Chapter 742: Half-Master
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Lin Feng waited for a moment longer to let Luo Yao recover and get his bearings again.
From their brief interaction previously, Lin Feng could tell that this young man was determined, his mind was rational and he was cool-headed.
This event heavily affected him, but was not enough to cause him to lose his mind. For Luo Yao right now, the greatest problem was with his confusion with his sense of self and the many questions he had that went unanswered.
Luo Yao’s soul was residing inside the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl. Even though his thoughts were in a mess, he could still maintain a certain degree of composure and observe the outside world with objective eyes.
He began to realize that the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl was flying through the void, as if it was trying to go somewhere.
After a while, it surged through layers of the void and a young man with a bronze skin and a purple robe appeared in front of him – it was Lin Feng.
Luo Yao’s mouth gaped open. "Sir, so you were the one that buried this magical pearl into my soul?"
Luo Yao was not trying to chide or blame Lin Feng. Instead, his tone seemed to suggest he wanted Lin Feng to explain to him what was going on. "Do you know what happened to me?"
Lin Feng extended his hand and caught the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl with his palm. He channeled his consciousness into the golden pearl and started to communicate with Luo Yao. "I am aware of what happened to you through my connection to the golden pearl."
"It’s true that I am the one that buried the golden pearl into your body. Before this, all I detected was that your soul was a little unusual and you were somehow fated with the golden pearl. This was the reason why I gave the pearl to you – everything else that happened afterwards was all part and parcel of your destiny."
Luo Yao nodded his head in acknowledgement. Even though the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl that Lin Feng left behind changed his life, and could even be said to have reversed his entire life before today. He lost his friendships and relationships with Mu Yu, Yun Jinxi and the others as well. However, he knew right from wrong and he did not resent Lin Feng for what happened.
If not for the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl reincarnating his demonic soul and remade a physical body for him, he would have perished under the claws and talons of the draconic onslaught. Even Yun Jinxi, Cao Zhendong and the others would have met unfortunate fates as well.
For self-centered people and people who liked to blame others for personal grievances, they would probably have harbored other thoughts and ideas. For example, Lin Feng could have beaten back the draconic invasion by himself and sent them back to the Luofu Mystical Island with great ease. That would have been a kind of ‘happily ever after’ scenario where nobody would get hurt, and Luo Yao himself would not turn into a demon and antagonize his human partners.
Luo Yao was not such a person. Everybody had only met Lin Feng once, and nobody knew whether they were friends or foes – there was simply no reason for Lin Feng to put himself in harm’s way for them.
"Senior, What am I…" Luo Yao started to ask cautiously.
Lin Feng replied calmly, "That female cultivator was right. You are a demon, and you were born with a demonic soul. However, your demonic soul had been separated from your original physical body and inserted into the Samsara, where it was reborn in the body of a human. The Samsara did not eradicate your true spirit, therefore this is the original body of your demonic soul."
"As for your foundations and your race…" Lin Feng paused momentarily and said, "You look like a wolf on two legs, limbs and claws that resemble those of dragons, silver-white fur and hair, three horns on your head and purple light patterns all over your body."
"The Hades Race of the olden days have the very same physical features. I don’t think you’ve heard of this race before when you were still a human as the entire race went extinct for thousands of years. But I think you have some form of recollection."
Luo Yao’s soul shook a little and made a gesture that resembled a sigh. "You are absolutely right. I actually have an impression of the word ‘Hades’. However, a lot of the images that flashed through my head were in bits and pieces and everything was disconnected."
Luo Yao started to laugh. "It seems as if my name should be… Big Luo Hades. This is my original name."
"Who would have known? The nickname that Yun Jinxi gave me when we were kids turns out to be my real name. What a coincidence! Haha!"
Even though he was laughing, Luo Yao’s words were charged with agony and grief – there was not a single trace of happiness or satisfaction in his words.
Lin Feng watched him and thought to himself, "Big Luo Hades… The person that gave him this name would not have been so clueless like the little girl. That person must have had high hopes for this young man, and the person himself must have been extremely proud."
"The only thing is, there are still so many secrets hidden within his demonic soul. I wonder what they are?"
Lin Feng continued to watch Luo Yao’s new form in front of him. Even though this young man did not resent Lin Feng, Lin Feng knew from the bottom of his heart that it was he who harbored ulterior motives. He wanted to see the rebirth of the Big Luo Hades, and he wanted to see it recover its original appearance.
If they had not met Lin Feng at all, the fates of the entire company would have been hard to predict. Mu Yu and the others could have simply perished in the initial attack by the three demonic lord stage powerhouses before Lin Feng stepped him. They could have met their demises in the chaotic battle that just transpired. However, it was a little different for the young Luo Yao. Whether it was the death of his human body or his rebirth into as a demon, it was unclear which part of his life was the preferable choice.
Especially so when Luo Yao had no choice at all in the entire procession of events. All he could do was watch on as everything unfurled before his very eyes.
While he suffered some form of psychological trauma from his experiences, he was still in awe about the way one’s destiny can affect one’s life. In the end, Luo Yao was not full of resentment or regret, and could still remember the single voice that resonated through his head as he was about to die.
"I cannot die! I want to save them! I want to save Senior Mu and Jinxi and the others!"
From that moment on and all the way till now, Big Luo was sure that he thirsted for power – at the very least, he thirsted for enough power to protect himself and the people around him.
This made him feel a certain degree of gratitude towards Lin Feng. Even though this came at a huge cost, but no pain no gain, right?
He turned towards Lin Feng and put his hands together as a sign of respect. "Thank you for saving my life.’
He asked again immediately after, "Senior, the flashbacks are all in bits and pieces and I can’t fathom anything out of them. Can you explain them to me? What exactly happened to me?"
