She looked down at the group of boys and girls below the plaza. Their eyes were clear and bright, filled with yearning for the grand Dao of cultivation. A strong sense of absurdity suddenly rose in her heart.
At eighteen, back in the mortal realm, she would just be a young girl who hadn't even had her coming-of-age ceremony, peacefully pursuing her studies. Yet in this cultivation sect, she was expected to shoulder the burden of teaching disciples and passing down the Dao.
Rather than managing a group of ignorant and clueless disciples, she would much rather shut herself in the alchemy chamber and refine a few batches of Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pills.
If she were asked to tutor someone in advanced mathematics, she could manage. But the path of cultivation was as vast as the ocean, and she hadn't even walked very far herself. How could she dare stretch out a hand to guide others?
She curled her lip and added, “Besides, raising disciples is extremely expensive. Spiritual ingredients, pills, and dharma treasures all require careful preparation. I barely have enough resources to support my own cultivation and alchemy, so how could I have any leftover to support others?”
Cen Xi'er couldn't help but chuckle from the side and chimed in to comfort her, “Junior Sister, you don't need to worry about the expenses. The sect distributes a monthly disciple-support subsidy. Not to mention, with your top-tier achievements in the Dao of alchemy, just casually refining a few batches of ordinary pills would yield enough spirit stones to keep a whole crowd of disciples clothed, fed, and cultivating without any worries.”
“No matter how much the subsidy is, it won't do.” Lin Zhiyue didn't back down in the slightest, her tone carrying a hint of resistance. “Right now, my only focus is on studying the Dao of alchemy and the sword. I've never once thought about becoming a master who looks after juniors.
Taking disciples comes with too many trivial chores. On ordinary days, you have to supervise their meditation and guide their techniques. When they go out for training, you have to protect them at all times. If a disciple gets into trouble outside, in the end, the master has to step in and settle it. I absolutely refuse to take on such a thankless chore.”
She grumbled inwardly. As a modern person, she naturally knew that whether it was a master or a teacher, both were high-risk professions.
If she took in a well-behaved, obedient female disciple, it would be fine. But if she took in a restless male disciple... not to be vain, but with her looks, she felt like her teaching license would melt away like butter—
Ye Qingwu looked at her stubborn, unyielding refusal and felt a headache coming on. Countless words of persuasion rushed to her lips, but meeting Lin Zhiyue's clear, bright, yet resolutely unyielding eyes, all her arguments got stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.
“Elder Ye, please trouble yourself to report back to the Palace Master for me.” Lin Zhiyue simply stuffed the green jade token straight into Ye Qingwu's arms and turned to step back.
“Just say that I'll be going into seclusion soon to study high-grade pill formulas and won't have a single moment of free time day or night. I truly have no time to spare for taking disciples. A heavy responsibility like passing down the Dao and teaching disciples is better left to the highly respected elders in the sect.”
Before Ye Qingwu could say anything to make her stay, Lin Zhiyue conjured a wisp of green spiritual energy at her fingertips, summoned the Azure Scale Sword, and stepped onto it.
With a flash of sword light, she soared into the air, her robes fluttering wildly in the mountain wind. Only a faint green silhouette remained as she broke through the layers of clouds, disappearing amidst the continuous mountain ranges in the blink of an eye.
Only Cen Xi'er and Ye Qingwu were left standing there, staring in the direction she had gone. They looked at each other in speechless silence.
“This girl...” Ye Qingwu squeezed the token and sighed helplessly, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. “She really is a newborn calf who doesn't fear the tiger. She even dares to reject the Palace Master's order.”
She looked down at the token and shook her head. “The Palace Master also saw how unique her cultivation path is and wanted her to take on a few disciples so she could pass down her skills.”
She fell silent for a couple of breaths before finally placing the token back on the table. “Forget it. Forced fruits are never sweet. We'll let fate decide.”
The rolling clouds obscured half the sunlight on the mountain. Lin Zhiyue traveled alone through the sea of mist, grumbling angrily in a low voice, “I've only just turned eighteen, and I'm already expected to start teaching disciples. The Palace Master is absolutely out of his mind!”
With that, she lightly flicked her wrist, circulating her spiritual energy to increase her sword speed a bit more.
Lin Zhiyue remained in seclusion for half a month. When she stepped out of the stone chamber, a trace of the chill unique to ice spiritual energy still lingered on her fingertips.
