At Mine No. 5, inside a cultivation cave carved into the mountainside.
After nearly three months, Cang Fan was finally summoned by his teacher once again!The moment he stepped into his teacher's cave, Cang Fan was so overwhelmed with emotion he almost burst into tears.
Teacher, in the three months you were away, do you know how your disciple has spent the time?
When Qi Yuan was around, he received monthly gifts of Earth Soul Liquid or other treasures from him.Whenever he encountered doubts in his cultivation, he could promptly seek his teacher's guidance.
That period was the fastest advancement in cultivation he had ever experienced in his life.In less than half a year, he broke through from Planetary Level 2 all the way to Planetary Level 4, leaping from the lowest-ranked disciple among his teacher's students to one of the top performers.
Such rapid progress gave him the illusion that he had truly become powerful.
But in the months since Qi Yuan's departure, Cang Fan felt everything had reverted back to square one.Without the Earth Soul Liquid gifted by his teacher, his progress in cultivation slowed drastically.And lacking guidance, his comprehension in cultivation almost stagnated, with difficult hurdles holding him back for long periods.
The overwhelming sense of regression shattered the confidence he had painstakingly rebuilt after being the "bottom of the class."
"I was always such a useless failure, yet teacher still trusts me so deeply... Teacher, you truly are the best in the world!"
Tears filled Cang Fan's aged eyes as he collapsed to the ground and bowed deeply, knocking his head on the floor three times with loud thuds.
"Disciple Cang Fan pays respects to the teacher!"
"Uh..."
Qi Yuan was caught off guard by this sudden outpouring of respect from his old student and after a moment waved his hand:
"Get up, there's no need for such formalities next time."
"Yes, Teacher."
At these words, Cang Fan rose and stood respectfully to one side, but his eyes kept darting to Qi Yuan's hands, full of eager anticipation.
"This old fellow isn't missing me — he just wants the treasures in my hands," Qi Yuan thought, silently rolling his eyes at Cang Fan's impatience.
But calling Cang Fan here was exactly for this reason.
The trip to Lanka Star had lasted nearly three months, and Qi Yuan had wasted two system return opportunities.Now back on Thunderstorm Star, he had to quickly use the return chance he had been holding onto.
He had already decided what to offer this time.
He flipped his hand, and ten milky-white, faintly fragrant Mist Crystal Stones appeared in his palm.
Ever since exposing his domain on Lanka Star, his resource supply had been upgraded by Hugo to the same level as a Star Level 9 elite guard.
Now, every month he received ten Muya Crystals and ten kilograms of Earth Soul Liquid from Lao Wu.
The ten white crystals in his palm were this month's batch of Muya Crystals.
If he wanted to follow Hugo to participate in the apprentice mercenary trial a year from now, he had to reach Star Level 6 within a year.
In that case, the effect of Muya Crystals alone wouldn't be enough.
Muya Crystals are precious mainly because they contain abundant life force and have no side effects when used.
But they're not particularly effective for rapid cultivation boosts over a short time.
So the best plan was to use the Muya Crystals as a "gift," hoping to trigger the system's return function and receive higher-quality cultivation aids in return.
"The last time I used Muya Crystals as a gift, the reward was Dragon Vein Fruits that accelerate flesh and blood evolution. One fruit alone boosted me from Star Level 3 to 4.""If this time I get more Dragon Vein Fruits back, breaking through two levels in one year shouldn't be difficult!"
With his decision made, Qi Yuan didn't hesitate.
He looked at Cang Fan with earnestness and said:
"These are precious 'Muya Crystals' from the universe that promote life evolution. I believe you have already experienced their wonders last time."
"A year from now, your teacher might follow the master to participate in a deadly trial, and whether I return safely is uncertain."
"These Muya Crystals are all my savings — take them and use them well to quickly improve your strength."
"If... if I can't return safely, then the responsibility to save our people and continue the Thunder Source Tribe's legacy will rest on you!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a swirl of primal energy lifted the ten Muya Crystals, floating them before Cang Fan.
Originally, Cang Fan had only hoped the treasures from his teacher would help him increase his strength quickly.
But hearing Qi Yuan's sincere words as if entrusting his final will, a dormant volcano inside Cang Fan's heart suddenly erupted —
A profound sense of mission to bear a great responsibility had arisen!
What hovered before him was no longer just precious treasures to aid cultivation.
It was a heavy inheritance filled with endless expectations and trust from his most beloved teacher!
A mission and responsibility that a young man cannot evade, destined to be fulfilled over a lifetime!
"Teacher!"
In that moment, thousands of thoughts surged in Cang Fan's heart, but they all condensed into one solemn vow:
"Thank you for your great kindness, Teacher. Rest assured, I will always remember your teachings and devote my life to carrying on the legacy of the Thunder Source Tribe!"
He then bowed deeply to Qi Yuan before reverently collecting the floating Muya Crystals.
At the same time, a system notification sounded in Qi Yuan's mind:
[Gifted disciple 10 Muya Crystals successfully!][Base return multiplier: 8x, commencing return.][Detected great surprise caused by gift to disciple, triggering 100x critical bonus! Final return multiplier: 800x!][Return reward: 20 Dragon Vein Fruits. Perfect critical triggered special reward: 1 drop of Dragon Essence.][Rewards stored in system space, can be claimed at any time.]
Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!!!
At the system prompt, Qi Yuan's eyes lit up instantly!A 100x critical strike! A full 20 Dragon Vein Fruits!Even though consuming them consecutively would reduce effectiveness, this should be enough to boost him to Star Level 6!
Moreover, to his surprise, the system had hidden bonuses!Triggering a perfect 100x critical also granted a special reward!Dragon Essence — just the name sounded even rarer and more precious than Dragon Vein Fruits!
"Hahaha, good disciple, truly a good disciple!"
Qi Yuan smiled warmly at Cang Fan standing before him —He really was a loyal and attentive student!Though his base return multiplier wasn't high, he almost always triggered critical bonuses.
And this time, he even earned a "five-star rating," triggering the system's special reward!
If it weren't for his cultivation level and base multiplier lagging behind Qi Yuan's own growth, he wouldn't want to replace him with another bound disciple.
"Good disciple, I believe in you. Now go back and train hard. Hehe, be careful on the way, don't get hurt. If you want anything to eat, just tell your teacher."
Qi Yuan's gentle tone was like melting water as he sent Cang Fan off from the cave.