Recently, Lin Yi's life had been flourishing.
With the revival of Xuanhuang Heaven, his cultivation had soared as well, breaking through to the Heavenly God realm.
Not only that.
After reaching the Heavenly God realm, it felt as if his meridians had been unblocked, and a mysterious bloodline had emerged within his body.
This bloodline was immensely powerful, containing an infinite amount of strength, accelerating his cultivation speed to unprecedented levels.
Now, he had already reached the fifth level of the Heavenly God realm!
For his age, such cultivation made him a genius even in the vast Upper Realm.
"Ah, senior, I really can't become your disciple. While I appreciate your kind offer, I... I have my own difficulties."
Lin Yi had an apologetic look on his face as he declined a mysterious old man. This was already the eighth powerful figure who wanted to take him as a disciple.
The so-called "difficulty" was, of course, fabricated.
The truth was, he didn't think much of these people. In his eyes, his master should be an earth-shaking figure known throughout the world.
But this old man in front of him not only lacked any imposing aura but also didn't have a widely recognized reputation. Naturally, Lin Yi couldn't bring himself to bow down to him as a master.
Accepting a mediocre master might mean that in no time at all, Lin Yi would surpass him. If he didn't learn anything but ended up stuck with such a master, wouldn't he be making trouble for himself?
"You cheeky brat, if there's something difficult for you, just tell me, and let this old man listen," the scruffy old man said, still smiling as he stroked his goatee.
"It's... as I said, it's something I really can't talk about," Lin Yi replied, feigning reluctance.
"Heh heh, you brat, you're quite the clever one." The old man shook his head with a meaningful look. "I suspect that this so-called difficulty is just an excuse. The truth is, you don't think much of this old man, do you?"
"Senior, please don't misunderstand! I absolutely don't mean that!" Lin Yi quickly denied it.
He knew well that in life, one has to tell many lies to navigate the world smoothly.
A harmless lie avoids hurting others and prevents them from retaliating, creating a win-win situation.
So, over the years, he had developed a habit of lying without batting an eye.
"Heh, young one, there's no need to deny it. I was young once too, so I know exactly what you're thinking."
The scruffy old man smiled knowingly. Then, with a confident glint in his eye, he said, "Since you doubt whether I'm qualified to be your master, let me show you a trick."
The next moment, his eyes flashed, and he looked sharply toward a nearby forest. He sneered, "Well, well, it seems someone's come at just the right time. Don't mind if I do."
He struck out with his palm toward the forest.
Boom!
The forest, spanning hundreds of miles, exploded in an instant, sending clouds of yellow dust billowing into the sky like a rising fog.
"You old ghost, are you looking for death?!"
From the midst of the dust storm, a figure shot out. It was a man in red, and as soon as he emerged, his body expanded, transforming into a giant red beast. It resembled a lion, but with wings on its back!
Roar!
The beast let out a deafening roar and charged toward them, its body crackling with scarlet lightning, exuding a terrifyingly violent aura.
"Heh, dear disciple, watch closely!"
The scruffy old man confidently smiled at the wary Lin Yi. Then, with one powerful stomp of his foot—
Boom!
The ground split apart, and his body shot into the air like a dragon taking flight.
As he soared, the clouds in the sky parted to make way for him, and even the wind seemed to bow in his presence. Nothing could stand in his path.
Then, under Lin Yi's tense gaze, the scruffy old man shot through the sky like a comet, drawing closer to the giant beast.
"Disciple, behold, this is your master's...!!"
The scruffy old man let out a wild laugh, but before he could finish his sentence, he flew straight into the beast's mouth.
Crunch. Crunch.
The beast instinctively chewed twice, then its eyes widened in shock. It hadn't expected the battle to end so easily.
Lin Yi, who had been expecting a grand display of power, felt his face twitch involuntarily. "Is this... some kind of feeding technique?"
He had thought that this strangely confident old man might have some hidden skills, and he had even prepared another set of excuses to refuse him politely.
But in the blink of an eye, all problems were solved, and he didn't even need the prepared excuse anymore.
"Heh, I thought this would be a tough fight, but it turned out to be easy. That old ghost must've been up to a lot of wicked things to end up like this. Good thing I followed him quietly for so long."
The beast in the sky chuckled in disdain.
Lin Yi's body trembled. Only then did he remember that there was still a terrifying enemy before him. He looked nervously at the beast and asked, trembling, "Senior, my name is Lin Yi... May I ask what brings you here?"
"Don't worry, I'm here to kill that old ghost. I have no interest in you," the beast said nonchalantly before turning to leave.
Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, the beast sniffed the air a few times, and a greedy glint appeared in its enormous eyes. "This scent... This is the aura of a high-level bloodline. Such a powerful bloodline!"
"W-what are you going to do?"
Lin Yi's face went pale as he backed away in panic. "Don't act recklessly! I'm friends with the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven!"
"Hmm?"
The beast paused, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha, the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven? You mean that insignificant little brat? I'm not afraid of him! I could eat you, and what could he possibly do to me?"
Lin Yi's face turned grim as he replied, "Even if you're not afraid of the Lord of Xuanhuang Heaven, you should know that his father, Qin Chuan, is not to be trifled with. A God-King was slain by him not long ago—surely you've heard of that?"
"Qin Chuan?"
The beast hesitated, its expression turning serious. A person's reputation casts a long shadow, and Qin Chuan had indeed made a name for himself in Xuanhuang Heaven.
He was powerful and ruthless.
Moreover, Qin Chuan was shrouded in mystery. Nobody in Xuanhuang Heaven knew his origins, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
And often, mystery was a sign of immense strength. Qin Chuan's actions and aura suggested he was unfathomably deep.
"Do you really know Qin Chuan?"
The beast stared at Lin Yi, eyes sharp as if trying to pierce through any deception.
"Of course! I have his communication jade token!"
Lin Yi raised his head confidently, pulling out a golden jade token.
At that very moment, the token began to glow, and a line of text appeared, shining in the air like a projection: "Little Yi, come to me quickly. Uncle Qin has a gift for you."
"Uncle Qin?!"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up, filled with joy and a sudden sense of security emanating from the jade token.
Without hesitation, he quickly replied, "Uncle Qin, help! A red lion with wings is trying to eat me!!"
"Not good!"
The beast's expression changed dramatically, even gritting its teeth as a look of indecision flashed across its face.
Should it eat him or not?
The boy had already sent the message. If this so-called "Uncle Qin" really was Qin Chuan, and the boy was killed, Qin Chuan would definitely come after the beast. With such distinctive features, it wouldn't be easy to hide from Qin Chuan's pursuit.
But... what if this wasn't Qin Chuan?
If the boy was spared for no reason, wouldn't that be a huge loss? After all, this was an exceptionally valuable bloodline!
Buzz!!
At that moment, countless golden characters emerged from the jade token, quickly arranging themselves like tadpoles, forming a magnificent scripture in the sky: The Great Qin Ancestral Dragon Sutra!