Inside the Xiao Family Hall.
Xiao Zhan still stood in a daze, lowering his head to savor every single word Chu Feng had spoken earlier.
If you do not cultivate, seeing me is like a frog at the bottom of a well gazing at the moon in the sky...
If you do cultivate, seeing me is like a mayfly beholding the azure sky...
He abruptly raised his head, shaking it with a complicated sigh as he said:
"A grandmaster in a single day—such talent truly makes one tremble."
Sighs likewise fell from the lips of the Three Elders.
Yet they never expected that the destination they pursued for a lifetime could not even touch the starting point of this person.
Truly, comparing oneself to others infuriates one to death!
Chu Feng still sat in the wooden chair, gently sipping his tea.
He cast his peripheral vision toward these perpetually astonished people, inwardly delighted, yet he could not help but let out a long breath.
Until now, he could finally be completely at ease:
Fortunately, I was sufficiently composed, waiting until Xiao Huohuo broke through to the Spirit Absorption into Body Ninth Spiritual Energies and received the feedback of the system's Qi Refining Fourth Level before stepping out of the forest and coming into this Xiao Family.
If I had been devoid of the strength to truss a chicken, or even if my cultivation had been somewhat inferior, I wouldn't have been able to pull off such a successful act today.
Instead, I might have been treated as a scammer and driven out of the Xiao Family with a stick.
At this thought, he could not help but feel a wave of emotion.
As expected of an immortal cultivation technique, it was simply a cut above martial cultivation.
Qi Refining Fourth Level, placed in his previous life, was nothing more than a minor cannon fodder in any novel's immortal cultivation system.
Yet placed in this martial artist world that was not even high-wuxia, it was a bomb, a nuclear bomb!
A city lord, the three acquired experts of Dongli City, turned pale as ghosts upon seeing him, trembling immensely as they bowed to him in high reverence.
However, it was also true that the strength of the martial artists in this world was mostly not weak, counting as a mid-wuxia world.
If he had been swapped into a low-wuxia world, the lower limit of immortal cultivation would already be the martial Dao ceiling that was difficult for martial artists to reach.
At this moment, seeing that the atmosphere had completely eased up.
Xiao Zhan respectfully came before Chu Feng, his attitude earnest as he apologized once again:
"Previously, we had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai, possessing narrow and short-sighted views as we doubted the senior."
As he spoke, he immediately perked up and said:
"Senior, do not misunderstand. Everything we did previously had a reason."
"Huohuo is far too naive; he has been deceived by others too many times before, to the point that on a few occasions even his trousers were swindled away by people."
"Precisely because of this, I, acting as his dad, could not help but want to test you and thus offended the senior."
As the head of a clan, Xiao Zhan bowed as he apologized, a smile hanging on his face with an extremely earnest attitude.
If the first apology was truly out of fear, then this second one carried the intent to ease and draw closer their relationship.
After all, the saying went that one does not strike a smiling person.
With these two extremely earnest admissions of wrongdoing, even a minor matter could be completely turned over.
At this time, Chu Feng waved his hand, still maintaining an indifferent appearance, his tone growing much more relaxed:
"Mere trivial matters, it is of no consequence."
"After all, you were also doing it for my silly disciple."
Hearing this, the Three Elders completely relaxed.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan, who still kept his head lowered, wore an incomparably excited expression on his face as he rejoiced inwardly:
Today's events are truly the fortune of me, Xiao Zhan!
Not only had he witnessed a master existing only in legends who might have surpassed a grandmaster,
but moreover, his, Xiao Zhan's, child had taken him as a master!
His eyes brimmed with a trace of brilliance as he thought to himself:
With the support of such an expert who could cause the Southern Desolate Realm to tremble by merely stamping his foot, Huohuo might truly stand a chance of winning the Three-Year Pact, allowing my Xiao Family to hold its head high.
