Chapter 726 - 657 Ascending the Peak 56
"The residence Master arranged for me is very much to my liking, thank you for your thoughtful effort." Tan Shuangshuang responded with a posture that was respectful yet close.
Ling Wuchen noticed that Tan Shuangshuang was a bit reserved. Although his expression remained serious, his tone was gentle with a hint of reassurance as he said, "You are my direct disciple, and I am like your father. You do not need to be reserved before me, feel free to be at ease."
Tan Shuangshuang could see that Ling Wuchen truly meant this, and she couldn’t help but relax. Previously, she had indeed been somewhat reserved, as suddenly becoming the direct disciple of a stranger created an intimate relationship that naturally made her feel uneasy.
Seeing Tan Shuangshuang relax, Ling Wuchen took out a Jade Scroll and handed it to her, saying, "This is the cultivation technique I practice. Take it and familiarize yourself with it first, then come find me. I will guide you in your cultivation, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me anytime; do not hold back over trivial concerns."
Tan Shuangshuang, a little taken aback, received the Jade Scroll from Ling Wuchen, expressing her gratitude, "Thank you, Master, I will definitely not disappoint your expectations."
To pass down one’s cultivation technique to a direct disciple on the first meeting was rare, showing that Ling Wuchen truly regarded her as his own child. Such deep sentiment and kindness greatly moved Tan Shuangshuang.
Suddenly, Tan Shuangshuang realized that her new Master was exceptionally skilled at winning people over. With just one encounter, he had captured her heart, making her feel intimately close to him.
It was no wonder, being the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, he had a remarkable knack for seeing through and understanding people’s minds, identifying their weak points. He surely saw through her personality, knowing she couldn’t resist such genuine goodwill.
Though Ling Wuchen deliberately tried to draw closer to her, his kindness towards Tan Shuangshuang was genuine. Tan Shuangshuang was not ungrateful, naturally not bothered by Ling Wuchen’s trivial, harmless considerations.
Subsequently, Ling Wuchen asked Tan Shuangshuang some questions about cultivation and gave detailed explanations on the aspects she didn’t understand.
Despite Ling Wuchen’s serious demeanor that made one believe that lectures from him would be strict and fraught with reprimands,
it turned out that when Ling Wuchen taught disciples, he was extremely meticulous. His explanations progressed from simple to complex, making them very understandable. Under his patient guidance, many of Tan Shuangshuang’s confusions and half-understood points in cultivation were resolved, leaving her with a sense of enlightenment.
Originally, while practicing the cultivation technique brought by Thousand Silk Entanglement, she hadn’t encountered any bottlenecks or insurmountable difficulties, thinking she could do well training on her own and that having a Master was not essential.
Only when she indeed had such a meticulous Master did she realize that the cultivation path involved more than just techniques; there were many aspects one needed to understand. The benefits of having a Master for guidance and explanation were too numerous to count.
After a day’s guidance, Tan Shuangshuang felt she had benefited greatly. Leaving with some reluctance, she eagerly anticipated continuing her lessons under Ling Wuchen’s guidance.
Ling Wuchen was indeed an excellent lecturer, making every topic lively without dullness, always keeping Tan Shuangshuang in a pleasant mood. Receiving his instruction was an utter pleasure.
As they parted, Ling Wuchen advised Tan Shuangshuang, "The body cultivation technique you practice is quite good. You should climb the Heaven-Reaching Road often, as it primarily helps cultivate physical strength, and it will benefit you greatly."
Tan Shuangshuang hastily agreed. Even without Ling Wuchen’s advice, she intended to take Fei Hu along for cultivation on Heaven-Reaching Road; the benefits for body refinement there were exceedingly potent. Just one climb, and she felt her physical strength had enhanced significantly.
However, remembering the bone-chilling cold on Heaven-Reaching Road, Tan Shuangshuang decided to find someone to brew some spiritual wine for warmth. Fortunately, she still had plenty of Wine Plum on hand. Although not the best, wine brewed from Wine Plum was recognized as one of the most delicious spiritual wines.
Wuji Sect has Alchemy Peak, where a strand of Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire with spiritual wisdom, tamed by the sect’s founding Master, exists. The disciples of Alchemy Peak use this Spirit Fire to assist in alchemy, not only achieving twice the result with half the effort but also enhancing the quality of the elixirs.
Moreover, spiritual wine can also be quickly brewed by alchemists, boasting an excellent taste that competes with wine traditionally brewed over a long period.
Eager to climb Heaven-Reaching Road, Tan Shuangshuang naturally couldn’t wait to slow-brew wine, hence she planned to seek help at Alchemy Peak for the quick brewing of some spiritual wine.
Alchemy is an expensive craft. To ensure they have enough funds for spiritual medicine, disciples of Alchemy Peak often take on side work, helping others with alchemy for compensation.
Likewise, brewing spiritual wine follows suit; it’s simpler with nearly a 100% success rate, with the only variation being taste quality. Therefore, the reward for brewing wine is much cheaper than for spirit pills.
The payment for alchemy generally involves the seeker providing the spiritual medicine, and if the alchemist ruins the medicine, it’s considered the seeker’s misfortune, and the alchemist bears no responsibility.
Certainly, no alchemist would deliberately ruin pills or feign failure to pocket the medicine, as it would tarnish their reputation. With herbs having no return path, word would spread, and seekers would stop coming to you—resulting in substantial loss.
If the pills are successfully brewed, the alchemist would take half of the pills as substantial compensation, but with spiritual wine, due to the high success rate and simple process, they only take a tenth of the wine as their reward.
Alchemy Peak counts as one of the eighteen sub-peaks of the sect, accessible only to Inner Sect Disciples. Outer Sect Disciples cannot step foot there unless granted a specially issued identity token, allowing entry.
Everyone understood this rule, and to Tan Shuangshuang’s astonishment, upon reaching Alchemy Peak, she unexpectedly encountered a familiar face—Lu Tianyi! Clad in the attire of an Outer Sect Disciple, yet freely traversing Alchemy Peak.
Tan Shuangshuang was deeply surprised to find Lu Tianyi here! In her past life, Lu Tianyi was a loyal follower of Hua Qingcheng, trailing wherever Hua went. He had, indeed, followed Hua Qingcheng into the Outer Sect of Bishui Sect, so why was he in Wuji Sect in this life?
Seeing this familiar face of Lu Tianyi, Tan Shuangshuang couldn’t help but space out, thinking of the Tan Family. Interestingly, Tan Feiyu hadn’t come to participate in the disciple selection of Wuji Sect, which surprised her as well. Previously, Tan Feiyu had confidently vowed to reunite with her in Wuji Sect. She wondered why he hadn’t appeared.
Tan Shuangshuang considered finding time to visit the Tan Family in Qingyun City. If Tan Feiyu had a legitimate reason, so be it, but if he had slacked off and his cultivation was insufficient for the disciple selection, she wondered how she would reprimand him!