An Unexpected Windfall Too?

News of the return of the Grand Elder of the Vast Heaven Sect with Chu Xinghe spread far and wide.

The disciples of the Spirit Crane Palace immediately paid their respects to the Grand Elder, and then naturally went to find Chu Xinghe.

"Junior Brother Xinghe is so awesome! The Evil Repeller Pill fills the gap in the world's cure for evil fire!"

Congratulations, Senior Brother Xinghe, on producing another divine pill!

"Junior Brother Xinghe is already the most famous alchemist in the world, and he hasn't even reached the Sixth Rank Junior Brother Xinghe. If he were to reach the peak in the future, it would be unimaginable..."

Many of his fellow disciples came to congratulate him, and Chu Xinghe chatted with them all with a smile.

Unfortunately, I can't bring gifts for everyone this time.

It's not that we don't have them, it's just that we can't deliver them...

How do I deliver the things the Zhao Lineage gave me?

Senior brother... keep this deer antler grass... its medicinal effects are very potent.

Junior brother... this Jueyin root is perfect for treating all sorts of indescribable problems, you're the most suitable candidate!

So?

Chu Xinghe wondered if he would be subjected to the excruciating torture of being sliced to death by his fellow disciples.

After chatting with his fellow disciples for a while, Chu Xinghe headed to the Haotian Palace. Now, if any of the guards at the Haotian Palace Haotian Palace even glanced at his Haotian Token, he would consider himself to have lost.

When others enter Haotian Palace, they undergo various checks and receive numerous notifications, and even then, it depends on whether the sect leader wants to see them.

As for Chu Xinghe, his senior brothers didn't even bother to report to him. Unless the sect leader went into seclusion, there was absolutely no way they would refuse to see Chu Xinghe.

Having found the sect leader in the Haotian Grand Hall, Chu Xinghe came specifically to pay his respects.

"Xinghe, you performed exceptionally well at the Zhao Lineage this time. Although I don't understand the art of alchemy, after this incident, I feel that what the Grand Elder said before was right. You have Medicine Saint Inheritance, and you are bound to reach the pinnacle in the art of alchemy. But remember, although the path of medicine is important, your own cultivation must never fall behind."

"Your disciple will remember this."

"Alright, the New Year is approaching, you should get some rest. In the next few days, people from all sides of the Vast Heaven Sect will be returning to the sect to report on the year's situation. You can listen in on them then."

"Huh?" Chu Xinghe was stunned.

I just came to pay my respects, how did I get into trouble?

"What? Others might want to hear this but don't even have the right to. You'll need to be familiar with these things later, so listening and observing more now won't hurt."

"Your disciple obeys."

"Also, after the New Year holidays, the sect will be preparing to select the next batch of new disciples. I will discuss this matter with the elders, and I plan to have you oversee the selection of the second-level disciples."

Upon hearing the sect leader's words, Chu Xinghe's eyes suddenly lit up!

What?! There's an unexpected bonus?

The dejection I felt while listening to the report vanished in an instant.

Sect Master, you really understand me!

To destroy a sect, what could be more reliable than starting with the selection of disciples?

The rise and fall of a sect is like a tall building, and its lineage is like the roots of that building.

No matter how prestigious a sect is, if it recruits only useless disciples for years on end, how can it be considered strong?

To make me participate in the second round of disciple selection? Wouldn't I be ready to take off on the spot?!

The Vast Heaven Sect selects disciples in three tiers. The first tier is a nationwide open selection.

The various factions scattered throughout the Vast Heaven Sect will continuously discover geniuses from all corners of the land, and then send them to Haotian City to begin the second round of selection.

After passing through the second round of selection in Haotian City, one will enter Vast Heaven Sect, where the elders of the eighteen palaces will select suitable disciples to enter their respective palaces.

He was about to be entrusted with the second round of selection? Chu Xinghe was moved to tears.

If I were to operate it myself, wouldn't all sorts of monsters and demons run rampant?

