lín xuān cǐ xíng ， nǎi shì wèi wàn xiàng cǎo ér lái ， shì qíng yǎn biàn chéng xiàn zài zhè zhǒng jié guǒ ， shí zài shì dà chū yì liào zhī wài ， bù guò wǎng rì de yí diǎn dào yě yī yī jiě kāi ， xiàn zài zuì hǎo de xuǎn zé ， zé shì mēn shēng dà fā cái 。
林轩此行，乃是为万象草而来，事情演变成现在这种结果，实在是大出意料之外，不过往日的疑点倒也一一解开，现在最好的选择，则是闷声大发财。
Lin Xuan's journey was for the Wondrous All-Encompassing Grass. The outcome of events had turned out to be far beyond his expectations, but many of his previous doubts were now resolved. The best course of action now would be to make a fortune quietly.
tián xiǎo jiàn tóng yàng shì shōu qǐ xī xiào de biǎo qíng ， wēi wēi jiāng tóu dī xià ， yě bù zhī dào zài xiǎng shén me 。
田小剑同样是收起嬉笑的表情，微微将头低下，也不知道在想什么。
田小剑 also put away his playful expression and lowered his head slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
bù guò zì jǐ suǒ liào bù chà de huà ， bù lùn dì zǐ yě hǎo ， pú rén yě bà ， zhè xiǎo zi kǒng pà dōu bú huì dā yìng a ！
不过自己所料不差的话，不论弟子也好，仆人也罢，这小子恐怕都不会答应啊！
If his guess was correct, this young man wouldn't agree no matter if he was a disciple or a servant!
zhì yú nà xǔ hàn ， liǎn shàng biǎo qíng yīn qíng bù dìng ， bù shí zuǐ chún wēi dòng ， yǔ tā páng biān nà wèi chēng zhī wèi sān shū de níng dān qī xiū shì zài chuán yīn shāng liáng zhe shén me 。
至于那许翰，脸上表情阴晴不定，不时嘴唇微动，与他旁边那位称之为三叔的凝丹期修士在传音商量着什么。
As for Xu Han, his face showed an ever-changing mix of emotions. He occasionally moved his lips as he whispered to the Condensation Core cultivator called Uncle Three beside him.
yī shí zhī jiān ， dà diàn zhōng jìng chū xiàn lěng chǎng le 。
一时之间，大殿中竟出现冷场了。
The grand hall fell into a momentary silence.
“ xiǎo zi ， kě yuàn bài lǎo fū wèi shī ， wǒ yuán běn zhǐ xiǎng zhǎo yí gè pú rén ， kě kàn nǐ zī zhì bù cuò ， yīng gāi kě yǐ chuán chéng wǒ de yī bō 。”
“小子，可愿拜老夫为师，我原本只想找一个仆人，可看你资质不错，应该可以传承我的衣钵。”
"Boy, are you willing to become my disciple? I originally just wanted a servant, but seeing your talents, it would be fitting for me to pass on my legacy."
yī lüè dài cāng lǎo de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lín xuān yī lèng ， suí jí míng bái shì hóng fā lǎo zǔ de chuán yīn 。
一略带苍老的声音传入耳朵，林轩一愣，随即明白是红发老祖的传音。
A slightly hoarse voice entered Lin Xuan's ears. He paused momentarily before realizing that the Red-haired Ancestor was speaking through his mind.
biǎo miàn bù lù shēng sè ， tái qǐ tóu lái ， zhǐ jiàn nà yuán yīng qī lǎo guài yī rán duān zuò zài dà diàn zhōng jiān de yǐ zi shàng ， shuāng mù shì bì fēi bì ， jiù xiàng gāng cái de huà bú shì tā suǒ shuō de yī yàng 。
表面不露声色，抬起头来，只见那元婴期老怪依然端坐在大殿中间的椅子上，双目似闭非闭，就像刚才的话不是他所说的一样。
Keeping his expression neutral, he looked up and saw the婴期怪 still sitting in the middle of the grand hall. His eyes were half-closed as if he hadn't spoken just now.
lín xuān xīn zhōng yī dòng ， yòu dī xià le tóu lái 。
林轩心中一动，又低下了头来。
Lin Xuan's heart stirred, but he lowered his head again.
