Na'er hadn't been interested in any of Leng Yaozhu's earlier offers. But when she heard the last one, she instinctively glanced at Lin Tian, then at the genuine affection in Leng Yaozhu's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she gave a small nod.
She didn't dislike this warmhearted auntie, and Lin Tian's teacher was here too. Following her probably wouldn't be so bad.
Seeing Na'er agree, Leng Yaozhu beamed. She immediately let go of her and had her perform the formal apprenticeship rites.
Na'er obediently bowed. "Your disciple Na'er pays her respects to her teacher."
Seeing this, Lin Tian could only sigh helplessly. He knew Leng Yaozhu's temperament; there was no point in objecting.
Besides, having Na'er take Leng Yaozhu as her teacher was a pretty good move. Now he could fleece his teacher, while Na'er fleeced Leng Yaozhu, leaving her completely shorn.
Both of them had become disciples of top experts and would have powerful mentors to guide them. That wasn't bad at all.
And since Leng Yaozhu had taken Na'er as her disciple, the story had changed. That ought to be a good thing, right?
With Leng Yaozhu done taking on her disciple, there was no reason to stay any longer.
Han Tianyi immediately summoned his personal mecha: a silver machine with a dark-gray body covered in intricate mental transmission patterns, surrounded by terrifying mental fluctuations. It was a Black-Grade Mecha.
Leng Yaozhu also raised a hand and summoned her own Red-Gold Ornate Mecha. Its sleek lines were complemented by a phoenix emblem on its back, and it constantly radiated the scorching aura of flames, perfectly suiting her temperament.
Both of their mechas were only Black-Grade Mechas. Lin Tian stared at them, dumbfounded. Given their status, shouldn't they both have Red-Grade Mechas?
As if she'd noticed his confusion, Leng Yaozhu tapped him on the forehead.
"There's only one Divine Craftsman. How could he possibly have the time to forge so much Heaven-Forged Metal for us? Helping powerful experts like us forge Four-Character Battle Armor out of Heaven-Forged Metal is already his limit. If he had to do more, that fellow Zhen Hua would probably throw in the towel on the spot.
"So, apart from Zhen Hua and his chef, there's probably no one else in the entire Federation with a Red-Grade Mecha. Black-Grade Mechas are the norm.
"But to be honest, Red-Grade Mechas can't compare to Four-Character Battle Armor. They'd have to be the kind of Red-Grade Mecha with a huge amount of Heaven-Forged Metal covering it to stand a chance."
"Let's go. We'll head straight back to Spirit Pagoda Headquarters." Han Tianyi climbed into his mecha first and gave Lin Tian a meaningful look.
Lin Tian quickly climbed into Han Tianyi's silver mecha without hesitation, while Leng Yaozhu led Na'er into the red mecha.
Two streaks of light shot into the sky. The mecha engines roared as they tore across the heavens, racing toward Shrek City.
The mechas flew incredibly fast. In just half a day, the outline of Shrek City appeared in the distance, with the towering Heavenly Spirit Pagoda at Spirit Pagoda Headquarters standing out in particular.
The mechas landed smoothly on the plaza of the Heavenly Spirit Pagoda. Their hatches opened, and Lin Tian and Han Tianyi stepped out first, followed by Leng Yaozhu and Na'er.
The four had barely settled on their feet when an angry figure charged out from the upper levels of the Spirit Pagoda, followed by several core members of the Qiangu Clan.
The newcomer stood tall, dressed in a splendid robe patterned with coiling dragons. He was none other than the Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda and the head of the Qiangu Clan—Qiangu Dongfeng.
"Han Tianyi, Leng Yaozhu, you've gone too far!" Qiangu Dongfeng's face was livid as he stared at Lin Tian. "Our Qiangu Clan discovered this kid first, and you dared to cut in and snatch him away. You clearly don't take me, the Pagoda Master, seriously!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward, reaching for Lin Tian's arm. "Young man, come with me. The Qiangu Clan is the best place for you. I'll personally teach you how to cultivate, and I guarantee you'll surpass everyone else someday."
Han Tianyi's expression darkened. He moved in front of Lin Tian and blocked Qiangu Dongfeng.
"Pagoda Master Qiangu, don't go making things up. My descendant Han Tianxin was the first to discover Lin Tian, and she reported it to us. Since when did he belong to your clan?
"Besides, he already chose to take me as his teacher. It's too late to say anything now."
"Chose? I say you coerced and bribed him!" Qiangu Dongfeng snorted. "That doesn't count!"
Then he turned to Lin Tian. "Young man, I know you have outstanding mental talent. My Qiangu Clan has cultivation resources specifically for Soul Masters with the Mental Attribute, as well as the inherited insights of the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul.
"If you come with me, all of that will be yours.
"Whatever Han Tianyi can give you, I'll give you twice as much. Whatever he can't give you, I can!"
What the heck!
Lin Tian was stunned.
Setting aside whether the Qiangu Clan's Mental Attribute cultivation resources were any better than Han Tianyi's, what did the Coiling Dragon Staff's cultivation experience have to do with him? He didn't even have the Coiling Dragon Staff Martial Soul.
Just hearing Qiangu Dongfeng's offer was enough to leave Lin Tian at a loss for words.
Leng Yaozhu had grown impatient listening to him. She stepped up beside Han Tianyi, raised an eyebrow, and spoke bluntly.
"Qiangu Dongfeng, are you playing dirty? Lin Tian already took Elder Han as his teacher. What kind of sense would it make for him to change schools now?
"And what, my Leng Family is inferior to your Qiangu Clan? As for those inherited insights into the Coiling Dragon Staff, what the heck do they have to do with Lin Tian's Martial Soul? I'm speechless! First come, first served. Stop making trouble!"
"I don't care! We helped. We were the ones who rescued this kid from the Evil Soul Masters first. He owes us his life!"
"Who knows how you even got up there? Don't think we don't know what you're capable of. Maybe you were the one who—"
"Maybe I what? Go on, say it!"
Leng Yaozhu immediately realized what she was about to say and fell silent.
There might be listening devices here, after all. Though the Leng Family and the Qiangu Clan were rivals, they were both part of the Spirit Pagoda. They could fight among themselves, but they absolutely couldn't expose their weaknesses to outsiders. Even if there was only the slightest hint of a rumor, she couldn't say it aloud.
For a moment, the two sides were at a standstill, and the atmosphere in the plaza grew increasingly tense.
"I don't care! I'm taking this kid as my disciple no matter what! Lin Tian, from today on, you're my disciple, Qiangu Dongfeng's!"
"He's already my disciple! Pagoda Master Qiangu, stop making trouble. Lin Tian has already performed the apprenticeship rites!"
"Those rites are nothing!"
Qiangu Dongfeng suddenly unleashed a terrifying wave of Soul Power, locking onto Lin Tian and forcing him down to his knees.
By the time Han Tianyi reacted, Lin Tian had already been made to kneel. Qiangu Dongfeng then pulled him back to his feet.
Qiangu Dongfeng hadn't released any killing intent, and Han Tianyi hadn't expected him to make a move against Lin Tian. By the time he realized what was happening, it was already over.
Qiangu Dongfeng looked at Han Tianyi smugly. "I've taken him as my disciple, and he's performed the apprenticeship rites too. Now he's my disciple!"
"You're just making trouble!"
"So what if I am? But I'm willing to compromise. Let's each take a step back. Starting today, this kid will be the disciple we share!"