"Grandmother? Isn't this too sudden?"
Meng Yiran was stunned. While she acknowledged Zhu Zhuqing's strength, especially that gray needle which was a stroke of genius that had amazed her, a self-proclaimed aficionado of hidden weapons, she had never thought about becoming someone's disciple. She was quite comfortable cultivating with her grandparents.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were also taken aback. How did the conversation suddenly turn to taking a disciple?
Ning Rongrong, in particular, couldn't help but purse her lips. Junior Sister Zhu Zhuqing just showed her rebellious side, kissing Teacher right in front of me. If another budding flower like Meng Yiran joins, what will happen then?
Most importantly, both of their figures are better than mine, curvy in all the right places. What if they also fall for Teacher after seeing his immortal face? What if they use their big water balloons to seduce him? Can Teacher resist the temptation? Ahhhhh!
Ning Rongrong's sense of crisis was on high alert!
"Senior is too kind. Your title as the Unrivaled Dragon and Serpent is far more renowned than mine. With you to guide her, why would she need to become my disciple?" Su Ran said calmly.
He glanced at Meng Yiran. Her aptitude was indeed decent. While not top-tier, it was still quite rare. However, he already had two disciples of even higher quality to cultivate. If this new disciple was well-behaved, it would be one thing, but if she was another restless troublemaker like Ning Rongrong, he really didn't have the energy to manage her.
"Sigh, although we two old folks made a bit of a name for ourselves in the Spirit Master world in our younger years, we are ultimately getting older. Our physical condition is not what it used to be. I'm afraid I'll never be able to break through to the Spirit Saint realm in this lifetime," Chao Tianxiang said.
"My strength is on the decline. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so careless as to lose track of a thousand-year spirit beast like the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Serpent, allowing that fellow Zhao Wuji and his disciples to take advantage of the situation."
"My granddaughter's Martial Soul is the same as mine, a Snake Staff. If she follows my path, her future achievements won't be much greater than my own."
"But I can see that you, little friend, have a talent for teaching. If Yiran can become your disciple, perhaps she can learn new things and develop her own potential to the fullest."
"As the saying goes, 'Thousand-mile horses are common, but a great judge of them is rare.' A good teacher is hard to find. I implore you, little friend, to give my granddaughter a chance."
"Yiran, what are you waiting for? Come and pay your respects to your new master," Snake Grandma called to Meng Yiran, her tone quite stern.
Meng Yiran walked over reluctantly. But when she met her grandmother's unusually serious and strict gaze, she knew that her grandmother was truly determined for her to become this person's disciple. She felt a little hesitant but could only do as she was told, cupping her hands and saying, "Please accept me as your disciple."
Meng Yiran stole a glance at Su Ran. This masked teacher did have a fine aura, like a peerless prodigy from some hidden paradise. However, he didn't seem old enough to be a teacher; at most, he could be a senior disciple. Is he really as amazing as Grandmother says, a truly rare and great teacher? Those two girls just said that their strength had undergone a qualitative change shortly after becoming his disciples. I wonder if that's true?
"Senior Snake Grandma, I never force anyone to become my disciple. If your granddaughter does not genuinely wish to learn from me, even if I accept her out of respect for you, it will only be a problem in the future if she is disobedient and cannot endure the hardships of training. It would be better to save the trouble," Su Ran said calmly, sensing Meng Yiran's hesitation.
"Yiran, kneel!"
Su Ran's polite refusal only made Snake Grandma more certain that this young man was no simple character. If he were an ordinary teacher, knowing her identity as one of the Unrivaled Dragon and Serpent duo, he would have accepted her granddaughter as a disciple without hesitation given her sincere request.
"Grandmother..." Meng Yiran was a little bewildered.
But she quickly came to her senses and knelt before Su Ran, explaining, "Please accept me as your disciple."
