Chapter 1051: Chapter 1051
Capítulo 1051: Chapter 79: Direct Disciple and Follow-up Student (3)
Seeing this, the others thought to themselves, well, let’s join in too! Since it’s a “group fight,” maybe a wild punch could somehow knock down the old master… uh, create an opportunity!
However, they soon realized they were overthinking it.
Immortal Martial Artist Wu Qingtian didn’t even move his feet. He simply sidestepped, blocked, pulled, and pushed, his movements flowing like water. They appeared slow but were as swift as lightning, precisely countering attacks from all directions. Although he promised not to use excessive strength, his many millennia of fighting experience, understanding of power utilization, and control over the battlefield were beyond what everyone present could comprehend.
Hao Mie was the first to attack and the first to be sent flying — with a light pull and push from Wu Qingtian, Hao Mie was involuntarily lifted off the ground and thrown out, unable to make use of his lifetime of Supreme Martial Arts experience.
The others fared no better. Jiu Jianxian’s Sword Finger was easily slapped away, “I Want to Seal the Sky”‘s grapple hold was countered, and Han Luo’s flying kick was off-balanced with a gentle nudge… Almost in an instant, they were each knocked to the ground in sequence, helpless.
Hao Mie performed a “Carp Jump” to quickly get back on his feet, his eyes burning brighter, growling as he charged again! A moment later, he was knocked down in a different posture… This repeated several times.
After being knocked down seven or eight times, aching all over, Hao Mie finally conceded, stopping his attacks and panting heavily.
“Alright, that’s enough for now.” Immortal Martial Artist stopped as well, standing with hands behind his back, his breathing calm and even, as if he had just been stretching a bit.
Hao Mie sighed, showing both admiration and a hint of regret for not succeeding.
“You, it is.” The Immortal Martial Artist suddenly pointed at Hao Mie.
“Huh? But he didn’t win either!?” Han Luo exclaimed in surprise and confusion. Despite being the weakest and getting knocked down with a single move each time, it didn’t seem as bad since everyone else also got knocked down in one move as well.
“Hmph!” Wu Qingtian snorted, his voice booming, “How could you possibly win? Win with what? What I am looking for is not the flashy shows of skill you’re displaying now but the innate drive to win and the spirit of bravery within you! As martial artists, without these two qualities, it’s difficult to achieve greatness. You’d merely be mediocre, following the rules. Even if you mastered Supreme Martial Arts, you’d only be a supreme waste.”
Only with the courage to be undefeated, the indomitable will, can one make progress along the Martial Arts Immortal Technique path.”
He looked at Hao Mie: “This boy’s martial arts, though a bit crude, full of flaws—”
Hao Mie’s expression instantly showed indignance, thinking that damn, I’m a Martial Saint and even advanced to the Hidden profession of Dragon Slayer! If I hadn’t reincarnated improperly, I might not have lost so miserably!”
“But fortunately, he has that bit of tenacity and resilience, dares to fight and strives forward! Even knowing he is outmatched, he has the determination and courage to fight till the end! Even against Immortals, he has the courage to battle, unlike you lot—” He looked over Jiu Jianxian, “I Want to Seal the Sky,” and Han Luo, “As soon as you faced a formidable enemy, you became timid, fearing defeat before even fighting, losing the aura to confront your adversary! Once knocked down, you lacked the courage to stand up and fight again. With such a mindset, how can you shoulder the incredibly tough task of saving the world in the future?”
Hao Mie, hearing these words, had eyes that shone, nodding repeatedly before bowing again: “Master is right, I dare say I dare fight and strive forward. As long as you give me the chance, let gods and demons appear, I will still fight.”
“Master up above, please accept another bow from your disciple!”
Immortal Martial Artist Wu Qingtian nodded and laughed heartily, appearing very pleased: “Good, good, good! Finally accepted a decent disciple! If any of you want to learn as well, you may follow and train, although I doubt you’ll achieve much grandeur, at least you can pick up a handful of basic skills to handle small demons and monsters in the future.”
Lin Xuance saw the scene and chuckled: “Since Fellow Martial Artist already suggested that, then I might as well take in a few more too. As they say, herding one sheep or two all amounts to herding anyway.”
With this, everyone suddenly had more choices. It was clear, though, that besides Xia Yi the Unrivaled, Wentian Wuji, and Hao Mie, who were confirmed as direct disciples, others could only be considered “follow-up students” for now.
After some simple coordination and personal wishes:
Xia Yi the Unrivaled, Jiu Jianxian, and Ting Yu were under the responsibility of Dangmo Real Man Lin Xuance.
