Xu Ning quickly brought over another cup of tea and offered it to Miao Yunyi with both hands. Miao Yunyi took it and drank a sip.
"Three toasts! A toast to heaven and earth, a toast to the bond between master and disciple!"
Xu Ning offered the final cup, and Miao Yunyi took it and drank a sip, completing the ritual.
"The ceremony is complete!" Liu Yong announced.
Miao Yunyi nodded slightly, then said, "Xu Ning, today you become my sixth disciple. You are the newest member of our lineage."
"Your eldest senior brother was named Wei Dinghan. He died in the sect war twenty years ago, fighting bravely."
"Your second senior sister, Pu Zhiyun, died during sect training. She was lost in the wilderness."
Then, Miao Yunyi looked at the white-robed man standing below. "He is your third senior brother, Yao Shuyu."
Xu Ning quickly turned around and cupped his hands to the white-robed man. "Sixth disciple Xu Ning greets Third Senior Brother!"
Yao Shuyu cupped his hands and responded lightly, his tone neutral. "Junior Brother."
Then, Miao Yunyi looked at the green-robed woman. "This is your fourth senior sister, Hua Ziyao."
Xu Ning quickly cupped his hands and bowed. "Junior Brother Xu Ning greets Fourth Senior Sister!"
Hua Ziyao nodded in return, her expression warm. "Sixth Junior Brother."
Miao Yunyi continued, "You also have a fifth senior sister named Yin Qingli. She went out for training and didn't have time to return. You'll meet her later."
Hearing this name, Xu Ning couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. It nagged at him.
Miao Yunyi: "Alright, go and settle in. From now on, you'll be in charge of managing my spirit fields. I'm trusting you with them."
Upon hearing this, Yao Shuyu, Hua Ziyao, and Liu Yong all turned to look at Xu Ning in surprise.
To directly manage the peak master's personal spirit fields was unprecedented. It was a position of great responsibility.
After all, as the peak master of Xuanzhi Peak, Miao Yunyi's planting skills were among the best in the entire Tianbao Sect. He was an expert.
The fact that he entrusted the spirit fields to Xu Ning meant that Xu Ning's planting skills had reached a level similar to the peak master's. Otherwise, how could the peak master trust him with such valuable fields? What if something went wrong?
Seeing Yao Shuyu and the others' stunned expressions, Miao Yunyi couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I know what you're thinking. Although your junior brother is only at the second level of Qi Refining, his planting skills are indeed extraordinary. Managing my spirit fields is no problem at all. I've seen it with my own eyes."
Since Miao Yunyi had spoken, they couldn't say anything more and dispersed, still curious about the new junior brother.
Liu Yong then led Xu Ning to the disciples' living area. As they walked, Liu Yong congratulated Xu Ning. "Junior Brother Xu, congratulations on becoming the Peak Master's disciple! To be chosen by the Peak Master as a disciple with only the second level of Qi Refining cultivation is truly unprecedented. It's a great honor."
Xu Ning couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is it true that, apart from those who display exceptional talent from the very beginning of entering the sect, it's almost impossible for others who become menial servants to be accepted as disciples by the Peak Master? Is it that rare?"
Liu Yong replied, "That's right. That's exactly why I said you're unprecedented. It's extremely rare."
"Of course, it's not unheard of for menial servants to be accepted as disciples by the Peak Master, but generally, one must reach the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining and demonstrate unique talent before being chosen by an elder or the Peak Master. You've done it much earlier."
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Xu Ning nodded, indicating he understood the exceptional nature of his situation.
After chatting for a while, Liu Yong led Xu Ning to the disciples' living area. It was a quiet, secluded place.
There were only five thatched huts here, two of which were empty. Liu Yong let Xu Ning choose one at random.
After Xu Ning made his choice, Liu Yong then took him to familiarize himself with the Peak Master's spirit fields. These were important.
The Peak Master had ten mid-grade spirit fields, all of which would now be managed by Xu Ning. It was a significant responsibility.
"I must say, the Peak Master is truly remarkable! The spiritual herbs in these fields are growing exceptionally well," Xu Ning couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the healthy plants.
Liu Yong dared not discuss the Peak Master as casually as Xu Ning did. He quickly bid farewell to Xu Ning and left.
Xu Ning didn't linger in the spirit fields either. He turned back to his new thatched hut to settle in.
"Hello, Thatched Hut!" Xu Ning greeted the hut as soon as he entered, establishing a connection.
