"Who said I wanted to be your master?"

Xia Luo waved his hand dismissively, his expression turning serious.

"Rest assured, I'm not the type who enjoys forcing disciples upon people."

Being rejected before he could even finish his sentence bruised his ego a little. But when he heard her mention "I already have a master," he immediately understood the misunderstanding.

Ha, as if I'd want to be anyone's master.

A girl this talented had probably been pestered relentlessly by people trying to forcibly take her as a disciple. That must have been why she had shut him down before he could even explain.

"Then what do you want?"

Zhang Yiyi eyed Xia Luo suspiciously. There was something about him that was just off-putting.

"Relax, I really don't want to be your master."

Xia Luo's gaze grew brighter, more intense.

"I just want you to be my Dao companion!"

The moment those words left his mouth, Lu Qiao nearly choked herself to death.

But Zhang Yiyi's reaction remained as calm as ever. She didn't hesitate, didn't flinch, and rejected him even more decisively than before.

"No."

"Why not?"

Xia Luo looked genuinely baffled.

"Look at me, really look at me. My looks, my age, my cultivation, my talent, my potential—we're basically a match made in heaven! We're as perfectly suited as can be!"

It was as if he truly couldn't comprehend why any woman would refuse such a perfect candidate.

After all, a man of his exceptional qualities was rare—even in the entire Lanyu World, there were probably only a handful of people who could compare.

"I don't think so."

Zhang Yiyi gave him a slow, deliberate once-over, her expression unreadable.

She honestly couldn't understand where this man's overwhelming confidence came from.

To be fair, within Lanyu World, he could indeed be considered one of the top cultivators. But that was it.

Compared to the true elites of Huaren World, he still had a long way to go.

And besides, if every man who was "worthy of her" was automatically her destined Dao companion, was she supposed to start building a harem or something?

That thought was so ridiculous she almost laughed.

However, Xia Luo's unshakable confidence and blatant shamelessness did remind her of Zheng He. The difference was—the Young Lord of Jiagu Guan City was infinitely more likable than this guy.

"Ah, what's with that look? It's a plain and obvious fact—how can you not see it?"

Even after getting drenched by another bucket of cold water, Xia Luo remained undeterred.

"Just think it over, really think about it. If you miss this opportunity, you won't find another like it! Becoming my Dao companion might not be the greatest fortune in the world, but I guarantee you, you'd never regret it!"

"No need. I have absolutely no interest in Senior Xia in that regard."

Zhang Yiyi's voice was calm and unwavering.

"I have other matters to attend to. I must take my leave."

"Ah, why are you so stubborn and cold-hearted? Fine, fine!"

Xia Luo sighed dramatically, then quickly pivoted.

"If you're not interested in me as a Dao companion, how about just being friends?"

Having failed in one attempt, he immediately moved on to the next best option.

He didn't care about status or pride, nor did he carry himself with any airs of superiority. He was utterly relaxed, treating the whole situation as if it were just another casual conversation.

Zhang Yiyi had already witnessed his shameless persistence firsthand and realized that simply walking away wasn't going to get rid of him.

"If Senior truly has something to say, then please be direct. Otherwise, I'll be forced to take action."

Without the slightest hesitation, she summoned her sword.

"I may not be able to defeat Senior, but escaping is another matter entirely."

Faced with Zhang Yiyi drawing her sword at the slightest provocation, Xia Luo immediately took a few steps back, widening the distance between them.

Are all young girls these days this fierce? No nonsense, no wasted words—just straight to action!

He had seen her capabilities firsthand. Experienced, decisive, with an impressive ability to challenge opponents above her own cultivation level. Most ordinary Golden Core cultivators wouldn't stand a chance against her.

Of course, there was a vast difference between one Golden Core cultivator and another, but even Xia Luo himself couldn't say with absolute confidence that he would definitely win against this Foundation Establishment girl.

Xia Luo felt a bit embarrassed.

Not only is she strong, but she's also smart. She never believed a single word of his nonsense.

If he kept stalling, she'd probably punch or stab him in the face the next second.

"Alright, alright! Let's just lay everything on the table."

Realizing he couldn't keep dodging, Xia Luo finally dropped the playful facade and spoke sincerely.

"I've been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage for a long time now. Breaking through to Nascent Soul requires the right opportunity.

And coincidentally, I ran into you, Miss Han. My intuition tells me that you might be the key to my breakthrough."

"So... you're planning to follow me too?"

This time, Zhang Yiyi didn't doubt his words.

His cultivation indeed showed signs of a bottleneck, and breaking through to Nascent Soul wasn't an easy feat. If he could find the right catalyst, it would certainly accelerate the process.

As for why he thought she was the key? She didn't care.

The higher one's cultivation, the sharper one's intuition—such instincts often carried deep, mysterious reasoning.

"'Too'?"

Xia Luo repeated the word, then glanced at Lu Qiao.

Ah... so someone else had already beaten him to this approach.

Lu Qiao, feeling his gaze, instinctively wanted to glare back.

But then she remembered how Zhang Yiyi had absolutely no intention of backing her up earlier and immediately averted her gaze, not daring to offend a powerful Golden Core cultivator.

"Miss Han is truly wise and perceptive. Indeed, I wish to accompany you for a while.

If I find my opportunity to break through, I will surely repay you handsomely."

Since he had already laid his intentions bare, Xia Luo naturally had to be polite.

After all, this girl wasn't easy to fool. With a personality like hers, the more straightforward and sincere he was, the better his chances of getting her agreement.

Sure enough, after thinking for only a brief moment, Zhang Yiyi nodded in agreement.

"Alright." She said just as seriously.

"But your payment must come first. What will you offer me?"

One extra person is still just one more person.

Since Lu Qiao was already tagging along, adding one more Xia Luo wouldn't make much difference.

But most importantly—Xia Luo wasn't Lu Qiao.

With his level of strength, if he was truly determined to follow her, she probably wouldn't be able to shake him off anyway.

In that case, she might as well agree outright and openly claim the compensation she deserved.

"..."

Xia Luo's lips twitched.

He hadn't expected this girl to be so blunt—so down-to-earth.

Not even a hint of polite pretense.

Then again, they were complete strangers. It was perfectly reasonable for her to demand payment when he was the one making the request.