“ nǐ xiǎo zi dào hái jī líng ， hěn duì lǎo fū de wèi kǒu ， zěn me yàng ， yuàn bù yuàn yì bài wǒ wèi shī ？”
“你小子倒还机灵，很对老夫的胃口，怎么样，愿不愿意拜我为师？”
"You're quite clever, very to my liking. Will you become my disciple?"
lín xuān méi yǒu lì kè huí dá ， rú guǒ shì huàn yí gè zhù jī qī xiū shì ， yù jiàn zhè děng hǎo shì ， jué duì shì huān xǐ yǐ jí ， rán ér lín xuān què yǒu zhe zì jǐ de kǎo lǜ 。
林轩没有立刻回答，如果是换一个筑基期修士，遇见这等好事，绝对是欢喜以极，然而林轩却有着自己的考虑。
Lin Xuan didn't answer immediately. If it was another Foundation Establishment cultivator encountering such a good opportunity, they would be overjoyed. However, Lin Xuan had his own considerations.
tā yǔ páng rén dì qíng kuàng bù tài xiāng tóng 。 shǒu xiān zì jǐ kě bú shì shén me xiū zhēn qí cái 。 zhēn shí dì qíng kuàng qià qià xiāng fǎn 。 rú guǒ bài hóng fā lǎo zǔ wèi shī 。 chí zǎo tā huì fā xiàn zì jǐ zhǐ bù guò shì lián líng gēn dōu méi yǒu dì fán rén ér yǐ 。
他与旁人地情况不太相同。首先自己可不是什么修真奇才。真实地情况恰恰相反。如果拜红发老祖为师。迟早他会发现自己只不过是连灵根都没有地凡人而已。
His situation wasn't the same as others. Firstly, he wasn't some cultivation prodigy. In reality, if he became the Red-haired Ancestor's disciple, he would eventually discover that he was just an ordinary person without even a Spirit Root.
nà zhè shēn xiū wèi gāi zuò hé jiě shì 。 nòng bù hǎo lián lán sè xīng hǎi dì mì mì dū huì bèi duì fāng fǎ fā jué chū lái 。
那这身修为该作何解释。弄不好连蓝色星海地秘密都会被对方法发掘出来。
How could such cultivation be explained? There was a risk of the secret of the Blue Star Sea being uncovered by his master.
wú lùn rú hé 。 lín xuān zì rán bú huì fàng rèn zhè zhǒng qíng kuàng chū xiàn 。
无论如何。林轩自然不会放任这种情况出现。
No matter what, Lin Xuan wouldn't let this happen.
yào zhī dào 。 zì jǐ suī rán yě céng bài tōng yǔ zhēn rén wéi shī 。 kě duì fāng jǐn jǐn shì jiào shòu zì jǐ liàn dān zhī shù ér yǐ 。 duì yú gōng fǎ shén tōng 。 zé bù guǎn bù wèn 。 gěi le zì jǐ zuì dà dì zì yóu 。 zhè yě shì wèi shén me 。 zì jǐ xīn gān qíng yuàn dì liú zài líng yào shān 。 kě hóng fā lǎo zǔ dì qíng kuàng zé bù yí yàng 。
要知道。自己虽然也曾拜通羽真人为师。可对方仅仅是教授自己炼丹之术而已。对于功法神通。则不管不问。给了自己最大地自由。这也是为什么。自己心甘情愿地留在灵药山。可红发老祖地情况则不一样。
He knew that although he had once been taught alchemy by True Feather Immortal, the other party only taught him how to refine pills and didn't concern himself with cultivation techniques. He was given the greatest freedom. This was why he willingly stayed on Spirit Medicine Mountain, but the Red-haired Ancestor's situation was different.
qí èr 。 jiù suàn pāo kāi zhè xiē bù tán 。 bài yī wèi yuán yīng qī dì lǎo guài wèi shī shì fǒu jiù yí dìng néng dé dào mò dà dì hǎo chù 。
其二。就算抛开这些不谈。拜一位元婴期地老怪为师是否就一定能得到莫大地好处。
Secondly, even if these points were set aside, could becoming a disciple of an Incarnation Stage cultivator guarantee great benefits?
