His face was clean and fresh, his clothes neat and sharp.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and through those bright pupils, Ye Ren could clearly sense that Zhao Liuyun was full of spirit and vitality.
His upright posture exuded a surging, upward-bound youthful vigor, as if no hardship or obstacle could block his forward path.
A young genius, high-spirited and radiant.
This was the first impression Zhao Liuyun gave Ye Ren, and it was quite favorable.
Ye Ren nodded slightly, speaking with a gentle tone that made one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze:
"Liuyun, would it be alright if I addressed you as such?"
Zhao Liuyun was also observing the Family Head.
The man's frame was thin yet upright, and his hair was combed meticulously without a single strand out of place, appearing tidy and solemn.
There was very little white hair; his hair was almost entirely black.
This was perhaps thanks to the powerful vitality bestowed by the Nine-Hearted Begonia.
Most striking were those warm and peaceful eyes, which held both the wisdom of one who had seen the world and the specific compassion unique to a healer.
The Ye family had practiced medicine for generations, and Ye Ren was a Support-system Spirit Saint. His temperament was entirely different from the likes of Shi Nian or Flender; he possessed his own refined and elegant demeanor.
Zhao Liuyun did not dare to stare for too long and replied respectfully: "With the family's high regard, you may call me whatever you wish, Family Head."
Ye Ren wore a genial smile and inquired with concern: "Have you encountered any unsolvable difficulties at Canghui Academy?"
"No difficulties. Teacher Shi Nian treats me very well, and my classmates are quite friendly."
There was no dramatic arrogance or conflict; they truly were quite friendly.
Shi Nian had always commanded great authority and prestige; no one in the academy dared to lightly provoke his disciple.
However, Zhao Liuyun soon showed a look of shame: "But I am ashamed to say that despite consuming so many of the family's resources, I am still only Level 24."
Ye Ren was slightly startled upon hearing this, then laughed: "Liuyun, why be so modest?"
"Medicinal baths focus on tempering the physical body; they offer limited help to Spirit Power cultivation."
"There are no shortcuts to meditation. With your progress, you already deserve the title of a genius, far better than that girl of mine."
"Speaking of which..." Ye Ren asked further, "Whale Glue is indeed remarkably effective. Has it compensated for your physical deficiencies?"
Zhao Liuyun looked grateful: "It is all thanks to the family's care. According to my estimates, absorbing a third spirit ring that exceeds the limit should not be a problem."
Normally, the limit for a Spirit Grandmaster's third ring is 1,760 years, while a Spirit Ancestor's limit is around 5,000 years. His body's current bearing capacity was around 4,000 years. Factoring in the "Endless Life" trait of the Mysterious Heaven Skill, he could reach 5,000 years if he gritted his teeth.
"Exceeding the limit for the third ring..."
Ye Ren frowned, but his brow quickly smoothed out.
Great families usually advocated for steady growth, and absorbing spirit rings beyond the limit was an absolute forbidden matter in the past...
However, now that they had discovered the proper use of Whale Glue, the limits of the past were no longer the limits of the present.
The future was promising; everything was worth a try.
Ye Ren controlled the pace of the conversation, using the background investigation to guide Zhao Liuyun persuasively, subtly leading the direction of the topics.
This was an interview; he was relying on his years of experience in judging people to evaluate the character and potential of the young man before him.
Zhao Liuyun did not hide anything either, speaking proudly of his past experiences, even mentioning his true inner feelings when enduring the Dragon Blood Tree medicinal bath.
He made no effort to mask the process of turning fear and the urge to flee into firm determination.
Before long, the topic shifted to his past experience of going to a blacksmith shop to learn forging.
"You said it was to gain insight through related fields. Liuyun, you possess extraordinary talent, did you gain anything?" Ye Ren smiled.
"A little something." Zhao Liuyun raised his hand, and a layer of faint white light flickered in his palm. "From the hammer techniques of forging, I realized a technique of Spirit Power vibration. Family Head, please look."
He directly attributed the "Adjustment" of Spirit Power vibration to what he learned from forging.
Compared to transmitting signals with mental power to control muscles, this Spirit Power oscillation was more direct and easier to understand.
"Vibration?" Ye Ren was stunned.
I just asked casually, and you actually realized something?
Zhao Liuyun put on a look of regret: "If this kind of Spirit Power vibration were placed on a Power-attack system Spirit Master, it would surely unleash powerful combat strength."
