In the Chief's place

  Rowan felt a mix of fear and exhaustion, though he couldn't quite understand why. The following day, Rowan awoke and searched for Lucen, but he was nowhere to be found, so he inquired with the Chief about Lucen's whereabouts. The Chief responded that Lucen had gone to the ritual site since today marked the awakening day.

  "What? It's already been a year since I was with my mom and dad, but they are gone," Rowan said sadly.

  The Chief replied, "Listen, kid, everyone must leave this world eventually. Your parents left quickly, but they'll be watching over you from heaven. You need to be strong to protect those you care about so that your parents will be proud of you."

  Rowan asked, "Strong? How strong?"

  The Chief said, "My boy, you may not grasp my words now, but one day you will understand."

  Just then, Lucen returned home, and Rowan rushed over to hug his leg. "Sir, where have you been? I was looking for you all morning! What happened last night? You told me to go home.

  Lucen replied, "You have so many questions; which one should I answer first? Alright, listen: a demon appeared out of nowhere yesterday, so I had to deal with it and asked you to hurry back."

  Rowan said, "Is that true?"

  Lucen assured him, "Yes, Rowan."

  Rowan continued, "You said yesterday you'd tell me the truth about my parents' death?"

  Lucen responded, "Rowan, you need to grow strong to learn the truth, but I can only tell you that your parents' deaths are somehow connected to the fire domain people."

  Rowan exclaimed, What? Strong individuals who possess pure fire laws!

  Lucen confirmed, "Yes! What? are you afraid?"

  Rowan replied, "No, sir. Even though am afraid; I need to exact revenge."

  Lucen warned, "You can only do that when you are strong enough to confront cultivators of the void ascension realm."

  Rowan pleaded, "Sir! Teach me everything you know, and I will train hard to get revenge."

  Lucen chuckled, "Ha. Rowan, do you want to become my disciple?"

  Rowan was confused, "I don’t understand, sir. I’m already your disciple now."

  The Chief clarified, "That means Lucen will take you as his one and only personal disciple (Master-Disciple relationship)."

  Rowan replied eagerly, "Yes, sir!"

  The Chief added, "Still calling me sir?"

  Rowan corrected himself, "Master."

  Lucen laughed, "Haha, I have a disciple now! Come here, kid!"

  In this way, Rowan became Lucen's hollow disciple, but Lucen instructed him not to seek revenge until he turned 20 and required him to make a vow; otherwise, he would not continue as his disciple. Rowan questioned why 20, and Lucen explained, "Because you are not a single attribute."

  Rowan asked, "What does that mean?"

  Lucen elucidated his spiritual roots, explaining that he had the potential to hold and summon any elemental law but that this made his cultivation progress very slow. He needed to comprehend each law deeply before he could merge them and use their powers without resistance.

  Afterward, Lucen took Rowan to Wuan School, not to continue his studies but to drop out. They ventured into the depths of the forest near the water domain realm for training because Lucen originally hails from the water domain. He had come from a powerful family background, yet he was exiled from his clan and was no longer recognized by them. However, he had a place to stay at his grandfather's house, which no one else knew about.

  For six years, he trained Rowan and shared everything he knew about the laws of water and fire in detail. Throughout those six years, he subjected Rowan to intense training without allowing for proper rest, and Rowan never contested anything. During this period, the world underwent significant changes, as all the domain territories united to form an alliance, except for the air domain, which was led to build a capital city named “Nullreach.” They were planning to destroy the air domain because they viewed it as traitorous for not joining and believed it had colluded with other enemies, such as demons and beasts.

  Three years ago, the alliance leader, Elias Greyfall, initiated a war against the air domain but was unable to conquer them. Following his defeat, Elias sustained injuries that significantly lowered his cultivation from the initial stage of the void root realm to the initial stage of the celestial realm. To uphold morale, he made his stepbrother, Tarin Greyfall, the temporary leader of the alliance and entered seclusion, concealing his cultivation drop from everyone out of fear that they might turn against him due to his position.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  After six years

  Rowan: Master? Lately, I've been unable to enhance my combat skills; it feels like I'm stuck for the past three months.

  Lucen responded, is that so? Perhaps it's time for you to explore the world and discover new experiences. You are already at the peak of the spirit foundation realm and can at least protect yourself from danger.

  Rowan: So where are we heading now, Master?

  Lucen: It’s time to reconnect with old friends. Oh wait, I’ve noticed that your personality has changed significantly?

  Rowan: Maybe it’s a result of your training?

  Lucen: Oh really? Then you must not know who your master truly was.

