Luo Yan, the Junior Brother of the Heavenly Crafts Workshop

When Shi Liuli pulled Luo Yan in front of Elder Shi Ding and excitedly finished explaining the situation, Elder Shi Ding couldn't help but show a face full of question marks.

To investigate a spy, and you bring back a disciple?

Back when Shi Liuli went to investigate him, Elder Shi Ding had also watched his entrance exam recording and hadn't found anything wrong.

Or, to be more precise, how could a spy who should be keeping a low profile be foolish enough to get a perfect score on the entrance exam?

Besides, if his comprehension and talent were truly as exaggerated as Liuli claimed, then coming here as a spy would be a massive waste of talent.

Wouldn't it be better to nurture him within the sect? Whether it was the methods of alchemy, the essentials of Treasure Casting, or formations that required an "ocean" of calculations, all required extremely high comprehension to master.

Without enough comprehension, the speed of learning... was truly touching!

Thinking of this, Elder Shi Ding calmly said:

"Your name is Luo Yan, correct?"

"Greetings, Elder." Luo Yan quickly bowed.

"Where are you from?" Elder Shi Ding asked.

"This junior comes from Lin'an County in Yangzhou," Luo Yan replied respectfully. "My parents passed away, and I am alone. In my early years, I substituted for a teacher in a private school, grading papers."

[Hypocritical Persona, Synchronization Value +1.]

"Hmm," Elder Shi Ding said noncommittally. "And your birth date and time?"

Luo Yan:?

Do I need to calculate birth dates for apprenticeship?

As he was momentarily stunned, Shi Liuli beside him called out, both embarrassed and annoyed:

"Father! Why are you calculating my junior brother's birth date and time?!"

"Father, this is actually..." Elder Shi Ding finally realized that his question had been ambiguous.

He wanted Luo Yan's birth date and time simply to use the Grand Unity Divine Calculation to verify the truthfulness of Luo Yan's background.

But to his daughter, it sounded like he was calculating their compatibility for marriage...

Of course, Elder Shi Ding couldn't explain to his daughter in front of Luo Yan, "I'm not calculating your marriage, I'm verifying his claims," so he could only shamelessly lie:

"Your father just wanted to calculate if he is suitable to be accepted as a disciple..."

"Then why didn't you calculate it when Senior Brother and Senior Sister joined?" Shi Liuli asked, flushed with shame and anger.

"That's because..." Elder Shi Ding couldn't keep up the pretense and waved his hand forcefully, changing the subject. "Forget it, Luo Yan, let me tell you."

"My title is Shi Ding. I entered the Dao through Treasure Casting in my early years and have now mastered all kinds of Artifact Refining methods, inheriting the 'Tiangong Workshop'."

"In Penglai's Yuqing Temple, while I wouldn't dare claim to be the best in Artifact Refining, I can say I am second to none."

"I saw your entrance exam. Your talent in comprehension is exceptional, making you suitable to inherit my Dao lineage."

"Therefore, I ask you here, are you willing to become my disciple and learn the methods of Artifact Refining?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan immediately became solemn and respectfully prostrated himself:

"This disciple is willing to learn."

[Hypocritical Persona, Synchronization Value +1.]

"Good," Elder Shi Ding said, stroking his beard and smiling.

Although Luo Yan's decision to take him as a disciple was swift, he had already thought everything through in an instant.

A cauldron is a tool for suppressing formations, and "entering the Dao" is a very rigorous term.

Using a real-world analogy, it's like being the top tier among academicians.

The fact that True Person Shi Ding claimed to have "entered the Dao through Treasure Casting" indicated his extremely high attainments in formations.

Then, "mastered all kinds of Artifact Refining methods" is a very weighty short sentence.

Artifact Refining involves many disciplines: cauldrons, mirrors, seals, pots, swords, zithers, bells. Who would dare claim to have mastered them all? This is why cultivators who practice the Dao of Artifact Refining are the fewest, leading to consistently high prices for magical artifacts.

Among these, "Sword Casting" deserves special mention: Flying Swords are the fastest and most lethal, and can also seal Daoist Magic within them. They are essentially the "firearms" of the cultivation world, which is why no sect or school doesn't use Flying Swords.

Currently, in the cultivation world, "Penglai alone accounts for six out of ten" in the casting of magic swords. In later generations, this would be almost a monopoly, implying immense wealth behind it, which needs no further explanation.

In summary, by clinging to Elder Shi Ding's coattails, he would never lack Flying Swords, magical artifacts, or spirit stones in the future!

As for Shi Liuli, she was just an ignorant Eldest Young Lady.

If his master didn't want him involved with her, he promised he wouldn't even glance at her!

Seeing Luo Yan choose to become a disciple without hesitation, Elder Shi Ding was very satisfied.

Due to the disguise of the Hypocritical Persona and the mental suggestion of Mirror Flower Water Moon, Elder Shi Ding's first impression of Luo Yan was excellent:

High comprehension, honest character, who wouldn't love such a disciple?

