Master and disciple reunited, greeted with tears

The instant Luo Feng heard that voice, his body stiffened.

It was as though an electric current had burst from the base of his spine and spread along his meridians to every limb and bone. His muscles tensed, his fists suspended in midair, and he stood rooted to the spot, as motionless as if a spell had been cast on him. The air in the training ground seemed to freeze, and even the flickering numbers on the Punch Strength Tester seemed distant and blurred.

That voice-calm and gentle, with a trace of the faint amusement he knew so well-was etched into Luo Feng's very bones. Over the past three years, it had echoed in his dreams countless times: sometimes it was the instruction his teacher had given before leaving, "Don't disgrace me"; sometimes it was the stern admonishment he had received while his teacher guided his cultivation in the illusion; and sometimes there was only a blurred figure at the end of a dream and the sound of footsteps growing ever more distant. Each time he woke from a dream, the space beside his pillow was empty, and only the sound of his own heavy breathing echoed through the training ground.

Luo Feng's heart began pounding wildly, thumping as though it would smash through his breastbone and leap from his chest. Excitement, delight, disbelief-all his emotions erupted at once, sweeping through him like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

His shoulders trembled slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to speak, but no sound came out. He did not even dare turn around to see whether the voice was real. He was too afraid-afraid that it was another hallucination brought on by missing his teacher so much, afraid that when he turned, the doorway would still be empty, with nothing there, just like every dream over the past three years.

Slowly, with immense difficulty, he turned and looked toward the entrance to the training ground.

A familiar figure was leaning by the entrance.

He wore an utterly ordinary black casual outfit, simple and without any ornate decorations. His hands rested casually in his trouser pockets, and he stood straight as a sword drawn from its sheath, yet he also gave off a restrained profundity.

It was Qin Yuan.

Three years had not changed Qin Yuan's appearance in the slightest. He looked just as Luo Feng remembered, with a handsome face and a calm gaze. But compared with three years ago, his whole bearing had undergone an earth-shaking transformation, as though a lifetime had passed.

Three years ago, though Qin Yuan had been powerful, he had still possessed a sharp edge, like a sword concealed in its sheath; the aura he occasionally revealed had been enough to inspire awe. Now, after fifty years of arduous cultivation in a secret realm and his breakthrough to Peak True God, every trace of sharpness around him had been drawn inward. His entire being gave off a calm, profound, boundless aura, like a bottomless ocean-seemingly unruffled, yet concealing supreme power capable of suppressing the heavens. No one could see through or grasp him, yet they could not help feeling compelled to submit.

Sunlight streamed through the training ground's windows and fell on Qin Yuan, bathing him in a faint halo. A slight smile touched his lips as he looked gently at Luo Feng, his eyes showing approval and gratification.

It really is Teacher!

Teacher is back!

That was the only thought left in Luo Feng's mind, and all his emotions burst forth completely. Three years of longing, three years of arduous cultivation, three years of single-minded devotion-all of it turned into boundless excitement at the sight of Qin Yuan.

His eyes reddened at once, his nose tingled, and tears welled up as indescribable emotions surged within him.

"Tea... Teacher!"

Luo Feng's voice choked, and he nearly trembled as he called out. Unable to control himself any longer, he covered three steps in two, practically running to Qin Yuan. Without a moment's hesitation, he dropped heavily to both knees and, facing Qin Yuan, respectfully knocked his head against the ground three times.

"Your disciple Luo Feng respectfully welcomes your return, Teacher!"

Each of the three kowtows was utterly solemn and sincere, filled with his boundless respect, gratitude, and longing for Qin Yuan. If not for Qin Yuan, he might still have been an ordinary youth, with no chance of embarking on the path of a Martial Artist, much less achieving what he had today.

Qin Yuan looked at his kneeling disciple, whose heart was full of excitement, and the smile in his eyes deepened. He reached out to help him up. A gentle yet irresistible force instantly supported Luo Feng and easily lifted him from the ground.

The force was extraordinarily gentle, yet it carried a supreme resonance of the Dao that filled Luo Feng with even greater awe.

Qin Yuan looked Luo Feng up and down, examining him carefully. His eyes showed undisguised satisfaction as he slowly said, "Not bad. In three years, you've reached Peak Star Level, and you've touched the threshold of entry into both the Law of Metal and the Law of Wood. You've built a very solid foundation."

Then his gaze swept over Luo Feng, as if he could see through to the very essence of his body at a glance, and he continued, "Your Gene Level has reached thirty times the baseline. After Yuan's Imprint awakened, it had a remarkable effect on your physical body's potential."

At once, towering waves rose in Luo Feng's heart, leaving him stunned.

His teacher had only glanced at him, yet he had seen every bit of progress Luo Feng had made over the past three years and the full extent of his strength and foundation. He had even stated his Gene Level with perfect accuracy, though Luo Feng himself could not sense it precisely.

Just how powerful had his teacher become?

Beyond his astonishment, Luo Feng felt even more admiration and curiosity. Suppressing his excitement, he asked cautiously, with a trace of anticipation, "Teacher, have... have you broken through to True God?"

Three years ago, when his teacher left, he had already been at the very top of the Universe Master level. Luo Feng had always hoped his teacher would break through that supreme bottleneck and enter the True God realm.

Qin Yuan nodded slightly, concealing nothing. At the same time, he let a trace of an extremely faint, almost imperceptible aura drift from his body.

Faint as that trace of aura seemed, it contained the supreme might of the True God Level.

The instant the aura spread, Luo Feng felt as though all heaven and earth had been suppressed. A sense of awe welled up from the depths of his soul. He felt as though the entire vast starry sky were pressing down on him, rendering him unable to move. Even breathing became immensely difficult, and the blood and qi throughout his body churned, nearly making him lose his footing.

This was only a trace of True God aura that Qin Yuan had deliberately restrained to the utmost. If he released it at full strength, all of Yangzhou City, even the entire Earth, would tremble beneath it.

After only an instant, Qin Yuan withdrew that trace of aura completely, and the oppressive sensation in the training ground vanished without a trace.

Luo Feng gasped for breath, his astonishment having reached its peak. He looked at Qin Yuan with boundless admiration and yearning.

"Peak True God," Qin Yuan said lightly, his tone calm. "I'm only one final step away from Void True God."

Peak True God!

Luo Feng froze completely, his mind roaring.

He had thought that if his teacher could break through to True God, he would already be an unparalleled genius, a miracle of the universe. But he had never imagined that his teacher had not only broken through to True God, but had gone straight to Peak True God, just one step away from the higher level of Void True God!

His teacher had gone from Universe Master to Peak True God in only three years in the outside world!

Such talent, such cultivation speed-it eclipsed all ages past and present, outshining antiquity and dazzling the present!

For a moment, nothing but boundless admiration remained in Luo Feng's heart. Looking at his teacher, he grew even more determined to cultivate diligently and follow in his footsteps.