One person: Starting with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, his grandmaster uncle emerges from seclusion.

Someone swallowed hard in the quiet room.

Then, as if it had been rehearsed.

Led by Hei Guan'er, the group included Wang Zhenqiu, Xiao Zizai, Lao Meng, and even Feng Baobao, who was usually expressionless.

Everyone raised their right hand in unison, giving a big thumbs up.

"God is awesome!!!"

"Good heavens!!!"

Several temporary workers who used to be able to do whatever they wanted in various regions have now become the most loyal and devoted fans, shouting out this heartfelt praise in unison.

"What happened to the Old Celestial Master?"

"Even the Celestial Master has to obediently call us Junior Brother... no, Second Brother... cough, anyway, he has to listen to us!"

Wang Zhenqiu smoothly picked up on the flattery, although the logic was a bit messy, the emotion was quite on point.

Old Meng was so excited that he clasped his hands together and bowed to the ceiling: "That's wonderful... With your words, I can finally put my mind at ease."

"Chen Duo has truly met a benefactor!"

However, amidst the sea of ​​joy, Zhang Chulan's sharp mind, even more cunning than a monkey's, suddenly caught a blind spot.

He abruptly turned his head, staring wide-eyed at Zhang Tianyi, who was wrapped in a bath towel and calmly accepting the praise from everyone.

"Wait... Second Master! What did you just say?"

"You want to take Chen Duo as your...apprentice?!"

Upon hearing Zhang Chulan's words, the excited expressions on everyone's faces froze for a moment, then turned into even greater shock.

Yup!

Teaching the secret thunder magic of Longhu Mountain is not as simple as just giving a few pointers!

That's a privilege only true heirs can enjoy!

"Master, are you really going to take Chen Duo as your apprentice?!"

Zhang Chulan rushed to Zhang Tianyi in three strides, his face filled with disbelief:

"Isn't this...isn't this a bit too hasty?!"

"I'm not saying Chen Duo is bad, but taking on a disciple is a huge deal. You just slapped your thigh and decided on it?"

"Snapped!"

A very crisp sound.

Zhang Tianyi didn't even blink, raising his hand to deliver a precise and swift blow to the buttocks.

It landed squarely on the back of Zhang Chulan's head.

"Ouch!"

Zhang Chulan covered his head and squatted on the ground, looking aggrieved.

"Hasty? Hasty my ass!"

Zhang Tianyi slowly tightened the towel around his body and gave Zhang Chulan a disdainful look.

Although his tone was languid, it exuded an undeniable arrogance:

"Do you think my standards are that low?"

"Do you think just any Tom, Dick, Harry, rotten potato, or stinky bird egg in this world is worthy of serving me tea and water or becoming my disciple?"

Zhang Tianyi turned his head and looked at Chen Duo, who was sitting on the stone steps in the shallow water area and was also a little dazed.

"Although I may seem unreliable at times, I know exactly what I'm doing when it comes to taking on disciples."

Zhang Tianyi snorted coldly, his expression unusually serious:

“I haven’t been taking her out for food, drinks and fun these past few days for nothing.”

"I investigated for a long time."

"This girl is as pure as a blank sheet of paper in terms of character. She doesn't have many tricks up her sleeve, much better than you, you little brat full of bad ideas."

"His talent is top-notch; to survive that damned Gu gu, his fate is as hard as a diamond, perfect for cultivating my innate lightning element."

Zhang Chulan rubbed his head, listening in a daze.

It seems... there's actually some truth to it?

"Of course, that's not the most important thing."

Zhang Tianyi abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming extremely serious, even tinged with solemnity.

Upon seeing this, everyone held their breath.

Chapter 109 This is the first disciple of the Daoist Master!

Just when they thought this old sage was about to utter some earth-shattering, awe-inspiring theory about innate talent.

Zhang Tianyi took a deep breath, pointed at the two cell phones Feng Baobao had just placed on the shore, and said firmly:

"Most importantly—this girl has an exceptional talent for gaming!"

Everyone: "...Huh?"

