Xu Hanyu’s eyes twitched.

  “...”

  “Hehehe”

  He snapped again, "Shut up. My mother is dead. You think I’m a fool—?!"

  "Hahaha! I’m just messing with you, kid. Don’t take things so seriously."

  "Tsk! Why are you even in my bracelet?”

  "Why are you treating it like some kind of cursed object?" The elder said sarcastically, and raised an eyebrow.

  "Tsk! Tell me, where did you even come from, old man?"

  "Excuse me?! I'm not an old man, I may look like an old man in this form but you have no idea how good-looking I was back then in my days..!"

  "Weird. You have a beard, that makes you old. But whatever, just tell me for goddamn sake, are you a ghost..?"

  "Ehem…Ehem..! Correction, I am both a person and a spirit, not a ghost."

  "A person..? Tch. Where is your body then..? Why are you naked in that spirit form of yours?" said Xu Hanyu, crossing his arms unimpressed.

  Crossing his arms with pride, the spirit elder, "You brat, just because I’m in this state doesn’t mean—" said the elder.

  Suddenly, he interrupted himself by stopping for a moment looking perplexed, "Wait, what did you say…?"

  "Tsk... I said, ‘why are you naked—?’"

  At that moment, the spirit elder also slowly glanced down at himself.

  He suddenly shrieked, "W-Wah! Where are my clothes?!" hastily covering himself with his misty hands, interrupting Xu Hanyu, "No, no! Don’t look! Turn around!" then waved frantically.

  Seeing his reaction, the young man started to laugh and mocked him, saying, "What? You’re embarrassed now? Earlier you were so confident and n—" but before he could finish, a small stone landed forcefully on his forehead.

  Smack!

  "Ow—what the hell, old man?! Why are you throwing rocks at me?!" Xu Hanyu shouted, rubbing his forehead.

  "I told you to turn around! Or do you want another one?!"

  With a huff, "Alright, alright!" he then spun around and murmured, "What trouble. It’s just a mere body, why overreact?"

  While Xu Hanyu remained in his position, the elder grumbled, "Tch. Ungrateful brat. Back in my day, if someone witnessed the naked form of a being like me, they'd be blessed for ten lifetimes!"

  The young one then scoffed, "Blessed? More like traumatized.”

  Now covering his body with some kind of thin clothing, using the essence of his soul. Then he began to sway in an exaggerated motion in front of Xu Hanyu, "Ahem! Let me tell you—my body isn’t just any ordinary body! I possess the most special physique on this entire continent! Just hearing you talk about it like that is an insult, young man!"

  "What do you mean you have the most special body? That doesn’t make any sense! I don’t even think you have one to begin with!"

  "Ha! So young, yet your tongue is razor-sharp! To think I’d be outmatched by a child who can’t even cultivate!"

  "You–! You're just a spirit—what do you even know about cultivation? At least I’m still alive and kicking!"

  "Haha! Alive and kicking, huh? But tell me, young man, what have you achieved in your short life? You think you can just waltz around without understanding the true essence of power?"

  Frowning Xu Hanyu, his pride at that part got pricked, "Hmph! I may not be a powerful cultivator yet, but I’ve got my strengths. That counts for something!"

  "Hmm, determination is a good start. But if you want to truly grow, you'll need to learn from someone who knows the path. What do you say? Want to learn from me?" he formed a sly smile towards him.

  "You? Teach me? You're just a spirit without a body! If I were you, I’d just disappear already! I don’t think you’re capable of becoming my teacher alone. So I’m telling you to leave!"

  "Hehe... Too bad. We can’t be separated now—since a part of me is already within you. Plus, believe it or not, I hold knowledge far beyond your understanding, so don’t be so quick to judge, young one. I can also offer you power, something that defies the usual path of cultivation. Trust me. Besides, after years of isolation inside that bracelet, having an apprentice might be... refreshing."

  A method that defies the usual path of cultivation? Is that even possible? Such a thing in their world shouldn’t even exist and his words are too doubtful.

  "First of all, I’m not interested in your tricks, so stop trying to make me look stupid. That’s just absurd,” Turning to leave, the elder spirit followed, blocking his path.