  Rowan: You’re amazing! But you haven't made any breakthroughs in the last three years, and it seems you’re getting lazy.

  Lucen: Hey, you little brat! Now you dare to mock me? Do you really think your training is sufficient? Rowan: No, no, that's too much, master.

  Later, Lucen brought Rowan to the Earth Domain, where there was a school named Willow Shield School, run by his former classmates. This school isn't well-known, but every graduate makes a name for themselves in the world. Instead of heading to the school straight away, Lucen and Rowan opted to stay at an inn. However, Rowan was unaware that this was a test to gain entry into the w. His master had tricked him into taking this test rather than going directly for registration.

  The following day, as Rowan was coming down from his room to the ground floor, he spotted a young man around 16 years old who appeared ignorant and arrogant due to his wealth. This individual was bullying a girl of the same age. Yet, no one else was intervening in this situation, and Rowan couldn’t bear to watch the bullying any longer.

  A bystander said: "Agree to be our young master's slave, and he will take care of you and your family."

  The girl replied: "No, leave me alone. I don’t want to be anyone's slave. Even though I’m poor, I can manage for myself and my family."

  The arrogant boy retorted: "Oh really? Do you truly believe you can live well after upsetting me in this city?" (He then grabbed her by the neck.)

  Rowan shouted: "Let her go!"

  The arrogant boy asked: "Who? Who dares to interfere in my affairs?"

  Rowan responded: "It’s me. Do you really think that bullying the weak can make you a real man? If you have the guts, confront me and defeat me."

  The arrogant boy scoffed: "Who do you think you are? Do you believe that by saving her, you’ll become a hero? Just remember, this is my territory; you can't offend me and leave unharmed."

  Rowan replied: "So, you’re just a dog barking thanks to your family’s wealth and status. Without that, you are nothing."

  The arrogant boy fumed: "You… How dare you speak to me like that?"

  He commanded his followers to capture Rowan, but they failed since they were only at the initial stage of the Spirit Foundation realm, allowing Rowan to defeat them easily.

  Rowan remarked: "Is this the strength of your wealthy family? Pathetically weak. Clearly, you’ve not practiced diligently; instead, you rely on pills and external things to boost your strength, which leads to a weak cultivation base."

  The arrogant boy snapped: "That’s enough! You little brat, you’ve really made me angry! Do you think I won’t kill you?"

  Rowan proposed: "Let’s make a bet: if you defeat me, I will kneel before you, but if you lose, you will have to apologize to her for insulting and bullying her in.

  Both fighters commenced their battle, but Rowan was unaware that the individual he faced was at the initial stage of the Essence Refinement Realm while he himself was at the peak of the Spirit Foundation Realm; there was a significant realm gap between them, causing everyone to watch with keen interest. At the edge of the crowd, a person named Finn organized a betting pool to predict the winner, with most placing their bets on the arrogant fighter, while Lucen bet on Rowan, leading others to think he was oblivious to cultivation levels.

  During the fight, Rowan began to lose his advantage as the arrogant opponent took control; up to that point, their combat had been purely physical, without any techniques being employed. Eventually, they began to use their techniques one by one, and surprisingly, Rowan managed to gain the upper hand despite his lower cultivation level, relying solely on defensive earth attributes against a fire-attributed opponent who had a powerful understanding of the laws. Rowan had underestimated his opponent and was giving his all, yet he still found himself exerting more strength than his rival, feeling increasingly fatigued and sweating profusely.

  Rowan thought to himself, “This is what real combat strength is. It’s truly beneficial, so I must make the most of this opportunity.” Lucen noticed that Rowan was on the verge of losing and was sweating heavily; he suggested to Finn that they change the rules to determine the outcome based on the next technique used. As expected, both used their strongest techniques in the ensuing fight—the arrogant fighter unleashed a powerful fire technique called “Fire Controlling,” while Rowan countered with his mightiest earth defense, known as the “Stone Bind Technique.” The result was evident: the arrogant fighter was defeated, leaving everyone astonished. Only Lucen understood what had transpired and collected the winnings from Finn.

  Finn asked, “Wait? Who are you? What is your connection to him, and how did you know he would win?” Lucen replied, “Because he is my disciple.” Finn was incredulous, asking, “What? Keep your mouth shut; otherwise, smoke will get in.” He repeated, “What? Why?”

