178: Shu Shichan was accepted as an apprentice.

Before long, a series of somewhat hurried footsteps were heard, and Shu Shichan was seen running in, holding her skirt in a slightly disheveled manner.

Her face was still stained with a bit of dust, her hair was somewhat messy, and her body faintly emitted the bitter scent of medicinal herbs; it was obvious she had just been tinkering with herbs in the pharmacy or the courtyard.

As soon as she entered the door, Shu Shichan looked at Shu Qingfeng and said with a hint of surprise in her tone, "Father, I didn't expect you to change your mind so quickly? I thought you would hesitate for at least three to five days before deciding to let me apprentice to Senior Chen!"

With one sentence, she directly shattered the originally solemn atmosphere in the hall.

Chen Xuan glanced at Shu Qingfeng's stiff face, even suspecting if one of the reasons he agreed to his daughter's apprenticeship was because of this.

Shu Qingfeng coughed twice and scolded, "After you join the Dao Seeking Sect in the future, remember to talk less and Cultivate more. Don't cause trouble for Senior Chen."

Shu Shichan replied, "Don't worry, Father. Don't you know what my personality is like?"

It was precisely because he knew it too well that he couldn't stop worrying.

"Why haven't you gone down to tidy up your appearance yet? This is unseemly!"

Shu Shichan gave an "Oh," muttered "Troublesome!" under her breath, and intended to turn and leave.

Chen Xuan spoke up, "There is no need for such formality; just proceed with the apprenticeship ceremony directly."

Hearing this, Shu Shichan's eyes lit up. She immediately turned around, symbolically tidied the hair near her cheeks, walked up to Chen Xuan, knelt down properly, took the tea that Steward Ding had already prepared, and offered it with both hands:

"Disciple Shu Shichan pays respects to Revered Master!"

Ding~

As Shu Shichan kowtowed and joined the sect, a familiar notification sound rang in Chen Xuan's mind.

[Congratulations to the Host for successfully recruiting an Immortal Dao Seed. Reward: one Apprentice Recruitment Gift Pack.]

[Reward: one sect construction card.]

[Detected that Disciple Shu Shichan's Physique is the Myriad Medicines Exquisite Physique.]

[Issuing god-rank cultivation materials:]

[Xuanqing Exquisite Art]

[Myriad Medicine Heart Sutra]

Reaching Major Achievement in cultivation allows for deep resonance with the natural spiritual rhythm of heaven and earth, achieving the effect of using all things as weapons; a lift of the hand can move mountain rocks, and a wave of the sleeve can summon a spiritual breeze.

After Chen Xuan took a small sip of the tea, he set the cup aside. Thus, he now had six Disciples.

He slowly raised his hand, and a gentle wisp of spiritual power lightly helped Shu Shichan up. However, he noticed that her pair of peach-blossom eyes were staring intently at him.

They even blinked several times, yet she said nothing!

Chen Xuan understood; she was asking him for an apprenticeship gift.

With a thought, a scroll emitting a faint golden light appeared in his hand out of thin air. "This is the Xuanqing Exquisite Art. Keep it well!"

Shu Shichan took the scroll with both hands. When her fingertips touched that warm spiritual power, her eyes instantly lit up. Just as she was about to express her thanks, she saw another green Jade Slip appear in her Revered Master's hand.

"You are likely very interested in this Myriad Medicine Heart Sutra as well. You can go and study it on your own."

Shu Shichan took the Jade Slip, and as soon as she injected her spiritual power, a thick fragrance of medicinal herbs wafted toward her, followed by streams of Pill Formula information entering her mind.

The further she looked, the higher the grades became.

From the initial first-grade Medicinal Pills to the ninth-grade, followed by those saint-grade pills, and even god-rank pills she had never heard of, such as the 'Nine-Turn Soul-Returning Pill' and 'Grandmist Life-Extending Pill,' all had detailed medicinal ingredient ratios, refinement steps, and even noted the Spiritual Qi fluctuation frequencies required during refinement!

