Chapter 9: The Boring Handsome Old Man (Part 1)

The handsome old man was furious, stomping his feet and cursing, “Can’t you be gentler? Now there’s nothing left to fight! You little brat! I told you to hit her butt, not blow her away!”
Guo Shier smiled bitterly and said, “I just wanted to test her strength. Who knew she couldn’t even block a single strike? And she surrendered so quickly—she was even spitting blood yet still didn’t fight harder. This… well… it’s not like the habits of our Spellcraft Clan…”
Professionals in the Spellcraft Clan would flee if they lost and return to avenge themselves when they gained strength and opportunity. It was rare to encounter someone who surrendered after just a few exchanges, so Guo Shier was also stunned. He was a bit annoyed, mainly because of the old man’s scolding. He scratched his head and stepped forward, saying, “Cerislin, why stop fighting? You still have a chance.”
Cerislin suddenly smiled. She was already beautiful, but her always stern expression made her seem extremely cold. Yet when she smiled, even Guo Shier couldn’t help but shiver. She was truly stunning, not inferior to Qi Wuzhen at all. When she smiled, there was a hint of innocence and cuteness to her, making her look endearing. Her big eyes blinked like those of a deer, and her long eyelashes fluttered up and down, causing almost everyone to feel a flutter in their hearts.
Bolong was completely speechless. He couldn’t help but want to roar, to vent his frustration. He was so aggrieved—such a famous beautiful expert from the Blade Clan was showing coquettish behavior toward her enemy. Then Cerislin said, “There’s no need to fight anymore. I’ve lost… You’re so strong…” As she spoke, she leaned in, her voice becoming extremely sweet, with a hint of coquetry, causing Guo Shier to immediately back away.
“Damn it! Even when women lose, they should do it with dignity!”
Guo Shier stepped back two times and said, “Enough! Stop acting like that.”
Blade Madman’s expression changed completely. He had secretly loved Cerislin for a long time, but she had never paid him any attention. She pursued greater strength, seeking the strongest opponents. Only when Blade Madman’s strength was comparable to hers could they be together, constantly sparring to improve their skills. But over the years, they had become too familiar with each other, and sparring no longer helped them improve. So Cerislin had long wanted to leave and grew increasingly cold toward him.

If it weren’t for this expedition to the Tianluo Ruins, Ceresil had already planned to go on her own adventures. So when Guo Shier finished the fight effortlessly, her thoughts turned to him. Of course, it wasn’t out of love, but rather to gain some benefit from him. Everyone of any race knew that practitioners of the Spellcraft Clan were treasures in themselves—anything they produced could be considered an invaluable gem throughout the Star Worshiping Realm.

Seeing Guo Shier step back, Ceresil’s smile grew even brighter, with a hint of triumph in her eyes. No one knew that it was her beauty that had allowed her to rise from an ordinary person to her current status. She had seen many experts, but few could resist her charm, especially among the Blade Clan—every expert would bow before her and devote themselves wholeheartedly to teaching her.

This tactic had always worked, so how could Ceresil not use it? Thus, she drew closer to Guo Shier. Yet she didn’t realize that with Guo Shier’s three lifetimes of experience, it was extremely difficult to deceive him. Especially after cultivating spells, his soul power had become unparalleled, allowing him to immediately sense Ceresil’s intentions. Just as he was about to speak, the soul of the handsome old man fluctuated, saying, “Don’t reject her. Haha, don’t run away, kid. If she wants to play, just play along. Are you afraid of her?”

Guo Shier found it amusing. His soul fluctuated slightly as he said, “I’m not afraid of her; I’m afraid of trouble. Don’t you know women are troublesome? Where do I find the time to deal with her?”

Ceresil had already approached Guo Shier, looking up at him with admiration and reverence in her eyes, her gaze utterly infatuated. Guo Shier inwardly groaned—this woman was too good at acting. He knew Ceresil must have some request, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He couldn’t help but say, “Since you’ve lost, what do you suggest we do?”

Ceresil said, “I… can I follow you? Brother Shier…”

Guo Shier instinctively replied, “Well… uh…” Before he could say no, the handsome old man started kicking and jumping around on the altar, shouting, “Agree quickly! Don’t refuse!”

Ceresil looked at Guo Shier pitifully, tears glistening in her eyes, as if to say, “If you don’t agree, I’ll cry in front of you.” Guo Shier was overwhelmed—he was under attack from both sides. He could ignore Ceresil, but not the handsome old man.

“Well… okay.”

Not only was Li Ran stunned, but Qi Wu Zhen also couldn’t help but snort. Neither of them expected Guo Shier to agree. The expression of Blade Madman completely changed as he shouted, “Ceresil, what are you doing?”

