Chapter 6: The Mask

The world was so beautiful, the air so fresh.

I'm still alive!

Yao Yan opened his eyes, feeling the reality of the world, a surge of disbelief washing over him. He felt like it was a dream to still be alive after everything he had experienced. Many times, he thought he was already dead, but he never expected to survive.

*Swoosh!*

As Hun Xuzi withdrew his support of Yao Yan's soul, he fell to the ground, the pain reminding him incessantly that he was still alive.

"You're lucky, kid. You've made it. Congratulations, you've become the fortunate inheritor of the Swallowing Spirit Clan's bloodline in a millennium."

Hun Xuzi still floated in mid-air, surrounded by black flames, his eyes shimmering with red light, making him look anything but benign. However, his tone towards Yao Yan was somewhat gentler at this moment, indicating that Yao Yan's value in his eyes had greatly increased.

Yao Yan quickly got up from the ground, checking his body. When he found himself still in human form, with all limbs intact, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Who would want to become a monster if they could maintain their human form?

Yao Yan knelt down, bowing deeply to Hun Xuzi, and said in a solemn voice, "Thank you very much for your help, Master!"

Although Hun Xuzi was like a beast, Yao Yan's life and future were now in his hands. Naturally, Yao Yan had to consider his path ahead.

Hun Xuzi had spent so much time and effort on this matter, and now that everything had succeeded, Yao Yan's value to Hun Xuzi was self-evident.

With Hun Xuzi's power and lifespan, Yao Yan didn't need to worry about Hun Xuzi seizing his body.

Moreover, according to what Hun Xuzi had said, Yao Yan also had the bloodline of the Soul Clan. Joining the Soul Clan afterwards was not out of the question. As a transmigrator, Yao Yan had a flexible moral bottom line, especially when he didn't have the power to control his own destiny. He knew the importance of "he who recognizes the times is a wise man."

Boasting without strength was just a joke in the fantasy world.

People there wouldn't even know about their survival, and you'd talk about values with them?

Hun Xuzi looked down at the young man before him and chuckled, "No need to thank me. This was your choice, and your luck. After all, you gambled with your own life. Now, get up."

He raised his hand slightly and used soul power to lift Yao Yan up.

At this moment, he seemed quite reasonable, his attitude as if he were merely testing a junior.

Damn it, I'm falling for your act... Yao Yan was well aware of Hun Xuzi's true nature, but he pretended to be moved, then knelt down again and said solemnly, "Master, I understand that without your help, I could not have succeeded!"

Hun Xuzi fell silent at his words.

But Yao Yan continued, "Master, I want to become stronger. Can you teach me? I want to avenge my parents!"

His fists clenched, his eyes filled with anger and hatred, like a vengeful little beast.

This time, Hun Xuzi didn't lift Yao Yan up. His eyes, glowing red, stared at him as he calmly said, "Have you thought it through? If so, you won't be a member of the Yao Clan anymore."

"...I have thought it through. Although the Yao Clan has raised me, Master, you have also given me a new life. After avenging my parents, I will follow you, Master."

Yao Yan fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice.

"Good."

Hun Xuzi nodded, pleased with Yao Yan's maturity, which saved him a lot of trouble. He also wanted to see how far Yao Yan could grow.

Thinking of this, he looked at Yao Yan and said, "Get up and feel your body now, see if you can control the Swallowing Spirit Clan's power."

Yao Yan obediently stood up, closed his eyes, and immersed himself in his body, starting to feel the changes.

Although Hun Xuzi had tortured him like a beast for a long time, the debt of gratitude for his rebirth was not fake.

Before, Yao Yan only dared to take one step at a time, slowly planning for the future. But now, he had grown bolder. He wanted to become a Dou God, the number one figure in the Dou Qi Continent. He wanted to control his own destiny and not be manipulated by others, even losing the right to choose.

Describing Yao Yan's transformation as a rebirth was not an exaggeration. His entire body was now pale jade, with incredible vitality and vigor, even though he had lost all his Dou Qi. His body's strength was several times that of before, and even his soul power had strengthened significantly, undergoing some kind of metamorphosis.

And this was just the surface talent.

Yao Yan could clearly feel the unique power in his body. He slowly manipulated this power, and a strange aura emanated from his body. The pale jade bones quickly spread strange patterns, and a power not belonging to Dou Qi surged through his limbs and bones.

This power was very peculiar, seemingly more domineering than Dou Qi, carrying an invisible devouring force, giving him a bloodthirsty impulse.

In addition, a blood mark appeared on his forehead, resembling a half-closed vertical pupil, containing an even more domineering power. However, Yao Yan was still too weak to fully unleash its power.

"This power..."

Yao Yan slowly opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in them. He could clearly feel the uniqueness of this power. As a former martial artist, he could accurately judge the difference between this power and Dou Qi. Essentially, it was stronger and more domineering, with a strong aggressiveness.

Evil Qi, demonic Qi, or the so-called source Qi...

Hun Xuzi noticed Yao Yan's confusion and explained, "No need to be surprised. The Swallowing Spirit Clan is a peculiar race. They do not cultivate Dou Qi, and the power within their bodies is extremely strange, possessing a devouring and contaminating nature. This power is also extremely domineering. In the past, even several ancient imperial clans had difficulty eradicating them when they wanted to exterminate the clan."

"You inheriting this power is a good thing. Try to see if you can still cultivate Dou Qi. If you can, your future will be limitless."