"But for a Mental-system Spirit Master like me, it can currently only serve to slightly relax the meridians and stimulate blood circulation. It's merely used for massage."
At Ye Ren's gesture, he extended a finger and lightly touched the back of the other's hand.
A tingling sensation immediately traveled through, the Spirit Power vibrating slightly—real and undeniable.
"Indeed, your talent is remarkable." The look of admiration in Ye Ren's eyes grew stronger; the more he looked, the more he liked the boy.
With the preliminary investigation complete, he decided to stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point: "Liuyun, Senior Wen Xi recommended you here, so you likely understand the reason."
Zhao Liuyun nodded and said: "This junior understands."
Ye Ren said: "Is there any resentment in your heart?"
Zhao Liuyun smiled: "There was no betrothal, nor any coercion. Everything is a choice I made willingly. What reason is there for resentment?"
"Family Head, I, Zhao Liuyun, have always believed in repaying kindness. Since the Ye family treats me with sincerity, I shall naturally respond with goodwill."
When he ascended to godhood in the future, Zhao Liuyun didn't believe he wouldn't be able to solve the shackles of the Nine-Hearted Begonia only having two inheritors.
Ye Ren smiled with satisfaction and turned his head to the side: "Madam, what do you think?"
"He is a good child. In the future, let him and Lingling get to know each other slowly."
A figure stepped slowly from behind the screen.
It was a beautiful woman with a full figure and exquisite features, carrying a bold and heroic grace in her gestures.
Her Spirit Power was contained within, making it hard to gauge her depth, but Zhao Liuyun faintly sensed she was even stronger than Teacher Shi Nian.
The Spirit Douluo of the Ye family?
"Liuyun greets Senior." Zhao Liuyun bowed respectfully.
If he didn't know them and couldn't see through them, he just called them Senior.
The beautiful woman's lips curled up slightly: "There is no need for such ceremony. My name is Yun Ying, my martial soul is the White Dragon Staff, a Level 84 Power-attack system Spirit Douluo. You can just call me Aunt Yun."
When mentioning Ye Lingling, a look of pity appeared in her eyes:
"Lingling doesn't like to talk and appears cold toward others, but she isn't bad at heart. It's just that the pressure in her heart has accumulated, making her look a bit lonely and cold on the surface."
She looked at Zhao Liuyun with a gentle gaze: "Liuyun, you are mature. I hope you can be more tolerant toward her."
"That is only natural," Zhao Liuyun replied quickly.
Afterward, he settled down in the Ye estate.
Having received the Family Head's permission, he was able to browse the Ye family's library.
As a Spirit Master clan with a long heritage, although the Ye family's collection was focused on certain areas due to their martial soul characteristics and development direction, their prized ancient texts were far beyond what ordinary Spirit Master academies could compare to.
By studying here every morning, the "General Experience" he could obtain surged to 120.
In the afternoons, Zhao Liuyun proactively requested to go to the Ye family's medical clinic in the city to see patients.
The "Physician" experience, which hadn't moved for a long time, finally began to grow upward again.
There was no other reason; if asked, it was because practicing medicine to cure diseases allowed his mind to settle, which was beneficial for cultivation.
An innate Level 5 was ultimately a drag. If not for General Experience, his half-year at Canghui would only have allowed him to progress from the beginning of Level 22 to the middle of Level 23.
He had 15,000 General Experience remaining. It looked like a lot, but in reality, the higher the Spirit Power level, the more insufficient it became.
He had to complete the second job advancement for [Physician] as soon as possible to obtain a higher level of [Focus] to try and expand his sources of income.
Neither Ye Ren nor Yun Ying rushed to have Ye Lingling meet him.
Zhao Liuyun wasn't in a hurry either, slowly accumulating experience while his body tempering and medicinal baths continued as usual.
He truly met Ye Lingling on the third day after settling in.
In the afternoon, just as Zhao Liuyun was preparing to head to the medical clinic, he encountered a slender, delicate figure coming toward him.
The girl was roughly sixteen years old. Her ink-colored clothes made her figure appear even more slender, and the black veil covering her face could not hide the cascade of azure-blue long hair flowing down.
Most captivating were her eyes, which matched her hair color—clear as a jade lake in the deep mountains, her long eyelashes trembling slightly with the movement of her gaze.
She was indeed a rare beauty.
Zhao Liuyun smiled and gave a greeting: "Sister Lingling, hello. My name is Zhao Liuyun, a preparatory guest official of the family."
Ye Lingling stood silently, simply watching him with those blue eyes that revealed no emotion.