Unknowingly, Shu Shichan's small mouth slightly opened, and she even subconsciously lightened her breathing, letting out one or two uncontrollable, stifled giggles.

"Ahem, ahem." Shu Qingfeng's coughing sound came, which finally made Shu Shichan snap back to her senses, after which she nodded repeatedly at Chen Xuan like a chick pecking at rice.

"Revered Master is right," she whispered, her eyes glancing toward the door. "Revered Master, if there's nothing else, may this Disciple... may this Disciple go down to Cultivate first?"

At this moment, she just couldn't wait to return to her pharmacy and flip through that Myriad Medicine Heart Sutra entirely.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan waved his hand helplessly. "Go on."

Having received permission, Shu Shichan hurriedly bowed to both Chen Xuan and Shu Qingfeng and ran out with light steps.

Watching his daughter's hurriedly departing figure, Shu Qingfeng's face was full of embarrassment. He cupped his hands to apologize to Chen Xuan, "My daughter has been spoiled by this Junior. She acts impulsively; I hope Senior doesn't take offense."

Chen Xuan smiled faintly and said, "It is a good thing to be fond of researching the Dao of alchemy. There is no need to be harsh."

"By the way, I will also help you resolve the trouble with the Qinglan Sect."

Shu Qingfeng hurriedly stood up and bowed deeply to Chen Xuan, his tone carrying uncontrollable excitement and gratitude, "Senior Chen! Are... are your words true? If the great threat of the Qinglan Sect can be removed, everyone in Biyun City will be eternally grateful to you."

Mr. Zhao also hurriedly cupped his hands in agreement, "Senior's great kindness will be remembered by Zhao! The Qinglan Sect has secretly tested Biyun City many times over the years. If they can be eliminated, the people of Biyun City can finally be at ease!"

After a few pleasantries, Chen Xuan returned to the courtyard.

Just as he opened the Apprentice Recruitment Gift Pack previously rewarded by the System, Mu Wanqing and the other returned in a hurry.

Chen Xuan looked up at the two of them and asked, "Did some unexpected change occur?"

The expressions of the two did not look like they had already wiped out the Qinglan Sect.

Furthermore, since that Qinglan Sect Revered Master was a Golden Core Cultivator, the two of them shouldn't have returned so early.

Mu Wanqing stepped forward quickly, her tone carrying a bit of guilt, "Revered Master, a small accident happened during our trip to the Qinglan Sect. We failed to handle it properly, so we came back to ask for your opinion."

Chen Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Speak. What exactly happened?"

Mu Wanqing gestured animatedly as she gave a general account of what they had seen and heard at the Qinglan Sect, while Xiao Lingxian filled in the gaps from the side.

After listening, Chen Xuan lightly tapped the stone table beside him and spoke slowly, "He is merely a rat who uses evil techniques to Cultivate, yet he actually had the audacity to claim he was opening an extra path for the common people at the foot of the mountain."

Mu Wanqing said softly, "Revered Master, but those commoners... they just want to avoid being suppressed and don't want to live like ants."

She paused and curled her lip. "The people of this Profound Realm are no better than those of the Yin Yang Sect in the Great Yan Dynasty."

"There are many ways to help; why choose an evil technique?" Chen Xuan's gaze hardened. "If that Qinglan Sect Revered Master truly had the heart to protect the commoners, he could have easily sheltered them within the Qinglan Sect's territory.

Or he could have united with the forces of Biyun City to protect the people. But he chose to let the commoners practice evil techniques, exchanging their blood and Qi for short-lived power. In the end, this was only for the sake of his own cultivation base and Realm."

These words caused Mu Wanqing and Xiao Lingxian to fall silent instantly.

Chen Xuan stood up and said, "You two go down and practice. I will personally take a trip there."

"Once this matter is settled, it will be time for us to head to the Yin Shen Sect to reunite with Qi Yue, Ping'an, and the others."

Mu Wanqing was slightly taken aback and said in surprise, "Revered Master, you swindled that little Junior Sister into joining so quickly?"