"Quite alert, aren't you? Not bad."
The moment Junting's gaze locked onto the source of the voice, a white-haired elder of ethereal bearing appeared before him—utterly silent, without the slightest warning. Until that voice and the killing strike, there had been no trace of his presence at all.
'This is a true expert!'
'And he's definitely not here to harm me.'
Two thoughts flashed through Junting's mind in an instant.
He immediately retracted the Seven Kill Sword and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Senior."
This gesture finally pulled the elder's attention away from the Seven Kill Sword—his eyes had been fixed on it since he appeared.
Still murmuring to himself, he said, "The Seven Kill Sword… it truly is the Seven Kill Sword."
His gaze swept over Junting from head to toe, and he gave a satisfied nod.
"You must be Junting."
Realizing the elder meant no harm—and had clearly come specifically for him—Junting didn't hesitate.
"This junior is Junting. May I ask what the Senior requires of me?"
"How would you like to take this old man as your master?"
Before Junting could even respond, the elder's aura shifted dramatically. The surrounding blue silver grass and trees bent instantly under the pressure—yet Junting remained unaffected, as if shielded by unseen grace.
Then, the elder raised his right hand.
Brilliant starlight gathered in his palm, coalescing into a longsword wreathed in nine soul rings—arranged in perfect order along the blade:
Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one crimson.
This elder was not just any expert—he was a Title Douluo! And not only that, but one who possessed a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!
Moreover, from his words, it was clear this peerless powerhouse had come all this way… for him.
Junting felt as if a massive fortune had dropped onto his head—so unreal, so overwhelming. But he quickly steadied himself and made his choice.
"Master!" he exclaimed, stepping back swiftly, then dropping to both knees. He kowtowed three times with deep reverence.
"Excellent! Excellent! Today, Ye Xuanji finally gains a worthy disciple." The elder's eyes twinkled with unrestrained delight. With a casual wave of his hand, he used soul power to lift Junting to his feet—though he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the title. "But why do you call me 'Master'?"
Junting answered solemnly, "Master… means 'a teacher for a day, father for life.'"
"'a teacher for a day, father for life'…" Ye Xuanji stroked his white beard, deeply pleased. His satisfaction with this disciple defied words. "Since you've taken me as your master, you should know who I am. I am Ye Xuanji, Chief Grand Elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, a Level 97 Super Douluo. My title is Star Sword, and my martial soul is the Star Saint Sword."
"Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect!? A Level 97 Super Douluo!?"
Though stunned inwardly, Junting now understood why such a formidable expert had personally traveled to this remote mountain range to take him as a disciple.
It was the combination—the Seven Kill Sword and full innate soul power—that made him irreplaceable.
Once Junting had absorbed this revelation, Ye Xuanji reached into his sleeve and produced a ring set with a tiny blue gemstone, no larger than a fingernail.
"This is a storage soul-guidance device embedded with Starlight Sapphire. It holds fifty cubic meters of space. Consider it your master's gift for our first meeting."
Starlight Sapphire!?
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Master," Junting said with a grin as he accepted the ring. He couldn't help but marvel at the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's staggering wealth. Though his memories of his past life were hazy, he still recalled that Starlight Sapphire was exceedingly rare—and a fifty-cubic-meter storage device was no small expense.
"Master, where do we go next?"
Hearing the boy's unreserved tone, the century-old Ye Xuanji couldn't help but chuckle—half amused, half exasperated. Still, he nodded slightly and turned his gaze toward the depths of the mountain range.
"Since you possess full innate soul power, we'll secure your first soul ring before returning to the sect. What soul beast did you originally intend to hunt here?"
Junting's eyes lit up instantly.
'Having a powerful master is truly the best!'
'Soul rings? No need to worry about those anymore.'
Still, out of respect, he shared his original plan. "Master, I was hoping to obtain a soul ring from the Sword Bamboo. How do you think my choice measures up?"
"Not well at all."
Ye Xuanji dismissed the idea without a second thought.
"Many sword-type soul masters favor the Sword Bamboo because its soul ring grants the ability to emit sword qi. But in truth, once a sword soul master reaches a certain level, sword qi becomes a basic technique—nothing special. Those who choose Sword Bamboo typically wield inferior-grade sword martial souls, and rarely surpass the rank of Soul King."
"But your Seven Kill Sword is different."
His expression turned grave. "For your soul ring configuration, I'll follow the exact path used by Sword Douluo Chen Xin of the Chen family ten thousand years ago—refined over millennia by our sect's sword-type soul masters. It's the optimal path for you."
"Understood, Master."
Junting chose not to argue about soul rings.
After all, without thorough research, one had no right to speak—and a configuration passed down from the legendary Chen family, perfected over ten thousand years, was undoubtedly the pinnacle of wisdom.
"Good. Tomorrow, after you return to the village to bid farewell to the villagers, we'll head to the Star Dou Forest. Once we're back at the sect, you won't have much free time to come back."
"Yes, Master."
…
The next day, outside Shanyang Village.
After saying his final goodbyes to the villagers, Junting prepared to depart with Ye Xuanji. As he looked back at the village, a flicker of sadness crossed his eyes—but it was quickly replaced by unwavering resolve, like a treasured sword sheathed in quiet dignity.
"Master, let's go."
"Very well."
To Junting's astonishment, Ye Xuanji summoned his martial soul on the spot. The Star Saint Sword instantly enlarged slightly and hovered just above the ground.
"Would you like to try flying on a sword?"
"Flying on a sword!?"
Junting's eyes sparkled with excitement. Staring at the gleaming blade before him, he could hardly contain his eagerness.
Ye Xuanji smiled but said nothing. 'He reminded me of myself,' he thought, 'the first time my own master took me soaring through the skies.'
Before Junting could react, Ye Xuanji scooped him up onto the Star Saint Sword and wrapped him in a protective layer of soul power to shield him from the high-altitude winds. Then, as the villagers waved farewell below, the sword shot upward—hundreds of meters into the sky—and soared toward the Star Dou Forest.
As Shanyang Village shrank into the distance, Junting grew pensive, memories of his six years there replaying in his mind. When the village finally vanished from sight, he spoke softly.
"Master… may this disciple ask you a favor?"
"Between master and disciple, why use the word 'favor'?" Ye Xuanji feigned annoyance. "So long as it doesn't harm the sect or violate moral principles, I'll grant it without hesitation."
"Master… I'd like to ask the sect to hold free martial soul awakening ceremonies for the villagers of Shanyang every year. Is that possible?"
Ye Xuanji fell silent—a rare moment of pause. But it wasn't reluctance. It was admiration.
"To remember your roots… truly rare." He nodded firmly. "This old man grants your request."
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