"Teacher Su, please accept me as your disciple! I will definitely perform well and not disappoint you."
Seeing that his great-grandfather was also speaking up for him, Tang San, whose nose was crooked and eyes were askew from the beating, and whose drool couldn't stop flowing from the corner of his mouth, felt a glimmer of hope and looked eagerly at Su Ran.
As long as he was willing to give him a chance, he could climb step by step to the very top, surpassing all other disciples!
Ambition.
Su Ran saw ambition in Tang San's eyes.
"When I accept disciples, I always value the word 'fate' rather than anyone's face."
"What's more, you have not helped me, nor have I helped you. The Asura Demon Sword willingly chose its master. On the contrary, I have shown kindness to you, Senior. If I hadn't forced out the Nine-Headed Bat King, I'm afraid you would have been completely worn away by the Bat King, eventually leaving no remnant soul behind."
"I call you Senior, but do you truly believe you are my Senior?"
Su Ran said indifferently.
"This... you!"
Hearing this, Tang Chen's words choked, and he couldn't speak.
When had he ever suffered such indignation?
If he were at his peak, anyone who dared to talk back to him like that would surely be hammered into a meat paste by his Clear Sky Hammer.
But now...
"Fine, if you're unwilling to accept him, this old man won't force it. The men of my Clear Sky Sect stand tall and proud, majestic and domineering. Each possesses the grand demeanor of this old man. Since he doesn't think highly of you, you, boy, should diligently learn the Clear Sky Sect's unique skills in the future, and you won't be inferior to anyone."
"Come, great-grandson, this old man will transmit to you the true meaning of the Great Sumeru Hammer!"
Tang Chen laughed loudly and tapped Tang San's glabella. Immediately, a majestic hammer intent surged into Tang San's mind, looking truly like a Grandmaster's domineering aura.
However, in the next moment, Tang Chen coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, and his remnant soul completely separated from his body, flickering indistinctly as if about to vanish at any moment.
Tang San quickly went to support him, but his hands passed through Tang Chen's soul, and his face was full of confusion:
"Great-grandfather, what exactly is going on?"
"It's nothing, it's just time to leave... Boy, don't ever disgrace this old man. One must be upright and honorable, winning against everyone openly and fairly. Make him understand that his refusal to accept you today is his loss, understand?"
These were Tang Chen's last words. After speaking, his soul vanished into the sky above Slaughter City.
Tang San saw that Su Ran was calm and composed, showing no emotional change due to Tang Chen's appearance and departure. He quickly knelt forward and asked:
"Teacher Su, Great-grandfather spoke without restraint, please don't take it to heart. You must know what's going on with Great-grandfather, right? What exactly happened to my Great-grandfather?"
Su Ran calmly explained:
"Your great-grandfather was Parasite by the Nine-Headed Bat King for many years. His body was controlled by the Bat King, and his soul was devoured and suppressed by it. It wasn't until I just forced out the Bat King that your great-grandfather's remnant soul could finally breathe."
"Originally, with your great-grandfather's soul power, he could barely control his body for a period of time and try to dispel the blood fiend energy left by the Bat King in this body. Unfortunately, your attack on your great-grandfather caused his aura to become chaotic, and he was ultimately struck by your Torrential Pear Blossom Needle. The poison invaded him, completely breaking the balance between his soul and body."
"At this moment, his remnant soul has left his body and has nothing to rely on. He can no longer maintain a physical state. Before long, he will completely dissipate."
Su Ran moved a fingertip, and a Peach Blossom Branch flew over, lifting the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle that had been forced out of Tang Chen's body from the ground.
The needle was completely black, and even the Peach Blossom Branch that had just touched it showed signs of blackish-purple wilting, indicating it was no ordinary poison. It was likely made from a highly refined venom that Tang San had soaked for a long time, and combined with the explosive power of the Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, it was a definite killing weapon on the current Douluo Continent.
Su Ran took a deep look at Tang San. This child appeared righteous but was actually quite ruthless.
Regarding poison, Su Ran also knew how to use it. The poison of the Life and Death Talisman had once made Poison Douluo Dugu Bo doubt his life.
However, he never easily applied poison to those Hellish burial objects, simply because poison techniques were insidious and impossible to guard against. Once they fell into the hands of insidious people, they would cause widespread suffering.
Hearing this, Tang San's face turned cold, and his eyes widened as he looked at Su Ran, somewhat broken:
"Teacher Su, do you mean... that I killed my great-grandfather?"
