King of Ten Thousand Years

”...What do you think of this student of mine? All by himself, he swept through all the new students of your Panshi Martial Mansion.”

Master Lin let out a hearty laugh, naturally not passing up the chance to mock him in return.

Earlier, when Panshi Martial Mansion held an overwhelming advantage, the red-faced elder’s taunts had been unbelievably nasty.

”Hmph! You got lucky and won this round.”

”But don’t celebrate too early. True achievement is proven on the Human List.”

With a dark expression, the red-faced elder suppressed his rage and hurriedly left with the ten students.

Hearing their conversation, Luo Tian was taken aback. He glanced at the white-robed Master Lin, thinking with exasperation, ’When did I become your student?’

’Oh well. I’ll let the old man have his moment.’

Luo Tian couldn’t be bothered to argue. It wasn’t like he was losing anything.

’Right! The Spirit Pool!’

A thought struck Luo Tian, and he quickly sheathed his sword.

’Good thing I wasn’t delayed for too long. I still have the better part of half a day left at the Spirit Pool.’

Luo Tian muttered to himself and, ignoring the Holy Mansion mentors and students, hurried out of the plaza.

The mentors and students of the Holy Mansion were all stunned. ’What is he doing?’

During this exchange, Luo Tian had single-handedly swept through the Panshi Martial Mansion. He made the entire process look effortless, earning him endless glory.

The exchange had come to a perfect conclusion, but the Holy Mansion’s high-level members hadn’t even given their closing remarks, yet the star of the show had just suddenly run off?

’This rascal!’

Several mentors were exasperated. They had never seen such a troublesome student.

Luo Tian had just walked a dozen meters away.

”Ahem. This new student exchange was a great success. We must not be stingy with rewards for the students who performed well.”

The elder who had remained silent until now spoke slowly.

The voice was not too loud, not too soft, just enough for everyone near the plaza to hear.

’What? A reward?’

Luo Tian’s hearing was sharp, and he stopped in his tracks.

「Then.」

Under the stares of all the mentors and students, Luo Tian cleared his throat and walked back as if nothing had happened.

He didn’t even blush.

Since beginning his Cultivation of the Celestial Destiny Creation Technique, Luo Tian had found his mental fortitude had become exceptionally strong.

Back in the crowd, a few mentors gave brief speeches. They commented on the students’ performances, offering praise as well as pointing out areas for improvement.

Luo Tian couldn’t care less about any of that.

”Brother Chen, what are the rewards for this new student exchange?” Luo Tian asked in a low voice.

”I haven’t heard anything about it beforehand,” Chen Haofei said, shaking his head.

There were never any specific rewards in past new student exchanges. For new students, it was an opportunity to showcase their abilities. Gaining the attention of the mentors and the Holy Mansion’s high-level members was a valuable prize in itself.

Luo Tian’s mouth twitched. ’Don’t tell me I was tricked.’

The elder who had spoken earlier had closed his eyes again, remaining silent.

”Everyone is dismissed.”

When the speeches ended, none of the mentors had mentioned any rewards.

Luo Tian was instantly annoyed. ’Aren’t they just stringing me along?’

”Luo Tian, stay behind.”

The female mentor in the long dress spoke with a smile.

The crowd dispersed.

On the field, only the Holy Mansion Elder and three mentors remained.

”Elder, Mentors, that matter about the reward, it still counts, right?” Luo Tian asked.

”Of course it counts.”

The Holy Mansion Elder was Elder Hua Xu. He exchanged an amused glance with Master Lin.

”Senior Brother, you can leave this to us,” Master Lin said.

”You, you’re afraid I’ll snatch your student.”

Elder Hua Xu sighed lightly.

Hearing this, Luo Tian was a bit surprised. ’This Holy Mansion Elder and Master Lin are martial brothers?’

WHOOSH!

In a blur, the Holy Mansion Elder became a black dot and vanished from sight.

’So strong!’

In that instant, Luo Tian felt a suffocating aura.

Since entering the Holy Mansion, Spirit Sea Realm experts were not hard to see.

