#57Preparing a guest and an attemptAI Model: gemini-3.0-flash
Chapter 9: Preparatory Guest Elder and an Attempt
His expression was extremely gloomy, his eyes were bloodshot, and his fists were clenched until his knuckles turned white.
He had provoked the fight, yet was defeated in an instant, completely nailed to the pillar of shame.
The prince's face was completely lost!
Flender comforted him:
"Mubai, this is the trickiness of Mental System Spirit Masters."
He paused for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, "But if it's just sleep... next time you encounter it, you might try using pain to break it."
He was well-traveled and knowledgeable, and immediately thought of a way to break the technique.
Pain!
Sleep can be broken by pain.
In a team battle, one can be awakened by teammates.
In a duel, one can only rely on using pain to counteract the sleepiness.
"Pain?" Dai Mubai carved these two words deeply into his heart, "Next time, next time I will definitely not lose to him again!"
The motto "To dare not cause trouble is to be mediocre" resonated deeply with him.
His dignity as a prince made him keep this shameful defeat firmly in mind.
Even though he clearly knew Shrek Academy was in the wrong first, he selectively ignored that fact.
Instead, he deeply remembered the hateful name "Zhao Liuyun"—the culprit who had caused him to be humiliated publicly twice in a row.
Truly a damned thing!
Gloomy light surged in the depths of his eyes as Dai Mubai secretly swore to wash away his shame in the future.
His desire for power had never been so strong; he said, "Dean, no need to rest, let's go straight to Spirit Hunting."
He would first become a Spirit Elder and obtain his first thousand-year spirit ring.
As for Zhao Liuyun, a mere level 22 Spirit Master, who knew how long it would take him to become a Spirit Elder.
Having won once in his heart, the frustration in Dai Mubai's chest finally eased slightly... On the other side, at the Ye family's shop.
After a brief exchange between Ye Wenxi and Shi Nian, under Meng Yan's regretful gaze, Ye Wenxi pulled Zhao Liuyun to the side.
"Little Liuyun, you are naturally gifted, so you must have noticed."
"These two months were actually a test. We couldn't reach a conclusion based on hearsay alone; we had to witness your character and cultivation progress with our own eyes."
The results were pleasing; Zhao Liuyun had grown extremely fast, directly gaining 1 level.
He was also polite and knew how to repay kindness.
The claim that "Focus" alone could speed up cultivation was not a lie.
"I know." Zhao Liuyun's face showed no sign of surprise. "What are you trying to say?"
"You have passed the test. Are you willing to inherit your grandmaster's legacy and truly enter my Ye family as a preparatory Guest Elder?"
Although Ye Wenxi was smiling, he felt it was too hasty in his heart.
Only two months had passed, and it was not yet time to reveal everything.
But he had to be anxious.
Shi Nian's arrival was too sudden, disrupting the pace of the observation and the original plan.
The Ye family could not stop a genius from working hard and continuing to grow.
It was foreseeable that Zhao Liuyun would inevitably agree to Shi Nian.
Zhao Liuyun had a pure nature, while Shi Nian was like a lump... a mass of ink.
When ink stains clear water, it is hard to maintain its clarity.
This person's reputation precedes him; one must be on guard.
The Ye family absolutely could not sit by and watch a talent be recruited by others; if Zhao Liuyun left with him, this bit of sentiment would likely be hard to maintain.
Since time was pressing, some things had to be made clear before the young eagle spread its wings, lest the cooked duck fly away.
"I am willing," Zhao Liuyun replied straightforwardly.
He just felt the old man hadn't finished what he wanted to say.
Sure enough, Ye Wenxi let out a long breath and turned to mention another secret:
"The Ye family's inherited Spirit for generations is named 'Nine Heart Begonia,' the World's number one healing-type Tool Spirit."
"Though it cannot regrow severed limbs, its healing power is unrivaled in this World, known for the saying, 'as long as there's a single breath left, it can bring a person back to life.'"
Zhao Liuyun appropriately showed a hint of amazement, while his eyes also held a trace of inquiry.
"However," Ye Wenxi shook his head with a sigh, "the Spirit is passed down through a single line; each generation can only have one successor, and there can only be two Nine Heart Begonia Spirit Masters alive at the same time."
"And the successor of the Nine Heart Begonia Spirit in this generation is a woman."
"You mean to say..." Zhao Liuyun knew it was Ye Lingling, but mentioning it specifically clearly had another purpose.
Ye Wenxi said slowly, "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has a rule that the spouse of a Support-Type Soul Master cannot be from the support system."
"Our Ye family is the same!"
"Support-Type Soul Masters naturally lack combat power. No matter how many Spirit Masters we recruit or how wide our network is, it is ultimately external power. Only by finding a partner with outstanding combat strength can one receive unwavering support."
It seemed like speaking deeply to a casual acquaintance, but if a Support-Type Soul Master wanted to establish themselves long-term, they had to take human nature into account and be thorough in all aspects.
Ye Wenxi had already figured out Zhao Liuyun's character.
This child was young, but his maturity far exceeded his peers, more so than most adults.
Geniuses detest deception most; by explaining everything openly, he could make his own judgments and considerations, so that no rifts would form in the future because of this.