Lin Feng swept up the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl and started flying towards the entrance to the Ying Sea as he spoke. "There are many things that you have to find out on your own. If you wish to see the truth, you have do it yourself. All I can do is give some pointers and give you some leads."
Big Luo had a sudden revelation as he answered, "Sorry, I was confused. I have yet to ask you how I should address you."
Lin Feng replied plainly, "I am the leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders, Lin Feng. The body you before you now is just one of my avatars."
He glanced at Big Luo’s soul inside the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl and continued, "This avatar is forged from the Saros Steel Tree. However, the demonic form had yet to mature when I changed its physical quality. Therefore, it was cultivated in human form."
Big Luo was a little taken aback. "The Leader of the Celestial Sect of Wonders!"
He glimpsed Lin Feng from time to time as he started to feel a little uncomfortable. If not for the reawakening of his demonic soul and that his soul had a kind of arrogance that originated from the Hades Race, he would have gone on his knees as a sign of respect.
In the end, in comparison to his previous existence as a Qi cultivation stage cultivation, even people like the Luofu Holy Man was pretty much a dictator-like supreme being to the other cultivators in the East Sea and enjoyed a great degree of reverence. Lin Feng, on the other hand, was a giant of the entire human race and was somebody not even the Luofu Holy Man could match.
Even though the body before him was just one of Lin Feng’s avatars, the respect and reverence that came from the bottom of his heart was the same.
Lin Feng said quietly, "I unintentionally acquired the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl, and it seems as if you two are fated to be together. I will gift it to you temporarily to contain your soul, but if you wish to use the magic item and form a physical body, you should know your previous experience that it’s only temporary and you can’t sustain it for too long."
"Every time you reform your physical form, you need exactly seven days to recover before you can make the next transformation."
Big Luo’s soul ended up kneeling down before Lin Feng anyway. "Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for my rebirth. I may useless and pathetic, but I hope to follow you around to repay my debts and I hope you can give me this opportunity."
He did not even dare to speak of becoming Lin Feng’s disciple and whatnot. He had already received a great favor from Lin Feng, and his thinking was a little different now that he was starting to understand what being a beast of Hades meant. If Lin Feng were to take him in as a disciple, he could create a lot more unnecessary trouble for Lin Feng and would probably incur the public wrath of cultivators in the Divine Lands.
If he was simply another demon from a random race, then perhaps that would still be fine, but his identity as a beast of Hades was simply too unique.
The meaning in his words was similar to the position of Dao Zhiqiang. All he wanted to do was repay Lin Feng for his favors by doing whatever he could for Lin Feng, and he did not want to ask for too much.
Of course, he still thought like a human and did not even consider becoming someone’s mount.
Lin Feng smiled plainly and said, "I can tell that your talent values must be way above average once your demonic form truly matures. Your personality has also exceeded my typical criteria, and you and I are fated after all. It’s not too much to ask for even if I take you in as a disciple."
"If I wish to take someone in as a disciple, I act on my own volition and only my own."
He turned to look at Big Luo inside the Heavenly Oyster’s Golden Pearl. "However, if you wish to realize the potential of your talents and not waste your superior talent and innate abilities, I will have to forge the authentic physical body of a beast of Hades for you. Only then can your soul and spirit truly harmonize and your potential be realized."
"A human form will hinder your development. Even if you ply the craft under my guidance, your progress will be a lot slower than otherwise."
Lin Feng continued to explain. "The Hades Race controls the most supreme mantra of the demons – the complete version of the Demonic Book of the Heavenly Tao. Even though you’re no longer with your tribe, you don’t have to worry as you will surely make your own discoveries if you put in the effort to understand the secrets of your identity hidden in the recesses of your memory."
Big Luo nodded his head as he listened while Lin Feng kept explaining. "Therefore, you can’t be considered my disciple and I don’t need you to follow me around either. You have your own journey to travel. If you have any questions or if you need help, I will be there to guide you."
"Thank you, Half-Master Lin." Big Luo knelt down once again. He addressed Lin Feng according to the traditional customs of the Divine Lands – this title was something one called a senior that was not officially one’s mentor, but had guided that individual in one way or another.
There were two types of Half-Masters in the Grand Celestial World. One type was the one being the mentor did not see himself as a master even though the disciple perceived him as one. Their relationship was distinct, and while one was undoubtedly of a higher status than the other, they could be considered equals.
This scenario usually arose when a cultivator gave another one pointers and guided him along the latter’s path of cultivation. However, they were both unable to commit to such a ceremonial and official relationship as mentor and disciple, thus they were generally considered to be half friends and half master-and-disciple at the same time.
Big Luo belonged to the second type.
Lin Feng had bestowed upon him favors of rebirth amongst others. Even though he was not Lin Feng’s direct disciple and did not learn his mantras, Lin Feng still gave him pointers about the road he had to take in the future. It was quite clear that Lin Feng intended to help him re-forge his original physical body as well. Therefore, Big Luo perceived Lin Feng as his master but did not feel qualified to think himself as one of Lin Feng’s disciples.
He would put in his all to carry out the instructions that Lin Feng would eventually task him with, along with Xiao Yan, Zhu Yi and the others. However, he would be extremely low-key in public and would not call himself Lin Feng’s disciple.
Perhaps it was more appropriate to call him the ‘half-disciple’ instead, but the traditions of the Grand Celestial World lumped both circumstances together and simply called it the ‘Half-master relationship’.
"Let’s go. The first step to your discovery of the truth is to step into the Ying Sea." Lin Feng was not too concerned about what he should call Big Luo, and not before long he was already inside the Ying Sea and flying along the surface of the misty ocean.