Taking a Disciple

"Of course, my head is filled with things useful to you, Your Holiness."

Yan's response to Bibi Dong was rather cold, which naturally did not sit well with her.

Bibi Dong looked at Yan and spoke softly again. "There's still something I don't understand. With your intelligence, why did you choose this method to draw attention? You could clearly have risen step by step. Why take such a risk to attract notice?"

Before Bibi Dong truly got to know Yan, she had thought he was merely a child with a little cleverness—causing trouble at the Soul Master Academy, making a name for himself, stirring up a commotion. He had some small wits, but no great wisdom.

But after she truly came into contact with Yan, she discovered that the child before her was nothing like an ordinary child. Even when facing him, she could still feel pressure from his intellect.

A clever child like this should not have been so impatient. With Yan's talent and intelligence, the safest way for him to rise should have been to reveal his gifts bit by bit, achieve a certain level of success at an Advanced Academy, then seek an opportunity to enter Spirit Hall and rise through its ranks.

She believed that with this child's wisdom, taking that path would cost him no more than ten years, and he could still rise to prominence. It would also be much safer. Unlike now, when his life and death rested on a single thought of hers. A smart person like him should not have liked taking risks.

"Because I want to make something of myself. Normally, it would take me at least ten years to distinguish myself in Spirit Hall. But I can't wait. I don't want to keep wasting time. Besides, I don't think an Advanced Academy can help me much anymore."

Yan fell silent for a moment before giving an answer that greatly surprised Bibi Dong. This child, no more than six or seven years old, actually looked down on the teachers of the Advanced Soul Master Academy.

What Bibi Dong did not know was that Yan truly did disdain the teachers at those Advanced Academies, because their cultivation was indeed too low.

If he followed the safe method Bibi Dong had described, then in the early stages, Yan would at most receive the same treatment Xie Yue had in the original story.

In the original story, Xie Yue's teacher was a Soul Emperor. When Xie Yue's Self-Created Soul Skill was mentioned, it was said that he had once defeated his Soul Emperor teacher with it, earning honor and praise.

According to the information Yan had gathered over the past few days, if he followed the usual path and entered an Advanced Soul Master Academy to cultivate, the strongest people he could come into contact with would only be Soul Sages. If he wanted to go further and gain significant influence in Spirit Hall, he might as well be dreaming.

Among the Golden Generation in the original story, Hu Liena had been noticed by Bibi Dong and taken as her disciple, but that was an exception and could not be used as a reference.

That was why Yan was unwilling to wait. He had seized the opportunity to try and attract Bibi Dong's attention, because he did not have much time left. Other than him, who could have imagined that a mere Tang San would destroy Spirit Hall twenty or thirty years later?

Bibi Dong met Yan's gaze and said in a deep voice, "You are unwilling to wait, but have you thought it through? The road ahead will not be easy."

"The moment I made yesterday's decision, I already had my answer."

Yan nodded lightly. When he decided to scheme against Bibi Dong, he had already made his choice. He could not rise through careful, methodical planning. That would be too slow, and it would not be easy to enter the core of Spirit Hall. It would be far too difficult to reverse the overwhelming momentum of Tang San's rise.

In the original story, the key points in Tang San's rise were the Heart of the Sea God and the Asura Divine Sword. The former was the foundation of his rapid growth in strength, while the latter was his trump card for turning the tables and crushing the Spirit Hall Empire.

The Heart of the Sea God was also known as the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. It was one of the famous treasures of the Heaven Dou Empire and was stored in the imperial treasury. The Asura Divine Sword, meanwhile, was in the hands of Tang Chen, who had lost his mind in Slaughter City.

Both treasures had definite locations and should have been easy to obtain. However, they were tied to extraordinary experts and forces, and they were simply beyond the reach of someone like Yan, who came from a commoner background.

So he could only find another way. He needed to plan ahead and form a bond with Bibi Dong so he could rise through her. That way, he would have more choices in the future. Only by laying the groundwork years in advance would he have the capital to make the final decisive move.

That was Yan's true thought, but he could not say it aloud to Bibi Dong. He could only reveal half and conceal half. Still, Bibi Dong seemed to have asked only casually and did not pursue the matter.

"If you want to make something of yourself, I can help you. But the prerequisite is that you must show me your true value."

Bibi Dong spoke loudly, then continued, "Which expert do you wish to take as your master? There are quite a few fire-attributed Soul Masters in Spirit Hall, but not many above the rank of Soul Sage."

"I wish to become your disciple, Your Holiness. I hope you will grant my request. Besides, if I remain under your watchful eye, both of us can rest easier."

Yan looked at Bibi Dong as he spoke. Seeing no major change in her expression, he knew there was still room for discussion, so he continued, "But I also know that Your Holiness handles countless affairs every day and probably will not have the time to guide my cultivation personally at all times. Therefore, I also hope to have two instructors."

"Who do you want to guide your cultivation?"

After careful consideration, Bibi Dong still decided to accept Yan's suggestion. Keeping him under her own wing was indeed the safest option. Yan had also thought things through quite thoroughly. Since she was destined to seize power, she certainly would not have much time to guide his cultivation, so having a few more teachers was no problem.

"There are many factions within Spirit Hall. Experts from Soul Master families, such as Demon Bear Douluo and Ghost Leopard Douluo, tend to focus more on their own descendants, so they are not suitable for guiding my cultivation."

Yan pondered for quite some time before continuing, "I think Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo would be especially suitable. They are both renowned experts within Spirit Hall, and neither has family ties holding them back..."

"Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo? One comes from a commoner background, while the other possesses a mutated martial soul. Their strength ranks among the upper tier of the elders. They indeed have no entanglements with family-based forces, and they also have certain interests they seek to gain. They would be easier to win over."

Bibi Dong nodded thoughtfully after hearing this. Yan merely listened from the side. Sometimes, it was enough to give smart people a hint. There was no need to spell everything out too clearly. If he explained it all too thoroughly, it would only make things worse.

After thinking for a while, Bibi Dong spoke again. "I will do my best to satisfy these requests. Do you have any others..."

Yan shook his head, then extended his hand toward Bibi Dong. "I trust you can handle the rest properly. Then, please guide me well from now on, Teacher."

Bibi Dong slowly bent down and lowered her head. She looked at Yan, yet answered with something unrelated. "Little fellow, Nana is an innocent, kind, and lovable child. You had better not use her again in the future."

Yan and Bibi Dong's first encounter ended amid mutual probing. No one knew what changes this pair of master and disciple would bring to Douluo Continent.

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