Li Yingling's icy words matched her merciless demeanor.

Li Xingtian silently turned to look at Li Yingling. If her plate didn't have a half-eaten rabbit head on it, he might have felt utterly ashamed.

But...

Nevertheless, Li Xingtian explained, "It's not that I don't appreciate the offer; it's just that I have many things to do and can't stay in the sect for long.

Otherwise, I would have agreed to the senior's offer long ago. I understand that the senior doesn't see anything special in me but just wants to save my life by taking me as a disciple."

Hearing Li Xingtian's sincere explanation, Chu Xingchen nodded in agreement.

"Ordinary sects do like to bind their disciples."

Halfway through, Chu Xingchen changed his tone and said, "But our Heavenly Dao Alliance is different. As long as your heart is with the sect, you can go anywhere in the world."

Upon hearing this, Li Xingtian looked at the delicious rabbit in front of him and didn't hesitate to pick up his chopsticks.

He understood the senior's underlying message. Becoming a disciple it is, then.

Repaying kindness is one of Li Xingtian's principles. Perhaps becoming a disciple is the true opportunity after his rebirth?

If it turns out to be a lousy sect, he could always find another chance to escape.

As he took a bite, he was amazed.

The moment the rabbit entered his mouth, Li Xingtian truly felt it was the best rabbit he had ever eaten.

Li Xingtian felt as if he had sold himself for a rabbit.

Li Xingtian smiled and praised, "Master, I must say, your cooking skills are excellent."

[Disciple Accepted]

[Second Disciple: Li Xingtian]

[Issuing Cultivation Technique: Primal Demon Bone Body Refining Manual]

[Please use in conjunction with the Heavenly Demonic Physique]

[Task One Completed: Reward - Spirit Gathering Formation]

[All rewards have been placed in the System Inventory]

Seeing the system's summary page, Chu Xingchen nodded in satisfaction.

"If you like it, eat more."

Li Xingtian replied respectfully, "Yes, Master."

Li Yingling watched as Li Xingtian began to show humility and coughed lightly, sitting up straight, offering encouragement:"As the second disciple of the master, you must work hard."

Seeing Li Yingling's posture, Li Xingtian understood her intentions and quickly cupped his hands:"Of course, I won't disappoint you, Senior Sister."

Li Yingling showed a satisfied expression.

The new junior brother seems to be quite sensible; I'll look after him in the future.

After all, he almost lost his life just being out for a day. He must not be too bright.

I wonder what the master saw in him, but then again, maybe the sect is just really short on people.

However, as a first-time senior sister, and the eldest one at that, Li Yingling felt quite excited.

She looked at the master with anticipation, thinking he should be smiling now, right?

But contrary to her expectations, the master had a slightly troubled look on his face...

What's going on?

Li Yingling wasn't the only one who noticed this; Li Xingtian did too.

Li Yingling cautiously called out, "Master?"

Hearing the call, Chu Xingchen closed the system interface in front of him and looked at Li Yingling:"What's the matter?"

"Master, are you alright?"

"What could be wrong with me?"

"Well, you didn't seem very happy just now..."

Hearing this, Chu Xingchen realized his expression had been noticed and quickly said:"Oh... I was just studying your junior brother's cultivation technique."

Li Xingtian quickly said, "Master, no need, I have my own cultivation technique."

Chu Xingchen didn't say much, just extracted the Primal Demon Bone Body Refining Manual from the system.

A book with a blood-red cover appeared in Chu Xingchen's hand, and he handed it directly to Li Xingtian, reassuring him:"No worries, take a look at this technique first. If you find it unsuitable, you can continue with your own."

Hearing it wasn't mandatory, Li Xingtian felt relieved and reached out to take the book, which emitted a faint blood aura.

After handing the book to Li Xingtian, Chu Xingchen silently got up and lay back down on his wooden bed.

The two disciples exchanged a curious glance at their master, then silently looked at each other.

Li Xingtian raised an eyebrow, signaling with his eyes.

What's up with Master?

Li Yingling understood the look but just smiled slightly and continued gnawing on the rabbit head.

If I knew what was wrong with Master, I wouldn't have asked about his expression.

This second junior brother... not too bright.

Li Xingtian was a bit puzzled but said nothing, lowering his head to look at the dark red book in his hands.

The cover's lettering was bold and carried a hint of murderous aura.

Curiously touching the cover, he found it was just ordinary paper.

Is it a copy? But how could a copy have such a bloody scent?

Without thinking too much, Li Xingtian opened the first page.

His heart trembled as he quickly scanned through, then turned to the second page.

The more he read, the more shocked he became.

Li Yingling saw his surprised expression and comforted him with a knowing look:

"Junior Brother, it's normal for cultivation techniques to have many revisions, and for the writing to be a bit unclear. Just practice boldly."

Li Xingtian silently glanced at Li Yingling, then turned to look at Chu Xingchen lying on the wooden bed.

He whispered incredulously, "Senior Sister... are we in an evil sect?"

Frowning, Li Yingling retorted, "Evil sect? What nonsense are you talking about? We practice righteous inner cultivation methods, not evil ones."

Li Xingtian silently handed the Primal Demon Bone Body Refining Manual to Li Yingling.

Taking the cultivation technique, Li Yingling curiously opened the first page.

The writing was clear, with powerful strokes, clearly the work of a calligraphy master, and extremely neat.

What's wrong with this book? Just from a glance, it's better than mine, isn't it?

With this doubt, Li Yingling read on, and soon she was equally shocked.

After flipping through a few pages, she quickly returned the book to Li Xingtian.

Damn! Which cultivation technique is this bloody?

"Senior Sister!"

"Cough, cough, Your's Senior Sister is tired, going to sleep now. Find a place to rest yourself."

Li Yingling didn't even finish her rabbit head, quickly moving to her bed, pushing aside the wooden board blocking her view, and covering it again after entering.

Chu Xingchen, being a Golden Core cultivator, naturally heard their conversation: "That book isn't an evil cultivation technique."

Li Xingtian looked down again at the book's content—during the Foundation Establishment stage, one must first kill a thousand blood offerings, disassemble the bodies, and refine the bones.

"Master... isn't your definition of evil cultivation a bit too lenient?"

"Blood offerings don't necessarily mean humans. We can just find a few unawakened demon beasts in the Ten-Li Slope forest to make up the numbers."

Hearing this, Li Xingtian looked again at the book in his hands. If what the master said was correct, and this substitution was possible...

This technique's power and effect were far superior to the one he practiced in his previous life.

Moreover, it was perfectly suited to his Heavenly Demonic Physique after merging with the millennia-old Bone Jade.

Li Xingtian wasn't one to dwell on things. Since he had to use blood offerings during the Qi Refining stage anyway...

He decided to try cultivating this technique after refining the millennia-old Bone Jade. If it didn't feel right... he'd just stop.

Li Xingtian's worries dissipated.

But Chu Xingchen's didn't; there was a reason for his earlier troubled expression.

Because the system's reward, the Spirit Gathering Formation, was just a blueprint...

It wasn't something that could be placed anywhere after extraction, without consuming materials or requiring manual effort.

Nor was it the kind that would rise from the ground fully constructed.

The Spirit Gathering Formation was simply a blueprint!

Not only did he have to prepare the materials and spirit stones himself, but he also had to build it himself.

The blueprint's purpose was merely to carefully instruct him on how to construct it.

Isn't this a rip-off?!

Where would he find the money or spirit stones to build this thing?!

And what if the True Martial Hall is also just a blueprint, requiring self-construction?

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Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan