fucking believed your bullshit... Yao Yan knew Hun Xuzi's true face very well, but he put on a moved expression. Then he knelt again and said in a deep voice, "Grandmaster, I know that without your help, I could never have succeeded!"

Hun Xuzi fell silent upon hearing this.

Yao Yan continued, "Grandmaster, I want to become strong. Can you teach me? I want to avenge my parents!"

His fists clenched tightly, anger and hatred flashing in his eyes like a small beast bent on revenge.

This time, Hun Xuzi did not lift Yao Yan up. His crimson-glinting eyes stared at him as he said calmly, "Have you thought this through? If so, you will no longer be a member of the Yao Clan in the future."

"...I have. The Yao Clan may have raised me, but Grandmaster has given me a new life as well. Once I have avenged myself, I will leave with Grandmaster."

Yao Yan was silent for a moment before answering in a low voice.

"Good."

Hun Xuzi nodded. Yao Yan's sensibility pleased him and spared him much trouble. He also wanted to see how far Yao Yan could grow. With that thought, he looked at Yao Yan and said, "Get up. Feel your body as it is now and see whether you can control the Tunling Clan's abilities."

Yao Yan obediently rose to his feet, closed his eyes, and immersed his Soul Power within his body, beginning to sense the changes in it.

Though the other man had tortured him like a beast for a long time, the favor of remaking him was real.

Before this, Yao Yan had only dared to take things one step at a time and slowly plan for the future. But now, his courage had swelled. He wanted to become a Dou Di, become the number one person on the Dou Qi Continent. He wanted to control his own fate. He no longer wanted to be manipulated like this, without even the right to choose for himself.

The current Yao Yan had undergone a complete rebirth. His bones glowed with a faint jade hue, while his Blood Qi and vitality were unbelievably vigorous. Even though he had lost all his Dou Qi, his physical strength was several times greater than before, and even his Soul Power had strengthened greatly, as though it had undergone some transformation.

And this was merely his superficial talent.

Yao Yan could clearly sense the unique power within his body. He slowly mobilized it, and a sinister aura immediately spread from within him. Strange patterns rapidly spread across his jade-hued bones, while a power that did not belong to Dou Qi emerged within him and coursed through his limbs and bones.

This power was deeply sinister, seemingly more tyrannical than Dou Qi. It carried an invisible Devouring Power and gave him a bloodthirsty urge.

In addition, a blood-red mark appeared between his brows, like a half-closed vertical eye. An even more tyrannical power lay nurtured within it, but Yao Yan was too weak at present to fully awaken its strength.

"This power..."

Yao Yan slowly opened his eyes, confusion in them. He could clearly sense the uniqueness of this power. As a former Dou Zhe, he could easily distinguish it from Dou Qi. Fundamentally, it was stronger than Dou Qi, more tyrannical, and filled with aggression.

Sinister Qi, Demonic Qi, or the so-called Source Qi...

Hun Xuzi saw the confusion in Yao Yan's heart and explained, "There is no need for surprise. The Tunling Clan was itself a peculiar race. They did not cultivate Dou Qi, and the power within them was extremely strange, possessing devouring properties and even contaminating properties. This power was also exceptionally tyrannical. Back then, had several Ancient Emperor Clans not joined forces, exterminating them would never have been easy."

"It is a good thing that you can inherit this power. Try cultivating Dou Qi as well. If you can still cultivate it, your future will be limitless."

"Hehehe~"

As he spoke, Hun Xuzi laughed. His eyes held considerable anticipation. He too was curious whether the work he had created with his own hands could reach that perfect state. By his calculations, it should be possible.

Yao Yan nodded, sat cross-legged, formed hand seals, and entered a cultivation state.

Since he had originally been a Six-Star Dou Zhe, recultivating came naturally to him. Moreover, because his talent had changed, his Cultivation Speed had become astonishingly fast. Like a Whale Swallow, the Heaven and Earth Energy in the room rapidly Surged toward him, covering his body like white mist before flowing into his limbs and bones.

In only a few breaths, he had cultivated his first strand of Dou Qi and attained One Segment of Dou Qi.

He did not stop there. He began circulating it with all his strength, freely displaying his talent. As for whether this would cause a disturbance and draw the attention of others in the Yao Clan, he was not worried in the slightest. With Hun Xuzi's strength and the special nature of Nihility Devouring Flame, even if he blew this place apart, there would not be the slightest movement outside.

On the contrary, the greater his talent appeared now, the more highly Hun Xuzi would value him. That would make the road ahead much easier for him.

