This time, the period of reflection was much longer than before.
In fact, during this questioning process, Youshen had skillfully used a measure of hypnotic technique backed by his own formidable mental realm. Of course, he harbored no malicious intent; he simply wanted to help Yan probe his own true heart more deeply and give an honest answer.
Otherwise, how could Yan have genuinely followed Youshen's verbal guidance, stepped into the scenario provided, and thought deeply about it? Under normal circumstances, Yan would have blurted out without a second thought, "I choose Nana."
That response would have had nothing to do with the questions Youshen asked or the scenario he set up—it would have been nothing more than a manifestation of his simpering nature.
Had it not been for the changes over the past two months that had somewhat lowered Yan's simp tier, even Youshen would have had to resort to deep hypnosis to make Yan genuinely ponder the question before answering. But back then, the traces left behind would have been far too obvious.
Youshen didn't mind lending his student a slight helping hand, but never at the cost of bringing trouble upon himself.
After falling silent for a full minute, Yan finally gave a firm reply: "I choose Nana."
Although it was the exact same answer as his full-on simp mode, the underlying meaning was completely different.
Observing the changes in Yan's expression, Youshen wore a faint smile and continued, "Now let's flip the scenario. Hu Liena is still your childhood sweetheart, but her innate talent and that ordinary girl's talent are swapped. What would your answer be?"
Yan's eyes widened, a flash of struggle crossing them.
Nana's talent reduced to match that female classmate...
Guided by Youshen, images quickly surfaced in Yan's mind.
With her talent tier lowered, Hu Liena, aside from being exceptionally pretty, would be nothing more than one of the many ordinary female classmates who looked up to him.
*No, knowing Nana's personality, she'd still go for good-looking guys. Just like the female classmates I've interacted with these past two months—quite a few of them still treat me rather coldly. Therefore...*
They would gradually drift apart.
He would become a core pillar of the next generation cultivated with all of Spirit Hall's resources, a core member of the Spirit Hall team. After winning the championship at the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, he would gradually ascend into the core upper echelons of Spirit Hall.
As for Hu Liena, she wasn't actually passionate about cultivation to begin with. With her aptitude downgraded, cultivation could no longer bring her attention and vanity, so she would gradually lose her motivation to practice. After reaching adulthood, she would rely on her strength as a Spirit Ancestor to become a Yellow-Cloth Deacon, and her future ceiling would at most reach the level of a Black-Cloth Bishop...
Yet, rather than becoming a Black-Cloth Bishop, Hu Liena would much prefer to become the wife of a handsome Black-Cloth Bishop, while she herself lived an easy, leisurely life under her husband's command.
As a Platinum Bishop by then, he could use his power to forcibly snatch Hu Liena away from that Black-Cloth Bishop, but... he wasn't low enough to ignore Hu Liena's own wishes and pull such a despicable stunt.
He... still liked Hu Liena.
It was just that the affection of their childhood would gradually fade with time, and the disparity in their social strata would drive them further and further apart.
"Ugh."
The vision broke, and Yan snapped back to reality.
Yan raised his head, a momentary flash of maturity and gravity unbefitting his age crossing his face. "I suppose... I'd still choose Nana."
Yet Youshen paid no heed to Yan's firmness; he simply shook his head and nodded. "You're only eight years old, where on earth do you get such a profound sense of love? Sure, you like Hu Liena right now, but to be precise, what you like is a female companion you spend every waking moment with, someone who grew on you over time, possesses a pretty face, and fits your aesthetic tastes. As for everything else—personality, ability—while not entirely unimportant, they certainly aren't necessary conditions for you, or at least, not for the you right now."
Yan insisted, "But... that person happens to be Nana, doesn't she?"
At that moment, a confidence and astuteness completely out of character flashed across Yan's face.
Youshen silently massaged his temples, lowered his gaze, and sighed. "In other words, as long as she's pretty, even if she's just an ordinary person, you could probably develop feelings for her through prolonged contact. But Yan, haven't you realized? No, you should have noticed by now: Hu Liena is practically impossible to make you her favorite, whereas with an ordinary girl, or even some female Spirit Masters, making her fall for you would be next to effortless. And finding someone among them with looks comparable to Hu Liena's is actually not difficult at all. Spirit Masters, especially exceptional ones, are rare, but human beings in this world... are as numerous as countless ants."
Unbidden, Yan pictured a girl who looked just as breathtaking as Hu Liena, lacking only cultivation talent, yet instantly falling head over heels for his charm. His breathing immediately grew heavy.
Was Youshen wrong? Did Yan truly care about Hu Liena's personality or her abilities?
It was simply because Hu Liena was pretty, and her talent happened to match his own, so after spending a long time together, he had simply grown to like her.
"If you were to shift your gaze just a little, with the aptitude that destines you to become a powerhouse, would it be difficult to find an exceptional woman you love who also loves you back? At least, it's far simpler than cultivating to become a Title Douluo. Frankly, for you, it's essentially no different from choosing Hu Liena. But if you fixate solely on Hu Liena, the chance of successfully winning her over is practically zero, whereas with someone else, it's basically just a matter of time. Besides, that girl wouldn't have Hu Liena's temper and would be entirely submissive to you. When you come home weighed down by worries, she would dote on you and warm your heart, serving as a safe harbor for your soul."
"Gah! No! Stop talking! Stop talking, teacher! I don't want to hear it!"
Yan covered his ears and dropped to his knees.
He couldn't withstand such temptation! He couldn't lie to himself!
If there were a Nana with a better personality who liked him, he would definitely want her! He would want her without a doubt!
But if that were the case, wouldn't his romance be something utterly and completely superficial?! Wouldn't that make his stubborn persistence look like an absolute, laughable clown show?!
He could have gotten what he wanted by simply taking a detour, yet he had wasted massive amounts of time, endured countless scornful looks, and tossed away his dignity as a man?! Tears streamed down his face!
What on earth had he been fussing over all this time?!
Youshen wore a gentle expression as he used sound transmission to forcibly breach Yan's defenses.
"Yan, you are only eight years old. There is a strong possibility you will become a Title Douluo in the future. Come to think of it, the time you've spent with Hu Liena makes up less than three percent of your life. If you genuinely enjoy the self-inflicted torment of pursuing a girl who is destined never to love you back, then pretend I never said a word.
"But if that's not the case, I believe you will have countless choices in the future, countless alternatives who can step into Hu Liena's shoes as your lifelong companion. Furthermore, given how young you are, your views on romance are entirely subject to change.
"In that case, your current entanglement and the time you're wasting are completely meaningless. Shouldn't what you're actually supposed to be doing right now be studying hard, cultivating diligently, and then—with a far more relaxed and abundant posture—setting out to find the girl of your dreams?"
As Youshen spoke, a golden halo of Buddha-like light seemed to wash over him. Ah, wait—that was just the afterglow of the setting sun.
"Teacher, I have attained enlightenment!"
Yan raised his head, a sharp gleam bursting in his eyes. "Damn it, women only slow down my cultivation speed! From now on, I shall sever all unnecessary distractions! Once I master my divine arts and become invincible, I'll go out and thoroughly conquer the whole damn world!"
"...Uh, Yan, you're taking it a bit to the extreme."