Upon hearing the Sect Leader's question, Mu Jinyu hesitated briefly before shaking his head and saying, "I'm sorry, but I already have a master..."
Immediately, the Sect Leader replied indifferently, "I know someone of your age who has reached the mid stage of the Divine Realm must have been taught by a famous teacher in Huaxia, but that doesn't matter. I myself have had several masters. If you're really concerned about it, just calling me 'teacher' is fine..."
As soon as these words were uttered, not only were the Mountain Guardian Elder and Lin Feng stunned, but even the core elders who had come with the Sect Leader were shocked.
When had the Sect Leader ever been so generous? In the past, when he refused others, he often used the excuse that they already had a master, and he wouldn't snatch a loved disciple away, suggesting they find another good teacher instead.
But now, to take Mu Jinyu as his disciple, he didn't mind at all that Mu Jinyu had a master, and was even worried that Mu Jinyu might feel troubled, feeling guilty about his former master, suggesting that Mu Jinyu could simply call him 'teacher'?
Wasn't that a bit too exaggerated? It completely overturned their image of the high and cold Sect Leader.
Was this young man's aptitude really that extraordinary?
The Sect Leader didn't care at all about his image being overturned in the eyes of those elders. After saying those words, feeling that perhaps his simple identity as Sect Leader might not be enough to sway Mu Jinyu, he added:
"I think you might not be fully aware of the benefits of having me as your master. If you take me as your master, you will immediately become a core disciple of the Heavenly Sword Faction, receiving ten high-grade spirit stones and three bottles of top second-grade elixirs every month. Furthermore, the heaven cave blessed land of our Faction, where the spiritual energy is at its densest, will be completely open to you for cultivation whenever you wish..."
After finishing, he looked at Mu Jinyu with sparkling eyes, waiting for Mu Jinyu to show an excited expression.
However, Mu Jinyu was not moved by the Sect Leader's offer and remained calm.
He thought to himself, "Is this guy sick?"
Ten high-grade spirit stones, three bottles of top second-grade elixirs, heaven cave blessed land open to me at any time? Were these even good terms?
Spirit stones could be somewhat replaced by elixirs, and at the current stage, he could easily refine them once he knew the pill formulas. With enough elixirs, did it really make a difference whether he cultivated in the heaven cave blessed land?
Perhaps others would be tempted by such offers from the Sect Leader, but he was not at all moved; in fact, he found the Sect Leader quite stingy.
After a slight shake of his head, Mu Jinyu calmly said, "I don't want to take any shortcuts, become your disciple, and rise to the heavens in one step. I want to step firmly and ascend step by step..."
Before Mu Jinyu could finish speaking, the Sect Leader was already stunned, and so were the elders who, after a few moments of being taken aback, one of them regained his senses and scolded:
"Young man, do you know what you're saying?"
"Are you aware of the benefits you're refusing?"
"I don't think you quite understand the value of these things, let me explain them to you in detail..."
"Ten high-grade spirit stones, do you know what that means? It means a hundred medium-grade spirit stones, a thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
"A thousand low-grade spirit stones, that's the amount some small sects may not earn in a year! Do you really think spirit stones are cabbages by the roadside, scoffing at ten high-grade spirit stones per month as too few?"
"And do you know what a second-grade elixir is? Oh, in Huaxia, they consider medicines for Mingjin level as first-grade, for dark energy level as second-grade, for energy transformation level as third-grade, and for Divine Realm level as fourth-grade or divine..."
"But in the Kunlun Ruins, we don't have such varied levels of distinction, elixirs and medicines suitable for martial artists from Mingjin to dark energy levels are all considered first-grade elixirs, and second-grade elixirs are for cultivators of the Divinity Transformation Realm!"
"Top second-grade elixirs are suitable for cultivators in the late stage of the Divinity Transformation Realm. Do you know how precious three bottles of top second-grade elixirs are?!"
"And our Heavenly Sword Faction's Heaven Cave Blessed Land, the concentration of Spiritual Energy there is a hundred times denser than in the Heavenly Sword Mountain Range. If you cultivate in the Heaven Cave Blessed Land, one day of cultivation is equivalent to a hundred days outside. Do you understand how significant that difference is?"
"Having mentioned the value of these things, let me also tell you about the treatment and monthly provisions for us Elders!"
"Us core Elders receive a monthly offering of only twenty Superior-grade spirit stones and five bottles of top-second grade spiritual medicine, but the number of times we can enter the Heaven Cave Blessed Land each month is limited to three!"
"Now you should know how generous the treatment you get as the Sect Leader's disciple is, right?"
After finishing his speech in one breath, this core Elder couldn't help but gasp slightly for air. The Sect Leader, upon hearing his introduction, looked at him with satisfaction and then smiled without saying a word, expectantly looking towards Mu Jinyu.
Such a rebuttal to Mu Jinyu of course couldn't be voiced by the Sect Leader himself, as it would seem beneath him, as though he were begging to take Mu Jinyu as his disciple. It was best delivered by an Elder.
In this way, not only would he be able to take Mu Jinyu as his disciple, but he would also maintain his dignity as a master!
Meanwhile, the Mountain Guardian Elder and Lin Feng, after hearing their words, felt quite bitter. Their status was relatively low, and their treatment was far from being as good as Mu Jinyu's!
Just when everyone thought that after hearing the Elder's words, Mu Jinyu would fully realize the difference and make up his mind to become a disciple of the Sect Leader, to everyone's surprise, Mu Jinyu still shook his head and said:
"I'm aware of it, but I'm used to having only one master and I don't want to have another teacher."
"You?!"
The Sect Leader, upon hearing Mu Jinyu's words, was furious.
He had offered Mu Jinyu a treatment not inferior to that of a core Elder, and yet he still refused to become his disciple?
It was inconceivable, utterly inconceivable.
Of course, he also understood that Mu Jinyu had just come from Huaxia to the Kunlun Ruins. Though he was interested in joining a sect, he still had some reservations.
He didn't feel a strong sense of belonging to the sect yet!
So all he could do was win him over gradually!
Thinking this, the Sect Leader looked at Mu Jinyu with disappointment and said to Lin Feng, "Well, if that's the case, I won't force you. You can follow Elder Lin to handle the entry formalities."
Having said that, the Sect Leader flicked his sleeve and strode away from the Outer Gate Elder's Hall, transforming into a beam of light and vanishing in an instant!
The few core Elders who had come with him exchanged glances, and one of them, also looking at Mu Jinyu with disappointment, said, "Sigh, young man, you've angered the Sect Leader. You really shouldn't have done that!"
"Originally, you could have directly enjoyed treatment far beyond that of a core disciple. Now, you can only start as an outer sect disciple..."
After finishing, concerned that Mu Jinyu might take offence and leave the Heavenly Sword Faction in a fit of anger, he added:
"If you can't stand being in the outer sect, just mention it to Elder Lin, and we will try persuading the Sect Leader. You might want to say a few nice words to the Sect Leader at that time. Maybe he will change his mind and let you enjoy the treatment of a core disciple."
"Alright, you can now follow Elder Lin to handle the related entry procedures. We will take our leave!"