biǎo miàn shàng 。 zhè jī hū shì zhòng rén dì gòng shí 。 sú huà shuō 。 dà shù dǐ xià hǎo chéng liáng 。 shǒu xiān yǒu le yī wèi niú bī hǒng hǒng dì shī fù 。 shēn fèn jiù bù yí yàng 。
表面上。这几乎是众人地共识。俗话说。大树底下好乘凉。首先有了一位牛逼哄哄地师傅。身份就不一样。
It seemed that this was everyone's consensus. The saying "Under a big tree, it’s cool to rest" meant that having a powerful master would elevate one's status significantly.
gèng bié shuō yǒu le gāo shǒu de zhǐ diǎn ， kě yǐ shǎo zǒu hěn duō wān lù ， ér qiě yuán yīng qī xiū shì chuán shòu de gōng fǎ ， qǐ huì yǒu chà ， kěn dìng dū shì dǐng jiē de a ！
更别说有了高手的指点，可以少走很多弯路，而且元婴期修士传授的功法，岂会有差，肯定都是顶阶的啊！
Moreover, with the guidance of a skilled mentor, one could avoid many detours and wasted efforts. Incarnation Stage cultivators' teachings were undoubtedly top-grade!
dàn zhēn shí de qíng kuàng yě bù yí dìng 。
但真实的情况也不一定。
However, reality might not be as rosy.
xiū zhēn zhī rén biǎo miàn wú yù wú qiú 。 qí shí bǐ shì sú zhī rén gèng jiā shì lì ， xiāng hù jiān de guān xì yě yào lěng mò yī xiē ， què shí 。 shī cí tú xiào dì qíng kuàng bù shǎo ， kě shī tú zhī jiān hù xiāng qīng yà ， shèn zhì fǎn mù chéng chóu de yě lǚ jiàn bù xiān a ！
修真之人表面无欲无求。其实比世俗之人更加势利，相互间的关系也要冷漠一些，确实。师慈徒孝地情况不少，可师徒之间互相倾轧，甚至反目成仇的也屡见不鲜啊！
Cultivators, despite their apparent lack of desires, were actually more ruthless than ordinary people in the secular world. Their relationships with each other were colder. While there were many cases where teachers were kind and disciples were filial, there were also frequent instances of mutual exploitation or even turning into enemies.
ér zhè wèi hóng fā lǎo zǔ qià qià shì pí qì gǔ guài de yí gè ， bié kàn jīn tiān xìn shì dàn dàn de xiǎng yào shōu zì jǐ wèi tú ， lái rì yī yán bù hé ， huò zhě shén me shì qíng méi yǒu shùn tā de yì le ， bèi chōu hún liàn pò yě bú shì bù kě néng de 。
而这位红发老祖恰恰是脾气古怪的一个，别看今天信誓旦旦的想要收自己为徒，来日一言不合，或者什么事情没有顺他的意了，被抽魂炼魄也不是不可能的。
The Red-haired Ancestor was a peculiar character. Even though he had sworn to take Lin Xuan as his disciple today, tomorrow if something didn't go according to his will, he might be subjected to soul extraction and essence refinement.
shì sú jiān yǒu yī jù huà jiào “ nán pà rù cuò xíng ， nǚ pà jià cuò láng 。”， fàng zài xiū zhēn jiè 。 zhè bài shī de qíng kuàng yě yī yàng 。
世俗间有一句话叫“男怕入错行，女怕嫁错郎。”，放在修真界。这拜师的情况也一样。
There was an old saying: "Men fear entering the wrong profession; women fear marrying the wrong man." This applied equally to the situation of becoming a disciple in the cultivation world.
hóng fā lǎo zǔ zuò wèi yuán yīng qī gāo shǒu ， dé cǐ shī fù ， hǎo chù kěn dìng hái yǒu bù shǎo ， dàn yǐn huàn yě tóng yàng duō duō ， jiū jìng shì fú shì huò ， xiàn zài hái hěn nán shuō 。
红发老祖做为元婴期高手，得此师傅，好处肯定还有不少，但隐患也同样多多，究竟是福是祸，现在还很难说。
As an Incarnation Stage expert, the Red-haired Ancestor would indeed gain many benefits. However, there were also numerous hidden dangers. Whether it was good fortune or misfortune, it was hard to say now.
