The Mysterious Teacher

The moonlight was dark as ink.

Qian Renxue was not asleep. She sat cross-legged on her bed, meditating.

Now that she had awakened her Martial Soul and possessed Soul Power, she still had hope of becoming a powerful expert.

But she had not expected this meditation session to be more than a hundred times as effective as before. The Soul Power she absorbed no longer vanished for no apparent reason, but could actually be stored in her body!

Could I be a late-blooming genius?

The thought crossed Qian Renxue's mind, and she worked even harder to absorb Soul Power particles into her body.

"How strange. Could it be because my Martial Soul has been activated?" After a while, Qian Renxue felt the absorption slow down and slowly opened her eyes. "Perhaps it's the same for everyone else."

"Grandpa said that a genius has at least level-eight Innate Soul Power. I'm just an ordinary person."

Work hard. I have to put in a hundred times more effort than everyone else.

Qian Renxue thought of Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

Mother sent trusted aides to see me off, which means she does care about me. She must have her reasons for treating me this way. I have to become strong enough before I'm qualified to ask her why she treats me like this!

With renewed motivation, Qian Renxue closed her eyes and began meditating again.

Just then, a voice sounded in her head. "Girl, I see that you have a good disposition. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"Who's there?!"

Qian Renxue opened her eyes and looked around repeatedly. The commotion also alerted Ling Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged in the next room.

There was a knock at the door, and Ling Yuan asked, "Miss, what happened?"

"N-no... nothing. I had a nightmare." Qian Renxue hurriedly brushed her off, because the voice in her head had sounded again.

Jiang Nian said, "Stop looking, girl. I'm not in your room, nor am I in Spirit Hall. I'll just ask you this: are you willing to become my disciple? I can make your Martial Soul evolve. You don't need to speak to answer me; thinking your response is enough."

Outside, Ling Yuan assumed Qian Renxue had been dealt a blow by the activation of her Martial Soul and comforted her. "Please rest well, miss. If there's anything you need, just ask me."

"Mm, thank you, Elder Ling Yuan. I'm all right."

Only after the door to the next room closed again did Qian Renxue take a deep breath and sit back down on the bed.

Who exactly are you, and how can you speak in my head?

Who I am isn't important. What matters is that I can help you out of your predicament.

Why me? And you don't even dare meet me, so why should I believe you?

This girl is really cautious. A six-year-old on Blue Star could be lured away with a single piece of candy.

Jiang Nian continued, "I admire your disposition, and I can see your potential. As for whether you believe me, that's up to you."

Qian Renxue pressed her lips together, a fierce battle raging in her heart.

An unknown, mysterious person wanted to take her as a disciple and had even claimed he could improve the quality of her Martial Soul. Not even a Titled Douluo would dare make such a claim.

For a moment, she did not know whether she should believe him.

Then Jiang Nian spoke again. "This opportunity is only available tonight. I'll give you the night to think it over."

Only one chance?

Qian Renxue now had to consider whether this was the only chance she would ever have to turn her life around.

She was decisive by nature. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Senior, I believe you. I'm willing to take you as my teacher!"

The result did not surprise Jiang Nian, and he really had chosen a template suited to Qian Renxue's growth: "Kayle the Seraph."

Kayle could evolve by leveling up, gradually recovering the divine power of the Six-Winged Angel. She could also control the power of flames, a trait perfectly suited to the Flame Mantra.

As for whether the Qian Renxue he raised would become love-brained and drag him down later on,

Jiang Nian was not worried about that at all.

Leaving aside the fact that he controlled his disciple's template, if Qian Renxue could still become love-brained after being raised by him, then he, Jiang Nian, would have brought his downfall on himself.

Jiang Nian smiled. "All right, then. Relax your mind and keep your spiritual platform clear. I'll pass on a true cultivation method to you now."

Qian Renxue did not know how this mysterious person would pass the method on to her, but she gritted her teeth and did as instructed.

Before long, she discovered that she could see inside her entire body. By the time she came to her senses, her consciousness had appeared within her spiritual platform.

