[Detected: The host is facing a Master selection. After deliberation between the Hall of Worship and the Supreme Pontiff Palace, you are about to be accepted as a disciple by Golden Crocodile. The following choices have been triggered:]
[Option 1: Long live Spirit Hall! Bibi Dong is the greatest! My values follow my eyes—Supreme Pontiff Master, please favor me once more! Golden Crocodile wants to take me as a disciple? I'd rather die than submit! Even if my radiant Master is temporarily cold toward me because of a small misunderstanding, my heart remains open to her!
Reward: Spirit Power +1]
[Option 2: Golden Crocodile is a Rank 98 Titled Douluo, only one step away from Rank 99. With just one Immortal Herb, he could become a Limit Douluo. Where else would I find such an incredible Master? I accept!
Reward: Spirit Power +1]
[Option 3: I want neither Bibi Dong nor Golden Crocodile. I dislike them both and request to change to another Titled Douluo as my teacher.
Reward: Spirit Power +1]
Yin Zhang glanced over the three options and immediately understood.
Golden Crocodile was planning to take him as a disciple.
Was becoming Golden Crocodile's disciple a good thing?
Given the current situation, it was absolutely beneficial.
In the original story, before Bibi Dong ascended to godhood, she couldn't even lift her head in front of Golden Crocodile. As the Second Consecrator of the Hall of Worship with Rank 98 spirit power, and with Qian Daoliu rarely interfering, Golden Crocodile effectively commanded the other consecrators, suppressing Bibi Dong until she could barely breathe.
Just as the second option suggested, once he became Golden Crocodile's disciple, he could easily find an excuse to seize Dugu Bo's Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well—or simply take the Immortal Herbs within.
Giving Golden Crocodile even a single Immortal Herb would allow him to directly advance to a Limit Douluo.
That would make him the fourth Limit Douluo in the world.
And unlike the other three—one being bound to the High Priest role, another also tied down, and the third being controlled by a parasitic bat—Golden Crocodile's freedom was completely unrestricted.
No matter how he looked at it, acknowledging Golden Crocodile as his Master was the optimal choice.
The first and third options were outright idiotic.
After being treated like that by Bibi Dong, he was supposed to crawl back to her shamelessly?
That would only end with neither side pleased—and without a single solid backer in Spirit Hall, it would be the worst possible outcome.
The third option was even more brainless. Reject both Golden Crocodile and Bibi Dong, then expect another Titled Douluo to take him in?
Besides, all three options offered the same reward anyway.
Yin Zhang didn't hesitate and chose the second option.
After receiving the spirit power enhancement card, he didn't use it immediately. Instead, he stored it for later use.
On his way here, he had already cultivated enough to break through to Rank 29.
Using it once he became a Spirit Elder would be more worthwhile—after all, the higher one's rank, the harder cultivation became.
At that point, he could simply attribute the rapid growth to the effects of absorbing a high-level spirit ring beyond his rank.
Since there was already precedent with his first spirit ring, it would help dispel suspicion.
As for the spirit ring age enhancement card (five hundred years), he hadn't used it yet either.
Using it on his first spirit ring to push it to the thousand-year level would be effective—but far too conspicuous.
Using it on his second spirit ring wouldn't make much difference and would be a waste.
Better to save it for later.
---
[Host]: Yin Zhang
[Age]: 10
[Spirit]: Charizard
[Spirit Power]: Rank 29
[Spirit Rings]: Yellow, Purple
[Spirit Abilities]: Dragon Claw, Double Team, Azure Flame Shield, Flamethrower, Fire Dragon Evasion Kill, Dragon Tail
[Spirit Bone]: None
[Storage]: Spirit Ring Age Enhancement Card (500 years), Spirit Power Enhancement Card ×2 (+1 level)
---
The small courtyard Yin Zhang lived in was only about two hundred meters from the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
The distance between the Hall of Worship and the Supreme Pontiff Palace was merely the difference between the mountaintop and the mountainside. After learning Yin Zhang's location from Bibi Dong at the Supreme Pontiff Palace, Golden Crocodile flew straight over.
"Boom—!"
Golden Crocodile's arrival was crude and direct—he dropped straight down from the sky into the open courtyard.
Yin Zhang had assumed Golden Crocodile would knock on the front door. Startled by the commotion, he hurried outside.
Golden Crocodile wore a suit of golden armor. His frame was massive, his features rough and imposing.
He looked at Yin Zhang—slender, clean-cut, with little visible muscle and an oddly refreshing aura—which made Golden Crocodile frown instinctively.
"You are Yin Zhang?"
Seeing the displeasure on Golden Crocodile's face, Yin Zhang felt a bit unlucky—but he immediately replied,
"Greetings, Senior. I am Yin Zhang."
"Release your Spirit and spirit rings. I want to see whether you're truly as Bibi Dong described."
Yin Zhang nodded and softly said, "Spirit Possession."
Thick, elongated crimson dragon horns emerged, followed by broad crimson wings tipped with sharp edges. Razor-sharp dragon claws, a powerful dragon tail, and crimson scales covered his entire body.
Muscles rippled beneath the scales, and two radiant spirit rings—one yellow, one purple—hovered beneath him.
Golden Crocodile's furrowed brows instantly relaxed. He nodded with clear satisfaction.
"Very good. I'm quite pleased."
"I'll introduce myself. I am Golden Crocodile. My Spirit is the Golden Crocodile King. I am the Second Consecrator of the Hall of Worship, a Rank 98 Peak Douluo."
"Bibi Dong dislikes you, yet she doesn't want to let you slip from her grasp. From this moment on, I am your teacher. What do you say?"
Yin Zhang retracted his Spirit and hurriedly replied,
"Of course I'm willing!"
Golden Crocodile's seniority was astonishing. Even the three Limit Douluos were considered juniors compared to him.
By becoming Golden Crocodile's disciple, setting everything else aside, Yin Zhang would stand on the same generational level as Qian Xunji, Tang Hao's father, and Tang San's grandfather.
Golden Crocodile nodded in satisfaction. He saw no need to explain the Hall of Worship. After glancing around, he said,
"Stay here for now and cultivate diligently. I'll arrange for you to enter Spirit Hall Academy—this is also the High Priest's intention. Once you reach Spirit Elder, I'll take you to meet the other consecrators. Don't disgrace my name, Golden Crocodile."
"I won't, Master," Yin Zhang replied without hesitation, quickly changing how he addressed him.
After Golden Crocodile left, Yin Zhang couldn't help complaining inwardly.
A Rank 98 Peak Douluo, and he didn't even give a meeting gift…
Thinking about Spirit Hall Academy, three names surfaced in his mind: Xie Yue, Hu Liena, and Yan.
In Yin Zhang's mental notes, they were labeled respectively as: sister-obsessed, love-brained, and simp.
And considering they might become his teammates, those labels were firmly etched into his memory.
As long as that simp Yan didn't get on his nerves, things shouldn't be too troublesome.
Thus, after spending three comfortable days in the courtyard—eating well, sleeping well, and enjoying top-tier treatment—
A middle-aged man arrived, introducing himself as the Vice Dean of Spirit Hall Academy.
Knock, knock—
Yin Zhang opened the door.
An elegant man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood before him.
"Hello, Xiao Zhang. My name is Qiangu Yuan, Vice Dean of Spirit Hall Academy…"