  “Hey, I’m really serious, there are other ways for you to gain power.”

  With that Xu Hanyu turned back sharply, "Ha! Do you really expect me to believe that? My meridians are blocked! Every day, I endure humiliation and scorn, and now you want to feed me with false hope?!" Then continued to strode away, leaving the spirit elder to sighed in resignation.

  "Young man, how about we make a bet?"

  Xu Hanyu paused and turned to the spirit elder, "Bet? What kind of bet?"

  "I can assure you that even without following the traditional method of cultivation, you can gain power that is superior to everyone else. Much stronger than anyone.”

  He was left confused by this and thought: A power that is much stronger than anyone. Taking me for a fool huh?

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  "Well, in order to make a bet, you have to earn my trust. How can I trust you if something like that really exists. Isn't that the right thing to do?"

  “Haha… You’re such a careful child. Then, let me prove it to you.”

  “...?”

  “Ehem..ehem..” slowly caressing his beard up and down before continuing, “I am a renowned skilled Crystal Artisan in my time and a skilled fighter. I have the knowledge and expertise to create top-tier crystals infused with powerful energy. However, I am currently unable to do so to some extent due to my current condition" said the elder. A little self-praise should be enough to sway him. Kids are easy to impress. Then slowly forming a playful smirk.

  Meanwhile, Xu Hanyu looks very suspicious of him. Crystal Artisan? I heard Crystal Artisan is considered a powerful practitioner. Plus, being a fighter at the same time, is something that people cannot do so easily. If this old man is really a Crystal Artisan, then… he probably had an excellent talent before.

  But how does this connect to the different method of cultivation that he told me? Whatever, I’ll just play along.

  “So you were a Crystal Artisan before?”

  “Hehe… that’s right but there’s more to that.”

  “What is it?”

  “Other than making top-tier crystals, I also mastered the skill of making high-quality talismans and embedding them into the crystals that I make. So you could say, I am somewhat a two-field practitioner and fighter as well.”

  A two-field practitioner?! Both Crystal Artisan and a Talisman Master at the same time is hard to maintain at the same time but how?

  "So you're a two-field practitioner and a fighter? But how come—?"

  "Ehe… Of course, it’s in my blood. And someone like you who has a strong soul and strong body, then you perhaps might be able to inherit the talent that I have."

  Though those achievements were too impressive, Xu Hanyu was wise enough not to trust the old man as there were many uncertainties regarding its origin.

  "Ha… I told you don't attempt to make me hope for anything, old man. Your statements are untrustworthy. Even your identity and origins are unknown to me. So, I will never take you as my teacher. Is it even possible for someone without a body to be trusted?"

  "Aiaa... Boy, stop calling me an old man, and quit bringing up my lack of a body! Don’t you get it? You and I are one. My body is inside you, and my spirit is deeply connected to yours. That means we’re bound together, and you don’t have a choice but to trust me," The spirit elder said dramatically, swaying in the air once again.

  “Nonsense..! Just because we’re ‘connected’, doesn’t mean I have to put my trust in you. Plus, you keep going on about 'you possess my body, you possess my body,' but honestly, I don't get what you mean. We don’t even know each other, so stop throwing absurd things at me," With a turn, he began to walk off.

  Meanwhile, the abandoned elder whispered in his breath, “Aia… What should I do with this kid?”

  With just a few steps away from the sight, the elder began to speak again.

  “I can help you lift that curse…”

  As soon as the elder finished speaking, Xu Hanyu's head turned over his shoulder sharply, “What did you just say?”

  “I said, I can help you lift the curse on your body.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Of course, I do. I’ve been staying by your side. So natural for me to know such a thing.”

  Following that, Xu Hanyu let out a sour laugh, “You’re telling me that you can lift it? Ha… that’s something I would wish for if it actually existed. If that’s really possible, how will you do it?”

  Turning away from him, the elder spoke again but this time, there was an odd weight in his voice, “Like I told you, a part of me was inside you. That mark you believe is a curse… it’s not what you think it is.”

  “What do you mean—?”

  “To tell you the truth, that mark is not a curse. It’s a seal.”

  Seal…?