"Hello, Xu Ning!" The hut responded softly, its voice friendly.
Xu Ning asked, "Who lived here before? Tell me about them."
The hut replied, "The Peak Master's eldest disciple lived here for many years. He hasn't returned for a very, very long time. I wonder if I'll live to see him return. I miss him."
Xu Ning's expression turned complicated upon hearing this. He didn't hide anything. "The eldest disciple has died in battle. I'm sorry to tell you."
After saying this, the hut didn't respond, seemingly falling into a sad silence, mourning its former resident.
Xu Ning sighed, then took out all his items and arranged them in the new space. He then spoke to the thatched hut, "Could you tell me his story? I'd like to know about my senior brother."
After a long silence, the thatched hut slowly spoke, its voice tinged with nostalgia. "He was once a prodigy of your Tianbao Sect. Upon entering the sect, he was found to have a superior-grade fire spirit root. Everyone thought he was destined for greatness."
"He didn't choose a combat-focused mountain. Instead, he chose Xuanzhi Peak, focused on cultivation and planting. He loved the quiet life."
In short, the eldest senior brother's life was one of crushing everyone along the way. He was a true genius.
Xu Ning then asked about the other senior brothers and sisters.
Third Senior Brother Yao Shuyu had a superior-grade gold spirit root and was currently at the tenth level of Qi Refining. He was skilled in combat.
Fourth Senior Sister Hua Ziyao had a superior-grade wood spirit root and was also at the tenth level of Qi Refining. She was gentle.
Fifth Senior Sister Yin Qingli had a top-grade water spirit root and was currently at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. She was the strongest.
After asking some general questions, Xu Ning took out his own low-grade spirit-level thatched hut and merged it into this one, integrating them.
This was the first time Xu Ning had merged his special hut since arriving at the Tianbao Sect. He had been cautious.
Before, he felt he wouldn't stay long and was afraid of being discovered by others. He had hidden it.
Now it was different. With the protection of his new master, he would definitely be living here for a long time. He could be more open.
There weren't many people around, and the thatched hut itself was difficult to conceal among others, making it hard to spot anything unusual.
Moreover, with the hut's added benefits, Xu Ning's cultivation speed could be significantly increased. It was a major advantage.
Afterward, Xu Ning took out all his upgraded items and said, "Let's start the meeting!"
"Today's meeting is about how you all can explain the benefits of upgrading yourselves. I need to prioritize."
After setting aside spirit stones for cultivation resources, Xu Ning planned to use the extra stones to upgrade items. He had to choose wisely.
The manure bucket spoke first. "Upgrading me will allow me to ferment better fertilizer and cultivate top-grade spirit-level herbs more efficiently. I'm essential for your garden."
The armor said, "Upgrading me will better protect you. Reaching mid-grade spirit level, no weapon of the same level can hurt you. You'll be safe."
The axe boasted, "Upgrading me to a Chaos Treasure will allow me to create heaven and earth! I'll be unstoppable."
Xu Ning glared at it. "I'm asking you, can you upgrade yourself? Answer the question!"
The axe immediately complained, "Upgrade me! I want to be stronger!"
Xu Ning said, "How about I feed you this world? Would that be enough?"
The axe said, "Not that I couldn't handle it. I'm powerful."
Xu Ning ignored its boasting and looked at the iron pot. "What will you be used for after upgrading? Give me specifics."
The iron pot said, "There are many benefits! You can use me to make food with special effects that boost cultivation. You can also use me to refine pills, increasing the success rate of pill formation. I'm versatile."
The thatched hut added, "Upgrading me can speed up my cultivation, increase my lifespan, increase my defense, and increase the storage space I can have after shrinking. I'm your base."
The hoe said, "After I upgrade to the highest grade, I can upgrade the spirit fields I've cultivated for so long. I can improve them."
Xu Ning was speechless. "Then you're the most useless! Can't I just upgrade the spiritual fields directly without you?"
The hoe was stunned for a moment, then quickly defended itself. "I can also be used for combat! It's also less strenuous to till the land with me. I have many uses."
Xu Ning asked, "At what level can you move on your own? When can you work independently?"
The hoe said, "At the Legendary Spirit level, I can move on my own, but I need to replenish energy. I can do basic tasks."
Xu Ning sighed. "Then you really are completely useless right now. By the way, at what level can everyone hide themselves so that other cultivators can't see through you? That's important."