"It is clear that it may take just a few more months, but you are very close to stepping into the 1st rank as a warrior. The fact that you still decided to point your sword towards me even with the bloodlust I shot out towards you, proves that you are ready for more advanced training." Kong told Lance as the two sat down to drink some water to replenish themselves.

"I've received word from your father that a mystic from a small school in Bitter Falls will be arriving soon. Even if the Yellow Serpent clan holds great power in the city, it is forbidden for any fighting within the walls of it. You would not only be safe, but you would also be able to try to swim in that ocean full of sharks."

"Normally, I would recommend sticking to just a single path, but since your aspirations are clearly to regain that of which you feel your family has lost, I would tell you if possible, to pursue both the mystic and warrior path."

"It will be a much harsher path to take, but it is one that I feel if you are patient, you will be able to cause a golden age for your clan to a level that would rival the Yellow Serpent clan. Even in Bitter Falls, there are only two dual masters, and they have yet to surpass the minimal requirement needed for that title."

"Now, the mystic only cares about recruiting as many citizens in our town as possible that meet his school's own set of requirements. I am sure that you will pass whatever test is given as long as you do have some level of elemental affinity with any element."

"So what will you decide to do, Lance?" Kong finally after advising Lance, wanted to hear exactly how he would respond to said advice.

"I agree that I should aim for the heavens, otherwise there would be no point in having such big goals that I have. Unfortunately, there are very few techniques available for dual masters to combine both their battle qi and elemental power into their attacks."

"However, up until now I have faced the wrath of a top rated clan so I have nothing to fear. Teacher is right and I will work towards my goal of resurrecting my family to greatness, no matter how much I suffer through it."

"But teacher, if I end up getting accepted by that mystic into the school, what will you end up doing?" Lance still a child at heart, didn't want to leave his family behind, but he also worried about his teacher.

The main reason for this closeness, was because out of all the potential teachers for him, Kong was the only one who didn't ask for very much and only wanted to help Lance grow into a powerful figure one day. Being denied by everyone else, Lance took Kong as not only his teacher, but in many cases as his savior as well.

Due to the threat of the Yellow Serpent clan's wrath, many possible teachers who came to meet with Lance chose against teaching him. This couldn't be helped since the Yellow Serpent clan's influence covered the entire region. However, Kong really didn't seem to mind since he retired from the military and due to his achievements, still received compensation for it every month.

If he didn't mind at least something to do with his spare time, as a soldier who has lived through war and many battles against life and death, there was no telling what he would end up doing. It also helped that Kong was actually one rank higher compared to the Sacred Ember clan's Patriarch.

"Oh, you do not need to worry about me. Your parents did not tell you, but after seeing your progress over the years, they wanted to recruit me as a trainer for your clan. I guess since the Yellow Serpent clan threatened everyone else, there hasn't been a trainer outside of your clan willing to come in to shake things up."

"Since I am a retired military soldier and have a family, my goal is just to raise my two little daughters in a peaceful place. So starting this upcoming week, my family will officially be moving in with your clan and I will start training your clan members along with you." Kong told Lance as a large smile appeared on his face.

Hearing this news made Lance smile as well. It was clear that Kong wanted exactly what he and his parents wanted for the clan. And since he would be teaching some more advanced techniques to the members of his clan, their strength could begin growing in the right direction.

The military of the Sun Dynasty was rather strict when it came to distributing techniques, but there were at least a handful of more basic techniques for those under the 3rd warrior rank, that they allowed their soldiers to distribute to their families and clans.

Unfortunately, Kong's family only consisted of his wife and children since he had come from a commoner's background while crawling himself up to where he stood today. So the fact that he decided to make his home the Sacred Ember clan, was more than just a kind gesture, it actually meant quite a bit to both the clan and Kong;s family.

Since the Sacred Ember clan needed all of their members present in Granite Town to make sure no one would cause too much trouble, they never had the chance to send someone off to serve. In this way, it was very difficult for them to have any new techniques available to help their members flourish on their paths.

But now that Kong decided to make this deal with them, it guaranteed that Kong's family would be taken care of if anything were to happen to him. This also allowed the possibility of a big transformation for the Sacred Ember clan which would one day allow them to stand on even ground with others such as the Yellow Serpent clan!