When dealing with someone like Hun Xuzi, he had to demonstrate his own value!

"Very good!"

As Hun Xuzi sensed the changes in Yao Yan's body and his Cultivation Speed, satisfaction appeared in his eyes. Yao Yan had not disappointed him. With the talent Yao Yan displayed now, he was scarcely inferior even to those with God Grade Bloodlines from the Emperor Clans.

This did not surprise him at all.

After all, he had fused the Bloodline Power contained within the remains of a Dou Sheng Level expert into Yao Yan's body. It would have been strange if he did not cultivate at such a speed.

Who among those capable of reaching the Dou Sheng Level was not a Heaven's Favorite!

Compared with Yao Yan's cultivation of Dou Qi, Hun Xuzi was more concerned with the changes in the other power within his body.

Under the observation of his powerful Soul Power, Yao Yan had no secrets at all. He could clearly feel that the other power contained within Yao Yan's body was also slowly strengthening. Though its rate of increase was far inferior to the growth of Dou Qi, growth was enough.

The Tunling Clan did not grow stronger through cultivation. Their strongest ability was the Devouring Power they possessed, allowing them to freely devour the bloodline essence of others and even more besides.

That was the truly terrifying part.

Hun Xuzi silently waited for Yao Yan to finish cultivating.

About the time it took to brew a cup of tea later.

Yao Yan finally stopped cultivating and slowly opened his eyes. He spread his hands and felt the changes in his body. His heartbeat could not help accelerating, because in such a short time, his strength had actually recovered to First Stage Dou Zhi Qi. This Cultivation Speed was simply terrifying, and this First Stage Dou Zhi Qi was even more condensed and powerful than the Dou Qi he had cultivated before.

"Do not rush. Adapt to it slowly. Cultivating anew is beneficial for you; it will allow you to become familiar with this body again. Remember, do not rush to break through unless you can completely control your body. Otherwise, you will only be wasting your talent. What you need to do now is familiarize yourself with your body!"

Hun Xuzi looked at Yao Yan and instructed him in a deep voice.

Yao Yan's talent had now soared. At a time like this, it was easy to become addicted to the thrill of rapid breakthroughs. If that happened, his future would undoubtedly be ruined. Hun Xuzi had no desire to nurture a piece of trash.

Yao Yan nodded upon hearing this, then rose and bowed. "Yes, Grandmaster."

After a pause.

He clenched his fists, looked at Hun Xuzi's floating figure, and asked solemnly, "Grandmaster, can you tell me now who my enemy is?"

"No rush. Cultivate in peace. Once you are strong enough, I will naturally tell you."

Hun Xuzi spoke indifferently. At the same time, the Nihility Devouring Flame surrounding the room began to withdraw, eventually turning into a flame that flew into his body.

"Whoosh!"

With a light point of his finger, a streak of light flew out from Yao Yan's Storage Ring. It was an ancient jade token, a relic left behind by Yao Yan's father.

"In the future, use this jade token to contact me. Simply activate it with Soul Power. As for the changes in your body... Divine Object Conceals Itself. Before a God Grade Bloodline has fully matured, it is not so easy to detect. The Bloodline Power you possess now is no weaker than a God Grade Bloodline in the slightest. It may even continue to grow, perhaps surpassing a God Grade Bloodline in the future."

Yao Yan was stunned for a moment, then circulated his Soul Power and examined his body. The jade glow on his bones was gradually withdrawing until they returned to normal.

"You must remember never to activate the Bloodline Power of the Tunling Clan. You should understand its special nature. Once you use that power, you cannot leave a single person who knows about it alive. Otherwise, you will become a target that the other Emperor Clans must kill."

"I understand, Grandmaster!"

"Grandmaster? Your father was only my nominal disciple. I never acknowledged him. But you may become my true disciple in the future."

"...Yes, Teacher."

"Teacher. What a familiar yet unfamiliar form of address. Hehehe~"

With a strange laugh, Hun Xuzi's figure slowly shrank within the embrace of Nihility Devouring Flame until it became a black flame and entered the jade token.

"Whoosh."

The jade token fell.

Yao Yan caught it, gazed at the jade token in his hand with a solemn expression, and said earnestly, "Teacher, I will work hard. I will not disappoint your expectations!"

Then he put it away in his Storage Ring.

From that moment onward, he knew he would have to live behind a mask.

But wasn't that life?

Who could do whatever they wanted? Most people merely replaced one mask with another.