Accepting apprentices, maxing out their loyalty!

"Su Chan is willing to be your slave or maidservant and serve Senior for the rest of her life. I only ask that Senior teach me your profound methods, so that one day I may slay my enemies with my own hands and avenge the more than three hundred members of my Su Family!"

After saying this, she kowtowed heavily, her head striking the ground with a loud thud.

"Bang!"

Her forehead collided with the hard ground, producing a muffled sound. Threads of blood seeped out, yet she seemed completely oblivious to it.

Seeing this, Lin Xueer blinked and turned her head to look at her Revered Master.

Ye Qing's eyes flickered slightly.

Apprenticeship?

Thinking carefully, Ye Qing's impression of this girl wasn't bad.

From previous events, it was clear that this girl's Heart-Nature was not bad. She had even wanted to risk her life to protect them earlier; she was not an evil person.

As for whether or not to take her as a Disciple?

Ye Qing's expression was calm as he looked down at Su Chan, who was prostrate on the ground. No waves could be seen in his eyes.

If he were to take a Disciple... he did indeed need more Disciples right now.

Qingxuan Peak was sparsely populated, with only Lin Xueer left as a Disciple.

With less than two months until the Sect Grand Competition, he couldn't really let Xueer, a newly joined Disciple, fight through the entire event alone.

Furthermore, his System could provide a "Random Critical Hit Return on Teaching Disciples."

The more Disciples he had, the more resources he could harvest, and the faster he would naturally become stronger.

However, when he accepted Disciples, he never cared about Aptitude or status.

He only valued one thing—Heart-Nature and loyalty!

If their Aptitude was poor, he had plenty of ways to improve it.

If their status was low, as long as they followed Ye Qing, their status would naturally rise with his.

Only loyalty was non-negotiable; once a problem arose there, the current state of Qingxuan Peak served as a warning.

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Qing's voice rang out:

"You want to become stronger?"

"Yes!" Su Chan raised her head, her pretty face stained with dirt and blood, filled with determination. "I carry a blood feud that cannot be reconciled!"

Ye Qing's gaze was profound.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke slowly, but asked a completely unrelated question:

"Let me ask you, if one day I am captured by an old monster of unfathomable power and my life hangs by a thread—if you try to save me, you will die; if you don't, you will live."

"How would you choose?"

With a Senior as powerful as him, being captured by an old monster of unfathomable power?

Su Chan's brow furrowed tightly.

She was only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. In her eyes, a Golden Core Cultivator was already the heavens, a god, a noble existence that could not be fathomed or defied!

With Senior's strength to instantly kill a Golden Core Fifth Layer Yao Beast...

He could actually be captured by an enemy.

If such a situation truly occurred, then if she rushed forward, it would undoubtedly be no different from an ant trying to shake a tree or a moth flying into a flame!

It would be certain death with no chance of survival!

The answer to this question was already obvious!

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Chan replied decisively:

"I would leave first!"

Ye Qing was stunned by her words.

Good grief.

When I encounter danger, of all the thirty-six stratagems, you choose to run first?

Su Chan then continued: "I would find a way to become stronger, find a way to ask others to help! But if it truly becomes impossible..."

"As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime!"

"When Revered Master is in trouble, the Disciple will not hesitate even at the cost of ten thousand deaths! Then, Su Chan could only give her last drop of blood and burn her last shred of soul!"

"I, Su Chan, am as good as my word!"

Her answer came from the bottom of her heart, and the determination in her words held not a hint of falsehood!

Ye Qing's eyes moved slightly.

He quietly looked into Su Chan's eyes, which were burning with fire. Of course, Ye Qing could not see through a person's heart.

Though he didn't know how much of these words were sincere or how much might change with time and circumstances.

But at least for now, that resolute will could not be faked.

In that case—

"Very well."

Ye Qing spoke calmly: "Since there is fate between us, I will give you this chance."

"From this day forth, you are the second Personal Disciple under my, Ye Qing's, lineage."

"This is your Senior Sister, Lin Xueer."

Boom!

As soon as these words were spoken, Su Chan felt as if she had heard a clap of thunder. She was so pleasantly surprised that her thoughts almost froze.

