"No, Senior, I..."
Yue Ling had just begun to politely decline when an elderly voice filled with irritation suddenly rang out in his mind.
"You little brat! Reject him hard! Don't be afraid, this old man is here!"
High above, on the concealed branches of a massive tree, Xuan Zi was fuming.
Those people from Zhengtian Academy actually dared to poach Shrek students in public—his disciple, no less. They were simply outrageously bold!
Yue Ling instantly felt reassured. All his concerns vanished, and his expression grew even calmer as he continued from where he had left off.
"My apologies."
"I have always valued my freedom and dislike being restrained. Likewise, I have no interest whatsoever in taking a master or entering an academy to cultivate."
His tone was flat, but his attitude was incomparably firm, leaving the other party no room to maneuver.
The smile on the Soul Saint teacher's face instantly froze. Being bluntly rejected in public by a half-grown boy made him lose all face.
Yu Mengdi, standing to the side, could not hold back a low snicker, her eyes full of teasing amusement as she watched the spectacle.
That laugh completely ignited the Zhengtian Academy teacher's fury. His expression abruptly darkened, and his gaze bore down on Yue Ling with overwhelming pressure.
"Boy, are you really refusing to reconsider? Do you know the consequences of rejecting a Soul Saint expert in public?"
Yue Ling raised his eyes to meet the man's gaze directly. He looked open and composed, without the slightest hint of fear, as he spoke indifferently.
"I became a Soul Ancestor at twelve. Before I turn fourteen, I will definitely become a Soul King. Before twenty, I am confident I can challenge the Soul Saint realm, perhaps even the Soul Douluo realm."
He lifted his