Fengqi's proposal hung in the air as Xiang Yu carefully gathered the shattered glass fragnts from the floor. His movents were deliberate, buying precious seconds to collect his thoughts before responding.
"Aunt Master surely jests," he finally replied, his tone light but asured.
Huang Fengqi rose from her seat, her posture straightening as she infused her words with unmistakable sincerity. "No, I'm serious. If you join the Phoenix Ascension Pavilion, I'll make you a genius on the sa level as your junior sister."
The declaration sent ripples of shock through the room. Li Yao's eyes widened with astonishnt. Could it truly be possible? Could her seemingly talentless senior brother actually beco a genius of her caliber? The possibility both thrilled and unsettled her.
Xiang Yu himself felt the weight of the offer pressing against his chest. His gaze flickered toward Elder Guo, searching for guidance, but his master's expression remained carefully neutral. The lack of surprise confird his suspicion—the two elders had already discussed this arrangent privately.
As the implications of Huang Fengqi's offer unfurled in his mind, Xiang Yu carefully weighed the possibilities. Becoming a genius of Li Yao's caliber would undoubtedly accelerate his progress. His cultivation would advance by leaps rather than the steady incrents he currently managed.
Yet sothing deeper gave him pause. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as clarity erged from his internal debate. His goal wasn't rely faster improvent—he already possessed the system for that purpose. What would accepting this offer truly an?
He would beco like Li Yao—thrust into the spotlight, burdened with the sect's expectations, obligated to defend its honor at every turn. Such prominence would inevitably attract jealousy, resentnt, and challenges. He'd beco a target rather than an observer, forever entangled in protagonist-centered plots he desperately wished to avoid.
The mathematics of the situation revealed an unfavorable exchange—temporary acceleration at the cost of permanent freedom. Even with talent matching Li Yao's, imdiate invincibility remained a fantasy. In the long term, his system would compensate for any initial disadvantage, rendering the offered shortcut ultimately aningless when weighed against the sacrifices required.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept this," he stated with unexpected directness, accompanying his words with a respectful bow.
Huang Fengqi's composure faltered montarily, genuine surprise flashing across her features. How could anyone reject such an extraordinary opportunity? Elder Guo appeared equally baffled. He had always attributed Xiang Yu's earlier reluctance to cultivate to his lack of talent—never imagining the boy would actively decline the chance to acquire it. Perhaps he didn't understand his disciple as thoroughly as he had believed.
Li Yao stared at her senior brother, montarily stunned before her expression softened with understanding. This response, while seemingly incomprehensible to others, aligned perfectly with the Xiang Yu she knew.
"Is there a reason?" Huang Fengqi inquired, her tone suggesting she suspected Xiang Yu might be misinterpreting her offer as so form of test, perhaps playing hard-to-get to demonstrate loyalty.
"I already have a master, so it would be inappropriate if I took in another," Xiang Yu responded, his sentints genuine—a direct reflection of the original Xiang Yu's unwavering loyalty. "Plus, I'm not that interested in cultivation, so it would be better if you gave this chance to soone who really wanted it."
This latter justification was entirely fabricated. In truth, no one desired cultivation progress more desperately than he did. Yet he wanted advancent on his own terms, without sacrificing the precious anonymity that protected him from this world's dangerous narratives. Denying the opportunity represented a genuine loss, but one he would overco through redoubled effort rather than compromise his fundantal survival strategy.
…
Huang Fengqi stared at Xiang Yu, disbelief etched across her elegant features. Her worldview seed montarily shaken. Wasn't cultivation the universal pursuit? Didn't everyone harbor fantasies of soaring through limitless skies, wielding imnse power, and perhaps rescuing damsels in distress? Yet here stood this peculiar young man, genuinely disinterested in an opportunity that countless cultivators would commit unspeakable acts to obtain.
His sincerity was unmistakable. The Phoenix Ascension elder found herself genuinely perplexed by this anomaly standing before her—a contradiction to everything she understood about human nature and ambition within the cultivation world.
Elder Guo observed his disciple with newfound curiosity. The boy's loyalty touched sothing within him, a sentint he hadn't expected to feel so keenly. Nevertheless, practicality compelled him to intervene. Allowing such an opportunity to slip away seed unconscionable, regardless of the boy's peculiar resistance.
"Xiang Yu, why don't you listen to your aunt master," Elder Guo urged, his tone asured but insistent. "Do you want to remain in your junior sister's shadow forever?"
Xiang Yu's response ca without hesitation, his voice steady and resolute. "If that's how it has to be, then so be it." He turned toward Li Yao, offering her a small smile that carried surprising warmth. "I'm sure junior sister won't mind hiding from the sun in her shadow."
Elder Guo released a heavy sigh. The boy's determination proved more substantial than anticipated. Perhaps a different approach might yield results? A more dramatic push seed necessary to overco this inexplicable reluctance.
"It's because you already have a master, right?" Elder Guo proposed, his voice taking on a strategic edge. "Then if I'm no longer your master, will you take the offer?"
Surprise flickered across Xiang Yu's features. The suggestion caught him entirely off-guard—he hadn't imagined his master would consider such drastic asures. Was this actually possible? Could masters simply transfer disciples like commodities? The thought created imdiate discomfort.
This represented the worst possible outco—severing his connection to Mountain Heart Pavilion while simultaneously thrusting him into the spotlight he desperately wished to avoid. His survival strategy would be thoroughly demolished from both directions simultaneously.
Xiang Yu lowered himself into a formal bow, his voice carefully controlled despite his internal turmoil. "If the master doesn't want anymore, then that's that."
Both Elder Guo and Huang Fengqi's expressions shifted, a montary triumph quickly shattered as Xiang Yu continued:
"But even if that's the case, I still won't ever accept another master."
The declaration landed like thunder in clear skies. Elder Guo and Huang Fengqi exchanged astonished glances, thoroughly confounded by such resolute rejection. What possible motivation could drive this extraordinary aversion?
Elder Guo's weathered features softened as understanding gradually replaced his initial bewildernt. His posture relaxed as he nodded slowly. "It's okay, I understand."
He turned toward Huang Fengqi, eting his junior sister's confused expression with unexpected firmness. "I'm sorry, junior sister, but I'm also unwilling to part with my disciple."
The decision crystallized within him with surprising clarity. If his disciple could demonstrate such unwavering conviction—rejecting even the chance to beco a genius—how could he possibly consider sending him away? In all his centuries of cultivation, he had accepted only two disciples into his care. Both had secured places in his heart, despite his outward gruffness. His philosophy remained steadfast: if a disciple wished to depart, he would offer no resistance, but if they chose to remain, he would never force them away.
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