Apprenticeship? This is a Big Leg to Hug!

The silence in the hall, triggered by Lin Ciyan's "humblebrag," was finally broken by Lin Qingmo's voice, choked with excitement.

"Innate Full Soul Power... Ultimate Light... Holy Radiance Qilin... My grandson Ciyan has... has the potential of a Limit Douluo!" He had wanted to shout "has the hope of becoming a god."

The words died on his lips, feeling too shocking for the world, so he forced himself to change them, but the wild joy and pride were already overflowing.

Lin Qingmo looked at his grandson, who stood with such extraordinary grace, as if a divine child had descended to the mortal realm.

He felt that the grief of losing his son and daughter-in-law all these years had been comforted in this very moment.

This child not only possessed supreme talent but also a remarkably open and cheerful disposition.

He could even lead Bei Bei to be "proactive and upward" (in Lin Qingmo's view, being happy was being proactive), and his future was limitless!

Lin Ciyan could feel his grandfather's deep love and pride.

He set aside his playful mindset and said earnestly to Lin Qingmo, "Grandfather, thank you."

This gratitude was for the meticulous care over the years, and for the unreserved joy of this moment.

"Brother Lin, congratulations!" Bei Bei walked forward, his little face beaming with sincere joy.

The brief trance he had felt due to Lin Ciyan's astonishing talent had already vanished.

A child's heart is pure, and especially toward the "Brother Lin" he acknowledged, he only felt a sense of reflected glory. "Your martial soul is too amazing!"

"Thanks, your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is also very strong." Lin Ciyan responded with a smile, quite fond of Bei Bei's pure blessing.

Although Bei Bei could be a little proud at times, his nature was good. Lin Ciyan patted Bei Bei's shoulder with a smile, "We still have to 'cultivate' together in the future."

"We can cultivate together from now on, and Sister Zhang Lexuan too!" Bei Bei planned with great enthusiasm, "Sister Zhang Lexuan is in the outer courtyard; with her talent, she will surely enter the inner courtyard soon!"

Mentioning Zhang Lexuan, that elegant and beautiful figure appeared in Lin Ciyan's mind.

Come to think of it, he hadn't really called her "Sister Zhang Lexuan" properly many times; every time they met, it was either banter or him peddling his Slacker Artifact.

Hmm, he should take more opportunities to get closer in the future.

Mu En watched all of this, his heart filled with gratification.

He looked at Lin Ciyan, glad that he had tacitly approved and even secretly supported the friendship between Lin Ciyan and Bei Bei.

This child was not only supremely talented but also possessed a clear and open mind, valuing relationships and righteousness without losing his agility.

"This child shall be the pillar of Shrek for the next few hundred years!" Mu En gave a high evaluation in his heart.

Mu En thought of the undercurrents on the continent and the ambitious Sun Moon Empire; great changes were bound to come.

The appearance of Lin Ciyan was undoubtedly the strongest reassurance.

With him here, the glory and stability of Shrek could be guaranteed for at least a hundred years!

A thought became increasingly clear and intense in his mind.

He looked at Lin Ciyan's handsome face, framed by platinum-short hair, which carried a sacred majesty.

He then looked at his eldest disciple, Yan Shaozhe, who had an elegant temperament and the Radiant Phoenix as his martial soul, and then thought of his own Radiant Sacred Dragon...

Dragon, Phoenix, Qilin.

And all of them possessed the light attribute!

This was heaven's will; it was meant for my Shrek lineage to gather the auspicious signs of the world!

He no longer hesitated, a gentle and solemn smile appearing on his face as he looked directly at Lin Ciyan:

"Ciyan, this old man wishes to take you as my personal disciple. Are you willing?"

As his voice fell, the hall went quiet again, and everyone's gaze focused on Lin Ciyan.

Upon hearing this, Lin Ciyan did not show much surprise; instead, there was a calmness as if he had long expected it and had thought it through thoroughly.

He did not answer immediately, but lowered his head slightly, as if organizing his words or confirming something within himself.

A few breaths later, he raised his head, his amber-gold eyes meeting Mu En's gaze with clarity and sincerity.

He did not look to his grandfather for "outside assistance."

He asked earnestly, in a tone of composure that belied his age:

"Grandfather Mu, thank you for your kindness. However, I have a question, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my heart to you and all the grandfathers."

He paused, and amidst the curious gazes of the crowd, he continued:

"My martial soul is called the Holy Radiance Qilin."

"It tells me that true strength does not stem from endless tension and bitter cultivation, but from the harmonious resonance between body, mind, and the nature of heaven and earth."

"I believe that the path of cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation; sometimes, 'letting go' requires more wisdom than 'holding on'."

"Therefore, even if I become your disciple, I might... still follow my own rhythm, which might still seem a bit 'sluggish' in the eyes of others."

His words, which seemed to be setting "conditions," were actually an honest declaration of his own "Dao," and a disguised promise—he would not distort his true nature just because his status changed.