Ceriselle turned around, the smile gone from her face as she said coldly, “Blade Madman, it’s not your place to worry about what happens to me!” Her ability to change expressions was even faster than flipping through a book.
Blade Madman was furious, but he still had a shred of sanity. He knew he couldn’t defeat Guo Shier during an outburst of anger, and he hadn’t even considered fighting Ceriselle—both of them were equally strong, so fighting would be pointless. He slammed his sword into the ground and said, “Fine, very good!” Then he turned and ran away, furious.
With Blade Madman gone, Ceriselle turned back to Guo Shier, her face once again smiling gently. She stared at him so intently that Guo Shier wondered if there was dirt on his face. He touched it and asked, “Is there something on my face?”
The handsome old man in the altar laughed uncontrollably. That heartless old fellow was simply bored.
Ceriselle smiled shyly and said, “You’re really handsome! So charming…”
Guo Shier’s entire body covered in goosebumps. Even as a Soul Grandmaster, he couldn’t stand such obsequious flattery and couldn’t help but shiver. Now, not only did Li Ran and Qi Wu Zhen feel like laughing, but even Bolong and the Mechanoid tribesmen Tularata and Stan wanted to burst out laughing. Everyone saw Guo Shier’s shiver—how could the once-imposing spellmaster show such timidity? It was beyond everyone’s expectations.
Ceriselle stepped forward, reached out, and grabbed Guo Shier’s hand. He froze for a moment but quickly regained his composure, thinking to himself, “Amazing!” He wasn’t afraid of women—he was afraid of trouble. But when trouble really came, he let go, smiled slightly, and took Ceriselle’s hands in his own, saying cheerfully, “Am I really that handsome? Hehe.” There was a hint of teasing in his voice.
Everyone watched like spectators, curious to see what would happen next. No one paid any attention to Blade Madman’s departure.
A hint of disdain flashed in Ceriselle’s eyes. All men were the same—appearing honorable on the surface but having utterly vile hearts. Who could resist her charm? She was extremely proud. Throughout her life, she had tricked countless men, yet not a single one had ever ended up in her bed—something she took great pride in.
“You’re the most handsome, Brother Shier.”
Guo Shier resisted the urge to punch her—she really treated him like a newbie. He had lived three lifetimes and seen everything; how dare she try to trick him? He smiled and said, “Oh, if I’m that handsome, what are you going to do?”

Cerisine said softly, “May I follow you? Brother Twelve.” She moved closer to Guo Shier, appearing eager to be embraced.
Guo Shier gritted his teeth inwardly, thinking, “Damn it, I’m a man—am I afraid of you?” He quickly wrapped his arms around her tightly. Cerisine was shocked and tried to suppress her unease, whispering, “Brother Twelve, they’re all watching us…”
Bolong’s eyes almost popped out of his head. He couldn’t believe Guo Shier was holding the most famous beauty of the Blade Clan in his arms—it was utterly absurd. But he didn’t dare say anything. After all, Cerisine herself hadn’t objected, so what could a bystander say?
Guo Shier smiled and said, “If they see us, so what? Who dares say anything about us?” Though he appeared confident, he was still uneasy. At this point, he couldn’t afford to lose, no matter what. He had to push forward; showing weakness now would mean disaster. He always preferred to keep control in his own hands.
Cerisine shared the same thought. She absolutely couldn’t back down now—once she did, she might never get another chance. She had made up her mind: as long as she could follow Guo Shier, even if he didn’t teach her, she could still gain other benefits. She had now truly seen the strength of the Spellcrafters. The Spellcrafter she had met before was far inferior to Guo Shier. She never imagined that professionals could be so powerful.
“By the way, Brother Twelve, is it okay if I follow you from now on?”
Since Guo Shier hadn’t given an answer earlier, Cerisine asked again. She needed to be sure so she had a reason to follow him. She didn’t care what others thought.
Qi Wuzhen shook her head. She also saw something suspicious and said calmly, “This girl is clever, but to compete with Twelve? Hehe, she’s a bit too inexperienced.” She knew Guo Shier very well.
Li Ran smiled and said, “Life here… isn’t easy. Hehe, let her be.”
The shameless old man shouted, “Twelve, kiss her! Give her a kiss, hurry up!”
This time, Guo Shier ignored the old man. He had his principles—hugging was fine, but kissing was another matter. He had no intention of finding himself a woman. A Soul Grandmaster generally didn’t get too close to others, because once emotions got involved, things would become complicated. To some extent, a Soul Grandmaster was an immortal being; if they fell in love, they’d be entangled forever. He didn’t want that.