Immediately after, an indescribable wild joy swept through her entire body like a mountain torrent or a tsunami!

She had succeeded!

She had succeeded! There was hope for revenge!

"Disciple Su Chan pays respects to Revered Master!"

"Greetings, Eldest Senior Sister!"

Su Chan snapped back to her senses, suppressed the excitement in her heart, and respectfully kowtowed three times to Ye Qing.

This kowtow was the formal rite of apprenticeship!

"Ding!"

Just as Su Chan finished her kowtows, the System's crisp notification sound rang in Ye Qing's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully recruiting a second Disciple: Su Chan!]

[Name: Su Chan]

[Age: 19]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer (Depleted spiritual power, severely injured)]

[Physique: Profound Sword Body (Sword Dao cultivation is shallow, not yet awakened)]

[Cultivation Technique: Low Grade Profound Rank "Flowing Water Sword Art"]

[Loyalty: 100 (Utterly Devoted)]

Hmm?

The moment he saw the System panel, Ye Qing's brow twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Profound Sword Body?

It turned out to be a special Physique!

The Profound Sword Body was a special spiritual body born for the sword.

This type of Physique was naturally attuned to the Sword Dao; cultivating any sword technique would yield twice the result with half the effort, and the chance of comprehending Sword Intent far exceeded that of ordinary people!

This was truly a hidden gem!

And what surprised Ye Qing even more was the loyalty in the last column.

100!

Utterly Devoted!

It was actually at the maximum value, just like Xueer's!

Ye Qing understood in his heart.

It seemed that perhaps because of the shock brought by his single finger earlier,

as well as her intense obsession with revenge, this girl had come to view him as her only life-saving straw in her heart.

"Very good."

Ye Qing thought to himself.

The higher the loyalty, the higher the chance of triggering a high-multiplier critical hit return when he bestowed treasures.

This Disciple was not accepted in vain!

"Rise."

With a thought from Ye Qing, a gentle surge of magic power appeared out of thin air, lightly lifting Su Chan from her kneeling position.

"Thank you, Revered Master!"

Su Chan stood up. Although she was still weak, having something to look forward to had completely refreshed her mental outlook.

Her beautiful eyes were sparkling.

Ye Qing glanced at her, and seeing her tattered dress, disordered aura, and serious injuries, he said, "Mediate here for a moment to adjust your breathing. Your Revered Master will act as your Protector."

"Yes, Revered Master!"

Su Chan replied obediently, then sat down cross-legged, preparing to circulate her power to heal her injuries.

Ye Qing stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over the surroundings.

At the same time, he began to calculate in his heart.

According to custom, when a new Disciple joins, he, as the Revered Master, must provide an apprenticeship gift for it to be proper.

What he gave Xueer were a Cultivation Technique and a Physique, which triggered a ten-thousand-fold return.

So... what would be good to give Su Chan?

She was currently severely injured, so what she lacked most was naturally a rejuvenation pill.

Moreover, the grade of her Cultivation Technique was too low, and since she had the Profound Sword Body, a high-level sword art or sword scripture was indispensable.

There was also a weapon. She likely used a sword before, but now her hands were empty; clearly, her weapon had been destroyed or lost during her flight.

He didn't have a weapon for the time being; that would have to wait.

Medicinal Pills, Cultivation Techniques, sword scriptures... Ye Qing rubbed his chin, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

The Cultivation Technique "Tai Xuan Golden Chapter" should of course be taught, but unfortunately, it was a technique returned by the System and could not trigger a repeated critical hit.

As for a sword scripture, Ye Qing didn't have one on him.

However, perhaps in a moment, he could start with the "Flowing Water Sword Art" that was part of Su Chan's family heritage.

As for the Medicinal Pill—

It just so happened that in the Storage Pouch he had obtained earlier, there were a few bottles of second-tier Medium Grade "rejuvenation pills."

He wondered, after giving her this bottle of rejuvenation pills,

what kind of good thing the System would return to him?

Having finished his thoughts,

Ye Qing flipped his palm and spoke to Su Chan, who was about to begin healing:

"Chan'er, take this bottle of rejuvenation pills and use it to heal your injuries first."