Chapter 94: Taking Two Disciples

Hearing this, Zhu Xiaoyuan put down the book in his hands. He hadn’t expected this outcome; he had only asked An Yue’er and a few others to mention a few words, and already someone had come. It seemed the outside world still didn’t realize how grave the disaster was. Otherwise, why would they come to learn such miscellaneous arts from him?

“Alright, I’ll go take a look,” Zhu Xiaoyuan replied, leading Huanyue out the door.

“You two may come in, Master has agreed to see you,” Huanyue called out to the visitors at the door.

Upon hearing this, Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran, who had been waiting anxiously outside, were overjoyed. The elder was willing to meet them! Did this mean there was hope?

“Wait, my dragon soul seems to be trembling. There’s something powerful here!” Long Ruxuan exclaimed in panic as soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate.

He was a prince of the Golden Dragon royal family, but his dragon soul had been damaged and could not be cultivated. The royal family had been searching for ways to repair it, but none succeeded. Now, just by entering the courtyard, his dragon soul began to stir, as if awakening. Surely, there was immense fortune here!

Long Ruxuan was so moved he could scarcely speak. Subconsciously, his gaze was drawn to the small pond in Zhu Xiaoyuan’s yard, as if something there was calling to him. Yet when he looked, nothing but calm water met his eyes.

Lu Ran’s reaction was even more exaggerated. Upon entering the courtyard, his eyes were fixed upon the peach tree. The branches swayed in the breeze, heavy with clusters of bright red fruit that astonished the heart at first glance. The tree was surrounded by a celestial aura!

What kind of treasure was this? Lu Ran had once been amazed by the two jujube trees, but now he felt like spinning in place with excitement. The treasures in his sect were nothing compared to this tree—utterly worthless!

When he had heard Old Liu say the people here were powerful, he hadn’t doubted it, but hadn’t felt particularly excited either. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, he could barely refrain from shouting. He was thoroughly convinced: the elder here was even more formidable than Old Liu had described.

Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran were both stunned, unable to utter a word.

Zhu Xiaoyuan looked at them and smiled, asking, “Why are you two like this?”

As soon as he spoke, the two snapped out of their daze and dropped to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly to Zhu Xiaoyuan.

What was the meaning of this? Zhu Xiaoyuan didn’t quite understand.

“Please, stand up. There’s no need for such ceremony at our first meeting,” he said.

Immediately, Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran felt a peculiar force lift them from the ground.

“What sort of power is this…” Long Ruxuan murmured, shaken.

He rose and saw the young man before him, ethereal and surrounded by a celestial aura, reminiscent of an immortal. Surely, this was the master everyone spoke of! He was certain. Moreover, he knew that once one’s cultivation reached a certain level, one could make oneself appear very young. Perhaps this elder had experienced ages untold, his strength now unfathomable.

Immortals were beings of eternal life, after all.

Taking a deep breath, Long Ruxuan looked resolutely at Zhu Xiaoyuan and said, “Master, we wish to ask you to accept us as disciples!”

Lu Ran followed quickly, echoing, “Please, master, take us as your disciples!”

Zhu Xiaoyuan was amused. These two really had come to seek apprenticeship. The news had barely spread, and already two had arrived. The prospect of reaching ten seemed ever closer.

But Zhu Xiaoyuan was not someone who casually accepted disciples. If they were unworthy, he’d rather fail his task than take them at random. He needed to understand these two thoroughly.

“If you wish to become my disciples, I must ask: what motivates you to seek this path?” Zhu Xiaoyuan inquired.

Long Ruxuan answered first, “To be honest, master, though my family background is decent, I have never been favored. This time, I was forced by my clan to come to the Southern Ridge Mountains, expecting only death. I never imagined I’d have the chance to come to your residence.”

“I now wish wholeheartedly to follow you and study diligently. Please accept me, master; I would be forever grateful!”

Zhu Xiaoyuan listened, nodding inwardly. This one was truly unfortunate. He’d recently visited the Southern Ridge Mountains—earthquakes had left the place in ruins, yet the family still sent their child there, a death sentence.

Lu Ran, seeing Long Ruxuan finish, hurried to add, “Master… I wish to learn from you, especially in cultivation. I love planting more than anything, and if I could one day grow peach trees surrounded by celestial aura like yours, I would die without regret!”

Planting was Lu Ran’s only passion. The thought of someday nurturing all kinds of mature spiritual plants filled him with pride. In cultivation, Lu Ran was wholeheartedly devoted.

Zhu Xiaoyuan nodded—these two seemed promising.

“Since you’ve managed to find my little courtyard, it seems we are destined to meet. If you are willing to learn from me, then I shall keep you here,” Zhu Xiaoyuan replied with a smile.

On hearing this, Long Ruxuan and Lu Ran were beside themselves with joy. Was the elder really accepting them? Was that what he meant?

“Heavens, is it what I think?”
“Did I hear correctly?”

Lu Ran could hardly believe his ears—it was all so incredible.

“You heard right, we have a master now, we’ve gained the elder’s approval!” Long Ruxuan was equally excited, but his elation came from deep within his soul.

He wanted to shout to the heavens, to vent the years of suffering he’d endured. Once mocked as a useless waste, unable to cultivate, even coming to the Southern Ridge he had no hope, prepared even for death.

Who could have thought that fate would spare him? At the most critical moment, he was given a chance.

Now, he had to seize it.