Nothing Valuable

"To upgrade the current feature requires 100 experience points. After the upgrade, daily experience will increase from 15 points to 30 points..."

A hundred points wasn't very much.

"Upgrade."

Lu Changzhi chose to upgrade it at once.

After a crisp chime, the feature leveled up.

"The next upgrade requires 500 experience points?"

The experience required actually increased with each upgrade.

After making a quick estimate, he upgraded the feature again.

"I've spent 600 experience points in total, and now I can get 45 points a day. That's 1,350 experience points in a month."

"I have 850 left now, so I only need to earn another 1,300 experience points."

The next system upgrade would cost 1,000 experience points, which he couldn't afford for the time being.

Once he was done, Lu Changzhi took another look at his information.

[Name]: Lu Changzhi

[Realm]: Dao Platform Realm Ninth Level (can be raised)

[Aptitude]: Peak Spirit Rank (2/3)

[Constitution]: Mortal body

[Talents]: Master Not Inferior to Disciple, Conceal Essence and Return Breath, Erudite, Aptitude of a Great Emperor

[System features]: Cracked Version of the Sign-In System, Premium Version of the Idle Cultivation System (3)

[Shop level]: Level one

There was much more than before.

"What does 'can be raised' mean?"

Lu Changzhi asked aloud.

"Master's strength is related to the disciples you accept. The more disciples you accept, the stronger you will become. Master has just accepted disciples and must take the initiative to raise your strength."

"So it isn't based solely on my strongest disciple's realm?"

Lu Changzhi was a little surprised.

Raise it.

Lu Changzhi said the word silently.

Whoosh.

A warm current suddenly surged from his limbs and bones.

The world around him seemed as though primordial chaos had just parted. In Lu Changzhi's eyes, it now held a distinct and unique Dao resonance.

In an instant, countless insights welled up in his heart.

About life, and about death.

The cycle of life and death, the growth of all things.

It was a wondrous feeling.

It was as though he stood apart from the world, sensing the way heaven and earth operated.

At the same time, specks of light appeared in the void around Lu Changzhi, encircling him like mist.

The Life and Death Realm was an extremely important realm for cultivators.

After breaking through to the Life and Death Realm, a cultivator's lifespan would be extended.

The name of the Life and Death Realm meant that cultivators were no longer bound by the life and death of mortals.

Of course, this increase in lifespan was limited as well.

But to mortals, it was already far beyond reach.

As the feeling slowly faded,

Lu Changzhi slowly opened his eyes.

His realm had now reached the Life and Death Realm Third Level.

He had broken through to the Life and Death Realm in half a shichen and gone straight to the third level.

If word got out, who knew what a sensation it would cause?

Lu Changzhi stood up and walked outside.

"Master, there's no need for a welcome gift. With my aptitude, I basically won't have much use for anything, so don't waste it on me."

Seeing that Lu Changzhi wanted to give him something, Mu Fan immediately refused.

What a joke. He hadn't come here to cultivate.

"Welcome gifts are a rule of the Five Symbols Sect. Now that I've accepted you as a disciple, how could I not give you one?" Lu Changzhi said with a smile.

"It's nothing valuable. Just take it."

Mu Fan thought for a moment, then accepted the storage ring.

He sent his spiritual sense inside.

The next moment,

Mu Fan's expression froze, then turned strange.

"Mas-"

Before he could speak, Lu Changzhi had already left.

Mu Fan took a long look at the storage ring in his hand, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"And these things in here count as nothing valuable?"

"Did I underestimate the wealth of the six great powers? Isn't this a little too generous?"

"Although I also get some rewards from idling, they haven't reached this level yet... Looking at it this way, taking him as my master doesn't seem like a loss."

A smile appeared on Mu Fan's lips.

A day later, the flying boat returned to Hidden Origin Peak.

"Ah, Master, you're finally back!"

From a distance, they could already hear Luo Ling'er's excited voice.

Lu Changzhi smiled, stepped forward, and rubbed the little girl's head.

"Did anything happen while I was away?"

"Mhm!"

Luo Ling'er nodded repeatedly. "Of course!"

"While you were away, Master, the little chick grew a whole lot! He can even get bigger and smaller now. When he gets big, he's almost taller than Ling'er."

"Oh?"

Lu Changzhi's expression changed, and he looked at Xiao Ming, who was resting to the side.

He couldn't see much change in his size, but his presence was much stronger than when they had left.

"Huh? Who are they?"

Luo Ling'er noticed Jin Fugui and Mu Fan behind him.

"Master."

Gu Chen had sensed them as well and came over at that moment.

"You're just in time."

Lu Changzhi nodded.

"I can introduce you all."

"These two came back with me from my trip."

Lu Changzhi looked at Gu Chen and gestured toward Mu Fan.

"His name is Mu Fan, and he's also a true disciple."

"This is Gu Chen, your eldest senior brother. The little girl beside him is Luo Ling'er, my nominal disciple, so you should be her second senior brother."

Lu Changzhi spoke to Mu Fan.

When it came to introducing Jin Fugui, Lu Changzhi thought for a moment before speaking.

"Fugui, I'm sorry to trouble you, but I'll have to ask you to look after some of the affairs on Hidden Origin Peak from now on."

"You're too polite, Senior," Jin Fugui hurriedly replied.

He had long known he wasn't here to become a disciple.

But to be able to stay in an environment like this was something he wouldn't even have dared to dream of before.

"All right, you can get to know one another first."

With that, Lu Changzhi rose and left.

"Senior Brother Gu."

Mu Fan hurried forward and asked,

"What do we do on Hidden Origin Peak every day?"

Gu Chen thought for a moment.

"Cultivate."

"And besides cultivating?" Mu Fan asked again.

Gu Chen thought for a moment.

"Drink tea."

"Drink tea?" Mu Fan was taken aback.

"Hasn't Master had tea with you?" Gu Chen asked in return.

Mu Fan shook his head. "I came here right after becoming his disciple."

"No wonder." Gu Chen nodded.

"You'll find out later."

Mu Fan was about to ask something else when Gu Chen suddenly said,

"I can tell you're quite strong too. How about a spar?"

Ever since joining Hidden Origin Peak, he hadn't sparred with anyone for quite some time.

More importantly, he couldn't tell what realm Mu Fan was at.

But since Master had brought him back, he surely couldn't be ordinary.

"A spar?" Mu Fan shook his head repeatedly when he heard that.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you're so strong. Let's forget about sparring."

"I don't have any talent for cultivation. Master just brought me here to make up the numbers."

Although he had idled for so many years, cultivated so many things, and made some achievements,

it still wasn't time to reveal himself. He would pretend to be a greenhorn and lie low for now, then talk once he was strong enough.

Besides, showing off was practically asking to be given work.

He'd be better off being a second junior brother who mooched around and waited to die.

"It's fine. I can restrict myself to the same realm as you," Gu Chen said again.

"No, no." Mu Fan shook his head repeatedly. "Eldest Senior Brother, let's talk about something else."

"All right."

Gu Chen nodded and glanced at Xiao Ming, who was sleeping soundly in the courtyard. An idea came to him.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to Master's pet."

The two walked toward Xiao Ming.

As Mu Fan listened to Gu Chen's voice transmission, his expression grew a little strange.

"Eldest Senior Brother, you're saying Master's pet is called Brother Chicken?"