In the silent, tranquil forest, not a sound stirred.
Only the tall, slender trees swayed their branches and leaves in the wind, rustling softly.
Hesitating in place for quite some time, Chu Feng heard the commotion, turned his head to look, and froze for a moment before a trace of joy surfaced on his face.
He saw a youth wearing a Gold Thread Crown, a Dark Green Wide-sleeved Robe, and Black Cloud Pattern Shoes kneeling before him.
The youth had delicate features, with a hint of sickly pallor visible across his face—he ought to have been naturally frail—yet judging by his attire and grooming, he looked much like a wealthy and noble young master.
Gazing at this youth, Chu Feng's tense expression relaxed completely.
His pupils brimmed with a kind of joy, trembling even with excitement!
This was a person!
This was a living person!
Chu Feng felt a little like crying.
Having transmigrated here for a full month, he had also been separated from human society for a full month.
The youth before his eyes was the only living person he had encountered in his entire month of transmigrating!
It was just like someone dying of thirst in the desert for seven days who finally laid eyes upon an oasis.
How could he not rejoice!
However, a trace of a bizarre expression hung upon Chu Feng's face.
Why did this youngster drop to his knees and offer apprenticeship without a word?
Could it really be that he looked like some sort of Hermit Expert?
Chu Feng speechlessly looked himself up and down, his bewilderment deepening even further.
Was there some mistake?
He was merely an ordinary person destined to die a lonely death in the deep mountains and old forests, knowing nothing and possessing nothing.
Having transmigrated into this wondrous and bizarre world, he had been the one wanting to take a master and learn martial arts!
At the moment when a thousand thoughts intersected in Chu Feng's mind, suddenly, an abrupt and cold electronic chime shattered his thoughts.
[Ding, detected someone offering apprenticeship, congratulations to the host for activating the system]
[Ding, the Tenfold Return System is at your service]
Chu Feng stared wide-eyed as he looked around.
That electronic chime seemed to ring directly beside his ear, while the youth on the ground remained tightly prostrated, completely unresponsive to it.
He immediately realized that the voice originated from within his mind!
Unable to suppress a burst of wild elation in his heart, the corners of Chu Feng's mouth curled upward as he secretly rejoiced to himself:
Good heavens, after waiting for so long, my system has finally arrived!
A month, a full month!
With not a single stir for an entire month, he had even thought there wouldn't be a system.
Just as he was thinking this, with a snap before Chu Feng's eyes, a brilliant azure light screen illuminated.
At the top of the light screen, the characters slowly grew clear.
[Tenfold Return System: When the host imparts cultivation methods to others, the system will automatically track and record it. Upon the day of their mastery, the host will be able to obtain results tenfold that of the cultivator]
[Note: Thereafter, if the person who was taught the cultivation method makes progress, the host will also obtain tenfold that progress, though it requires the disciple receiving the teachings to possess immensely grand destiny]
Sweeping his gaze over the characters on the light screen, Chu Feng's eyes blazed with light.
Goodness gracious.
With a tenfold return, if he could teach a few more disciples, wouldn't he be able to become invincible across the realm?
Moreover, by acquiring the subsequent tenfold progress of his disciples, wouldn't he be able to transform into a martial arts bigshot simply by lying down?
Before him, Xiao Huohuo was still prostrated and kneeling, tense and motionless.
Yet Chu Feng paid him no mind; suppressing his excitement, he calmed his state of mind, gazed once more at the blue light screen, and thought inwardly:
Now it should be time for that, right?
It ought to be the time for the newcomer starter pack that systems always give to appear!
As long as the system casually handed over some top-tier cultivation method or the like, he would then turn around and teach it to his disciple.
The moment his disciple learned it, wouldn't he be able to let out a woohoo and take flight right on the spot?
By then, becoming a top-tier powerhouse of the world, marrying a Peerless Female Emperor, and reaching the pinnacle of life would be just around the corner!
However, as time dragged on, the joy on Chu Feng's face slowly grew stiff until it vanished altogether.
Half the time it took to burn half a stick of incense passed, yet the blue light screen still showed not the slightest change.
Having stared with eager anticipation for half a stick of incense, he was dumbfounded.
No, wait, what about this newcomer package?
Why did this lousy system not have a newcomer package?
Without a newcomer package, he didn't know a single thing right now—what was he supposed to use to teach someone else?
One had to know that cultivation methods in this world were exceedingly rare treasures.
According to historical records, every household, every clan, and every sect regarded cultivation methods as their lifelines, absolutely never imparting them outwardly!
They weren't things one could acquire casually at all.
As for those circulating in the marketplace, most of them were also thoroughly rotten, street-trash cultivation methods.
Aside from disciples who fundamentally couldn't afford to study martial arts, absolutely no one would even bother to look at them!
Naturally, such items possessed no allure whatsoever, let alone being suitable to take and teach to a disciple.
Who would be willing to learn them?
As an ordinary person himself, where was he supposed to go looking for cultivation methods? What was he supposed to use to trade for a cultivation method?
Having swung from such high joy to such deep dismay, Chu Feng finally stood frozen in place like a wooden chicken.
Yet he failed to notice that the youth before him stole a peek at him.
Half the time of burning half a stick of incense had passed.
Xiao Huohuo stole a glance at Chu Feng, then immediately retracted his gaze, furrowing his brow as he pondered inwardly:
Could the expert be dissatisfied with me?
Having prostrated himself for so long, this Hermit Expert remained with that original, calm demeanor akin to a wooden sculpture.
He neither accepted nor rejected, simply standing quietly.
This instead made Xiao Huohuo apprehensive.
His head, pressed against the ground, trembled wildly as he considered every possibility:
He hasn't rejected me, yet he hasn't spoken out to drive me away either.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped wide open:
Could it be that I failed to do something right and offended the expert?
Or perhaps the expert feels my aptitude is too poor and is currently hesitating whether or not to take me as a disciple?
Or else, just as the storybooks say, the expert is testing my strength of character?
Thinking of the words "storybook" in his heart, Xiao Huohuo's body shuddered, all his trains of thought cut short.
He suddenly recalled what the storybook he had discarded earlier had written.
He couldn't help but deal a heavy slap to his own forehead, lowering his head in self-reproach as he thought:
Xiao Huohuo, oh, Xiao Huohuo, why are you so foolish!
Doesn't every book say that seeking apprenticeship requires expressing one's sincerity and offering a ceremony of apprenticeship?
The storybooks also say that the more profound an expert's cultivation, the more they value such propriety.
The expert must be waiting for my ceremony of apprenticeship!
It was also my presumption.
How could a matter as important as studying under a master lack this kind of propriety?
If I don't take the initiative, could I possibly expect the expert to speak of it himself?
Having figured this much out, Xiao Huohuo hurriedly tilted his body halfway, his hands feeling about his person.
His cuffs, his overlapping collar, his waist—he groped frantically all over his entire body.
Every single good treasure he possessed on his person was fished out one by one.
Placing these items upon the palm of his hand, Xiao Huohuo clenched his teeth, presented them before Chu Feng, and bowed apprehensively:
"Master, please accept this disciple."
"This disciple knows these mortal objects cannot catch your discerning eyes, Master."
"Yet these are also this disciple's token of sincerity; I earnestly hope the Master will accept them."
Catching sight of the youth's sudden action, Chu Feng also directed his gaze toward the youth's palms.
There he saw, resting upon the youth's hands, a seven-inch-long blood ginseng and a single medicinal pill, gleaming with a faint luster beneath the mottled light filtering through the tree leaves.
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