"Hmm?" Zhang Yun raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Is Lin Ruoxue outside?
How could he not have sensed it, given his spiritual perception?
As Zhang Yun watched the girl in red walk step by step from the main hall gate, his surprise grew, but he was even more delighted.
"Qianzhi, you've even fooled me," Zhang Yun said with a shake of his head and a laugh.
Because this was the Palace of All Heavens, Zhang Yun did not deliberately try to sense everything inside. But even so, he could still detect any disturbance immediately.
This clearly demonstrates that Ye Qianzhi's progress in concealment is enormous, and her martial arts talent is in no way inferior to Zhuo Xinyan's.
"Please have a seat." Zhang Yun gestured for Lin Ruoxue to sit down, quite politely: "Not counting the hunting competition, it's been quite a while since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"
No matter what, Zhang Yun and Lin Ruoxue could be considered friends, and since her grandfather Lin Dong had helped her a lot, Zhang Yun had even less reason to neglect her.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Ruoxue walked up to Zhang Yun and knelt down without saying a word, leaving Zhang Yun and Ye Qianzhi somewhat bewildered.
"Ruoxue, what are you doing? Even if your grandfather and I are like brothers, and I am nominally your elder, you don't need to kneel down as soon as you see me, do you?"
Seeing the seriousness and solemnity on Lin Ruoxue's pretty face, Zhang Yun said humorously in an attempt to ease the atmosphere.
"Please accept me as your disciple, Mr. Zhang." Lin Ruoxue kowtowed solemnly to Zhang Yun, her eyes revealing determination and pleading.
"Will you become my disciple?" Zhang Yun slowly sat down in the main seat, seemingly lost in thought.
So that's why Lin Ruoxue came here.
"Ruoxue, you and I are friends. If you have any difficulties, just tell me. I won't refuse you within my ability."
Zhang Yun's smile slowly faded, and he said, "However, I refuse as for the matter of becoming an apprentice."
"Why?" Lin Ruoxue looked up and stared into Zhang Yun's eyes, her eyes full of confusion.
Zhang Yun's refusal must have come with a reason, right?
"Because I never accept ordinary people as apprentices."
Zhang Yun's straightforward reply, his blunt response, struck Lin Ruoxue's mind like a bolt from the blue.
Lin Ruoxue was a renowned prodigy in the Qin Kingdom, and the most outstanding martial artist among the younger generation of the Lin family.
However, in Zhang Yun's words, he became an ordinary person?
"That's right. Compared to a true genius like Zhang Yun, what is my little talent worth?" (My body contains countless worlds...)
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Chapter 284 Gap
Lin Ruoxue couldn't help but secretly mock herself, recalling the first time she met Zhang Yun. Zhang Yun's cultivation was only at the Body Refinement Realm, and the gap between him and her was not small. But only half a year had passed, and Zhang Yun had grown into a strongman who could even kill a strongman at the peak of the late stage of the Heavenly Gang Realm.
Even experts at the Star Realm were indirectly killed by him.
Such talent, such cultivation speed, and such a variety of innovative methods are beyond what can be described as mere prodigy.
If Zhang Yun is the bright moon in the sky, then Lin Ruoxue is as small and insignificant as a firefly.
But Lin Ruoxue did not want to give up.
She stared intently into Zhang Yun's eyes and said resolutely, "Although my martial arts talent is only average, if Mr. Zhang is willing to take me as his disciple, I will definitely put in ten times, or even a hundred times, more effort than before. Diligence can make up for shortcomings, and I believe that with my efforts, I will not fall too far behind Ye Qianzhi and Zhuo Xinyan!"
Zhang Yun remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Do you think that hard work can make up for the innate differences in talent and physique?"
"Do you really think that Ye Qianzhi and Zhuo Xinyan didn't put in unimaginable effort?"
"I……"
Lin Ruoxue was immediately stumped by the question. After thinking for a while, she gritted her teeth and said, "I asked before. Miss Qianzhi is eighteen years old, and Miss Xinyan is nineteen years old. Although I am already twenty-two years old, I am much younger than them. But so far, at least in terms of cultivation, I am only two minor realms behind them."
If cultivation speed is calculated based on age, Lin Ruoxue's calculation seems to make sense, but Zhang Yun doesn't think so.
He looked at Lin Ruoxue kneeling on the ground and asked, "If I remember correctly, when we first met, your cultivation level was already at the second level of the Heavenly Origin Realm, right?"
"Not bad." Lin Ruoxue replied truthfully. She had advanced two minor realms in just over half a year. Such talent was outstanding even in the Jianglan region. With her talent, if she waited another year or two, joining a power like the Jianglan Holy Temple would be no problem at all.
But she saw enormous potential and limitless future in Zhang Yun. After the hunting competition incident, anyone who wasn't a fool could understand that Zhang Yun's background was far more complex than it appeared.
"But do you know what cultivation levels Qianzhi and Xinyan were at that time?" Zhang Yun said slowly, "At that time, one of them was at the ninth level of the Meridian Realm, and the other had just advanced to the eighth level of the Meridian Realm."
His words, though spoken casually, struck Lin Ruoxue like a thunderbolt, jolting her awake.
Before meeting Zhang Yun, she learned that Ye Qianzhi and Zhuo Xinyan had both reached the sixth level of the Heavenly Origin Realm.
In other words, in just over half a year, Ye Qianzhi and Zhuo Xinyan not only broke through the bottleneck between the Pulse Chakra Realm and the Heavenly Origin Realm, but their cultivation also soared to the sixth level of the Heavenly Origin Realm!
In comparison, her two minor advancements pale in comparison, and the gap between them is more than just a little.
"However, their achievements were only due to Mr. Zhang's influence after that, right?"
Lin Ruoxue still refused to give up, saying frankly, "So, if Mr. Zhang can accept me as his disciple, and with my hard work, I will definitely not disappoint him."
Lin Ruoxue persisted despite all efforts, but Zhang Yun still shook his head: "Their rapid progress is indeed partly due to me, but the main reason is their innate physique and talent. You should understand what I mean."
“Sir, I understand everything you’ve said, but I still want to become your disciple. If you don’t accept me, I will kneel here forever.” Lin Ruoxue remained steadfast, kneeling upright.