  The word echoed in his mind, drowning out everything else and the air felt suffocating as his vision swayed. Slowly, his fingernails sunk into his hands, and a frantic breath from his mouth and looked down at the unpleasant mark engraved into his skin. All these years… all the humiliation… all the scorn… the day and nights spent staring at a hard training, cursing his own existence… Because of a seal?

  His entire body shuddered thinking it wasn’t fair for him.

  “A legacy that made the essence of each of my body was sealed inside you by someone in order to protect it. It was a long time ago, and it’s been awhile since I’ve woken up from my slumber,” continued the elder.

  Finally, Xu Hanyu lifted his head up, looking at the spirit font of him indignantly. “Ha..”

  “And it was a deal that I made from someone…”

  “A seal… so that’s what this is. All this time, I’ve been living with a lie,” Despite his cold tone, his voice brimmed with pain and bewilderment. Followed by a hollow laugh again, escaping from his lips, “A deal? Do you have any idea how much I’ve suffered with all these years?! I’ve been mocked, trampled on—left behind while everyone else grew stronger! And now, after all that, you’re telling me it was a seal all along? A seal that prevented me from gathering my wuqi and forming a core. A seal that took away my freedom, turned me into a disgrace, a joke and a nothing but a shadow of what I was supposed to be!”

  There were no tears, yet his eyes became blurry once again, just like what he had felt earlier arguing with his father. They threatened to, but the sheer rage surging inside him refused to let them.

  Now sucking up a sharp breath, glaring at the spirit elder. Meanwhile, the elder listening to his outburst felt remorseful. With his words kept coming back to him, the elder was speechless.

  “And now—now, after all this time—you decide to reveal yourself? For what is it? Do you want to take it back? Finding the perfect timing to rip your body back from me and leave me like this? Abandon me to rot in this pathetic state? ”

  “No, I… Xu Hanyu, I did not intended that towards you.. ”

  Xu Hanyu was hitching while speaking and fingers twitching at his sides, "Do you expect me to forgive you so easily? After all you’ve done to me—?"

  At one point, the elder acknowledges that he was bad for allowing this youngster to suffer, but it was also for his own sake.

  “Kid, allow me to explain it to you. The seal… has its purpose, it was meant to protect you as well, not only me alone,” Yet, despite talking about protecting him, Xu Hanyu couldn’t help but feel like a joke.

  Furthermore, it was obvious that the elder was reluctant to reveal the secret behind the seal. Something more was involved, the true cause of the seal's presence in his flesh. But he believed it was not the right time yet.

  “Protecting me huh? So you also think taking my freedom is a way of protecting me as well? Tch. You’re no different from him…!” With that, Xu Hanyu turned around and walked away, adding that moment with his heartbreak.

  “Sooner or later, you will know the truth…”

  …

  In a dark, cold surroundings gave off the unmistakable feeling of a foe’s mansion.

  A broad figure stood before the window, the only source of light casting shadows over him. His face was hidden, but his commanding presence made it clear he was a figure with a high position. Playing with two marbles, passing them back and forth in a calm, deliberate motion. With his dark black and green robe, the thick fabric flows peacefully on the ground.

  In a sudden moment, the door behind him swung open, emitting a faint creak as it moved.

  An elderly man in his forties entered the room wearing a gentle blue garment with a delicate little golden wind design that suggested he belonged to a certain sect and may have been an elder. Even though he was conceited and condescending, he showed respect for the person in front of him.

  "Any report on the lady, Elder Zhang Wei?" the mysterious lord inquired with a cold and steady voice.

  "My lord, the lady was taken away by a young man and a young woman dressed in black-purple clothing. They even fought with the young woman who had helped to take the lady away," The man named Zhang Wei replied, "On the other hand, the young man who took her away was seen jumping down from the cliff of Tai Hua Mountain.”

  Upon hearing this, the mysterious lord furrowed his brow and muttered to himself, “A young man in black-purple clothing…?” In his mind, there's only one possible clan that lives in Tai Hua City with that distinct attire. Thinking deeply, he recognized that it was the Xu Clan.

  "My Lord, also judging by my mens’ description, it seems the young man belongs to the Xu Clan.”