n

n

n

"Hahaha...

"

n'Tap.'

n'Tap.'

nBao Fei came to stop right in front of Zhao Luo while Zhao Luo enjoyed the rhythmic laughter of the third elder.

n'The sound of his steps is intensifying the melody behind his laugh.'

nZhao Luo deduced while hearing the third elder's laugh.

nBut now the third elder was staring at him again.

n

"Let me 'SEE' what makes you special that even a disciple like him would consider you so great.

"

nThe third elder said loudly with his eyes locked on Zhao Luo.

n

"Hmm, You believe yourself. You want to achieve something big....

"

nThe third elder took another step closer to, Zhao Luo.

n

"You led many disciples on the dragon road. You followed the teachings so perfectly that there was no error. You helped the dwarves and led the disciples who followed you in helping them.

"

nThe others also listened to Zhao Luo's evaluation by the third elder.

nFor the others, Bao Fei only had a line to say. It wasn't even about how they did on the dragon road. But for Zhao Luo, the elder started from a random self character of Zhao Luo to his performance on the dragon road.

nHis decision and his action were all known by this half-bald man who was standing in front of them.

nThe third elder continued.

n

"But you have a big problem.

"

nThe third elder looked devastated.

nHe waved his hand and the cloud under their feet became invisible. The dragon road became invisible too.

nThey were still standing on it but couldn't see it anymore.

n'What did he do?'

nZhao Luo wondered as he looked at the third elder.

nZhao Luo could see the elder looking somewhere through the invisible Dragon Road.

nHe followed the sight and looked there too.

nZhao Luo was sure that he was looking back at the way he came from.

nThen he saw a big green area, which was the forest where Zhao Luo had fought with the Monwolves.

nHe could see many monwolves lying there in tragic forms. Some were missing their arms while some didn't have their legs.

nSome beasts were even headless. Then among these hundreds of monwolf. There were three who were cut cleanly in two to three pieces.

n'That was me.'

nZhao Luo had a smile on his face when he saw this scene.

nBut soon his smile disappeared and Zhao Luo had a devastated look on his face.

n

"What? Why are they lying around there?

"

nZhao Luo stepped back as if he couldn't believe it.

nWu Yang and the others saw the scene too.

n

"Did they fight among themselves?

"

nWu Yang said as they had killed all the monwolves.

nZhao Luo was watching the disciples that he had left behind. They were still in the forest and were in awful shape.

nEveryone was just lying around the trees with bloodstains on their robes. Their limbs were turned in such a way that slowed a clear fracture in their bones.

n

"Why would they fight?

"

nZhao Luo mumbled unconsciously.

n

"It was because you underestimated the dragon road and gave them a responsibility that was too big for them.

"

nThe elder answered Zhao Luo with a straight face.

n

"The coins were never for everyone, thus they were tested and they failed. The disciple with the most greed is still running around the forest with the reward.

"

nThe third elder pointed downwards and Zhao Luo could see a disciple who looked way better than others from his outer appearance.

nHe had a pouch in his hands and was running around the trees inside the forest.

nAfter watching him for a while.

n'He is trapped.'

nZhao Luo believed as the disciples would always turn left or right whenever he would come close to the exit of the forest.

n

"Yes, he is.

"

nBao Fei added like he could read Zhao Luo's thoughts.

n

"You could have helped them all.

"

nZhao Luo took a step back as the elder took a step towards him while pointing out a fact.

n

"You could have divided the reward too.

"

nThe third elder took another step towards Zhao Luo while Zhao Luo took another step back.

n

"You could have brought them all to the end.

"

nThe elder declared.

n

"It's all my fault.

"

nZhao Luo blamed himself. He looked drunk with the third elder's words.

nZhao Luo stumbled back and was going to fall.

nWu Yang caught him so he looked back and saw the faces of others that were telling another story than the one the third elder was talking about.

n

"They had chosen this fate for themselves. They left me, I didn't. So how am I at fault here when they just got what they had opted for?

