Soul Envoy

This was Chen Cang's second time meeting the city lord, but his memories of their meeting five years ago had already grown hazy. Calling this their first meeting would not have been far off.

As Chen Cang studied him, the city lord was also observing his every move.

"Hmm, I heard them mention you two or three years ago. You truly are a pleasant surprise. A nine-and-a-half-year-old Dou Zhe-we haven't seen one in the Tianxing Empire for quite some years."

As he spoke, the city lord looked toward the elderly man beside him, a question in his eyes.

The elderly man immediately understood and nodded slightly. "He held up under the pressure you released, and his temperament is excellent. A fine seedling indeed. Let's see what his attribute is first."

With that, the elderly man turned his palm over, and a crystal ball appeared out of thin air.

"Come forward, place your palm on it, and circulate your Dou Qi."

Chen Cang glanced at the city lord. Seeing his assent, he did not hesitate and stepped forward to do as instructed.

The instant he circulated his Dou Qi, red light surged from the crystal ball. The glow grew stronger and stronger until the entire ball was so red it seemed liable to burst at any moment.

"That will do."

The elderly man raised his hand slightly, a hint of disappointment on his face, then continued, "A very pure fire attribute. Unfortunately, there's not a trace of Wood Attribute in it. He has no potential to become an Alchemist."

To become an Alchemist, one had to possess a fire attribute with a trace of Wood Attribute to temper it.

Hearing the elderly man's words, the city lord sighed as well.

"No matter. Potential Alchemists are rare to begin with. This outcome was expected. With his talent, even if he cultivates Dou Qi alone, he has at least the potential to become a Dou Emperor."

He knew that certain natural treasures could grant someone a wood attribute later in life, but even he would struggle to find treasures of that caliber, let alone the little fellow before him.

Thus, this had effectively pronounced a death sentence on Chen Cang's prospects as an Alchemist.

Chen Cang, on the other hand, felt a little disappointed, but he was far from despondent.

He happened to know of a few natural treasures that could grant someone a wood attribute.

If he had a chance to become an Alchemist, Chen Cang would never give up on it. The profession was simply too sought-after on the Dou Qi Continent today.

Even setting aside an Alchemist's formidable network of connections, he had to do his best to pursue it for the sake of his own future convenience.

The elderly man nodded slightly, offering no objection to the city lord's words. He simply rose and left in silence, as though Chen Cang's lack of aptitude as an Alchemist had cost him all interest.

At this, a thought stirred in Chen Cang's mind.

Could this old man be an Alchemist?

"All right, never mind him. Master Mo is getting on in years. His wish now is to find a good disciple to inherit his mantle, so when I heard the report just now, I asked him to come take a look. I wasn't holding out much hope in the first place."

"Back to the matter at hand. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ding Dian. His Majesty has entrusted me with overseeing Tianying City."

"All of you children were found and brought back by either me or my subordinates. I am certainly no great philanthropist who delivers people from suffering. In the end, I brought you back and gave you a chance to change your fate for my own sake."

Chen Cang nodded silently.

There was no such thing as a free lunch, especially in a world where strength reigned supreme.

Over the past few years, Chen Cang had sometimes wondered why the city lord was doing this. No matter how he turned it over in his mind, there were only a few possible answers.

Now that the city lord had spoken candidly, Chen Cang felt a little closer to him.

"Our Tianying City stands against the Black Eagle Mountains, serving as a barrier against magical beasts. Our responsibility is a heavy one. Every year, many soldiers lose their lives because of it. As city lord, I find this deeply painful, and I've been trying to change the situation. I've devised quite a few ways to do so, and raising a group of loyal, capable soldiers is one of them."

Having seen the memories of dozens of soldiers, Chen Cang knew the city lord was telling the truth.

"That is why I am training you. The situation in the Tianxing Empire is complicated. His Majesty is now advanced in years, and the princes are restless, constantly making moves. His Majesty has placed his trust in me. Only with people I can truly trust guarding Tianying City can I rest easy."