"I apologize. It's not that I'm insincere. I was just wondering what kind of person you are, Teacher, to be so young and yet command such reverence from that detestable Zhao Wuji, and to be able to teach such outstanding disciples. What rank of Spirit Master are you? A Spirit King? Or a Spirit Emperor? You couldn't possibly be a Spirit Douluo, could you?!" Meng Yiran lifted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.
This teacher was just too young, so young that it made one feel a little insecure. Yet, his two students praised him as if he were peerless under the heavens.
Beneath the mask, Su Ran's incomparably handsome face broke into a slight smile. "My spirit power is actually a few ranks lower than Zhao Wuji's. I have not yet reached the Spirit Douluo realm."
"A few ranks lower... then why is Zhao Wuji so afraid of you?"
"Perhaps it's because we sparred once before, and I was fortunate enough to win. That's why he's more polite to me."
"Fortunate? Little friend, you are too modest. That Zhao Wuji is no pushover. If you hadn't truly beaten him into submission, he would never be so docile," Snake Grandma said, shaking her head. She had heard of Zhao Wuji's fierce reputation; it was common for him to beat a Spirit Master to death when he was displeased.
"Wait? A few ranks lower than Zhao Wuji? That means you're also a Spirit Saint?"
"Mmm." Su Ran nodded.
Although Snake Grandma had long suspected that this young man was incredibly powerful, hearing him confirm his rank was still a great shock. Such a young Spirit Saint! If his voice and figure are not a disguise, he is likely the youngest Spirit Saint in the entire continent! Unless, beneath that mask, he's actually a forty or fifty-year-old man.
"For a Spirit Saint to be this girl's teacher is her good fortune."
"Yiran, since your grandmother has asked you to become his disciple, she naturally has her reasons. I hope you are sincere in your request and will study hard. Do you understand?" Snake Grandma cast a loving gaze at Meng Yiran.
Meng Yiran's heart trembled, and a trace of emotion appeared on her cold face. She had lived and cultivated with her grandparents her whole life and was closest to her grandmother. She knew her grandmother would never harm her.
Her long lashes blinked over her large brown eyes. Her slender waist twisted like a snake as she knelt before Su Ran and kowtowed, her forehead touching the forest soil. "Teacher, I am sincere in asking to become your disciple. I also want to be as strong as they are. Please allow me to learn from you and take you as my master."
"Being my disciple may be more difficult than cultivating under Senior Snake Grandma," Su Ran said calmly, looking at Meng Yiran.
"I am not afraid," Meng Yiran replied.
"Very good. Accept this Peach Blossom Token. Recite the disciple's oath on the back of it, and from this day forward, you will be a student of my Taoyuan Academy."
With a wave of his hand, a crimson Peach Blossom Token flew down and landed in front of Meng Yiran.
Meng Yiran was taken aback. The words... felt so sacred!
She recited: "In all the mortal world, I, Meng Yiran, have but one master, who can move mountains, sever rivers, overturn seas, open the heavens, command gods, and pluck the stars!"
Weng—
[Disciple Meng Yiran accepted. Meng Yiran's aptitude rating is A-, age 16, spirit power rank 30.]
[Disciple acceptance reward issued: All Spirit Ring years increased by approximately 5%, spirit power increased by 0.2 ranks, +1 random draw from the ultimate technique, cultivation method, and hidden weapon libraries.]
[First Spirit Ability: Illusory Branch — An illusion skill, 1135 years → 1190 years.]
[Second Spirit Ability: Dream Peach Sword — 1850 years → 1950 years.]
[Third Spirit Ability: Crimson Snowstorm — 4820 years → 5060 years.]
[Fourth Spirit Ability: Crimson Moon's Splendor — 12,410 years → 13,030 years.]
[Fifth Spirit Ability: Thousand Blazing Peach Slashes — 24,730 years → 25,970 years.]
[Sixth Spirit Ability: Nine Luminaries Peach Blossom Sword — 48,930 years → 51,380 years.]
[Seventh Spirit Ability: Mortal Dust True Body, 85,230 years → 89,500 years.]
(End of Chapter)