Chapter 8: The Mysterious Elder

"If it weren't for you absorbing my fighting spirit, would I be humiliated by her like this? You old bastard!" The old man's words struck a nerve, and Xiao Yan's face darkened again, furiously cursing through gritted teeth.

Hehe, I am also in a situation where I have no choice, so please do not blame the little one

Who I am is not your concern; in any case, I will not harm you. Ah, after all these years, I have finally encountered someone with a strong soul, how fortunate. Hehe, but I must first thank the little one for the offerings over the past three years; otherwise, I fear I would have to continue my slumber.

As his pupils constricted, Xiao Yan's gaze suddenly fixed upon the ancient black ring on his right hand

Hehe, strength... In this world, without strength, one is even worse than a pile of dog feces; at least, no one dares to step on dog feces! The boy's shoulders gently shrugged as his low, self-deprecating laughter, filled with indignation, slowly lingered at the mountain's peak

If you are of no help to me, then why should I carry a burden by my side? I suggest you find another unfortunate soul to rely on..." Xiao Yan said with a cold smile. After chatting for a while, he also realized that this transparent old man seemed unable to casually absorb the fighting spirit of others.

"The insult of today, I do not wish to endure it a second time!" With his left hand, marked by a bloodstain, Xiao Yan's voice was hoarse yet resolute

Who are you? Why are you in my ring? What do you want to do?

"You don't seem like a fifteen-year-old boy at all; it seems that over these three years, you have truly grown a lot. Can this be considered the result of my own actions?" Looking at the slick Xiao Yan, the old man was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a mix of laughter and tears.

Little doll, do you wish to become stronger? Do you desire the respect of others? Although in his heart he had already categorized the old man as someone to avoid, nonetheless, upon hearing these words, Xiao Yan's heart could not help but skip a beat

Gently stretching his wrist, Xiao Yan let out a long sigh and looked up, saying: "Although I do not know who you truly are, I would like to ask, do you still wish to rely on the ring to absorb my Dou Qi in the future? If that is the case, I advise you to find another host, as I cannot afford to support you."

I have just learned that the root cause of my humiliation over the past three years is actually the ring I have been wearing all along. It is no wonder that Xiao Yan has lost control and ended up like this

Hehe, the little child is quite calculating

Staring blankly at the ring that vanished into the mist, Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment. His small face gradually calmed down, and he patted his forehead in frustration: "Fool, too reckless, too reckless!"

After a bout of scolding, Xiao Yan fell back into a state of dejection. At this point, no amount of cursing would be of any help. The foundation of fighting spirit cultivation is particularly important. Back when he was four years old, he practiced for a full six years to attain the ninth level of fighting spirit. Even though his talent has improved now, it is basically unlikely that he could cultivate to the seventh level of fighting spirit within a year.

Just when Xiao Yan thought it was merely an illusion, that eerie laughter echoed out once again, boundless and unrestrained

"Hehe, others do not possess your formidable soul perception ability." The old man stroked his long beard and smiled, "Since I have chosen to reveal myself, I will naturally not absorb your fighting spirit again without your permission in the future"

Xiao Yan shrugged his shoulders and said lightly, "If you want me to continue serving you, you must show some sincerity, right?"

"What a sharp-tongued little brat. Well, well, who told me, an old man, that I still have to rely on you, this little fellow?" With a helpless nod, the old man descended to the ground, his gaze scrutinizing Xiao Yan several times. A fleeting, cunning smile of triumph appeared on his face, then quickly vanished. After a moment of hesitation, he seemed to reluctantly say, "Do you want to become an alchemist?"

The little doll displayed quite a bit of composure, surprisingly not jumping down in fright. Within the ring, mocking laughter echoed.

Perhaps so, the old man said with a vague, strange smile

After a brief silence, Xiao Yan clearly articulated the crucial question.

"Hehe, little one, is there really a need to be so furious? It's just that I absorbed three years' worth of your fighting spirit," said the transparent old man, grinning as he stared at the astonished Xiao Yan.