After a moment of excitement, Xiao Zhan stood up and said even more solemnly:
"Senior, not only did you take Huohuo as a disciple, but you have also so magnanimously forgiven our offense."
"If there is no token of appreciation for this, and it becomes known to the world, wouldn't people chew the fat behind our backs and say that my Xiao Family does not understand proper etiquette?"
As Xiao Zhan spoke thus, the Three Elders also immediately chimed in with excited expressions:
"The clan leader is right."
"As the number one clan in Dongli City, my Xiao Family represents the dignity of the entire Dongli City."
"This matter must by no means be glossed over like this."
Before Chu Feng could give any response,
the four of them successively arrived before him, offering their gifts one after another.
Xiao Zhan held a piece of jade in his hands, presenting it before Chu Feng as he said:
"Senior, this is superior heavenly jade produced by Tianshan, which is bountiful in jade deposits, and possesses the miraculous effect of nourishing the physique and calming the mind."
"I hope senior will accept it."
The First Elder squeezed past Xiao Zhan, holding a pure white jade bottle in his hands as he likewise presented it before Chu Feng:
"Senior, this is the Tiger Tendon Snake Gallbladder Pill refined by the Dragon Tiger Sect, which has the efficacy of tempering the muscles and bones and nourishing Qi and blood."
"This old man knows senior has no use for it, but senior can keep it to use for your disciple in the future. I also ask senior to acc—"
Before the First Elder could finish speaking, the Second Elder and Third Elder squeezed over together.
Chu Feng swept his gaze over them and chuckled helplessly:
"Since these are all a token of affection from Huohuo's elders, this seat shall accept them."
Saying this, he proceeded to stow all four treasures from before into his sleeves.
Seeing Chu Feng accept the treasures, the four of them all let out long breaths, a trace of joy blossoming on their faces.
Since the senior was willing to accept the thank-you gifts they offered, they had mostly truly forgiven them.
And once the senior forgave them, he was furthermore Xiao Huohuo's master.
With this layer of relationship, their Xiao Family could be considered connected to a super expert at the realm of a grandmaster or above.
This was supreme honor!
Let alone other major clans within Dongli City, even the Imperial Family of the Lihuo Kingdom might not necessarily have such an opportunity, right?
Furthermore, if anything were to happen to the Xiao Family in the future, as Xiao Huohuo's master, how could this senior turn a blind eye, simply considering Xiao Huohuo's sake?
After a spell of reverie, the First Elder collected himself, turned to look at Xiao Huohuo, and asked with some curiosity:
"Right, Huohuo."
"You have taken the senior as your master; what is your strength like now?"
"Is there any hope of defeating that Young Master of the Misty Sect three months from now?"
At these words, Xiao Zhan and the other two also turned to look at Xiao Huohuo, their glistening eyes likewise carrying a hint of expectant expression.
However, amidst the gaze of the four, Xiao Huohuo's expression was somewhat dejected, lowering his head in sorrow:
"Dad, Three Elders."
"Huohuo's talent is far too inferior to master's."
"Under master's guidance, after cultivating for three months, I have only managed to absorb nine spiritual energies into the body."
"Immortal cultivation, immortal cultivation—as it stands, I haven't even crossed the threshold of immortal cultivation."
Seeing Xiao Huohuo's dejected appearance, Xiao Zhan and the other three felt their hearts grow cold, the smiles at the corners of their mouths sinking as well.
Indeed, Xiao Huohuo's talent was somewhat too poor.
Having cultivated for over a decade previously, he was merely a third-rate martial artist.
Even for an expert like the senior, was there any way to help in the span of a mere few months?
Xiao Zhan sighed, looking at Xiao Huohuo.
Absorbing only nine spiritual energies in three months was somewhat...
Abruptly, Xiao Zhan's pupils contracted violently. He immediately reacted, sucking in a sharp breath as he said:
"Absorbed nine spiritual energies?"
"Huohuo, what does this mean?"
"What you call immortal cultivation—what on earth is immortal cultivation?"
Before you continue