Above the spiritual platform, the familiar voice rang out again, and she felt streams of obscure, incomprehensible information pouring into her mind.

After Jiang Nian had fully imparted the Flame Mantra to her, he used his power again to guide Qian Renxue through a cultivation cycle.

Qian Renxue was a genius to begin with. After Jiang Nian guided her through it once, she had already learned how to cultivate the method.

And as she cultivated, her gaze gradually began to change.

The speed at which her Soul Power increased was beyond anything her meditation method could compare to.

If the meditation method was a stream, then the Flame Mantra was a great river, sending Soul Power surging into her body.

From her mysterious teacher's instruction, she also learned that the Flame Mantra could actually be upgraded. All she needed to do was absorb fire-attribute Soul Rings to improve it.

Just like that, she became immersed in the excitement of cultivation and did not rest all night.

Jiang Nian watched it all and sighed. "This girl really has suffered. Her own mother doesn't love her, her own father pays her no attention, and even the grandfather she relied on was forced by pressure to send her away into exile."

Just as Jiang Nian had thought,

Qian Renxue had a grievance bottled up inside her. She did not understand why the world treated her this way. Now that she had a chance to change her fate, she had to do everything in her power to hold that fate tightly in her own hands.

Early the next morning, Qian Renxue slowly opened her eyes.

A night of cultivation had not left her tired. Instead, she felt unusually refreshed, and the Flame Mantra in her memory proved that her experience the previous night had not been a dream.

She sensed her Soul Power. In just one night, she had risen from level three to level four.

At this rate, it probably would not be long before she could try hunting for her first fire Soul Ring!

An expert had not looked down on her poor talent and had passed such a treasured method on to her.

At the same time, as she looked at the empty room, fear welled up inside her again.

She was afraid of being abandoned again, so she could only reach out with her thoughts and call cautiously, Teacher, are you there?

Jiang Nian was amused. He smiled and said, "I'm here. Don't worry, your teacher will always be here. As long as you call me teacher for even one day, I won't abandon you."

Qian Renxue said excitedly, Xue'er thanks you, Teacher. Teacher, where are you? I'll come see you right away!

Jiang Nian hurriedly stopped her. "It's not time for us to meet yet. When the time comes, I'll naturally come find you."

Jiang Nian had no intention of drawing Spirit Hall's attention for now. He would not appear before Ling Yuan Douluo until Qian Renxue became a Soul Grandmaster.

After hearing this, Qian Renxue did not dare press him further. Xue'er thanks you, Teacher, for saving your disciple from fire and flood!

Jiang Nian pressed his lips together, nearly laughing aloud.

See? She even has to thank me for it.

As for where the fire and flood came from, don't ask.

"All right, Xue'er, be good and continue cultivating. Remember, you must never tell anyone else about me!"

Xue'er understands!

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Ling Yuan said, "Miss, it's time for breakfast. After breakfast, I'll teach you how to meditate properly."

Qian Renxue opened the door in a cheerful mood. "Thank you, Elder Ling Yuan. Let's go."

Ling Yuan looked at Qian Renxue and froze for a moment. If she had sensed correctly, Qian Renxue had risen a level overnight?

Ling Yuan knew Qian Renxue had been cultivating all night. With Qian Daoliu having entrusted her with this task, she was especially attentive to guiding Qian Renxue's cultivation.

Even so, she had not expected Qian Renxue to rise a level after just one night of meditation.

That speed would be astonishing even among geniuses.

Watching Qian Renxue's retreating figure, Ling Yuan sighed. "That's right. With the Great Enshrined's guidance, her cultivation speed was bound to improve after her Martial Soul was activated."

"Unfortunately, her level-three Innate Soul Power has already determined that her upper limit won't be very high. Once she becomes a Soul Grandmaster, she can stay here in Suotuo City as a local deacon and live out her life happily and without worry."

As a Titled Douluo, Ling Yuan knew all too well that, for Soul Masters, talent and bloodline came above all else.

If hard work could change one's fate, the strongest would be the Soul Masters at the bottom who toiled and risked their lives every day.