Ruo Lin was also dumbstruck.
She never imagined that Xu Ran would become so domineering and terrifying outside.
She never had this feeling when she was at the academy or in Wu Tan City; she always thought of Xu Ran as an amiable person. It was not until today that she realized Xu Ran had such a dark side.
Seeing such a strong figure as Han Feng kneeling before Xu Ran and begging him, yet Xu Ran remained unmoved.
His icy demeanor made her feel that Xu Ran had become much more fearsome.
The Xu Ran she saw now was completely different from the Xu Ran she remembered. However, she had to admit, this Xu Ran was handsome, dark, and domineering, captivating to the point where one could not look away.
A renowned Dou Huang Pinnacle Expert kneeling before Xu Ran was a sight that dazzled her beyond measure.
In all her years, she had never encountered such a tyrannical youth.
Though the Elders were powerful, they were old and lacked the fiery blood of youth that sought to compete with everyone.
Xu Ran, however, was different; his youthful and capable appearance truly made one's face flush with fever.
"Are you seeking death?"
To Xu Ran, Han Feng was only of slight value.
Xu Ran was merely curious about such a character; how Han Feng turned out was of little consequence to him.
"It would be as easy as flipping my hand to kill you."
The room was filled with a terrifying murderous intent.
This aura of death was as if it came from the slaughter of countless people, carrying with it the resentment and despair of numerous powerful beings, filled with regret.
Suddenly, that murderous will burst into Han Feng's mind.
"My Lord, I-I-I-I..."
Han Feng gasped for air, feeling as if his soul were about to shatter under the crushing pressure of this killing intent.
In that instant, he seemed on the verge of becoming a demon who knew only slaughter.
That killing desire deeply affected his body.
Just how many had he killed?
"Now, how will you choose? Follow me, and though you can only be a dog, you will be a powerful one. The leftovers from the master's table, you will have the chance to have a few bites too, won't you?"
"I don't know how many people would wish to be my dog but never got the chance."
Xu Ran looked at Han Feng with a teasing gaze.
Even if Yao Chen hated Han Feng to the core, seeing Han Feng turned into a dog that could only bark, wouldn't he also feel utterly despairing and furious?
Yao Chen did indeed hate Han Feng, but Han Feng was raised by him alone. From love to hate, when love was deep, hate was equally deep.
"What is your 'Cultivation Level,' my Lord?" Han Feng still found it somewhat difficult to swallow his pride.
Though it made sense, having lived in luxury in the Black Corner Region for so many years, he was still somewhat uncomfortable with the idea.
"A Ninth Grade Alchemist would be unworthy of even carrying my shoes, and I can trounce the average Dou Saint Expert with ease, what do you think?" Xu Ran turned to Han Feng.
"My Lord, I am willing to be your dog. As long as the master can make me stronger, I am willing to do anything," Han Feng struggled fiercely, the muscles on his face contorting, unsure of what was going through his mind.
After struggling for a while, he finally lay down respectfully on the ground.
He firmly believed Xu Ran was a peerless expert. And being the dog of a peerless expert still seemed better than his previous situation, certainly better than being captured by someone from Soul Hall.
Soul Hall, those people, might not even give him a chance to live.
"Good boy."
"Crawl over here," Xu Ran hooked his finger at Han Feng.
He relished this sort of pleasure.
Perhaps it was because his strength was too immense; many simple pleasures could no longer satisfy his spiritual needs. Therefore, Xu Ran increasingly understood the solitude of those powerful beings.
It truly was loneliness when even finding amusement became a struggle.
Fortunately, Xu Ran was lustful; otherwise, he wouldn't know how to squander his endless life.
"Master,"
Han Feng, crawling on hands and knees, made his way over.
Even feeling humiliated, he was helpless to change anything.
In fact, he really wanted to rely on Xu Ran to become stronger. He regretted harming Yao Chen afterward, as without Yao Chen, his talent had become mediocre over the years, never stepping into the realm of a Seventh Rank Alchemist.
Now, Xu Ran was his shortcut to power. Xu Ran was even stronger than Yao Chen, and he didn't want to miss this opportunity.
"I wonder what Yao Chen would feel, knowing his useless disciple has turned into such a dog?"
"Yao Chen is so full of himself, it's a pity he lacks judgment in people."
"I'm going to teach Yao Chen a lesson; merely pampering a disciple doesn't work, they need to be tormented. Without it, how will they struggle and grow through cultivation?" Xu Ran said, as he stepped on Han Feng's face.
If Yao Chen hadn't spoiled Han Feng since childhood, accommodating so many of his bad habits, Han Feng wouldn't have been so easily swayed and turned traitorous by Mu Gu Laoren's few words.
Still, he looked forward to the expression on Yao Chen's face when he saw Han Feng.
Would he feel that his great vendetta was satisfied, or would he be frustrated by unfulfilled expectations?
Tsk, tsk...
Let the three master-disciples love and kill each other.
He didn't want to meddle too much.
"Rest assured, following me, you won't suffer a loss, let alone Dou Zong, even Dou Zun won't be your limit. The precondition is that you're obedient; otherwise, I might take your life at any moment," Xu Ran stated, as a blood-red seal entered Han Feng's mind.
Han Feng felt a piercing pain, as if his soul had transformed.
"This seal can control your life and death at any moment. If you ever harbor disloyal thoughts, I can shatter your soul, leaving you without a burial place. And don't think about seeking others to remove this seal; let me tell you, even those from Pill Tower and the leader of Soul Hall wouldn't be able to remove the mark I've set."
"Master, you..." Han Feng was terrified.
Having his life in someone else's hands was unbearable to anyone.
"Of course, it's not all disadvantageous; this seal nurtures considerable strength. When the Soul Hall Expert arrives, it will also protect you thoroughly. When the people from Soul Hall come for you, I'll meet them."
"Alright, you can get out now." Xu Ran, seeing Han Feng licking his shoes, felt disgusted for a moment and kicked him away.
"Master, I'll take my leave then."
Han Feng looked at Xu Ran with reverence, not daring to stand up, only crawling away on his knees. He didn't dare to stand until he was further away.
"Xu Ran, aren't you being too overbearing? After all, he's the Medicine Emperor..." Ruo Lin felt numb. From the beginning, when Han Feng knelt down, to later when he behaved like a dog, pleasing Xu Ran and even extending his tongue to lick Xu Ran's shoes, the abjection reached an extreme.
It made her feel as if her entire worldview had collapsed.
Was this the cruel truth of their world?
That as long as one had strength, they could do whatever they wanted, even famous figures like the Medicine Emperor could grovel.