Every mentor here had a Cultivation of at least the Spirit Sea Realm. Even the weakest among them was comparable to a Vice Mansion Master of an ordinary Martial Mansion.

The Spirit Sea Realm also has high and low levels.

The Vice Mansion Master of Lingyun Martial Mansion, for example, had a Cultivation of at most the First to Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

The auras of any of the three mentors before him were enough to crush the Vice Mansion Master from that day.

”Luo Tian, you’ve been at the Holy Mansion for some days now. Have you considered choosing a mentor?”

Master Lin’s usual stern demeanor was gone, replaced by a kind and pleasant expression.

’Choose a mentor?’

Luo Tian had a flash of understanding as his gaze swept over the three mentors before him.

Master Lin, the stout middle-aged man, and the beautiful female mentor in the long dress.

These three mentors were all responsible for the newest batch of students.

Obviously, Luo Tian’s performance today had amazed the three mentors, and they all wanted to take him on as their student.

”Luo Tian, we both share the surname Luo. If you become my student, I will use all the authority at my disposal to nurture you,” the stout middle-aged man said with a smile.

”Fatty Luo, it’s not your turn.”

The beautiful female mentor in the long dress snorted softly. She pushed out her chest, accentuating her impressive curves, and looked at Luo Tian, her beautiful eyes shimmering with charm.

”Even Nangong Yu is my student. I am Su Yue. If you become my student, your future will surely be bright.”

Luo Tian was instantly tempted.

’On one hand, having a beautiful woman for a mentor would at least be pleasing to the eye.’

’On the other hand, Mentor Su Yue was subtly hinting that even Nangong Yu was her student, which showed how extraordinary her connections and background must be.’

”I am Lin Dongfeng. This is the first time in twenty years I have taken the initiative to recruit a student,” the white-robed Master Lin also extended an invitation.

Relatively speaking, the first two mentors were more enthusiastic. Master Lin seemed a bit more aloof.

’Who should I choose?’

Luo Tian hesitated a little.

’I have to choose one of the three. If I reject all of them, I’ll have made some powerful enemies. How would I get by in the Holy Mansion then?’

In Luo Tian’s perception, Lin Dongfeng’s aura was the most vigorous and profound.

Mentor Su Yue and that Fatty Luo were about the same.

Without a second thought, Luo Tian eliminated Fatty Luo from his considerations.

Then, it was a choice between the beautiful mentor and Master Lin.

Subconsciously, Luo Tian used his Qi Observation Skill.

Above the beautiful mentor’s head was a Clear Qi Pillar, wreathed in a faint, rosy glow.

Above Lin Dongfeng’s head was an incomparably thick Clear Qi Pillar, at least ten times the size of the beautiful mentor’s.

’So powerful!’

Luo Tian was a little surprised.

When Qi Observing, the clear qi above a person’s head represented their Destiny Chart and future prospects.

However, while Lin Dongfeng’s Clear Qi Pillar was immense, its upper half was entangled in a shroud of dim, gray qi.

Considering that this Master Lin was the senior martial brother of a Holy Mansion Elder, Luo Tian guessed that he must be a man with a story.

”As serendipity would have it, and as destiny has decreed, I choose Master Lin.”

Luo Tian smiled suddenly, having made his choice in a flash of inspiration.

As he cultivated the Celestial Destiny Creation Technique, he had a gut feeling that he and Master Lin were truly fated to be mentor and student.

At that moment, the three mentors felt a strange sensation. The youth before them seemed to be shrouded in the mists of a high mountain, exuding an air of mysterious wisdom.

”Haha! A fine ’as serendipity would have it’ indeed.”

Lin Dongfeng’s face was filled with delight.

The remaining Mentor Su Yue and Fatty Luo sighed lightly, and watched the two of them leave.

”This Luo Tian, although he’s a headache and a lot of trouble, his judgment isn’t bad...” Fatty Luo muttered to himself.

Mentor Su Yue’s gaze grew distant as if she was recalling something. ”Indeed,” she said with a sigh.

”Many people have forgotten that Elder Lin, thirty years ago, was the most dazzling Martial Arts prodigy in the Azure Cloud Kingdom, and even...”