Chapter 115: Inspection

As Li Yi spoke, a gentle smile remained on his face, yet his tone was anything but kind; instead, it carried an aggressive edge that pressed upon those listening.

“If Senior Brother wishes to conduct an examination, so be it. But let me be clear—over the years, it has been rare for me to find someone I truly connect with. So, if nothing unusual is found after the inspection, I will still take him with me,” Li Feiyang said after a brief pause.

Li Feiyang had examined Liu Pan’s body countless times. Apart from that strange power within him, there was no other sign of anything abnormal.

As for why the aura emanating from Liu Pan could provoke the Fire Sun Sparrows into frenzy, Li Feiyang believed it was likely connected to that peculiar energy.

Currently, Liu Pan bore no injuries, and that aura did not manifest, so Li Feiyang was not worried in the slightest.

“Of course, if the examination truly reveals nothing, Junior Brother, feel free to take him away,” Li Yi said with a smiling gaze.

Soon, the senior elders in the grand hall each took turns conducting a thorough inspection of Liu Pan.

Bone Age: Juvenile (just over fifteen, not yet sixteen).

Cultivation: Martial Master Complete (spirit energy extremely superficial, equivalent to an ordinary Sixth Rank Martial Master).

Spiritual Root: Ice Element (single attribute, medium grade).

Primary Cultivation Technique: Profound Ice Art (Level Five).

Mental Strength: Dripping Water Realm, Sixth Layer.

Overall Aptitude Rating: Average.

Liu Pan was not surprised by any of these results.

He had grown numb to the bone age issue. In fact, when the strange energy within his body repaired hidden injuries in his bones, he suspected that his bone age had remained stagnant because of that force.

Whether this stagnation was a blessing or a curse, Liu Pan could not say.

Not increasing in bone age meant his body was frozen before sixteen. For martial cultivators, the period before turning sixteen is the most precious golden era. Many cultivators waste it and later regret it.

Now that his bone age was fixed, Liu Pan’s cultivation level would forever remain at this golden stage.

It was no exaggeration to say this was a dream many cultivators longed for.

However, a frozen bone age also meant many aspects of physical growth were halted—most obviously, height.

Since the day he transmigrated and possessed this body, Liu Pan’s height had remained fixed at 1.75 meters.

He was grateful for the presence of spiritual energy, as children in the Tianfeng Sixth Grade generally developed faster than children on Earth. Without that, his height might have been a lifelong source of worry.

Besides bone age, mental strength was another notable point. Dripping Water Realm, Sixth Layer was a result Liu Pan had deliberately concealed.

After all, it was terrifying to imagine an underage boy possessing mental strength at the True Lake Realm.

Given the scrutiny from so many, Liu Pan preferred to stay close to Li Feiyang alone. Moreover, now that they were in the Burning Heaven Sect, as long as he was not constantly watched, he believed he could find a way to escape.

“Well? Did you find anything? If not, I’m taking him away,” Li Feiyang said, his tone laced with clear mockery.

At first, Li Feiyang had been somewhat worried, but upon seeing the data reveal only an ordinary minor cultivator who had awakened mental strength, he relaxed.

Li Yi furrowed his brow and glanced around. Everyone subtly shook their heads, indicating nothing unusual was detected.

How could this be? Li Yi was puzzled. He truly did not believe Li Feiyang had brought Liu Pan back just because he liked the look of him.

Yet, after so many examinations—even his own hands-on inspection—there was no sign of anything special. Could this really be just an ordinary minor cultivator?

“Senior Brother, if you have nothing more to say, I’m leaving,” Li Feiyang said again, not waiting for a reply. He motioned for Liu Pan to follow and turned to leave the main hall.

“Wait!” Li Yi finally spoke up, unwilling to let Li Feiyang take Liu Pan away so easily. He felt uneasy.

“Is there something more?” Li Feiyang halted but did not turn back. His voice was colder than before.

“Not much,” Li Yi replied, “I recall that the message sword from Yang Yi mentioned that the aura emitted by this disciple you brought back causes the Fire Sun Sparrows to become frenzied. We have examined his body before and found nothing unusual, so I’m curious—how exactly do the Fire Sun Sparrows react to his aura?”

Without waiting for an answer, Li Yi muttered to himself, “Bring two Fire Sun Sparrows from Lingyang Peak.”

As his words fell, the grand hall fell silent. No one spoke; all waited quietly.

Li Feiyang’s eyes flickered, but he said nothing and waited in silence.