She squinted slightly, adjusting to the dazzling sunlight outside.
During this half-month of seclusion, she had not only stabilized her cultivation but had also completely mastered and integrated that "unorthodox" method of alchemy.
Lin Zhiyue calculated the days. It had already been half a month since she last saw Cen Xi'er, so she set off toward her place.
Along the way, she encountered many unfamiliar faces, likely the newly admitted disciples. Each wore a brand-new disciple robe, and upon seeing her, they stopped and respectfully greeted her, “Venerable Zhaoyue.”
She nodded in response, without slowing her pace.
After walking a few paces, she faintly heard someone behind her whispering, “Is that the number one genius? She looks so young.”
Another person chimed in, “She looks just like a young girl.”
Lin Zhiyue didn't look back, acting as if she hadn't heard.
After walking a bit further, Lin Zhiyue bumped into Eldest Senior Brother Chu Zhixun on the road.
Eldest Senior Brother was standing not far away. He wore ordinary clothes that looked slightly more mature than usual, his expression still carrying that steady and honest look. However, today, a young man was following behind him.
The youth was about fifteen years old, with a tall and upright posture, dressed in neat martial attire. A vibrant air untouched by the mundane world exuded from between his brows.
He was casually playing with a jade pendant in his hand, standing in a relaxed, slouchy posture. He didn't look like a cultivator, but rather like those refreshing male college students Lin Zhiyue often saw on campus in her previous life—just finished playing basketball, radiating heat and hormones.
Lin Zhiyue raised her eyebrows. Her gaze swept between Chu Zhixun and the youth, finally locking onto Chu Zhixun's face. “Eldest Senior Brother, who is this?”
Chu Zhixun scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, yet his expression carried a hint of earnestness. “Junior Sister, this is my newly recruited disciple, Fu Yunxiao. According to seniority... you should call him your disciple nephew.”
Lin Zhiyue: “...?”
She had gone into seclusion for a month, and upon coming out, not only had her cultivation increased, but her seniority had also risen?
“Disciple nephew?” Lin Zhiyue repeated the term, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. “Eldest Senior Brother, you usually don't even want to raise a spirit beast. Why did you suddenly think of taking a disciple?”
Chu Zhixun sighed, his face solemn. “I am the Eldest Senior Brother. Master is in seclusion, and you were also in seclusion, Junior Sister. I thought that as the Eldest Senior Brother, I ought to shoulder this responsibility and set an example for you all.”
He spoke with utmost seriousness, but Lin Zhiyue could hear a trace of the helplessness of "an honest man being driven to his wits' end."
“What is so special about him?” Lin Zhiyue turned her gaze toward the youth named Fu Yunxiao.
The youth seemed to sense her gaze and abruptly lifted his head.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Zhiyue clearly saw those eyes, which had been somewhat indifferent, suddenly light up the instant they met her gaze.
It was an undisguised look of astonishment, as if he had laid eyes on some rare treasure, fine specks of light dancing in the depths of his eyes.
“To answer Little Junior Aunt,” Fu Yunxiao took a step forward, his voice clear and bright, carrying the unique vigor of youth. “This disciple has a Fire Spiritual Root and decent talent. Initially, I wanted to take Venerable Yanchen as my master. But Venerable Yanchen said he doesn't accept disciples because he finds it troublesome.”
Lin Zhiyue's lips twitched slightly. That was indeed something Qi Yan would say.
“Later, this disciple heard that Master is steady and also possesses a Fire Spiritual Root, so I thought joining Master's lineage would be excellent as well.”
As Fu Yunxiao spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Lin Zhiyue, a brilliant smile spreading across his lips. “Little Junior Aunt, you are truly beautiful.”
Hearing this, Chu Zhixun's face flushed with embarrassment, and he cleared his throat. “Yunxiao, do not be rude.”
Lin Zhiyue merely waved her hand, then forced herself to look a bit more authoritative.
“Fu Yunxiao, is it?” Lin Zhiyue smiled. “Since you are Eldest Senior Brother's disciple, then make sure to cultivate diligently under him.”
Fu Yunxiao smiled and said, “This disciple obeys! I definitely won't let down what Little Junior Aunt and Master have entrusted to me.”
Lin Zhiyue nodded and turned to leave, but at the very moment she turned, she caught a fleeting glint of slyness in the youth's eyes.
What did this kid mean? Was he provoking her? Very well!
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