The Holy Spirit Cult had told him to join the Spirit Pagoda. They hadn't said he had to join any particular faction.
Was there a rule that said he had to join the Qiangu Clan?
No.
He didn't have a Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul, either. Even if he joined them, he'd only be an outsider, barred from the Core Circle. There was no point. He was better off joining a core faction like the Leng Family, which didn't revolve around the Coiling Dragon Staff.
The reason the Spirit Pagoda had split into two factions was the Qiangu Clan's exclusionary ways.
The Qiangu Clan wanted its own people to control the entire Spirit Pagoda, but naturally, the others weren't willing to accept that.
The other factions, led by the Leng Family, had formed an alliance—a massive coalition family on par with the Qiangu Clan—to oppose them.
For now, the Leng Family was the strongest, given its overall power, but that could change at any time.
If he joined the Qiangu Clan, no matter how well he developed, he'd only ever be their dog. But if he joined Han Tianyi and Leng Yaozhu, maybe he could rise from serf to singer and eventually take the top spot.
On top of that, becoming Han Tianyi's disciple came with real benefits. More importantly, Han Tianyi and the others had discovered and recruited him first. They had also gone to such great lengths to find him, which genuinely moved Lin Tian.
He and Leng Yaozhu had been trading barbs only because he'd already figured out her personality. Combined with his knowledge of the original story, that let him read her thoughts with pinpoint accuracy.
At this point, Leng Yaozhu had actually grown even closer to him.
Since he'd already been claimed, and there was no way to resist, he might as well enjoy it.
So Lin Tian, ever one to go with the flow, clasped his hands and bowed to Han Tianyi. "Your disciple, Lin Tian, pays his respects to Master!"
"What kind of apprentice ceremony is that?"
Watching the ridiculous scene, Leng Yaozhu couldn't help laughing.
Lin Tian was currently tucked in her arms as she flew toward Aolai City, bowing to Han Tianyi, who was flying ahead of them.
Han Tianyi burst out laughing, too. Even his usually impeccable composure couldn't hold. "How amusing! Truly amusing!
"Young fellow, I've never taken a disciple in my life. You're the first—and the last.
"I accept your calling me Master!"
Leng Yaozhu found Lin Tian even more adorable now. Holding him with one arm, she pinched his cheek with the other as she flew along, laughing heartily. "Clever boy! You know what's good for you!
"With Elder Han watching over you, no one in the Spirit Pagoda will dare bully you.
"Just focus on cultivating under Elder Han from now on. With your talent, you'll make a name for yourself across the continent within ten years.
"Do you know who the continent's greatest genius is?"
"Don't ask. If you do, she'll never stop talking," Han Tianyi warned at once.
Seeing Leng Yaozhu hesitate, Lin Tian immediately understood. If he said he didn't know, she'd surely say it was Yun Ming, then chatter on and on.
That was the self-awareness of a super fangirl.
Lin Tian shook his head:
Thank goodness Master warned me.
Why was she such a lovesick puppy?
She'd never even gotten so much as a proper look from him, yet she was secretly competing with Ya Li for his attention. Just what was so charming about Yun Ming?
It made no sense.
Limit Douluos could fly incredibly fast. In just half a day, Leng Yaozhu had brought Lin Tian back to Aolai City.
The moment they landed, countless figures hurried over to greet them. At the head of the group was Han Tianxin, the Eastsea City Tower Master, followed by a crowd of Soul Douluos and Soul Saints.
Everyone bowed. "Clan Head, Tower Master Leng, welcome back."
Han Tianyi's gaze fell on Han Tianxin. "Tianxin, well done. You found me a disciple."
Han Tianxin's face immediately filled with surprise. She stared straight at Lin Tian.
Han Tianyi meant that he'd already accepted Lin Tian as his disciple. The Clan Head had never taken anyone as a disciple before. Even she, despite her extraordinary talent, had never caught the family's eye. Yet Elder Han had taken Lin Tian as his apprentice. It was astonishing.
Did that mean this little fellow now outranked her?
Talk about the natural order turned upside down.
But Lin Tian wasn't interested in any of that right now. The person he cared about most was Na'er. She was the Silver Dragon King, after all—he couldn't let such a brilliant mind slip away.
So Lin Tian turned to Han Tianyi, his expression serious. "Master, I want to go home and check on my younger sister, Na'er, first.
"She's been alone ever since I was taken away. I'm worried about her."
"Of course. Go ahead."
They'd all read Lin Tian's file, so they knew he'd recently taken in a little girl.
He was a kindhearted child, so it made sense he'd be so concerned about her.
With Han Tianyi's permission, Lin Tian immediately took off running toward home.
He sprinted down the familiar streets and finally reached the little wooden house.
The door was unlocked, so Lin Tian pushed it open and went straight inside.
The room was dim. A small figure sat upright on the sofa.
She was leaning over the wooden table Lin Tian had pieced together himself. On it lay the battered Soul Tool communicator he'd left at home. It was glowing as it played something.
Na'er was completely absorbed, watching intently.
Lin Tian stared at the scene, dumbfounded. He was used to seeing Na'er all soft and timid, so this version of her came as a surprise.
It seemed his disappearance hadn't affected Na'er at all. That was a good thing.
"I'm back," Lin Tian said excitedly to Na'er.
At the sound, Gu Yue turned toward Lin Tian at the door. A trace of disgust flickered across her face, almost too subtle to notice. Then she turned back to the communicator's screen. "You're back."
Gu Yue's voice was cool. She didn't get up, her fingertips still tapping away at the screen with focused attention.
"Na'er, did you miss me while I was gone?"
Lin Tian looked at Na'er, feeling that something was off, though he couldn't put his finger on it. She just seemed different from before.
Could being taken by Evil Soul Masters have affected Na'er and made her mature all at once?
Damn it!
Give me back my innocent, lively Na'er! Blood Fiend, you bastard! This was infuriating—I hadn't even had a whole day to raise her affection yet.
"Na'er, what are you doing?"
"Are you blind?
"I'm watching the Soul Tool. What else would I be doing? If you don't have anything to say, stop bothering me."
Lin Tian felt as if his whole worldview was being rebuilt. Was this really the same timid Na'er from before?
Why did she seem like a completely different person?
But just then, under Lin Tian's astonished gaze, Gu Yue's hand suddenly stopped moving. Her pretty brows furrowed.
"Damn it, has a whole day already passed?"