Accepting Disciples

[Spirit Energy Value: 581]

Standing atop a misty mountain peak, Chen Mobai looked at the Spirit Vein level displayed on his phone screen and nodded slightly.

Although Little South Mountain is considered to be on the verge of falling from the Third Grade Mid-rank, it actually still has a lot of room for improvement. In addition to the main peak where he is located, there are five other slightly lower peaks nearby.

Standing on the mountaintop, looking down.

A winding path stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way here. It seemed that no one had come to clean or maintain it for a long time, and the mountain was full of boulders with slightly rounded edges, eroded by rainwater.

There were vigorous Crimson Sun Tree growing among the rocks, and occasionally some weeds growing haphazardly in the cracks. Chen Mobai also saw two bright red flowers.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a kind of medicinal herb called Golden Lantern Flower, which can replenish vital energy and treat snake and insect bites after consumption.

"Uncle-Master Chen."

At that moment, two people came walking along the path at the foot of the mountain.

The man and woman were Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming, who had joined the Divine Wood Sect from South Stream Market in Yun Country with Chen Mobai.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work."

Liu Wenbai not only came alone, but also brought a lot of mortals with him. These were the people Chen Mobai hired to reclaim the Sixty Mu Spirit Field near Little South Mountain.

"Uncle-Master Chen, the Jade Sprout Spirit Rice on Little Sun Ridge will not be ready for harvest for a while. I have already instructed Junior Brother Wang Junior Brother Feng to keep a close eye on rainfall and pest control. I will also go over to check on it from time to time."

As Zhuo Ming spoke, her little face was filled with excitement as she looked at Little South Mountain.

Although the mountain wasn't high, the rich spiritual energy was something she could truly feel, and she increasingly felt that siding with Chen Mobai was the best decision she had ever made in her life.

If I had known this back in South Stream Market, I should have bowed down and paid my respects. Maybe I would be Direct Disciple by now.

"Uncle-Master Chen, you have just Foundation Establishment. Little South Mountain is a vast and sparsely populated place, and we need a disciple who can handle miscellaneous tasks. I wonder if I am fortunate enough to become your disciple."

Zhuo Ming was shy and was still figuring out how to bring up the matter, while Liu Wenbai, who was experienced in many things, shamelessly asked to become his apprentice.

"This..."

This was the first time Chen Mobai had encountered such a situation, and he was caught off guard.

He himself is still a student and hasn't graduated yet, so I feel he's not capable enough to take on apprentices.

However, he remembered that the relationship between the master and disciple in the Sky River Realm was different from that of the Immortal Sect. Here, the master-disciple relationship was based more on reliance than on inheritance.

Moreover, Liu Wenbai's words Possessing the Dao. It would indeed be difficult for him to manage the cultivation of these Sixty Mu Spirit Field by himself in the future. He would definitely need to train some capable disciples.

But compared to Liu Wenbai, he felt that Zhuo Ming was more suitable.

After all, she came to Little Sun Ridge after the last Sect Grand Competition, Chen Mobai had already trained her in professional knowledge. After six months of practice, she basically knew the planting process of Jade Sprout Spirit Rice like the back of her hand.

But since Zhuo Ming herself didn't take the initiative to speak up, Chen Mobai felt embarrassed to accept her as a disciple.

"Since you are currently working under Senior Brother E Yun, if I were to take you as my disciple, I would need to ask him first."

"This is actually what Uncle-Master E Yun meant. He said that a genius like you, Master, should focus on cultivation, and the rest of the miscellaneous tasks can be taken care of by your disciple."

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenbai knew that Chen Mobai had agreed, and his face lit up with joy as he bowed deeply.

"Uncle Chen, why don't you take me in as well?"

Seeing this, Zhuo Ming blushed with anxiety. If she had known it would be this easy, she should have become an apprentice immediately after the Sect Grand Competition six months ago.

"Alright, taking one or two is the same. You two can be considered as Unregistered Disciple for now. When I come out of the Divine Tree Secret Realm, the Jade Sprout Spirit Wine I brewed last year will be ready to be opened. I will invite Senior Brother Qi and other friends over then, and you can formally become my disciples."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mobai readily agreed.

"Greetings, Master!"

Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming immediately bowed, thus establishing the master-disciple relationship among the three.

"Consider these two Crimson Flame Sword Talisman as a small gift."

Chen Mobai took out two Talisman he had drawn, and his two apprentices accepted them happily without hesitation.

He was also thinking about what kind of Apprenticeship Ceremony he should prepare when he formally became an apprentice.

"Let me talk about the confusion you have in your cultivation. Although I haven't been cultivating for as long as you, I have been ahead of you and have some unique understanding of the Longevity Sutra."

That's just being modest.

Among all cultivators in the entire Divine Wood Sect, he was the one who had the deepest understanding of the Longevity Sutra.

After all, with the help of the puppet deduction and the effects of the Spirit Opening Enlightenment Pill, his understanding of this technique in the Qi Refining stage was almost comparable to that of the sage who created it.