lín xuān kě bù dǎ suàn qù dǔ ， lán sè xīng hǎi de mì mì kěn dìng shì bù néng bào guāng ， ér bié rén bài yuán yīng qī lǎo guài wèi shī ， zuì dà de hǎo chù jiù shì kě yǐ qīng sōng huò dé dǐng jiān gōng fǎ 。
林轩可不打算去赌，蓝色星海的秘密肯定是不能曝光，而别人拜元婴期老怪为师，最大的好处就是可以轻松获得顶尖功法。
Lin Xuan wasn't going to take any chances. The secret of the Blue Star Sea couldn't be revealed. Others becoming disciples of Incarnation Stage experts could easily obtain top-grade cultivation techniques.
yào zhī dào 。 zài xiū zhēn jiè ， gōng fǎ suī rán wàn qiān ， kě dǐng jiē dì ， què fèng máo lín jiǎo ， gè dà mén pài bì zhǒu zì zhēn ， bié shuō shì wài rén ， jiù suàn shì běn mén dì zǐ ， ruò fēi xiū wèi yǔ dì wèi dá dào le yí dìng jìng jiè ， yě shì bù kě néng huò dé chuán shòu de 。 cóng mǒu zhǒng yì yì shàng lái shuō 。 yī běn hǎo de gōng fǎ ， bǐ dān yào 。 fǎ bǎo hái yào gèng jiā bǎo guì 。
要知道。在修真界，功法虽然万千，可顶阶地，却凤毛麟角，各大门派敝帚自珍，别说是外人，就算是本门弟子，若非修为与地位达到了一定境界，也是不可能获得传授的。从某种意义上来说。一本好的功法，比丹药。法宝还要更加宝贵。
After all, although there were countless cultivation techniques in the cultivation world, top-grade ones were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Major sects cherished their own teachings and wouldn't casually impart them to outsiders or even their own disciples unless they reached a certain level of cultivation and status. In some ways, a good cultivation technique was more precious than pills or treasures.
suī rán fāng shì zhōng ， lián níng dān qī dì gōng fǎ yě yǒu chū shòu ， dàn què shì hěn lā jī de nà zhǒng ， dǐng jiān gōng fǎ hé pǔ tōng gōng fǎ xiū liàn hòu suǒ huò dé de wēi lì shén tōng ， kě shì bù néng tóng rì ér yǔ de 。
虽然坊市中，连凝丹期地功法也有出售，但却是很垃圾的那种，顶尖功法和普通功法修炼后所获得的威力神通，可是不能同日而语的。
Even if one could buy Condensation Core stage techniques in the market, they were typically very inferior. The power gained from top-grade techniques and ordinary ones couldn't be compared.
ér nà xiē lǎo guài wù ， jiù suàn yǐ qián lián liàn de gōng fǎ shāo xùn yī chóu ， dàn níng chéng yuán yīng yǐ hòu ， míng qiǎng àn duó ， shǒu lǐ shì kěn dìng bù quē dǐng jiē gōng fǎ de 。
而那些老怪物，就算以前联练的功法稍逊一筹，但凝成元婴以后，明抢暗夺，手里是肯定不缺顶阶功法的。
Those old monsters might have slightly weaker combined techniques before condensing their essence into Incarnation Stage, but after doing so, they would certainly not lack top-grade cultivation techniques through both overt and covert means.
rán ér piān piān zhè ge yòu huò duì lín xuān lái shuō yóu rú jī lèi 。
然而偏偏这个诱惑对林轩来说犹如鸡肋。
However, this temptation was like a chicken's rib to Lin Xuan.
jiǔ tiān xuán gōng ， suī rán bù néng shuō jiù shì zhèng dào zuì qiáng de gōng fǎ ， dàn pái míng qián liè què shì què dìng wú yí de ， ér xuán mó zhēn jīng wēi lì rú hé ， zhǐ kàn kàn jí è mó zūn xiàn zài xiāo zhāng de qì yàn jiù kě xiǎng ér zhī le 。
九天玄功，虽然不能说就是正道最强的功法，但排名前列却是确定无疑的，而玄魔真经威力如何，只看看极恶魔尊现在嚣张的气焰就可想而知了。
The Nine Heavens Profound Technique, while not the strongest in the world, was undoubtedly among the best. The power of the True Scripture of Profane Demons could be gauged from the current arrogance of Extreme Demon Sovereign.
