King of Ten Thousand Years

With the genius from Zhengyang Palace defeated, Liu Lu could no longer find a reason to go back on his word.

After all, with so many mentors and students watching, his reputation would be ruined if word got out that he didn’t keep his promise.

Liu Lu could only hope that Luo Tian would pick a subpar student. It would be a huge loss if he chose one of the students Liu Lu was personally grooming!

Luo Tian’s gaze swept casually over the classroom.

Master Liu had a good fifteen or sixteen students.

He truly was an Elite Junior Tutor of the War Martial Institute, with a high chance of being promoted to Middle Level Tutor. No wonder he had so many students.

Tutor Hu Chao was incredibly envious.

All of Liu Lu’s students here were elites. The most outstanding ones even had talent and potential on par with Guan Hongfei.

’But Master Luo is new and doesn’t seem to know much about the institute. I wonder how good his judgment is...’

Hu Chao didn’t dare to give Luo Tian a heads-up, either. Offending Liu Lu over this wouldn’t be worth the trouble.

"Master Luo, don’t pick me. My skills are very weak," a young man said with a laugh.

"When I choose students, strength isn’t important. As long as your talent is decent, or I simply feel a connection..."

The young man was scared out of his wits when he heard this.

"My talent is terrible, too! I’m stupid and ignorant," the young man added quickly.

"Is that so? Are all of Master Liu’s students this pathetic?" Luo Tian shot back.

Master Liu’s students were instantly provoked.

But none of them dared to stand up and defend themselves. It would be a terrible loss if Luo Tian ended up picking them.

Some students even thought Luo Tian was deliberately provoking them into showing off, just so he could pick the strongest student with the most potential.

’How sinister and cunning!’

Luo Tian hadn’t thought that far ahead. He just wanted to annoy Liu Lu.

He secretly activated his Qi Observation Technique, scanning all of Master Liu’s students.

In an instant.

Luo Tian was drawn to a majestic and astonishing pillar of Clear Qi.

"It’s you!"

Without a second thought, Luo Tian pointed to a young, adorable woman.

She had delicate features and skin as white as snow, giving off an air of pampered nobility. She was in the middle of a yawn, looking utterly bored.

When Luo Tian pointed at her, her delicate brow furrowed, and a pair of crystal-clear eyes glared in his direction!

"You want to choose her?" Liu Lu asked, astonished.

"That’s right."

Luo Tian nodded.

"Alright then. Luo Xiaoting, from now on, you’ll be with Mas..."

Liu Lu’s voice trailed off as he noticed Luo Xiaoting staring at him, her eyes wide.

"Teacher Liu, are you dissatisfied with me?" Luo Xiaoting asked, feigning an adorable innocence.

But Liu Lu’s eyes betrayed a hint of panic. He forced a smile. "Not at all. I am very fond of you, Student Xia, but keeping my word is a principle I live by as a teacher. Since Master Luo has chosen you, it must mean our time as mentor and student has come to an end."

When it came to verbal sparring, Luo Xiaoting was no match for Liu Lu. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, and she said no more.

"Hm?"

’This student I picked is a bit unusual,’ Luo Tian realized. ’Even Instructor Liu Lu seems to treat her with a certain deference.’

"Master Luo, you’ve made a mistake..." Hu Chao blurted out in a low voice, his expression stunned.

"What was that, Mentor?"

Luo Xiaoting glared at him again with cold eyes, looking furious.

She didn’t want to go with Master Luo either.

But Instructor Liu Lu seemed so eager to get rid of her, and now this mentor from the Celestial Blade Institute was trying to talk Luo Tian out of it, as if she were completely worthless.

"Master Luo, I still have a class to teach. Please be on your way," Liu Lu urged.

"Let’s go."

Luo Tian called out to Luo Xiaoting, then left Chuyang Tower.

As he watched Luo Tian and Luo Xiaoting leave, Liu Lu’s gaze turned Yin Cold!

"Luo Xiaoting wasn’t one of my key students, but you stole one of my students. I’ll remember this grudge!" Liu Lu snorted.

Just then, a delicate woman of unparalleled beauty appeared, instantly drawing the eyes of everyone around.