"Offering?" www.hetushu.com, with a puzzled blink of his eyes, after a moment, Xiao Yan's small face suddenly darkened, and the cold words came out from between his teeth with great difficulty: "The fighting energy that mysteriously disappeared from my body, was it your doing?"

Now that I am aware of the reason behind the disappearance of the fighting spirit, with my talent, do I still need you to become stronger?" Taking a slow breath, Xiao Yan said lightly. He understood in his heart that there is no free lunch in this world, and accepting the favor of a mysterious person for no reason is not a wise decision

Xiao Yan, who had always prided himself on being calm and composed, suddenly erupted like a madman at this moment. His small face was contorted with rage, and without a second thought for the ring that was a relic left by his mother, he swiftly tore it off his finger and forcefully hurled it down the steep cliff.

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, sneering in silence. He had made up his mind that no matter how this old man sweet-talked him, he would no longer allow him to stay by his side

Some things can only be appreciated for their value when they are lost. Regaining what was lost makes one cherish it even more

Hehe, don't look anymore, it's on your finger

Just as Xiao Yan engraved his vow in his heart, an ancient and eerie laughter suddenly echoed in his ears

"You help me reach the seventh level of Dou Qi within a year, and I will consider the matter of you absorbing my Dou Qi for three years as settled. What do you think?" Xiao Yan asked tentatively.

After sitting on the edge of the cliff and contemplating for a while, Xiao Yan could only shake his head helplessly, rise to his feet, turn around, and suddenly widen his eyes, his trembling finger pointing at the object before him

With ten fingers entwined in a mass of black hair, Xiao Yan bit down hard on his lip, allowing the faint taste of blood to spread at the corner of his mouth. Although he did not display any inappropriate emotions in the hall, the words spoken by Nalan Yanran felt like a knife cutting into his heart, causing Xiao Yan to tremble all over

With a furrowed brow, Xiao Yan's mood gradually calmed down. After the fury subsided, joy followed. Now that he had uncovered the mystery of the disappearance of the fighting spirit, it was certain that his talent had also returned!

With a sudden change in expression, Xiao Yan swiftly turned around, his eagle-like sharp gaze sweeping behind him, yet he did not discover a single shadow...

Leaving the hall with an indifferent expression, Xiao Yan, somewhat absent-minded, followed his usual habit and slowly climbed up to the back mountain of his family. Sitting against the mountain wall, he calmly gazed at the steep mountain ranges shrouded in mist across from him, where lay the renowned Beast Mountain Range of the Gama Empire

Sighing in frustration, Xiao Yan glanced at the transparent old man who was pretending to be profound and inscrutable, and with a flicker of thought, he smirked and said: "You have a way, don't you?"

Little child, your talent is indeed remarkable, but you must understand that you are now fifteen years old, and your fighting energy is only at the third level. I seem to recall that you are supposed to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony next year, correct? Do you really believe that you can elevate your fighting energy to the seventh level within just one year solely through diligent training? Moreover, you have been in a three-year bet with that girl, and her talent is not likely to be much lower than yours. Do you think it will be so easy to catch up to her and surpass her? The old man's wrinkled face at this moment resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.

Hehe, little one, it seems you need some help

Before Xiao Yan, there floated an ancient ring of deep black color. What shocked Xiao Yan the most was the transparent figure of an elderly man that hovered above the ring.

"In these three years of ridicule, you have grown, haven't you? Do you think that three years ago, you could have possessed the same level of forbearance and mental acuity as you do now?" The old man replied with a faint smile, noncommittally.

A twitch at the corner of his mouth, Xiao Yan's voice was laced with suppressed anger: "Old man, since you are hiding in the ring, you should also be aware of how much ridicule I have faced because you absorbed my Dou Qi"

As soon as he thought of finally having the opportunity to shed the title of waste, Xiao Yan's body felt almost reborn with a sense of ease, and the detestable old man before him seemed, at this moment, not so unpleasant after all

I curse your mother

"Is it you who is speaking?" Xiao Yan suppressed the terror in his heart and made an effort to calm his voice.

As soon as the ring slipped from his fingers, a sudden clarity washed over Xiao Yan's mind. He hurriedly reached out to grab it, but the ring had already fallen straight down the cliff