Sure enough, he wants to recruit me as a son-in-law!
Zhao Liuyun understood and took the initiative to list his own shortcomings: "I am still young."
"You are mature."
"My innate spirit power is only level five, which cannot compare to those true geniuses with level eight or nine, or even Innate Full Spirit Power. I might hit a bottleneck at the Spirit Emperor stage."
This was naturally a lie; he had not yet encountered any bottleneck.
Perhaps it was thanks to the Panel, or perhaps it was the benefit of his naturally vast mental force.
But it was precisely by using shortcomings as a mirror that one could reach an accurate judgment.
Ye Wenxi unhurriedly refuted them one by one:
"Innate spirit power doesn't represent everything; your cultivation talent is not weak."
"I have already sent people to Nuoding City to visit your master and have also asked that boy Huang Xin in detail."
"Gaining 8 levels in two years at the academy, and 6 levels in one year and three months at the Soul Hunting Town—even a genius with Innate Full Spirit Power would find that hard to match."
Since it was a sincere recruitment, a background check was naturally indispensable.
Zhao Liuyun's background was clean, and his past was traceable; two months was enough to investigate everything clearly.
"I come from a humble background, with no father or mother."
Ye Wenxi smiled:
"Such a background is exactly what every support system power truly values."
Even powers as strong as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School with their thousands of Spirit Masters haven't found a suitable genius youth to match with Ning Rongrong, have they?
The Ye family deals in both medicine and healing and has a wide network, yet they also lacked a suitable candidate.
Thus, they could only choose from low-level Spirit Masters; it truly was like panning for gold in filth.
To truly find a genius Spirit Master who cultivates fast, has a strong will, is polite, knows gratitude, has a Spirit that isn't weak, is mature, has outstanding combat power... and most importantly, has no factional entanglements behind him—it was truly as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Fortunately, heaven had mercy, and such a young genius emerged from their own network of relationships.
Everyone has flaws, but as Ye Wenxi looked left and right, he truly couldn't find a single blemish in Zhao Liuyun except for his level five innate spirit power.
If one had to say, that almost stubborn, firm conviction made up for everything.
From his calm demeanor in the face of danger and his composed handling of sudden changes, one could see he knew when to advance or retreat, fitting the Ye family's policy of valuing harmony above all.
Ye Wenxi changed the subject:
"Of course, it's not directly arranging a marriage. Spirit Masters value free love; we will only treat you with sincerity and will not force any feelings."
This avoided an arranged marriage causing resentment, and since he was indeed too young, he had to be allowed to grow for a few more years while they observed his subsequent development.
By not speaking too definitively and leaving enough room, they could avoid many unnecessary troubles.
"Grandpa Ye, do you want me to reject Senior Shi Nian?" Zhao Liuyunasked.
He knew Ye Lingling was at the Tiandou Royal Academy.
If he could directly join the Tiandou Royal Academy, he would be very close to the Immortal Herbs.
Ye Wenxi shook his head: "No, what Shi Nian said is true; pure Mental System Spirit Masters are few and far between in this World."
"He is more suitable to be your teacher than Meng Shenji, the committee member of the Tiandou Royal Academy. Canghui Academyis indeed a good place."
The original plan had been the Tiandou Royal Academy.
But Ye Wenxi was clear-headed; this concerned the youth's cultivation journey, and one must not block another's future, or else a true grudge would be formed.
His expectations falling through, Zhao Liuyun was a bit disappointed and waited for what came next.
Ye Wenxi coughed twice and stated the reason:
"Girls have delicate thoughts and are naturally more emotional."
"That girl is named Ye Lingling. Although she is a few years older than you, because she carries the Nine Heart Begonia inheritance, she has endured much pressure since childhood, and her personality inevitably has some issues."
"My intention is for you to first enter Canghui Academy and cultivate with Shi Nian for a period of time."
"Then go to Heaven Dou City to meet the Clan Head and try to get along with that girl Lingling."
They could only recommend; ultimately, it was up to the Clan Head to judge and evaluate the person!
This meant the relationship was one step closer, allowing him to use this to obtain Whale Glue.
In the future, through Ye Lingling, he could also more naturally come into contact with Dugu Yan.
This was exactly what Zhao Liuyun wanted.
However, he did not show any emotion, only maintaining a contemplative look to avoid appearing unusual.
He appeared to be in deep thought, as if he were considering it.
Seeing him silent, Ye Wenxi thought he had refused and gave him a way out: "If you are unwilling, we do not force it; you will still be a preparatory Guest Elder of my Ye family."
"No, I agree." A faint smile appeared in Zhao Liuyun's eyes. "I came from hardship and do not expect the so-called love found in storybooks."
He looked at Ye Wenxi and said sincerely: "You have been extremely good to me, and for your sake, I am willing to give it a try."
"Feelings and such can be nurtured later, and I also believe I can gain the Clan Head's approval."
Zhao Liuyun needed the Ye family's resources and channels to obtain Whale Glue, and he needed to contact Dugu Bo through Dugu Yan; why would he be unwilling?
He truly wasn't good at things like feelings, so he only said he would "try."
But in the World of Spirit Masters, as long as one's talent and character are recognized, many things will naturally fall into place.