Lu Yuan took advantage of a lull in his recovery to check his profession panel.

"[You've had a fight, profession experience +312]"

"[You've had a fight...]"

Numerous similar notification messages had accumulated on the panel. Lu Yuan had come straight here after the assessment ended and hadn't had a chance to open his panel to check them earlier.

A glance revealed that the level of his [Fighter] profession had indeed risen.

"[Profession: Fighter LV 7 (890/6,400)]"

He had leveled up to LV 7, gaining one additional distributable attribute point and one skill point.

The experience required for [Fighter] to advance after LV 7 had doubled again.

However, as his strength increased, he faced stronger opponents, and the profession experience gained from each battle also rose accordingly. Consequently, its leveling speed was the most stable and fastest among his profession panels.

That's about it...

Lu Yuan sat in the training hall for a while. With his 17-point constitution, the two injuries on his body had mostly healed.

He stood up from the floor and scanned his surroundings, pondering where to go next.

At that moment, the wall directly in front of him suddenly emitted a crisp CRACK.

Accompanied by the sound of mechanisms whirring, the entire wall began to rise slowly, revealing steps and light from behind it.

Lu Yuan's eyes moved slightly as he silently watched the wall fully ascend.

Before him lay a dense bamboo forest with a small path winding through it. A cool breeze wafted out from the forest.

"Come here."

An aged voice drifted out from the forest.

Lu Yuan recognized it as Master Liudao Yuan's voice.

He thought for a moment, then strode forward.

He walked out of the training hall, ascended a few steps, and stepped onto the path in the bamboo forest.

After a few paces, he suddenly stopped. He turned aside and rummaged in a patch of grass beside the path, pulling out something resembling a Bluetooth speaker, about half the size of his palm.

Needless to say, the voice of Master Liudao Yuan he had just heard had come from this speaker.

Such theatrics...

Lu Yuan, rather speechless, tossed the speaker aside. He shook his head and continued down the path deeper into the bamboo forest.

After walking a few dozen meters, the view before him gradually opened up.

At the end of the bamboo forest stood a stone table. Beside it, a fish pond gurgled with the sound of flowing water.

The place was ingeniously arranged. Sunlight was perfectly shielded from the stone table, making it neither stuffy nor dim.

One side was bright and sunny, the other cool and refreshing amidst the forest shade.

Lu Yuan's gaze, however, was fixed on a figure sitting quietly before the stone table, sipping tea.

It was an old man. His beard, eyebrows, and hair were all snow-white, hanging down long.

His face was lean and tranquil, his demeanor calm and composed. The cool breeze rustled his spotless white training clothes.

He had an ethereal, transcendent air, like a leisurely cloud or a wild crane.

"You... you are Master Liudao Yuan?!"

A look of shock appeared on Lu Yuan's face.

He simply couldn't reconcile the extraordinary old man before him with the Master Liudao Yuan he had encountered in the training hall—the one with glowing blue eyes, a crippled body, who acted erratically like a character from some cyberpunk horror film.

He examined the old man's eyes and limbs closely.

He couldn't discern the slightest hint of anything amiss.

They looked perfectly lifelike, no different from those of a healthy, ordinary person.

"Still calling me by my name? Call me Teacher!"

The old man, who was sipping tea, suddenly snorted coldly. Without him even lifting a hand, a sharp WHOOSHING sound instantly shot towards Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan reacted extremely fast, raising a hand to block.

A spray of porcelain shards and water burst against his palm. It didn't hurt, but his mind gradually calmed.

"Does this mean I'm officially accepted as a personal disciple?" Lu Yuan asked, looking at Master Liudao Yuan before him.

"What personal disciple..."

Master Liudao Yuan squinted at him, his transcendent aura beginning to crumble.

"You are now the true successor of me, Heavenly Water Crane Immortal Liu Daoyuan, my sole heir!"

Heavenly Water Crane Immortal...

Lu Yuan mulled over the title, feeling something was a bit off.

He slowly walked over and, seeing no reaction from Master Liudao Yuan, sat down at the stone table.

Master Liudao Yuan's expression was unreadable, but his eyes seemed to turn a fraction colder.

"Tea... Teacher?" Lu Yuan tentatively called out.

The old man's gaze immediately softened. He gestured to the teapot on the table and said casually, "If you want a drink, pour it yourself."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Having said "Teacher" once, the second time came more easily.

Lu Yuan didn't feel any particular sense of belonging to the Crane Sect. Calling Master Liudao Yuan "Teacher" was no different from addressing his instructors at school.

Since the old man seemed to like it, Lu Yuan didn't mind saying it a few more times.

Lu Yuan was already a bit thirsty, so he picked up the teapot from the table and poured himself a cup.

He had no idea what kind of tea leaves Master Liudao Yuan had brewed. The liquid was clear, almost transparent, and a few bubbles appeared as he poured it into the cup.

He lifted the cup to take a sniff and detected a peculiar fruity aroma.

He took a sip...

Crap.

Lu Yuan paused, then turned to Master Liudao Yuan. "Soda? Apple-flavored?"

Master Liudao Yuan chuckled, calm and unperturbed. He lifted his teacup, took a light sip, and said, "What? Never seen a Martial Arts master drink soda before?"

...

Lu Yuan was speechless.

Everything he had experienced since stepping into the training hall felt like it was subverting his entire worldview.

He stared at Master Liudao Yuan's eyes and hands for a long time until the old man grew somewhat impatient and said, "Stop looking. They're fake."

Oh.

Lu Yuan's confusion was finally cleared up. But in the next second, he saw Master Liudao Yuan's demeanor shift, his entire being turning cold and grim.

"Years ago, I was grievously harmed by a powerful enemy. They brutally tore off my hands and feet and gouged out my eyes. I've accepted you as my disciple in the hope that you will one day avenge me..."

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