Shi Liuli pouted at the side, feeling a little unhappy.

In her imagination, her father was supposed to look down on Luo Yan, and then she would strongly recommend him, forcing her father to reluctantly accept Luo Yan as a disciple.

Then Luo Yan would be eternally grateful and loyal to her, his Senior Sister.

Then, Father finally discovered Luo Yan's high comprehension, looked at him with new eyes, and repeatedly praised his own discernment...

This is how it should have developed! Why isn't it following my script?

However, with the arrival of Junior Brother, she was no longer the youngest in terms of seniority.

So, she excitedly took on the role of Senior Sister and said to Luo Yan:

"Since you've also joined my father's tutelage, I'll take you around to get familiar with the environment and meet the other Senior Brothers and Sisters~"

Elder Shi Ding watched his daughter lead Luo Yan out and couldn't help but smile.

Putting aside romantic matters for now, his daughter had been doted on and cherished by her Senior Brothers and Sisters since childhood, which had cultivated her innocent and lively personality.

If this little Junior Brother Luo Yan could make her feel like a responsible Senior Sister, it would definitely be a good thing.

As for whether his daughter would fall for him later, that would be a matter for the younger generation.

Shi Liuli then led Luo Yan around the Heavenly Works Workshop.

She also visited the residences of his Senior Brothers and Sisters.

Senior Brother Linghu Chu, a Golden Core True Person, primarily cultivated the Way of the Sword and also had considerable attainments in the Penglai Sword Control Art.

However, he seemed to be addicted to alcohol. As Shi Liuli led Luo Yan into the main hall, they saw him leaning against a grand armchair, dead drunk and snoring loudly.

Shi Liuli wrinkled her nose in disgust, introduced him briefly, and then pulled Luo Yan away, as if afraid he would catch the drinking habit.

Second Senior Sister Lei Caiyan, also a Golden Core True Person, specialized in crafting zithers and had a high talent for music and divination, though she was a bit slow in thought and speech.

To welcome the new Junior Brother, Senior Sister Lei directly gifted him a "Phoenix Tail Zither," made entirely from thousand-year-old phoenix-tail pine wood, with its wood grain meticulously channeled by true essence. It was an extremely well-made zither-type magical artifact.

Qiu Changtian himself was proficient in music, having put particular effort into the xiao and dizi. He planned that when he encountered a grand occasion in the future and needed to make an appearance, he could "arrive before his presence is felt, with the sound of the xiao preceding him," and "appear in a flowing white robe."

However, he was not skilled at playing the zither, so Luo Yan planned to give this Phoenix Tail Zither to Qiu Changtian and then present it to Junior Sister for her to play with.

Third Senior Sister Liang Ruohua, still a Golden Core True Person, specialized in crafting mirrors and seals, and had extensive experience in sealing techniques.

Shi Liuli's commonly used magical artifact, the Heaven-Turning Seal, was forged by her in imitation of the Post-celestial Spirit Treasure Heaven-Turning Seal. It was estimated to possess thirty percent of the original treasure's power.

Thirty percent of a Post-celestial Spirit Treasure's power was already outrageous! It could bend a Tenth-Order Immortal Sword, though it was weaker than "Eleventh-Order Immortal Swords" like the Taiyi Splitting Light Sword.

Shi Liuli pleaded and begged, and on Luo Yan's behalf, she managed to obtain a "Life-Connecting Mirror" from Liang Ruohua. It was said that carrying it by one's side could withstand one fatal attack at a critical moment.

Luo Yan was overwhelmed with gratitude and repeatedly thanked her.

Fourth Senior Brother Shi Wenshi, an Abode Transformation Stage cultivator, specialized in crafting pots and bells, and his family's inherited spatial Dao techniques were extremely profound.

It was said that nearly eighty percent of the storage bags, item bags, and Qiankun bags on the market originated from the Guangling Shi family behind Fourth Senior Brother.

However, this family had never produced a Nascent Soul Cultivator throughout the generations, so they were very low-key, considered "hidden tycoons" in the cultivation world.

As a welcome gift, Shi Wenshi gave Luo Yan a "Hundred Treasures Bag." Its internal space was immense, capable of fitting even a large sea vessel, which greatly surprised Luo Yan, who quickly thanked him.

It had to be said that the cultivators of Penglai Yuqing Temple, due to their obsession with concurrently cultivating various arts, had the lowest number of Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators among the three orthodox sects. No wonder the Kunlun Ziwei Sect Master called them "fools."

However, Luo Yan discovered that in Elder Shi Ding's Heavenly Works Workshop, everyone not only knew each other well but also had such good relationships that they could casually gift each other magical artifacts.

They were practically like family, which made Luo Yan feel very warm.

In contrast, on Kunlun's side, although the Ziwei Sect Master had many direct disciples, his Senior Brothers and Sisters could barely exchange a word outside of attending scripture lectures together in the Scripture Hall.

The warmth of human relationships was starkly different.