A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

The teapot on the stone table has gone cold and been heated up again, heated up and gone cold again; this is the third time this has happened.

Wan Jianyi propped his chin up with his one arm, his gaze sweeping back and forth across Zhang Xiaofan's face:

"You child, your bone structure is ordinary, your eyebrows and eyes are also ordinary, you can't be found in a crowd."

But upon closer inspection... his eyes were calm, his breathing steady, and he seemed to be focused on something.

He paused, then added, "He's the same kind of person as Junior Brother Buyi."

Zhang Xiaofan picked up the rough earthenware cup and took a sip of tea:

"Master is short and stout, I'm just plain and unremarkable, we're quite different."

"puff--"

Wan Jianyi spat out a small mouthful of tea foam, leaving a few water stains on his white beard.

He wiped his mouth, patted the stone table with his one arm, and laughed:

"You little brat! How dare you talk about your master like that! If only I had your thick skin back then..."

The laughter subsided, and his gaze drifted to the ancient tree outside the courtyard. His tone softened.

"I still don't fully understand why my junior sister Su Ru chose him back then."

Zhang Xiaofan put down his cup: "Because my master has a thick skin."

"Just because of that?"

"This is it," Zhang Xiaofan said.

"Uncle, you were too outstanding back then, you stood too high, and there were too many people around you."

With Su Shi Niang's personality, she wouldn't want the moon that's out of reach.

They are reliable and trustworthy people you can easily reach out and touch.

Wan Jianyi remained silent for a long time.

"That's true," he said finally, his voice tinged with self-deprecation.

"I was indeed too arrogant back then."

"If the sword is fast enough and the person is strong enough, they can get whatever they want."

He glanced at Zhang Xiaofan, a mischievous glint in his cloudy eyes:

"Speaking of which, that girl Shuiyue back in the day..."

"This disciple dares not discuss matters concerning his elders."

Zhang Xiaofan interrupted.

Wan Jianyi chuckled and didn't say anything more.

The atmosphere in the courtyard relaxed a bit, like a taut string being loosened.

"Let's get down to business." He leaned forward slightly. "What's your best skill right now?"

"The Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique"

Wan Jianyi's brows furrowed immediately:

"Difficult to teach? Nonsense! Forcing yourself to cultivate this technique before reaching the Upper Clarity Realm will have enough backlash to destroy your foundation!"

"This disciple has already learned it."

Zhang Xiaofan said calmly, "I haven't suffered any backlash from using it right now; I can withstand it."

"..."

Wan Jianyi stared at him for about five seconds.

"Show me your skills."

Zhang Xiaofan stood up, and the fire poker slid from his bosom into his palm.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped into the air, the staff shimmering with a bluish-gold light.

"Nine Heavens Mysterious Temple, transform into divine thunder—"

As soon as the incantation was uttered, the clouds above the ancestral shrine began to churn.

Lead-gray clouds gathered from all directions, crackling with lightning.

The thunder rumbled, like some ancient behemoth snoring before waking up.

"With overwhelming divine might, use a stick to draw it away!"

As the last four words fell, a bolt of deep purple lightning crackled through the clouds and struck the top of the fire poker squarely!

The lightning exploded, turning into countless fine electric snakes that wrapped around the stick, crackling and popping loudly.

Zhang Xiaofan stood in mid-air, his Taoist robe billowing in the wind, his hair standing on end in the electric current.

He swung the stick.

It's not chopping or hacking, it's "drawing".

The staff traced an arc, gathering the bound lightning power into a three-zhang-long purple lightning sword aura.

It slashed towards the thickest part of the clouds in the sky!

"boom--!!"

The sword energy pierced into the clouds, exploding into a blinding burst of light.

The clouds began to break apart from the very center, like cotton being torn apart by an invisible giant hand, and quickly scattered in all directions.

The sunlight streamed down again, cutting a bright line of light and shadow across the bluestone ground.

Zhang Xiaofan landed, his breathing as steady as if he hadn't moved at all.

Wan Jianyi remained standing in the same spot, his single arm hanging down, the empty sleeve fluttering slightly in the wind.

He first stared at the rapidly dissipating cloud, then at the fire poker in Zhang Xiaofan's hand, and finally his gaze returned to the boy's face.

"No injury..." he murmured, "You solved a problem that no one in the Qingyun Sect could solve for a thousand years."

Zhang Xiaofan bowed: "By sheer luck."

"How long did you study?"

"one day."

Wan Jianyi clenched his right fist tightly, and his withered knuckles made a soft "crack" sound.

The muscles in his cheeks twitched twice, then quickly subsided.

"Not bad." He finally spoke, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather.

"Back then... I also succeeded on the first try."

Zhang Xiaofan looked up at him.

Wan Jianyi shifted his gaze, put his one arm behind his back, and coughed lightly:

"In that case, those ordinary cultivation techniques are of little use to you. Let me see your magic weapon."

He handed over the fire poker.

The moment Wan Jianyi caught the stick, his pupils suddenly contracted.

He ran his thumb along the dark texture of the stick, then reached for the dark red bead at the top.

The fingertip stopped half an inch away from the bead surface—

A chilling, malevolent aura emanated from there.

There's also a subtle pulling sensation, as if it's trying to drag your soul in.

"The Soul-Capturing Staff." He uttered three words.

"Extremely Yin and evil, it's a thing that devours souls."

This thing should be at the very bottom of the Nine Netherworlds, how come...?

His gaze shifted to the bead.

"The Bloodthirsty Bead." His voice deepened.

"Things from a heartless old man."

"I disappeared along with him eight hundred years ago, and it turns out I ended up in your hands."

Wan Jianyi raised his head and stared at Zhang Xiaofan:

"You actually fused two extremely evil things into a fire poker."

Kid, your luck is enviable.

Zhang Xiaofan took the stick that was handed back to him:

"My senior master is very knowledgeable; I admire him greatly."

"Insight?" Wan Jianyi scoffed.

"It's just because I've lived a long time."

Three hundred years ago, I personally handled several of these things.

He sat back down on the stone bench, resting his one arm on the table, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Zhang Xiaofan.

Aptitude, comprehension, temperament, and opportunity.

All four items are complete.

Wan Jianyi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, the small flame in his cloudy eyes had already grown into a raging inferno.

"Starting tomorrow," he said, "I'll teach you something different."

Zhang Xiaofan also breathed a sigh of relief; he had successfully passed this hurdle.

Unexpectedly, my senior martial uncle recognized the weapon in my hand at a glance.

I wonder what kind of unique skills this Uncle Wan is planning to teach me!

......