Chapter 9: Two and a Half Years
Time flew by like an arrow; the years passed in a blur.
In cultivation, months and years mean little. In the blink of an eye, two and a half years had passed.
During this time, it was as if Yao Yan had vanished from Danding City. Even his former acquaintances hadn't seen him again. All they knew was that he had become Yao Nong's disciple. As time went on, this matter faded from memory, and the stir it once caused gradually dissipated.
Time erased everything. No one would keep thinking about an ordinary kid forever.
The same courtyard. The green bamboo swayed gently in the wind.
Creak—
The door suddenly opened, and a figure stepped out slowly, stretching under the morning sun.
The tall youth wore a moon-white robe embroidered with fine silver lotus patterns. Under the sunlight, the lotus designs shimmered faintly across the fabric. A silver thread tied back his long black hair, and beneath his sword-shaped brows, his deep black eyes resembled thick, inky pools. His facial features were elegant and handsome, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips—he was clearly in a good mood.
The youth was none other than Yao Yan, who had been in seclusion for two and a half years. Compared to before, he had grown noticeably taller, his features more mature, the childishness gone from his face.
Most importantly, today, his strength had finally returned to the level of a Dou Practitioner.
Everything had fallen into place.
Although the process had taken far longer than he expected, the Dou Qi he had cultivated was many times more refined and powerful than before. Just a single strand of his current Dou Qi was dozens of times stronger than what he used to have. This was the talent granted to him by his new body!
Only after possessing a talent comparable to divine-grade bloodlines could one truly understand the vast gulf between them.
Now, even as a mere one-star Dou Practitioner, he was confident he could easily defeat his former six-star self.
His cultivation speed, the density of his Dou Qi, its circulation rate—everything had improved immensely!
This was why he had stayed in the Dou Qi stage for so long. Different materials required different times to be tempered. He had now thoroughly refined his body, revealing its most perfect form...
Huu~
Yao Yan raised his hand. A golden flame instantly appeared in his palm, roiling like molten lava—just looking at it made one's heart clench.
The Illusory Gold Flame, a companion flame from a seventh-rank magical beast: the Fire Scorpion Dragon Beast.
It had been fed by Yao Yan's Dou Qi during its "seed" phase for two and a half years. Now that Yao Yan had broken through to Dou Practitioner, he had refined it. Though there was some resistance, a Tier 6 Vein Protection Pill resolved it perfectly. Perhaps due to the prolonged nourishment, he now wielded it with ease—smooth and instinctive.
Yao Yan manipulated the flame into the shape of a tiny three-legged Golden Crow. As it preened its feathers with its beak, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
With the flame refined, he could clearly feel its body-tempering effects. The flame was indeed excellent. Its only flaw was that it couldn't temper the body autonomously like the Fallen Heart Flame—it required manual control.
Still, that was a minor issue. With his current soul power, multitasking wasn't a problem.
"Congratulations, young master, on reaching Dou Practitioner."
With a spatial ripple, Yao Nong appeared beside Yao Yan, bowing respectfully to offer his congratulations.
Yao Yan withdrew the Illusory Gold Flame and smiled. "It's just the beginning of condensing my Dou Qi vortex. Thank you for arranging everything over the past two years."
He knew well that without Yao Nong's arrangements and resources, he wouldn't have progressed so quickly.
"I merely did my duty."
Yao Nong replied respectfully.
Whoosh—
Just then, black flame flickered on Yao Yan's storage ring. A vast and indescribable soul force suddenly froze the surrounding space. The black flame spread rapidly, devouring even the sunlight above, plunging the area into darkness.
A figure wreathed in black flame appeared before them—it was Hun Xuzi, who had vanished for two and a half years.
Seeing him, Yao Nong immediately dropped to one knee, bowing deeply. "Greetings, Lord Hun Xuzi."
"Teacher?!"
Yao Yan's face lit up with surprise. He quickly called out.
But beneath his surface joy, the excitement from his breakthrough vanished in an instant. All the memories of being used as a test subject came flooding back—the agony of being unable to live or die, the torment that had left scars deep in his soul.
Though he had gained from it, the suffering had been very real. Back then, Hun Xuzi hadn't cared about his life at all.
"Not bad. The foundation you've built is flawless."
With just a sweep of his soul force, Hun Xuzi understood Yao Yan's changes and nodded in satisfaction. He glanced at Yao Nong. "You've handled this well. Rise."
"Thank you for your praise, my lord."
Yao Nong stood up cautiously, saying nothing else as he quietly stood aside.
Hun Xuzi's gaze returned to Yao Yan. Compared to Yao Nong, Yao Yan was the one who truly mattered to him. After all, people like Yao Nong were easy to come by. Smiling slightly, he said, "For the past two and a half years, I've been dealing with other matters. But I've kept an eye on your progress. To endure seclusion for that long—not bad."
Yeah right, you were probably just bored!
Yao Yan's heart exploded a little at Hun Xuzi's words, but he kept his face obedient and replied, "Disciple will always follow teacher's guidance."
"Becoming a Dou Practitioner is just the start. The path of the strong begins at Dou King. Don't slack off before that."
Hun Xuzi warned him.
"I understand, teacher."
Yao Yan nodded seriously.
"Since you've broken through to Dou Practitioner, it's time to stop secluded cultivation. From today, you'll train in the Shennong Mountain Range. Once you return, I'll tell you who your enemy is."
"…Yes."
Yao Yan's eyes turned cold as he answered with a low voice.
Hun Xuzi found his expression amusing. The black flame in his eyes flickered, making him look like a demon from hell. He added, "Yao Nong will prepare your techniques and cultivation resources. I'll guide you personally when time allows. Grow strong—and don't disappoint me."
Yao Yan nodded firmly.
Hun Xuzi glanced sideways at Yao Nong and said coldly, "Take him to the Shennong Mountains. Let the kid see what the real world looks like. Jie jie~"
With a sinister laugh, the black flames vanished into Yao Yan's storage ring, and the space around them returned to normal.
This was the power of a Dou Saint—manipulating space like clay.
As Hun Xuzi departed…
Sunlight returned to the courtyard, making everything feel a little brighter.
Yao Yan looked at the storage ring on his finger, feeling a bit conflicted. With Hun Xuzi, he could grow powerful quickly—but he had no freedom. He had to cultivate as ordered, his every move monitored.
There were pros and cons. For now, the pros outweighed the cons. But Yao Yan clearly didn't want to live like this forever.
Without enough strength, though, such thoughts were meaningless.
He pushed down the turmoil in his heart and smiled at Yao Nong. "I'll leave this matter to you, then."
"It's my duty, young master."
Yao Nong's tone grew even more respectful.
(END CHAPTER)
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