  Suddenly, smoke enveloped the entire area, rendering everyone unable to see. The smoke lingered for a moment before the arrogant fighter and his followers vanished along with the girl. Rowan searched for them in the inn but could not find any trace, and Lucen reassured him not to worry; the girl would be fine. Rowan exclaimed, “What? How is that possible? They were clearly bullying her.” Lucen urged him to trust him. Rowan pondered, “Did my master save her, or something? If so, there’s no need to worry.”

  Later that day, Lucen brought him to the Academy.

  Rowan: Master, did you study at this academy?

  Lucen: Yes, at that time we only had 7 disciples.

  Rowan: What? Only 8? Why?

  Lucen: At that time, we could only afford 7. Now, there are almost 100 disciples, but the teachers here are quite strict.

  Rowan: Oh, is that so?

  Lucen: Here, you might make friends and have a team to fight alongside.

  Rowan: Why do I need a team?

  Lucen: Listen! Having a team or friends in your life is a good thing because they can heal and support each other even through tough times. You want revenge, but do you think you can defeat everyone on your own if you’re powerful enough in this world?

  Rowan: Why can’t I?

  Lucen: Okay, then tell me this! We have 4 domain lands, but why can’t anyone unify and rule? Or do you believe there are no powerful individuals in this world?

  Rowan: Hmm, I don’t know.

  Lucen: Because no one can be powerful enough to defeat everyone at the same level, except for your god-being. You are made of flesh and blood, unlike the immortal. You can become powerful, but why can't they become unified like you?

  Rowan: That makes sense, Master. I understand.

  Lucen: I know you don’t fully understand now, but you will in the future.

  As they entered the academy talking, they found themselves sitting in the dean’s room. After a while, a call came into the room.

  “Hey! Who are you? Why are you sitting here without permission? This is not a place for trash to enter.”

  Lucen: That's enough, Alden. You're going too far.

  Alden: Do you really think I'm going too far? When I invited you to join us, where have you been?

  Lucen: This isn’t the time to discuss those things.

  Then they began to fight, getting serious and using their elemental powers—both were in the soul ascension realm.

  Rowan: I’m shocked... Why are they fighting for no reason?

  Suddenly, a strong aura appeared out of nowhere, and a beast arrived, binding them with air ropes.

  Rowan thought, What? Who came? Is it an enemy or not? It can even stop them. Can I compete against it? He fainted.

  A fierce lady, Liora, appeared.

  Liora: What? Why can't you fight anymore? Fight! (Fiercely)

  Alden: Don’t you dare! Let us go.

  Liora: Why couldn’t you dare before?

  Alden: No, no, I didn’t mean it. We were just testing our realms to see if we improved, right, Lucen?

  Lucen: No, obviously, you were attacking me.

  Alden: You... you...

  Liora: Enough! Do you think I'm a fool, Lucen? After all these years, you still can't defeat me, and you're still at the initial stage of the soul ascension realm.

  Lucen: I'm not someone who boasts about their powers all the time.

  Alden: Hey, you brat, are you talking about me?

  Lucen: Do you think I don’t have work to do like you?

  Mira: Alden! You know about him and are still doing this. You're embarrassing yourself in front of everyone.

  Alden: Sister, it’s not like that! Listen to me. You don’t understand...

  Liora: Enough, enough.

  Liora and Mira approached Rowan and waking him.

  Mira : What kid ? are you scared?

  Liora: Don’t worry, they are like this only when they see each other

  Rowan : Not really? But that suppression aura made me faint.

  Liora : So you are Old Lucen disciple?

  Rowan : yes. But I don’t think he is old

  Mira: Hahaha. Lucen and Alden, this kid is just like you, and Lucen, you truly contributed to his creation.

  Lucen: Hmm, haha.

  Liora: I heard you won a fight against Darin. Is that accurate?

  Rowan: Darin? Who is that? I’m not familiar with him and I don’t know him.

  Alden: Sister, it’s not what you think. Please, hear me out—you’re misunderstanding.

  Liora: That’s enough.

  (Liora and Mira walk over to Rowan and gently wake him up.)

  Mira: What’s wrong, kid? Were you scared?

  Liora: Don’t worry. They always get like this when they see each other.

  Rowan: Not exactly... but the pressure from their aura was enough to knock me out.

  Liora: So, you’re a disciple of Lucen the Elder?

  Rowan: Yes, though I don’t think he’s that old.

  Mira: [laughs] Lucen and Alden—this one’s just like you! And Lucen, you really did shape this one well.

  Lucen: [chuckles] Hmm, perhaps.

  Liora: I heard you defeated Darin. Is that true?

  Rowan: Darin? I’m not sure who that is and I don’t know him.