After a moment, Li Feiyang seemed to recall something and muttered again, “Bring all books related to Fire Sun Sparrows from the library.”

Soon, a young disciple clad in crimson robes cautiously entered, carrying two birdcages. He was one of the hall guards.

“Sect Leader, the Fire Sun Sparrows have arrived,” the young disciple bowed respectfully.

Li Yi nodded and waved his hand. A stone table materialized in the hall. “Place them on the table, you may leave.”

“Yes,” the disciple responded, setting the cages down and bowing before retreating.

“Let’s see,” Li Yi said, his gaze fixed on Liu Pan.

At that moment, Liu Pan felt utterly helpless. Ever since meeting Li Feiyang, everything he had experienced seemed like a dream—a nightmare, sinking ever deeper.

Ultimately, it was a matter of strength. Liu Pan knew he needed power—desperately so.

He also began to understand why so many protagonists in fantasy stories risk everything to grow stronger. Being treated like an insignificant ant, lacking respect, was unbearably humiliating.

Having read many transmigration tales, Liu Pan felt that if one were to write from his perspective, he would be among the most oppressed.

After all, even when protagonists in other stories fall into hardship, they still have some freedom to think, struggle, break through, awaken, and ultimately carve their own path.

But he, a transmigrator trapped in his own novel, had lost even the most basic freedom.

Now, Liu Pan deeply doubted whether he had a future at all. Would he be trapped in the Burning Heaven Sect forever?

His heart was heavy with mixed emotions, but his face betrayed no hint of it. He knew he was not yet at the point of despair; there was still hope. The outcome would depend on whether he could seize the opportunity to become the protagonist.

Ultimately, Liu Pan still held firm to his belief forged during writing: only by enduring trials ten or a hundred times greater than supporting characters could a protagonist achieve what others could not.

If he considered himself the protagonist, then after this oppressive period in the Burning Heaven Sect, it would be his time to soar like a dragon.

He believed this with all his heart.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Pan bowed to Li Yi, then turned his gaze to the Fire Sun Sparrows in the cages.

With a thought, he released the aura he had been suppressing.

“Chirp... chirp...”

Instantly, the two Fire Sun Sparrows, once alert and calm, fluffed their feathers and began ramming wildly against the cages, emitting piercing, tearing cries.

They bled from the first shriek, a testament to their frenzy and agitation.

Soon, both birds were bloodied and collapsed in their cages, unable to move, whimpering as if trying to call out but unable to produce sound.

Everyone in the hall, except Liu Pan and Li Feiyang, was stunned, staring blankly at the two severely injured but still frenzied Fire Sun Sparrows. Not a word was spoken.

In truth, Li Feiyang found this strange. By his understanding, the Fire Sun Sparrows’ frenzy was linked to the strange power within Liu Pan.

But now Liu Pan bore no injuries, meaning that power was absent. So why did the birds still become agitated by his aura?

Could there be a secret about Liu Pan that even Li Feiyang did not know? His eyes gleamed with intrigue.

After a long moment, someone finally snapped out of the trance, but no one spoke—each wore a strange expression, silently gazing at Liu Pan, their thoughts unknown.

Shortly after, another young hall guard wearing crimson robes entered, respectfully bowing. “Sect Leader, all books related to Fire Sun Sparrows from the library have been brought.”

As he spoke, the disciple bowed slightly, holding up three books.

Li Yi casually gestured, and the three books flashed into his hands. At the same time, he said, “You may leave now.”

Li Yi quickly skimmed through the volumes but furrowed his brow slightly.

In fact, information about the Fire Sun Sparrow was not a secret; many in the cultivation world knew of it. Even without these books, Li Yi was well informed, but he chose to review them again.

According to ancient texts, the Fire Sun Sparrow possessed a trace of the legendary Vermilion Bird’s bloodline.

The Vermilion Bird wards off evil and is highly sensitive to malignant yin energy in the world. The Fire Sun Sparrow inherited this trait, becoming extremely agitated upon sensing dark yin energy.

In fact, the Fire Sun Sparrow was not only sensitive to dark yin energy but also to extreme yin attributes. The records mentioned that many years ago, people used the Fire Sun Sparrow’s senses to locate rare materials with extreme yin properties.

As this thought crossed his mind, Li Yi’s eyes flashed with an inexplicable expression. He commanded, “Li Tu, take a drop of his blood and test whether he is an Extreme Cold Body!”

(To be continued.)