What? You're a genius? You have exceptional talent?

Sorry, you're not suited for the Vast Heaven Sect. Please go to Martial Emperor City and begin your path to revenge.

What? You 'Taixing? That's great!

Welcome to the Vast Heaven Sect! Our Vast Heaven Sect is dedicated to creating a "loser-to-hero" system. As long as you are good enough to be considered a loser, you are sure to achieve great things after joining our Vast Heaven Sect!

I'm asking myself, how could I possibly lose this time?

No matter how powerful and wealthy the Vast Heaven Sect is, if its disciples are incompetent, they should ask how to turn the tide!

Martial Emperor City, it was my mistake, Chu Xinghe, to accidentally kill Zheng Yu and his group last time. Don't worry, if you come again this year, I will definitely not let you down!

As long as I, Chu Xinghe, am still alive, Martial Emperor City will never be able to take a single defeat from my Vast Heaven Sect!

Recruiting disciples is tantamount to severing the sect's lineage at its very root. Chu Xinghe's eyes welled up with tears.

With the sect leader's help, how can I worry about the sect not being destroyed!

Gu Mingchao was startled when he saw Chu Xinghe's red-rimmed eyes.

Good boy!

If other disciples heard that the sect had entrusted them with such an important task, they would surely be extremely excited, but Xinghe looked grateful. He is indeed a good child who knows how to be grateful.

"Xinghe, don't worry. Although you've only been a disciple for a year, it's a bit too hasty to let you handle the second level of the selection. However, with your abilities, I believe no one in the sect will object. As always, follow your own ideas, and the sect will never interfere with them."

What an amazing sect leader!

Chu Xinghe immediately bowed down!

Even as Chu Xinghe left the Haotian Grand Hall, his Chu Xinghe were still filled with tears.

Recruiting disciples is entirely within my authority!

Chu Xinghe only wanted to say one thing: please rest assured, sect. Starting with this batch of disciples, my Vast Heaven Sect will definitely set a precedent for the "useless" disciple style in the Blazing Sun Continent!

When it comes to useless people, our Vast Heaven Sect is unparalleled in the world.

Afterwards, Chu Xinghe visited the other seventeen palaces and paid his respects to the elders of each palace, which drew praise from the elders.

The disciples of each palace warmly welcomed Senior Brother Xinghe's arrival.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, I will vote for you this year!"

"Go, Senior Brother Xinghe! I want to see you achieve the highest number of votes in the sect's history this year!"

"Junior Brother Xinghe, I've prepared your vote in advance for this year's election!"

The vote that the group of fellow disciples were talking about was something that had started many years ago within the Vast Heaven Sect.

I don't know exactly which year it started, but the new batch of disciples would privately vote to select the most outstanding disciple, the most popular disciple, and the most disliked disciple of that batch.

It was originally just a private vote among the disciples, but when the sect found out, they didn't stop it. Instead, they announced that this tradition would be preserved.

Every year during festivals, the disciples within the sect hold a voting event to select disciples that are liked and disliked by everyone.

With the New Year approaching, even the disciples of the various palaces have begun discussing this year's vote.

This year's most popular disciple?

The most outstanding new disciple of this year?

When it comes to these matters, no one thinks there could be a second candidate besides Chu Xinghe. Right now, everyone is only concerned with how many votes Chu Xinghe can get this time.

Can we break the record for the sect's annual festival vote?

After visiting all the palaces, Chu Xinghe finally arrived at the fully completed Artifact Refining Palace. Although the Artifact Refining Palace was small, its luxurious construction was in no way inferior to that of the Medicine King Palace.

Chu Xinghe always felt very at ease whenever he came here.

Look, the Ouyang Lineage, the lucky ones, are the only True Gods in my Chu Xinghe!

Ever since the Ouyang Lineage joined the Vast Heaven Sect, the Misfortune Compass has been continuously providing him with small amounts of Spirit Power, and now he is almost at the Fifth Rank.