"Yes, Master."

Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming spoke at the same time, then looked at each other and realized that they hadn't decided who was older or younger.

"Wen Bai, you go first. From now on, you'll be the senior brother."

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Ming's face flushed with regret, realizing that she had missed her chance to become the senior sister.

"Master, I cultivate the Longevity Sutra and the Crimson Flame Sword Art at the same time. The former has long Qi Cultivation Level 8, but the latter is stuck at the Qi Cultivation Level 6. It is precisely because of this that I have been unable to complete the Two-Phase Rotation."

The ultimate move of the Two Aspects Technique can only be used after each person Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer.

If the Longevity Sutra and the Crimson Flame Sword Art are both at the Qi Cultivation Level 8, then using the Two-Phase Rotation technique can grant one the power of the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer in a short period of time.

Of course, this technique can only improve one's cultivation level slightly; it cannot break through the bottleneck between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.

"Infuse me with a wisp of your spiritual power."

Although Liu Wenbai didn't understand why, he obediently did as he was told.

Chen Mobai raised the Spirit Measuring Instrument he had been covering with his palm and examined his disciple's Spiritual Root.

Liu Wenbai: [Metal 13, Wood 27, Water 28, Fire 22, Earth 10]

"How old are you this year?"

"I'll be thirty at the end of the year."

Liu Wenbai answered truthfully that at his age, being able to cultivate the Longevity Sutra to the Qi Cultivation Level 8, especially while simultaneously using the Two Aspects Technique, was already quite remarkable.

"It's not too late to switch cultivation methods. You're not suited to the Crimson Flame Sword Art, but you can use the Two Aspects Technique to combine the Water-Wood Qi Refining methods. However, this is ultimately a matter of your life, so you'll have to make the decision yourself."

After saying this, Chen Mobai asked Liu Wenbai some questions about cultivating the Longevity Sutra.

It was discovered that although he had Qi Cultivation Level 8 Refining in this technique, he had basically relied on Spirit Stone and pills to force his way up, and his understanding of the essence of the technique was limited to a few spells suitable for Spell Duel.

Chen Mobai had Liu Wenbai circulate his spiritual energy again. Although he did not use the Formless Puppet to deduce it, based on his experience and insight, he still pointed out more than a dozen areas for improvement when Liu circulated his energy.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Following Chen Mobai's instructions, Liu Wenbai reactivated his Longevity Spiritual Power and discovered that his speed and efficiency in refining spiritual energy had increased by half. He was greatly shocked and sincerely bowed deeply to his newly acquainted teacher.

In the Sky River Realm, the transmission of knowledge and experience is highly valued. Only those Legacy Disciple or blood relatives will teach them so unreservedly.

Chen Mobai's actions made his two disciples feel that he was truly treating them as his successors, not just as two laborers.

"Well, you can temporarily stop cultivating the Crimson Flame Sword Art and raise the Longevity Sutra to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer. That way, you can try to compete for the position of true disciple."

E Yun and Yuan Chiye had originally intended to groom Liu Wenbai as a true successor to their faction. After all, Chen Mobai, the originally designated leader, had only served as the True Disciple Chief for half a year before successfully Foundation Establishment —it was simply too fast.

If Yuan Chiye also successfully Foundation Establishment, then their faction will only have one other true disciple from the Spirit Beast Department, which is a bit too few people.

"Teacher, what about me? My aptitude is average. I have no intention of cultivating the Two Aspects Technique. I only hope to obtain a Foundation Establishment in my lifetime."

After Zhuo Ming transferred the spiritual energy, she noticed that Chen Mobai was looking at her with a solemn expression, raising his palm. She thought that the spiritual energy she had cultivated was too weak, which made the teacher very dissatisfied.

"When you had your spirit tested in the market, you seemed to have Triple Spirit Root, right?"

Chen Mobai suddenly asked a question.

"That's right, I remember it very clearly, it was blue, black and yellow."

Zhuo Ming will never forget the scene of measuring her Spiritual Root in South Stream Market.

Although she wasn't as talented as the teacher in front of her, who was almost a top-tier dual- Spiritual Root, her ordinary Triple Spirit Root was already very satisfying for this Rogue Cultivator.

After listening, Chen Mobai looked at the results displayed on the palm-based Spirit Measuring Instrument with a strange expression.

Zhuo Ming: [Metal 3, Wood 20, Water 21, Fire 9, Earth 47]

The attribute points for this Earth Spiritual Root take up nearly half of the screen.

To avoid any measurement error, he had Zhuo Ming transfer a stream of spiritual energy to him.

However, the result was exactly the same, and perhaps the emotions were a little volatile, with a little less Gold Attribute and a little more Fire Attribute.

But Earth 47 remains completely unchanged.

This child is born to farm.

Have you ever considered switching to Earth Attribute cultivation techniques?

"Ah?"

