"The Basilisk Forest…" Yan Zaizen couldn't help but feel somewhat lost. His current location could be considered incredibly far away from the Yan Clan - over ten thousands li. With his cultivation, it'll take several years to get back to the Yan Clan. Not to mention the obstacles he'd have to face especially since true flight capabilities required a cultivation base at the Qi Unification. His current realm was only at the peak-initial Qi Revolving realm.
Considering his cultivation base and where he was, it would be unlikely for him to even survive this place. If it wasn't for him possessing a Nascent Herculean Physique and a Perfect Nascent Soul, he would be unwilling to leave his two fellow disciples. Well, perhaps not Shin Xuanji. However, he would definitely have stuck with the Essence Formation Lin Feilin until he left the forest, otherwise, it'd be certain death.
"For now, I need to exit this forest." He planned, looking at the Basilisk Tree, and then at the opposite direction behind him. As long as he ventured away from the tree, he'll exit at some point. Thinking up to here, he decided his path and left.
The Basilisk Forest truly lived up to its reputation of being the home of serpents and reptiles. With his spiritual sense, he could sense many slithering and scaly creatures roaming about. He could tell their cultivation were by no means weak. Each beast he came across was at least rank two or above, and rank two meant around the late-stage Qi Revolving realm. Rank three beasts were equivalent to Essence Formation beasts, and he stayed away from them like the plague.
Using his spiritual sense, he took paths away from the truly dangerous ones, and to prevent himself from having to fight and attract attention, he would purposefully avoid even the rank two disaster beasts. Currently, he wasn't looking to obtain disaster beasts cores or temper himself. This environment would be suitable if he was at the Essence Formation, but he wasn't. In truth, he couldn't help but wonder if Shin Xuanji would be able to escape the forest alive.
With his late Qi Revolving Realm, it didn't seem likely. However, the more he thought about it, he didn't know Shin Xuanji's comprehensive combat strength or talents. Not to mention, he was a disciple of Han Genji - an Origin Core Cultivator. He couldn't be too weak. He may actually be incredibly strong. In that case…
He couldn't help but sigh.
He never felt the burden the possible extermination of his entire clan brought before. It felt like a thousand-pound weight at the back of one's mind, constantly weighing down on your thoughts and mood.
"Is this how grandfather feels all the time?" He couldn't help but mumble.
Wait.
He forgot something.
Looking down at his palm, he saw the transparent piece of jade with slight soul energy fluctuations. This was the jade Han Genji gave him before sending him away. The transparent jade was smooth and cold to the touch and made him feel calm.
"Is this a soul jade?"
Soul jades were items that detailed arts, methods, insights into the laws, or other information of varied usefulness. The jade would allow you to view the contents directly with your spiritual sense with absolute clarity, and even if the jade is in an entirely different language that one didn't understand, one could still use their souls to comprehend it. These jades were especially tough, rare and could only be accessed by those with soul cultivation. Some soul jades could only be used when your soul cultivation reached a certain point, or if you cultivate a specific soul art.
Finding a relatively safe beast-free zone, he sat down quietly. His spiritual sense seeped into the jade and scanned its contents.
"Pneuma Disruption Soul Art...Anima Shield Soul Art...Source Sonar Soul Art…" There were three arts listed in the jade, one for offense, defense, and a unique means to use spiritual sense. Pneuma Disruption Soul Art was an aura-class soul attack that destroyed one's concentration and caused chaos within the soul. It seems its main focus was on destroying one's process of thought and rendering your opponent inept in battle temporarily or even permanently. Once the soul was in chaos, your mind would be heavily affected as a result.
The Anima Shield Soul Art was an internal-class soul art that constructed a shield to defend against other soul arts, and the world-class Source Sonar Soul Art allowed one to increase the range of one's sense by sending it out in waves and receiving them back. It wasn't as immediate as the normal usage of spiritual sense, but it enabled you to search a wide area and receive details about certain individuals whereabouts from a far distance. It was excellent in searching for people or gathering information of the battlefield.
He took a deep breath. Disbelief surged in his eyes as he looked towards the soul jade. The most unbelievable thing was that each of these arts was of the Superior-Grade. This grade of art would be core arts in top sects and clans. Even the Yan Clan only had one Superior-Grade art, but this jade contained three!
"Han Genji…" His emotions were incredibly complex at the moment. He didn't consider himself a disciple of Han Genji, but for his first and only thing given were of this level. How could one not feel conflicted?
He clenched the soul jade strongly. Should he practice it? If he did, would that mean he accepts Han Genji as his master? He felt that this jade just became so much heavier all of a sudden. Normally, a person wouldn't care about these things and focus on their individual strength first and foremost, but this was a matter that had to do with Yan Zaizen's personal principles.
If he accepts, then he would consider himself a true disciple of Han Genji.
If he declines, then he'll just sell the soul jade without practicing it.
A long while later, he made his decision. Practice it! Study it! Master it!
Even if Han Genji became his Master, then that would be fine, it didn't mean he had to risk his little life or anything for a grudge. He had already kowtowed, naked, to Han Genji. He addressed him as Master before and even received his tutelage - no matter how remote.
"I, Yan Zaizen, accept you as my Master from this day forward." He swore an internal oath of discipleship. He looked at the soul jade and sent his spiritual sense back inside.