"

nZhao Luo retaliated against the Elder's remarks.

n

"I never said that you were at fault. I was talking about the possibilities. But your true fault lies somewhere else.

"

nThe third elder told Zhao Luo.

nThe third elder looked at the disciple who was lost in the forest and threw his hand towards him.

nThe next moment, the third elder pulled his hand back with a pouch hanging down from his grip.

n

"This is your fault. This reward was never for your followers, it was for you. Yet you never fought for it and gave it away without even fighting for it when you could easily have it. By force and by words.

"

nThe elder threw the leather pouch towards Zhao Luo and Zhao Luo grabbed it.

n'Thap.'

nZhao Luo could feel the weight of the pouch unlike before when he had handed it over to the disciples in the forest.

n

"The forest, the beasts, the dwarves, the missions are nothing more than an illusion.

nThe only truth is in your hand, and above all of your heads.

"

nThe third elder told them as Zhao Luo looked at the crimson bar above his head.

nThe others also looked at their bars.

nThe third elder patted Zhao Luo's shoulder and brought his mouth closer to his ear.

n

"What if someday, someone claims your goal and throws you off from it. Will you let him take it too like this pouch?

"

nThe third elder whispered in Zhao Luo's ear and asked him. He wanted to show Zhao Luo the reality and the aftereffects of his choices.

nZhao Luo shook his head as he looked at the third elder with bright eyes.

nThe third elder stepped back and looked glanced at Zhao Luo.

n

"Bright personality, with unparalleled charisma. Hidden talents bound to gather around as flies gather around the light. But it's not just the personality that makes you special. Hmm, you may just be the dragon many were waiting for.

"

nThe third elder turned around as he left his final remarks on Zhao Luo.

nZhao Luo had a wide smile etched on his face.

n

"I will become that dragon.

"

nZhao Luo murmured while looking at the back of the third elder.

nZhao Luo was quite satisfied with what the elder had to say about him.

nHe also got the pouch back.

nZhao Luo had already put the leather pouch in his storage space.

n

"Come.

"

nThe third elder said loudly with a commanding tone.

nZhao Luo went towards the elder with the others right beside him.

nThe third elder turned around and had eight sunflowers in his hand. All eight of them had the 'sun' part of the sunflower dyed red.

nWu Yang, Feng Mei, Yan, Mite, Su Shi, Mo Lee, Wei Bin, and Hong Ling, were all given one of the red sunflowers by the elder.

nWhile the elder pulled out a bigger and crimson sunflower which was given to Zhao Luo.

n

"Close your eyes and concentrate on the sunflower in your hands. Imagine that you are becoming one with it and it's merging with your insides.

"

nThe third elder guided them as they followed his advice.

nZhao Luo had it easy as he could be called a mastered absorption for he had already absorbed his apparitions many times.

nThe moment Zhao Luo closed his eyes, the sunflower started flowing include him in the form of crimson light.

nIn less than three seconds that big crimson sunflower had died down as Zhao Luo had absorbed it completely.

n

"Huff.

"

nZhao Luo took a deep breath and opened his eyes and realized that eight red lights were shining around him.

n'They are still absorbing it.'

nZhao Luo thought as he felt a pricking sensation and realized that the third elder was staring at him.

n

"You should be more careful. Try to hide your abilities in front of others. The geniuses aren't those who are strong but the ones who can truly be called a genius, are those who survive till the end.

"

nThe elder advised Zhao Luo with sincere eyes.

nZhao Luo already knew that the third elder had his own way of worrying. But his speed of absorption was still two times slower than how fast he could absorb his apparitions.

n

"I will remember your advice.

"

nZhao Luo bowed his head as he thanked the elder.

nAfter half an hour, everyone had finished absorbing the red sunflower inside them. They had perfectly assimilated the red essence of the sunflower within their bodies.

n

"Look at your arms.

"

nThe third elder told them suddenly.

nEveryone looked at their right arm hurriedly as the elder had declared it so suddenly that they moved on impulse.

n

"There is nothing...

"

nZhao Luo and the others said with a dull look.

n