Zhang Tianyi slapped his thigh in anguish:

"You guys have no idea! These past few days, when I've been playing ranked matches, what kind of amazing teammates have I been matched with? They're all so bad they're practically picking their toes, and they love to shift the blame!"

"But this girl is different! I just watched her play games with Bao'er, and her awareness, her positioning, and her timing for catching people were amazing!"

"He's an absolute one-in-a-million potential jungler!"

Zhang Tianyi became more and more excited as he spoke: "If I take her as my apprentice, won't it be as easy as picking candy from a baby for me to climb the ranks?!"

"If I don't take this top-tier jungler, am I supposed to leave him for someone else?!"

"..."

The audience was silent.

Only Feng Baobao nodded in deep agreement: "Yes, she is indeed fierce when jungling, much better than Xu Si."

Zhang Chulan felt a rush of blood to his head and almost vomited blood on the spot.

What the hell is this gaming talent?!

So you're taking on apprentices just to find a top-tier power-leveler to help you rank up?!

However, the fact that this absurd reason came from Zhang Tianyi's mouth gave everyone present a strange sense of agreement that "this is very reasonable, this is very much like the Second Master."

"We'll see."

Zhang Tianyi's joking expression vanished, his gaze becoming deep and distant as he looked out the window at the night sky:

“My senior brother Zhang Zhiwei now has a house full of disciples and grand-disciples. Even your eldest grandson, Zhang Chulan, can walk around with impunity.”

"I, Daoist Master, have been asleep for seventy-five years. Now that I've finally awakened, I want to take on a first disciple to inherit my lineage... Is that too much to ask? Is that reasonable?"

The clarinet-wielder was the first to react, nodding repeatedly, like someone pounding garlic:

"It makes sense! It makes perfect sense! It's practically in accordance with the will of Heaven!"

Old Meng was so excited that he wiped away his tears and chimed in, "For the Master to take a liking to Chen Duo is a blessing she has accumulated over eight lifetimes!" "Even if the Celestial Master knew, he would definitely be happy for you!"

Xiao Zizai pushed up his glasses and smiled slightly: "A match made in heaven, congratulations to the Master on gaining a beloved disciple."

We're all shrewd people.

At times like this, who cares whether you take on disciples to practice thunder magic or to play games?

If this "god of heaven" is willing to take over Chen Duo, this potential bombshell, and stamp it with the official seal of the Celestial Master's Mansion, then this deadlock that is giving the company a terrible headache will be perfectly resolved!

This flattery must be taken to extremes!

Amidst the sycophantic praise, Zhang Tianyi did not become complacent.

He waved his hand, silencing the crowd's commotion.

The atmosphere by the hot spring pool suddenly slowed down.

The originally noisy sound of flowing water seemed to have become much gentler at this moment.

Zhang Tianyi turned around, his bare feet stepping on the warm marble floor, and walked step by step to Chen Duo.

He squatted down by the pool quite naturally.

His line of sight was level with Chen Duo, who was immersed in the water.

"Girl."

Zhang Tianyi spoke very softly, as if afraid of disturbing something:

"What I said just now, while half of it was just nonsense, was half true."

"I really want to take you as my apprentice."

Chen Duo gripped the edge of her bathrobe with both hands, the steam from the water obscuring her vision.

Those green eyes, which were like a stagnant pool, were now rippling with intense emotion.

"But……"

Zhang Tianyi looked at her, his eyes devoid of their usual teasing and domineering manner, only filled with the purest respect an elder could have for a younger generation.

"However, becoming an apprentice is one of the most important things in the world. It is even more important than life and death."

"It means ties, it means responsibility, and it also means that your future life will be marked with my, Zhang Tianyi's, mark."

Zhang Tianyi reached out and gently tucked a strand of Chen Duo's wet hair behind her ear.

“These past few days, you’ve called me Second Master, and I’ve treated you like a junior in my own family.”

"But in the case of Lao Liao, you've already realized that life requires you to make your own choices."

"Therefore, I will not order you around today."

"You can choose to refuse. Even if you refuse, I will still cure your poison and send you wherever you want to go. As for the company, I will back you up, and no one will dare to touch you."