Plop!
Chi Lian knelt heavily on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly in the direction of the mountain cave.
"Senior, thank you for enlightening me and awakening me! I am willing to become a humble disciple under your tutelage, listening to your teachings day and night!"
Apprenticeship!
Chi Lian had taken a master!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, the individual with great destiny, "Chi Lian," wishes to become your disciple. Do you accept?]
Should I accept?
Hao Ren narrowed his eyes slightly, contemplating seriously.
With the system's "Master-Disciple Bond" function, taking in disciples was like "cheating" for Hao Ren.
Take a disciple, get a "cheat"!
If the disciple cultivates, his own cultivation increases!
If the disciple obtains a treasure, he receives the same treasure!
If the disciple comprehends cultivation techniques and divine abilities, he comprehends the same techniques and abilities!
Awesome... not at all!
Hao Ren shook his head.
There's no such thing as a free lunch!
Although disciples were a "cheat," they weren't that easy to take in!
Hao Ren's eyes shot out with brilliance. As a man who had read over ten thousand novels, he knew very well the "pitfall routines" hidden in taking disciples.
You are quietly cultivating in your mountain cave, and suddenly your disciple provokes a "protagonist-type" character... The "protagonist" shouts, "Don't bully the young and poor!" then kills your disciple, and then comes for you. Wouldn't you feel wronged?
This kind of "pitfall routine" appears in at least eight thousand out of ten thousand novels.
First, beat the disciple, then beat the master, and finally beat the ancestor...
These are all conventional "leveling-up routines."
Hao Ren, as an excellent "cautious cultivator," didn't want to fall into such a "pitfall routine" and become a "stepping stone" on the protagonist's path to counter-attack.
My life's ideal is to be a "cautious cultivator," not a "stepping stone"!
As long as I'm "cautious" enough, no matter how powerful the protagonist is, they can't use me as a "stepping stone"!
[Ding... Ding ding ding... Beep... Beep beep beep...]
The system was probably amazed by Hao Ren's brilliant "cautious cultivation theory" and then spewed out a series of foreign languages.
The system was so tired. Was the host so cautious that he wasn't afraid of being struck by lightning?
Hao Ren ignored the system and made his decision.
"I will not accept!"
His majestic voice echoed inside and outside the mountain cave.
Upon hearing this, Chi Lian's face was filled with disappointment.
He had some preparation in his heart. The senior was so powerful, he might not think highly of a disciple with his mediocre aptitude.
Chi Lian's aptitude was truly average.
After cultivating for over a thousand lifetimes, the highest he had reached was the "Integration Realm." Not good enough!
Despite his preparation, Chi Lian was still very disappointed when he personally heard that the senior was unwilling to take him as a disciple.
Alas!
Such disappointment!
However, Chi Lian immediately cheered up.
The senior might be unwilling to accept me as a disciple, but that doesn't mean he doesn't appreciate me!
On the contrary, the senior should appreciate me greatly!
Why?
Because the senior specifically activated the "Sacred Fire Token" for me. This importance is self-evident.
Oh, I understand, the senior is testing my state of mind!
How can I show my determination to the senior?
Got it!
Chi Lian's eyes lit up. He had a great idea.
Chi Lian continued to prostrate himself towards the mountain cave.
"Senior, please accept me as your servant!"
Senior, I am willing to work like a horse, serve you as a servant and slave!
See, this is my sincerity, this is my determination!
Everyone present was shocked.
This level of enlightenment... was too high!
Although they also wanted to become people of the "mysterious senior," they could only accept becoming the senior's disciples. As for being a servant, I'm sorry, that wasn't something they had considered!
Inside the mountain cave.
This...
Ah, a temptation!
This damnable feeling of temptation!
Hao Ren was tempted!
Imagine, he was just a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, yet he had a Golden Core realm overlord as his servant, and an individual with great destiny at that. Wouldn't that be incredibly impressive?
Driven by "vanity," Hao Ren was almost about to agree immediately.
Finally, Hao Ren used immense willpower and managed to restrain himself from agreeing.
However, he didn't refuse either.
Don't initiate!
Don't refuse!
Don't take responsibility!
Hao Ren activated the "scumbag principle's three-piece set."
I don't acknowledge you as my servant, nor do I deny you as my servant. You figure it out yourself...
Oh, and the most important thing is, I won't take responsibility... If you get pregnant, ugh, if you cause trouble, I won't be responsible!
This way, all problems are perfectly solved, so happy!
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, you have successfully obtained the title of "Scumbag." This title has no special effect (Note: The system will occasionally refer to the host as "Scumbag Host").]
Hao Ren
(Fuck!)
Damn it!
System, I feel like you're scolding me!
[Ding! Congratulations, Scumbag Host, your friend "Chi Lian" has reached five-star favorability towards you. You have shared his destiny and fate... ]
[Ding! Congratulations, Scumbag Host, you have obtained the destiny and fate of "Town Fire General."]
[Ding! Congratulations, Scumbag Host, you have obtained the destiny and fate of "Reincarnated Overlord."]
...
As Hao Ren listened to the system's prompts, he felt even more displeased.
The system was finding ways to scold him!
What could have been solved with a single system prompt was broadcasted in three separate messages, each time addressing Hao Ren as "Scumbag Host."
Too much!
Hao Ren rolled his eyes. He couldn't be bothered to deal with the system and went to check his newly acquired "destiny and fate."
There's nothing much to say about "Town Fire General." For the current Hao Ren, it was a chicken rib, tasteless but a pity to discard!
"Reincarnated Overlord" was quite good. Hao Ren not only shared Chi Lian's "destiny and fate" but also benefited from Chi Lian's "thirty-eight reincarnations."
Hao Ren's "Reincarnated Overlord" started at the "thirty-eight reincarnation" level, with a cultivation gain of +38%.
Hao Ren's cultivation speed instantly increased by a small margin. So satisfying!
Unfortunately, Hao Ren did not enjoy the brain-boosting benefits of the "Town Fire General" and "Reincarnated Overlord" combo.
Hao Ren could not borrow the power of the spiritual fire in the "Fire Domain."
After all, he hadn't even condensed a "Sacred Fire Token," and the "will of the Fire Domain" hadn't given him a "blessing Buff."
A pity!
Hao Ren shook his head.
At this moment, the system's prompt sounded again.
[Ding! Congratulations, Scumbag Host, you have obtained the "Sacred Fire Token"! Using the "Sacred Fire Token" allows you to enter the "Fire Domain" for trials. After passing the trials, there is a high chance of obtaining some kind of spiritual fire.]
Fire Domain... Trials...
Sorry, not interested, not interested at all!
Hao Ren shook his head so vigorously that it almost fell off.
Dangerous!
Too dangerous!
A place like the "Fire Domain" sounds like a very dangerous small instance.
The death rate in such small instances is extremely high, and one can easily perish.
Moreover, one is prone to encountering "protagonists of all kinds" in small instances.
It's fine if you encounter a "cool-novel protagonist." At most, they'll give you a "show-off and face-slap" session, and you'll only suffer humiliation, but your life will be saved.
If you encounter a "Mortal Cultivation" protagonist, it's a death sentence. They'll silently take you down without a word. Don't ask why, just "rob and kill"... Ugh, "competing for opportunities"!
Too tragic!
Absolutely not!