gèng hé kuàng zì jǐ hái shēn huái yīn yáng jué ， kě yǐ tóng shí xiū liàn zhè yuán běn shuǐ huǒ bù róng dì liǎng dà shén gōng ， yōu shì hù bǔ ， wēi lì zì rán shì gèng shèng yī chóu 。
更何况自己还身怀阴阳诀，可以同时修炼这原本水火不容地两大神功，优势互补，威力自然是更胜一筹。
Moreover, he possessed the Yin-Yang Art, allowing him to simultaneously practice these two seemingly incompatible divine arts and complement each other's strengths, thus enhancing his overall power.
suī rán bù zhī dào hóng fā lǎo zǔ xiū liàn yǒu hé děng jīng rén de shén tōng ， dàn lín xuān gǎn dǎ dǔ ， yǔ zì jǐ shēn huái de liǎng dà jué jì xiāng bǐ ， kěn dìng yào lüè xùn yī chóu 。
虽然不知道红发老祖修炼有何等惊人的神通，但林轩敢打赌，与自己身怀的两大绝技相比，肯定要略逊一筹。
Although Lin Xuan didn't know what kind of astonishing abilities the Red-haired Ancestor had, he was confident that they would be inferior when compared to his two top-tier techniques.
suǒ yǐ bié rén tān tú tā de dǐng jiān gōng fǎ ， zuò wèi lín xuān ， zé gēn běn jiù bù xī
所以别人贪图他的顶尖功法，做为林轩，则根本就不稀
Therefore, others coveted his top-grade cultivation techniques, but for Lin Xuan, it wasn't worth pursuing.
quán héng lì bì ， bài zhè wèi yuán yīng qī lǎo guài wèi shī ， zhì shǎo dào mù qián wéi zhǐ ， zì jǐ kàn bú jiàn néng gòu huò dé shén me hǎo chù ， fǎn ér kě néng zhāo lái mò dà de zāi huò ， yǐ lín xuān de chéng fǔ ， zì rán bù yuàn yì zuò zhè yàng de shǎ shì le 。
权衡利弊，拜这位元婴期老怪为师，至少到目前为止，自己看不见能够获得什么好处，反而可能招来莫大的灾祸，以林轩的城府，自然不愿意做这样的傻事了。
After weighing the pros and cons, becoming a disciple of this Incarnation Stage expert wouldn't bring any benefits in the short term. Instead, it might invite great calamity. With his deep-seated wisdom, Lin Xuan was unwilling to do such foolish things.
dāng rán ， jiù zhè yàng shēng yìng de jù jué kěn dìng bù xíng ， pǔ tōng rén yě hǎo miàn zi ， gèng hé kuàng yuán yīng qī de xiū shì ， bì xū yào yǒu chōng zú dì lǐ yóu ， lín xuān kāi shǐ zài xīn zhōng sī suǒ 。
当然，就这样生硬的拒绝肯定不行，普通人也好面子，更何况元婴期的修士，必须要有充足地理由，林轩开始在心中思索。
Of course, he couldn’t just bluntly refuse. Ordinary people cared about face, and an Incarnation Stage cultivator needed a solid reason. Lin Xuan began pondering in his mind.
“ zěn me ， xiǎo zi ， bài lǎo fū wèi shī hái yào kǎo lǜ nà me jiǔ ， nǐ qiǎng dào jiāo yì huì de míng é bù jiù shì wèi le zhè ge ？”
“怎么，小子，拜老夫为师还要考虑那么久，你抢到交易会的名额不就是为了这个？”
"Is something the matter, boy? You're considering becoming my disciple for so long. Didn't you snatch that trading fair slot to get this chance?"
hóng fā lǎo zǔ de chuán yīn zài cì xiǎng qǐ ， rán ér zhè yī cì què míng xiǎn de yǒu yī xiē bù nài fán le 。
红发老祖的传音再次响起，然而这一次却明显的有一些不耐烦了。
The Red-haired Ancestor's voice sounded again, now clearly impatient.
