Refusing to Take an Apprentice

"Become your disciple? No way, I only want a teacher." Si Yao didn't even hesitate, grabbing Li Yilin's arm and shaking her head repeatedly.

She didn't care about anyone else's status or position; to her, no one could compare to her teacher.

She only wanted her teacher!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but shrink behind Li Yilin, her blue eyes filled with a bit more wariness as she looked at World Lord Xunzhen.

Watching the little one clinging tightly to his arm, Li Yilin's lips curled slightly, a warmth spreading through his eyes.

Even though he could have guessed her answer, he still felt a bit of trepidation until she actually said it out loud.

That was a World Lord, only one step away from becoming an Immortal.

Even if he believed that his future self would certainly reach that level, or even higher, those were matters for the future.

As long as he hadn't truly grown up yet, in front of some powerhouses, he could only be considered a little guy with a bit of talent and luck.

The fact that Si Yao could refuse such a temptation and stand firmly by his side was enough to show how important he was to her.

"You're unwilling?" World Lord Xunzhen raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to refuse so quickly, without even a moment's hesitation.

"I am a World Lord, my strength level is higher than your teacher's, and barring any accidents, I will eventually become an Immortal. A teacher's strength level is a significant help to a disciple's cultivation path. Are you sure you don't want to be my disciple?"

If Li Yilin had already taken on disciples, he might have hesitated; after all, poaching someone else's disciple was truly ungentlemanly.

But Li Yilin hadn't taken any disciples yet, and he didn't want to miss out on this girl who had grown up almost exactly in the direction he found most satisfactory.

"Little one, as long as you nod, I will take you as my disciple, how about that? Your teacher's strength is inferior to mine, so he can't control me." World Lord Xunzhen stood with his hands behind his back, looking arrogant. Of course, he had the ability to be proud.

"No!" Si Yao still shook her head, looking up at Li Yilin. Seeing that he remained silent, she felt very uneasy.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy and frightened she became. Si Yao clung tightly to Li Yilin's arm, her blue eyes brimming with crystalline tears. She sobbed, choking out, "Teacher, don't leave A-Yao behind, okay?"

She could tell that World Lord Xunzhen's strength was higher than her teacher's.

If she hadn't met her teacher, she would have agreed without hesitation if such a powerhouse wanted to take her as a disciple, fearing that she would miss the opportunity if she were too slow.

But now, she had the best teacher in the entire universe, and she didn't want to leave him.

At the mere thought of potentially leaving her teacher, she could no longer hold back her tears. They welled up in her eyes, spilled over, and slid down her cheeks.

She stubbornly kept her eyes open, looking at Li Yilin, letting the tears flow. She didn't speak or move, but her small body, trembling with occasional sobs, betrayed the anxiety in her heart.

World Lord Xunzhen: ----

Cloud Sea Family Head: ----

Kemo You and Jialu: ----

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were witnessing a life-or-death parting. It was just an attempt to take on a disciple; was all this really necessary?

World Lord Xunzhen was so angry he puffed out his cheeks, glaring at Li Yilin with unconcealed resentment.

What kind of love potion had this brat fed the girl to make her so devoted, insisting only on recognizing him as her teacher?

Even he, a dignified World Lord, had lowered himself to ask to take her on, yet she didn't care at all.

Li Yilin smiled slightly, as if he hadn't seen the cold, blade-like gaze, and looked down at his pitifully crying student.

"Silly child." She was crying so pitifully that his own heart ached along with her.

She was a child he had cared about for several years, after all; to say he didn't care would be a lie.

He sighed, raised his hand, and wiped the tears from her fair cheeks with his thumb.

His hand, calloused from years of gripping blades and swords, left a faint red mark on her delicate face despite his gentle touch.

He gave up on wiping her tears and instead ruffled her small head, saying gently, "If you don't want to, then you don't want to. Silly child, taking on a disciple isn't about making an enemy; it's a mutual choice between the disciple and the teacher."

"If you don't want to be the Lord's disciple, just refuse. The World Lord is not a petty person."

"Crying is not a way to solve problems." Li Yilin sighed softly, unable to help but wonder if something had gone wrong with his teaching.

How did his student end up being someone whose tears flowed at the drop of a hat?

Her personality was just too delicate and naive!

"Teacher, I—I know." Seeming embarrassed, Si Yao lowered her head and wiped her tears hard, but they only flowed more, just like the panic and unease in her heart.

How could she not know that crying couldn't solve problems?

