Chapter 266: Named Disciple
Although the battle at Mount Kunlun did not win the Immortal Venerable Secret Realm, Han Yu, Jiang Che, and Chen Xingcai each obtained a portion of Immemorial Inheritance, which could be considered a bountiful harvest.
Han Yu obtained the Nine Luminaries Stardust Banner and the Cold Jade Ice Soul Sword.
Jiang Che obtained an Immemorial Inheritance from the same source as the Great Sun Burning Heaven Art, as well as the Five Fires Seven Birds Fan and the Lihuo Mirror.
Chen Xingcai's harvest was the Formless Sword Box, containing seventy-two strands of Formless Sword Qi that could be sent out and retrieved at will.
As for Lu Xiaoluo—
"I want to stay here with you guys."
She lowered her head, her voice very soft.
Han Yu and the other two looked at each other. Before they could speak, Lu Xiaoluo suddenly knelt towards Han Yu and said solemnly, "Senior Han, please accept me as a disciple!"
Han Yu was dazed for a moment, then shook his head. "I refuse."
Lu Xiaoluo's face instantly turned pale, and a trace of hurt flashed through her eyes.
She pursed her lips, her fingers unconsciously gripping the corner of her clothes tightly.
"Do not misunderstand." Han Yu sighed and reached out to support her up. "You are now already a Longevity Realm cultivator and have obtained the inheritance of the Mountain Guarding Sword; you have long since found your own path. My cultivation base is still shallow; I am not worthy to be your Master."
Tears flickered in Lu Xiaoluo's eyes, and she lowered her head without speaking.
She had drifted alone for too long. She had finally met companions to whom she could entrust her life, yet she realized she was always like an outsider.
She desperately desired to establish a new connection with Han Yu and the others.
Seeing this, Chen Xingcai leaned over with a grin. "Don't be sad! Since Senior Brother Han won't accept you, you can ask my Daddy!"
She blinked her eyes. "Your experience is special; maybe Daddy will make an exception and accept you as a disciple!"
Lu Xiaoluo suddenly raised her head, hope reigniting in her eyes. "Is it really okay?"
"Of course!" Chen Xingcai patted her shoulder. "When the time comes, we will be fellow disciples!"
Lu Xiaoluo finally broke into a smile through her tears.
She did not ask for much, only to be able to stand by their side justifiably—whether as master and apprentice, or as martial siblings.
Then—
Inside the wooden house, Chen Chang'an looked at the few people standing neatly before him—Chen Xingcai was blinking her eyes, Han Yu looked respectful, while that strange young girl hid timidly behind Han Yu, revealing only a pair of clear eyes that held a hint of apprehension.
He could not help but laugh. "So, you made a special trip here just to want me to accept her as a disciple?"
Han Yu cupped his hands in salute, his tone steady. "It is entirely up to Master's decision."
Chen Xingcai immediately leaned forward, tugging at Chen Chang'an's sleeve and shaking it. "Daddy~"
"Stop." Chen Chang'an raised his hand to stop her acting cute offensive, his gaze falling upon Lu Xiaoluo.
The young girl sensed his gaze and her body stiffened slightly, but she still plucked up the courage to step forward and bow respectfully. "This junior, Lu Xiaoluo, pays respects to Senior."
Chen Chang'an's heart moved.
After the last system upgrade, the disciple slot indeed had one extra vacancy, but he was too lazy to search everywhere for some "Child of Destiny," so he had left it aside.
Looking at Lu Xiaoluo at this moment, he suddenly felt a bit of interest—according to her background, it was truly possible that she met the system's requirements.
With a thought, the system panel unfolded before his eyes:
[Lu Xiaoluo]
Cultivation: Longevity Realm
Potential: 85 (Heaven's Proud Child)
Destiny: 95 (Immemorial Immortal-Mortal Hybrid)
Loyalty: 30 (Love for the house extends to the crow)
Personality: Strong, Forbearing
"Oh?" Chen Chang'an's eyebrows raised slightly.
