Could a Dou Fighter from a small, remote empire refuse the offer of a Dou Emperor to take him as a disciple?
Xun Er didn't think so. At least, she had never heard of such a thing before.
But today, she had witnessed it with her own eyes.
"Do you think I'm a foolish person?" Ling Xiao was rather interested in hearing Gu Han's reason for refusing to become her disciple.
"A gentleman does certain things and refrains from others." Gu Han maintained his bowing posture and answered with a sincere attitude, "Since you've investigated me, Senior, you must know that I was once an orphan. Before the age of six, I grew up in an orphanage founded by the Cloud Mist Sect in town. After my cultivation talent was discovered at six, I went up to the Cloud Mist Sect to become a preparatory disciple."
"To me, the Cloud Mist Sect has shown the grace of saving my life, raising me, and cultivating me."
"In recent years, the Cloud Mist Sect's performance in the Northwest Continent's Sect Grand Competition has been getting worse and worse, and its influence has also been weakening."
"Right now, the Sect Master is the only Dou Emperor. The sect has been reduced to a second-rate power in the Northwest Continent and a third-rate power on the continent as a whole. It's truly not presentable."
"As a disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect, I want to do my part for its revival."
At this point, Gu Han paused, his eyes growing even more resolute. "Senior, you are Miss Xun Er's guard. My horizons are limited, so I do not know what kind of power can afford to have a peak Dou Emperor as a guard."
"I imagine the power behind Miss Xun Er definitely has Dou Venerable experts, and perhaps even the legendary Dou Saint experts."
"If I could become your disciple, Senior, it would undoubtedly be a good thing for me."
"But I don't think Miss Xun Er will stay here forever, and for now, I cannot part with the Cloud Mist Sect."
"At least, I will not leave before I participate in the Sect Grand Competition for the sect."
This was Gu Han's true thought, but it was also an excuse.
As someone with a cheat system, even if the Ancient Clan were to cultivate him, it would merely be icing on the cake.
He did indeed have to participate in the Northwest Continent's Sect Grand Competition, but he believed he could easily make a name for himself by then.
However, his words moved Ling Ying, Ling Xiao, and Xun Er, even shocking them.
This world was full of people who forgot righteousness for profit, who were ungrateful and faithless, who only weighed pros and cons, and who would betray their masters and ancestors.
A person like this, who could hold onto his principles in the face of temptation, was worthy of respect.
Although from a certain perspective, such a person was very "foolish."
But this foolishness was very precious.
"Since that's the case, it seems we are not fated." Ling Xiao spoke with considerable regret. After a moment of thought, she took out a token and threw it to Gu Han. "This token isn't of much use in the Northwest Continent. If you go to the Central Plains in the future, show this token at the Ye Clan's Merchant Guild, and they can contact me."
"If we are fated, perhaps we can become one of our own."
"Thank you, Senior." Gu Han put away the token and turned to leave without another word.
The Sky Goose Six-Line Wings left a stream of blue-white light in the air, disappearing into the clouds not long after.
"What a pity." Ling Ying's tone was full of regret. "This child's character and moral integrity are even more precious than his talent and comprehension. If he could be taken as a direct disciple, it would surely be a wonderful thing."
"You think I don't know that?" Ling Xiao snorted coldly in annoyance.
"Sister, I'm just feeling sorry for you." The corner of Ling Ying's mouth twitched under his mask.
"You're clearly stabbing me in the heart." Ling Xiao shot him a sidelong glance. "Losing such a disciple, I feel like I've missed a great opportunity."
"Aunt Ling, calm down. Old Ling is just concerned for you," Xun Er said comfortingly.
Ling Ying was speechless.
He was only five years older than his sister, Ling Xiao.
Why was he "Old Ling," while Ling Xiao was "Aunt Ling"?
But as a guard, he didn't dare question his young miss and could only remain silent.
"Aunt Ling, Xun Er feels that there might be a solution that benefits both sides." Xun Er's nimble eyes flashed, a smile blooming on her face.
"What brilliant idea does Miss have?" Ling Xiao looked at Gu Xun'er with anticipation.
"Not being able to take him as a disciple doesn't mean you can't invest in him and form a good connection." Xun Er began her analysis in all seriousness. "In terms of cultivation talent, being a seven-star Dou Fighter at fifteen is not that remarkable on its own. But Old Ling's investigation also found that it has been less than two months since he broke through to the Dou Fighter level. He went from one-star to seven-star, and from his performance when he fought me just now, his foundation is very stable. His talent is at least A-rank."
"If he were in my clan, started cultivating at the age of four, and had the assistance of the Poolside Elixir, he would be at least a Dou Spirit by now, qualified to take the Black Annihilation Army's assessment."
"As for his comprehension, it's been less than two months since he became a Dou Fighter, but he has cultivated one Mysterious Low-Rank Skill, three Mysterious Low-Rank Dou Skills, one Mysterious Mid-Rank Dou Skill, and an Aura Concealment Secret Technique, all to the point of perfection. He even managed to obtain and master a Quasi Earth-Rank Flying Dou Skill on his own. That's definitely S-rank, and I feel he's still hiding something."
"Such talent and comprehension would be considered genius even among the descendants in the Ancient World, worthy of being heavily nurtured."
"But he also has soul talent. He already possesses a Mortal Realm Middle Stage soul as a mere Dou Fighter."
"Combining these three aspects, if he were in the Ancient World, he would be a candidate for a commander of the Black Annihilation Army."
The Black Annihilation Army was under the jurisdiction of the Ancient Clan's Elder Council, a gathering place for the clan's powerful warriors, possessing extremely formidable combat strength.
The Black Annihilation Army had a very strict hierarchy, with four Grand Commanders and eight Commanders.
The weakest of the four Grand Commanders was a seven-star Dou Venerable, and the weakest of the eight Commanders was a one-star Dou Venerable.
Being a candidate for a Black Annihilation Army commander meant that he would be valued and nurtured by the Ancient Clan's Elder Council as a successor to a future commander—in other words, a promising candidate to become a Dou Venerable, and one of the best at that.
This showed just how highly Xun Er rated Gu Han.
"The key is that his character and integrity are also excellent." Xun Er's tone became serious. "He would definitely be able to pass the clan's Heart-Questioning Assessment. If he were willing to marry into the family or marry a core disciple of the Ancient Clan, he would even have a chance to become a Grand Commander."
"To be honest, it's only because he appeared in a small place like the Jia Ma Empire and was encountered by you, Aunt Ling, that you even have the chance to become his teacher."
"If he were in the clan, you wouldn't even be qualified to be his guide."
"Before I leave the Xiao Family, I also plan to place a bet on him."
These words might have sounded a bit harsh to Ling Xiao, but they were the truth.
Both Ling Xiao and Ling Ying had to admit that Xun Er was right.
The fact that he possessed a Mortal Realm Middle Stage soul at the Dou Fighter realm alone made Gu Han stand out from ordinary geniuses, not to mention his strong comprehension.
This was a wild, top-tier genius who only lacked resources.
"Miss, I understand." A relieved smile appeared on Ling Xiao's face, and a strange light shone in her eyes. "I could see the end of my life ten years ago. The first turning point came because of you, Miss."
"This time, I'll bet on myself."
Meanwhile, Gu Han had already returned to the Xiao Family, landing in the small courtyard where he lived.
Xiao Zhan, Nalan Su, the Nalan family Dou Spirit, Zhang Chuchen, the three Xiao Family elders, and even Xiao Yan and Nalan Yanyun were all there.
"Why is everyone gathered in my courtyard instead of resting at this late hour?"
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