It's true that he had gotten stronger and that his reserve of Soul force had seemed to increase unnaturally, but he had thought it was because Alan wanted to impress Erik and had to train and make even more potions than before.
He had never thought that he could have created this bond with Erik; besides, at the time, he was not even aware of this bond, so even if he had had doubts, he wouldn't have been able to find out about it.
But now, thanks to his knowledge, he knew that this bond was as powerful, or even more powerful, than the mark of the Union, because it allowed those who practiced dual cultivation to always become stronger and stronger. And Erik's potential was that of a Warrior Spirit, so when he reached Stage 2, Alan would probably also undergo a transformation.