lín xuān méi tou yí zhòu ， jì shàng xīn lái ， yě chuán yīn dào ：
林轩眉头一皱，计上心来，也传音道：
Lin Xuan frowned but had a plan. He also transmitted his thoughts:
“ chéng méng lǎo zǔ hòu ài ， wǎn bèi shòu chǒng ruò jīng ， yě bù zhī dào jī le jǐ bèi zi de dé ， cái néng yù jiàn rú cǐ xiān fú ……”
“承蒙老祖厚爱，晚辈受宠若惊，也不知道积了几辈子的德，才能遇见如此仙福……”
"I am deeply honored by your kindness, junior as I am. I wonder what merits accumulated over countless lifetimes could bring such good fortune..."
hóng fā lǎo zǔ yǎn jīng wēi mī ， xiǎn rán tīng dé shí fēn de shū xīn qiè yì ， shuí liào lín xuān què yòu huà fēng yī zhuǎn ：“ zhǐ shì bù qiǎo dé jǐn ， wǎn bèi nǎi shì bì yún shān dì zǐ ， bìng qiě chéng méng tài shàng zhǎng lǎo kàn de qǐ ， shōu le wǎn bèi wèi tú ， zài xià yǐ yǒu shī mén ， zhǐ néng gū fù qián bèi de yī piàn hǎo yì ……”
红发老祖眼睛微眯，显然听得十分的舒心惬意，谁料林轩却又话锋一转：“只是不巧得紧，晚辈乃是碧云山弟子，并且承蒙太上长老看得起，收了晚辈为徒，在下已有师门，只能辜负前辈的一片好意……”
The Red-haired Ancestor's eyes narrowed, indicating he was enjoying the conversation. However, Lin Xuan quickly changed the subject: "But unfortunately, I am a disciple of Green Cloud Mountain and have been taken under the wing by Senior Elder Supreme, making me unable to accept your kind offer."
“ shén me ， nǐ shì zhèng dào sān jù tóu bì yún shān de dì zǐ ， hái bài le gāi pài de tài shàng zhǎng lǎo wèi shī ？” hóng fā lǎo zǔ zhēng kāi yǎn jīng ， shēng yīn zhōng chōng mǎn le jīng yà zhī yì 。
“什么，你是正道三巨头碧云山的弟子，还拜了该派的太上长老为师？”红发老祖睁开眼睛，声音中充满了惊讶之意。
"What? You are from one of the three major sects, Green Cloud Mountain, and you even took on their Supreme Elder as your master?" The Red-haired Ancestor's eyes widened in surprise.
Lin Xuan's journey was for the Wondrous All-Encompassing Grass. The outcome of events had turned out to be far beyond his expectations, but many of his previous doubts were now resolved. The best course of action now would be to make a fortune quietly.
田小剑 also put away his playful expression and lowered his head slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
If his guess was correct, this young man wouldn't agree no matter if he was a disciple or a servant!
As for Xu Han, his face showed an ever-changing mix of emotions. He occasionally moved his lips as he whispered to the Condensation Core cultivator called Uncle Three beside him.
The grand hall fell into a momentary silence.
"Boy, are you willing to become my disciple? I originally just wanted a servant, but seeing your talents, it would be fitting for me to pass on my legacy."
A slightly hoarse voice entered Lin Xuan's ears. He paused momentarily before realizing that the Red-haired Ancestor was speaking through his mind.
Keeping his expression neutral, he looked up and saw the婴期怪 still sitting in the middle of the grand hall. His eyes were half-closed as if he hadn't spoken just now.
Lin Xuan's heart stirred, but he lowered his head again.
"You're quite clever, very to my liking. Will you become my disciple?"
Lin Xuan didn't answer immediately. If it was another Foundation Establishment cultivator encountering such a good opportunity, they would be overjoyed. However, Lin Xuan had his own considerations.
His situation wasn't the same as others. Firstly, he wasn't some cultivation prodigy. In reality, if he became the Red-haired Ancestor's disciple, he would eventually discover that he was just an ordinary person without even a Spirit Root.
How could such cultivation be explained? There was a risk of the secret of the Blue Star Sea being uncovered by his master.
No matter what, Lin Xuan wouldn't let this happen.
