"Teacher, please hurry and tell me, how do I form a blood pact?"
Han Feng was growing impatient. Having just witnessed the terrifying capabilities of the Ziqing Thunder Sword, he couldn't wait to forge a bond with it.
Chu Yang slapped Han Feng right across the forehead, leaving the young man completely dazed. Aggrieved, Han Feng rubbed his forehead with a bewildered expression.
Sighing, Chu Yang said, "Did you forget what I told you earlier?"
Han Feng clutched his forehead, completely at a loss.
"Can a mere magical tool accept a pact?"
Chu Yang looked profoundly exasperated, inwardly complaining about how terrible this guy's memory was.
Sudden realization dawned on Han Feng, instantly followed by a gloomy expression.
Seeing Han Feng looking like he was constipated, Chu Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, you've already won the approval of the Ziqing Thunder Sword. Forming a pact is just a matter of time."
Helplessly, Han Feng picked up the long sword and prepared to sling it across his back.
Yet, strangely enough, he clearly felt that the weight of the sword had decreased significantly.
"Teacher, why does this sword feel like it's gotten lighter?"
Twirling his beard, Chu Yang laughed heartily. "Haha! Since you've gained the approval of the Ziqing Thunder Sword, your spiritual energies are now connected. Naturally, you can wield it through spiritual energy."
"So that's how it is!"
Han Feng came to a sudden understanding and nodded repeatedly.
"Now, as long as you cultivate diligently and raise your realm as quickly as possible, the grade of the Ziqing Thunder Sword will also increase. Once it reaches the level of a Spirit Artifact, you'll be able to form a pact, and besides..."
At this point, Chu Yang stopped mid-sentence, swallowing the rest of his words.
Seeing Chu Yang trail off halfway, Han Feng wore an extremely disgruntled look.
Chu Yang couldn't help but chuckle. He patted Han Feng on the head and said, "Once you form a pact with it, you'll naturally know."
Not this again!
Deeply dissatisfied with Chu Yang's constant habit of leaving him hanging, Han Feng wore a look of utter disdain.
"Alright, wipe that expression off your face. Get some good rest tonight, and tomorrow I will officially begin teaching you cultivation!"
Chu Yang squinted, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Woah!
Hearing this, Han Feng's eyes practically lit up. He was full of anticipation to see what his teacher would teach him.
Just as Han Feng was about to ask, Chu Yang directly turned into a wisp of blue smoke and retreated into the ring.
Sigh!
Han Feng let out a helpless sigh and readied himself to head back.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw all the elders gathered there. Except for the Second Elder, they seemed to be waiting specifically for him.
Han Feng entered the courtyard and tiptoed, preparing to slip past them unnoticed.
Just then, the Great Elder spotted him and shouted, "Fenger, wait a moment."
Great, there was no avoiding it.
With a cold and stern expression, Han Feng stopped in his tracks.
A swarm of elders immediately closed in around him, looking him up and down.
Han Feng noticed that even the elders who previously despised him were now looking at him with unconcealed excitement, which left him utterly baffled. He asked, "Elders, what is the meaning of this...?"
The Great Elder was the first to react. He gave a light cough and asked with a feigned air of solemnity, "Fenger, I heard your strength has recovered?"
The surrounding elders tightly encircled Han Feng, waiting for his reply.
Han Feng curled his lip and replied reluctantly, "Where on earth did you hear that from?"
The elders exchanged glances and broke out into hearty laughter.
Even more perplexed, Han Feng kept his eyes fixed on the elders, waiting for an answer.
"Fenger, are you still going to pretend? Some clansmen said you scared Han Big to the point of wetting himself this morning."
Han Feng couldn't help muttering inwardly, *Word travels fast.*
Without denying it, Han Feng gave a heavy nod.
At this, looks of excitement flickered in the eyes of the elders, as if they were looking at a walking treasure.
This gave Han Feng a particularly creepy feeling. After all, he knew these people's true colors all too well—earlier they had looked at him with sheer disgust, wishing he would drop dead sooner, yet now they were gazing at him with eager anticipation.
At that moment, the Great Elder asked, "So, do you have what it takes for the Four Great Families assembly?"
Impatiently, Han Feng replied, "Didn't Han Bing tell me that you've already installed him as the young master of the Han Family? I don't have the qualifications to fight on behalf of the Han Family."
Seeing this, one of the elders stepped forward to play the peacemaker. "Ah, what are you saying? How could Han Bing possibly be qualified to be the young master? That position belongs to you and you alone."
Han Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, stepped closer to that elder, and asked, "Didn't you tell me to hand over the jade pendant back in the main hall? Have you forgotten, Elder?"
Gulp!
The elder's expression turned unsightly, instantly flushing red to the roots of his hair, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
Seeing this, the other elders who had been just about to chime in quietly backed away to the sides, not daring to utter a sound—after all, none of them had clean hands when it came to kicking him while he was down.
At this, the Great Elder stepped forward with a beaming smile and said, "Fenger, as a member of the Han Family, you bear an unshirkable responsibility toward the family. You must attend this assembly of the Four Great Families."
Han Feng didn't want to disrespect the Great Elder, especially since the Great Elder had genuinely treated him fairly well. So, he placated him, saying, "Father has the final say on this matter. If Father lets me go, I'll go. Alright, I'm done arguing with you all, I'm going to go see my Father."
Han Feng turned and walked away without looking back, leaving a group of awkward elders standing in the wind in complete disarray.
Entering the inner room, he saw Han Tian sitting on the bed. His complexion had recovered quite nicely, and Han Feng hurried forward, dropping to his knees by the bedside as he called out, "Father!"
Seeing Han Feng arrive, Han Tian smiled, pulled Han Feng up by the arm, and asked, "Fenger, I heard from Han Yuan that you've recovered?"
Gulp!
Inwardly, Han Feng couldn't help cursing, *That guy's mouth is fast.*
Nodding, Han Feng replied, "More or less, though I'm still a far cry from where I was back in the day."
Hearing Han Feng's affirmative reply, Han Tian threw his head back and laughed heartily, muttering to himself, "I knew my son, Han Tian's son, wouldn't stay down forever! My son is the undisputed genius of Guiyuan City from back then!"
Because he was too excited, Han Tian accidentally choked on his breath and immediately lowered his head into a coughing fit.
Seeing this, Han Feng quickly stood up to support him, gently patting his back to soothe him.
Catching his breath, Han Tian grabbed Han Feng's hand and asked, "Fenger, do you have confidence in this upcoming Four Great Families assembly?"
With that, Han Tian couldn't help coughing a few more times.
With a gloomy expression, Han Feng remained silent.
Han Tian patted the back of Han Feng's hand, soothingly saying, "Fenger, I know you might harbor some resentment toward the clan, but after all, you are also a part of the Han Family. The glory and decline of the Han Family is a responsibility and obligation you cannot shirk."
Originally, due to his dissatisfaction with the elders, Han Feng had no intention of participating. But since Han Tian was also urging him, Han Feng could only set aside his prejudices and give a slight nod.
Immediately after, Han Feng took out the medicine for internal injuries he had purchased, placed it into Han Tian's hands, and urged him, "This is medicine I bought to treat internal injuries. You must take it."
Holding the medicine in his hands, Han Tian's eyes welled up with hot tears. He looked at Han Feng with deep emotion, stroked Han Feng's cheek, and smiled. "My boy has grown up!"