Just like back then, when her mother was dying from severe injuries, she had cried, but it was useless;

Following her mother's arrangements, she had just arrived at Qiu Dragon Planet only to be caught and thrown into a slave market. She had cried and struggled, been beaten half to death, and still hadn't escaped the fate of having a Bio-Chip implanted...

Tears were the most useless thing, yet when she encountered situations where she felt powerless, she just couldn't stop them.

She was just afraid—afraid that her teacher would disappear just like her mother did!

Afraid that her teacher would succumb to the pressure of World Lord Xunzhen and abandon her, a student who didn't even know if she held any place in his heart!

She wanted to be her teacher's disciple, she wanted it so much, but she was also afraid that if she said it out loud, her teacher would refuse.

She dared not imagine how desperate she would be if her teacher truly rejected her request.

This was fine as it was; no matter how bad things got, she was still her teacher's student.

But----

Still, she was so unwilling!

She suddenly looked up at Li Yilin. Because she had just been crying, her eyes and nose were red, and there were red marks at the corners of her eyes from rubbing them hard. Her bright, watery blue eyes stared at him without blinking, his figure clearly reflected in her pupils, as if----

He was her entire world!

Li Yilin was stunned for a moment, his movements pausing.

"Teacher, am I too terrible?" Si Yao's blue eyes trembled, her gaze tightly following Li Yilin's eyes. In her bloodshot eyes were anxiety, nervousness, hesitation, and determination----

"How could that be?" Li Yilin was very surprised.

She was only twenty years old and had already comprehended a domain at the Planetary Level; who would dare say she wasn't a genius with that kind of talent?

He had only comprehended a domain at the Universe Level and only grasped the laws at the Domain Lord level.

Even he had to admit that Si Yao's talent was better than his. If he didn't have his cheat, he could almost certainly say that his achievements would definitely not be as great as hers.

"Your talent is the most outstanding and the best that Teacher has ever encountered. Your perseverance and your comprehension are also far superior to ordinary people."

"Being your teacher is my honor." Having said this, Li Yilin paused slightly, and under her nervous yet expectant gaze, he uttered the final sentence.

"You are Teacher's pride!"

Is she Teacher's----pride?

Si Yao pursed her lips, her heart in a mess like a ball of yarn clawed by a cat, her nose aching until she almost cried out.

She sobbed, unable to hold it back any longer, and threw herself into his arms.

"Teacher, you said I am your pride, wuwu, A-Yao is so happy. But, wuwuwu----"

"It's been so long, why----why won't you take me as your disciple?" She looked up. Perhaps because he hadn't rejected her embrace, she grew a bit bolder, her voice trembling as she asked the question that had puzzled and troubled her for so long.

Hearing her humble words, World Lord Xunzhen, Kemo You, and even Jialu couldn't help but look at Li Yilin with condemning eyes.

Their gazes conveyed only one meaning.

What are you thinking?

You have a genius, and instead of thinking about how to hold onto her, you let her be sad and heartbroken for so long, thinking she wasn't good enough.

It's just taking a disciple, not taking a wife; is it really that serious?

Looking at that pitiful little appearance, only a cold-hearted guy like you wouldn't care.

If they had such a gifted little one who was also very close to them, they would be dying to take her as a disciple immediately, throw a grand banquet, and announce it to the whole world.

Look!

A genius!

My disciple!!!

"Nonsense!"

"Who said I didn't want to take you as my disciple?" Li Yilin lowered his eyes and pinched her little nose, looking as if he were dissatisfied or perhaps blaming her.

"Is that why you were crying?"

Si Yao pursed her lips and didn't speak, but the meaning conveyed in her eyes was obvious, and Li Yilin laughed.

He finally understood why she had been crying. While letting out a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but feel apologetic for neglecting his student's feelings.

"Don't cry." He sighed softly.

He used his hands to pull her away from his embrace, crouched down, and pressed his hands on her shoulders, making her look into his eyes before he said earnestly: "I was actually thinking that once this trip to Cloud Sea Planet ends, I would take you back to Noah."

Noah?

Si Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly as she listened silently, her clasped hands tightly twisted together, her fingertips turning white from the force.

"My teacher and my people are all in Noah. I want to take you back and, in the presence of my friends and family, personally take you as my disciple." Li Yilin smiled gently, and amidst her trembling gaze, he laid out his plans sentence by sentence.

His voice was calm and gentle, even carrying a faint smile, as if he were just talking about an interesting, ordinary matter, yet it miraculously dragged the unease from the bottom of Si Yao's heart, bit by bit, and threw it away!