Chapter 124: Refusal

"Hmm! What request?" The Sword Saint looked at Muria with some confusion. This somewhat unusual young Titan seemed to have come specifically to find him, but he couldn't understand what about him could possibly attract a Titan.

"I would like you to teach me swordsmanship," Muria said firmly, finally stating his true purpose for visiting.

"You want me to teach you swordsmanship?" Sword Saint Ryan chuckled, looking at the young Titan with black hair and golden eyes before him. "Young Titan, are you here to mock me?"

"Sword Saint, that was not my intention," Muria replied seriously, noticing the Sword Saint's misunderstanding. "I am genuinely in awe of your swordsmanship and earnestly request that you take me as your disciple."

After speaking, Muria bowed deeply at a forty-five-degree angle in front of the Sword Saint, under the surprised gazes of Hester and the Elven elder.

Seeing Muria's gesture, the Sword Saint's indifferent expression turned to one of surprise; he now believed that the young Titan before him was not jesting but truly wished to become his disciple.

For humanoid beings, this posture was a very respectful form of etiquette. If it were a human, the Sword Saint might still suspect that the person was trying to fool him.

But the one bowing to him was a Titan, a being of the most powerful racial lineage, where deceitful behavior was nonexistent.

Thus, Sword Saint Ryan also straightened his smile, turning serious as he looked at Muria and voiced his doubts: "Why do you want to be my disciple? I am a defeated man."

This was the Sword Saint's greatest confusion. In his battle with Titan Asherborne, the Sword Saint considered himself utterly defeated. His sword was shattered, his robe destroyed, and all his legendary defensive ornaments were ruined—such was the cost of barely surviving the Titan's final blow.

Furthermore, it was his challenger, the legendary Titan Asherborne, who had him sent to the Elven Eternal Tree of Life and paid for his healing, preserving his life.

Such a disgraceful state, he wouldn't be surprised by mockery, but he never dreamed that upon awakening, the first Titan he would meet wanted him as a teacher.

"Sword Saint, in terms of swordsmanship, you were evenly matched with Lord Asherborne. You are not a loser," Muria lifted his head, recounting the discussion between the Titans and Celestial Offspring.

"Look at this." The Sword Saint fiddled with the metal scraps before him and pointed at the nearly shattered deep blue longsword on his knees. "A legendary suit, four legendary defensive ornaments, a legendary war sword, all destroyed. That's the price I paid to survive."

"I am a loser, and that's indisputable," Sword Saint Ryan stated flatly.

"Your swordsmanship is no worse than Lord Asherborne's. It's your origins that held you back, not having a body capable of fighting Titans," Muria argued for the Sword Saint.

"Origins, eh!" Sword Saint Ryan sighed lightly, a response he had heard many times before. Many had said that his origins limited his achievements, yet he still made it to where he was today.

"Young Titan, I never regret my origins, nor do I have any intention of changing. Now and in the future, I will continue to practice as a human, and I will not change," he stated resolutely, his words echoing through the canopy of the Eternal Tree of Life.

"Sword Saint," Muria looked at the black-haired young man who had resumed his original posture in surprise.

"Stand up," the Sword Saint said, reaching out as a silvery white fighting spirit spread to Muria, forcing him to straighten up with an irresistible force.

"Sword Saint, you don't wish to be my swordsmanship teacher? Why?" As the silvery white aura of fighting spirit enveloped him, Muria struggled slightly, finding himself unable to break free, and looked at the Sword Saint with a hint of discontent.

"I am not qualified to be your teacher," the Sword Saint replied with a wry smile, shaking his head.

Countless individuals from human realms had sought him as a teacher, but he had refused them all, regardless of their status, simply because none had caught his eye.

But now was different. The Sword Saint's refusal was not because he looked down on Muria. In fact, Muria, as a noble-blooded Titan, had set aside racial prejudices to humbly seek knowledge, which was commendable.

However, it was awkward for him to accept Muria as a disciple. Just recently, he had been severely beaten by a member of Muria's extended family, and it was someone else who had paid dearly to save his life. Under these circumstances, Sword Saint Ryan truly couldn't face becoming Muria's teacher.

"My swordsmanship is decent, but among your Titan race, any legendary Titan would not be far inferior to me, and you also have access to Erathia's finest swordsmanship traditions," he explained to the disheartened Muria, puzzled. "You really don't need to take me as your teacher."

"It's necessary," Muria thought silently. While the Titans did have the strongest swordsmanship traditions, he found learning slow and couldn't even find other young Titans to exchange ideas with.

The Titans' centuries-old martial arts traditions were vast and varied, and few young Titans chose to pursue swordsmanship, which frustrated Muria.

And whenever he wanted to consult his father, Ansoul, he was absent nine times out of ten. If even his father was so inaccessible, other legendary Titans were even less approachable. Before challenging the Sword Saint, Muria had never met any legendary Titan besides his father.

Thanks to the Sword Saint, Muria had met the second legendary Titan of his people, Asherborne, and now, things were as they stood.

Muria really wanted a teacher to clarify his doubts, help him structure spells, learn formations, and practice martial arts. Each day, he faced numerous uncertainties and misunderstandings, but he could barely find anyone to talk to, so he had to rely on his own thoughts. Seeing Sword Saint Ryan and hearing the evaluations from Titans and Celestial Offspring, Muria conceived the idea of asking him to be his teacher and immediately acted on it.

"Sword Saint, are you truly unable to be my swordsmanship instructor?" As the silvery white fighting spirit dispersed, no longer constraining him, Muria spoke again.

"Being your swordsmanship instructor is out of the question," the Sword Saint shook his head, pausing slightly in his speech. "However, I can still guide your swordsmanship. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask me."

"Really!" Upon hearing the Sword Saint's answer, Muria was overjoyed, finding the outcome far better than he had anticipated.

Prepared to jump time, this narrative is becoming quite tedious. Aim to start the journey around the world before chapter 130.