Seeing his disciple's hesitation and anxiety, You Chen maintained a calm expression, gently patting Yan's head, though his eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions. He said, "Child, all feasts must come to an end."
Yan didn't hide his reluctance. "Teacher, can't I go with you? I want to continue learning by your side!"
You Chen withdrew his hand, shaking his head slightly. "You are a pure battle spirit master, not a researcher. I've taught you most of the knowledge you need as a battle spirit master. In terms of cultivation environment, the Spirit Hall in Spirit City is undoubtedly the best on the continent. It offers the richest resources, the best simulated environments, and the finest peers. Leaving Spirit City to study with me would mean giving up the best conditions during this golden age of cultivation, which is far from wise."
After taking in Qian Renxue, You Chen hadn't planned on accepting another disciple. But perhaps Yan's sycophantic demeanor reminded him of his past life, stirring a mix of disdain and empathy due to Yan's young age.
This serendipity led to their teacher-disciple relationship.
The talents of the Golden Generation trio were enough to attract the attention of the Titled Douluos in the Worship Hall. Although talent was just one of the preconditions, and some worshippers, who no longer pursued worldly desires, might not take on disciples, the trio's potential was undeniable.
In the original story, due to Bibi Dong taking Hu Liena as a disciple, the trio was considered part of her faction, and none of the worshippers took them as disciples.
But considering Bibi Dong's preference not to take male disciples, both Xie Yue and Yan could be seen as unofficial disciples of Bibi Dong.
You Chen essentially snatched a disciple from Bibi Dong.
Whether out of Yan's personal desire or to weaken Bibi Dong's influence, taking Yan as a disciple was more beneficial than harmful for You Chen.
But that was purely from a non-emotional standpoint. Over the years, he developed a deep bond with this pure-hearted disciple.
Given his conflicts with the Pope, leaving his beloved disciple in her vicinity wasn't something a responsible teacher would do.
Frankly, You Chen could provide the cultivation environment and resources—supporting a few top-tier talents with his wealth was trivial.
The main issue was that having Yan around would restrict many of his actions and complicate future explanations.
Moreover, having such an obvious "weakness" left in the main hall would likely reassure Bibi Dong.
Considering these factors, You Chen couldn't take Yan with him.
Facing the reality of separating from a mentor akin to a father, how could Yan accept it?
"No! Teacher! Even without Spirit City's resources, I want to follow you to continue learning and cultivating!" Yan clenched his fists, tears welling in his eyes, his voice firm.
"Don't be stubborn, Yan! Have you forgotten your dreams? Your goals? Yan, you're not a child anymore!"
You Chen's sudden reprimand seemed to freeze Yan.
As a teacher, You Chen wasn't just a gentle mentor; he was strict when necessary. He believed this was the mark of a responsible teacher.
So much so that when You Chen's tone intensified, Yan's body instinctively recalled the times You Chen turned into a stern teacher, standing straight and not daring to breathe loudly.
Seeing this, You Chen's expression softened. "I haven't forgotten your words about carrying my unfulfilled dream of becoming a Titled Douluo. Have you?"
Yan's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "How could I forget? Teacher, I will become the strongest Titled Douluo and see the peak you couldn't for you!"
His words were filled with determination.
He had often regretted and felt sorry for his teacher's lack of innate talent.
He believed that if his teacher had even slightly better innate spirit power, he would stand at the peak of the continent!
Therefore, he wanted to prove to the world that his teacher, You Chen, was constrained only by his talent, not a lack of strength!
He aimed to become a strong figure and broadcast his teacher's legacy from the world's pinnacle. He wanted to show the world who taught him.
His initial target was Hu Liena, taken as a disciple by the Pope. If he could surpass someone with the Pope's level of resources and talent, wouldn't that prove You Chen's teaching ability was superior to the Pope's?
Seeing Yan's excitement, You Chen barely contained his amusement. 'Alright, with this motivation boost, even without my supervision, this kid should give more than 100% in his cultivation efforts, right?'
"Ahem."
You Chen cleared his throat, interrupting Yan's thoughts, speaking gently, "I've taught you all I can. Since we've unexpectedly left the banquet due to that little Hu Liena, let's take this rare free time to test your learning progress. Consider this my final lesson to you."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Yan wiped his eyes, his reddened eyes showing determination as he responded firmly.
The scene shifted to the spacious training grounds in the manor's backyard, where the teacher and student stood facing each other.
They exchanged a glance, no words needed...
"Spirit Possession!"
"Spirit Possession!"
Yan's body was enveloped by a dark red shadow resembling a darker version of Ragnaros, with subtle changes manifesting as markings like molten cracks, forming what seemed like dark red armor.
On the other side, You Chen's sky-blue and green spirit power surged, transforming into the Star Skeleton Dragon with white as the dominant color, showing the dragon's details on his body.
Like Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's subtle changes with rabbit ears and cat ears, most beast spirit possessions only mildly transformed the user.
This highlighted the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's partial dragon transformation as exceptionally powerful.
It was akin to manifesting a weakened version of their spirit avatar, far beyond mere spirit possession.