"Shuiyun, what brings you to my class?" Liu Lu’s expression immediately softened into a warm smile.

"I heard you lost one of your students to Luo Tian?" Ye Shuiyun asked.

"Well..."

Liu Lu looked embarrassed. To think Ye Shuiyun already knew!

"Luo Tian came here to cause trouble. I took pity on him—he only has one student—and wanted to help him out, so I let him have one of mine."

Liu Lu put on an air of benevolence, as if his intentions were nothing but noble.

"Is that so?"

Ye Shuiyun was skeptical.

"Which student did Luo Tian pick?" Ye Shuiyun asked next.

She had just been passing by when she overheard the discussion. Her interest was piqued, so she came over to see what was happening.

"Master Luo probably picked Luo Xiaoting for her looks. I just hope he doesn’t do anything... inappropriate..." Liu Lu said suggestively.

Ye Shuiyun’s delicate brows knitted together. She, too, felt something was off.

Instructor Liu Lu had many excellent students, yet Luo Tian had specifically chosen the prettiest one, Luo Xiaoting.

...

Luo Xiaoting did not want to go with Luo Tian.

She had heard that Luo Tian came from the Broken Ring, making him lowly and incompetent. Rumor had it he’d passed his mentor assessment through illicit means, was arrogant, and was a person of terrible character...

In short, she was sick and tired of hearing all the awful things about Luo Tian.

In truth, students had a one-time privilege to sever ties with their assigned mentor and choose a new one.

But Luo Xiaoting had already used hers.

With things as they were, Luo Xiaoting had no choice but to follow Luo Tian to the Celestial Blade Institute.

Of course.

’Still,’ she wondered, ’Master Liu has so many students. Why did Luo Tian pick me, of all people?’

Hu Chao was also puzzled.

He had thought Luo Tian would manage to snatch a top-tier genius from the War Martial Institute, but instead, he had picked Luo Xiaoting.

"Master Luo, even though this Charlotte is beautiful and a member of the Five Ancient Clans, you still shouldn’t have picked her!" Hu Chao secretly sent via voice transmission.

"A member of the Five Ancient Clans?"

Luo Tian was surprised.

He had just randomly picked a student using his Qi Observation Technique, and he had actually chosen someone from the Five Ancient Clans!

The Five Ancient Clans were the most mysterious and ancient powers in the Pale Ring.

Their origins could be traced all the way back to the Divine Continent in the Ancient Era!

There were even rumors that a "God" had been born among the ancestors of the Five Ancient Clans!

Setting aside all the rumors.

Even in the current Pale Ring, the Five Ancient Clans were terrifying, behemoth-like powers that could annihilate the Sea Demon Palace with a wave of a hand.

’No wonder Liu Lu was so courteous to her...’

No matter how capable Liu Lu was, he was still just a Junior Tutor. He couldn’t afford to be arrogant in front of a descendant of the Five Ancient Clans.

’But Liu Lu didn’t object at all; he even seemed happy to let her go... Could there be something wrong with this Luo Xiaoting?’ Luo Tian couldn’t help but wonder.

If Luo Xiaoting were truly a peerless genius, Liu Lu would have certainly put up a fight.

"Master Hu, is there some problem with Luo Xiaoting?" Luo Tian asked via voice transmission.

"A huge problem. She has a violent temper, is insubordinate and lazy, and her talent is only average... She’s a student from the last intake. Two years have passed, and her Cultivation has only risen by a single First Layer..."

Hu Chao told him everything he knew.

Among all of Liu Lu’s students, Luo Xiaoting’s talent wasn’t the worst, but her explosive temper was the main issue. She was completely unmanageable and had to be handled with kid gloves.

Since Luo Tian hadn’t picked one of the elite geniuses Liu Lu valued and had taken this girl instead, it was no wonder Liu Lu was so pleased.

But one thing made Luo Tian curious.

He had just used his Qi Observation Technique and seen that Luo Xiaoting’s potential was astonishing, even greater than Guan Hongfei’s!

How could a student with a Destiny Chart like that have such a slow Cultivation speed?

