Hearing the scream from the courtyard, Aunt Xue, who lived in the side wing, immediately ran out. Seeing Shen Haoran standing alone in the courtyard in a daze, she asked anxiously, "Young Master, what is it? What happened?" Aunt Xue had watched Shen Haoran grow up. Ever since his parents disappeared, she had taken on the role of a mother to him, and she was one of the few people in the Shen Family that he truly respected.
Seeing Aunt Xue's anxious expression, Shen Haoran felt a warmth in his heart and quickly said, "It's nothing, Aunt Xue. I just dropped a rock on my foot."
Hearing Shen Haoran's explanation, Aunt Xue shook her head helplessly. "Honestly, child, must you always be such a worry? Since you're alright, hurry back to your room and get some sleep. It's getting late."
Shen Haoran scratched his head in embarrassment. "I will, Aunt Xue. You get some rest, too."
Watching Aunt Xue return to her room, Shen Haoran let out a long sigh of relief. He then scrambled back into his room and shut the door tight.
"You can come out now!" Shen Haoran said to the empty room.
"Haha, you're a timid one, kid. But I'll give you this, your composure is decent. You managed to calm down so quickly." A moment later, a blurry, aged figure materialized in front of Shen Haoran.
Staring at the aged figure floating before him, Shen Haoran wasn't exactly afraid, but his eye couldn't help but twitch. He had never seen anything so strange in his entire life.
"What are you? A man or a ghost?" Shen Haoran couldn't help but ask.
Seeing Shen Haoran's wariness, the aged figure let out a loud laugh. "I am neither man nor ghost, merely a wisp of Spiritual Thought."
"Spiritual Thought?" Shen Haoran's heart pounded. 'Although Spiritual Thought is innate, one has to be at least a Spirit Aspect to project it outside the body. This old man has existed for at least a hundred years... just what level of power does he possess!'
"Then why are you attached to me?" Shen Haoran asked, confused. 'With such immense power, why would he be here with me?'
"Not exactly," the old man replied. "My residual Spiritual Thought is merely residing within the Sealing Spirit Pearl around your neck."
"This is called a Sealing Spirit Pearl?" Shen Haoran took off the necklace and stared at the small, round, black pearl in his hand with curiosity. It was a birth gift from his mother. He had worn it his entire life, but this was the first time he had ever heard it had a name!
"It seems you are unaware of its function," the old man said, observing Shen Haoran's astonished expression. He immediately began to explain, "The Sealing Spirit Pearl, as its name suggests, is for sealing Spiritual Thought and Spiritual Power! This Seal doesn't prevent you from using them; rather, it conceals the aura of your Spiritual Power and Spiritual Thought, making it an excellent tool for escaping and hiding!"
"No wonder those people didn't take you away back then," the old man murmured under his breath.
"Back then? Those people? What do you mean?" Shen Haoran sensed he had just heard some vital information.
"Five years ago, a few fairly powerful people came to your home and took your parents away. Because you were wearing the Sealing Spirit Pearl, they didn't find you," the old man recalled.
"Who were they? Why did they take my parents? Where did they take them?" Hearing the old man's words, Shen Haoran demanded urgently.
"That I don't know. I had only just awakened at that time, and all I heard was something about the Murong Clan. They thought their work was seamless... Heh, a few brats with a bit of strength thought they could snatch people away from right under my nose without a sound. How naive!" the old man chuckled smugly.
But Shen Haoran couldn't bring himself to laugh. He finally had news of his parents after they had been missing for five years; how could he not be anxious? Staring at the smug old man, Shen Haoran said in a heavy voice, "Since you knew, why didn't you stop them?"
At Shen Haoran's question, the old man's face flushed. "I had only just awakened then and had no power! I was helpless."
Shen Haoran slowly calmed down. 'He's right. This old man and I have only just met; he had no obligation to save my parents. Now that I know why they disappeared, I will do whatever it takes to rescue them!' However, to be able to abduct two Spirit General Martial Artists from the Shen Family without alerting anyone... their assailants' cultivation had to be incredibly high. And here he was, still stressing over a minor family assessment. A bitter taste filled Shen Haoran's mouth. 'When will I ever be strong enough to save my parents?'
"Are you trying to figure out how to save your parents?" the old man said, seeing the bitter expression on Shen Haoran's face. "Let me give you a heads-up. The group that came five years ago consisted of one Spirit King and two Spirit Aspects! For a kid like you, still stuck at Spirit Tempering Tier Three, that's going to be... difficult."
"However, I can help you," the old man continued. "You just have to take me as your master!"
Hearing this, Shen Haoran grew wary. "What's the catch?"
"Kid, don't assume the worst of people. I need to reside in your Sealing Spirit Pearl for the time being, so think of this as my way of repaying your hospitality. The other reason... is you," the old man said.
"Me?" Shen Haoran asked, confused.
"Do you know why your cultivation hasn't increased at all in five years?"
"Why?"
"Because of your constitution. It's unlike any other. You possess the legendary Chaos Divine Body! It's said that whenever this body type appears, the world is thrown into great turmoil. I truly don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing," the old man said.
"What does that have to do with my cultivation?" Shen Haoran asked.
"Awakening a Chaos Divine Body requires a massive amount of Spiritual Power! Historically, those with a Chaos Divine Body have always appeared in Ancient Clans or Major Sects, making it a simple matter for them to awaken it. For this generation's Chaos Divine Body to show up in a minor family, however, is quite a surprise! The Spiritual Power your body has absorbed over the past five years isn't even one-fifth of what's required for awakening. Without my help, trying to save your parents... well, you'll be waiting until the end of time," the old man explained.
Shen Haoran fell into deep thought at the old man's words. 'I need immense power to save my parents. If what he's saying is true, then there's no harm in trusting him... but how does he know all of this in such detail?'
As if hearing Shen Haoran's inner thoughts, the old man declared, "Because I was the last one to possess the Chaos Divine Body!"
Hearing this, Shen Haoran was stunned. He sized up the old man before him again and realized he did feel a strange sense of kinship with him.
After a long moment of contemplation, Shen Haoran made up his mind. 'If he can truly grant me power, then becoming his disciple is more than worth it.'
"Alright, I accept your offer!" Shen Haoran said.
"Good. My name is Yan Yang. You can call me Elder Yan or Teacher, either is fine. Tomorrow, find a secluded spot, and I will help you awaken your Chaos Divine Body! And one more thing—do not let anyone know of my existence, not even those closest to you!" With that, Yan Yang returned to the Sealing Spirit Pearl.
Gazing into the deepening night, Shen Haoran silently vowed, 'Dad, Mom, wait for me. I will get you out!'