Potential 85 was already considered a rare genius; and with a Destiny Value as high as 95, she clearly already possessed the conditions of a Child of Destiny.
More importantly, although her Loyalty was only 30, the note was "Love for the house extends to the crow"—obviously, she only held favorable feelings toward him because of her relationship with Han Yu and the others.
Seeing Chen Chang'an silent, Lu Xiaoluo unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers, and a trace of gloom flashed through her eyes.
Chen Chang'an suddenly smiled. "Why do you want to take me as your Master?"
Lu Xiaoluo was stunned, then said seriously, "This junior has drifted for half a lifetime, with no one to rely on. Senior Han and the others... are the first people I feel I can trust."
She paused, her voice soft but firm. "I want to become stronger, and I want to be qualified to stand by their side."
Chen Chang'an looked at her stubborn gaze and suddenly felt that this girl was a bit interesting.
He stood with his hands behind his back, smiling yet not smiling. "If I said that entering my sect might be even harder than your current situation?"
Lu Xiaoluo's eyes lit up, and she knelt without hesitation. "I am not afraid! I still ask Senior to accept me as a disciple."
Chen Xingcai snickered at the side, and the corners of Han Yu's mouth also raised imperceptibly.
Chen Chang'an looked at the young girl kneeling on the ground and had already made a decision in his heart.
However, although he intended to accept the young girl before him, the system's standard for accepting disciples required a Loyalty of at least 60. Even he could not change this standard.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Chen Chang'an stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze lingering on Lu Xiaoluo for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "I cannot accept you as a disciple for the time being."
The young girl's body trembled, and the luster in her eyes instantly dimmed. She pursed her lips tightly, her fingers unconsciously gripping the corner of her clothes.
"Daddy!" Chen Xingcai stamped her foot in dissatisfaction but was stopped by a look from Han Yu.
Although Han Yu's expression remained normal, a trace of doubt flashed in the depths of his eyes—based on his understanding of his Master, he most likely already had the intention to accept a disciple, so why did he suddenly change his words?
Chen Chang'an took in everyone's reactions, and the corners of his mouth raised imperceptibly. "However..."
He deliberately dragged out the ending note until Lu Xiaoluo looked up again before continuing, "I can accept you as a Named Disciple first. In the future, I will set a few assessments. If you can pass—"
"Disciple is willing!"
Without waiting for him to finish, Lu Xiaoluo bowed deeply, her forehead touching the ground with a crisp sound.
When she looked up again, those almond eyes were shockingly bright, as if burning with two clusters of inextinguishable flames. "No matter what the assessment is, this disciple will definitely go all out!"
Chen Chang'an nodded with satisfaction.
On the system light screen, Lu Xiaoluo's Loyalty quietly jumped—rising from 30 to 31.
"Very good." He brushed his sleeve lightly, and a green jade token fell into the young girl's palm. "With this token, you can freely enter and exit the Immortal Spirit Valley. As for the assessment... we will talk about it when I think of something."
Lu Xiaoluo treasured the token solemnly and put it away close to her body, then kowtowed again. "Thank you, Master!"
Hey readers! Want to stay 40 chapters ahead of free members? Join our Patreon today! You'll instantly unlock 20 chapters the moment you sign up to start closing that gap.
You'll enjoy 14 new chapters every week. Plus, we have 3 other exciting fics with the same release rate, giving you a massive 42 chapters per week total! Stop waiting and join the adventure now!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
Hey everyone, I really need to be honest with you all. With the recent wave of Patreon cancellations, things have become financially difficult for me, and it's getting harder to keep everything running smoothly. If you've been enjoying the translations and want to support me, please consider joining Patreon—it truly makes a huge difference.
I'm also planning to take on new fics. Just comment the genres or specific titles you want to see translated, and I'll pick them up. If there's a novel or fanfic you believe deserves a proper translation, tell me—I'm open to expanding and giving you more variety.
Your support keeps this work alive. Thank you for sticking with me.