Zhuo Ming had been cultivating the "Hundred Herbs Sutra" passed down by her father since she was a child. After entering the sect, she also switched to cultivating the Longevity Sutra of the same attribute. She felt that she was suited to the Wood Attribute cultivation method.

However, Chen Mobai now says that she is suited to Earth Attribute cultivation techniques.

This was something she found hard to accept at first.

"With Triple Spirit Root, your aptitude is already above average, yet you've been stuck at the Qi Cultivation Level 6 for four years. I think your physique isn't suited to the Longevity Sutra."

Chen Mobai was simply telling the truth. As for whether Zhuo Ming, as her disciple, was willing to give up the Wood Attribute cultivation technique she had practiced for nearly twenty years, that was up to her to decide.

Like Liu Wenbai, he also gave Zhuo Ming some pointers on the Longevity Sutra and found that although her cultivation level was low, her foundation was very solid.

After running through the entire cycle, Chen Mobai could only find five or six problems, but even so, it made Zhuo Ming's Longevity Spiritual Power flow more smoothly, and even the bottleneck of the Qi Cultivation Level 6, which had originally been stuck and could not be broken through, showed signs of loosening.

But this only made Zhuo Ming more conflicted.

After Chen Mobai's guidance, she felt that she could break through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer Refining in another year or two of cultivation.

If I switch to cultivating Earth Attribute techniques, since it's not the same type of spiritual power, I don't know how many years it will take.

"Teacher, I..."

"I'm just offering a suggestion, just like Wen Bai. After all, this concerns your entire life, and you need to make the decision yourself."

After instructing his two disciples, Chen Mobai looked at the sun, which had been rising, and saw that it was now high in the sky, noon.

He also planned to study the Longevity Sutra and Crimson Flame Sword Art of the Foundation Establishment Chapter himself, and waved his hand to dismiss the two disciples who were deep in thought.

"This disciple takes his leave."

The two immediately turned around and prepared to leave.

"Etc."

But at this moment, Chen Mobai suddenly remembered something and called out to his two disciples.

"Master, what are your orders?"

"I need to wait within the sect for the Divine Tree Secret Realm to open. I happen to have two things to do, so please help me with them."

"Yes."

Liu Wenbai and Zhuo Ming exchanged a glance and nodded in unison, seemingly quite happy.

When there is trouble, the disciples will do the work.

In the Sky River Realm, the privilege of having your teacher assign you tasks is reserved for your closest disciples.

"Before I joined the sect, I had a Water Mansion in the Yun Country where I planted some Spirit Plant that are about to ripen. Could you help me harvest them?"

Chen Mobai took out a piece of white paper and drew a simple map.

In any case, he had already taken away the most valuable High-grade Spirit Stone in the Water Mansion, and he had also raised the Green Wutong Sapling seedling on the Chicheng Mountain.

The remaining Jade Bamboo was originally intended for sustainable development, but now that Chen Mobai's cultivation level has increased, he feels it's not worth the effort to keep thinking about it, so he might as well just harvest it directly.

"Wen Bai, I remember you're from the Spirit Beast Department, right? I need some Second Grade Mystic Spirit Rabbit fur to make Talisman Brush. Go and find out how many Spirit Stone are needed or which elder you should speak to. Let me know when you have any news."

After giving his instructions on the two matters, Chen Mobai finally had some peace and quiet.

He activated a Wood House Talisman on the summit of Little South Mountain, then entered and sat on a futon to read the follow-up chapters of the Longevity Sutra he had just obtained from the Scripture Pavilion.

There are four floors in total, starting from the eleventh floor and ending at the fourteenth floor.

They represent the early, middle, late, and perfect Foundation Establishment, respectively.

This final fourteenth level, besides the completion of Foundation Establishment, also contains the cultivation method from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation. Theoretically, the Longevity Sutra in Chen Mobai's possession is enough for him to use the Two Aspects Technique to Core Formation.

According to E Yun, this cultivation technique has twenty levels and can be cultivated up to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

However, even the most powerful cultivator in the Divine Wood Sect, Old Ancestor Zhou, had only reached the seventeenth level.

After reconciling with the Five Elements Sect, this patriarch has been in seclusion, attempting to break through to the eighteenth level, achieve the Golden Core Perfection, and then try to Nascent Formation.

Since he was already Foundation Establishment Elder, Chen Mobai's Longevity Sutra also had corresponding cultivation techniques.

What he was most interested in was naturally the "Heavenly Wood Divine Light Array," which was said to Domain Expansion.

However, to cultivate this Array Formation, one needs a "tree seed".

This tree species was refined from a spirit tree. The most complete system in the Divine Wood Sect is the first-tier Crimson Sun Spirit Tree, the Second Grade Azure Sun Spirit Tree, and the Third Grade Golden Sun Spirit Tree.

As for the Fourth Grade spirit trees, there are only Three Divine Trees in the entire Giant Wood Ridge, which even the two Golden Core Ancestors could not refine.