The large doors of the secluded bamboo pavilion creaked gently as Lin Xuan approached, the morning mist swirling around his feet like curious spirits. The path to this place was serene, lined with blooming spirit flowers and glowing stones that gently pulsed with spiritual qi. It was peaceful—calm, almost sacred—but Lin Xuan's heart thumped with a mix of nervousness and respect.
He had arrived at his master's residence.
Standing before the tall wooden door carved with dragons and phoenixes, Lin Xuan took a deep breath. His injured body was mostly healed, but facing his master with a new soul in an old body brought a strange pressure. Slowly, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Inside, the air was scented with sandalwood incense, and the soft melody of a guqin played faintly in the background. In the center sat a stunning woman with long black hair tied in a silken ribbon, wearing light blue robes that shimmered like the sky at dawn. Her aura was profound, calm, yet carried the weight of power that could make even core elders cautious.
This was Lan Yuerong, Elder of the Celestial Radiance Sect—his master.
Lin Xuan immediately dropped to one knee and bowed respectfully.
"Disciple greets Master," he said solemnly, his voice steady.
Lan Yuerong didn't speak. Her sharp eyes locked onto his with intensity. She stood up slowly and walked toward him, her brows slightly furrowed. Then, in a move so swift it blurred, she reached forward and grabbed his neck tightly.
"Who are you?" she demanded coldly.
Lin Xuan's eyes widened. "M-Master?!"
She narrowed her eyes. "Your eyes… your presence… your soul feels different."
Before Lin Xuan could explain, Lan Yuerong pressed her fingers to his forehead. A gentle but firm force passed through him—her Soul-Searching Technique.
Moments passed in silence. Then she stepped back.
"…So it's still you," she said, letting go of his neck and sighing. "Forgive me. For a moment, I thought a demon had possessed your body."
Lin Xuan coughed lightly, rubbing his neck with an awkward smile. "It's alright, Master. I was severely injured yesterday… maybe my spiritual state changed slightly."
"Hmph," she snorted but didn't push further. "I thought the moment you woke up, you'd run to your seven little sisters and hand over whatever pills or stones you had left. Just like always."
Lin Xuan scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "I… was healing myself first this time."
Lan Yuerong crossed her arms and eyed him critically.
"Is that so? If I had given you twenty pills instead of five, would you have given fifteen of them away to those girls?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "You always say they're your sisters, but they never act like it. Yet, you keep treating them like your world."
She turned and grabbed a jade bottle from her desk. "Here. Five Qi Condensation Pills. Use them to stabilize your spiritual energy."
She tossed the bottle toward him. Lin Xuan caught it midair.
"Thank you, Master."
"Hmph." She turned her back to him. "Now go. I don't want to see you throwing away your future again for ungrateful brats."
Lin Xuan's expression softened as he looked at her back. Her voice was strict, but he could feel it—the concern hiding beneath her anger.
"She… truly cares," he thought. "Not just as a master, but something more. Is it… disciple love, or something deeper? I need to understand this better."
He gave a respectful bow once more. "Disciple will take his leave."
As he walked out of the bamboo pavilion, the door slowly closed behind him with a soft thud.
But inside, Lan Yuerong remained still for a long while.
She sat back at her desk, staring at a flickering spiritual lamp. A long sigh escaped her lips.
"…Lin Xuan, what happened to you?"
She whispered softly, her voice filled with sorrow.
"You were so bright once… When you were fifteen, you reached the fifth level of Qi Refining before anyone in your generation. You were hardworking, cheerful, full of hope. But since they came into your life… you've changed."
Her fists clenched on the table, eyes flashing with pain.
"Ten years, and not a single breakthrough. Always giving, always sacrificing, chasing after those who don't care. If only they hadn't come into your life. If only you had stayed focused. If only…"
She paused.
"If only you didn't love them so much… I would've killed every one of them already."
The spiritual lamp flickered again.
"I hate seeing you fall."
Her voice trembled, not with anger—but with helpless affection.
Outside the pavilion, Lin Xuan walked down the stone path again, his gaze steady and thoughtful.
He could still hear the mocking words of the disciples earlier.
"What a waste."
"If not for his Master, he would be nothing."
"All that talent and still stuck in place. He's just a dog chasing his sisters."
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists.
"This world only respects the strong. If you're kind, you're called weak. If you're humble, you're trampled on."
A cold light flashed in his eyes.
"But now, things will change. I will rise. And I will return everything—tenfold."
He glanced at the jade bottle in his hand.
"Even if the path is filled with blood and betrayal… I'll walk it with pride."