I'm Not Interested!

"Is there something wrong with this guy? 'Save thirty years of detours'? Like I'd want to take your detours!"

Inside the sea of consciousness, Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and stamped her feet in fury.

Her pretty face was full of displeasure, her soft pink lips puckered high as she ruthlessly vented in Ling Xuqing's mind.

"Exactly, Xuqing. The way he talks may sound impressive, but he always gives people the feeling that he's looking down on them and doing them a favor. I don't like him."

Ah Yin chimed in softly beside her, a trace of displeasure flashing in her gentle eyes.

Listening to the two girls complain in his sea of consciousness, Ling Xuqing couldn't help the corners of his mouth from lifting slightly.

He didn't lash out right away or fire back like Xiao Wu. Instead, he looked the fanatic Yu Xiaogang up and down with an almost appraising gaze.

Ling Xuqing didn't argue. He kept his arms crossed over his chest and tilted his head slightly, asking in a tone that seemed humble but carried a hint of amusement, "Oh? Since Grandmaster thinks so highly of my talent, how would you plan my path of cultivation, in your view?"

At those words, Yu Xiaogang's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he'd spotted the brightest stars in the night sky.

He was overjoyed!

His heart leapt with delight. The boy may seem cold on the surface, but deep down, he's still been cowed by my reputation and presence.

See? Isn't he asking me for guidance now?

As long as I show him my true abilities and lay out my profound theories, what's to stop this six-year-old genius from obediently falling at my feet?

"Good! Good! Good!" Yu Xiaogang repeated, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.

He immediately cleared his throat, swept his faded gray robe aside, and clasped his hands behind his back. An inexplicable confidence, like that of a "great academic authority," radiated from him.

"Listen carefully, child. Since you've asked so earnestly, I, Grandmaster, will give you a few pointers!"

Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat again and launched into the theoretical showmanship he was best at:

"First, your Martial Soul is the Golden Overlord Spear, a top-tier weapon Martial Soul! Training with a weapon Martial Soul is all about precision and control. Though you have Innate Full Soul Power, you must never become arrogant or complacent. Before you turn twenty, you must reach rank thirty in Soul Power. That's the first great divide that will determine whether you can become a powerful figure in the future!"

As he spoke, he watched Ling Xuqing's reaction from the corner of his eye. Seeing that Ling Xuqing remained expressionless, he assumed the boy was listening attentively and grew even more animated:

"Next comes your choice of Soul Rings! This is of utmost importance! According to my research, the limit for absorbing a First Soul Ring is four hundred and twenty-three years! Your First Soul Ring must come from a Datura Snake! The venom and resilience of this Soul Beast will perfectly complement the domineering nature of your Golden Overlord Spear, granting you a Soul Skill that can control and paralyze your enemies!"

"As for your Second Soul Ring," Yu Xiaogang continued, his voice rising ever higher, as if he could already see Ling Xuqing cutting down his foes under his tutelage, "you must seek out a Ghost Vine! Its parasitic and entangling abilities will greatly strengthen your control-type techniques. Remember, Soul Ring combinations must be carefully planned. A hair's breadth of error can lead to a thousand-mile miss!"

"As for your cultivation method," Yu Xiaogang declared proudly, patting his chest, "I'll personally draw up a meditation plan for you and teach you how to guide your Soul Power through your meridians. When you reach rank thirty, I'll take you to the Star Dou Great Forest and find the most suitable Third Soul Ring for you! As long as you follow my theory of the 'Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul' to the letter, I guarantee your future achievements will be limitless!"

After rambling on at length, Yu Xiaogang finally stopped.

He was breathing slightly hard, but the fervor in his eyes burned ever brighter.

He stared at Ling Xuqing, his eyes brimming with expectation and certainty.

He waited for the six-year-old to look stunned and awestruck, then fall to his knees in excitement and cry out, "Teacher," with tears streaming down his face.

But one second, then two, then three passed.

A breeze swept by, stirring a few fallen leaves.

Ling Xuqing remained in the same arms-crossed pose. His expression hadn't changed in the slightest.

There was no shock, no awe, no sudden realization—just the calm of someone watching a show.

"Oh."

Ling Xuqing replied flatly.

It was the same word, delivered with the same utterly unruffled tone.

Yu Xiaogang: "..."

He felt as though someone had slapped him with an invisible hand in front of a crowd.

How could his supposedly flawless lecture have passed over the six-year-old like a gust of wind, without even making a ripple?

"All right, Grandmaster. I understand." A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled Ling Xuqing's lips as he spoke casually. "I'll think about it."

With that, he turned around and strode toward the academy gates, taking Xiao Wu and Ah Yin in his sea of consciousness along with him.

"Hey! You—"

Yu Xiaogang was completely dumbfounded.

He stood rooted to the spot, his outstretched hand frozen in midair and his mouth hanging open. It was as if someone had grabbed him by the throat; he couldn't utter a word.

He didn't understand.

He really didn't understand.

Why?

Why, after he'd explained things in such detail—even laying out exactly which Soul Beasts to choose for the First and Second Soul Rings—had the child shown no reaction at all?

Shouldn't he be grateful?

Shouldn't he be overwhelmed with gratitude?

Shouldn't he be moved to tears, drop to his knees, and kowtow as he begged to become his disciple?

Why wasn't he reacting at all?

He'd "think about it"?

Did I fucking ask you to think about it?!

He, the great "Grandmaster," had taken the initiative to accept a six-year-old as his disciple. It was an honor!

The boy should've immediately knelt down and thanked him for showing him the way in life!

Yu Xiaogang's face turned from green to white as disbelief and crushing frustration churned inside him.

But he didn't want to give up.

He stared at Ling Xuqing's retreating figure and gritted his teeth.

This was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power!

And a top-tier weapon Martial Soul, the Golden Overlord Spear!

How many top-tier geniuses with talent like that could be found in all of Nuoding City? No—in the entire Heaven Dou Empire?

Nuoding City was already remote and short on resources. For a genius with Innate Full Soul Power to be born here was rarer than a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn.

If he let Ling Xuqing slip away, who knew how long Yu Xiaogang would have to wait in this wretched place for another disciple who could help him "turn his fortunes around"?

"No! I can't just let him leave!"

Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forcing down the panic and humiliation surging within him.

He straightened his robe and hurried after the boy.

"Child! Wait!"

Yu Xiaogang ran up to Ling Xuqing, panting, and blocked his path again.

He forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace, his tone almost pleading. "Child, do you feel I haven't explained things clearly enough? That's all right. We can take our time and talk! If you become my disciple, I'll agree to any condition you ask!"

Ling Xuqing stopped and looked at the middle-aged man, who had nearly lost his mind trying to take him on as a disciple. A faint trace of mockery flickered in his eyes.

He stopped beating around the bush and no longer bothered to spare this so-called "Grandmaster" any face.

Ling Xuqing looked Yu Xiaogang in the eye. His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Yu Xiaogang's heart like a blade:

"Grandmaster, I'll be frank with you."

"I have my own path and system of cultivation, and I've already planned out the road ahead. So I won't become your disciple."

He paused slightly, a scornful smile appearing on his lips, wholly undisguised:

"Keep your theories for fooling someone else. I'm not interested."