He knew that although he had once been taught alchemy by True Feather Immortal, the other party only taught him how to refine pills and didn't concern himself with cultivation techniques. He was given the greatest freedom. This was why he willingly stayed on Spirit Medicine Mountain, but the Red-haired Ancestor's situation was different.
Secondly, even if these points were set aside, could becoming a disciple of an Incarnation Stage cultivator guarantee great benefits?
It seemed that this was everyone's consensus. The saying "Under a big tree, it’s cool to rest" meant that having a powerful master would elevate one's status significantly.
Moreover, with the guidance of a skilled mentor, one could avoid many detours and wasted efforts. Incarnation Stage cultivators' teachings were undoubtedly top-grade!
However, reality might not be as rosy.
Cultivators, despite their apparent lack of desires, were actually more ruthless than ordinary people in the secular world. Their relationships with each other were colder. While there were many cases where teachers were kind and disciples were filial, there were also frequent instances of mutual exploitation or even turning into enemies.
The Red-haired Ancestor was a peculiar character. Even though he had sworn to take Lin Xuan as his disciple today, tomorrow if something didn't go according to his will, he might be subjected to soul extraction and essence refinement.
There was an old saying: "Men fear entering the wrong profession; women fear marrying the wrong man." This applied equally to the situation of becoming a disciple in the cultivation world.
As an Incarnation Stage expert, the Red-haired Ancestor would indeed gain many benefits. However, there were also numerous hidden dangers. Whether it was good fortune or misfortune, it was hard to say now.
Lin Xuan wasn't going to take any chances. The secret of the Blue Star Sea couldn't be revealed. Others becoming disciples of Incarnation Stage experts could easily obtain top-grade cultivation techniques.
After all, although there were countless cultivation techniques in the cultivation world, top-grade ones were rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Major sects cherished their own teachings and wouldn't casually impart them to outsiders or even their own disciples unless they reached a certain level of cultivation and status. In some ways, a good cultivation technique was more precious than pills or treasures.
Even if one could buy Condensation Core stage techniques in the market, they were typically very inferior. The power gained from top-grade techniques and ordinary ones couldn't be compared.
Those old monsters might have slightly weaker combined techniques before condensing their essence into Incarnation Stage, but after doing so, they would certainly not lack top-grade cultivation techniques through both overt and covert means.
However, this temptation was like a chicken's rib to Lin Xuan.
The Nine Heavens Profound Technique, while not the strongest in the world, was undoubtedly among the best. The power of the True Scripture of Profane Demons could be gauged from the current arrogance of Extreme Demon Sovereign.
Moreover, he possessed the Yin-Yang Art, allowing him to simultaneously practice these two seemingly incompatible divine arts and complement each other's strengths, thus enhancing his overall power.
Although Lin Xuan didn't know what kind of astonishing abilities the Red-haired Ancestor had, he was confident that they would be inferior when compared to his two top-tier techniques.
Therefore, others coveted his top-grade cultivation techniques, but for Lin Xuan, it wasn't worth pursuing.
After weighing the pros and cons, becoming a disciple of this Incarnation Stage expert wouldn't bring any benefits in the short term. Instead, it might invite great calamity. With his deep-seated wisdom, Lin Xuan was unwilling to do such foolish things.
Of course, he couldn’t just bluntly refuse. Ordinary people cared about face, and an Incarnation Stage cultivator needed a solid reason. Lin Xuan began pondering in his mind.
"Is something the matter, boy? You're considering becoming my disciple for so long. Didn't you snatch that trading fair slot to get this chance?"
The Red-haired Ancestor's voice sounded again, now clearly impatient.
Lin Xuan frowned but had a plan. He also transmitted his thoughts:
"I am deeply honored by your kindness, junior as I am. I wonder what merits accumulated over countless lifetimes could bring such good fortune..."
The Red-haired Ancestor's eyes narrowed, indicating he was enjoying the conversation. However, Lin Xuan quickly changed the subject: "But unfortunately, I am a disciple of Green Cloud Mountain and have been taken under the wing by Senior Elder Supreme, making me unable to accept your kind offer."
"What? You are from one of the three major sects, Green Cloud Mountain, and you even took on their Supreme Elder as your master?" The Red-haired Ancestor's eyes widened in surprise.