[Ding! At the critical moment of apprenticeship, you frankly expounded the "Great Dao of Relaxed Cultivation," your state of mind is transparent, and your perspective has opened! Slacker Points +888!]

Mu En was slightly startled at first, but then a light of even greater appreciation erupted in his eyes!

Far from feeling offended, he saw the maturity and firm dedication to the Dao that far exceeded Lin Ciyan's age!

"Hahahaha!" Mu En laughed heartily, his voice brimming with gratification.

"Good! A fine 'it takes more wisdom to let go than to pick up'! Lin Ciyan, that you could possess such insight brings this old man great comfort!"

"As a disciple of mine, Mu En, why should you be constrained by the conventions of ordinary men? Your path is, naturally, for you to walk!"

"What I intend to teach is for you to clarify your mind and see your true nature, to guide you in uncovering your own potential, rather than molding you into another Yan Shaozhe or Xuan Zi!"

With these words, he effectively endorsed and supported Lin Ciyan's "slacker cultivation method," elevating it to the philosophical height of "clarifying the mind and seeing one's nature"!

Beside them, Lin Qingmo, having feared the worst, felt his heart settle completely upon hearing Mu En's praise instead of reprimand. He rubbed his hands together in excitement, thinking his grandson truly had a silver tongue!

"In that case," a genuine smile appeared on Lin Ciyan's face.

Lin Ciyan hesitated no longer. He stepped back, straightened his robes, and assumed a solemn expression. He bowed respectfully to Mu En, performing a standard and formal apprenticeship ceremony:

"Disciple Lin Ciyan pays respects to Teacher! I am willing to follow you in cultivation, to clarify my mind and see my true nature, and to guard the light of Shrek Academy!"

This time, there was no playfulness, only respect for his mentor and a promise for the future.

Mu En accepted the gesture with grace, a look of immense relief and satisfaction on his face as he reached out to steady him. "Good! Rise, child. From this day forth, you are my closing disciple!"

[Ding! Successfully apprenticed to the current Limit Douluo and Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion. Status and standing significantly elevated; future slacker environment optimized to epic levels! Reward: 3000 Slacker Points!]

[Ding! Achievement "Solid Backing" unlocked! Reward: 1000 Slacker Points!]

Lin Ciyan noticed another achievement had been unlocked.

The slacker points for unlocking achievements are certainly generous, Lin Ciyan thought.

With the ceremony concluded, warm cheers erupted throughout the hall.

Lin Ciyan rose, sensing the enthusiastic atmosphere. Suddenly remembering something, he turned back to Mu En, his face returning to that familiar, slightly lazy smile as he whispered:

"Teacher, in the future... if I lie down during your lectures, that wouldn't be considered disrespectful, would it?"

"Pfft—" An elder nearby who was drinking water nearly choked.

Mu En was left between laughter and tears by this sudden "reversion to form." He pointed at him and scolded with a smile: "You little rascal! As long as you can understand and comprehend, whether you stand, sit, or lie down, that is up to you!"

[Ding! Quickly "reverted to form" after successful apprenticeship, consolidating the "relaxed" persona. Added amusement to solemnity, +233 Slacker Points!]

Lin Ciyan chuckled, his heart at ease.

The golden thigh was firmly grasped, and the "legitimacy" of his slacking had been officially certified. The future looked bright!

He could already see a beautiful future where, under the protection of Mu En—the most solid backing of all—his slacker value would gallop toward the stars and the sea.

He quickly reviewed his knowledge of Mu En: in the original work, he was a revered elder, upright in character, protective of his own, and possessed of long-term vision.

His teaching ability was top-tier, though his disciples were admittedly lackluster (look at Yan Shaozhe and Xuan Zi... well, the latter was even more of a negative example than the former).

Both possessed top-tier martial souls and exceptional talent, with Mu En as their teacher.

Yet in reality, while Yan Shaozhe reached level 95, his temperament was so poor that he hadn't progressed for years, remaining stuck at level 95...

And Xuan Zi was stuck at level 98, having committed unforgivable crimes in the original work, eventually becoming known as the Supreme Elder of the Holy Spirit Cult...

That said, during the era of the Peerless Tang Sect, Mu En was absolutely the peak choice for a mentor.

Of course, if Teacher Kaido were here, that would be a different matter.

When I read the book, I always felt that being a disciple of Elder Mu meant you could walk sideways through Shrek Academy! Resources, backing, guidance—everything is top-tier! Inheriting the Sea God Pavilion in the future isn't just a dream!

In Shrek Academy, Inner Court disciples were already heaven's pride, and members of the Sea God Pavilion were the core of the academy, but a personal disciple of the Sea God Pavilion Master...

The weight of this identity was enough to let him walk sideways across the Douluo Continent; his status was comparable to an imperial crown prince, perhaps even exceeding it!

Lin Ciyan made a victory sign in his heart: The golden thigh is firmly grasped!

Next, it was a matter of how to use this identity more reasonably and efficiently to push my slacker cause to a whole new level!