The Saiyan In The Cultivation World.

"Deal," Chin Chong said with a faint smile. I nodded in approval, satisfied with his response, before shifting my attention to Ling Xue.

"I will not be your disciple," Ling Xue declared instantly, baring her teeth at me like a cornered animal.

I sighed dramatically, placing a hand over my heart as if her words had physically wounded me. "Now that breaks my heart," I said, my tone dripping with mock disappointment. "I even went out of my way to learn how to form an Element Body, just so I could impress you."

To emphasize my point, I raised my palm, letting it slowly transform into a tree. The bark-like texture spread over my skin leaves sprouting gently from my fingertips.

"I took it a step further," I continued, ignoring Ling Xue's shocked reaction. "I even learned how to turn myself into a light man, allowing me to move at the speed of light."

"In theory, I could take it even further. Turn myself into a subatomic particle and surpass the speed of light altogether. But that's for later."

Pausing for a moment, I scratched my chin thoughtfully. "I plan to call this the Logia Body. It wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't studied how your body allows you to turn into a tree human… or is it a plant human? Should I call you Green Bull? No, I hate Green Bull…"

I trailed off into a muttered debate with myself, falling deep into thought.

Meanwhile, no one at the table could even begin to process my words. Their focus remained glued to my earlier transformation, stunned by the display. My musings went entirely unheard as their expressions ranged from disbelief to awe.

"Y-you stole my physique," Ling Xue stammered, her tone shaky. She looked at me as though I had taken her life savings, her wide eyes brimming with disbelief.

Her reaction snapped me back to reality.

"Nah," I said casually, waving off her accusation, "I didn't steal anything. I just studied how your physique works, looked into the Dao and found that if someone comprehends the Dao to a high enough level, they can develop a physique that reflects that understanding."

I leaned back, letting her absorb the explanation. "From there, all I had to do was apply what I learned from you and create the Logia Transformation Art. Easy, right?"

Pausing for effect, I grinned. "At one point, I almost turned it into a cultivation art. It would've been hundreds of times easier and way less painful. But honestly?" I shrugged. "I didn't really care to go that route. So I just made the technique instead and, boom, now I'm an elemental human."

"You think you're so smart," Ling Xue said, glaring at me.

I nodded with a bright smile. "Of course. I mean, I created this while in the middle of building my new Dao. I hit a bottleneck that would've taken, what… five minutes to overcome?" I let out a dramatic sigh. "Five minutes was too long, so I took a little break."

I leaned back and shook my head, my tone turning mockingly disappointed. "I was even planning to teach you my way, my disciple. Your physique caught my interest, and I was willing to teach you everything, but alas, I was rejected."

"S-sigh, how unfortunate…" I added, shaking my head again, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"W-wait!" Ling Xue stammered, her tone turning awkward. "Let's not be too quick to jump to conclusions!"

"I just didn't think I was worthy of being the great Prince Zhou Lianchen's disciple," Ling Xue said, her tone taking on an air of righteousness. "I didn't want to bring shame upon such a grand name."

She straightened her posture, her expression turning serious. "But… if I let you take back your offer, wouldn't that imply to the world that you made a mistake? I can't let that happen. How would I ever sleep at night knowing someone out there thinks the prince can't read a person's talent properly?"

Her voice grew more resolute as she pressed her case. "If you think I'm so great and talented, then who am I to argue? Clearly, you must see something in me that I don't see myself."

"…"

I was genuinely left speechless by the sheer level of shamelessness on display.

First, she started with some bootlicking, laying it on thick about my supposed greatness while explaining why she didn't think she deserved to be my disciple.

But that façade didn't even last long. She quickly shifted gears, turning the conversation into self-praise in the most righteous, over-the-top way imaginable.

I blinked at her, my mind racing between amusement and disbelief. Ling Xue had somehow managed to compliment me and herself in one seamless move, all while dodging any responsibility for her initial rejection.

"Sure," I said dismissively, turning my attention away from Ling Xue as though she wasn't important enough to warrant further thought. "Now, Qing Ying, have you made a decision?"

My casual dismissal left Ling Xue flustered, her lips parting slightly as she hesitated. She clearly wanted to ask about the Logia technique I had demonstrated but couldn't find the right words.

"Yes," Qing Ying replied calmly, though her voice carried a hint of curiosity. "But I have one question first… how did you know about my mother?"

"My instincts allow me to be all-knowing, up to a certain limit," I said calmly, stroking the fur of the cat in my arms. "If I have a question I care enough about, my instincts guide me, almost instantly landing on the right answer. The more I think about it, the better the answer becomes."

I glanced at Qing Ying and continued, "Your mother. She's currently 50 million light-years from here, trapped by her clan. Your little brother is in the same galaxy, but unlike her, he has some freedom. Still, he isn't allowed to visit her so easily."

Qing Ying stared at me, her expression a mix of confusion and shock. Clearly, she didn't fully grasp the concept of 50 million light-years or the sheer distance involved.

"One light-year is equal to seven trillion kilometers."

My words landed like a hammer. Qing Ying's face went pale, and her body swayed slightly as the sheer enormity of the distance sank in. The idea of her mother being so far away made her world feel impossibly vast, while she herself felt impossibly small.

For a moment, it looked like she might faint. Fear and helplessness flickered in her eyes, but after a few deep breaths and a visible effort to steady herself, she managed to pull herself back together.

"I accept the deal," she said finally, her voice firm despite the slight tremble. She bowed deeply, her resolve clear in her words. "I will use my two favors. The first is to help me gain the strength I need to save my family and protect them. The second is to continue helping me grow stronger, far beyond that. Only strength can ensure that I can protect what I hold dearest to me."

Her bow deepened, her determination unshakable despite the gravity of her request.

"No need to bow," I said calmly, waving off Qing Ying's gesture. "I've accepted your offer, which means your mother and brother are now under my protection until it's time for you to save them. That means they can't die. Tortured? Sure, imprisoned? Fine. But if their lives are in danger, I shall personally move to save them."

Qing Ying's eyes widened, a flicker of relief mixed with disbelief.

"B-but they're so far," Chin Chong stammered, his shock evident in his voice.

I turned my gaze toward him, my tone unwavering as I replied. "I could teleport into the Immortal Realm right now if I wished. What's a mere 50 million light-years to me?"

His expression faltered, his disbelief giving way to awe.

"You're all looking down on this young master," I continued, my tone sharpening. "If I wish for something to happen, then it shall happen."

Leaning back slightly, Lan Mei appeared silently, her ever-composed demeanor unchanged as she moved to push my wheelchair.

"Now," I said lightly. "I have some ancestors to kill."