Lu Changsheng had already learned Ye Qiubai's location earlier.
He had even discovered that someone wanted to kill him.
The system had finally issued a mission. How could he let these little bastards ruin it?
Hearing this, Ye Qiubai immediately cupped his fists. "Sorry for the trouble, Senior!"
Lu Changsheng nodded and looked at the man in black. Under the man's terrified gaze, his palm landed on the crown of his head.
Then, before Ye Qiubai's horrified eyes, a transparent spirit actually emerged from the crown of the man's head!
"This... the Soul Search technique?"
Lu Changsheng nodded slightly and turned his palm. Streams of information flowed into his mind.
At the same time, a pained expression appeared on the spirit's face.
Before long, Lu Changsheng stopped the Soul Search.
The black-clad man's soul had already been utterly destroyed.
Looking at Ye Qiubai, he asked softly, "Do you want to know now?"
Ye Qiubai froze, then nodded, resolve in his eyes.
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng did not intend to conceal it and revealed the truth. "Jiang Chan."
Boom!
Hearing this answer, Ye Qiubai felt as though lightning had struck him. He froze on the spot.
Only after a full incense stick's worth of time did he slowly recover, letting out a bitter laugh, sorrow showing in his eyes.
He had turned it over and over in his mind, wondering who wanted to get rid of him so quickly.
Yet never in his wildest thoughts had he imagined that this person would be his childhood sweetheart, Jiang Chan, who had wanted to do everything together with him when they were little.
"Do you need me to take care of it for you?"
Ye Qiubai raised his eyes, then shook his head. "I won't trouble you with it, Senior. I'll handle this myself."
Hearing this, appreciation appeared in Lu Changsheng's eyes.
When someone met with setbacks, they should not retreat because of them.
Only by braving the raging currents could they grow quickly.
Ye Qiubai cupped his fists and asked, "Senior, I will surely repay your great kindness another day. May I ask your name..."
Lu Changsheng looked at Ye Qiubai and chuckled. "My name is Lu Changsheng. I wish to take you as my disciple. That is why I appeared here."
Ye Qiubai froze, then laughed bitterly. "Please don't joke, Senior. I've lost all my cultivation, and my talent is gone. How could I still be qualified to become your disciple?"
That transcendent bearing, along with the way he had just killed someone, made it clear that Lu Changsheng was extraordinary. Why would someone like him take an interest in Ye Qiubai as he was now?
Lu Changsheng said nothing. He pressed a finger between Ye Qiubai's brows, intending to examine his physical condition.
[His meridians are filled with Sword Qi, and his foundation is damaged. With a cultivation method and pills to repair it, he can break down and rebuild.]
Hmm?
The system has this function too?
"Then which cultivation method and pills?"
[They will be awarded after you take Ye Qiubai as your disciple.]
"Senior?"
Lu Changsheng came back to himself and smiled. "If I said I could let you return to your peak, or even bring your talent to its fullest potential and surpass your former self, would you come with me?"
Hearing this, Ye Qiubai's eyes instantly lit up.
Returning to his peak and far surpassing his former self-wasn't that exactly what he wanted?
Besides, seeing how confident this senior was, he probably would not deceive him. He had nothing precious on him anyway.
Why bother?
Immediately, Ye Qiubai dropped to both knees and bowed deeply to Lu Changsheng.
"Your disciple, Ye Qiubai, pays his respects to Master!"
Lu Changsheng smiled. "You're only taking me as your master. Why offer such a grand bow?"
Ye Qiubai's expression was solemn. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. Naturally, I must offer a grand bow."
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng could not help nodding in satisfaction.
Good talent and acceptable character.
Taking a disciple like this was not bad.
[Disciple recruitment mission completed. Disciple recruitment gift package obtained.] [Supreme-Grade Saint Artifact-Azure Cloud Sword] [Primordial Sword Scripture] [Fortune Pill] [Disciple development missions will also be unlocked.]
After hearing the system's words, Lu Changsheng nodded inwardly, then looked at Ye Qiubai. "All right. Since that's settled, come with me."
On the sword, Ye Qiubai asked, "Master, where are we going now?"
Lu Changsheng said, "Hidden Dao Academy."
Hidden Dao Academy?!
Ye Qiubai was startled.
Although Hidden Dao Institute was not within the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty,
who in the Southern Region had not heard of Hidden Dao Institute?
It was the Southern Region's universally recognized place for imparting the Dao!
"Master, are you an elder of Hidden Dao Academy?"
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "Our faction can be considered part of the academy, but it isn't under the academy's jurisdiction. It's called the Cottage. I don't know if you've heard of it."
Ye Qiubai shook his head.
That was normal. After all, the Cottage had never done anything earth-shaking. In fact, after Lu Changsheng took over the Cottage, it had not recruited any more disciples.
Ye Qiubai actually wanted to ask what cultivation realm his master was in, but thinking that asking too many questions would not be good, he could only suppress his curiosity.
At Hidden Dao Academy, the elders were still selecting disciples.
However, most of the selections had already been made.
Those remaining would enter the outer academy directly to study.
However...
Before the elders stood a woman in red who was exceptionally stubborn.
"I want to join the Cottage."
That was the only thing she had said so far.
Afterward, she simply stood there, her face covered in frost.
Moreover, whether in background, talent, or strength, she was the most outstanding person among this batch of students-no, among the past several batches.
This left the elders quite helpless.
After all, she did not want to become their disciple. They could not force her!
Just then, two figures arrived on a flying sword.
"Oh? Enrollment hasn't ended yet?"
The elders looked at the man on the sword with complicated expressions.
Lu Changsheng paused and asked, "Is there... something on my face?"
One elder pointed at the girl in the clearing and said helplessly, "Lu Changsheng, she wants to join the Cottage."
Her?
Lu Changsheng looked at the red-clad girl by the entrance.
The girl said, "I want to join the Cottage."
Lu Changsheng refused, however, saying with a smile, "Become one of the elders' disciples. I don't take disciples."
With that, he led Ye Qiubai toward the academy.
"Why?"
The girl was unwilling to give up.
Her lineage had instructed her to join the Cottage and had also told her about its past deeds.
That was why she had come to Hidden Dao Academy.
Lu Changsheng thought for a moment, then said, "I'm lazy and like peace and quiet, so I'd better not lead a student astray."
An elder nearby noticed Ye Qiubai and asked, "Changsheng, who is this?"
"My disciple."
With that, Lu Changsheng led Ye Qiubai into the academy.
"..."
Weren't you lazy, fond of peace and quiet, and afraid of leading students astray?
Didn't you say you didn't take disciples?
The elders looked at one another and smiled bitterly in turn. They could only turn to the girl and say, "Xin Hongyi, why not choose another elder?"
Xin Hongyi shook her head and cupped her fists. "Since I can't enter the Cottage, I'll cultivate on my own."
Although that sounded arrogant, with her family's resources and heritage, she truly did not need an elder's instruction.
Xin Hongyi looked in the direction Lu Changsheng had left and said quietly, "I'll prove myself."
Clearly, Xin Hongyi believed Lu Changsheng had refused to accept her because he thought little of her talent and strength.
Who knew that Lu Changsheng really was just lazy!
As for taking Ye Qiubai as his disciple?
It was just a system mission.