You Haven't Officially Become My Disciple Yet, Have You?

"Thank you, Senior."

After taking the teacup, Chu Yan offered his thanks politely.

Leng Yaozhu picked up her own cup and took a light sip, her gaze never once leaving the young man in the moon-white robes sitting across from her.

She did not stare intentionally, but with her level of insight, even a casual glance was enough to take in almost every detail about him.

"Six years old?" She set the cup down, her tone casual, as if they were merely chatting about daily life.

"Yes, I just turned six not long ago," Chu Yan answered truthfully.

"How long since your awakening?"

"Half a month."

Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu nodded slightly, her fingertips tracing the rim of her teacup. "Half a month, and your spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Connection Realm. That speed is quite rare."

Chu Yan did not respond, listening quietly. He knew that with Leng Yaozhu's standing, it was not difficult for her to discern the level of his spiritual power.

Since she had taken the initiative to keep him here, it meant she was not surprised by the Spirit Connection Realm; there was likely another reason she had spoken up.

Sure enough, Leng Yaozhu's next sentence followed.

"However, spiritual power is secondary. I am more curious about something else."

She looked up at him, her eyes carrying a hint of inquiry. It was not a sharp, piercing gaze, yet it still gave one the feeling of being seen through.

"You have soul power fluctuations that exceed level ten, yet the Spirit Pagoda's system has no record of you obtaining a soul spirit recently."

Chu Yan was not surprised to hear this.

There were only two ways for contemporary soul masters to obtain a Soul Ring: one was to hunt soul beasts, but with the Star Dou Great Forest surrounded by layers of defenses, that was clearly unrealistic.

The other was to go to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain a soul spirit. After all, the Spirit Pagoda held a complete monopoly on soul spirit channels, and obtaining one there required leaving a file.

He had not visited the Spirit Pagoda since his awakening, a fact that could not be hidden from someone of Leng Yaozhu's caliber.

I should have gone to the Spirit Pagoda to buy a century-old soul spirit, he thought. If I had, there would be a record, and no one would suspect how I obtained my Soul Ring. I was careless, but it doesn't matter.

He had no intention of hiding it. He had already considered that when facing someone of Leng Yaozhu's level, concealment would only invite more suspicion.

She was knowledgeable and experienced; what kind of strange Martial Souls or rare talents had she not seen?

Rather than spinning a lie full of holes, it was better to be moderately honest.

As long as he could provide a reasonable explanation, she would likely treat him as a special case.

After all, she was not the type to covet others' Martial Souls. This was evident from her portrayal in the original work; although her stance was complex, she acted with integrity and was not someone like Qiangu Dongfeng, who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"I won't lie to you, Senior. I did not come to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain a soul spirit."

As he spoke, Chu Yan stood up.

He walked to the slightly more spacious area in the center of the reception room and released his Martial Soul.

Hum...

The dark-gold Yan Divine Weapon appeared in his hands. The surface of the five-foot-long staff was covered in ancient, mysterious patterns, and a sharp, domineering aura silently permeated the small room.

Immediately following, a deep yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, hovering and slowly rotating around him.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze paused slightly.

Deep yellow?

Her eyes lingered on the Soul Ring for two seconds before she narrowed them slightly.

A first Soul Ring with a lifespan of seven to eight hundred years—that age was absurd for a six-year-old child.

What was even more absurd was that the child's soul power and spiritual power fluctuations indicated he had reached this state without absorbing any external force.

She could tell at a glance that the energy within this Soul Ring was extremely pure, without a trace of impurity, and was as closely connected to Chu Yan's Martial Soul as flesh and blood.

She had only ever seen this state in one scenario: a soul beast taking human form and condensing its own Soul Ring.

Yet, by her perception, there was not a shred of soul beast aura on Chu Yan. This child was a complete human.

Leng Yaozhu's tone remained calm, though it carried a hint of inquiry as she asked curiously, "How did you obtain this Soul Ring?"

Gripping the Yan Divine Weapon, Chu Yan met her gaze frankly. "To be honest, Senior, this Soul Ring was condensed by my Martial Soul itself."

"Condensed itself?"

Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu's brows twitched ever so slightly.

She understood the term, of course, but understanding it and seeing it were two different things.

In her knowledge, only the original forms of soul beasts that had taken human shape could condense their own Soul Rings; human Martial Souls never grew them automatically.

God-bestowed Soul Rings required a deity's gift, and soul spirits required hunting or purchasing a contract. Self-condensation... to put it nicely, it was a special opportunity; to put it bluntly, it was unheard of.

"What is the name of your Martial Soul?" Leng Yaozhu set down her teacup and leaned forward slightly, as if she had suddenly become interested.

"Yan Divine Weapon," Chu Yan replied.

"Yan Divine Weapon..." Leng Yaozhu repeated the name—a Martial Soul that had never existed in history. Her gaze returned to the dark-gold staff, scanning it up and down.

She looked very carefully. With her level of spiritual power, she could perceive that there seemed to be a hidden mystery within the staff, with some kind of energy structure compressed to the extreme hidden inside.

The structure was incredibly complex, so complex that she couldn't fully analyze it all at once.

"A Tool Martial Soul?" she asked.

"Yes, it's a staff," Chu Yan nodded. He thought for a moment and added, "However, it can decompose into smaller forms."

"Decompose?" Leng Yaozhu raised an eyebrow.

Without hesitation, Chu Yan focused his intent. Countless fine cracks appeared on the surface of the Yan Divine Weapon, and five palm-sized golden swords flew out from the fissures, hovering around him. The blades were covered in secret runes, radiating a sharp, piercing aura.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over each of the five golden swords one by one.

Her expression didn't change much, but her focus was clearly sharper than it had been a moment ago.

A moment later, she nodded slightly, leaned back against the sofa, and took another sip of tea, as if digesting the information she had just seen.

The room remained quiet for a few breaths.

Then, Leng Yaozhu spoke, her tone softer than before: "The Yan Divine Weapon, autonomous Soul Ring condensation, a first Soul Ring of around seven hundred and fifty years, Spirit Connection Realm mental power... You little one have more secrets than any prodigy I have ever met."

Hearing this, Chu Yan did not respond, simply retracting the Yan Divine Weapon back into his body.

Leng Yaozhu glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curling slightly. The smile was extremely faint and vanished in an instant; it was hard to tell if it was out of admiration or lament.

"You are quite candid. I had expected you to make up an excuse to brush me off, considering your father surely taught you how to handle inquiries from others," Leng Yaozhu chuckled.

Chu Yan shook his head helplessly and said, "There is no point in lying in front of a senior."

"Indeed, there is no point." Leng Yaozhu set down her teacup, her gaze falling back upon him with a hint of seriousness as she continued:

"Since you are willing to tell me the truth, I will be direct as well. I am indeed interested in you. I have never seen a Martial Soul like yours, nor have I ever heard of this ability to autonomously condense Soul Rings."

Chu Yan listened quietly, not interrupting her.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze lingered on him for two or three seconds, as if weighing something.

A moment later, she asked:

"You are only six years old this year; you haven't officially taken on a master yet, have you?"