Chapter 68: Officially Claimed

Chapter 68: Officially ClaimedWith no other option left, Light had to speak.

He knew that if he stayed silent, his credibility with the Peak Master would plummet.

And if he tried to lie? She’d see through it instantly — and the consequences would be worse.

Resigned, he painfully admitted, "Peak Master, it’s like this... the disciple we were all fighting over is an Irregular."

"Oh?" The Peak Master raised a brow. "Now this is interesting."

Immediately, her divine sense swept through the whole room, and her gaze locked onto Yu Xuan.

And then—

The entire room froze.

No, time itself seemed to grind to a halt.

A moment later, an unseen force erupted outward, as if the very fabric of reality rejected the presence of others.

In an instant, all the other peak masters — even Elder Kun — were forcibly ejected from the chamber like they were naturally outside to begin with.



It was quiet outside.

Deathly quiet.

Then came the shouting.

Darkness was the first to speak, utterly frustrated. "You had to open your mouth!"

"She would’ve found out anyway!" Light barked back. "You think she wouldn’t scan the room?"

Daoist Terra crossed his arms. "I told you idiots to keep your mouths shut until the matter was settled."

"You were the one who said we stand a chance!" snapped Daoist Waterfull. "Your delay tactics were pathetic."

Timeless rubbed his temples. "I haven’t been this embarrassed since I accidentally reversed time on my own cultivation. Do you know how painful it is to re-breakthrough a bottleneck?"

Timeless sighed, he was really time troubled that time.

"Oh, wow. Try being the one who promised the disciple an entire vault of resources," muttered Light darkly.

Vastness groaned, his spatial projection flickering. "I thought this was just a talented disciple, not the sect’s next generational upheaval."

"You said the same thing about the last one, who became a madman in two weeks," said True Flame sarcastically.

"That was my mistake alright!" Vastness growled.

Meanwhile, Elder Kun calmly dusted off his robe. "You all blame me like I planned this," he said smugly. "Yet I’m not the one who screamed about not cutting territories in front of the Peak Master."

"She’s going to remember everything, isn’t she?" muttered Thunder Jr., staring into the horizon as if reconsidering his entire existence.

"Oh, she’ll remember," Elder Kun said with a smile. "And the worst part?"

Everyone looked at him.

"She hasn’t even stated your punishments yet."

A collective sigh ran through the group.

They all knew one thing now:

They had lost.

And Yu Xuan?

Yu Xuan was no longer just a promising disciple.

He was officially "claimed."



And no one was ready to find out what kind of Peak Master could forcibly eject all of them with a flick of her will.

***

While chaos unfolded outside, inside the chamber, everything was still.

Time itself had halted.

The projection of the Peak Master stood before Yu Xuan, untouched by the frantic energy beyond the walls.

Her gaze fell upon the boy in front of her, and for a moment — just a moment — something deep within her stirred. Memories long buried clawed at the edges of her consciousness, threatening to resurface.

But she forcefully suppressed them.

Silently, she stepped closer, her expression unreadable. Then, gently, she reached out and traced her fingers along the curve of Yu Xuan’s face.

"So similar..." she whispered under her breath.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, a glimmer of disbelief within them.

"But how is this possible? That breath... that life signature... even that face — how could I ever forget it?"

Now cupping his face in both hands, her voice wavered slightly. "He looks exactly the same. And yet..."

Her gaze softened, and for a fleeting instant, sadness flashed through her eyes — raw, real, and ancient — before vanishing beneath a layer of practiced calm.

"Could he be his descendant?" she murmured, her voice quieter than before.

But as her senses extended further and she studied his every aspect, she saw it — an invisible thread of fate, glowing faintly, tethering her soul to his.

Her breath caught.

A slow, wistful smile formed on her lips. "This string... it shouldn’t exist if it was someone else. And yet, here it is."

She lingered for a few more seconds, soaking in the impossible truth before her.

"Maybe this is just an illusion... But even if it is, I want to see it through. To the very end."

With a quiet sigh, she pulled her hand away and let time resume its natural course.

Her expression shifted once more — into that signature lazy, unreadable smirk known across the sect. She leaned slightly, adopting the casual, mysterious posture of a peak master unconcerned with worldly matters.

To Yu Xuan, she now appeared calm and aloof — her expression unreadable, her presence vast and multicolored like the essence of all elements bound into one form.

She stood there, seemingly composed, exuding an aura of quiet dominance that made it hard to judge what she was thinking.

Yu Xuan looked at her closely. Her form shimmering and ethereal. For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.



He fumbled for words, his voice catching in his throat, but then managed to steady himself. "I greet the Peak Master," he said respectfully and bowed low.

The Peak Master studied him in silence for a few seconds, her gaze far deeper than it appeared. Then, with a subtle smile curling her lips, she spoke, "Child, I heard that you possess an all-elemental affinity."

"Yes, Peak Master," Yu Xuan replied honestly, standing straight and meeting her gaze, though it took effort. There was a weight in her presence that pressed down on his very soul.

Then she tilted her head slightly, that mysterious smile never leaving her face.

"Say, Yu Xuan... do you want to become my disciple?"

To Yu Xuan the words weren’t delivered with force, but the implication behind them felt monumental — like the heavens themselves had gone quiet, waiting for his reply.

Something about her tone, that teasing smirk — it tickled his instincts, made him want to retreat.

His mind screamed, ’Say no! Say no! You’re being lured into something strange!’

But his body was honest.

Before he could overthink it, his knees bent and his upper body dropped into a deep, formal bow.

"Please accept me as your disciple!" he declared loudly, his voice clear and unwavering.

The smirk on her face widened slightly. For her it felt amusing.