Chapter 131: Ancestor Chen Takes an Apprentice

Watching the Demon Ancestor step through the void toward me, my heart trembled. For a moment, I actually forgot to resist, instead pointing a shaking finger at him and stammering, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Are you trying to pull some gay stunt?"

"I don't know why you have such a twisted mind, kid. I’m just asking you—do you want to defy the heavens?"

Ancestor Chen had reached my side by then. He patted my shoulder with his large hand as he spoke.

With the Demon Ancestor having withdrawn his demonic energy, the world had become brilliantly clear. Below us, ancient trees stretched out, and the occasional cry of an ape echoed through the canopy.

There was one thing I didn’t understand: Ancestor Chen’s attitude toward us had shifted completely. This three-hundred-sixty-degree turn was a bit hard to process, especially since he was actually asking if I wanted to defy the heavens.

Defying the heavens was no small matter; it meant making an enemy of the Lord of the Six Paths. While the Demon Ancestor was more powerful than the Lord of the Six Paths, the latter commanded a vast army of great gods. Their sheer numbers would surely give them the edge, unless the Demon Ancestor also possessed a legion of demon gods.

"Defying the heavens? You make it sound so easy. You’re more badass than the Lord of the Six Paths, so of course it’s a breeze for you. But I’m just a lowly supernatural cultivator—what do I have to defy the heavens with?"

After I finished speaking, I watched as Ancestor Chen circled me. Although I couldn't fathom what he was doing, I felt there was no immediate danger.

The sun was shining brightly now, and we were the only two people above the vast, endless forest. Yet, as I looked into his eyes, I felt like he had some ulterior motive for me.

"On the path of cultivation, if you want to achieve greatness, you cannot succeed without guidance. My meaning is, since you and I are fated, why don't I make an exception and take you as my disciple?"

As Ancestor Chen finished these words, his finger pierced right through my defensive talismans and tapped the top of my head. It was just a casual tap, with no infusion of supernatural energy into my body.

Hearing this, I was bewildered. A Demon Ancestor who surpassed the Six Paths wanted to take a rookie like me as his apprentice? It felt unbelievable. To be sure he wasn't joking, I asked, "Are you for real?"

"Hah! You still don't believe me? Fine, I will grant you a mark so that the seven realms—Heaven, Earth, Humanity, Demons, Spirits, Immortals, and Monsters—will all know you are the disciple of the Demon Ancestor. However, never reveal this mark unless you are in a desperate situation, for every one of my disciples is a Master of Divine Retribution. Once it is revealed, it will invite endless trouble!"

Once Ancestor Chen finished speaking, his finger, still pressed to my forehead, moved. A formless streak of purple energy darted into my body, and within moments, it formed a six-element diagram on my chest—distinct from the five-element map, symbolizing the transcendence of the five elements as he had described.

High above, the finger Ancestor Chen pressed to my head erupted with a massive sphere of white light. It illuminated the vast forest so brightly that there wasn't a single shadow left; everything was blanketed in a snow-like luminescence, as if a small planet had ignited in mid-air.

This white light did not just illuminate the forest; it shone across all seven realms. However, aside from the Heavenly Realm, the other six realms did not understand what it signified, so they paid it little mind.

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Realm, the Lord of the Six Paths was furrowing his brow, pressing his temples and shaking his head incessantly. Below him, the gods were plunged into panic.

A white-bearded old man stood on the divine platform, reporting the situation to the Lord of the Six Paths: "Heavenly Emperor, Ancestor Chen is taking on a disciple again. I fear the Immortal God from the ancient era has been reincarnated!"

After speaking, the old man retracted his platform to where the other gods stood, wringing his hands as he pondered a countermeasure.

Above the forest in the Human Realm, Ancestor Chen shielded the world from what was happening; those outside could see the white light, but they could see no one at all.

Once the mark was complete, a flash of purple light swept through, and Ancestor Chen vanished. The remains of the Ancient Giant Lizard spontaneously disintegrated, turning into chunks of flesh that rained down from the sky, filling the deep craters created by Fang Panguo and Barker.

Seeing that Ancestor Chen was gone, I pulled back my shirt and looked down. Sure enough, there was a six-element diagram the size of a palm on my chest. I looked down toward the ground.

Fang Panguo and Barker were flying up toward me, trembling and covered in blood—though most of it was from the Ancient Giant Lizard.

Before I could even wrap my head around the situation, I had vaguely become a disciple of Ancestor Chen. And he had said every one of his disciples was a Master of Divine Retribution.

Could I be a Master of Divine Retribution too? I didn't understand what he meant by that, but it sounded like a powerful title. If what he said was true, didn't that mean I was a person of immense potential?

"Xiaodong, are you okay? Where did that demon, Ancestor Chen, go?"

Fang Panguo and Barker flew to my side. After Fang Panguo asked, Barker looked around nervously, fearing that the Demon Ancestor might suddenly appear from the void and knock him down from a hundred meters in the air again.

"Don't bother looking. He’s already gone. Let’s head back. I need to return to the academy, and Barker, you should go find Uncle Mao." I didn't tell them what Ancestor Chen had said. I spread my wings and headed toward Z City, with the others following closely behind, parting ways once we entered the city.

Later, I saw in a news report that Fang Panguo hadn't reported the truth. Instead, he told the provincial department that the police station had been destroyed in a terrorist attack.

After all, in this era of breaking down superstition, no one would believe that supernatural phenomena were real. Even if you had photos and videos, people would just think they were photoshopped. Sometimes, a lie is exactly what's needed to cover up the truth.

I returned to human form outside Z City, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the academy. I couldn't afford any more delays; the final graduation exams were coming up, and I wanted to leave a good impression on my instructors.

Back at the academy, I saw Li Yan, but she didn't ask me about my studies. She just gave me a smile and brushed past me.

With only five days left until the graduation exams, students who didn't earn enough credits would be expelled.

Even though I was certain I would pass—in fact, I was determined to—I couldn't afford to be careless. If I slipped up, or if my supernatural abilities decided to play a prank on me and suddenly vanished during the exam, I would be filled with eternal regret. It would be too late to cry by then.