Although there are fewer of them, their strength lies in their stability.

The Ouyang Lineage is truly as stable as an old dog!

Head straight to the kitchen of the Artifact Refining Palace. The kitchen is the second most luxurious building in the Artifact Refining Palace. The Artifact Refining Palace has the fewest people but the most chefs, which is something the Ouyang Lineage can't match.

Sure enough, as soon as Chu Xinghe entered the kitchen, he saw a disheveled Ouyang Ming battling with braised pork.

Upon asking, Chu Xinghe was overjoyed.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, I accidentally caused another explosion in the furnace. I've disappointed you. Since entering the Artifact Refining Palace, I've consumed countless resources from the sect, yet I haven't even managed to forge a single decent spiritual weapon..."

Ouyang Ming looked regretful, while Chu Xinghe looked overjoyed.

"Junior brother, the path of weapon forging is incredibly difficult, how could it possibly be smooth sailing? Junior brother, you don't need to regret it, on the contrary, you must work even harder. The sect's resources will definitely be plentiful. And you must remember, you must never slack off in the slightest. If it doesn't work the first time, we'll try ten times; if it doesn't work the ten times, we'll try a hundred times!"

After Chu Xinghe finished speaking, Ouyang Ming burst into tears.

It has to be Senior Brother Xinghe!

I've been struggling to keep up these past few days because I haven't been making any progress, but after listening to what Senior Brother Xinghe said, I've regained the motivation to continue expending sect resources... no... to continue trying to explore the Cloud-Piercing Hammer Technique.

The Artifact Refining Palace truly lives up to its name; good news keeps coming one after another.

While Ouyang Ming was steadily producing explosive output, Ouyang Ling wasn't idle either.

After such a long period of intense exploration, Ouyang Ling has made remarkable progress in the field of Sacred Heart Spirit Imbuing.

Previously, her success rate was about one percent, but now it has increased to one two hundred percent!

Listen to that! What a wonderful junior sister she is!

While others improve when they have resources, Junior Sister Ouyang is galloping backwards when she has them.

Junior sister, I have high hopes for you. One out of two hundred pieces isn't your highest level. If you could forget about the Sacred Heart Spirit Imbuing, your senior brother would be laughing so hard he'd wet his pants in his dreams.

The rest of the Ouyang Lineage were equally steady; in terms of consistent damage output, no one in the Ouyang Lineage could match them.

With the Ouyang Lineage, what great things can't we accomplish?

Overjoyed, Chu Xinghe arranged for a few more cooks to be found for the Ouyang Lineage to add to the festivities!

They left the Artifact Refining Palace with great satisfaction. The New Year was approaching, and the disciples of each palace began to prepare for the festival.

Bright red lanterns were hung high, and all the palaces began to be decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

Not only were the various palaces busy, but people from the Vast Heaven Sect scattered throughout the land also returned to the Vast Heaven Sect as the New Year approached, preparing to report on the various events of the past year.

Chu Xinghe hadn't yet recovered from the pleasure brought by the Ouyang Lineage when he was slapped awake.

"Senior Brother Xinghe! It's me Tieniu, here to see you!"

Unlucky!

Hearing that voice made Chu Xinghe feel unlucky.

"Senior Brother Xinghe, I, Tieniu, have missed you so much!" Wang Tieniu, dressed in the core disciple's robes, ran to Chu Xinghe's Chu Xinghe and gave him a big bear hug.

Wang Tieniu, who came from a mining background, can be said to have created a miracle. In just a few months, he rose from a bad-luck mining disciple to a core disciple of the Vast Heaven Sect.

This news gave countless miner disciples of the Vast Heaven Sect boundless hope.

See? Senior Brother Xinghe didn't lie to us. As long as we work hard enough, we have a chance to reach the top.

However, Wang Tieniu's appearance was never a good thing. Soon, Tieniu brought Chu Xinghe the devastating news of a brand new version...