His previous observation had been rushed. Luo Tian activated his Qi Observation Technique again, this time examining Luo Xiaoting carefully.

An astonishing Clear Qi Pillar appeared.

But in its middle section, a ball of blue mist and a cluster of red light were intertwined, affecting the entire Clear Qi Pillar and seemingly on the verge of destroying it.

’What’s causing this?’ Luo Tian wondered.

Meanwhile, Luo Xiaoting was growing increasingly uncomfortable under Luo Tian’s stare.

’This mentor didn’t pick me just because he’s interested in my looks, did he?’

As they were walking, Luo Tian ran into a familiar-looking student.

’It’s him...’

A young, heavyset man saw Luo Tian and immediately hurried toward a nearby grove of trees.

He remembered it clearly.

Back then, outside the Assessment Institute, Luo Tian had repeatedly slapped two students who had been disrespectful to him.

The young, heavyset man had initially wanted to befriend Luo Tian, but after learning he was from the Broken Ring, he had sneered at him and even thrown a few insults his way.

He was worried this vengeful mentor had come to get back at him.

"Hey, student, don’t leave. I remember you. You’re... Chen Yuanyuan, right?"

Luo Tian had actually remembered the guy, but only because he was so fat he looked like a ball.

The young man’s body stiffened. Annoyed and embarrassed, he said, "Mentor, my name is Chen Yuan!"

"You were the first student whose name I learned upon entering the Saint Institute! For us to meet again now, it must be fate. I’ll take you as my student," Luo Tian declared righteously.

He was in a hurry to recruit five students, so he was willing to accept anyone whose talent wasn’t too terrible.

After all, with his current reputation, Luo Tian couldn’t afford to only aim for students with peerless talent. That would be too difficult.

"Mentor, I..."

The stout Chen Yuan was about to refuse, but he didn’t dare when he saw Luo Tian’s stern expression.

"Senior Sister Luo, what are you doing here?" Just then, Chen Yuan spotted Luo Xiaoting.

Luo Xiaoting’s talent and strength weren’t particularly outstanding, but her looks were flawless and lovely. She had countless admirers and suitors!

Chen Yuan himself had fallen for this senior sister at first sight.

"Luo Xiaoting just severed her ties with Instructor Liu Lu to become my student and pursue a higher path of Martial Arts!" Luo Tian said coolly.

Luo Xiaoting shot Luo Tian a look. ’How shameless!’

But since she wasn’t fond of the incredibly obese Chen Yuan, she didn’t contradict Luo Tian.

The fat on Chen Yuan’s face trembled!

’Luo Xiaoting actually ditched a great mentor like Liu Lu to study under Luo Tian?’

"You didn’t know? Even Guan Hongfei, who placed third in the Chuyang Tower assessment, rejected Instructor Liu Lu to study under me," Luo Tian added.

’Guan Hongfei! Third place in the Chuyang Tower assessment!’

Chen Yuan deeply admired prodigies like Guan Hongfei. He had once tried to curry favor with him, but the other had paid him no mind.

"You’d better think it through. This is your only chance. Don’t say I didn’t give you one," Luo Tian said coolly.

Chen Yuan’s mouth twitched. ’Why does that sound like a threat?’

Thinking about Luo Tian’s temper, Chen Yuan gave in.

’Both Guan Hongfei and Luo Xiaoting chose Luo Tian. Maybe this young mentor really is amazing in some way.’

Chen Yuan had just offended a student with a powerful background, and as a result, no mentor would take him. He didn’t want to offend another mentor and make his life even more difficult.

Besides, this was a chance to get close to his goddess, Senior Sister Luo Xiaoting!

"Master Luo, please accept me as your student."

Chen Yuan bowed.

"Alright. Come with me."

Luo Tian nodded.

Hu Chao watched from the side, dumbfounded. ’Luo Tian’s methods seem to be getting more and more refined,’ he thought. ’In just a few moments, he conned a student from the War Martial Institute into joining him.’

He could see that this heavyset young man wasn’t an outstanding student, but he wasn’t bad, either.

For Luo Tian, this was a huge step forward in his mission as a mentor—a cause for celebration.