Although the other party’s spirit root grade was not high—only a low-grade spirit root—if he possessed sufficient opportunity and comprehension, there was still a certain chance he could establish his foundation in the future.
If he took him as a master, with his assistance, the chances of foundation establishment would increase quite a bit.
Ye Hao pretended to ponder for a long while before shaking his head, cupping his hands, and politely declining, “My apologies, Old Zhao. For now, I have no intention of taking a master.”
Setting aside whether Old Zhao before him had a chance to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, even if the man were already a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Ye Hao could not possibly take him as a master.
At least in Ye Hao's eyes, the conditions Old Zhao offered were completely incapable of moving him.
With his current speed of cultivation, it would not take long before he caught up to the man, and he might even achieve Foundation Establishment ahead of him.
“I am forty-six years old this year and already at Ninth-Layer Qi Refinement, with ample potential.”
“In ten years at most, I will be able to successfully establish my foundation and become a Foundation Establishment elder of the sect.”
“At that time, as my disciple, you can directly become an inner disciple.”
“The resources you will possess by then will be several times, or even dozens of times, what you have now.”
Zhao Yunlan had not expected the Ye Hao before him to refuse his idea so completely, but he still did not want to give up, so he put forward another condition.
Hearing Ye Hao refuse Old Zhao's offer of apprenticeship, Li Cheng felt a bit of secret joy, but also a trace of jealousy.
To become Old Zhao's disciple was something he dreamed of day and night.
Yet Ye Hao before him had refused directly, as if he did not care for it at all.
However, he also let out a quiet sigh of relief, which meant he still had a chance.
Yet when he saw Old Zhao speak again, wanting to take Ye Hao as a disciple, he stood frozen in place, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Ye Hao looked up at Old Zhao before him, cupped his hands once more, and said with a serious expression, “Thank you for your favor, Old Zhao, but I truly have no intention of taking a master.”
“If Old Zhao has nothing else, I will head back first.”
“My spirit field was just harvested, and I still need to handle the finishing touches.”
Li Cheng was completely stunned. He had not expected Ye Hao to refuse yet again.
Had it been him, he would have agreed the very first time, even falling to his knees to pay respects to the elder as his master.
Unfortunately...
He could not take Ye Hao's place.
“Very well. Since you are unwilling to become my disciple, we shall drop this matter.”
“You may go. If anything arises in the future, you may come find me as well.”
This time, Zhao Yunlan truly saw that Ye Hao had no desire to take a master, so he immediately waved his hand.
He felt it was a great pity that he could not take the youth before him as his disciple.
Even so, even if he could not take him as a disciple, forging a good relationship with him was still worthwhile.
That was why he made such a promise.
“Old Zhao, I shall take my leave then.”
Ye Hao cupped his hands and decisively left the courtyard.
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, Old Zhao would try to force him into becoming his disciple.
He also blamed himself for standing out too much lately.
Otherwise, it would have been impossible for Old Zhao to take a liking to him.
...
Thump!
Li Cheng dropped straight to his knees on the ground and gave three heavy kowtows.
Blood even seeped from his forehead.
He looked earnestly at Zhao Yunlan before him, his tone sincere: “Old Zhao, that brat Ye Hao is blind! He actually refused you twice in a row!”
“Why not take me as your disciple instead? Besides, my spirit root is better than his—it’s a mid-grade spirit root.”
Zhao Yunlan circulated his spiritual energy to forcibly lift Li Cheng to his feet, then shook his head helplessly.
He explained patiently, “Although he has a low-grade spirit root, he is only fifteen years old this year and already at Third-Layer Qi Refinement. If I remember correctly, when you were his age, you were only at First-Layer Qi Refinement.”
“Now you are six years older than him, yet you are only at Fourth-Layer Qi Refinement.”
“Moreover, the further one cultivates, the more time and resources it consumes.”
“Compared to him, your talent is still far lacking.”
After saying this, Zhao Yunlan turned and headed back into the house without looking back.
Li Cheng was the child of an old friend who had entrusted him to Zhao Yunlan before leaving the Baiyun Sect.
Over all these years, he had given the boy no small amount of resources.
However, the boy's mind did not seem to be on cultivation at all.
Slacking off was a regular occurrence.
Otherwise, at his age, combined with a mid-grade spirit root, he should have joined the outer sect long ago.
He would not be stuck at merely Fourth-Layer Qi Refinement like this.
Had he ever wanted to take him as a disciple, he would have done so years ago.
It was precisely because he knew the boy's character that he had repeatedly declined.
Unfortunately, this fellow never understood.
“On what grounds? I’ve begged you so many times to take me as a disciple, yet you never thought highly of me.”
“Yet you’re so obsessed with a guy who only has a low-grade spirit root!”
Looking at Zhao Yunlan's departing back, Li Cheng's eyes filled with venomous resentment as he clenched his fists tightly.
Even as his fingernails pierced his flesh, he did not care in the slightest.
Because at this moment, the rage in his heart outweighed everything else.
...
“Ye Hao, did Old Zhao look for you?”
On the field ridge, Ye Yu sat cultivating.
Sensing Ye Hao's aura, he could not help but open his eyes and ask curiously.
After all, those veteran spirit farmers were all spreading rumors that early this morning, Old Zhao had summoned Ye Hao over.
That was Old Zhao—an existence that even those older spirit farmers had never seen.
Now he had actually taken the initiative to look for a newcomer who had joined less than a year ago.
Ye Hao smiled and shook his head. “It was nothing. He just asked me a few questions and let me come back after he finished.”
He did not want word to spread that Zhao Yunlan had wanted to take him as a disciple and that he had refused. That would make him stand out even more, which might draw even more trouble in the future.
“Oh right, did you not check your communication token? Just now, Senior Sister Jiang Ci came looking for you, even coming all the way to my place.”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Ye Yu slapped his forehead and hurriedly looked at Ye Hao to speak.
“I didn't notice. I'll check now.”
Ye Hao hastily pulled out his communication token.
Messages sent by Jiang Ci popped up one after another.
“Senior Sister Jiang Ci, is there something urgent you're looking for me for?”
Ye Hao hastily responded.
“Junior Brother, where are you now?”
“I'm over by the spirit fields.”
“Wait for me, I'm coming over right now.”
A moment later.
A white cloud slowly flew in from the sky and landed nearby.
Jiang Ci leaped down from the white cloud, pulled out a pale yellow book, and shoved it into Ye Hao's hands. “Junior Brother, your spell talent is so high. Take a look at this spell and see if you can learn it.”
“Let me see.”
Ye Hao had thought Jiang Ci had something important to find him for, but he had not expected she just wanted him to learn a spell.
Ye Yu also leaned over out of curiosity.
“This is a secret technique?”
Ye Hao froze after glancing at just the first few pages.
“Mm, I got it from a secret realm. I wanted to see if you could learn it, Junior Brother.”
Jiang Ci nodded her head obediently.
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