Wentian Wuji, Bai Ze, and Dida La were under the guidance of Miao Fa Yuanjun Su Zhiqing.
While Hao Mie, Han Luo, and “I Want to Seal the Sky” were under the care of Immortal Martial Artist Wu Qingtian.
Each Immortal just happened to have three students.
Seeing that his companions finally have placement, Xiao Jie also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. This way, his biggest concern was half resolved. As for how many of them could genuinely stand out in the future, attain immortality, and achieve the Dao, that would depend on their fortune and efforts.
In the end, only An Ran stood quietly aside, not partaking in any of the Immortals’ apprenticeship.
Miao Fa Yuanjun Su Zhiqing glanced at Xiao Jie, then at An Ran standing beside him meaningfully, seeming to understand immediately. Her lips curled up to reveal that trademark, inscrutable, and knowing smile, without revealing the truth.
On the other hand, Immortal Martial Artist Wu Qingtian was a bit baffled, looking at An Ran and asked directly: “Eh? This girl here, why didn’t you become an apprentice? I see your bones are flexible, your physique well-proportioned, quite a good candidate for training martial arts. If you are willing to put in the hard work, your future achievements may not be worse than Hao Mie.”
An Ran listened with an eager face but hesitated for a moment before politely refusing: “Thank you, Immortal, for your favor! I already… uh, already have someone teaching me.” Her words were somewhat vague.
Immortal Martial Artist was about to ask more, but Miao Fa Yuanjun Su Zhiqing cleared her throat, interrupting him, and called over Lin Xuance and Wu Qingtian: “Fellow Daoists, since we’ve assigned disciples, let’s not waste any more time. Let’s each find a quiet place and start initial teaching. The battle with the Netherworld is imminent and time is pressing.”
The three Immortals then took their respective new students, turned into streams of light, and dispersed toward different directions around Ginkgo Village, clearly looking for suitable places to transmit their skills.
“Let’s go.” Xiao Jie called An Ran, and the two headed toward the village.
After a few steps, Xiao Jie recalled someone and asked: “By the way, where’s Yuan Bai?” He then realized that among this group, Yuan Bai was the only one missing. He hadn’t noticed during the prior leveling training, nor during this crucial apprenticeship and immortal cultivation gathering.
An Ran explained: “That Yuan Bai said he didn’t want to become an apprentice to any Immortal, nor did he want to cultivate any new Cultivation Technique. He said that all his skills are in his mind, every move and technique is crystal clear, it’s just that his body is weak, and his Qi-blood is insufficient, keeping him from performing them. He stated that once he’s full and nourished, his power can naturally be restored. That’s why he didn’t participate in leveling and didn’t come for apprenticeship.”
Xiao Jie noted this and thought, “Alright,” figuring this Yuan Bai, who was an original NPC in his past life, indeed had a different mindset from players, probably without the “fighting monsters and leveling up” concept, he opts for the “restoring power” route instead.
“Where did he go then?”
“He’s off playing chess with the village chief, Master Huang.”
Xiao Jie nodded: “I’ll have to chat with Yuan Bai sometime.” But for now, managing An Ran’s situation was the priority.
He paused, looked at An Ran, then spoke earnestly: “The reason I didn’t let you become an apprentice to the three Immortals is because, even though they have great Divine Skills, can teach Immortal Techniques, Martial Arts Swordsmanship, and Qimen Skills, the likelihood of guaranteeing your ascension is not high. They mainly offer guidance and resources.”
He paused, his tone becoming serious: “As it happens, I possess a path towards Immortal Position which I have personally verified all the way. However, this route is somewhat unique and can only be provided to one person at a time. Since you have a background as a Demon Master, following my path as a Demon Refiner—toward becoming a Demon Immortal—is the most fitting. So…”
Xiao Jie looked into An Ran’s eyes: “Would you be interested in trying? Though I must warn you, even though I’ve tested it myself, there were several near-failures. It’s not guaranteed success, and there is significant danger involved.” Official source is NoveI~Fire.net
Hearing this, An Ran displayed an unbelievable look of joy. She stared at Xiao Jie, her expression shifting from immense joy to deep emotion, then—
She suddenly stepped closer, leaned down to Xiao Jie’s ear, and whispered with a slight tremble and an indescribable complexity, “I knew… you always had me in your heart.”
Before Xiao Jie could respond, she swiftly stood on tiptoe, with a decided yet shy undertone, kissed Xiao Jie on his lips.