"Of course, that is the path for children of ordinary talent. You are different. For someone with greater aptitude like yours, guarding a city would be using a mighty timber for a petty task. For geniuses like you, I will provide all the support I can so that you can grow as quickly as possible and serve a greater purpose in the future. Once you break through to Dou Wang, or even surpass me, I will introduce you to a tremendous opportunity. Whether you can seize it will depend on your own fortune."

As City Lord Ding Dian spoke, the image of a steadfastly loyal old general gradually took shape in Chen Cang's mind.

Combined with the kindness accumulated over these years, an ordinary person would probably already have been eager to lay down his life for him.

"Let's not speak of things so far off. From now on, you will live in the City Lord's Residence. You have formed your Dou Qi Vortex, so you can begin cultivating a cultivation method. I have two fire-attribute methods here, and you may choose one to cultivate. As for Dou Techniques, I will have someone bring them over later so you can choose two. Remember, if you bite off too much, you won't be able to chew it."

In just a few words, Chen Cang's future had been laid out with perfect clarity.

Of course, there was nothing to fault in these arrangements.

Taking the two cultivation scrolls the city lord produced, Chen Cang swept his gaze over them.

"Blazing Fire Incineration," a mid-level Black Tier cultivation method.

"Crimson Fire Refinement," a mid-level Black Tier cultivation method.

Their grades were identical. These were the most precious cultivation methods Chen Cang had seen thus far.

As for those he had previously learned about through the memories of the soldiers and instructors, they had all been Yellow Tier.

Offering two mid-level Black Tier cultivation methods for him to choose from at once, the city lord had certainly invested heavily. Chen Cang could also feel how much importance he placed on him.

Letting out a long breath, Chen Cang looked at the two scrolls, finding it difficult to choose.

"You can read the detailed descriptions. There's no hurry. How well a cultivation method suits you will have a great impact on your future."

When one first began practicing a cultivation method, Yellow Tier and Black Tier were the most suitable. Even the disciples of ancient clans with long-standing legacies went through a transitional stage rather than immediately cultivating the highest-tier methods.

Of course, Chen Cang did not have access to such resources anyway.

Calming himself and examining the two scrolls closely, Chen Cang discovered that Blazing Fire Incineration and Crimson Fire Refinement were not actually all that different. Both were highly domineering.

By comparison, the former emphasized power, while the latter emphasized refinement and required slightly more finesse.

Considering that he intended to strive for the aptitude to become an Alchemist in the future, the more proficient his control over flames, the better. Chen Cang's choice became clear.

Crimson Fire Refinement!

This cultivation method would be more than enough for the transitional stage.

Once he obtained a better cultivation method in the future, he could simply switch to it.

Having made his decision, Chen Cang raised his head to look at the city lord.

The city lord sat upright in the seat of honor, propped against the armrest, his eyes closed as he dozed.

Seeing this, Chen Cang did not immediately speak and disturb him, choosing instead to wait quietly.

However, once people had nothing to do, their minds tended to wander. Chen Cang could not help growing curious. Just how strong was this city lord? He was also curious about the situation in the Tianxing Empire that the man had mentioned.

With these thoughts in mind, Chen Cang unconsciously focused more and more intently as he watched him.

Time ticked by. Soon, Chen Cang jolted back to his senses. Looking again at the man seated above him, he nearly lost his composure.

"I am willing to die in your service, my lord!" A man dressed in luxurious robes knelt on one knee.

"No, you have it wrong. It is for the Soul Hall." A leisurely voice drifted from within a black robe.

"I am willing to die in your service, my lord, and in the service of the Soul Hall!"

"Hahaha, good. I will remember you."

The scene repeated over and over, each time telling Chen Cang the same fact.

City Lord Ding Dian was actually a Soul Envoy of the Soul Hall!