"Hehe..."

With that, Hun Xuzi also smiled, his eyes showing some anticipation. He was also curious whether his creation could reach that perfect state. From his estimation, it should be possible.

Yao Yan nodded, crossed his legs, and entered a state of cultivation.

Due to his original status as a Six-Star Dou Practitioner, Yao Yan found it completely effortless to resume his cultivation.

Moreover, due to the change in his talent, his cultivation speed became exceptionally exaggerated, like a whale swallowing, as the energy of heaven and earth within the room swiftly surged towards him, covering his body like white mist and flowing into his limbs and bones.

In just a few breaths, he had already cultivated his first strand of Dou Qi, possessing a bit of Dou power.

He did not stop there, instead, he began to exert himself fully, unleashing his talent to the fullest. As for whether he would cause any commotion and attract the attention of other members of the Yao Clan, he wasn't worried at all because with Hun Xuzi's power and the unique nature of the Void Swallowing Flame, even if he caused a commotion here, there would be no disturbance outside.

On the contrary, the higher his talent at this moment, the more Hun Xuzi would value him, and thus, the smoother his future path would be.

When dealing with someone like Hun Xuzi, Yao Yan had to demonstrate his own value!

"Very good!"

Hun Xuzi sensed the changes in Yao Yan's body and cultivation speed, and a satisfied expression appeared in his eyes. Yao Yan did not disappoint him. With the talent Yao Yan displayed at this moment, he was almost on par with those imperial clan geniuses.

He wasn't surprised by this at all.

After all, he had integrated the power of bloodline remnants from a Dou Saint's remains into Yao Yan's body. If Yao Yan didn't show such cultivation speed, it would be strange.

Anyone who could cultivate to the level of a Dou Saint was a prodigy!

Compared to the cultivation of Dou Qi, he was more concerned about the changes in the other power within Yao Yan's body.

With his powerful soul power observation, there were no secrets on Yao Yan's body. He could clearly feel that the other power within Yao Yan's body was also slowly strengthening, although the rate of increase was far slower than that of Dou Qi. But it was better to strengthen it.

The Swallowing Spirit Clan did not rely on cultivation to enhance their strength. Their greatest strength lay in the devouring power they possessed, which allowed them to freely devour the essence of others' bloodlines and even other things.

This was the most terrifying aspect.

Hun Xuzi silently waited for Yao Yan to finish his cultivation.

After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, Yao Yan stopped his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes. He spread out his hands, feeling the changes in his body, and his heartbeat couldn't help but accelerate because in just this short time, his strength had already recovered to the level of a bit of Dou Disciple.

This cultivation speed was simply terrifying, and this strand of Dou Qi was even more solid and powerful than the Dou Qi he had cultivated before.

"Don't rush, take your time to adapt. Re-cultivating is beneficial for you, as it allows you to re-familiarize yourself with this body. Remember, don't rush to break through unless you can completely control your body. Otherwise, you're just wasting your talent. What you need to do now is to familiarize yourself with your body!"

Hun Xuzi looked at Yao Yan and solemnly advised.

With Yao Yan's skyrocketing talent, it was easy to become addicted to the rapid breakthroughs at this time. If so, his future would undoubtedly be ruined. Hun Xuzi didn't want to cultivate a waste.

Yao Yan nodded at the advice, then stood up and bowed, saying, "Yes, Master."

After a pause, he clenched his fists and looked at Hun Xuzi's floating figure, asking in a serious tone, "Master, can you tell me who my enemy is now?"

"Don't worry, focus on your cultivation. When your strength is enough, I will naturally tell you."

Hun Xuzi said lightly, while the Void Swallowing Flame that enveloped the surroundings of the house began to converge, finally turning into a flame and flying into his figure.

*Swoosh!*

He gently pointed his finger, and a stream of light flew out of Yao Yan's spatial ring. It was an ancient and simple jade pendant, Yao Yan's father's relic.

"In the future, you will use this jade pendant to contact me. Activate it with your soul power. As for the changes in your body... Divine artifacts hide themselves, and the bloodline power at an immature stage is not so easily discovered. The power of your bloodline now is not weaker than that of a divine bloodline. Moreover, it can continue to grow, and in the future, it may even surpass a divine bloodline."

Yao Yan was stunned by these words, then immediately activated his soul power to observe his body. He saw that the pale jade color emanating from his bones was gradually returning to normal.

"The power of the Swallowing Spirit Clan's bloodline, you must not activate it. You should understand its uniqueness. Once you use this power, anyone who knows about it cannot be spared. Otherwise, you will become a target for other imperial clans to kill."

"I understand, Master!"

"Master? Your father was only my registered disciple, and I have never acknowledged you. But you, in the future, can become my true disciple."

"Understood, Teacher."

"Teacher, such a familiar yet unfamiliar title, hehe~"

With a strange laugh, Hun Xuzi's figure slowly shrank within the envelopment of the Void Swallowing Flame until it turned into a black flame and entered the jade pendant.

*Swoosh.*

The jade pendant dropped.

Yao Yan reached out and caught it, looking at the jade pendant in his hand with a solemn expression, saying earnestly, "Teacher, I will work hard and not disappoint your expectations!"

Then he put it away into his spatial ring.

From this moment on, he knew that he had to wear a mask for the days to come.

But isn't life just like this? Who can do whatever they want? Most people just exchange one mask for another.