Su Ran did not answer. If he said Tang San killed him, even if he hadn't attacked, Tang Chen might not have survived. If he said he didn't kill him, he certainly accelerated Tang Chen's death.
"Remember your great-grandfather's teachings: be an upright person."
At this moment, the fluttering Peach Blossom Branch had disappeared. Su Ran brushed his sleeves. More and more people were gathering around the Hell Slaughter Arena, and it was time for him to leave.
Those girls would likely have many questions regarding the difficult task of managing Slaughter City.
Just as Su Ran turned to leave, a corner of his dark robe was pulled by Tang San.
Tang San slammed his head onto the ground, kowtowing:
"Teacher Su, I know your abilities. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, yes, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... There must be Immortal Herbs there that can save great-grandfather. Teacher Su, you possess all the Immortal Herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and you can even cause a drastic transformation in your disciples' physiques. You must have a way to save my great-grandfather, right?"
"Tang San begs you, please, Teacher Su, accept me as your disciple and save my great-grandfather!"
A Peach Blossom Branch now rested against Tang San's forehead. Su Ran sighed:
"Do you know why I won't help you? And why I won't accept you."
Tang San looked up at Su Ran:
"Please, Teacher, explain. I can change. I can change anything that's not good."
"Because you have no gratitude in your heart and turn against those who helped you. Your teacher Yu Xiaogang, and also Xiao Wu, are both like this."
Hearing this, Tang San trembled all over and argued:
"Teacher, how can Yu Xiaogang be like you? He misled his students, making me absorb low-year spirit rings. His strength is low, and he helped me very little. As for Xiao Wu... I always feel guilty towards her. I didn't intend to hurt her back then. If I become a student of Peach Garden Academy, I will definitely make it up to Xiao Wu properly!"
Su Ran merely chuckled softly:
"No, in your eyes, I am actually the same as Yu Xiaogang."
"How is that possible! The disciples you teach are all given excellent cultivation resources, allowing them to become the most outstanding Spirit Masters. And your appearance and temperament are even like an immortal. In my eyes, how could you possibly be comparable to Yu Xiaogang?!"
"Then let me ask you."
"When you first became his disciple, did Yu Xiaogang help you?"
"Did he help you learn Spirit Master knowledge and enter the path of a Spirit Master?"
Su Ran's two consecutive questions left Tang San speechless.
"Although Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang is only a name, others can say he misled his students, but you cannot. Because your father willingly entrusted you to him to learn. When you first came into contact with Spirit Master cultivation, he indeed guided you into it."
"If I were to accept you as a disciple, one day, when you become powerful, if another better teacher appears, one who can make you even stronger and teach better than me, then what would my fate be compared to Yu Xiaogang's?"
"Would I then also be labeled as someone who misled students?"
"Secondly, how did my disciple Xiao Wu treat you, and how did you treat her?"
"Xiao Wu had long had the idea of becoming my disciple, but she didn't abandon you. Instead, she invited you multiple times to come to Peach Garden Academy to study. She was quite loyal and righteous towards you."
"But you shot and injured her, making her disheartened. If she hadn't escaped to me in time, when you captured her back then, can you guarantee she would have been safe and sound?"
"If Xiao Wu wasn't my disciple at the time, and if Zhuqing hadn't already injured one of your legs, today, let alone becoming my disciple, if I didn't break one of your legs, it would already be the utmost benevolence!"
Su Ran's eyes narrowed, and the killing intent emanating from him directly sent Tang San flying.
This aura was too terrifying. Even the killers who had lived in Slaughter City for many years around the Hell Slaughter Arena shivered with fear.
Su Ran stood with his back to the crowd, his figure proud: "I, Su Ran, accept the kneeling of my disciples and descendants, but you are not worthy of kneeling to me."
Tang San's eyes were bloodshot and ferocious. What Su Ran said had somewhat broken him.
Until Su Ran's figure disappeared from the slaughter arena, Tang San completely went mad, tearing at himself:
"Am I, Tang San, really that worthless?"
"I'm not reconciled, I'm truly not reconciled!"
"Where am I inferior to them? Shui Bing'er, Shui Yueer, even that good-for-nothing Xiao Chenyu can become a disciple of Peach Garden. Am I not stronger than them?! Why? Why???"
"Ah ah ah!!!"
------------------------
I've posted 40+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"